An update has been released on the health and campaign status of Republican State Senate candidate and former Trion Mayor Lanny Thomas following a recent medical emergency.
A Summerville man faces multiple charges following a domestic incident that escalated into violence and resistance against law enforcement, according to a Summerville Police Department report.
A Chattooga County man was arrested on multiple charges following a traffic stop earlier this week, according to a report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office.
Here is the arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Wednesday, March 18, 2026:
This weekend on Georgia Focus, hear how artistic engagement could help promote brain health and emotional well-being for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.
The program will spotlight research involving Dr. Monica Parker, a neurologist with the Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Emory, and the work of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, which recently awarded $200,000 to support research in partnership with Arts + Health Laboratory: Georgia’s NeuroArts Coalition.
Researchers are studying how music and other forms of art may improve mood, behavior, and daily functioning for people living with cognitive impairment. The two-year project is designed to gather more data on how music-based interventions can positively affect brain health and overall well-being.
Dr. Parker says research already shows music can benefit people with cognitive impairment, but more study is needed to better understand what kind of music and what level of exposure may be most effective.
Tune in this Sunday morning at 6 a.m. to Georgia Focus on WZQZ to hear more from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and Dr. Monica Parker as they discuss the positive effects of music on people with brain-related conditions.
Georgia lawmakers have approved House Bill 1000, a measure that would provide a one-time state income tax rebate for eligible taxpayers, and the bill is now headed to Governor Brian Kemp for his signature.
Under the proposal, taxpayers who filed timely Georgia income tax returns for both the 2024 and 2025 tax years would qualify for the rebate. The bill sets the rebate at $250 for single filers or married people filing separately, $375 for heads of household, and $500 for married couples filing jointly.
The rebate would be funded using part of the state’s budget surplus, which lawmakers say currently stands at around $14 billion.
If signed into law, the measure would mark another round of tax relief for Georgia residents, continuing a series of rebates issued by the state in recent years as lawmakers return surplus revenue to taxpayers.
Spring Break travel demand, combined with rising crude oil prices, is continuing to send gas prices higher across Georgia.
AAA says the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Georgia now stands at $3.51, up 29 cents from a week ago, 79 cents from a month ago, and 61 cents higher than this time last year.
Georgia Power is asking state regulators to approve a plan that would charge customers $912 million over the next four years to recover costs tied to Hurricane Helene and other major storms. The proposal, filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission, would add about $4.42 per month to the typical residential bill based on 1,000 kilowatt-hours of usage, with higher-use households likely paying more.
A Georgia state senator has stepped down from office to focus on her campaign for lieutenant governor.
Democratic Sen. Nabilah Parkes, who represented part of Gwinnett County, announced her resignation in a public statement Friday. Parkes first launched a campaign for Georgia insurance and fire safety commissioner in January before shifting to the lieutenant governor’s race on March 5.
Parkes now joins state Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs and Richard Wright in the Democratic field for lieutenant governor. In her resignation letter to Gov. Brian Kemp, Parkes sharply criticized the Georgia Legislature, calling it “a place where good ideas go to die and where extremists continue to attack our freedoms.” Georgia’s primary election is scheduled for May 19.
The Walker County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help after a 2014 Freightliner 26-foot box truck was reported stolen from a residence on Mustang Street in Rossville.
According to authorities, the truck was taken on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. The vehicle is described as a white box truck with “Mack Freight” written in blue lettering on the doors and displaying Georgia tag WMN594.
Anyone with information about the stolen truck is asked to contact Detective Eddie Hill at 706-670-1962 or email ehill@walkerso.com. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the Walker County Sheriff’s Office website.