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  • NC State vs. Georgia scores, updates, schedule from Athens Super Regional :: WRALSportsFan.com

    NC State vs. Georgia scores, updates, schedule from Athens Super Regional :: WRALSportsFan.com

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    By WRAL Sports, Associated Press

    Georgia hit four home runs, including two in the first three innings, en route to an 11-2 Game 2 victory against NC State in its best-of-three super regional in Athens.

    The Georgia win sets up a decisive Game 3 on Monday with the winner earning a spot in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The game will start at noon or 7 p.m., ESPN announced.

    NC State clobbered Georgia 18-1 on Saturday in the series opener.

    But it was the Bulldogs who struck early in Game 2, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the first inning and extending it to 5-0 in the third. Georgia extended its lead to 10-0.

    Georgia 11, NC State 2 (bottom of 8th inning): NC State catcher Jacob Cozart hit his third home run of the super regional.

    Georgia 11, NC State 1 (top of 8th inning): Corey Collins hit a solo home run to lead off the inning.

    Georgia 10, NC State 1 (bottom of 7th inning): Luke Nixon singled, advanced to third on a single by Matt Heavner and scored on a groundout by Noah Soles, getting the Wolfpack on the board.

    NC State has been shut out once this season and held to one run on three other occasions.

    Georgia starting pitcher Leighton Finley tossed 6.2 innings, allowing eight hits and one run. He struck out five and walked two.

    Georgia 10, NC State 0 (top of 7th inning): Fernando Gonzalez singled to center, driving home Clayton Chadwick with Georgia’s 10th run of the game. Gonzalez was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.

    NC State relief pitcher Ryan Marohn has pitched four innings, helping preserve the rest of the bullpen for a likely Game 3 on Monday.

    Georgia 9, NC State 0 (top of 6th inning): Paul Toetz hit a solo home run to extend the Bulldogs’ lead.

    Georgia 8, NC State 0 (top of 4th inning): Georgia added to its lead with a RBI double from Kolby Branch and a run-scoring groundout by Corey Collins.

    Tre Phelps drove in another run on a hit by pitch.

    NC State starting pitcher Dominic Fritton was taken out after three-plus innings pitched. He allowed seven hits and seven runs (all earned).

    Georgia 5, NC State 0 (top of 3rd inning): Tre Phelps smacked a three-run home run to center field, extending the Bulldogs’ lead. It was the 11th home run of the season for Phelps, a freshman.

    It was Georgia’s third hit of the inning and sixth of the game. NC State held the Bulldogs to four hits in Saturday’s Game 1.

    Georgia 2, NC State 0 (top of 1st inning): Georgia grabbed an early lead in its must-win Game 2 against NC State on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs are the visiting team even through the game is in Athens.

    Second baseman Slate Alford hit a two-run home run off NC State starter Dominic Fritton.

    NC State never trailed in Saturday’s 18-1 victory in Game 1, erupting for 11 runs in the second inning. The Wolfpack need just one more win to advance to the College World Series for the third time.

    NC State is the No. 10 national seed and Georgia is the No. 7 national seed.

    Wolfpack clobber Georgia in Game 1

    Noah Soles had two doubles and five RBIs in N.C. State’s 11-run second inning, and the Wolfpack routed Georgia 18-1 on Saturday in Game 1 of the best-of-three Athens Super Regional.

    Luke Nixon and Matt Heavner had back-to-back bunt singles in the top of the second inning, the former to drive in Brandon Butterworth and open the scoring and the latter to load the bases with nobody out.

    Soles followed with a three-RBI double down the line in right and Eli Serrano III hit the next pitch over the wall in right center. Butterworth added an RBI single before Nixon and Soles each hit two-RBI doubles to give No. 10 seed N.C. State (37-20) an 11-0 lead.

    “Hitting is contagious,” catcher Jacob Cozart sad. “You start out the game having a quick inning, then the second inning came around and we got two really, really good bunts down. They found the hole, chaos unloaded and we just started to roll. We got to the top of our lineup, and then that’s what we do. Once they turn that lineup around, they start to roll.”

    Sam Highfill (7-2) gave up a run on four hits and three walks over six innings to earn the win for the Wolfpack. Andrew Shaffner pitched three scoreless innings of no-hit relief for his first save of the season.

    “He was unbelievable today,”Soles said of Highfill. “He’s very tough. I personally look up to him and I think he’s a great leader, on and off the field. He’s just someone everyone looks up to and I think he’s a really, really good leader for the clubhouse.”

    N.C. State can clinch a berth in the College World Series with a win Sunday in Game 2. The Wolfpack have made three appearances at the CWS, the most recent in 2021.

    “It’s good to get that first one, but obviously we have to get one more,” NC State coach Elliott Avent said. “They’re tough to get but obviously we played really well today. We obviously also had that one inning that got things out of kilter for them.”

    Corey Collins singled to right in the bottom of the fifth for seventh-seeded Georgia (42-16) to make it 13-1.

    “Here’s the great thing about our game: nothing carries over to tomorrow,” Georgia coach Wes Johnson said. “The scoreboard goes back to 0-0, and we’re going to come out, and we’re going to be ready to respond.”

    FINAL: NC State 18, Georgia 1: Shaffner gets another 1-2-3 inning and the Wolfpack complete a convincing win in Game 1 of the Athens Super Regional.

    Game 2 is set for Sunday at 12 p.m. A potential Game 3 would be played on Monday. Another win would send the Wolfpack to their fourth College World Series and first since 2021.

    NC State 18, Georgia 1 (top of 9th inning): Andrew Shaffner gets a 1-2-3 eighth inning and we head to the ninth with State holding a commanding lead.

    Jacob Cozart and Alec Makarewicz hit back-to-back home runs to make it an 18-1 lead in the top of the ninth. The Wolfpack now have five home runs on the day and Cozart has two.

    NC State 16, Georgia 1 (top of 7th inning): Garrett Pennington hit a solo home run to left field to extend the Wolfpack’s lead.

    Every NC State batter in the starting lineup has at least one hit and at least one run scored. Seven players, including Pennington, have at least two hits. Five players, including Pennington, have at least two runs scored.

    Alec Makarewicz doubled and scored on a wild pitch to make it 16-1.

    NC State 14, Georgia 1 (top of 6th inning): Luke Nixon scored on a throwing error by Georgia, adding to the Wolfpack’s lead. Nixon singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a fly out.

    NC State 13, Georgia 1 (bottom of 5th inning): Georgia finally scratched a run off NC State starting pitcher Sam Highfill on an RBI single by Corey Collins. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with two outs after a walk to star Charlie Condon walked, but Highfill pitched out of the jam.

    Through five innings, Highfill allowed three hits and one run. He walked three and struck out two.

    NC State 13, Georgia 0 (top of 5th inning): Jacob Cozart’s two-out single to right field drove home Eli Serrano III, who doubled to start the inning.

    NC State 12, Georgia 0 (top of 3rd inning): Jacob Cozart homered to right field, extending the Wolfpack edge. It was his 17th home run of the season.

    NC State 11, Georgia 0 (top of 2nd inning): NC State jumped out to a big early lead against Georgia with a barrage of hits in the second inning.

    Brandon Butterworth and Alex Sosa started the inning with singles. Luke Nixon scored Butterworth with a bunt single. Another bunt single from Matt Heavner loaded the bases.

    Then Noah Soles delivered a bases-clearing double to extend the lead to 4-0.

    Eli Serrarno III homered to bring in Soles and extend the lead to 6-0 with no outs.

    With the bases loaded again, Butterworth delivered a long single to make it 7-0, chasing Georgia starter Kolten Smith, who failed to record an out in the second inning.

    Nixon followed with a one-out, two-run double to extend the lead to 9-0. Soles then blooped a two-run double to left field, giving him five RBIs in the inning and pushing the lead to 11-0 before Georgia finally got out of the inning.

    The record for runs in a single inning in a super regional is 13.

    Athens Super Regional Schedule

    Saturday, June 8
    Game 1 – No. 10 NC State 18, No. 7 Georgia 1 (NC State leads 1-0)

    Sunday, June 9
    Game 2 – No. 7 Georgia 11, No. 10 NC State 2 (Series tied 1-1)

    Monday, June 10 (If Necessary)
    Game 3 – No. 10 NC State vs. No. 7 Georgia| Time TBD | TV TBD

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  • Colorado suspends ex-Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis’ law license for 3 years over Georgia election lies

    Colorado suspends ex-Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis’ law license for 3 years over Georgia election lies

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    Jenna Ellis, a Colorado native and former lawyer for then-President Donald Trump in 2020, will not be allowed to practice law in Colorado for at least three years under an agreement approved Tuesday by the Colorado Supreme Court.

    Ellis, who is from Longmont, had faced the possibility of total disbarment after pleading guilty in October to a felony in Georgia related to efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss there. Daysha Young, a prosecutor in that case, told the court there that Ellis had “aided and abetted” two of Trump’s attorneys as they falsely told Georgia state senators that tens of thousands of illegal votes were cast in the state.

    Colorado’s governing body for attorneys previously had censured Ellis after she admitted making repeated false statements about the 2020 presidential election.

    In the agreement, lawyers for Ellis and the state of Colorado acknowledged that “while disbarment is the presumptive sanction for (Ellis’) misconduct, it is significant that her criminal culpability was due to her conduct as an accessory, not as a principal.” That, combined with her letter of remorse, may have saved her from total disbarment.

    In her letter, Ellis wrote that she “turned a blind eye” to the possibility that senior lawyers for the Trump campaign could be sharing false information as part of a “cynical ‘Stop the Steal’ campaign.”

    “In (accepting the suspension), I will hopefully encourage others who may still believe that the election was ‘stolen’ to consider changing their position,” Ellis wrote. “Everything that has come out since has not proven that claim.”

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    Nick Coltrain

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  • Fact-checking 2020 election fraud claims in Georgia

    Fact-checking 2020 election fraud claims in Georgia

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    As the 2024 presidential election approaches, some social media users continue to spread false claims that the 2020 presidential contest was stolen, pointing to purported fraud in Georgia as evidence.

    A May 9 Instagram post claimed that Fulton County, Georgia, election officials “scanned more than 3,000 ballots twice during the recount of the 2020 presidential election.” The post also claimed, “There are 380,761 ballot images from machine count that are not available from 2020 elections.”

    The post’s caption read, “Georgia was stolen. But they swore there was no evidence of any wrongdoing. Now there’s proof.”

    Other Instagram posts made similar claims about double-scanned ballots and missing ballot images from the 2020 election in Georgia.

    These claims went viral after a May 7 Georgia Elections Board meeting in which board members heard testimony and received findings from a state investigation into multiple allegations of 2020 election fraud in Fulton County. The largely Democratic county, which includes parts of Atlanta, has often been at the center of 2020 voter fraud claims.

    The secretary of state’s office began investigating after Georgia resident Joseph Rossi and Texas resident Kevin Moncla filed a complaint in 2022. The complaint accused Fulton County of improperly recounting the 2020 presidential election and said the complainants had found other voting irregularities.

    State investigators told the Georgia Elections Board they found errors in Fulton County’s recount of the 2020 presidential contest, but the discrepancies did not significantly change the election results.

    Because of these errors, the Georgia Elections Board voted 2-1 to reprimand Fulton County elections officials and ordered the county to install an independent election monitor ahead of the 2024 election.

    In the Peach State’s 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by 11,779 votes. Three vote counts — the initial machine tabulation, a hand-counted risk-limiting audit and a machine recount — produced similar vote tallies that confirmed Biden’s victory in Georgia.

    Did Fulton County officials scan thousands of 2020 ballots twice?

    Fulton County election officials scanned some 2020 ballots twice, but investigators couldn’t determine whether they were counted twice.

    State investigators said during the May 7 meeting that they found 3,075 duplicate ballot images in Fulton County from the statewide machine recount of the 2020 presidential election. They couldn’t determine whether any duplicates were tabulated in the recount.

    Ballot images are not counted as votes, the state investigators said. Election workers use these electronic pictures of ballots during vote tabulation to ensure the vote count’s accuracy, they said.

    For instance, if a ballot scanner detects an ambiguous mark that it can’t read, an election worker will compare the ballot image with the paper ballot to determine where the mark is and what it means, Georgia secretary of state spokesperson Mike Hassinger told PolitiFact.

