The shooting death of 26 year old Brian White in Albany has residents in that neighborhood voicing safety concerns to police. White had been taken to the hospital and left there by two men according to investigators. No arrests have been made.
The Small Business Administration is making loans available to businesses and private non-profit groups that incurred damages during the storms of last month. The loans can be made up to $2 million dollars at interest rates of 3.125 percent for businesses and 2.5 percent for the non-profit groups. Homeowners and persons in rental properties can take advantage of a 1.5 percent interest rate and take up to 30 years to repay the loan.
Officials with the NAACP in Terrell County want more answers and they are calling for investigations of the former tax commissioner’s office. They feel that neither the governor’s office or the district attorney has dealt with the organizations concerns over the alleged mishandling of funds by the former tax commissioner.
Farmers in South and Southwest Georgia were hard hit by the recent storms according to University of Georgia Tifton campus officials. Damages to irrigation systems were severe; some of the rigging can cost as much as $100 thousand dollars.
Officials with the Berrien County Economic Development office and local Chamber of Commerce have announced the development of a new business park for that area. A grant totaling nearly half a million dollars from the OneGeorgia initiative will cover part of the cost of the project.
The city of Nashville is putting the final touches on plans for the upcoming Chili Cook-Off. A portion of the funds raised will benefit storm relief efforts, and downtown businesses. The registration deadline is today; call 229-686-5527 to register for the February 25th event to be held at the downtown Nasville Childrens Park. The event is open to the public.
The Superior Court murder trial of Eric Simmons is scheduled to begin in Valdosta. Other charges against the defendant include aggravated assault and weapons possession by a felon. The deceased victim in the Caldwell Drive August 2015 killing was Damaria Hill age 18.
The Lowndes-Valdosta NAACP branch hosts a history presentation, 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at the City Hall Annex in the multi-purpose room. Benjamin Vieth, Brigette McGriff and Pastor Angela Manning will appear on the program. For more information contact Angela Penn at 229-231-5403.
Lawmakers in Georgia’s General Assembly continue to push for legislation that would allow licensed gun carriers to bring them on to public college campuses. Currently Georgia is in a group of 17 states that prohibit concealed weapons on campus.
A former Gwinnett County police officer Scott York who struck and killed a teen was taken into police custody and formally charged with vehicular homicide . York was en route to a pedestrian accident when he left the roadway and hit two teens walking on the sidewalk. One of the victims struck by York a 16 year old died from his injuries. York was fired from his position.
Helping firefighters who are diagnosed with cancer is a top priority for Georgia lawmakers.The House of Representatives passed a bill to protect firefighters’ health by providing insurance coverage for those who are diagnosed with the disease. The proposal calls for firefighters to receive a $25,000 medical payout upon diagnosis of cancer if the diagnosis meets certain requirements. Those diagnosed with an early stage of cancer would receive one quarter of that amount, or $6,250. The bill now goes on to the Senate.
