COMMERCIAL: From the Ingles Studio this is The Northwest Georgia News Podcast from the Rome News Tribune, Calhoun Times, Catoosa Walker News, and Polk County Standard. Today is Wednesday, June 19th and happy heavenly birthday to MLBHOF Lou Gehrig. ***06.19.24 – BIRTHDAY – LOU GEHRIG*** I’m Keith Ippolito and here are the stories Northwest Georgia is talking about presented by Drake Realty. Justin Ross Harris Freed from State Prison, Now Held in Cobb JailShawn Harris Wins Runoff to Face Greene in NW Ga.14th Congressional District RaceCalhoun Man Charged with Trafficking Meth and Punching Firefighter Plus, Bruce Jenkin’s conversation with Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on brown eggs. These stories and more are coming up in today’s edition of the Northwest Georgia News podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe! Commercial: DRAKE STORY 1: Justin Ross Harris Freed from State Prison, Now Held in Cobb Jail Justin Ross Harris, initially convicted of murdering his toddler son in a notorious "hot car" case in 2014, has left prison after his murder conviction was overturned in 2022 by the Georgia Supreme Court. Harris, now 43, was transferred to Cobb County Jail to serve the remainder of a 12-year sentence for unrelated sex crimes. His original conviction stemmed from leaving his son in a hot car for hours while he went to work, resulting in the child's death. Despite the overturned murder conviction, the possibility of a retrial remains pending review by the incoming Cobb County District Attorney. STORY 2: Shawn Harris Wins Runoff to Face Greene in NW Ga. 14th Congressional District Race Shawn Harris, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general and cattle farmer from Rockmart, won the Democratic nomination for Georgia's 14th Congressional District after defeating Clarence Blalock in the runoff. Harris secured a decisive victory with 7,208 votes to Blalock's 3,242 across the district's 10 counties. Despite Blalock's initial lead in the primary, Harris rallied strong support in the runoff, winning counties like Polk and Floyd with substantial margins. He now faces Republican incumbent Marjorie Taylor Greene in the November 5 general election, which will be a significant contest in the district, among few competitive races locally. Top of Form STORY 3: Calhoun Man Charged with Trafficking Meth, Punching Firefighter Michael Hunter Garrett, a 30-year-old from Calhoun, faces serious charges after being discovered unconscious behind the wheel of a wrecked vehicle near Kingston. Police found 57.2 grams of methamphetamine on Garrett following the incident at Kerce Road and Fulton Road. He is charged with felony trafficking of meth, possession of meth with intent to distribute, misdemeanor obstruction of law enforcement, and obstruction for resisting assistance from a firefighter. Garrett also faces charges of misdemeanor DUI and failure to maintain a lane. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.799.6810 for more info. Back in a moment Commercial: INGLES 10 STORY 4: Election 2024: Challengers Take 2 County Commission Seats in Runoff In Polk County's runoff election for county commission, Michael Gravett and John Paschal emerged victorious according to unofficial results. Gravett, former public works director, defeated Jordan Hubbard for the District 1 seat with 1,416 votes to 773. Retired firefighter Paschal won District 2, defeating incumbent Ray "Slugger" Carter with 1,597 votes to 571. Both candidates secured Republican nominations without Democratic opposition for the November general election. The turnout was 10.64%, with early voting playing a significant role in the results, which await official certification by the board of elections. STORY 5: City of Calhoun Passes Budget, Increases Water Rate Calhoun's City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 operating budget during their recent meeting, totaling $23,262,889 for general government operations. This includes allocations for Police, Public Works, Fire, Administration, and various community services. The budget also includes new positions such as a school resource officer and additional personnel in Fire, Recreation, Waste Water Construction, and Water Treatment. The Calhoun City Schools' portion of $47.2 million includes funding for additional teachers, paraprofessionals, and a bus driver. Additionally, the council approved changes to 2024 fee schedules, encompassing utility rate increases, new fees, and adjustments to various service and permit fees. They also greenlit a Veterans Day parade request and authorized the donation of patrol vehicles to local institutions. Back in just a moment Commercial: DRAKE And now here is Bruce Jenkins conversation with Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on brown eggs. ***Leah McGrath Interview*** We’ll have closing comments after this. COMMERCIAL: INGLES 1...
