(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*Five Effingham County residents and the coastal conservation group “One Hundred Miles” filed suit Monday, accusing the local development authority of violating the state’s open government laws. The lawsuit says board members approved a 50 percent tax break worth almost $900 million under a vague agenda, then sold public land without required public meetings. The data center planned near Rincon would cover about 14-hundred acres and need up to three-point-two gigawatts of electricity.
*Residents in DeKalb County are worried after a “dreadful” discovery: 34 animals found dead along a popular walking trail. The animals, which included pigeons, baby goats, chickens, and a duck, were found on the South River Trail over the weekend. Some reportedly were found with wire and duct tape around their legs. Some people who live near the trail are raising questions about safety, who is responsible, and how to stop the animal abuse.
*A 16-year-old Rome High School junior collapsed and died on the school’s soccer field recently. Fox 5 Atlanta reports he was playing with friends and teammates and unexpectedly passed out and never woke up.
*Georgia’s poorest families will see zero cash from the state’s upcoming child tax credit, according to a study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan tax policy group. Georgia is one of just four states that refuse to pay out unused credits once state tax bills hit zero. Lawmakers approved the $250 credit last year for children under six, but parents can only use it to wipe out what they owe in state income taxes. Analysts warn the policy leaves behind the parents who need grocery and diaper relief the most.