The Walker County Detention Center reported five felony arrests on Tuesday. 41-year-old Angela Diane Ellinger faces possession of meth and drug related objects. 35-year-old Curt Daniel Shockley was charged with aggravated assault. 55-year-old Justin Bryce Webb was booked on charges of aggravated assault and elder abuse.
The Georgia Department of Transportation has issued the best and worst travel times for this weekend. The 4th of July travel holiday actually begins today and runs through Wednesday. GDOT says if you’re traveling through Atlanta expect heavy delays tomorrow afternoon and Saturday afternoon. Traffic condition on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are expected to be lighter than normal. We’re expecting a hot weekend locally. So if you need to do work outside, try to do it in early morning hours and make sure you stay hydrated. It’s also a good time to check on your elderly neighbors. Make sure you have water for your pets and some shade if you’re not able to bring them in.
This week we’ve spent time looking at new laws going into effect in the state on July 1st. We’ve got details on a few more today.House Bill 147, also known as the Safe Schools Act, requires Georgia classrooms to conduct intruder alert drills and create school safety plans. Schools must report those actions to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. Parents can opt out their children from the drills. The bill also creates training for teachers to identify gang members in the classroom.
Georgia lawmakers also passed two bills aimed to increase literacy in third-grade students. Senate Bill 211 creates the Georgia Council on Literacy and House Bill 538, or the Georgia Early Literacy Act, and both are designed to implement literacy instruction methods and curriculum for students overseen by the newly established council. Both bills were part of a legislative effort to reduce the number of third-grade students not reading at their academic level.
