Atlanta | The Georgia Star News

Georgia Secretary of State Says He Wants Fulton County Elections Taken Over by State

June 30, 2021June 30, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told Just the News on Wednesday that he wants Fulton County elections taken over by the state under a new law that addresses localities with habitual problems counting ballots, dramatically escalating his battle with the state’s largest urban center in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

“I think people are saying, enough is enough,” Raffensperger said in a podcast interview in which he discussed using the new election integrity law known as Senate Bill 202 to have the State Elections Board take over the Atlanta-area election counting in time for the 2022 elections.

Georgia Man Sentenced in Tennessee for Stealing Veteran’s Identity, Claiming Medical Benefits

June 29, 2021June 29, 2021 Chris Butler

A Georgia man traveled to Tennessee and posed as a veteran to receive more than $20,000 in medical benefits, according to federal officials. Federal officials this month sentenced that man Kristopher M. Voyles, 31, to 27 months in prison followed by three years’ supervised release.

Over 70 Companies Sign Progressive Groups’ Letter Supporting For The People Act

June 22, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Legislators gather to discuss For The People Act.

Over 70 companies signed on to a letter Monday in support of the For the People Act, a voting bill proposed by Democrats seeking to reform large parts of the electoral process.

The letter called on the Senate to pass the voting bill, calling it “one of the most significant pieces of legislation to strengthen our democracy since the Civil Rights era” and condemning recent Republican voting legislation, The Hill reports. The letter was backed by a number of advocacy groups such as Vote.org and Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote

“More than 360 bills in 47 states have been introduced to put up barriers to silence our fellow Americans’ voices, especially the voices of Black, Brown, young, disabled, and working class voters,” the letter said. “The For the People Act would override many of the abusive state laws that make it harder for millions to cast their ballots, and set national standards for free and fair elections.”

Atlanta Area Among Country’s Fastest-Growing New Home Construction Markets

June 21, 2021June 20, 2021 The Center Square

A recent National Association of Realtors report shows the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta metro area is experiencing new-home growth amid a national housing shortage.

The area ranked fourth in the country for metro areas with the most single-family home building permits over the past year.

Metro Atlanta real estate agent Allahva Panton has seen a large increase in real estate sales in the Atlanta area, but not so much in Sandy Springs or Alpharetta.

Bombshell Investigative Piece About Fulton County Documents ‘Massive Election Integrity Problems’ Last November

June 19, 2021June 18, 2021 Chris Butler

Fulton County, Georgia had more election integrity problems during last year’s U.S. presidential elections than were previously known, according to a new investigative report that Just the News published late Thursday night. Reporters John Solomon and Daniel Payne cited a 29-page memo they obtained that documented double counting of votes, insecure storage, threats, and massive chain of custody irregularities.

Buckhead Residents Desperate to Leave Atlanta Call Their Home ‘A War Zone’

June 16, 2021June 15, 2021 Chris Butler

Buckhead made national headlines Monday after FOX News host Tucker Carlson described, in sometimes graphic terms, how crime rates in this Atlanta residential district have soared and how certain of Atlanta’s opportunistic politicians incited the violence. Buckhead residents have organized and wish to secede from Atlanta.

Buckhead Grapples With Another Violent Weekend as City Officials Campaign to Leave Atlanta

June 7, 2021June 6, 2021 Chris Butler

Buckhead, already trying to formally break away from the City of Atlanta so they can address an out-of-control crime wave using their own resources, had another violent weekend, including a murder. According to the Atlanta Police Department’s (APD’s) website, someone shot a man Saturday as he jogged through the 1200 block of West Wesley Road in Buckhead.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Prioritizes Gender Neutral Restrooms

June 5, 2021June 4, 2021 Chris Butler

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will soon sign an administrative order directing the city’s Department of Enterprise Assets Management (DEAM) to designate all single-occupancy restrooms within city facilities as gender neutral. This, according to the order that Bottoms will sign later this month. The Georgia Star News obtained a copy on Friday from Atlanta Director of LGBTQ Affairs Malik Brown.

Georgia Lawmakers to Study Crime in Atlanta

June 1, 2021May 31, 2021 The Center Square

Georgia lawmakers will study the rise in crime in Atlanta this summer.

