Two LaFayette women have been arrested for trafficking methamphetamine in Cherokee County Alabama. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s office has arrested 33-year-old Whitney Latricia White and 43-year-old Samantha Dawn Jackson, both of LaFayette. Also arrested was 48-year-old Michael Dale Smith of Mentone Alabama. Police began investigating a vehicle that was stolen from Gordon County. During the investigation police uncovered a stash of illegal drugs, hidden in a toilet. Paraphernalia containing an illegal substance was found submerged in the toilet bowl. Further investigation by police uncovered a significant drug operation at the residence. Both White and Jackson have been charged with trafficking meth, 2nd degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with physical evidence. White also has an outstanding warrant in Gordon County. All three suspects were taken into custody without incident. The stolen vehicle will be returned to its owner.
Just before 4pm yesterday afternoon Chattooga County authorities received a call that a vehicle was in the river and woman was calling for help from inside it. The accident happened near Centerpost Road and Giles Road. Rescue personnel arrived on the scene and found the vehicle on its side partially submerged in the river. Crews were able to reach the woman and remove her from the vehicle. First responders and local citizens all pitched in to help in the rescue efforts. The woman was treated and transported by EMS to a local hospital. The Georgia state Patrol is investigating the crash.
Georgia’s state senators are backing an expensive push by Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones to create a child tax credit. The Senate voted 49-0 on Wednesday to pass Senate Bill 89. The measure would create a state income tax credit of up to $250 for every child younger than age 7, expand an existing tax credit for child care to give parents up to $300 more per child, and lets employers claim a larger credit for investing in an on-site child care center. Estimates show that all three provisions would cost the state $180 million or more in foregone tax revenue each year. The new credit for children under 7 is by far the most expensive, at more than $160 million a year. House members must now decide whether they support the change even as state revenue growth has slowed.
A lawsuit challenging Georgia’s near-ban on abortion is headed back to a trial court to decide if the people who want to overturn the law have legal standing to sue. The Georgia Supreme Court voted 6-1 yesterday to require the trial court judge to re-examine standing issues, citing its own January decision that changed state law on who is qualified to sue. In the meantime, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney’s ruling from September striking down the abortion law remains on hold. In an unrelated January case, the court ruled that only people and groups whose own rights are in question can sue in Georgia state courts, overturning an earlier rule that let some third parties sue on behalf of others.
There will be a public forum with a panel discussion of charter schools and school vouchers in Georgia and the impact on local schools and children on Saturday, March 8, 2:00 pm, La Fayette Library, 305 South Duke Street, La Fayette, GA 30728. The forum is sponsored by Citizens for Public Education, “a grassroots local organization promoting a high-quality public education for every child.” All members of the public are invited, especially elected officials and parents of school children. More information: 706-764-2801