    “If the ‘3,000 duplicate ballot images’ had been counted as votes (again, images are not used to count votes) the results would have been off by 3,000 — and they were not,” Hassinger said. Comparing the initial results with the machine recount, there were 880 fewer votes for president counted in the machine recount.

    The state investigators explained that the duplicate ballot images likely occurred because an error during the tabulation process required some ballots to be rescanned.

    After rescanning these ballots and before submitting the results, election officials could delete the results and ballot images from the first scan, said Charlene McGowan, general counsel for the secretary of state’s office. Election officials might have deleted the duplicate ballot results, but not the duplicate ballot images, she said.

    “So, there is a way that it is possible for there to be duplicative ballot images that appear within the images, but not necessarily with the count,” McGowan said. “We can’t say conclusively one way or the other because ballots are anonymous and there’s no way to know for sure.”

    Are more than 380,000 ballot images missing from the 2020 election in Fulton County?

    State and local officials did not substantiate this claim.

    During the May 7 meeting, Elections Board member Janice Johnston asked state investigators and Fulton County officials “why 380,761 ballot images from Election Day” are “not available.” The Georgia Republican Party appointed Johnston to the board in 2022.

    McGowan said state investigators subpoenaed Fulton County for its ballot images from the recount, not Election Day, as the recount is what the complaint disputed.

    Fulton County officials said at the meeting they didn’t know about this allegation and so could not comment. PolitiFact also contacted Fulton County’s elections office and received no response.

    Hassinger also said he didn’t know where this figure originated.

    “The proper answer to ‘unavailable ballot images’ of ANY number is ‘So what?’” he said. “It wasn’t required under the law, and images are not used to tally votes.”

    In 2020, Georgia law did not require election officials to keep ballot images. In 2021, the state Legislature passed a law requiring ballot images to be retained and subject to public disclosure.

    Do these claims mean Georgia’s 2020 election results are invalid?

    No. All three vote counts in Georgia confirmed that Biden won the state’s 2020 presidential election.

    In Fulton County, specifically, the initial tabulation reported 524,659 votes cast in the presidential contest, including 137,240 votes for Donald Trump and 381,144 votes for Joe Biden.

    The risk-limiting audit, conducted by hand, found that 525,293 votes were cast in Fulton County for the presidential election, including 137,620 votes for Trump and 381,179 votes for Biden.

    Finally, the machine recount, requested by Trump, reported 523,779 votes cast for president in Fulton County. Trump received 137,247 of those votes, a net gain of seven votes; and Biden received 380,212 of the votes, a net loss of 932 votes.

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  • Lake Lanier, GA Provides Fun for the Whole Family!

    Lake Lanier, GA Provides Fun for the Whole Family!

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    Lake Lanier and Gainesville, GA are only two hours from the Upstate, SC and provide some pretty amazing opportunities for family recreation, entertainment, and relaxation. We’ll tell you all about how you can enjoy this beautiful area with your family!

    Thank you to Discover Lake Lanier for providing accommodations and media tickets to us so we could write this story. All opinions are our own.

    After an easy, two-hour drive from the Upstate, SC straight down I-85, you’ll be at the beautiful Lanier Islands. Once you get there, you may not even want to leave due to the many activities and restaurants right on the islands. This is the ideal spot for family fun because they really do have something for every age to enjoy. 

    I took my daughters, ages 9 and 13, to Lake Lanier for a couple days to experience this paradise and have all you need to know to bring your own family for a fun, summer getaway!

    Beach at the LandShark Bar and Grill

    About Lake Lanier

    Lake Lanier is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Georgia, only two hours from the Upstate. It was created in 1956 for flood control, power generation, and recreation. The lake is the primary source of water for millions in the Atlanta Metro area. 

    Almost immediately after its creation, Lake Lanier became a popular recreational destination for residents of Georgia and beyond. Its 692 miles of shoreline offer opportunities for boating, fishing, swimming, camping, and picnicking. We can now add a water park to that list of fun things to do at Lake Lanier! 

    Where to Play 

    Fins Up Water Park 

    Here’s our full Kidding Around Review of Fins Up Water Park!

    If there’s anything that will have me packing up the car and kids and hitting the road during the summer, it’s a good water park, preferably one with some heart-pounding slides, a big wave pool, and places to hang out and relax. Fins Up Water Park at Lanier Islands, Georgia hits all those marks plus went beyond my expectations!

    This place is a lot of fun and it’s really the perfect place to spend a weekend or summer trip with your family because it has something for everyone – little kids, teens, and parents. They have everything from heart-pounding waterslides to a floating obstacle course to a wave pool to an area just for little kids. 

    Water slide at Fins Up Waterpark
    Water slide at Fins Up Waterpark

    Interactive Neighborhood for Kids (INK)

    I was so impressed with this children’s museum in Gainesville, GA! It’s an entire town built for kids with tons of imaginative play items and areas. There is a dentist office, vet office, grocery store, bank, hair salon, farm, and an indoor playground. There’s a small airplane and baggage check along with a dance studio and hands-on construction items.

    My daughters (ages 9 and 13) are at the tail end of the audience of INK, which is geared towards kids ages 2-12, but they still loved it. Your $9 admissions ticket includes two hours of play at a designated time. We were there for almost an hour and a half and if my kids were younger, I would have had to drag them out. I cannot say enough good things about this place. 

    999 Chestnut Street NE, Gainesville, GA 
    INK Website 

    INK children's museum
    Imaginative play vet office at INK children’s museum

    Gamechanger 

    The Gamechanger is a new addition to Lanier Islands. It’s a huge arcade and restaurant that also has an indoor mini-golf course, axe throwing, and virtual reality rooms. My kids and I absolutely love arcades and we had such a great time playing in the arcade after dinner for about an hour. They have all kinds of games like Skeeball and racing cars and throwing balls at clowns (our favorite). The prizes they have are the best prizes I’ve ever seen at an arcade. From toys to treats to puzzles and games to an actual kayak, kids will find something they’ll love to get with their winnings. 

    7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford, GA
    Gamechanger Website

    Gamechanger arcade
    Arcade at Gamechanger

    Legacy Lodge Saltwater Pool 

    The huge saltwater pool at Legacy Lodge is heated and feels divine. There are plenty of seating options, umbrellas, pool towels, and an overall relaxing atmosphere. A giant fire pit sits at the very end of the pool but it wasn’t going when we were there (probably because it was over 80 degrees). My daughters and I really enjoyed hanging out at the pool after spending the majority of the day exploring Gainesville. It was the perfect place to relax. 

    Legacy Lodge Saltwater Pool
    Legacy Lodge Saltwater Pool

    Atlanta Botanical Gardens – Gainesville 

    I love botanical gardens for their beauty. Flowers will always make me smile. At the Atlanta Botanical Gardens in Gainesville, the place that got my kids smiling the most was the Children’s Garden. They have a really cute playground and building area for kids to get creative at but also an awesome little place where kids can play in the water, which is much appreciated on hot, summer days. We walked around and enjoyed the other parts of the gardens and the stained glass insect exhibit as well but it was the Children’s Garden that made this place stand out. 

    1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville, GA
    Open Tuesday – Sunday 9 am – 6 pm

    Atlanta Botanical Gardens Gainesville
    Water feature at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens Gainesville

    Downtown Gainesville, Georgia

    Gainesville has a beautiful downtown area that centers around a town square. There are lots of great boutiques and restaurants to enjoy. We loved walking around and checking out the unique shops. If Kilwins was open, we would have indulged in some of their delicious ice cream. There’s a free public parking garage right off the main square.

    Jaemor Farms

    Jaemor Farms has u-pick strawberries, peaches, and sells a huge array of local produce and fruit plus jams, pancake mix, bread, and lots of other goodies that I dare you not to purchase. They also have homemade ice cream that is amazing. We got the strawberry peach mix and it was absolutely delicious. This was the perfect place to go on our way home since it’s literally on the way back from Lake Lanier to Greenville and well, the fruit makes really good snacks while driving home. The strawberries never even made it to my front door!

    5340 Cornelia Highway, Alto, GA

    Jaemor Farms
    Peaches at Jaemor Farms

    Where to Eat

    LandShark Bar & Grill 

    The LandShark Bar & Grill overlooks a beach and marina and is the perfect place to catch a beautiful sunset. LandShark Landing and LandShark Bar & Grill are free to visit, except for holiday weekends and during special events. On these days, entry is $9.99. 

    7541 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford, GA
    Landshark Website

    Gamechanger 

    After you wear yourself and the kids out playing games in the arcade or trying the escape room, you can grab dinner at the restaurant on-site. They have a full restaurant and bar. We got a Greek Salad, Garlic Parm fries, and a quesadilla. For my two daughters and I, this was plenty and we went home with leftovers! 

    7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford, GA
    Website

    Over the Top Burger Bar 

    This place is absolutely delicious and about 15 minutes outside of the resort. They have some really cool burger options plus poutine with cheese curds and gravy. It was delicious. We decided to go all out and get one of their over the top shakes and went with the Cheeseburger in Paradise, which had vanilla ice cream, white chocolate chips, and an entire slice of Key Lime Cheesecake on top. Paradise, indeed.

    2685 Buford Hwy NE #800, Buford, GA
    Gamechanger Website 

    Sidney’s at Legacy Lodge 

    We had breakfast at Sidney’s, which is the main building at Legacy Lodge, and overlooks the pool. We went for breakfast and every single thing we had was delicious. They serve a breakfast buffet with scrambled eggs, Florentine eggs, bacon, grits, oatmeal, fresh fruit, an omelet station, and Belgium waffles. Kids are $11 and adults are $17.95. My kids ate so much that we didn’t eat lunch till around 2 pm that day. Sidney’s is open for breakfast daily and for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays.

    Caroline’s on Main 

    Walking into Caroline’s was like stepping into another world. The walls are painted pastel pink with the booths to match. There are flowers on every table, which are set to perfection. The staff are incredibly kind and helpful. And the food – oh my gosh – the food. This was one of our favorite meals we had on this trip. We went for breakfast and got pancakes, a Bourbon Belgium waffle, and a breakfast plate with eggs, toast, homemade jam, and the best fried potatoes ever. I don’t even know what was on them but they were oh-so-good. 

    5518 Main Street, Flowery Branch, GA

    Caroline's Bourbon Waffle
    Bourbon waffle at Caroline’s

    Collegiate Grill 

    Collegiate Grill looks like it is straight out of the 1950s. It has the black and white checkered floors and red walls. The blue booths are in pristine condition and the shakes looked delicious! We got their burger and fries special and the food was like you’d expect typical diner food. It was the most inexpensive place we went to eat and right off the main square in downtown Gainesville so perfect for lunch after a shopping trip. 

    220 Main Street SW, Gainesville, GA

    Where to Stay

    Discover Lake Lanier had us stay in a beautiful lake house, which was 1,200 square feet, had two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a full kitchen, deck with gas grill, and huge living space. We walked in and immediately fell in love with the spacious house. They offer pet-friendly options.

    We really enjoyed relaxing here between all the fun adventures we had and while we didn’t cook, I would have absolutely used the kitchen if we had stayed for a longer period of time. When I travel with my family, we almost always choose hotels with kitchenettes or AirBnBs so I can cook and save money on eating out. There is a large table inside, a picnic table on the deck, and a gas grill – perfect for summer grilling out. One note: consider bringing a white noise maker. The lakehouses are lakeside and some boats hang out late into the night and play music, which may bother lighter sleepers.

    Lake Lanier Lakehouse
    Living room at the Lake Lanier Lakehouse

    There are also rooms in Legacy Lodge and villas that overlook the lake on the other side of the islands. At Margaritaville at Lanier Islands, you can stay in a glamping tent, lakeside cabin, or even rent an RV. So no matter your family size or lodging desire, there are options for you. 

    You can also rent a golf cart for easy transport around Lanier Islands. It’s a big place so a golf cart comes in handy. If you prefer your car, you can certainly do that as well. Or bring bikes! That would be a great way to get around. 

    Specials at Legacy Lodge

    Be sure to sign up for emails from Legacy Lodge to get notified of specials. Right now, they are offering 30% off stays plus a free golf cart for rooms/lakehouses booked through September 2024. The sale ends May 28, 2024. Follow their Specials page on their website to snag some good deals.