The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee plans to hold a series of hearings to look at the causes and solutions for the increase in crime in the state’s capital city.

“We want to have productive hearings that can get down to exactly what’s going on because, as you all know, the success of the city of Atlanta is directly impacted by the success of Georgia and vice versa,” Committee Chair J. Collins, R-Villa Rica, said.

Atlanta City Council Member Who Tried to Defund the Police Loses Mercedes to Child Car Thieves

May 28, 2021May 28, 2021 Chris Butler

An Atlanta City Council member who tried to defund the police of millions of dollars last year called 911 Wednesday to report that four people stole his 2016 Mercedes. That man, Antonio Brown, told a 911 dispatcher the car thieves consisted of four children.

Group Forms to Oppose Buckhead’s Proposed Secession from Atlanta

May 22, 2021May 21, 2021 Chris Butler

Buckhead residents organized earlier this year and announced they wish to secede from Atlanta, but members of a new group formed within the district this week and they say seceding is dangerous. This, according to a press release that members of the group A Committee for a United Atlanta emailed to The Georgia Star News this week.

Atlanta Republican Fed up with GOP Establishment Says ‘The Old Guard is Cornered’

May 15, 2021May 14, 2021 Chris Butler

One Atlanta conservative unsettled by the behavior of the Fulton County Republican leadership at their party’s convention last month said too many members of the old GOP establishment resist change — and put the party in peril. Rob Cunningham told The Georgia Star News this week that “the call to get engaged [among the grassroots] is being heeded.”

Barry Loudermilk Says Major League Baseball’s Sudden Decision to Move All-Star Game Has Left Atlanta Business Owners Bewildered

May 11, 2021May 10, 2021 Chris Butler

U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11) said this month that many Atlanta business owners realized controversy surrounded Georgia’s voter integrity law Senate Bill 202, but Major League Baseball’s ultimate reaction to it still astonished them. MLB officials pulled their scheduled All-Star Game out of Atlanta.

Atlanta Mayor Won’t Run for Reelection

May 8, 2021May 7, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Atlanta’s Mayor announced Thursday night that she will not run for a second term.

“As [husband] Derek and I have given thoughtful prayer and consideration to the season now before us, it is with deep emotions that I hold my head high, and choose not to seek another term as Mayor,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) said in a letter published Thursday.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms Won’t Seek Reelection as City Uncertain About Public Safety

May 8, 2021 Chris Butler

This week Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms announced she will not seek reelection. This, while Atlanta’s crime rate remains high and a new report explored why members of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) have difficulties hiring and retaining employees.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms Won’t Seek Reelection as City Uncertain About Public Safety

May 8, 2021May 7, 2021 Chris Butler

Furious Parents Demand Fulton County School System Scrap Students’ COVID-19 Mask Mandate

May 7, 2021 Chris Butler

Fulton County parent Danielle Denlien urged — unsuccessfully — that members of the Fulton County School Board abolish the COVID-19 mask mandate they impose upon students. But before she could finish, a law enforcement officer escorted her away from the podium.

Furious Parents Demand Fulton County School System Scrap Students’ COVID-19 Mask Mandate

May 7, 2021May 6, 2021 Chris Butler

Joe Biden to Travel to Georgia Thursday to Celebrate His First 100 Days in Office

April 28, 2021April 27, 2021 Chris Butler

U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to the Atlanta area Thursday to celebrate his first 100 days in office. This, according to a press release that Georgia Democrats posted on their website this week.

Atlanta’s ‘Terrifying’ Events Prompt Buckhead Residents’ Desire to Secede from City

April 10, 2021April 9, 2021 Chris Butler

Buckhead residents who have organized and wish to secede from Atlanta said this week that they are diverse and their ties to that larger city bring crime and one horror story after. Members of this group, the Buckhead Exploratory Committee (BEOC), also said that they are serious about wanting to leave.

Georgia’s Cobb County Says it Will Lose $100 Million From MLB Moving All Star Game

April 6, 2021April 5, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

The Cobb County Travel and Tourism Bureau said that it estimates it will miss out on $100 million in revenue, after Major League Baseball (MLB) was brow-beaten by political activists into moving its 2021 All-Star game from Atlanta.

