(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*The northwest Georgia town of Ringgold is paying special tribute to music legend Dolly Parton, who passed away yesterday at the age of 80. That’s where Parton and her late husband Carl Dean eloped in 1966. People have been leaving flowers just beneath a giant mural in the town of the country singer.
*Democrat Everton Blair, a former Gwinnett County school board chair, has won the special election runoff for Georgia’s 13th congressional district, defeating Marcye Scott with a 53-to-47 margin. He will fill the seat left vacant by the late Congressman David Scott, the runner-up’s father who was also a Democrat. However, he will only serve the rest of the current term. He is not running for the seat in November’s general election.
*Two South Carolina men are accused of stealing catalytic converters and diesel emissions equipment from school buses in Georgia and South Carolina. The investigation has involved numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Richmond County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office. WYFF reports authorities believe the theft ring was responsible for “substantial” losses to local school systems. The investigation remains active, and officials say additional arrests could still be made.
*Three Georgia families are suing the Georgia Promise Scholarship Program claiming rules violate their religious freedoms. The lawsuit filed in DeKalb County this week challenges the eligibility requirements of the program. Lead attorney for the families, Nathan Loyd, tells ANF the rules are not fair to families that have a religious obligation to give religious education to their child. The scholarships provide up to $6,500-a-year per child for schooling or therapy services.