    Lake Lanier sunset
    Lake Lanier sunset

    Honest Mom Review 

    Lake Lanier really surpassed all my expectations. I really had no idea there was so much to do there and within such a short distance from Greenville. My daughters and I loved Fins Up Water Park the best and I have no doubt they’ll be asking me to go back soon. The lakehouse was fantastic and so spacious plus just a beautiful spot to relax after having fun all day in the sun or exploring Gainesville. My kids love, love, love arcades so we spent some really enjoyable time there knocking down all the clowns in our favorite arcade game and then taking forever to pick out the prizes they wanted. 

    I think the best part – and it always is the best part – is getting that time to have fun and spend quality moments with my kids. Making memories with them is really special and Lake Lanier made it so easy to do that and really without having to leave the islands much at all. When things are all in one spot like that, I like the ease of not having to travel after driving in the car and having things really close to each other. So, Lake Lanier, I hope to see you again soon!

    Georgia Travel Guide

    Looking for more places to travel for family fun? See our big Travel page!

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    Kristina Hernandez

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  • Fins Up Water Park – Fun for the Whole Family

    Fins Up Water Park – Fun for the Whole Family

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    For a fantastic summer experience that is great for the whole family from teens to little kids and parents, and two hours from the Upstate, check out Fins Up Water Park at Margaritaville at Lanier Islands, Georgia. We checked it out and have all the details!

    Thanks to Discover Lanier Islands for providing media tickets for this review. 

    If there’s anything that will have me packing up the car and kids and hitting the road during the summer, it’s a good water park, preferably one with some heart-pounding slides, a big wave pool, and places to hang out and relax. Fins Up Water Park at Lanier Islands, Georgia hits all those marks plus went beyond my expectations!

    This place is a lot of fun and it’s really the perfect place to spend a weekend or summer trip with your family because it has something for everyone – little kids, teens, and parents. 

    Water slide at Fins Up Waterpark

    About Fins Up Water Park

    Fins Up is part of Margaritaville at Lanier Islands and if you’ve read any of our other stories about our trips to Margaritaville properties, you know they are our favorite places to visit. The atmosphere at Margaritaville properties is just one that really encourages you to relax and enjoy your family. It’s chill and easy-going and all the things that your regular life at home isn’t (for the most part). 

    I really didn’t know what to expect with the water park because it wasn’t one that was on my radar. I had heard about Lanier Islands and had hoped to go but did not know much about the water park – boy was I pleasantly surprised. 

    Wave Pool at Fins Up Water Park

    The wave pool is huge and the waves are exactly like the ocean except way better because no sharks. 

    There is plenty of seating available if you want to just hang out and watch your kids. We saw some people reading books and looking happy. They had reason to be – it was a beautiful day at a beautiful spot. 

    The wave pool stops producing waves every few minutes and then starts up again. It’s a blast. 

    Wave pool at Fins Up Water Park
    Wave pool at Fins Up Water Park

    Rides at Fins Up Water Park

    New for 2024 is Apocalypso—Georgia’s first adrenaline-fueled waterslide coaster. It has two big drops where your stomach goes up into your heart and you fly up a giant wall and then slide back back. It’s 418 feet of fantastic fun. We did it a couple of times and absolutely loved it. 

    There are several waterslides, including three new ones: Serpentine Storm, Dreamsicle Dive, and Mango Mania. These are in the same area as Apocalypso and you can choose to go down them when you get to the top of the platform. 

    Mat Slide ride at Fins Up Water Park
    Mat Slide ride at Fins Up Water Park

    The Apocalypso is definitely one of the more heart-pounding ones but there are a couple others I dared not try like the Racing Water, Intimidator, and Triple Threat. These are slides where you do some kind of free fall water slide action that would probably give me a near fear of heights and falling. I’ll do all the other ones though! 

    My oldest daughter and I loved the mat waterslide, Splashdown, where we rode headfirst down a slide on a mat. It was awesome. 

    Cat 4 is a tubing adventure near the LandShark Bar & Grill and past the Aquatic Adventure where you can race your friends and family to the lake on a giant tube. 

    Both my daughters and I loved Raging River, an old-school water slide with lots of twists and turns and some smaller drops. You end up getting dunked in a small pool at the end. 

    Aquatic Adventure

    I had to hold my daughters back from sprinting towards the aqua park – Aquatic Adventure – as soon as they saw it when we walked into the park. We absolutely love these floating obstacle courses and have done all the ones we could find in South Carolina and North Georgia so we were more than happy to add this one to the list. This one was by far the largest aqua course we have ever done in terms of how many pieces of equipment there were there.

    I was completely exhausted after 15 minutes or so because these things, while fun, are so hard to not slip around and climb on the obstacles. It’s such a blast though and we loved every minute. You can go on as many times as you like. 

    Witbit at Fins Up Water Park
    Witbit at Fins Up Water Park

    Kids have to be 48″ for the floating obstacle course. Children under 10 must be accompanied by a guardian and be at least 48″ tall. Life jackets are required and are provided.

    Areas of the Water Park for Smaller Kids

    Little kids will certainly enjoy the wave pool, even if they stay by the entrance and just play in the water. But if they want to get a little more action in, there is Parakeet Springs, which has mini-waterslides, splash fountains, and Wiggles Waves (a mini wave pool). 

    Fin Dunker Bucket is a cute area next to the LandShark Bar & Grill where kids wait to get dumped on by a huge bucket of water. It’s hilarious to watch. 

    Kids also will love the sandy beach. There are small areas of the lake to splash around in but the beach is enormous with plenty of space to run around or just hang out and relax in beach chairs. 

    Food at Fins Up Water Park

    There are plenty of food and drink options at the water park. You can get everything from burgers to chicken tenders to nachos to a famous margarita at the Tiki Bar on the beach. 

    Ice cream is also easy to come across! You really don’t need to leave the water park at all since there is a lot to do and you can eat there. 

    Tips on Enjoying Fins Up Water Park

    Even though I’ve only gone one time, I have a few tips to share on how to enjoy this awesome park. 

    Look at the height requirements beforehand for the rides you’d like go on or that your kids would like to go on. Then you can plan where to go and no one will be surprised. 

    Look at the map of the water park beforehand and when you get there. I’m embarrassed to say this but my daughters and I completely missed like five water slides because we thought the water park ended at the beach at the Aquatic Adventure. It didn’t. It kept going and we didn’t even find out until later on when we went to have dinner at the LandShark Grill.

    Locker rentals are available. We didn’t do this but we usually rent lockers when we go to water parks. There weren’t a lot of people there so I figured I’d take my chances with a towel and beach chair. If it was more crowded, I would have rented a locker. Rentals are between $12-$20.

    Be prepared to walk. While the park isn’t as big as a theme park, it does require a lot of walking, especially when you’re carrying tubes up hills to get to the launch point. Some of these hills are steep so take breaks if you need. 

    Parking is $20. Guests entering Margaritaville at Lanier Islands are required to pay $20 for parking. That fee is waived for season pass holders. 

    Make sure you have a credit card or some other cashless way to pay at the park. Cash is not accepted there. 

    Try to go during the week or early/late in the season. We went the second day of their 2024 season and were able to ride as many rides as we wanted without hardly any wait times. I imagine this place will be a lot busier as summer fully hits and on weekends and holidays.

    You can reenter on the same day. If you want to leave the park for any reason and come back, you can certainly do that as long as you still have your wristband on.

    Beach at Fins Up Water Park
    Beach at Fins Up Water Park

    Honest Mom Review: Fins Up Water Park

    I just love water parks and Fins Up Water Park was no different. I really enjoyed the water slides and aqua course and having fun with my daughters was a memory we will get to share for years. Some of the slides were kinds I had not seen before – these were made before the more modern ones of steel and plastic – and while I never felt unsafe, it was just a new and fun experience. 

    All the staff was really nice and it was easy to see they were well-trained on safety protocols. They always made sure the slides were clear before sending down the next person or group. And the lifeguards on the Aquatic Adventure were paying attention to everyone to ensure safety. 

    My daughters (ages 13 and 9) really had a blast here. It wasn’t as big as some of the other water parks we have been to but that made it all the more charming and fun honestly. We didn’t feel rushed and knew we could hang out at the beach or wave pool if we wanted some downtime. Also, because the water park is part of Lanier Islands, it was such a great place to enjoy as a family as part of our short visit there knowing we only had to drive a few minutes to the lake house where we were staying for a couple nights. 

    Tickets and Admission to Fins Up Water Park

    You can purchase your tickets online and if you purchase more than 24 hours ahead of time, you’ll receive $10 off adult admission. Regular day-of admission is $59.99+ tax ages 7+ and $44.99+ tax ages 4-7. If you purchase ahead of time, adult tickets are $49.99+ tax. 

    Until May 31, 2024, Fins Up Water Park is offering season passes for $99.99 plus a free Pre-K Kid’s Pass for ages 3-5 by purchasing two regular-price passes.

    Once Memorial Day Weekend hits, they are open daily until Labor Day Weekend most days 11 am – 7 pm. Check the Fins Up website as some days they have later hours. 

    Where to Stay Near Fins Up Water Park

    Use the map below to find places to stay nearby!
    Through an affiliate relationship with Stay22, Kidding Around earns when you book through this map!

    Fins Up Water Park 
    7650 Lanier Islands Pkwy, Buford, GA 
    Fins Up Water Park Website | Fins Up Facebook

    Discover Lake Lanier
    Georgia Travel Guide

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    Kristina Hernandez

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  • Lupus Awareness Month: Georgia Chapter of Lupus Foundation supports those affected by the disease

    Lupus Awareness Month: Georgia Chapter of Lupus Foundation supports those affected by the disease

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    Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects thousands of individuals across the country. It can impact multiple parts of the body and cause severe internal damage. There isn’t a cure for this disease, and it imposes a significant emotional and financial toll on family members of people with Lupus. The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) Georgia Chapter supports everyone affected by this issue. The organization offers assistance to those in need through various channels. May is Lupus Awareness Month, and the organization has planned activities for the rest of the month to allow locals to show their support for the Lupus community.

    “We should all care about this because anybody can get lupus. We should serve those who need to be served, and lupus is a very underserved population,” said Teri Emond, President and CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter.

    May is Lupus Awareness Month background template. Holiday concept.

    The Lupus Foundation of America Georgia Chapter has been serving the community since 1978. Through advocacy, fundraising, and research, the organization has provided support to those dealing with the disease and their family members. In observance of Lupus Awareness Month in May, the chapter organized several events. On Saturday, May 18, the chapter hosted a Lupus walk in Augusta, GA, where Morehouse School of Medicine presented the latest research on Lupus. Additionally, Georgia chapter members traveled to Washington, D.C., from May 19 to May 21 to advocate for more funding for Lupus research at the national advocacy summit.

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    Clayton Gutzmore

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  • DeSantis issues state of emergency amid deadly storms in North Florida

    DeSantis issues state of emergency amid deadly storms in North Florida

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    ATLANTA – Powerful storms packing hurricane-force winds killed at least one woman Friday in Florida as a week of deadly severe weather continued in the South, where uprooted trees crashed onto homes and knocked out electricity to thousands in several states.

    City officials in Tallahassee said wind gusts of 80 to 100 mph (128 to 161 kph), speeds that exceed hurricane intensity, were reported in Florida’s capital city. Images posted on social media showed mangled metal and other debris from damaged buildings littering some areas.

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency for 12 counties in the northern part of the state affected by the storm.

    A statement on the Tallahassee government’s website said crews were scrambling to repair 100 broken power poles while half the homes and businesses were left without electricity in a city of 200,000 people. It said the National Weather Service was assessing paths of three potential tornadoes.

    “Our area experienced catastrophic wind damage,” Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said on the social platform X.

    Crews have told customers in the dark that the restoration may take days. City officials expect the work to restore power will go through the weekend.

    City spokesperson Alison Faris told The Tallahassee Democrat that the extent of the damage has made restoration hard-going because crews are focused on fixing the transmission infrastructure before they can start work on the distribution of power that energizes homes and businesses.

    “Transmission first and then we restore circuits which impacts distribution,” Faris told the Democrat. “All hands are on the transmission. We should start seeing some circuits repaired here shortly.”

