QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Innovation drives opportunity, and that is exactly why Georgia has secured the top spot for business for 11 years running. With statewide unemployment on the rise over the past four months, it’s crucial that we strengthen our efforts to connect more Georgians with jobs, remove barriers to employment, and foster an environment where Georgia businesses and families can thrive together.”
— Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson in announcing that all of Georgia’s regional commissions reported a rise in August unemployment rates.
MORE MONEY: On Monday, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, announced more than $30 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Justice to the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to bolster services for victims of violent crime throughout the state.
TWO BILLS: The city of Winder will manage annual property tax billing in-house this year, and residents inside the city limits will receive both a city tax bill and a Barrow County tax bill. City officials said the change will introduce a new process designed to better serve Winder residents and add transparency.
DESIGNATED SPACES: Last week, Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson and state Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, made a special presentation to unveil designated veteran motorcycle parking spots. Numerous veterans attended, including Roger Wise, a Roswell native and Georgia Military Hall of Fame honoree, and City Councilwoman Lee Hills.
AMICUS BRIEF: Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit the survivors of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack and the families of those murdered by Hamas brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The lawsuit seeks to hold AJP Educational Foundation, also known as American Muslims for Palestine, and the National Students for Justice in Palestine accountable for allegedly providing material support to Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. AMP and NSJP have asked that a federal judge dismiss the lawsuit.
CONGRATS GRAD: For the seventh consecurive year, Georgia public school students outperformed their counterparts nationwide on the SAT. Peach State public school students recorded a mean score of 1030, 35 points higher than the national average of 995. Georgia’s public school class of 2024 recorded a mean score of 527 on the assessment’s evidence-based reading and writing portion and a mean score of 503 on the math portion. That’s compared to nationwide averages of 507 and 488 for public school students.
MORE CARS: Automotive supplier Shinsung Petrochemical plans to spend $11.2 million in a new manufacturing facility in Toombs County, creating more than 30 new jobs, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp announced.
CASE SOLVED: Cobb authorities have solved a cold sexual assault case from 1990 using the Combined DNA Index System to confirm a DNA match from the victim’s rape kit, Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr. said. Christopher Lee Milton, 58, pled guilty to aggravated assault, rape and aggravated sodomy, and Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert D. Leonard sentenced Milton to 30 years, 13 years to serve and issued a permanent restraining order barring Milton from contacting the victim.
