(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*The owner of Wellmade Industries in Cartersville and two of the company’s employees have been indicted on charges of mistreating immigrant workers at the plant. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta says they brought in Chinese nationalists to work 12-hour shifts for six-days-a-week and that they live in overcrowded and dirty conditions. The workers were also reportedly threatened with physical violence and claim that what they are being paid is less than what was promised.
*Absenteeism and staff shortages are causing problems with MARTA’s bus system. Some riders in Forest Park tell Atlanta News First that they deal with regular delays of up to an hour on some bus routes. MARTA has been affected by drivers not showing up to work, so enhanced attendance bonuses have been put in place as an incentive.
*GOP gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson has unveiled a plan to restore minority business districts across Georgia, starting with Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn. Once known as one of the nation’s wealthiest African American commercial streets, roughly half of the Sweet Auburn district now sits empty. Jackson recently outlined a new “Legacy Corridor Initiative” aimed at helping local shop owners access state contracts and financing. Jackson tells Atlanta News First he wants “to make it easier for Georgia businesses to bid, subcontract, and compete for state work.”
*The GBI has arrested and charged a former Georgia police department’s 911 director with misusing the Flock license plate reader system. Heidi Taylor, 52, of Dallas was arrested Wednesday. The GBI says Taylor accessed Flock between 2024 and 2025 for non-law enforcement purposes. She was the Dallas Police Department’s 911 Director at the time.