“This event would have directly impacted our county and the state, as visitors spend their dollars on local accommodations, transportation, entertainment and recreation, food and retail throughout the county,” the bureau said. “This would have been a big boost to Cobb businesses and help with recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Brian Kemp, Others, Tell Corporate America They Will Not Retreat on Georgia’s Voter Integrity Law

April 4, 2021April 3, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Saturday told Major League Baseball officials and executives at Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines that he will not buckle under to their pressure. Kemp, flanked by several supporters at the Georgia State Capitol, said he will not do away with the state’s new voter integrity law, Senate Bill 202. The governor also told state residents that Democrat and former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is lying about the new law and fundraising off of her lies.

Gov. Brian Kemp Blasts Major League Baseball ‘Cancel Culture’ Decision to Pull All-Star Game Out of Georgia

April 3, 2021April 2, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday evening said Major League Baseball officials caved “to fear, political opportunism, and liberal lies.” This, after MLB officials announced earlier in the day that they will relocate the 2021 All-Star Game and MLB Draft, originally scheduled for Atlanta, to another location. They specifically cited Georgia’s new voter integrity law, Senate Bill 202.

Group Pushing for Green New Deal Schedules Rallies for Atlanta and Knoxville Next Week

April 3, 2021 Chris Butler

Members of a nationwide group pushing for The Green New Deal have planned rallies and demonstrations throughout the country for Wednesday, April 7. The activists in this group, The Sunrise Movement, will hold one rally in Atlanta and another in Knoxville on Wednesday, according to its website.

Georgia Democrats Push for More Gun Control, Hate Crime Laws

March 25, 2021March 24, 2021 Chris Butler

Democrats who represent Georgia in the state’s general assembly as well as the U.S. Congress said this week that recent mass shootings, including the one in Atlanta, necessitate either more gun control or hate crimes laws. State Sen. Michelle Au (D-Johns Creek), for instance, filed SB 309, a bill this week that would, if enacted into law, mandate a five-day waiting period for anyone who wants to purchase or transfer certain firearms.

Biden Stumbles Three Times While Climbing the Stairs to Air Force One

March 21, 2021March 20, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Joe Biden fell three times while climbing the stairs to Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews on Friday.

The stumbles happened just before noon when Mr. Biden, 78, was trying to jog up the steps to the aircraft for a flight to Atlanta.

After the first stumble, Biden, who has previously taunted former President Trump for lacking physical prowess, tried steady himself, but he fell a second time, and then a third time to his knees.

Massage Parlors Attacked by Gunman Busted in Prostitution Stings

March 21, 2021March 20, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

According to documents released Friday, the two massage parlors targeted by a deranged gunman in Atlanta Tuesday had both been subjects of prostitution stings by police, despite claims to the contrary by Atlanta’s mayor.

“As far as we know in Atlanta, these are legally operating businesses that have not been on our radar,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said after the shootings. “Not on the radar of [the Atlanta Police Department].”

Biden Meets with Abrams, Asian American Leaders in Georgia

March 20, 2021March 19, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

President Joe Biden spent part of his Friday in Georgia meeting with failed gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and leaders of the Asian American community.

Along with Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden’s visit was aimed at offering “support to the Asian American community following a string of shootings at three Atlanta-area spas that left eight people dead, six of them women of Asian descent,” according to WKRN.

Suspect in Custody After Deadly Rampage at Georgia Massage Parlors

March 18, 2021March 17, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Details are emerging after a man was arrested for allegedly committing a series of killings in Georgia on Tuesday.

Robert Alan Long, 21, of Woodstock, was arrested in south Georgia after he allegedly killed eight people of Asian descent in shootings at three different massage parlors.

Some Residents of Buckhead Want to Declare Independence from Crime-Ridden Atlanta

March 16, 2021March 15, 2021 Chris Butler

Buckhead residents have formed a new group to study whether their upscale commercial and residential district should formally break off from Atlanta and its soaring crime rate and possibly create their own law enforcement agency. This, according to the members of this group, The Buckhead Exploratory Committee, on their website.

Atlanta Does Not Require That Police Oversight Board Members Register to Vote

March 11, 2021March 10, 2021 Chris Butler

If you live in Atlanta and want to monitor local law enforcement officers through the Atlanta Citizen Review Board then city officials, per policy, can exclude you from serving if you are a convicted felon. But they cannot exclude you if you have never registered to vote.

