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After being delayed for nearly three months due to COVID-19, Georgia’s June 9 primary and general election has turned into chaos at many precincts in metro Atlanta.

Due to the election day meltdown, Fulton County has announced polls will remain open until 9 p.m.

The county elections office said in a statement: “Beginning at 7 p.m., ballots will no longer be scanned but will be placed in provisional ballot envelopes, per O.C.G.A. 21-4-418(d). Today is the first election in most poll workers in Fulton County and across Georgia operated the new election equipment introduced this year.  While the majority of polling places operated smoothly, a number of sites experienced challenges with equipment throughout the day. The extended hours will provide more time for any voters affected by these issues to cast their ballots tonight.”

DeKalb County announced just before 7 p.m. that it was extending voting time at seven precincts:

There have been reports all day of long lines, malfunctioning voting machines, confused poll workers, not enough absentee ballots, and passing the buck on whose fault it was between state and local officials. Gov. Brian Kemp was trending on Twitter for a time in the afternoon as users accused him of suppressing the vote.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said his office would investigate voting issues in both Fulton and DeKalb Counties to root out problems before the November general election. In a statement, Raffensperger called the voting situation in both counties “unacceptable.”

“Obviously, the first time a new voting system is used, there is going to be a learning curve, and voting in a pandemic only increased these difficulties. But every other county faced these same issues and were significantly better prepared to respond so that voters had every opportunity to vote,” Raffensperger said in reference to Fulton and DeKalb.

Local leaders pushed back on the secretary of state’s comments, including DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. “The Election Day issues relating to the use of state-purchased voting machines represent an attack on the democratic process. The Secretary of State’s office has alleged these issues resulted from a failure of county leadership. If there was a failure of leadership, it starts where the buck should stop, at the top. The eradication of any ‘learning curve’ rests squarely at the feet of the Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his office,” Thurmond said in a statement. 

The Georgia Democratic Party also had words for Raffensperger: “The Secretary of State’s job is to provide adequate support and training for counties as he implemented Georgia’s new voting system, and he has failed. Across the state, Georgia voters are waiting for hours to cast their ballots because Georgia’s system is failing them. We demand statewide action by the Secretary of State — the chief elections official in Georgia— to fix this problem immediately before we see these issues for every election this cycle.”

The post UPDATE: Election chaos in metro Atlanta as long lines, malfunctioning machines plague the polls appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

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A suspect wanted in the rape of a Midtown woman has turned himself in to the Atlanta Police Department.

Eric Key, 26, surrendered at APD headquarters in the early morning hours of June 9. He has been charged with sexual battery, aggravated sodomy, rape, and kidnapping.

According to the police report, the victim was leaving her apartment on Juniper Street around 7:30 a.m. on June 7 when she was  approached by Key, who forced her into a vacant apartment and raped her.

APD widely circulated video and surveillance images of Key to the press and social media.

The post UPDATE: Midtown rape suspect surrenders to police appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

Gov. Brian Kemp has deactivated the National Guard from protest-related duty as of 11:59 p.m. on June 8. Kemp thanked the men and women of the state guard and said in a statement “we will continue to monitor activity around the state and remain prepared to respond if necessary.” The National Guard was accused of using heavy-handed tactics – including tear gas and rubber bullets – to disperse crowds of protesters violating the now-lifted curfew.

The two former Atlanta Police officers fired and charged with using excessive force against two college students during the George Floyd protests in Downtown are suing the city. Ivory Streeter and Mark Gardner say their use of force was lawful, and they were fired without a proper investigation, according to a report in the AJC.  The pair want their jobs back. Chief Erika Shields and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms are also named in the suit filed in Fulton County Superior Court. Fulton County District Attorney quickly filed charges against the two fired officers and four others involved in the incident on May 30.

The Atlanta Board of Education and Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen have called for work on “dismantling a racist and oppressive system” in statements issued in the wake of the George Floyd protests. In a  joint statement, school board members said they were “heartbroken and upset” by the killings of Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. “But the murders of black men and women by vigilantes and police are not new, and it is important for the Board to reaffirm that Black Lives Matter,” the statement said. “We know we cannot do this work alone. The work of dismantling a racist and oppressive system that has an over 400-year legacy will not be easy and requires people of all communities coming together to address inequities.” The board noted it adopted a strategic plan and equity policy last year and will work with the community on them “so that we can finally see a day where the color of your skin does not predict whether you are likely to be healthy and safe, graduate from high school, be economically stable, or live out your childhood dreams.”