    The first wave of more than 215 personnel from 20 utilities in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina has arrived to help crews as they work to repair the electric system.

    The sheriff’s office for Leon County, which includes Tallahassee, said in a Facebook post Friday that a woman was killed when a tree fell onto her family’s home.

    The storm that struck Tallahassee early Friday also knocked two chimneys from apartment buildings at a complex where fallen trees covered a row of cars. Fencing was left bent at the baseball stadium of Florida State University, where classes were canceled Friday.

    DeSantis said on social media Friday that the state Division of Emergency Management was working with local officials to “do everything possible to return life to normalcy for our residents as quickly as possible.”

    The woman killed in Florida was at least the fifth death caused by severe weather in the U.S. this week. A powerful tornado that ripped through a small Oklahoma town on Monday left one person dead, and storms on Wednesday were blamed for killing two people in Tennessee and one person in North Carolina.

    An estimated 201,000 homes and businesses from Mississippi to North Carolina were blacked out Friday afternoon, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us. Most of those outages were in Florida, where lights and air conditioning were out for nearly 142,000 customers.

    In Mississippi’s capital city of Jackson, authorities on Friday were asking residents to conserve and boil water as a precaution after a power outage at one of its major water treatment plants. JXN Water, the local water utility, said customers could expect reduced water pressure as workers assessed damage from overnight storms.

    “It will take many hours for the system to recover and some places may take longer,” Ted Henifin, the water system’s manager, said in a statement.

    Other parts of the South were cleaning up from storm damage inflicted earlier in the week. In the rural farming community of Vidalia, Georgia, and surrounding Toombs County, officials said a tornado left a path of destruction roughly 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) long Thursday afternoon.

    About 10 houses had trees crash onto or through their roofs and crews worked through the night to remove about 50 downed trees that were blocking roads, said Lynn Moore, emergency management director for Toombs County. A dozen car wrecks were reported as the storm passed, Moore said, but nobody in the county was reported injured.

    “We’re fortunate that it wasn’t stronger than it was,” Moore said.

    Also Thursday, the weather service reported a hurricane-force wind gust of 76 mph (122 kph) in Autauga County, Alabama. And one person was injured in Rankin County, Mississippi, after a tree fell crashing onto a home, according to weather service damage reports.

    Since Monday, 39 states have been under threat of severe weather. On Wednesday and Thursday, about 220 million people were under some sort of severe weather risk, said Matthew Elliott, a Storm Prediction Center forecaster.

    The weather comes on the heels of a stormy April in which the U.S. had 300 confirmed tornadoes, the second-most on record for the month and the most since 2011. Both the Plains and Midwest have been hammered by tornadoes this spring.

    ___

    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

    Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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    Associated Press

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  • Jeremiah’s Italian Ice Introduces Limited-Time NERDS Gelatis

    Jeremiah’s Italian Ice Introduces Limited-Time NERDS Gelatis

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    Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is bringing the summer fun with their latest announcement, teaming up with NERDS to deliver three delicious limited-time Flavorites: Cotton Candy Crunch, The Blue Razz, and Citrus Crunch. The new flavors available through June 30th or while supplies last.

    Along with the limited release comes the news that the brand is permanently adding Rainbow NERDS to their Layer-Ins menu.

    “We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with Nerds to bring these sweet treats to life,” said Erin Buono, director of research and development for Jeremiah’s Italian Ice. “At Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, we’re always looking to find exciting new flavor experiences for our guests, and Nerds really hit the mark when it comes to both flavor and texture – making it a perfect choice for our Layer-Ins, which provide delicious variety in each bite.”

    The three new NERDS® Flavorites are layered with crunchy, vibrant Rainbow Nerds that pack big flavor throughout each Gelati, alongside Jeremiah’s signature smooth Soft Ice Cream and fruity Italian Ice:

    • Cotton Candy Crunch: Cotton Candy Ice, Vanilla Ice Cream and Rainbow Nerds Layer-Ins
    • The Blue Razz: Blue Razz Ice, Vanilla Ice Cream and Rainbow Nerds Layer-Ins
    • Citrus Crunch: Orange Smash Ice, Vanilla Ice Cream and Rainbow Nerds Layer-Ins

    “Nerds is the perfect partner for Jeremiah’s Italian Ice because we stand for the same values: spreading joy and fun with every bite,” said Jeremy Litwack, founder and chairman of the board for Jeremiah’s Italian Ice. “Our Candy Shoppe Flavorites embody the essence of playfulness and bold flavor that we strive for each of our guests to experience in our stores. They’re the perfect kick-off to summer, and the perfect treats to beat the summer heat.”

    This limited-time offering underscores the company’s commitment to innovation in its frozen treats, marrying a variety of textures and flavors to provide the most flavorful experience to its guests. Alongside exciting bites of flavor with Layer-Ins and flavors to satisfy every palette, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice has also developed its signature smooth Soft Ice Cream and Italian Ice to deliver the perfect texture in every treat.

    Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is headquartered in Orlando, with locations throughout Florida, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Colorado, Nevada, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas.

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  • A Hot Night in Atlanta: Inside the High Museum’s Driskell Gala and Afterparty

    A Hot Night in Atlanta: Inside the High Museum’s Driskell Gala and Afterparty

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    The Guggenheim’s Naomi Beckwith with Director of the High Museum of Art Rand Suffolk. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    Several events are billed as the “Met Gala of the South,” among them the High Museum of Art’s David C. Driskell Prize Gala, which on April 26 brought more than 250 artists, curators, musicians, designers and art aficionados to the institution for a black tie evening of red carpet mingling, dinner, dancing and celebration.

    The annual event honors the winner of the Driskell Prize in African American Art and Art History—the first award in the country to recognize the contributions to contemporary art by Black artists and scholars. This year’s prize went to Naomi Beckwith, who became the Guggenheim’s first Black deputy director and chief curator in 2021. Since then, she has made significant contributions to the field of African American art with her scholarship on Black identity in contemporary art and her work amplifying the work of African American artists. J. Tomilson Hill, chairman of the Guggenheim’s board, has called her a “catalytic thinker.”

    As always, the gala attracted Atlanta’s see-and-be-seen set who rubbed elbows with art world insiders like curator Valerie Cassel Oliver, Nickol Hackett of the Joyce Foundation, HGTV’s Mike Jackson, futurist and designer El Lewis, stylist Jerrimiah James, artist Charly Palmer, Tanya Sam of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, HGTV’s Egypt Sherrod and artist Tyler Mitchell (who will have a solo exhibition at the High Museum this June). Sergio Hudson, winner of Bravo TV’s “Styled to Rock” and best known for dressing Vice President Kamala Harris and former First Lady Michelle Obama, dressed several of the gala’s attendees.

    DJ Princess Cut and Mike “Killer Mike” Render getting the gala afterparty started. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    This was the first Driskell Gala with an official afterparty, helmed by DJ Princess Cut and the Grammy-winning DJ Drama. Before the evening’s end, rapper and activist Killer Mike jumped up to take the tables for a spin.

    Cristal Steverson and Sergio Hudson

    Cristal Steverson, Sergio Hudson. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    Scott Uzzell and Sunda Uzzell

    Scott Uzzell, Sunda Uzzell. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    Tyler Mitchell

    Tyler Mitchell. Photo by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    Karen Comer-Lowe and Leslie Parks Bailey

    Karen Comer-Lowe, Leslie Parks Bailey. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    El Lewis and Leslie Parks Bailey

    El Lewis, Leslie Parks Bailey. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    Eva Marcille and Jason Halliburton

    Eva Marcille, Jason Halliburton. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    Monique Meloche and Ebony Patterson

    Monique Meloche, Ebony Patterson. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    Tanya Sam

    Tanya Sam. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    Charlene Crusoe-Ingram and Earnest Ingram

    Charlene Crusoe-Ingram, Earnest Ingram. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    Nikki Crump, Sunda Uzzell, Naomi Beckwith, Charlene Crusoe-Ingram, Robyn Wallace, Louise Sams

    Nikki Crump, Sunda Uzzell, Naomi Beckwith, Charlene Crusoe-Ingram, Robyn Wallace, Louise Sams. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    Kent Kelley and Tamara Kelley

    Kent Kelley, Tamara Kelley. All photos by Rafterman / Courtesy of The High Museum of Art

    A Hot Night in Atlanta: Inside the High Museum’s Driskell Gala and Afterparty

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    Christa Terry

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  • The Georgia Aquarium is a Core Memory Maker!

    The Georgia Aquarium is a Core Memory Maker!

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    Have you experienced the overwhelming wonder of the Atlanta Georgia Aquarium? It is truly awe-inspiring, being the largest aquarium in the US! We were able to visit with the Georgia Aquarium Residence Pass, however, you can visit any time by purchasing a day pass. Find everything you need, including Georgia Aquarium reviews, photos, and even parking and hotel information, so you can make your trip an epic adventure.

    Where to Stay Near the Georgia Aquarium

    Planning an overnight trip? Use the map below to find the perfect lodging near the Georgia Aquarium.
    Through an affiliate relationship with Stay22, Kidding Around earns when booking through the map and links in this section.

    During a previous visit, we stayed at the Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel, which we recommended because of the hotel’s great location and comfort. Another great option is Home 2 Suites Midtown. The CNN Tower, World of Coca-Cola, Centennial Park, the Peachtree Center and a new Ferris wheel attraction are all located within easy walking distance of both of these hotels.

    Watch! Our Visit to the Biggest Aquarium in the US!

    Our Day Trip to Georgia Aquarium

    For our day trip to the Georgia Aquarium, we brought along our five-year-old and two-year-old, because we knew this would be a fantastic memory for them. We purchased our tickets ahead of time with our residence pass, but you can purchase tickets in advance for cheaper than same day tickets through the online portal! Ticket prices for pre-booked dates start at $39.99, but ticket prices fluctuate depending on the day you want to attend, if it’s a holiday or weekend, or if they anticipate large crowds, so keep that in mind!

    We also made reservations for the dolphin show and the sea lion show on the same day as our visit. If you are looking to do these two free shows or any backstage events, make sure to pencil those in when figuring out how long you want to stay at the aquarium!

    What is at the Georgia Aquarium?

    Being the largest aquarium in the US means there is A LOT to explore. You’ll want to carve out at least two to three hours of your day to experience everything, but you could honestly spend longer here. When you arrive at the aquarium, you first will be asked to take a photo by staff that you can later purchase as a souvenir. Then, you’ll immediately follow a quarridore that is lined with a wall of glowing jellyfish! My kids were just ecstatic to see them glowing purple, bouncing around the elongated tank. It was the perfect start to our visit. Finally, you’ll have your tickets scanned at the entrance of the large atrium. 

    Entrance of the Georgia Aquaruim: Jellyfish wall.

    Galleries and Exhibits: Georgia Aquarium

    Now, the hard part is usually figuring out what you want to see first! There are 8 major galleries at the Georgia Aquarium, and each is sectioned by theme. So, what animals can you see at the Georgia Aquarium? Over 500 species and over 1 million animals to explore! They have sharks, penguins, beluga whales, dolphins, and even massive whale sharks. It’s not just another aquarium. It’s like stepping into another world. And if you think that sounds melodramatic, consider some of these stats:

    • With more than 600,000 square feet and 10 million gallons of fresh and salt water, the Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the United States.
    • The Ocean Voyager exhibit is the largest indoor fish habitat in the United States. It measures 284 feet long by 126 feet wide by 30 feet deep. It contains 6.3 million gallons of water.
    • The viewing window into the whale shark exhibit measures 60 feet long by 27 feet high.
    Hammerhead shark swimming by at the Predators of the Deep exhibit at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia

    When we arrived in the huge atrium, we decided to work our way clockwise through the galleries so we wouldn’t miss anything. We started at SHARKS! Predators of the Deep, which was my daughter’s absolute favorite. There were tiger sharks, hammerhead sharks, silvertip sharks, and a sand tiger shark that swam around the 1.2 million gallon tank and through the circling false pilchard fishes. We even saw a hammerhead shark going into the circling and trying to catch one, which we were told was because of electromagnetic signals being released from one of the false pilchards that was older or sick.

