Newspaper Page Text
Page 4 - Wednesday, April 10, 2024
The Sylvania Times
thesy lvaniatimes .com
Senior Conference
2024 Was A Blast
What an incredible weekend full of laughs, glam, and
bull riding! Our 9th-12th graders along with 215 other
students from across the state really had a Disco at the
Rock!!
Another Round of
Election Law Changes
Headed Our Way
-Special to The Times
For the second election cycle in a row, the ground rules
will be different when Georgia voters head to the polls in
November.
The General Assembly passed the most far-reaching
election law changes last month since 2021, when the
legislature’s Republican majorities enacted a sweeping
election system overhaul following Democrat Joe Biaen’s
narrow victory in the Peach State in 2020 and the capture
by Democrats of both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats in
January 2021 runoffs.
The passage of most of the following five bills came
primarily along party lines:
• Senate Bill 189 - Makes it easier to file mass voter
challenges; eliminates QR codes from paper ballots; eases
requirements for third-party presidential candidates to get
on Georgia’s ballot.
• House Bill 1207 - Allows fewer voting machines
on election days; requires poll workers to be U.S. citizens;
allows closer access for poll watchers.
• Senate Bill 368 - Prohibits campaign contributions
from foreign nationals.
• Flouse Bill 974 - Requires secretary of state to
set up a statewide system to scan and post paper ballots at
a minimum resolution; requires more audits of statewide
election results.
• House Bill 1312 - Reschedules state Public
Service Commission elections following a ruling in a
lawsuit accusing the current system of violating the federal
Voting Rights Act.
Senate Bill 189 and House Bill 1207 have drawn the
most criticism from legislative Democrats and voting-rights
advocates, so much so that the American Civil Liberties
Union of Georgia has threatened to sue if Republican Gov.
Brian Kemp signs Senate Bill 189.
The 12-section bill was cobbled together last month after
many of its provisions had failed to move when introduced
earlier in the 2024 session as separate measures.
What opponents find most objectionable is a provision
establishing probable cause - an easier burden of proof
to meet - as the standard for filing a successful voter
challenge. In 2022, Republican activists filed thousands of
voter challenges in Democratic-leaning counties only to see
local election boards dismiss the vast majority as baseless.
Opponents of Senate Bill 189 say they expect to see even
more challenges this year once Senate Bill 189 becomes
law.
“We are making voter challenges easier to bring and
easier to sustain,” state Rep. Saira Draper, D-Atlanta, said
on the House floor before the bill gained passage on the
last night of this year’s
legislative session. “Mass
voter challenges do not
clean the rolls. They hurt
eligible voters.”
“Access to the ballot
is at the heart of our
democracy,” added Andrea
Young, executive director
of the ACLU of Georgia.
“This election ‘Frankenbill’
violates the National Voter
Registration Act. We are
committed to protecting
Georgia voters.”
Republicans say this
year’s election bdls are
aimed at restoring election
integrity, citing claims of
widespread voter fraud
lodged by GOP officials after
the 2020 election. Those
claims were subsequently
dismissed by courts that
found no widespread fraud.
“What’s crazy to me is
the idea that anybody in
this chamber would be
OK with a fraudulent vote
canceling your legal vote or
anybody’s legal vote,” Rep.
John LaHood, R-Valdosta,
chairman of the House
Governmental Affairs
Committee, said on the
House floor. “Fraud makes
votes not matter. What this
does is make sure your legal
vote does matter.”
“Our bill actually makes
the process of challenging
more difficult,” added
Rep. Victor Anderson,
R-Comelia. “ft actually is
designed to clarify what
constitutes a valid challenge
and constitutes an invalid
challenge.”
House Bill 1207 takes
Republican-led efforts to
reduce the supply of voting
machines an additional step.
After absentee ballot drop
boxes were made widely
available leading up to the
2020 elections because of
the pandemic, the passage
of Senate Bill 202 in 2021
limited the number of drop
boxes.
The new legislation
would give local election
superintendents discretion
to allow fewer voting
machines on Election Day
than current law requires,
depending on the voter
turnout they expect.
