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StarNews monthly traditional print/ StarNews Online daily local news 1
JANUARY 14, 2024 • VOLUME 30 NUMBER 1
www.starnewsgaonline.com
Qualifying for State Senate District 30
Qualifying for State Senate District 30 seat is Ashley Kecskes
Godwin, one of four candidates. Godwin lives in Carrollton, was
valedictorian of Mt. Zion High, earned a BA in political science
University of Florida and an MBA from University of North Florida.
Godwin qualified as a Democrat. Election is February 13th.
Dugan resigns; Special Election for State Senate
District 30 scheduled for Tuesday, February 13th
Longtime well-liked and well-supported State Senator Mike Dugan resigned immediately following the
December unveiling of the new redistricted maps, and announced he’s running for Congress District 3
from press release
Longtime District 30 State Senator Mike Dugan
resigned January 4th in the wake of the redistricting
maps made known in early December. Senator Dugan
issued a strong and lengthy statement (see StarNews
December 10, 2023 edition, pages 16 and 30)
expressing his disagreement and strong disappoint-
See SPECIAL ELECTION page 14
CANDIDATES DISTRICT 30 STATE SENATE
Democrat: ASHLEY KECSKES GODWIN
Republicans: TIM BEARDEN
ROBERT “BOB” SMITH
RENAE BELL
Election will use NEW District 30 MAP
check website below after Jan 22. for your precinct location
or if new boundary lines no longer include you in this district
www.mvp.sos.ga.gov
One week after decisive win as Villa Rica’s
new mayor, Leslie McPherson is targeted
by losing incumbent Gil McDougal and
council with accusations of “malfeasance”
McDougal bypasses City Attorney with Resolution to investigate McPherson
City Manager Tom Barber publicly threatens to quit if McPherson is elected
story by Sue Horn and Janice Daniel
On Tuesday, December 12, 2023,
after executive session, Mayor Gil
McDougal and Council of the City of
Villa Rica voted to re-convene their
regular meeting for the purpose of
consideration of a Resolution to use
investigative powers to determine if
former council member and mayor-
elect, Leslie McPherson, was guilty
act(s) of “malfeasance”.
See MALFEASANCE page 14
Commissioners adopt new
“rolling” procedure for
electing board vice-chair
Each commissioner already assigned a turn as vlce-
chalr In the upcoming years beginning Jan. 2025
Vote was 4 to 3, with Commissioners Clint
Chance, Tommy Lee and Ernie Reynolds opposing
story by Janice Daniel
The Carroll County Board of Commissioners
met on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
fora regular (monthly) meeting, the first of the
new year.
In the annual election of commission board
vice-chair, District 1 Commissioner Montrell
McClendon made a motion that included two
parts: 1: that District 4 Commissioner Steve
Fuller serve as vice-chair for January-December
2024; and 2: instead of electing a vice-chair each
year, that position would be rolled over automati
cally to the next commissioner yearly by district
number; that in January 2025 the District 5
Commissioner would be vice-chair, in January
See COMMISSION page 9
State Ag Commissioner: protecting Georgia’s farmland through
legislation to restrict/ban land purchases by foreign adversaries
story by Wayne J. Reynolds
Statewide, agriculture is Georgia’s number one industry. In a
November 2023 article in James Magazine, State Agriculture
Commissioner Tyler Harper said, “Over the past few years, doz
ens of states have passed legislation restricting or banning for
eign adversaries from purchasing American farmland, and I
believe it’s past time for Georgia to lead the charge by adding its
name to the list. As Georgia’s 17th Agriculture Commissioner, I
look forward to working with our Legislature to do just that dur
ing the upcoming legislative session to protect our farmers, our
farmland, and our state’s number one industry.”
See AG COMMISSIONER HARPER page 4
State Senator Matt Brass
gains two Carroll County
precincts in redistricting
Brass’ District 28 now includes half of Carroll County
geographically with one-fifth of the population
story by Wayne J. Reynolds
Georgia State Senator Matt Brass repre
sents Georgia District 28 which includes
Coweta and Heard, as well as portions of |
Troup, Carroll and Fulton Counties. Under
the redistricting recently approved by a
federal judge, Senator Brass gained new
voters in two precincts in Carroll County.
Senator Brass explained, “When I was
elected back in 2016,1 had four precincts
in Carroll, but two years ago in redistricting, I lost Carroll
County. I now have two of those precincts back, including
Whitesburg and the Kansas area. It is basically the area
south of the City of Carrollton. This is about half the land
mass of Carroll County, but a fifth of the population.”
See BRASS page 20
Sec of State calls on General Assembly
to pass bill to increase penalty for
anyone transmitting false public alarm
from press release
In the wake of recent incidents across the country involv
ing swatting and bomb threats, Georgia Secretary of State
Brad Ralfensperger condemned all acts of political intimi
dation, and called on the General Assembly to take up the
original version of legislation he proposed in 2016. As a
See FALSE PUBLIC ALARM page 7
Brass
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