News from the South - Georgia News Feed
Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs
SUMMARY: Pope Francis, 88, has developed pneumonia in both lungs after being hospitalized due to worsening bronchitis. Admitted to Rome’s Gemilli hospital, he is being treated for a polymicrobial respiratory infection. Despite the serious nature of pneumonia, especially for someone his age, Vatican officials report he is in good spirits, having eaten breakfast and getting out of bed. Doctors emphasize the importance of monitoring his condition to ensure it does not worsen. Treatment options include antibiotics, oxygen therapy, and physiotherapy, with hopes for significant improvement in the first 72 hours of recovery, though age complicates the prognosis.
The post Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs appeared first on www.wsav.com
News from the South - Georgia News Feed
Kemp signs bills requiring school panic buttons, ban on trans girls in Georgia school sports
by Ross Williams, Georgia Recorder
April 29, 2025
A bill aimed at boosting safety in Georgia schools and another banning transgender girls from girls’ school sports teams were among a raft of priority education legislation signed into law Monday by Gov. Brian Kemp.
“As the parents of three daughters, (First lady Marty Kemp) and I know just how important it is to keep our children safe and to give them the best possible start in life,” Kemp said. “That’s why I’m proud to sign these bills that will further safeguard our classrooms, both from those with violent intentions and from out-of-touch political agendas.”
As Kemp signed House Bill 268, he was backed by Winder Republican Rep. Holt Persinger, the bill’s sponsor, and other members of the Barrow County community, which includes Apalachee High School. Apalachee High saw Georgia’s deadliest school shooting last year, in which two teachers and two students were killed and another nine were injured.
The bill was crafted as a response to the shooting and contains a number of provisions intended to decrease the likelihood of a similar attack. It requires schools to implement a panic button system that would allow employees to instantly contact authorities in case of an emergency. Apalachee began using a panic button system just a week before the shooting, and some have credited the devices with allowing law enforcement to react quickly enough to prevent more people from being killed.
The bill also requires schools to share data when a student transfers within five school days. The accused teenage shooter at Apalachee had allegedly been interviewed by the FBI in connection with shooting threats at another district more than a year before the attack, but those allegations did not follow him to Barrow County.
The most controversial element of the bill was stripped out before it passed the Legislature. Originally, it would have created a statewide database of students who might pose a threat to school safety. Opponents cited privacy concerns, saying that a student who made an idle threat against a classmate or another immature but harmless mistake could have their future opportunities threatened.
Education bills signed by Gov. Kemp Monday
Senate Bill 1 – Prohibits student athletes from playing on teams designated for the other gender and requires restrooms, locker rooms and sleeping areas to be single-gender at sporting events.
House Bill 81 – Establishes an interstate compact for school psychologists to make it easier for professionals from other states to work in Georgia.
House Bill 307 – Consolidates existing statutory requirements for dyslexia screening to reach students earlier.
House Bill 235 – Allows education workers to receive a leave of absence to donate organs or bone marrow.
Senate Bill 82 – Encourages local school boards to approve charter school petitions.
Senate Bill 123 – Mandates the creation of review teams for school systems with high rates of chronic absenteeism.
House Bill 268 – Requires schools to have up-to-date mapping and panic buttons, requires school records for transfer students to be transferred within five days, requires districts to provide anonymous safety reporting programs, creates new safety positions and new offenses for making threats against a school.
The panic button portion of the safety bill was originally titled Ricky and Alyssa’s Law after Richard Aspinwall, a teacher and coach who died in the Apalachee shooting and Alyssa Alhadeff, who was killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Members of both families were on hand for the signing.
Aspinwall’s father-in-law Kevin Zinke said the ceremony was bittersweet.
“We’re happy that the governor decided to sign it, but this whole thing has been a rollercoaster ride,” he said. “You’re just happy about something like this, but none of us should be here right now. None of us should be here for this. This could have all been prevented.”
Alyssa’s parents, Lori and Ilan Alhadeff, have been traveling the country advocating for panic button mandates. Georgia is the eighth state to pass such a law. Ilan Alhadeff called the buttons his daughter’s legacy.
“She was inherently very protective of everyone around her. She always brought the crowds and was always defensive of everyone in her circle, and this is so nice to see and so vitally important to see that we’re able to save lives. In the Apalachee shooting, it saved lives. A panic alert went off, and if it was not for that, more children and staff could have been killed that day. So this is just a clear example of how it saved lives. If it was there in 2018, our daughter would be here with us today.”
Coach Aspinwall’s father, who is also named Richard Aspinwall, said he’s glad for the provisions that passed, but he said he hopes to see the database portion become law as well.
“We’re going to keep working on that. You can’t expect somebody to be blindsided with a problem,” he said.
Senate Bill 1 was one of the most controversial bills of this year’s session, which ended early this month.
Also known as the Riley Gaines Act after a college swimmer who lost a tournament at Georgia Tech to a transgender swimmer, the bill bans transgender athletes from playing on team sports designated for their gender identity at all grade levels, including college. It also requires separate restroom, locker room and sleeping facilities for men and women at athletic events and sets up a way to legally challenge schools that violate the law.
Supporters say the measure will ensure women and girls can find safety and fair play on the field.