SEE ELECTION, page 6
Financial
Waters in Election Year 2024
-Joe Brady, Editor
As the 2024 election cycle swings into full gear, investors
across the nation are bracing themselves for the potential
financial turbulence that accompanies political uncertainty.
Historical data, however, suggests that tne fears of long-temi
market instability post-election might be overblown. To guide
investors through these uncertain times, financial experts are
offering key strategies aimed at maintaining confidence and
stability in one's investment portfolio.
Understanding Historical Market Trends
A comprehensive analysis conducted by U.S. Bank,
scrutinizing market data since 1948, reveals that while
elections do introduce a degree of short-temi volatility to
the markets, the long-temi effects are minimal. This insight
encourages investors to approach the election cycle with a
level head, making decisions based on historical evidence
rather than momentary anxieties.
Staying the Course
The consensus among financial professionals is clear:
maintaining a steadfast approach to one’s long-temi financial
plan is paramount. Attempting to time the market, especially
m response to political events, is a strategy fraught with
risk. Instead, investors are advised to keep a steady hand on
their investment strategy, while also being open to periodic
adjustments. Collaborating with a Certified Financial
Planner™ (CFP®) can ensure that one's asset allocations
remain diverse and in alignment with their risk tolerance and
evolving financial goals.
Broadening the Perspective
It’s crucial for investors to remember that the presidential
election is but one factor in the broader financial landscape.
The year 2024 is also poised to see changes in financial
policies, including adjustments to tax laws, and potentially,
modifications to student loans, Medicare, and Social Security.
These changes could have a significant impact on personal
finances. A knowledgeable financial planner can offer
invaluable insights into navigating these changes, helping
investors to adapt their strategies to meet their personal ana
financial objectives.
The Role of a Trusted Financial Advisor
Regardless of which political party emerges victorious, the
guidance of a tmsted financial advisor remains an indispensable
resource for investors. A financial advisor not only provides a
personalized roadmap for achieving financial goals but also
offers tailored advice to refine one’s financial plan in response
to both market trends and personal life changes.
Riding Out the Election Year with Confidence
The journey through an election year can be fraught with
emotional highs and lows, making it all too easy for investors
to lose sight of their financial objectives. However, with the
support of historical insights and the expertise of a financial
advisor, investors can navigate the tumult of 2024 with
confidence, ensuring that their financial portfolio remains
robust and resilient.
PARADE
2024 ^Qo/ded Gl/Jimehh
Call Chris Today!
912.403.2536
0 cinqo
pest control
□ □□□
□ □
■ERJ.E.M.DS OF THE SCREVEN
COUNTY LIBRARY
IS
Come and support our
LOCAL. LIBRARY
The Friends of the Screven County Library has
resumed in-person meetings. WE need YOU to
participate and to help our Library continue to
serve Screven County with its many programs
for Children, Youth and Adults.
The next meeting will be: Thursday, April 18th
Library Meeting Room
Beginning at 5:30 PM
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU. BRING YOUR FRIENDS!
912) 564-7002
DRUG, Inc.
- (VW'lT
' juAt Cv cCu i§ it&'l&f
Very Unique Gifts
Georgia Bulldog Merchandise
127 North Main Street - Sylvania, Ga. 30467
Serving Screven County since 1975
Leadership Conference sponsored by Georgia
Southern May 17,2024 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Continuing
and Professional Education is a premier event tailored
for businesses and industries in Georgia. To register
please visit: https://academics.georgiasouthem.edu/ce/
conferences/cpe-leadership-conference/
Hiltonia City Council meets the second Monday of each
month at 6:30 p.m.
Oliver Town Council meets first Monday of each month
at 7 p.m.
Rocky Ford City Council meets the second Tuesday of
each month at 6 p.m.
Newington Town Council meetings are the second
Thursday of each month at 7 p.m
Newington Heritage Society meets the first Monday
of each month at 4:30 in the Bank of Newington
Board room.
Screven Countv Board of Education meets second
Monday of each month at 5 p.m.
