GA News Podcast – East Metro for Sunday, 10/27– Published Friday 10/24 PRE-ROLL: Scandrett Sheriff (10.07.24 SHERIFF SCANDRETT_FINAL) From the Ingles Studio, Welcome to your Georgia News Podcast. This podcast features stories compiled from the publications of Times Journal Inc. Today is Sunday, October 27th and Happy birthday to Scott Weiland ***10.27.24 – BIRTHDAY – SCOTT WEILAND*** I’m Peyton Spurlock and here is your top stories Georgia is talking about, presented by Drake Realty 1. Ossoff Bill Targets 'Hidden' Foster Care Placements 2. Trump stumps in Middle Georgia 3. KSU Students Compete in Elevator Pitch Challenge We’ll have these stories and more, coming up on your Georgia News Podcast and If you want community, local, and statewide news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe! Commercial: DRAKE (Drake Realty (Geoff) Story 1: Ossoff Bill Targets 'Hidden' Foster Care Placements U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff introduced a bipartisan bill to enhance federal oversight of state foster care systems, following a Senate subcommittee investigation into child abuse and neglect in Georgia's foster care. The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn, addresses "hidden" foster care placements, where children are informally placed with caregivers, often relatives, without court oversight. These placements aren't included in official foster care statistics. The legislation mandates states to report such cases to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which must then report to Congress. The aim is to better protect foster children from abuse and trafficking. Story 2: Trump stumps in Middle Georgia Former President Donald Trump held a town hall in Zebulon, Georgia, focusing on religious themes and moderated by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Trump emphasized the importance of the upcoming election, pledging to tackle illegal immigration and reduce inflation through energy independence. He highlighted his past achievements in Israel and criticized ongoing legal challenges against him. Trump praised Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp for his hurricane response efforts. The event is part of Trump's campaign efforts in Georgia, a key battleground state, with Vice President Kamala Harris also campaigning there alongside Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen. Story 3: KSU Students Compete in Elevator Pitch Challenge Emily Shelton, a Marketing and Professional Sales major at Kennesaw State University, won the 3rd Annual TK Elevator KSU Elevator Pitch Competition. She impressed judges with her innovative pitch, earning first place. The competition involved 24 KSU students presenting their personal brands to a panel of judges from the TKE sales team while riding Atlanta's fastest elevator to the 26th floor of TKE's Innovation and Qualification Center in the Cumberland area. We’ll be right back Break: WHEELER FUNERAL HOME (08.08.24 WHEELER OBITS_FINAL) Story 4: Georgia Early Voters Continue Setting Records Over 1.8 million Georgians voted early in the first week, with numbers expected to surpass 2 million by midday Wednesday, marking over 26% of the electorate. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger highlighted Georgia's clean voter list, noting a citizenship audit found only 20 non-citizens among 8.2 million registered voters, whose registrations were canceled. Additionally, 156 suspected non-citizens were referred for investigation. Raffensperger praised Georgia's participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) for maintaining accurate voter rolls. Gabriel Sterling dismissed claims of vote-flipping by Dominion machines, affirming no evidence supports such theories. Early voting continues through November 1. Story 5: Emory Seeks Rome, Calhoun Residents For PFAS Exposure Study Emory University researchers are recruiting Rome and Calhoun residents for a study on PFAS chemical exposure. They aim to enroll 200 participants, collecting blood samples from those who've lived in the area for at least three years. PFAS, known as "forever chemicals," persist in the environment and human body, with past contamination from carpet companies affecting local rivers. Rome has since improved water filtration. The study will compare local PFAS blood levels to national averages and explore exposure sources, including water, cookware, and packaging. Results will guide potential further research or interventions based on community interest and findings. We’ll be right back. Break: Render Apartments (07.11.24 RENDER APARTMENTS_REV_FINAL) – Ingles Markets (Cereal Options) 1 Story 6: Georgia Tech's Michael Isenhour Toy Drive Still Honors Shiloh Grad Georgia Tech's Student-Athlete Advisory Board is launching the 24th annual Michael Isenhour Toy Drive in November, honoring its founder, Michael Isenhour, who started the drive in 2001 to help families affected by 9/11. Toy donations will be collected at Georgia Tech's basketball and football ...
