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No quick fix for Georgia’s affordable housing shortage
The supply of affordable housing units is at extreme lows in Georgia in the wake of the pandemic, leading to higher rents and greater homelessness among single adults and families. Advocates across the state are calling for action, although some proposed solutions – like calls to repeal Georgia’s long-standing ban on rent control – have […]
September statewide bus tour set to draw attention to resources that support Georgians struggling with addiction
A convoy of behavioral health care groups is hitting the road for a statewide bus tour in time for national recovery month in September. At a press conference this week, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities announced they are partnering with the Georgia Council for Recovery and the Clinton Foundation for a […]
Rural Georgia gets more contraceptive options through expanded delivery of birth control implants
The Georgia Department of Public Health is kicking off its Power of Family Planning program, an initiative that aims to reduce unintended or complicated pregnancies. And women in rural Georgia stand to benefit the most. Now registered nurses are allowed to administer contraceptive implants, such as Nexplanon, into the arm. Previously, the implantable could only […]
This American Idol novelty singer was present for major civil rights events
Nearly thirteen years ago, Larry Platt, dubbed the “General,” shook up the TV world, becoming an “American Idol” sensation at 64 years old with his song “Pants on the Ground,” but many do not know there is more to his story. Decades before his viral performance, Georgia’s most famous pants puller-upper championed a much different […]
Banned Bookmobile stops by Georgia during tour to protest laws restricting school reading material
As self-affirming titles representing marginalized students are getting swept up in the undertow of book bans throughout the South, advocates say educators who choose the wrong titles for story time are now facing harsher consequences. School and public libraries around the country are experiencing a rise in challenges to books that parents complain are too […]
Family, top lawmakers gather for farewell to Christine King Farris memorial at Georgia capitol
Flanking a rose-ladened casket, rows of lawmakers and loved ones gathered to remember the life of Christine King Farris, sibling of Martin Luther King Jr., as her body was lying in state Friday at the state Capitol. King Farris, who was described as a loving mother, a caring educator and the eldest sister of […]
Georgia’s longhaul COVID sufferers wait for return to health years after state’s shutdown
Robert Lyle, a 44-year-old Woodstock resident, is a member of the Georgia COVID long-haulers Facebook group, an online community of Georgians who share resources like which physicians are taking new patients nearby and what medications help bypass their virus symptoms the longest. Lyle is like many members of the group who have had to either […]
Democratic state legislator pushes for her bill to secure firearms
ATHENS – Georgia became an permitless-carry state after lawmakers passed legislation in 2022, allowing gun owners to carry handguns in public without a background check or permit. One year later, a bill requiring firearms to be safely secured away from children stalled before the 2023 legislative session ended. Firearms are the leading cause of death […]
Georgia Juneteenth celebrations break out from Atlanta to Dublin to Valdosta
June 19, once an afterthought for many, is getting more recognition across the country two years after gaining official status as a federal holiday. And Georgia, a state with a rich Black history and culture, is the perfect place for many freedom-loving Americans to observe the importance of Juneteenth to Black communities around the state. […]
With eye on 2024, Georgia GOP gears up to recruit minority voters to bigger tent
COLUMBUS – As the 2024 election approaches, Georgia conservatives are concerned about the direction of the party, and the tension between establishment Republicans and Donald Trump supporters is especially fraught. But a growing number of Black and brown voters in the Georgia GOP say more needs to be done to bridge the divide between conservatives […]
Georgia’s rural hospitals use tax credit donations as Band-Aid
Jonathon Green says a tax credit program intended to help Georgia’s struggling rural health care system delivered $500,000 in donations last year to his Taylor Regional Hospital, money he used to upgrade imaging machines and other technology. Green, CEO of Taylor Health Group, says he could put more donated dollars to good use, but it […]
Rosalynn Carter, former first lady and lifelong mental health advocate, diagnosed with dementia
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has been diagnosed with dementia, the Carter family announced through the Carter Center Tuesday. In a written statement, the family did not share details, such as exactly when Rosalynn Carter was diagnosed or what type of dementia she was diagnosed with. But the letter did point out that one in […]