(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*Residents of Garden City are facing a nearly 90% hike in property taxes. The city council recently adopted an 88% increase in those taxes. The city says the hike is necessary to replace the fire protection fee which was ordered by a judge halted after it was challenged in a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged the city collected an illegal “fire free” fee, and the city settled, ending the collection of that revenue.
*A vacation turns tragic for a Louisville, Georgia, family following the fatal shooting of a toddler. Authorities in Kissimmee, Florida, say a two-year-old was accidentally shot and killed by a four-year-old sibling after they were left alone in a car while their parents checked into their Airbnb. The gun, which belonged to their mother, had also been left in the car.
*Centennial Olympic Park will be full of World Cup activities for just two more days. The FIFA Fan Fest has resumed in Atlanta. The fest will continue tomorrow as Atlanta Stadium/Mercedes Benz Stadium welcomes Argentina and England in the Cup’s second semifinal. That will be the final match played in Atlanta.
*Monroe County decided yesterday to shut down its animal shelter for three weeks as it deals with a staff shortage and needed renovations. It was just over a week ago when animal control officer Carlos Santillan was arrested on animal cruelty charges. A new animal services manager will take over August 3.
*Georgia Tech athletics is bringing in more revenue than ever before. The program announced recently it took in $175 million in the last fiscal year, which is around $17 million more than the record set the year before.
*Operation Southern Slow Down, now in its 9th year, is underway through Sunday. And drivers will notice more law enforcement on the streets, interstates, and major highways throughout Georgia and the Southeast. Deputy Director Maurice Raines of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety says motorists can help officers by simply slowing down. Authorities are targeting aggressive or reckless driving, impaired driving, hands-free and seat belt violations, and speeding.
*A recently passed bill could help return a share of the more than three billion dollars in unclaimed property held by the state. Senate Bill 403 allows the state to automatically send some payments to verified owners without requiring them to file a claim. The law also simplifies the process for some heirs trying to recover money belonging to deceased relatives.
*Brady Lum, the former chief operating officer of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta who was charged with pilfering more than $600,000 from the museum by doctoring invoices and approving transactions for personal purchases, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 2.