(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*A teenager is awaiting sentencing for killing a relative over a one-dollar bet. A Walton County jury convicted 17-year-old Artis Johnson of felony murder in the February 2024 shooting death of 15-year-old Cordarius Early. Prosecutors say Johnson shot Early six times after a dispute over a dice game in Monroe.
*Water service in McCaysville has been restored after last week’s severe flooding. However, officials say it’s not safe for cooking, drinking, bathing, or washing dishes and must be strictly conserved for toilet flushing only. Public works officials haven’t given a timeline for when water is expected to return to safe conditions. In the meantime, free bottled water is available at city hall.
*Georgia’s incoming Insurance Commissioner, Keisha Sean Waites, says lowering insurance costs will be a top priority when she takes office in January. Waites says she wants to increase competition among insurers and pursue legislation banning the use of credit scores and ZIP codes in setting premiums. Supporters argue those factors unfairly penalize some consumers. Critics contend they are legitimate measures of insurance risk and warn restricting their use could shift costs from higher-risk customers to lower-risk policyholders.