The post Protest Updates: National Guard departs; fired cops sue; APS calls for ‘dismantling’ racism appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

Georgia Aquarium has announced it will reopen to the public on June 15 after shutting its doors for two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As with all other re-openings, there will be state-mandated guidelines for social distancing.

Tickets will be available in two-hour blocks: 9 a.m. to noon, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and must be reserved online at georgiaaquarium.org. The aquarium will close for an hour between blocks for cleaning and sanitizing. There will only be a limited number of guests allowed in during each block to maintain social distancing.

All visitors must consent to a contactless temperature scan prior to entering the building. Any person exhibiting a fever (temperature of 100.4° or higher) will not be permitted entry. All guests are are urged to ware masks, which will also be available upon entry.

All unique experiences are temporarily suspended and the main entrance of the aquarium will be closed. Visitors will be assigned an entrance area during ticket purchase. All tickets are $32.95, with children under age 3 free.

The post Georgia Aquarium to reopen on June 15 after two-month COVID-19 closure appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

United Community Bank has chosen fifteen of its emerging leaders for the bank’s 2020 Leadership Academy, an internal professional development program which includes team members from across the four-state United Community Bank footprint. Two Atlanta-based bankers, Jason Hultgren and Shelia Stolorena, have been selected for the fourth class of the program. 

“We know that great banking starts with great people,” said Lynn Harton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of United Community Bank. “We are pleased to offer this talented group of individuals an opportunity to expand their knowledge and professional skills. Their future influence will undoubtedly make our organization an even better place to bank and work.” 

Jason Hultgren serves as Director of Retail Mortgage Sales. He is based in the bank’s Peachtree Road office. Shelia Stolorena serves as a Commercial Real Estate Relationship Manager. She is based in the bank’s McGinnis Ferry Road location.

The fourth-year class includes United employees nominated by senior management throughout the Bank’s footprint. Members will participate in key meetings and leadership roundtables with United’s executive management, Clemson University’s Center for Corporate Learning Mini MBA program in Greenville, S.C., and multiple leadership sessions. The monthly sessions will span for eight months with a graduation upon completion. Forty bankers have completed the program since it was launched in 2016.

Georgia gas prices  increased at the pump compared to a week ago. Georgia motorists are now paying an average price of $1.79 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline. Monday’s state average is 4 cents more than a week ago, 17 cents more than last month, and 75 cents less than this time last year.

It now costs motorists $26.85 to fill a 15-gallon tank of gasoline; that is $14.25 less than what motorists paid in April of 2019, when pump prices hit their peak of $2.74 per gallon.

“All South and Southeast states saw pump prices increase,” said Montrae Waiters, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “The good news is that gas continues to be fairly cheap. Georgians can fill-up for $2/gallon or less at gas stations across the state.”

National Gas Average Increases Alongside Demand

Since last Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $2.02, which is 5 cents higher than a week ago. According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), demand grew slightly from 7.3 million barrels a day to 7.5 million barrels a day last week. The increase in demand has occurred alongside an increase in the national average. If this trend continues, motorists will likely see pump prices continue to move higher.

At the close of last Thursday’s formal trading session, WTI increased by 12 cents to $37.41 per barrel. Domestic crude prices have been volatile as the market awaits a potential announcement from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on additional steps to reduce crude production amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has lowered global crude demand. OPEC and other large crude producers, including Russia, are implementing a 9.7 million barrels a day crude production reduction agreement for May and June 2020, but the future of the agreement is uncertain. As market uncertainty over the agreement increases, crude prices will likely remain volatile.

Regional Prices

Atlanta ($1.76)

• Most expensive Georgia metro markets – Brunswick ($1.91), Savannah ($1.88) and Valdosta ($1.87).

• Least expensive Georgia metro markets – Athens ($1.73), Rome ($1.74) and Catoosa-Dade-Walker ($1.75). 

CURRENT AND PAST PRICE AVERAGES (Regular Unleaded Gasoline) 

	Sunday	Saturday	Week Ago	Month Ago	One Year Ago	2019 Low	2019 High	Record High
National	$2.02	$2.01	$1.97	$1.81	$2.77	$2.23 (January)	$2.90 (May)	$4.11   (7/17/2008)
Georgia	$1.79	$1.78	$1.75	$1.62	$2.54	$2.04 (January)	$2.74 (April)	$4.16   (9/15/2008)
Click here to view current gasoline price averages