(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*Atlanta Social media personality Mercedes Reshard New, a/k/a “Shawty Dred,” has been arrested on federal charges for fraudulently obtaining more than $4 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. “New allegedly stole over $4 million meant for poor families who need help putting food on the table,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office is fully committed to rooting out abuses of the SNAP program and holding accountable criminal con artists and scammers who appallingly seek to profit by stealing taxpayer money meant to feed vulnerable Americans.”
*A Florida man is accused of scamming a Douglas County woman out of thousands of dollars. Investigators say the suspect pretended to be the actor Tyler Hynes from the show Letterkenny over several months. He convinced the victim to send him $100,000. Police recently extradited the man to Douglas County, where he faces theft and elderly exploitation charges.
*Atlanta’s city council is supporting a Starbucks boycott. The board voted Monday to support Georgia’s unionized employees as they look for a collective bargaining agreement despite warnings from some members who say the action sets a bad precedent. The final vote was 11-3, and the move includes the city council refraining from using any Starbucks products at meetings or conferences during the boycott.
*A Georgia school bus maker is planning a $300 million addition to ramp up production nationwide. Governor Kemp announced on Wednesday that Blue Bird will transform an old RV factory in Fort Valley into a massive assembly plant. The project will bring 375 new jobs to Peach County, with construction starting early next year.
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