“This common sense legislation is about what is fair and safe for our children,” Kemp said. “Girls should not have to share a playing field, a restroom or locker room with boys. I know I learned a lot of valuable lessons about life on the football field and the baseball diamond growing up, and it’s not right to ask kids today to forgo those lessons when facing someone biologically stronger and faster than them.”
Opponents call the bill and other legislation taking away rights from transgender people attempts to score political points by going after a vulnerable group.
The Georgia High School Association and NCAA already ban transgender athletes from playing in women’s sports, and President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this year banning transgender participation in women’s sports.
Bentley Hudgins, state director with the Human Rights Campaign, said GOP legislators shot down Democratic efforts to boost girls’ sports, including Senate Bill 41, which aimed to equalize funding, access and equipment between girls’ and boys’ school sports.
“Instead of addressing the real problems young women and girls face on the playing field, they chose to bully trans kids and put all girls in harm’s way,” they said. “Their absurd attacks on kids are tired and don’t help anyone. While Republicans play political games and bully transgender children, they cannot and will not steal our joy.”
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John McCosh for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.
The post Kemp signs bills requiring school panic buttons, ban on trans girls in Georgia school sports appeared first on georgiarecorder.com
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article, which reports on the signing of education bills by Governor Brian Kemp in Georgia, presents a generally supportive tone toward the governor’s actions, particularly on issues such as school safety and the ban on transgender athletes in girls’ sports. The emphasis on Governor Kemp’s personal involvement in the bill signing, as well as the positive framing of the panic button law, suggests a pro-conservative stance on issues like school safety and gender identity in sports.
News from the South - Georgia News Feed
Daughter of CPL Wesley Mack speaks of resurfaced emotions after hearing about Columbia County Deputies shot
SUMMARY: Christine Nair, daughter of Corporal Wesley Mack, the first Columbia County law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty in 2004, shared her experience of loss. Her father died after a traffic stop on I-20 when he was hit by another vehicle. Christine recalls the initial pain and ongoing grief, especially when passing the memorial markers. She empathizes with the families of Deputies Brandon Sikes and Gavin White, who recently faced tragedy, encouraging them to find peace and keep their faith. Christine finds comfort in community support and memories of her father’s impact and spirit.
The post Daughter of CPL Wesley Mack speaks of resurfaced emotions after hearing about Columbia County Deputies shot appeared first on www.wjbf.com
News from the South - Georgia News Feed
Georgia police cope with deaths of two officers | FOX 5 News
SUMMARY: The South Fulton Police Department is reeling from two tragedies within a week. Captain Elio Garcia died in a traffic accident, and Lieutenant Chuck Cook was shot four times while aiding another officer. Police Chief Keith Meadows, with 39 years in law enforcement, calls this one of the toughest times in his career. To support grieving officers, the department has provided counseling sessions. Despite the challenges, Lieutenant Cook has been released from the hospital and is recovering well. The department, which has grown from 87 to 225 officers, continues to support its staff through these difficult events.

The South Fulton Police Department has had to deal with two tragedies in one week. Captain Helio Garcia died in the line of duty in a crash, and less than four days later, Lieutenant Chuck Cook was shot four times while trying to help a fellow officer.
Subscribe to FOX 5 Atlanta!: https://bit.ly/3vpFpcm
Watch FOX 5 Atlanta Live: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/live
FOX 5 Atlanta delivers breaking news, live events, investigations, politics, entertainment, business news and local stories from metro Atlanta, north Georgia and across the nation.
Watch more from FOX 5 Atlanta on YouTube:
FOX 5 News: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUgtVJuOxfqkmrF1fONNmi8nKI0Z-FPE-
FOX 5 Atlanta I-Team: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUgtVJuOxfqlb_I16wBwizoAoUsfKEeWB
Good Day Atlanta: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUgtVJuOxfqlKT5xsbsPFgr5EBzdsWTvG
FOX 5 Extras: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUgtVJuOxfqli-5MS_2X-i6bNGWvV0RYP
You Decide: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUgtVJuOxfqnCKb7UkRde2NXuaoPEAXut
Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/app
Download the FOX 5 Storm Team app: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/storm
Follow FOX 5 Atlanta on Facebook: https://facebook.com/fox5atlanta
Follow FOX 5 Atlanta on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FOX5Atlanta
Follow FOX 5 Atlanta on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fox5atlanta/
Subscribe to the Morning Brief and other newsletters from FOX 5 Atlanta: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/email
-
SuperTalk FM7 days ago
New Amazon dock operations facility to bring 1,000 jobs to Marshall County
-
News from the South - Missouri News Feed3 days ago
Missouri lawmakers on the cusp of legalizing housing discrimination
-
Mississippi Today2 days ago
Derrick Simmons: Monday’s Confederate Memorial Day recognition is awful for Mississippians
-
Mississippi Today5 days ago
Struggling water, sewer systems impose ‘astronomic’ rate hikes
-
Mississippi Today5 days ago
Parents, providers urge use of unspent TANF for child care
-
News from the South - West Virginia News Feed5 days ago
Is West Virginia — and the rest of the country — prepared to care for our seniors?
-
News from the South - Arkansas News Feed7 days ago
Op-Ed: Another dismal year for ranked-choice voting | Opinion
-
News from the South - Florida News Feed4 days ago
Florida woman accused of setting fires during burn ban