WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1814, Henry L. Benning was born in Columbia County. Fort Benning in Columbus was originally named after him.

With spring breaks beginning, check out the Et Cetera section for a novel place to visit. Had you ever heard of Georgia's Little Grand Canyon? Let us know in today's Poll.

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Bills Advance in Session's Final Week

State lawmakers are making final changes and voting on bills in hopes of advancing them to Gov. Brian Kemp ahead of Friday's legislative deadline.

One bill sent for the governor's consideration aims to crack down on predatory car booting by prohibiting kickbacks to parking lot and property owners.

Lawmakers also passed a bill to create a statewide school alert system to notify schools about students with threat histories, a response to last year's Apalachee High School shooting. The same bill requires wearable panic buttons for staff.

A bill that would lower the burden of proof for death row defendants claiming mental disability is also headed to the governor's desk.

McBath Suspends Governor Bid

U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath suspended her exploratory bid for the 2026 governor's race, saying she wants to focus on her husband's health after he was diagnosed with cancer.

The four-term Democrat from metro Atlanta gained prominence as a gun control advocate after her 17-year-old son was shot and killed at a gas station.

Her decision leaves uncertainty on the Democratic side of the race. Possible Democratic candidates include former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves, and two-time nominee Stacey Abrams.

Teen Wows American Idol

Atlanta teenager Slater Nalley impressed judges again on American Idol, advancing to the "Showstoppers" round after his performance of an original song drew comparisons to Chris Stapleton and Bob Dylan.

The 17-year-old first drew headlines when he auditioned alongside Michelle Davis, his English teacher at The Lovett School. He performed an original song based on a poem written by Davis about her son, who was killed in 2016.

Davis' son, Carter, 17, was shot and killed alongside another teen, Natalie Henderson, near a metro Atlanta Publix supermarket. Jeffrey A. Hazelwood, 20, was convicted and sentenced to life without parole for the murders.

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Statewide: Severe storms that swept through the state Monday damaged homes, left thousands without power, and caused an EF-1 tornado in Henry County. (More)

Cobb County: An illegal immigrant charged with murdering a Marietta woman faces additional charges after evidence of more crimes emerged. (More)

Fort Stewart: Searchers found the body of the fourth and final U.S. soldier missing after their armored vehicle sank in a swamp in Lithuania last week. (More)

Clarke County: School superintendent Robbie Hooker announced he will retire in June, beginning a leadership transition for the Athens district. (More)

Atlanta: A mummified body was discovered in a southeast Atlanta home. No signs of foul play were reported, and an investigation is underway. (More)

Gwinnett County: A Lawrenceville man faces felony charges for allegedly shooting two children with a BB gun after they ran through his yard after getting off the school bus. (More)

➤ Major League Baseball suspended Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar for 80 games for allegedly violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Profar said he was unaware the drugs he took were illegal. (More)

➤ Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young announced he will donate $1 million to the University of Oklahoma men's basketball team and assist the team as an assistant general manager. (More)

➤ Georgia Tech women's basketball coach Nell Fortner, who led Team USA to an Olympic gold medal, announced her retirement after six seasons with the Yellow Jackets. (More)

➤ Yesterday's results: MLB | NBA | NHL | NIT | NCAABB | NCAASB | Soccer

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➤ Residents in Buckhead complained that the Beltline construction project is causing noise disturbances, flooding, and unexpected water outages. (More)

➤ Gas prices in Georgia remained steady last week, averaging $2.94 per gallon, 21 cents below the national average. EV charging rates also remained the same. (More)

➤ The state's technical college system reported an increase in enrollment and graduations at its 22 technical colleges and 88 campuses last year. (More)

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➤ Georgia's Little Grand Canyon in Lumpkin offers a novel spring break destination featuring 150-foot canyons created by severe erosion. (More)

➤ Concerts in April feature Kendrick Lamar and SZA's joint tour in Atlanta, Megan Moroney in Athens, and Bow Wow's Millennium Tour at State Farm Arena. (More)

➤ Piedmont Atlanta Hospital received certification as a Level IV maternal care facility, the highest designation in the Maternal Levels of Care Verification program. (More)

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