– Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 –
Good morning. This week we’re looking at the first bill to follow Sen. Jon Ossoff’s investigation into Georgia’s foster care system, a racketeering indictment for sprawling drug trafficking in Chatham County and the latest information on the deadly Sapelo Island gangway collapse.
Questions, comments or story ideas? Reach out to us at staff@thecurrentga.org.
NEWS: PUBLIC SAFETY
GA senator seeks more data on foster care placements
Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff addressed reporters Wednesday announcing legislation he introduced to increase transparency and data reporting for children involved in the foster care system.
Ossoff’s bill, co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, would mandate child protection agencies track statistics on children who end up in “hidden foster care arrangements.” The arrangements involve children who are are taken into care by relatives or family friends while their parent(s) are under investigation by child protection authorities but before a juvenile court judge orders a formal separation.
Ossoff said his Senate subcommittee investigation into systemic issues at Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) released in the spring uncovered the data blindspot, which is potentially leaving kids in unsafe and unsupervised situations.
“As a parent (and) as any human being can understand intuitively, there can also be some benefits to seeking to place children with an existing family and kinship networks,” Ossoff said. “What this legislation does is acknowledge that there is a lack of transparency, and in some cases, a significant lack of oversight associated with this kind of placement.”
NEWS: PUBLIC SAFETY
Chatham racketeering indictment
A Chatham County grand jury indicted 39 people in a nearly two-year racketeering conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as sex trafficking victims, across Chatham County.
The previously unreported, 70-page indictment was unsealed last week, as police began to serve arrest warrants on defendants. The sprawling investigation first came to light through asset forfeiture court filings and a letter from Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones.
Last month, she wrote to county leaders how her Republican opponent, Andre Pretorius, used his bonafides as a Chatham County attorney on-leave to provide off-the-books legal advice to narcotics officers involved in the investigation. She said his representation caused the county to lose $100,000 in laundered drug money. Pretorius did not dispute the facts of what occurred but said he was only helping out and did not act unethically.
The indictment went forward despite the political conflict.
Check out the racketeering indictment here and read our past coverage here.
NEWS: PUBLIC SAFETY
ICYMI: Potential cause of catastrophic Sapelo gangway collapse
Over the weekend, the ramp onto the Sapelo Island ferry dock in McIntosh County collapsed, plunging 20 people into swirling tidal water. Seven people died, all of whom were 73 years or older. They were in attendance for the island’s annual Cultural Day celebrating its Gullah Geechee heritage.
The Current has been covering this story since the tragedy occurred and trying to figure out what happened.
According to Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Walter Rabon, the mid-section of the 80-foot gangway buckled.
It comes after one native Sapelo Island resident said he reported to DNR employees four months prior that the gangway didn’t seem safe.
“When are y’all going to start listening to us descendants on the island about what’s going on?” The resident said. “We report a lot of stuff to DNR, but it don’t get reported.”
Georgia Supreme Court rejects Republican attempt to quickly reinstate invalidated election rules
Many county election officials had expressed concern over the tight timeline for implementing the rules, saying they risked causing confusion for poll workers and undermining public confidence in the election results.
‘Catastrophic failure’ of gangway led to 7 deaths on Sapelo
The Georgia DNR Commissioner points to structural failure as a cause of the ramp failure that left 7 dead on Sapelo.
Stopping Sapelo zoning referendum costs McIntosh County more than holding it
Legal fees mount as McIntosh County heads to the Georgia Supreme Court to oppose an election .
YOUR VOTE: Guide to 2024 elections
Find nonpartisan election reporting, tools that you can use to conduct your own research and practical links to get your vote counted.
Liberty County ponders tax proposals
The proposed changes address ways that voters can choose to tax homes, personal property, and everyday purchases, as well as whether to give people and corporations that want to appeal a Georgia Department of Revenue tax ruling the chance to have a state appeals judge hear their case.
DNR chief: Buckle may be cause of Sapelo gangplank failure
The collapsed ramp was among the longest DNR operates but officials say it should have been able to support the number boarding the ferry.
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