    Before our scheduled show at Dolphin Coast, We worked our way through the several exhibits on the bottom floor, which took us a little over an hour. You’ll want extended time at the Ocean Voyager Built by Home Depot exhibit. Here, you can ride down a conveyor belt under a 100-foot tunnel. This part is exciting, but make sure little feet stay off the edges of the belt so they do not fall. You can choose to walk beside it as well, which is nice if you want to stop and take a closer look at the rays and fish swimming overhead.

    Gulper the whale shark at the Georgia Aquarium.
    Dad and daughter sitting at the Ocean Voyager large aquarium at the Georgia Aquarium

    The epic part of Ocean Voyager is the large seating area you’ll find toward the end of the gallery. You can lounge on the stairs under the glow of the huge aquarium, watching the whale sharks swim by. This is a great place to park it for a little bit after a long day of walking around. We sat here for almost 20 minutes listening to the presenter give us facts about what is inside the tank, while also playing a game of who could spot Gulper.

    Coral Reef at the Georgia Aquarium
    Child at the coral reef exhibit at the Georgia Aquarium

    Here is a full list of the exhibits and key features at the Georgia Aquarium, so you can decide where to start!

    • Aquanaut Adventure– Newer exhibit with alligators, lizards, eels, and a Discovery Zone touch pool
    • Cold Water Quest – Home to beluga whales, sea otters, African penguins, Pacific octopus, and more.
    • Dolphin Coast – Dolphins (including the theatre), spoonbill, spiny lobster, and scarlet ibis.
    • Ocean Voyager– The largest exhibit, offers whale sharks, rays, sharks, tons of fish, and a place to relax.
    • Predators of the Deep– A variety of sharks with large glass walls to observe from different angles.
    • Southern Company River Scout– Only freshwater gallery at the Aquarium
    • Tropical Diver– Coral reef exhibit and gorgeous marine life display.
    • Truist Peer 225– Arcade, animatronics, and the sea lion show!

    Live Shows

    Georgia Aquarium Dolphin Show and Sea Lion Presentation

    One wonderful thing about the aquarium is that you can get up close and personal with many of the animals, all included in your admission ticket! We had such a fun time at the dolphin and sea lion shows, which are free and run at various times throughout the day.

    My 5-year-old and I opted to sit in the splash seats for both shows, and we were giggling the entire time waiting to get splashed, especially when the dolphins sent a wave of water right at us. But don’t worry, the majority of the seats are out of the splash zone.

    During both shows, we learned about how they train the animals and what the animals are like in the wild, and we saw a spectacular showcase of their skills. During the sea lion show, we sat closest to Katie, the oldest sea lion resident and watched her and her trainer show off their dancing skills and tricks. My two-year-old was squealing when each sea lion showed off how loud they could be, it was hilarious!

    Both the dolphin show and the sea lion show take about 15-20 minutes each, so make sure your little ones go to the bathroom ahead of time so you do not lose your seats. You will also want to arrive about 10 minutes early to get the best seats, they fill up very quickly!

    You will want to make reservations the day of to confirm seats for the Dolphin Coast dolphin show and the sea lion show, though they are free to attend.

    Dolphin Coast at the Georgia Aquarium

    Quick Facts: Things to Know Before Your Visit

    Hours of Operation

    The Georgia Aquarium is open year-round, but hours do vary. Visit the aquarium website for specific hours on the day you plan to visit. You are welcome to leave the aquarium after you enter, just make sure you get your arm stamped at the customer service counter before you leave.

    Georgia Aquarium Tickets

    Ticket Prices

    The aquarium uses a timed ticketing system, which means you will be given a time at which you can enter the aquarium. This keeps the facility from becoming overcrowded.
    Tickets cost more at peak times like weekends and holidays. Be sure to check the website for the date you plan to visit.

    General Admission Tickets

    When you purchase tickets ahead of time, you get a discount, so remember that! Ticket prices vary by the day you want to attend with the lowest, least busy days having $39.99 admission tickets. You can purchase most Plan Ahead and Save tickets for $39.99, or purchase Anytime General Admission tickets for $64.99. We recommend purchasing ahead of time and looking at their booking calendar to get the best price. You can also purchase an annual membership if you plan to visit more than once.

    If you want to do special animal encounters or events, you can purchase tickets to those ahead of time. They do sell out sometimes because of limited ticket availability, so book early. Prices for animal encounters start at $80 per person, and there are age restrictions.

    Georgia Aquarium Parking

    Parking is available in the attached parking deck and costs $20 per day. The World of Coca-Cola and CNN Tower are within walking distance, so you could plan an entire day of attractions for one parking price. There’s also a nice playground area in Centennial Olympic Park if the kids just need some downtime. 

    Coastline Cafe: Cafe at the Aquarium

    On the second floor you’ll find the new Coastline Cafe, where you can dine in. Most of the food is American food, like chicken nuggets and burgers. It can be pretty expensive to dine here, so we chose to bring along sandwiches to enjoy during our break outdoors on the grass between World of Coca-Cola and the aquarium.

    Wheelchairs, Strollers, and Babies

    The entire aquarium is wheelchair and stroller accessible. However, strollers are NOT permitted in the Dolphin Coast theater. There is a “stroller parking” area available for use during the show. 

    You’ll find a private nursing pod for mothers available on the second floor.

    Sensory bags are also available at Guest Services if you would like them for you or your child.

    Restaurants near the Georgia Aquarium

    You are able to leave the aquarium and come back, so why not check out some of the best restaurants near the Georgia Aquarium that are within walking distance? The Atlanta Breakfast Club is just down the street, and has some of the best Southern breakfast food around! Have a kid who will only eat pizza? Then Head to Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria. They have delicious pizza, plus vegetarian and vegan options. You will not want to miss out on the crispy chicken and fries from Rocks!

    Sea dragons at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia

    Tips for visiting the Georgia Aquarium

    1. Bring a stroller or carrier if you have little ones, because there is a lot of walking involved.
    2. Be sure to reserve a dolphin show or sea lion show, it is worth it and great for younger kids.
    3. Pack your lunch and leave it in a cooler in the car to save some money.
    4. If you want to leave and come back to the aquarium, be sure to get your hand stamped.
    5. Don’t forget to use your Georgia Aquarium military discount on their Military Free Days to get free entry and 30% off for your family!
    6. The gift shop has some great stuff, and you have to exit through it, so make sure to budget for a souvenir. Pro gift shop tip: Collect something small from gift shops you visit throughout all your travels like a magnet, postcard, or Christmas Tree ornament. Everyone in your family will know they are on the hunt for the perfect item to add to that collection and you’ll stay far away from the expensive toys, stuffed animals, and apparel.

    My Honest Opinion of the Georgia Aquarium: Review

    The Georgia Aquarium as a mom of two young kids is so worth it! There is so much to do and see that the trip is absolutely a core memory maker. There are animals at the Georgia Aquarium that you will most likely never see in your lifetime. Plus, the vast amount of scientific research and conservation efforts that is conducted is helping us learn more about these animals to aid in reversing their wild population decline. My kids were in awe, and so was I.

    The aquarium staff are friendly and helpful, and we had zero issues throughout the entire day there. It’s a great family vacation idea, because the city of Atlanta has so much to offer. It is worth the 2.5-hour drive from Greenville, SC, and makes the perfect day trip!

    Plan your own visit!

    Georgia Aquarium
    225 Baker Street NW
    Atlanta, GA 30313
    404.581.4000

    What was your family’s favorite part of the Georgia Aquarium?

    Things to do with kids in Atlanta GA

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  • Thrilling Roller Coasters Await at Six Flags Over Georgia

    Thrilling Roller Coasters Await at Six Flags Over Georgia

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    Do you have a family adventure to Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta, GA planned for this summer? We checked it out and have all the info you need to have a fun day there with your family. Complimentary tickets were provided for this review.

    Six Flags Over Georgia is one of the few theme parks not far from Greenville, SC that provides thrilling rides with heart-pounding excitement mixed with more gentle rides for smaller kids, concessions, events, and shows. Here’s what you need to know when planning a trip there with your family. This review is a compilation of two trips to Six Flags Over Georgia.

    Roller coaster at Six Flags Over America

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    About Six Flags Over Georgia

    The theme park is located a little less than three hours from the Upstate, depending on traffic, in the Atlanta metro area. It’s a massive park with 40+ rides. Hurricane Harbor is the water park inside of Six Flags Over Georgia that opens Memorial Day weekend.

    Like other theme parks, Six Flags Over Georgia offers a Flash Pass, a way to get to do more rides without waiting in lines. These are add-ons to your one-day ticket and start at $60.

    Getting to Six Flags Over Georgia

    The first thing to remember about Six Flags Over Georgia is that it is basically in Atlanta, which means traffic. We suggest getting there a little before the park opens so you have enough time to get on the rides on you want. If you’re doing this as a day trip, you need to allow around 3-3.5 hours to get there.

    We followed the directions from the Six Flags site; and they recommend taking 85S to 285W, then 20W, which takes you right to the park. Make use of your GSP though in case of backups and look at alternate routes. And bring your patience.

    Parking at Six Flag Over Georgia

    Parking was a breeze. There are multiple ticket booths where you can have your parking pass scanned or purchase parking. We recommend purchasing parking beforehand just to save time. They do offer Speedy Parking and Preferred Parking for an extra fee. The lot is large but there is zero shade so be sure to bring one of those reflector things for your car if you don’t want to open an oven when you get back. And pay attention to where you park so you can find your car after a long day of coasters.

    Sky Screamer at Six Flags Over Georgia
    Sky Screamer at Six Flags Over Georgia

    There are also three tram pick-up locations in the parking lots that will shuttle you to the front entrance. We walked from Lot 1 and were to the entrance before people that we saw waiting for the tram. De[ending on where you park, it’s not a long walk.

    Be sure to have your tickets ready to be scanned for easy entrance. It is a thousand times easier to buy tickets beforehand and have them on your phone than wait in the Will Call/Ticket line. We went in the early afternoon and the line took a really long time, almost 30 minutes.

    Plan of Attack for Rides at Six Flags Over Georgia

    We recommend downloading the Six Flags Over Georgia app because it’s awesome. You can easily pull up locations of rides, shopping, and dining options. You can see how tall you must be to ride the rides and the wait times for each ride. There’s also a really handy map, which had a blue dot so you can see where you are in relation to where you want to be.

    If you have more than a few people in your family, look at the app before you go or the Six Flags website to figure out what rides you want to ride on and height requirements and make a list of the ones you really want to do and go to those first. We found that the longer we were at Six Flags, the longer the wait times were. There are also screens around the park to check the wait times.

    Great American Scream Machine
    Great American Scream Machine

    Also, look at a map beforehand because you’ll need it when you try to figure out which rides to go on and where they are in relation to the other rides you don’t want to miss. Also, check out the app to see if any rides are closed.

    The Food at Six Flags Over Georgia

    Six Flags offers different Dining Passes that you can add onto your tickets, which I honestly love. I think these are just good options when it comes to planning out your day if its in your budget. The 2024 Dining Pass options are: One Meal/One Snack/One Beverage is $20.99/person and the Unlimited All Day Dining Deal where you get one meal of your choice every 90 minutes and get an All Day Drink Bottle is $44.99/person.

    They also offer a one day drink bottle with unlimited refills for $19.99/each. If you want to do this option, go right when the park opens or you get there otherwise you could end up waiting in long lines or wandering around for a long time trying to find someplace that isn’t sold out of them. Honestly, this is the clincher because Georgia summers are dreadfully hot and we saw no water fountains. I even brought refillable water bottles in my tiny bag for that purpose but didn’t see anywhere were I could fill them. That refillable day bottle is worth it.

    There are a lot of different options for dining like taverns, cheesesteaks, burgers, BBQ, a even a diner. Try to go on off times, like not right at Noon or 1pm for lunch because lines are long. And look at the festivals they offer every year where you can try different food, like Brews & Bites every weekend April 20-May 19, 2024.

    Also, try to plan your food adventures around your most thrilling rides. For example, maybe do the more heart-pounding in the morning before you go eat a chili cheese dog for lunch. Just a thought.

    If you want to bring a lunch to eat in your car to save money, you can definitely do that. Be sure to get a re-entry wristband on your way out so you can get back in.

