MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2024

Good Morning! On this date in 1995, the Atlanta Braves defeated the Cleveland Indians in six games to win their first World Series since moving to Atlanta in 1966. (Video)

Georgia is receiving non-stop attention from both presidential candidates, as we note today in Around Georgia. If nothing else, the campaign rallies seem to be driving up the vote, as early voting is setting records.

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Early Voting Explodes: 2.6 Million Ballots Cast

Nearly 2.6 million Georgians, or 36.2% of active voters, have already cast their ballots, with early voting continuing through Nov. 1.

A large majority of ballots this year were cast in person, and state officials noted that over half of 2020's total turnout has already been achieved.

Older voters are leading participation, with those aged 60-69 casting nearly 573,732 votes, while women continue to outpace men at 55.7% of the vote.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger projects that nearly 4 million early votes will be cast by the end of the early voting period, countering claims of voter suppression and emphasizing the accessibility of Georgia's voting system.

Woman Gets 12 Years in $30 Million COVID Scam

Tyshion Nautese Hicks was sentenced to 12 years in prison for leading a scheme to defraud the Georgia Department of Labor out of more than $30 million in unemployment benefits.

Between March 2020 and November 2022, Hicks and seven co-conspirators filed over 5,000 fraudulent claims by creating fake employers and using information from identity theft victims.

The defendants filed the false claims through the labor department's website, causing the benefits to be distributed via prepaid debit cards sent to addresses in Vienna and Cordele.

This case was one of the largest COVID-related fraud schemes prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Sapelo Dock Collapse Probe Begins

The Attorney General has hired an engineering firm to conduct an independent investigation into the collapse of an 80-foot gangway on Sapelo Island that killed seven people during the Gullah-Geechee community’s Cultural Day festival.

State agencies are also conducting their own inquiry, with the gangway moved to a secure location for further inspection.

Officials reported 20 people fell into the water during the incident, which involved around 40 people on the structure, although the total number at the time of collapse remains unclear.

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➤ Atlanta: Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion today, with doors opening at 2 p.m. and his speech scheduled for 6 p.m. (More)

➤ Clarkston: More than 20,000 people attended a rally at James R. Hallford Stadium on Thursday, where Vice President Kamala Harris was joined by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen to rally support ahead of the Nov. 5 election. (More)

➤ Savannah: A jury has found Leilani Simon guilty on all 19 charges related to the murder and concealment of her 20-month-old son, whose body was discovered in a landfill two years ago (More)

➤ Bulloch County: A caravan of eight trailers loaded with supplies departed from the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office at 5 a.m. on Friday, heading to Swannanoa, North Carolina, to aid communities devastated by Hurricane Helene. (More)

➤ Atlanta: The Fulton County Sheriff's Office launched its second annual domestic violence warrant roundup, "Operation: Take a Stand," in honor of Deputy Shakeema Brown Jackson, who was killed by her husband nearly three years ago. The operation has resulted in 14 arrests so far. (More)

➤ Atlanta: The Georgia Supreme Court overturned a contempt ruling against a defense attorney representing rapper Young Thug, allowing the attorney to continue working on the case without penalties. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Falcons beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-26, improving their record to 5-3. (See Details)

➤ The Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young scored 38 points in the Hawks 125-120 win over the Charlotte Hornets. (Watch Highlights)

➤ Three-star linebacker Anthony Kruah flipped his commitment from North Carolina to Georgia on Saturday. (More)

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➤ Delta Airlines is suing CrowdStrike over a July IT outage that grounded flights, claiming the cybersecurity firm's actions caused $500 million in losses and reputational damage. (Details)

➤ Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, the parent company of Socium Ventures, has announced a second $300 million fund for the investment firm, increasing its managed capital to $600 million to back technology-driven sectors such as software, healthcare, fintech, and sustainability. (Details)

➤ Georgia revoked a permit amendment for Telfair Forest Products' wood-pellet biomass plant after a legal challenge argued the amendment violated the Clean Air Act by doubling emissions without proper pollution controls. (Details)

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➤ A memorial service for Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim was held at Kennesaw State University on Sunday. Abdur-Rahim was celebrated for leading Kennesaw State to its first NCAA tournament appearance, his deep impact on players, and his dedication as a husband and father. (More)

➤ NBC's new drama series Grosse Pointe Garden Society will begin production on Nov. 6 at Assembly Studios in Doraville. (More)

➤ Zoo Atlanta is inviting the public to help name its baby Hoffmann's two-toed sloth, born in August to Nutella and Cocoa. Name submissions are open until Nov. 1, with the winner announced on Nov. 12. (Photo)

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