Doug Collins to Debut and Host Political Talk Show out of Georgia Next Week

February 24, 2021February 23, 2021 Chris Butler

Former U.S. Republican Congressman Doug Collins is scheduled to launch his own talk radio program Monday, March 1, and the show will feature guests local to Georgia as well as guests who hold national stature. The Doug Collins Show will broadcast from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday on the Georgia-based WMLB (1690 AM). People outside of the Atlanta-listening area may also listen to the show through the John Fredericks Radio Show app.

Georgia Bill Would Restrict Local Government’s Power to Defund the Police

February 17, 2021February 16, 2021 Chris Butler

Six members of the Georgia House of Representatives have responded to the “Defund the Police” movement and filed a bill that would prohibit local governments in the state from cutting more than 5 percent of their police budgets. State Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens), the bill’s primary sponsor, said Tuesday that his legislation would, if enacted into law, exempt local governments that lose more than 5 percent of their budget revenues.

Report: Atlanta’s Debt Burden at $1,900 Per Resident

February 7, 2021February 6, 2021 The Center Square

A recent report found Atlanta’s budget deficit would cost each of the city’s 500,000 residents $1,900 to balance, representing the 26th-lowest tax burden among the 75 most-populous cities in the U.S.

Truth in Accounting (TIA) released its fifth annual Financial State of the Cities analysis last week, examining the financial health of 75 of America’s most-populous cities and calculating how much each resident would have to pay to cover all of their city’s bills.

Questions Surrounding Administration of ‘Rollover’ Absentee Ballots in Fulton County Remain Unanswered Days Before Georgia U.S. Senate Runoff Elections

December 31, 2020December 31, 2020 Peter D'Abrosca

Just days before the statewide U.S. Senate runoff in Georgia, confusion over obtaining absentee ballots remains.

“Georgians who are over the age of 65, members of the military or are physically disabled have the option of receiving absentee ballots for an entire election cycle by submitting a single application,” Atlanta radio station WABE reported in November.

Pandemic Restrictions Cause a Rash of Closures in Atlanta Restaurant Scene

December 19, 2020December 18, 2020 Tiffany Morgan

Over 25 area restaurants closed their doors for good – several that have been in business for decades – due to the impact of Health Department stay-at-home orders and restrictions on business operations that began in March 2020 with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A few days after Thanksgiving, Governor Brian Kemp issued an executive order further restricting restaurant operations. The Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) published a statement shortly after.

Commentary: Faith in Fairness Is Shattered Beyond Recovery

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

Many people, including some good friends, believe that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election fair and square.

Many others – and I place myself among them – believe that something is rotten in the state of Denmark, or, to be more specific, in the cities of Milwaukee, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Detroit, not to mention Maricopa County, Arizona. I think what happened was so rotten that I regard the election as illegitimate.

What proof, you might ask, do I have?

Prominent Atlanta Pastor Michael Youssef Says He Received Three Mail-In Ballots for Adult Son Who Lives Overseas

December 4, 2020December 3, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

Dr. Michael A. Youssef, a prominent Arab-American pastor in Atlanta, posted on social media that three mail-in ballots were sent to his house for his adult son — who has lived overseas for decades.

Youssef is founder/pastor of The Church of the Apostles megachurch in the Buckhead neighborhood. He also runs Leading the Way, an international television and radio ministry that shares the gospel in 26 languages in six continents.

Mass Protest at CNN: Your Fake News Gig Is Up

November 22, 2020November 21, 2020 Chris Butler

Americans who once belonged to the political left, whether White, Black, straight or gay, assembled in front of CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta Saturday and explained why no one should ever again trust mainstream news outlets.

Those same people, who now support U.S. President Donald Trump, explained during a mass protest that those same legacy outlets need to disappear.

Protestors Plan Fake News Takedown in Front of Atlanta’s CNN Headquarters

November 20, 2020November 19, 2020 Chris Butler

Organizers are scheduled to protest CNN in front of its Atlanta headquarters Saturday at 10 a.m.

Brandon Straka said Thursday that he and other protestors describe the event as a #Walk Away Rescue America rally.