(G. NEWS NETWORK)
*Savannah is getting national recognition as the number one small city in the U.S. It tops a new ranking from Resonance, a consultancy focused on real estate, tourism and economic development, which evaluated 100 cities based on livability, lovability and prosperity. Savannah ranked number one in both livability and lovability, while placing 35th in prosperity. The ranking highlights the city’s historic architecture, food and arts scene, including the Savannah College of Art and Design and its many annual festivals.
* A DeKalb County teacher is being remembered as a hero after giving his life to save a drowning stranger. 47-year-old Derrick Moore, a physical education teacher at Rockbridge Elementary, rushed into the ocean Friday evening after spotting a young girl trapped in a rip current off of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Moore pulled the girl to safety but was swept under by the current himself. The girl survived.
*A recent federal immigration operation across Georgia is now tied to hundreds of arrests, most in metro Atlanta. ICE says “Operation Safe Community Atlanta” netted over 1,200, including 720 who had been charged with or convicted of crimes in the U.S. Among them is Ivan Flores Dircio of Mexico, a sex offender ICE says was convicted of sexual battery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The operation also led to five arrests at a trucking company ICE says was known to employ illegal immigrants.
*A serious boating accident is under investigation on Lake Allatoona. The state Department of Natural Resources reports the watercraft slammed into a shoreline going at a high rate of speed late Saturday morning. Five people were taken to the hospital for injuries after they were ejected from the boat. WXIA-TV reports the passengers were taking part in a poker run.
*High blood pressure during pregnancy in Georgia has risen by 77 percent over eight years, according to a new CDC report. This has affected more than 10-and-a-half percent of births, despite a decline in overall births, as the state faces a severe healthcare shortage.