Sylvania City Council meets first and third Tuesday of
each month at 6 p.m.
American Legion for Screven & Jenkins Counties meets
monthly on tne 4th Tuesday at 7 p.m. Meeting are held at
112 community Dr. Sylvania.
American Legion Auxilliary for Screven and Jenkins
Counties meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Meetings are held at 112 Community Dr. Sylvania
VFWAux District #6
Meeting April 27,2024 Thunderbolt Post 4392 at 10:00AM
Please try to attend: Nominations and Elections for 2024-
2025
Brunswick man sentenced to 20 years for
fentanyl
A Glynn County man has been sentenced to 20
years after pleading guilty to trafficking drags
that led to two fatal overdoses. Jon Dillon Screen,
32, of Brunswick was sentenced and charged with
Possession with Intent to Distribute, Distribute
50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Screen
received one of the highest sentences in Operation
Ghost Busted.
Prison inmate indicted for making bombs
David Cassady, 55, an inmate at Phillips State
Prison in Buford, GA and serving a life term, has been
charged with Making an Unregistered Destructive
Device; two counts of Mailing a Destructive Device;
and two counts of Attempted Malicious Use of an
Explosive.
Cassady was an inmate at the now closed State
Prison in Reidsville when he constructed bombs and
mailed two of them via US Mail to the US Courthouse
and Federal Building in Anchorage, Alaska and to a
federal facility in Washington D.C. The case is being
investigated by the US Postal Inspection Service, the
US Marshal’s Service, FBI, Homeland Security, and
GBI.
Fulton County jail inmate stabbed to death
A violent altercation last week at the Fulton County
Jail left one inmate dead. The deadly stabbing has
prompted an investigation by the Atlanta Police
Department. It happened at 6:30 p.m. in the day
room at the jail’s housing zone.
Edward Cherry, 36, is accused of stabbing a fellow
inmate multiple time. The inmate, identified as
Feonard Fortner, 37, was pronounced dead at Grady
Memorial Hospital at 7:40 p.m. The deceased had
been in custody since January, arrested on allegations
of criminal damage to property and was held without
bond.
It is believed that it is the same Feonard Fortner
who was arrested after a fire on New Year's Day at an
apartment complex on Joseph E. Boone Boulevard.
GA Judge refuses to toss Trump’s charges under
First Amendment
The judge overseeing former President Tramp’s
Georgia election interference case rejected his attempt
to toss the charges under the First Amendment on
Thursday.
Tramp and some of his co-defendants had
contended their charges must be tossed because
their efforts to contest the 2020 election comprised
constitutionally protected “core political speech.”
“Even core political speech addressing matters of
public concern is not impenetrable from prosecution
if allegedly used to further criminal activity,” Judge
Scott McAfee wrote in the 14-page ruling.
McAfee said only a jury can decide the question
of whether the speech at issue was carried out with
criminal intent. His ruling leaves open the possibility
that Tramp could still raise a First Amendment
defense down the road, once the factual record is
more developed.
Woman hit with rock on Lake Lanier dock
A woman is recovering after officials say she was
attacked at Lake Lanier.
On Thursday, a Hall County Sheriff’s deputy was
called to a dock at the Port of Indecision at Lake
Lanier Islands by a security guard just before 9 p.m.
When the deputy arrived, he found a 25-year-old
woman who had a cut on her forehead.
According to the investigation, the victim had
been riding a jet ski with a friend who dropped her
off on the dock.
While she was waiting for her friend, another
woman on the dock approached her and hit her on
the head with a large rock and punched her.
Authorities said the rock was about the size of a
baseball. The victim told police she did not know
her attacker. Officials said there has been no arrest
as of Monday.
The identity of the victim has not been released.
The investigation into what prompted the attack
remains ongoing.
Earthquake shakes NYC
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8
rattled the East Coast on Friday morning, prompting
reports of the temblor in several states, according to
officials with the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake
was reported near Lebanon, New Jersey, just before
10:25 a.m., officials said. Reports to the USGS show
that people from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts and
from Washington, D.C., to Vermont felt the shaking
Friday morning.