FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1834, Rufus Bullock was born. He was the state’s first Republican governor in 1868. False corruption charges led Bullock to flee the state, but he returned and became a prominent Atlanta businessman.

Check out today’s Et Cetera section to read about a determined property owner who built a rental castle. Let us know in today’s Poll if you’ve ever stayed at an Airbnb.

We're sponsored today by Sam's Club, offering a special deal on new memberships for The Flyover readers.

Raid Targets Alleged Labor Trafficking

An FBI-aided task force on labor trafficking raided flooring manufacturer Wellmade Industries in Cartersville, arresting owner Zhu Chen and his nephew on charges of trafficking persons for labor servitude.

Authorities say Chen brought in workers from foreign countries and forced them to work at the factory. A former employee said conditions were harsh and "the way they treated their employees was terrible."

To communicate with and assist the workers, the FBI brought in 20 linguists and a victim specialist.

GOP Seeks to Limit Early Voting Sites

Republicans in the state Senate introduced a bill to restrict early voting sites to one location per county.

Another proposal by Republicans would require poll workers to hand-count ballots on election night.

The bill is part of a GOP push for stronger oversight and more secure elections.

Critics of the measure, including state Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Northwest Atlanta, contend that fewer early voting sites will lead to longer lines and frustrated voters.

ESPN Masters Ad Draws Criticism

An ESPN commercial for the Masters featuring Noah Kahan singing a cover of Ray Charles' "Georgia on My Mind" is drawing criticism online.

ESPN said it chose Kahan to draw in younger viewers, but many fans are upset the network chose a singer without roots in Georgia or the South.

This is the sixth straight year ESPN has produced a rendition of the Charles classic for a Masters ad. The last four artists who covered the song were born or raised in Georgia.

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Fort Stewart: In Lithuania, complex recovery efforts began to locate four unidentified Fort Stewart soldiers presumed drowned in a training accident in swampy terrain. (More)

Decatur: Local bagpiper Henry Frantz Jr. died in a scuba diving accident. When family members searched his house to settle affairs, they found skeletal remains of his son, reported missing four years ago. (More)

DeKalb County: A semitruck overturned on I-285 early Thursday morning, dumping thousands of Busch Ice beer cans on the roadside. (More)

Augusta: Some residents are still repairing homes from Hurricane Helene instead of readying them for Masters week rentals. (More)

South Fulton: The city council voted to garnish Mayor Khalid Kamau's wages to recover more than $5,000 for an allegedly unauthorized mural in his City Hall office. (More)

Telfair County: The family of a 27-year-old inmate who died after a heat-related medical emergency sued the Department of Corrections, saying guards responded too slowly. (More)

Bibb County: A body found last month in Crawford County was identified as Gina Jo Ratliff, 56, of Bibb County. She was the focus of a search since last summer when her car was found in the possession of a now-deceased suspected murderer. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Hawks confirmed center Larry Nance Jr. will miss the rest of the regular season due to a knee injury. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Falcons restructured the contracts of players AJ Terrell and Chris Lindstrom, freeing $20 million of salary cap space. (More)

➤ Nait George, one of Georgia Tech's top basketball players, entered the NCAA transfer portal. (More)

➤ Name, image, and likeness is a trending topic in college sports these days. Make sure you're keeping up with the latest at NIL Wire.

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➤ The state's jobless rate held steady at 3.6% in February, below the national average of 4.1%. More than 7,000 jobs were added statewide. (More)

➤ Hyundai's Savannah metaplant plans to produce 500,000 electric vehicles per year instead of the originally announced 300,000. (More)

➤ With a $20 million investment from the Marcus Foundation, Georgia Tech researchers will look to make cell therapies more affordable and reliable. (More)

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➤ After closing his renowned treehouse Airbnb rental due to city code violations, a Kennesaw man built a medieval-themed castle in Kingston. (More)

➤ An entertainment venue called Game Show Battle Rooms opened in Dunwoody, offering guests immersive game show experiences. (More)

➤ Emory University researchers will observe seatbelt use and distracted driving at 400 sites in 20 Georgia counties to collect data in hopes of enhancing driver safety. (More)

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