Politics

Gov. Brian Kemp is defending his partial shelter-in-place order, applicable statewide to those with “increased risk of complications” from the coronavirus, including the elderly and those undergoing cancer treatment.
In an interview with WABE, he outlined where he thinks Georgia is and why he doesn’t think a broader restrictive order — as many other states, countries and cities including Atlanta and Savannah have instituted — is necessary right now.
Why limit the shelter-in-place order?
Well, I felt like we had the right response from a state perspective. I mean, look, I understand that cities are dealing with a little bit different situation than a whole state. Certainly, the city of Atlanta has been much different from a lot of the other 600-plus cities around Georgia. And, you know, I’ve been supportive of what the local communities are doing, but also felt like we had a lot of Georgians that were not paying attention and not doing the things that the president and the vice president’s task force and myself and the nation’s governors had been asking.
But we’re also continuing to follow the data on this and looking at a lot of different ramifications, not only from the virus, but economically and other things. And that all factored into my decision-making process.

The 2018 midterm elections in Georgia were a stain on the fabric of democracy. Republican candidate for governor Brian Kemp oversaw his own election and engaged in systematic voter suppression as Georgia’s secretary of state. Voting machines in various parts of the state malfunctioned en masse, and many voters in metropolitan Atlanta waited up to three hours to cast their ballots. Georgia’s election officials, haunted by this recent history, are currently pursuing a historic rollout of new voting machines in what may be a swing state come November.
However, in the midst of that massive deployment, the state postponed its presidential primary due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Now, voters who have not yet cast their ballot will need to wait until May 19 if they wish to do so in person. 
But the pandemic and its consequent upending of Georgia’s primary may actually have a silver lining: it could very well be the catalyst of a long process that solves the state’s preventable election woes.  
I early voted in person for the presidential primary, but for those who must still vote, I encourage you to vote by mail to ensure both the integrity of your vote and your fellow Georgians’ safety during the current public health crisis. 

With questions remaining over how safe in-person voting will be this spring, the Georgia secretary of state’s office has announced a step that will make it easier for voters to cast mail-in ballots for the May primary election.
All 6.9 million registered voters in Georgia are already eligible to vote by absentee mail-in ballot. Ordinarily, a voter would be responsible for going online to fill out an application in order to receive a ballot in the mail.
But because of concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, the secretary of state’s office is taking the preemptive step of mailing each registered voter an application. Voters would then simply have to fill out that application and return it in order to receive their ballot for the May primary.
“Times of turbulence and upheaval like the one we Georgians face require decisive action if the liberties we hold so dear are to be preserved,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Georgia’s presidential primary was originally scheduled to take place March 24. But it was postponed to May 19 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Thousands of ballots that were cast before voting was halted will still be counted. The May 19 election will feature the presidential contest (for those who’ve not already cast a vote) along with local and legislative primary races.
State Sen. Nikema Williams, chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, applauded the move to mail all voters absentee ballot applications.

The University of Georgia has undergone quite a lot of turnover during this offseason, with the offense bearing the brunt of those losses. Four offensive linemen from last season, gone. The starting running back and quarterback, gone. Lawrence Cager, gone. 
However, no position — apart from quarterback obviously — has lost more of a percentage of production from a year ago than Tight End. Charlie Woerner and Eli Wolf accounted for all but one of the receptions from the tight end position in 2019.
The good news for Georgia fans, however, they’ve changed offenses and they sure have changed athletic profiles at the position heading into 2020. Today, we take a look at the three tight ends that will be in the mix this fall.
On roster
John Fitzpatrick
Headed into his redshirt sophomore year, Fitzpatrick was probably looking towards the 2020 season as his potential break out year. At 6’6, 230 pounds he’s the prototypical end of the line tight end, something that though was extremely valuable in prior installments of the Georgia offense, may no longer be a required trait. 
Fitzpatrick is cut from the same physical build as a guy like Charlie Woerner. He’s big and physical and could be in store for early playing time along with our next tight end, as Darnell Washington gets acquainted with life in college. 
Tre’ McKitty
Since the days of Orson Charles running amuck in opponent’s defensive backfield, Georgia hasn’t had an athlete at the Tight End position that can do damage after the catch. Sure, they’ve had pass catchers, but for almost a decade they’ve gone without a player in the middle of the field that can do damage carrying the football. 

Mandy Maloney, a partnership specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau’s Atlanta Regional Census Center, listed off Thursday some of the various things the census being conducted this year will impact: government representation, district determinations, state and federal funding, grant considerations, money for schools and roads.

“There are a billion ways those numbers are used. But you guys know how important it is,” Maloney said while speaking to the monthly meeting of the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission in Calhoun.

She emphasized the importance of not only participating in the census, a resident count that only happens every 10 years, but of encouraging everyone else to make sure they get counted as well, regardless of status. She noted that in Floyd County, where she lives, about 74 percent of residents filled out and mailed the census form last time around. But that meant about 26 percent of the residents there had to be visited by workers, she said, and it’s hard to know if you accurately counted everyone.

What isn’t hard to know is the importance of participating in the census.

“Because they equal money and power. That’s really what the census is about,” Maloney said. “Just know that every single person equals dollars left of the table when they’re not counted.”

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