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Wednesday, 30th September 2020 11:37:41am
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Absentee ballot tracking tool launched for Nov. 3 election
By Beau Evans
Staff Writer
Capitol Beat News Service
Georgians planning to vote by mail in the Nov. 3 general election have a new way to track the status of their absentee ballots after requesting one.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office has launched a new online tracking system called BallotTrax that lets voters sign up for text or email alerts on their ballot status.
“Creating this new absentee ballot tracking and notification system will provide Georgia voters with greater clarity and increased confidence that their votes are accepted,” Raffensperger said in a statement.
The website to sign up for alerts is here.
Read more: Absentee ballot tracking tool launched for Nov. 3 election
Commission Chair candidates discuss issues
Progress Editor Dan Pool conducted interviews with Pickens Commission Chair candidates Kris Stancil (R) and David Shouse (I). These profiles, which appear in this week's print and online editions, have been edited for length and clarity. Full interviews available in-stores or online.
Thrift Store closed for two weeks over COVID-19 case
photo/Pickens Community Thrift Store website
The Community Thrift Store will be closed for two weeks due to the possibility that volunteers were exposed to a person infected with COVID-19.
A member of the Timothy House, a non-profit that assists with much of the manual labor at the thrift store, tested positive. The person who tested positive has never been to the store, but because residents at the Timothy House live together it was decided it was in the best interest of safety to close, according to a statement from founder Don Russell.
The store will be closed to donors, customers and workers for an estimated 14 days.
An email sent to volunteers and media on September 19 alerting of the closure said all Timothy House clients will be tested, and recommended volunteers get tested as well.
One killed, four injured in Blairsville camper explosion
photo/Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner
Press Release Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner
ATLANTA – The Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King announced today that a Union County woman was killed and four others were injured in an accidental fire at 545 Vista Circle in Blairsville around 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22.
Read more: One killed, four injured in Blairsville camper explosion
Deputy kills man trying to harm family
Derek Cooper of Acworth was killed in an officer-involved shooting at a Twin Mountain Lakes home where his wife and children were hiding. Cooper had recently been released on bond and had a restraining order against him.
Statement from a family member present during Saturday’s fatal shooting:
"Without the heroic actions of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Deputy, this traumatic event could have ended very differently, with the loss of an entire family. We are forever grateful for the deputy’s quick actions and the support from the entire Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. We hope that anyone in an abusive relationship finds the strength to seek help before it is too late."
A Pickens Deputy shot and killed an armed man trying to break into a Twin Mountain Lakes home where his wife and children were hiding Saturday. The man had been arrested last week in Bartow County on domestic violence charges including threats to kill his wife.
According to the GBI investigation the man, Derek Cooper, 52, of Acworth, had a restraining order against him and brandished a gun and shot at the deputy who gave a verbal command for him to stop in the yard of the home where relatives of the wife lived.
See full story in this week's print and online editions.
More Articles...
- Progress to host commission chair debate
- Public Works facility open
- Jasper council sets stage for 56 percent tax hike
- Jasper man dies in north Cherokee crash
- Part 2 of a 3-part series Race Relations: Pickens schools saw peaceful integration here
- With U.S. Census deadline near, Georgia pushes for higher count
- Dragons defeat Bobcats in season opener
- State school supt. checks out Covid precautions at Tate Elementary, other N. Ga. campuses
- Part 1 of a 3-part series Race Relations: Remembering the past, shaping the future
- Archery season opens Saturday