    Rides at Six Flags Over Georgia

    I have one more adventurous daughter and another more timid one when it comes to roller coasters, which certainly made the day challenging. We ended up riding a fun, smaller roller coaster, the Dahlonega Mine Train. It’s a good intro into the faster rides and is perfect for younger kids who are not quite ready to try the big ones, and has a height requirement of 42 inches.

    We also rode the country cars, which I let my youngest drive. Of course, driving any car for kids is going to be fun. There are so many fantastic roller coasters that I wanted to really get in on the scream fest but will have to wait for another time!

    Six Flags Over Georgia car ride
    Six Flags Over Georgia car ride

    I’m a complete adrenaline junkie when it comes to roller coasters and have not met a roller coaster I didn’t love. The ones I really wanted to try were: Goliath, Superman, Georgia Scorcher, Batman, and Twisted Cyclone. Most of these had long, long waits – around 60 minutes at minimum – by the afternoon on a Saturday. This is why you need to plan what you want to really want to ride on and go there first unless you can swing a Flash Pass.

    There are lots of great kid-focused rides like smaller Ferris Wheel-types, swings, and a beautiful carousel. Monster Mansion is a great one because the dark boat ride is a nice break out of the heat.

    Water Park at Six Flags Over Georgia

    At Hurricane Harbor, the water park found inside Six Flags Over Georgia, we rented a large locker. There are small, large, and jumbo, with the bigger the locker, the higher the cost. Then we headed for the wave pool to cool off. There are plenty of life jackets for kids that may need them and they have multiple sizes. My son had a great time in the wave pool, but the large Paradise Island structure was calling his name, and we went there to watch him play.

    Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags Over Georgia

    Now, anyone that has lived around this area for a while knows that the weather is very unpredictable in the early evening hours. And while the entire day had been virtually cloudless to this point, all of a sudden a thunderstorm came through. The water park was immediately shut down, so we changed back into our regular clothes.

    Unfortunately, in the time, we were changing a severe storm warning was issued, and all of the rides in the park were turned off. We quickly left the water park area and stopped in a t-shirt shop for about 15 minutes. When the weather broke, we took off again, and got ice cream while the rain started again.

    Ultimately it was getting rather on into the evening, with no indication that rides would start up again anytime soon. From the time they shut down the water park at 5 pm, and we got back to our car at 6:30 pm, no rides were running. It was a nice cool down, though.

    Six Flags Over Georgia’s rain policy according to their website is: “There are still a ton of activities that are amazingly fun in any kind of weather––including indoor shows, restaurants, shops, games, and arcades. If rain, wind, or electrical storms force us to close certain rides for your safety, they will re-open as soon as safe operations can be assured. Refunds or rain checks for inclement weather are not offered.”

    So, our day was cut somewhat short. We had a great time prior to the storm, and my son said he really liked Six Flags a lot. I think we will probably wait until he’s a bit older to go again, however, as the biggest attractions at Six Flags Over Georgia are the roller coasters. There are a lot of them.

    Parent Tips: Six Flags Over Georgia

    While we mentioned many tips in this story, here are a few others:

    • Bring/ear sun protection. It’s hot and you’ll get sunburned if you don’t have sunscreen or rain protection.
    • Download the Six Flags Over Georgia app for helpful info on rides, wait times, and a map.
    • The park is huge so plan which rides you want to go on and do them first. If you can afford it, get a FLASH Pass so you can enjoy even more rides.
    • Get the refillable water bottle. Dehydration is not fun.
    • While the park does have a lot of kid and family-focused rides, I think it’s best for kids closer to age 10 and up who love adventure and roller coasters. For most of more moderately intense rides, kids need to be at 48 inches for the medium coasters and 54 inches for the bigger ones.
    • Go early! Plan to spend the day there if it’s a day trip and leave the Upstate early.
    • If your kid wants to see some Looney Tunes characters, be sure to check the schedule of appearances when you get there.
    • Get tickets ahead of time online. You’ll save both time and money.
    • Look at the dress code before you go, especially for the waterpark: “All guests must wear proper attire, such as bathing suits or board shorts. Thongs, G-strings, or transparent swimwear are not permitted.”
    • You can bring bags and small backpacks into the park but not on the rides. You can either get a locker for a fee or leave them on the platform.
    Roller Coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia

    Visit Six Flags Over Georgia

    Tickets start at $42 online (or $79.99 at the gate) and change depending on the date you want to go. It’s absolutely better to get the tickets online versus when you go. You can purchase a refillable water bottle, FLASH passes, and parking ($35+) online as well when you purchase your ticket.

    Season passes start at $49/person. If you go more than once, a season pass is certainly a good deal, especially if you purchase the Platinum Level ($95/person), which includes parking.

    275 Riverside Parkway SW, Austell, GA
    770.739.3400
    Six Flags Over Georgia

    See Six Flags website for days and hours of operation.

    Has your family ever visited Six Flags Over Georgia?

    Georgia Travel Guide

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  • Officer uses chain to strangle man in solitary confinement as guards watch, lawsuit says

    Officer uses chain to strangle man in solitary confinement as guards watch, lawsuit says

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    A Georgia corrections officer strangled a pretrial detainee in solitary confinement and other officers watched, according to a federal lawsuit.

    A Georgia corrections officer strangled a pretrial detainee in solitary confinement and other officers watched, according to a federal lawsuit.

    Screengrab via Wukela Communications on YouTube

    Inside a solitary confinement jail cell in Georgia, a pretrial detainee restrained to a chair freed his right arm from a restraint.

    When he did, four Appling County Jail corrections officers entered Tremar Harris’ cell to secure him again on Jan. 29, 2022, according to a new federal lawsuit. That’s when one of them used a chain to strangle him, the suit says.

    Officer William Rentz wrapped an unused leg restraint around Harris’ neck and pulled it against his throat for about four seconds before letting go, according to a complaint filed April 16 in the Southern District of Georgia.

    The complaint includes a photo from jail surveillance footage showing the chain around Harris, who had his eyes closed and mouth open. Rentz is seen standing over him, holding the chain around his neck, according to the complaint. The photo shows three other officers looking down at Harris.

    As Rentz choked Harris, he’s accused of saying: “Gonna put you back in the cotton field with the other boys” in an apparent reference to slavery, according to the complaint.

    Meanwhile, corrections officers Daydan Brannon, Cannon Mcleod and Ansley Fennell watched and didn’t try to stop or report the “unlawful use of force,” the complaint says.

    Rentz was fired after the incident, according to the complaint. And the next month, he was arrested on charges of aggravated assault, violation of oath of office and one count of battery in connection with assaulting Harris as he was restrained, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced in February 2022.

    In March 2023, Rentz was indicted on charges of simple battery and violation of oath by a peace officer, according to the indictment provided to McClatchy News by Cheryl A. DiPrizio, the executive assistant for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit’s district attorney’s office.

    His criminal case is still pending, records show.

    Four months ago, Harris sued Rentz in federal court over the strangulation incident, accusing him of cruel and unusual punishment in violation of his constitutional rights, according to a complaint filed Jan. 19.

    Now, Harris’ latest lawsuit names Brannon, Mcleod and Fennell, who are all employed by the Appling County Sheriff’s Office, as defendants. He accuses them of also violating his rights by failing to intervene on Jan. 29, 2022.

    The Appling County Sheriff’s Office didn’t respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on April 17. Information regarding Brannon, Mcleod and Fennell’s legal representation wasn’t available.

    Patrick T. O’Connor, an attorney defending Rentz in the civil case, told McClatchy News on April 17 that his client “did not choke Mr. Harris.”

    “Mr. Rentz never made the offensive comments falsely attributed to him,” O’Connor also said in an emailed statement.

    Harris’ most recent lawsuit says he feared he could potentially die as Rentz choked him.

    At the time, Harris was detained at the Appling County Jail on a misdemeanor charge, specifically possession of a drug related object, his attorney Harry M. Daniels told McClatchy News.

    In jail, Rentz is also accused of “excessively” shocking Harris inside his cell with a “shock shield” that delivers electrical shocks, according to the complaint.

    Rentz did so hours before strangling Harris, according to the separate complaint filed against Rentz in January.

    After Harris was repeatedly shocked, he was restrained in the restraint chair and left alone in his cell for hours, the complaint says.

    The status of the criminal case

    In December, Rentz pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in the criminal case in Appling County Superior Court, records show.

    He was due in court for a calendar call on April 2, according to court records.

    This “is often the last court date before jury selection at trial,” according to the Turner Law Firm in Savannah.

    McClatchy News contacted defense attorneys representing Rentz in the criminal case for comment and didn’t receive an immediate response.

    It’s unclear when Rentz is due back in Superior Court.

    As for Brannon, Mcleod and Fennell, Harris’ lawsuit says “they had the ability, opportunity, skill and time to prevent and immediately stop Officer Rentz from strangling (Harris).”

    “Instead of doing their jobs stopping this unlawful, hateful and sadistic act, they chose to stand and watch as their fellow officer tortured a fellow human being,” Daniels said in an April 17 news release.

    Julia Marnin is a McClatchy National Real-Time reporter covering the southeast and northeast while based in New York. She’s an alumna of The College of New Jersey and joined McClatchy in 2021. Previously, she’s written for Newsweek, Modern Luxury, Gannett and more.

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  • WTF Fun Fact 13722 – Savannah, Georgia – Lincoln’s Gift

    WTF Fun Fact 13722 – Savannah, Georgia – Lincoln’s Gift

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    In 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman captured Savannah, Georgia, and presented it as a Christmas gift to President Abraham Lincoln. This marked a pivotal moment in the war and American history.

    Sherman’s March and the Preservation of Savannah, Georgia

    In his infamous march to the sea, General William Tecumseh Sherman employed harsh tactics that culminated in the burning of Atlanta, a significant act that demoralized the Confederacy and disrupted their supply lines drastically. However, his approach shifted notably as he reached Savannah.

    Unlike Atlanta, Savannah was spared from destruction. Sherman found the city’s beauty compelling and decided to preserve it intact. This decision was strategic and symbolic, offering a stark contrast to the devastation left behind in other parts of Georgia.

    The fall of Savannah was crucial because it was a key port for the Confederacy, and its capture significantly disrupted southern supply lines.

    Sherman’s telegram to President Lincoln encapsulated the significance of this victory. He wrote, “I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton.” This gesture was symbolic, illustrating the shift in the war’s momentum towards the Union forces.

    Strategic and Symbolic Importance of Savannah, Georgia

    The strategic importance of Savannah’s capture provided the Union with a valuable port and further isolated the southern states. Economically, the seizure of cotton bales disrupted the Confederacy’s ability to trade with European nations, particularly Britain, who relied heavily on Southern cotton.

    Symbolically, the gift of Savannah to Lincoln represented hope and victory. It boosted morale among Union supporters and signaled the beginning of the end for the Confederacy. This act also emphasized the power and success of Sherman’s military strategies, which were both revered and reviled.

    Implications for the Civil War

    The capture of Savannah was a critical component of Sherman’s broader strategy to divide and conquer the Confederacy. By severing the South’s resources and infrastructure, Sherman aimed to hasten the end of the conflict. This approach contributed significantly to the eventual surrender of Confederate forces in April 1865.

    — WTF fun facts

    Source: “The must-have Christmas gift of 1864” — The National Archives

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  • Scrappy & Erica Dixon Fuel Dating Speculation After Sharing Footage From Their Recent Helicopter Ride (WATCH)

    Scrappy & Erica Dixon Fuel Dating Speculation After Sharing Footage From Their Recent Helicopter Ride (WATCH)

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    Scrappy and Erica Dixon are going viral after sharing footage from their recent helicopter ride.

    RELATED: Settin’ The Record Straight! Erica Dixon & Scrappy Reveal Their Relationship Status & Address Bambi’s Abuse Allegations (WATCH)

    Scrappy & Erica Dixon Share Footage Of Their Recent Outing

    On Sunday, April 14, Scrappy took to his Instagram Story to share footage from what appeared to be an airfield. In the initial clip, he showed multiple planes parked next to one another before showing a black helicopter.

    In later clips, the rapper shared footage of his helicopter ride, which appeared to fly over Atlanta, Georgia.

    Before concluding the posts on his Instagram Story, he also reported a video shared by Dixon. In the clip, Dixon showed another angle of the helicopter before sharing footage of her and Scrappy during their ride.

