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WASHINGTON — The number of laid-off workers applying for unemployment aid fell below 1 million last week for the first time since the viral pandemic intensified five months ago, yet still remains at a high level. The pandemic keeps forcing layoffs just as the expiration of a $600-a-week federal jobless benefit has deepened the hardships…

Wednesday night’s thunderstorm left a trail of destruction with trees and power lines knocked down on Katherine and Dorn streets, Second and Third avenues and other roads in Grovetown.At least two vacant homes were damaged from uprooted trees and one car was crushed, according to a city spokesperson. There were no injuries reported, and the…

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., made history when it was confirmed that she would be former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate in his 2020 presidential bid. The announcement Tuesday makes her the first Black woman and the first Asian-American person on a major party’s presidential ticket.Here’s a look back at her career, and her historic…

ATLANTA — The University System of Georgia (USG) awarded a record-high 70,879 degrees during the last fiscal year, despite the challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.That marked a 4.5% increase over fiscal 2019 and the largest year-over-year increase since 2011, when the university system joined the Complete College America program with its emphasis on earning…

Controversial businesswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene won the Republican primary runoff election for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District Tuesday night, all but guaranteeing her a seat in Congress representing the reliably Republican northwestern part of the state.Greene, who owns a construction company, fended off criticism of her residence outside the district and her apparent support for the…

Absentee ballots can be opened a week earlier than usual ahead of elections in Georgia following emergency steps the State Election Board took Monday to help ease a vote-tally bottleneck amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the upcoming Nov. 3 general election.The board also gave Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office the green light to create…

Columbia County Chamber of Commerce announced the Leadership Columbia County Class of 2021.The 10-month long leadership program is designed to expose businesses and area leaders to the opportunities and challenges facing the community, promote and foster the development of leadership and educate and prepare community leaders who are committed to shaping Columbia County’s future.Each month…

This date in regional history. Top Featured Tags: – Georgia News Press Release Distribution Service

A man seriously wounded when he allegedly broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home with a gun was granted a $50,000 bond Monday.John K. Diaz, 30, has pleaded not guilty in Richmond County Superior Court to charges of home invasion, aggravated assault, burglary, criminal use of an article with an altered identification mark and weapon charges.Assistant District…

A contract to rebuild a bridge near the Augusta landfill was awarded by the Georgia Department of Transportation.The $2.393 million contract was awarded to United Infrastructure Group to rebuild the Deans Bridge Road southbound bridge over South Prong Creek, four miles northwest of Hephzibah. According to DOT, only the southbound bridge will be replaced.The bridge…

McDonald’s says it’s suing Stephen Easterbrook, the CEO it ousted last year over an inappropriate relationship with an employee, alleging Monday that he covered up relationships with three other employees and destroyed evidence.The company now wants to reclaim hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation paid to Easterbrook on his departure.”McDonald’s does not tolerate behavior…

This date in regional history. Top Featured Tags: – Georgia News Press Release Distribution Service

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The doctor serving as South Carolina’s state epidemiologist said she regrets not speaking out publicly about her concerns as the state reopened close-contact businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.Dr. Linda Bell said in June emails that Gov. Henry McMaster’s staff misled the public to believe she supported the Republican governor’s May decision to…

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The father and son jailed on murder charges in the slaying of Ahmaud Arbery are asking a Georgia judge to grant them bond and to throw out two charges in their indictment.Gregory McMichael and his adult son, Travis McMichael, were jailed and arrested in May, more than two months after Arbery was…

BEIRUT — Police fired tear gas and clashed with demonstrators in Lebanon’s capital on Saturday at the start of a planned protest over this week’s massive explosion that devastated large parts of Beirut and killed more than 150 people.Thousands of people poured into Beirut’s main square, where they set up symbolic nooses to hang politicians…

This date in regional history. Top Featured Tags: – Georgia News Press Release Distribution Service

Augusta attorney and U.S. Senate candidate Ed Tarver on Friday denounced opponent Matt Lieberman’s use of racial tropes in a 2018 novel.The son of former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, Lieberman self-published “Lucius,” which is named for an imaginary slave owned by the book’s main character who could communicate with plants and animals. […] Top Featured…

Three Augusta Commission candidates have had brushes with the law – none were prosecuted – and one appears to have two addresses, one of which is outside the district he’s running for.The Augusta Chronicle perused court records and researched the backgrounds of the six candidates running in Tuesday’s runoffs for commission districts 1, 3 and…

COLUMBIA, S.C. — New unemployment claims in South Carolina have dropped for the third week in a row, marking the lowest number of weekly claims filed since the pandemic began.The state Department of Employment and Workforce reported that about 8,900 people filed initial claims last week.”We are strongly encouraged by this downward trend in initial…

Compared to the sassy 15-year-old who was tried and convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison, Samoney D. Tanksley on Thursday was a young adult ready to take responsibility for her part in an armed robbery.Since the day she was arrested March 4, 2014, Tanksley had been behind bars, first in juvenile facilities then…

ATLANTA — Georgia House Speaker David Ralston is asking Congress for $500 billion in aid to state governments suffering the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.In a letter to U.S. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., this week, Ralston called for assistance to the states to be included in the latest federal COVID-19 relief legislation, which is…

As isolated thunderstorms rolled into the Augusta area Wednesday, damage was left in their path in Appling when straight-line winds knocked down trees and overturned a tractor-trailer parked near I-20.The National Weather Service said the damage was likely not from a tornado, due to the pattern of destruction with trees all falling in the same…