    Check it out below.

    Social Media Reacts

    Social media users reacted to the footage of the pair in The Shade Room’s comment section.

    Instagram user @sbbaby1 wrote, “I think they are cute together. I’m happy that they are happy and I like his voice!!”

    While Instagram user @visha1of1 added, “Enjoy life, that’s what it’s all about! ♥️”

    Instagram user @black_girlsam wrote, “Is it still called “co parenting” when the child is grown? 🥴🤔”

    While Instagram user @indeskribeabull added, “All they do is lie to us 😂😂”

    Instagram user @fam0usxmark wrote, “Am I the only one happy that they back together?? 😅”

    While Instagram user @vizzy_2013 added, “THEY NEED A SHOW CALLED REWIND THAT RELATIONSHIP! 🥴”

    Instagram user @buttapecanmami_31 wrote, “They seem so much happier together .”

    While Instagram user @duzzoduzzie added, “Let them love each other peacefully”

    Instagram user @angiee_angiee_royal wrote, “I’m sick this two, dam yall either go together or not…”

    A Brief Recap Regarding The Pair’s Speculated Romance

    As The Shade Room previously reported, Dixon and Scrappy initially sparked reconciliation rumors in November 2023. At the time, the pair shared footage of them getting cozy at a nightclub.

    Around the same time, the pair also shared footage of them at an Usher concert.

    Since then, the pair have also shared footage from the dinner and spa outing at a Georgia resort and celebrated the New Year together. In February, Scrappy even confessed that he had always been in love with Dixon despite their pursuing other romantic relationships, per The Shade Room.

    Later that month, the pair shared footage of their vacation to Aruba, per The Shade Room.

    Most recently, Scrappy’s ex-wife, Bambi, has taken the rapper back to court. The fellow ‘Love & Hip Hop’ star is reportedly alleging that Scrappy’s “significant other” has been repeatedly posting their three kids on social media. This allegedly violates Bambi and Scrappy’s divorce terms, per The Shade Room.

    However, in the court filing, Bambi reportedly did not state the name of Scrappy’s alleged partner.

    In résponse, however, Scrappy did share a video that featured Dixon and all of the children he shares with both women.

    RELATED: Lil Scrappy Seemingly Reacts To Bambi’s Recent Court Filing With Video Of Erica Dixon & All Of Their Kids

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  • Chicken & Poli-trickin’: Donald Trump’s Chick-Fil-A Charade With Black Conservatives Slammed As ‘Staged’ ‘Insult To Our Intelligence’

    Chicken & Poli-trickin’: Donald Trump’s Chick-Fil-A Charade With Black Conservatives Slammed As ‘Staged’ ‘Insult To Our Intelligence’

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    Critics say Donald Trump went looking for more Black votes with a chicken run to Chick-fil-A and dismissed the “staged” stereotypical stunt as an “insult.”

    Source: Megan Varner / Getty

    According to WSBTV, the former president bought over 30 milkshakes for a group of Black students at an Atlanta Chick-fil-A, a moment that went viral. The event on Wednesday, where some students appeared to support Trump, quickly became a topic of discussion among political commentators and strategists.

    This interaction was filled with photo ops, autographs, “The Lord’s Chicken,” as Trump referenced, and discussions about President Joe Biden’s leadership. Many videos surfaced online with the group of young patrons cheering alongside Trump, “ Bye Bye Biden.”

    “I don’t care what the media tells you, Mr. Trump, we support you,” said Michaelah Montgomery. Trump supporters quickly portrayed the clips as an “organic” moment and proof of his popularity as the “people’s president.” However, even Montgomery resents this narrative. 

    “It’s really disheartening to see that the media makes it seem like we just stumbled into a Chick-fil-A and he bought us milkshakes,” she told ABC News.

    Unsurprisingly, Montgomery is actually the leader of a Black conservative organization. This is just the former Georgia Republican Party staffer’s latest event to entice her HBCU peers. It might be promising for Trump’s team to sincerely collaborate with young Black voices. Instead, they became faces of more misinformation.

    Chasing Votes: Trump’s Play For Georgia 

    However, this staged photo op isn’t the whole picture. Experts urge caution in interpreting this event as indicative of a shift in support among Black voters toward Trump. As much as Trump screams that the media is fake, let’s be real. The deep political and economic issues affecting Black communities warrant more scrutiny about Trump’s policies.

    After all, Trump currently faces charges in Georgia for allegedly interfering with the last presidential election. Trump’s SCOTUS appointees already helped dismantle Affirmative Action and reproductive rights under Roe v. Wade. His other supporters in office have their sights set on undoing voting rights next. Days before the Chick-fil-A giveaway, Trump promised “dramatic changes” to civil rights to fight “anti-white racism.”

    According to an interview with theGrio and Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye, executive director of the Democratic Party of Georgia, the chicken shenanigans don’t represent Black voters any more than Diamond and Silk. 

    “I don’t want to overblow a minor viral moment inside of a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta and make it seem like … Donald Trump is winning Black people,” said Olasanoye. 

    Trump’s Chick-fil-A Charade: More Than Just Milkshakes? 

    Pay attention to what Trump is doing. Trump’s outreach efforts to Black voters have been marked by a series of high-profile stunts. Here, he’s buying milkshakes for nearby HBCU students of Clark-Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Morris Brown College. Remember his promoted custom sneakers? 

    According to Fox News host Raymond Arroyo, TrumpSneakers at SneakerCon gave the former president a political boost since “Black America loves sneakers… certainly in the inner city.”

    Oh, and don’t forget Trump claims that his public mugshot and criminal charges make him more relatable to Black voters.

    So, let’s decode the strategy, shall we? It’s all about optics and moments that make for good TV—or good Twitter, in this case. Trump’s team is likely betting that these snapshots with Black students will paint him in a more favorable light. But do these moments come with any meaningful political plans? Or is it just another photo op to add to the campaign highlight reel?

    Skeptics Speak Out: Analyzing the Applause

    Former President Donald Trump Travels To Atlanta, Georgia

    Source: Megan Varner / Getty

    Political analysts point out that these outreach initiatives don’t offer much substance for Black American’s concerns about economic inequality, criminal justice reform, and healthcare disparities.

    Critics slammed his strategy to win over Georgia in the upcoming election as downright offensive and stereotypical. Where does he expect to find common ground? A sneaker convention and a chicken spot.

    “Thinking Black voters relate to Donald Trump because he spent twenty minutes handing out freebies at a fast-food restaurant is yet another insult to our intelligence – and perfect example of just how disingenuous Trump’s outreach to Black voters continues to be,” said Jasmine Harris, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, in a statement via AP News. 

    This disconnect raises questions about how he can actually serve most Black voters. The fact that this event was “staged” with a Candace Owens understudy just makes matters worse. Trump refers to the franchise owner hosting the event as a member of his golf club. 

    Election Countdown: Crunching the Numbers

    While Trump parades around with fast food, let’s keep our eyes on the prize.

    It’s concerning if this is the best Trump’s hail-mary with 206 days left until the election. No amount of rappers consigning or forcing his name onto stimulus checks will outweigh the impact of his return to power. 

    Statistics from Roper Center for Public Opinion Research show that in the 2020 U.S. In The Presidential Election, about 12% of Black voters supported Donald Trump. 

    In that particular election, Pew Research Center states that about 8% of Black voters identified as Republican. Yet, based on the pre-election polls of 2024, this amount increased to 22%. The Black Republic statistics doubled, particularly among young voters. So clearly, Trump’s team has a strategy hard at work.

    The Black community is more than a photo-op. Black people are more than the insulting images painted by corrupt systems.

    Protect your votes. Stay informed.

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  • The haunting Masters meltdown that changed Rory McIlroy’s career | CNN

    The haunting Masters meltdown that changed Rory McIlroy’s career | CNN

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    Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in April 2023.



    CNN
     — 

    Slumped on his club, head buried in his arm, Rory McIlroy looked on the verge of tears.

    The then-21-year-old had just watched his ball sink into the waters of Rae’s Creek at Augusta National and with it, his dream of winning The Masters, a dream that had looked so tantalizingly close mere hours earlier.

    As a four-time major winner and one of the most decorated names in the sport’s history, few players would turn down the chance to swap places with McIlroy heading into Augusta this week.

    Yet on Sunday afternoon of April 10, 2011, not a golfer in the world would have wished to be in the Northern Irishman’s shoes.

    A fresh-faced, mop-headed McIlroy had touched down in Georgia for the first major of the season with a reputation as the leading light of the next generation of stars.

    An excellent 2010 had marked his best season since turning pro three years earlier, highlighted by a first PGA Tour win at the Quail Hollow Championship and a crucial contribution to Team Europe’s triumph at the Ryder Cup.

    Yet despite a pair of impressive top-three finishes at the Open and PGA Championship respectively, a disappointing missed cut at The Masters – his first at a major – served as ominous foreshadowing.

    McIlroy shot 74 and 77 to fall four strokes short of the cut line at seven-over par, a performance that concerned him enough to take a brief sabbatical from competition.

    But one year on in 2011, any lingering Masters demons looked to have been exorcised as McIlroy flew round the Augusta fairways.

    Having opened with a bogey-free seven-under 65 – the first time he had ever shot in the 60s at the major – McIlroy pulled ahead from Spanish first round co-leader Alvaro Quirós with a second round 69.

    It sent him into the weekend holding a two-shot cushion over Australia’s Jason Day, with Tiger Woods a further stroke behind and back in the hunt for a 15th major after a surging second round 66.

    And yet the 21-year-old leader looked perfectly at ease with having a target on his back. Even after a tentative start to the third round, McIlroy rallied with three birdies across the closing six holes to stretch his lead to four strokes heading into Sunday.

    McIlroy drives from the 16th tee during his second round.

    The youngster was out on his own ahead of a bunched chasing pack comprising Day, Ángel Cabrera, K.J. Choi and Charl Schwartzel. After 54 holes, McIlroy had shot just three bogeys.

    “It’s a great position to be in … I’m finally feeling comfortable on this golf course,” McIlroy told reporters.

    “I’m not getting ahead of myself, I know how leads can dwindle away very quickly. I have to go out there, not take anything for granted and go out and play as hard as I’ve played the last three days. If I can do that, hopefully things will go my way.

    “We’ll see what happens tomorrow because four shots on this golf course isn’t that much.”

    McIlroy finished his third round with a four shot lead.

    The truth can hurt, and McIlroy was about to prove his assessment of Augusta to be true in the most excruciating way imaginable.

    His fourth bogey of the week arrived immediately. Having admitted to expecting some nerves at the first tee, McIlroy sparked a booming opening drive down the fairway, only to miss his putt from five feet.

    Three consecutive pars steadied the ship, but Schwartzel had the wind in his sails. A blistering birdie, par, eagle start had seen him draw level at the summit after his third hole.

    A subsequent bogey from the South African slowed his charge, as McIlroy clung onto a one-shot lead at the turn from Schwartzel, Cabrera, Choi, and a rampaging Woods, who shot five birdies and an eagle across the front nine to send Augusta into a frenzy.

    Despite his dwindling advantage and the raucous Tiger-mania din ahead of him, McIlroy had responded well to another bogey at the 5th hole, draining a brilliant 20-foot putt at the 7th to restore his lead.

    The fist pump that followed marked the high-water point of McIlroy’s round, as a sliding start accelerated into full-blown free-fall at the par-four 10th hole.

    His tee shot went careening into a tree, ricocheting to settle between the white cabins that separate the main course from the adjacent par-three course. It offered viewers a glimpse at a part of Augusta rarely seen on broadcast, followed by pictures of McIlroy anxiously peering out from behind a tree to track his follow-up shot.

    McIlroy watches his shot after his initial drive from the 10th tee put him close to Augusta's cabins.

    Though his initial escape was successful, yet another collision with a tree and a two-putt on the green saw a stunned McIlroy eventually tap in for a triple bogey. Having led the field one hole and seven shots earlier, he arrived at the 11th tee in seventh.

    By the time his tee drive at the 13th plopped into the creek, all thoughts of who might be the recipient of the green jacket had long-since switched away from the anguished youngster. It had taken him seven putts to navigate the previous two greens, as a bogey and a double bogey dropped him to five-under – the score he had held after just 11 holes of the tournament.

    Mercifully, the last five holes passed without major incident. A missed putt for birdie from five feet at the final hole summed up McIlroy’s day, though he was given a rousing reception as he left the green.

    Mere minutes earlier, the same crowd had erupted as Schwartzel sunk his fourth consecutive birdie to seal his first major title. After starting the day four shots adrift of McIlroy, the South African finished 10 shots ahead of him, and two ahead of second-placed Australian duo Jason Day and Adam Scott.

    McIlroy’s eight-over 80 marked the highest score of the round. Having headlined the leaderboard for most of the week, he finished tied-15th.

    McIroy was applauded off the 18th green by the Augusta crowd after finishing his final round.

    Tears would flow during a phone call with his parents the following morning, but at his press conference, McIlroy was upbeat.

    “I’m very disappointed at the minute, and I’m sure I will be for the next few days, but I’ll get over it,” he said.

    “I was leading this golf tournament with nine holes to go, and I just unraveled … It’s a Sunday at a major, what it can do.

    “This is my first experience at it, and hopefully the next time I’m in this position I’ll be able to handle it a little better. I didn’t handle it particularly well today obviously, but it was a character-building day … I’ll come out stronger for it.”

    Once again, McIlroy would be proven right.

    Just eight weeks later in June, McIlroy rampaged to an eight-shot victory at the US Open. Records tumbled in his wake at Congressional, as he shot a tournament record 16-under 268 to become the youngest major winner since Tiger Woods at The Masters in 1997.

    McIlroy celebrated a historic triumph at the US Open just two months after his Masters nightmare.

    The historic victory kickstarted a golden era for McIlroy. After coasting to another eight-shot win at the PGA Championship in 2012, McIlroy became only the third golfer since 1934 to win three majors by the age of 25 with triumph at the 2014 Open Championship.

    Before the year was out, he would add his fourth major title with another PGA Championship win.

    And much of it was owed to that fateful afternoon at Augusta. In an interview with the BBC in 2015, McIlroy dubbed it “the most important day” of his career.

    “If I had not had the whole unravelling, if I had just made a couple of bogeys coming down the stretch and lost by one, I would not have learned as much.

    “Luckily, it did not take me long to get into a position like that again when I was leading a major and I was able to get over the line quite comfortably. It was a huge learning curve for me and I needed it, and thankfully I have been able to move on to bigger and better things.

    “Looking back on what happened in 2011, it doesn’t seem as bad when you have four majors on your mantelpiece.”

    A two-stroke victory at Royal Liverpool saw McIlroy clinch the Open Championship in 2014.

    McIlroy’s contentment came with a caveat: it would be “unthinkable” if he did not win The Masters in his career.

    Yet as he prepares for his 15th appearance at Augusta National this week, a green jacket remains an elusive missing item from his wardrobe.

    Despite seven top-10 finishes in his past 10 Masters outings, the trophy remains the only thing separating McIlroy from joining the ranks of golf immortals to have completed golf’s career grand slam of all four majors in the modern era: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

    The Masters is the only major title to elude McIlroy.

    A runner-up finish to Scottie Scheffler last year marked McIlroy’s best finish at Augusta, yet arguably 2011 remains the closest he has ever been to victory. A slow start in 2022 meant McIlroy had begun Sunday’s deciding round 10 shots adrift of the American, who teed off for his final hole with a five-shot lead despite McIlroy’s brilliant 64 finish.

    At 33 years old, time is still on his side. Though 2022 extended his major drought to eight years, it featured arguably his best golf since that golden season in 2014.

    And as McIlroy knows better than most, things can change quickly at Augusta National.

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  • Trump leads Biden in 6 of 7 swing states, new poll shows

    Trump leads Biden in 6 of 7 swing states, new poll shows

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    Trump leads Biden in 6 of 7 swing states, new poll shows – CBS News


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    A new Wall Street Journal poll shows former President Donald Trump leading President Biden in several key battleground states. Robert Costa, CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent, and Jessica Taylor, Senate and governors editor for Cook Political Report, join “America Decides” to break down the numbers.

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  • DNA testing links Georgia brothers to unsolved rape cases from the 1980s

    DNA testing links Georgia brothers to unsolved rape cases from the 1980s

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    DNA testing links Georgia brothers to unsolved rape cases from the 1980s

    DNA evidence has linked two brothers to multiple unsolved rape cases around metro Atlanta in the 1980s, the DeKalb County District Attorney announced this week.Jeffrey Briney, 59, and David Briney, 62, have been indicted on a slew of charges ranging from rape, kidnapping, aggravated sodomy, armed robbery and aggravated assault, according to indictment documents. Jeffrey was indicted on 30 charges and David on 19, documents show.Jeffrey Briney was taken into custody on Feb. 27 by deputies of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit, and David Briney was arrested by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit the same day, according to a news release from DeKalb County District Attorney, Sherry Boston. Both brothers are currently in jail without bond.An attorney for Jeffrey Briney declined to comment, however, “attorneys and investigators are reviewing the indictment and preparing a thorough, effective defense,” a spokesperson for the Georgia Public Defender Council told CNN.The Fulton County Public Defender’s Office, which is representing David Briney, is “preparing a zealous, effective defense for the charges he is facing. We are continuing our investigation and will tirelessly advocate for Mr. Briney in court,” a spokesperson told CNN in a statement.On March 28, 1986, four men forced their way into an apartment on Briarwood Road in what is now the City of Brookhaven, held five students at gunpoint, and raped two young women before ransacking the apartment, according to the release.Nearly seven months later, on Oct. 27, two men with a gun forced their way into an apartment on Buford Highway in Atlanta, raped two women and left with their valuables, according to the release.Both cases went cold – until June 2023.Several decades later, rape kits are testedIn 2023, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation sent about 2,500 rape kits to private labs for processing, according to the release.Seventy-four of those kits were from DeKalb County cases.In June 2023, DNA collected from one of the Briarwood Road rape victims came back with a match to Jeffrey Briney, the DA said. The DNA also linked Jeffrey Briney to the attack on Buford Highway.In August 2023, DNA collected from the other Briarwood Road rape victim matched David Briney, and also connected him to seven other cases, including one in Cobb County and six in Fulton County, the release said.Before 1998, investigators could only test DNA evidence if a suspect’s sample was available for comparison.Nowadays, investigators can also enter DNA from a crime scene into the FBI’s national database, also known as CODIS, to see if there’s a match, and that’s how the Briney brothers were identified.

    ATLANTA —

    DNA evidence has linked two brothers to multiple unsolved rape cases around metro Atlanta in the 1980s, the DeKalb County District Attorney announced this week.

    Jeffrey Briney, 59, and David Briney, 62, have been indicted on a slew of charges ranging from rape, kidnapping, aggravated sodomy, armed robbery and aggravated assault, according to indictment documents. Jeffrey was indicted on 30 charges and David on 19, documents show.

    Jeffrey Briney was taken into custody on Feb. 27 by deputies of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit, and David Briney was arrested by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit the same day, according to a news release from DeKalb County District Attorney, Sherry Boston. Both brothers are currently in jail without bond.

    An attorney for Jeffrey Briney declined to comment, however, “attorneys and investigators are reviewing the indictment and preparing a thorough, effective defense,” a spokesperson for the Georgia Public Defender Council told CNN.

    The Fulton County Public Defender’s Office, which is representing David Briney, is “preparing a zealous, effective defense for the charges he is facing. We are continuing our investigation and will tirelessly advocate for Mr. Briney in court,” a spokesperson told CNN in a statement.

    On March 28, 1986, four men forced their way into an apartment on Briarwood Road in what is now the City of Brookhaven, held five students at gunpoint, and raped two young women before ransacking the apartment, according to the release.

    Nearly seven months later, on Oct. 27, two men with a gun forced their way into an apartment on Buford Highway in Atlanta, raped two women and left with their valuables, according to the release.

    Both cases went cold – until June 2023.

    Several decades later, rape kits are tested

    In 2023, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation sent about 2,500 rape kits to private labs for processing, according to the release.

    Seventy-four of those kits were from DeKalb County cases.

    In June 2023, DNA collected from one of the Briarwood Road rape victims came back with a match to Jeffrey Briney, the DA said. The DNA also linked Jeffrey Briney to the attack on Buford Highway.

    In August 2023, DNA collected from the other Briarwood Road rape victim matched David Briney, and also connected him to seven other cases, including one in Cobb County and six in Fulton County, the release said.

    Before 1998, investigators could only test DNA evidence if a suspect’s sample was available for comparison.

    Nowadays, investigators can also enter DNA from a crime scene into the FBI’s national database, also known as CODIS, to see if there’s a match, and that’s how the Briney brothers were identified.

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  • Trump and co-defendants ask appeals court to review ruling allowing Fani Willis to stay on Georgia election case

    Trump and co-defendants ask appeals court to review ruling allowing Fani Willis to stay on Georgia election case

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    Former President Donald Trump and eight other defendants accused of illegally trying to interfere in the 2020 election in Georgia on Friday submitted a formal application to appeal a judge’s ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to remain on the case.

    Trump and other defendants had tried to get Willis and her office tossed off the case, saying her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade created a conflict of interest. Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee earlier this month found that there was not a conflict of interest that should force Willis off the case but said that the prosecution was “encumbered by an appearance of impropriety.”

    McAfee’s ruling said Willis could continue her prosecution if Wade left the case, and the special prosecutor resigned hours later. Lawyers for Trump and other defendants then asked McAfee to allow them to appeal his ruling to the Georgia Court of Appeals, and he granted that request.

    The filing of an application with the appeals court is the next step in that process. The Court of Appeals has 45 days to decide whether it will take up the matter.

    The allegations that Willis had improperly benefited from her romance with Wade upended the case for weeks. Intimate details of Willis and Wade’s personal lives were aired in court in mid-February, overshadowing the serious allegations in one of four criminal cases against the Republican former president. Trump and 18 others were indicted in August, accused of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally try to overturn his narrow 2020 presidential election loss to President Biden in Georgia.

    Willis is now said to have all but taken over the case personally, focusing intensely on legal strategy and getting her team in fighting form for trial. A source close to Willis said she has decided to play a leading courtroom role herself in the sprawling conspiracy case, CBS News reported Friday.

    Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis looks on during a hearing at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta.
    Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis looks on during a hearing at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta.

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    The appeal application says McAfee was wrong not to disqualify both Willis and Wade from the case, saying that “providing DA Willis with the option to simply remove Wade confounds logic and is contrary to Georgia law.”

    Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead attorney in the case, said in a statement that the case should have been dismissed and “at a minimum” Willis should have been disqualified from continuing to prosecute it. He said the Court of Appeals should grant the application and consider the merits of the appeal.

    A spokesperson for Willis declined to comment.

    Willis used Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, law, an expansive anti-racketeering statute, to charge Trump and the 18 others. Four people charged in the case have pleaded guilty after reaching deals with prosecutors. Trump and the others have pleaded not guilty.

    McAfee clearly found that Willis’ relationship with Wade and his employment as lead prosecutor in the case created an appearance of impropriety, and his failure to disqualify Willis and her whole office from the case “is plain legal error requiring reversal,” the defense attorneys wrote in their application.

    Given the complexity of the case and the number of defendants, the application says, multiple trials will likely be necessary. Failure to disqualify Willis now could require any verdicts to be overturned, and it would be “neither prudent nor efficient” to risk having to go through “this painful, divisive, and expensive process” multiple times, it says.

    In his ruling, McAfee cited a lack of appellate guidance on the issue of disqualifying a prosecutor for forensic misconduct, and the appeals court should step in to establish such a precedent, the lawyers argue.

    Finally, the defense attorneys argued, it is crucial that prosecutors “remain and appear to be disinterested and impartial” to maintain public faith in the integrity of the judicial system.

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  • Breaking down Trump’s free speech claims in Georgia election case

    Breaking down Trump’s free speech claims in Georgia election case

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    Breaking down Trump’s free speech claims in Georgia election case – CBS News


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    A judge in the Georgia 2020 election case heard arguments Thursday over whether former President Donald Trump’s First Amendment rights shield him from prosecution. CBS News campaign reporter Katrina Kaufman joins “America Decides” with key takeaways.

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