Athens-Clarke County
Reporting about Clarke County, Georgia. Some stories will be republished in the Athens Banner-Herald as part of a news-academic partnership with Grady Newsource.
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Earth Day 2019: UGA Office of Sustainability Says ‘No More Confetti’
As graduation nears, University of Georgia seniors are rushing to take their graduation photos before they take their ceremonial walk through the Arch. What these graduates may not know is according to the UGA Office of Sustainability, the confetti these grads throw in their photos can damage the beautiful campus…
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Recreational Marijuana Use Peaking Among College Students
Due to improving public perception and evolving legislative developments involving marijuana, college students have started using the drug more and more in recent years. According to survey data from the National College Health Association, nearly 10 percent more U.S. college students reported marijuana use in 2018 than 2008. Kelly Truesdell,…
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Favor House: A Mission Against Addiction, Recidivism
Rev. Dr. Charles McDonald was very quick to tell me that Favor House Ministries is not a halfway house. To its residents, typically numbering in the dozens at a time, Favor House may be a last resort, a longshot opportunity to salvage their lives and relationships. Inversely, it may mark…
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CSI Effect: Television’s Portrayal of Forensic Science Leads to More Acquittals
In 2015, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” was canceled after 15 years on the air, but crime-television lovers are still at risk of distorting their reality when it comes to forensic evidence thanks to a phenomenon called the CSI Effect. First reported on in a 2004 USA Today article, the CSI…
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Florida Man Arrested for Athens Car Break-Ins, Cases of Identity Fraud
After more than a month-long investigation, a spokesperson for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department said an arrest has finally been made in connection to a string of car break-ins and identity fraud cases that occurred in early March. Police say 26-year-old Parrish Roberts, a Florida resident, was arrested in Pike…
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Gov. Kemp Signs Georgia Medical Marijuana Bill
Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 324 on April 17, allowing for the production, sale and purchase of medical marijuana in Georgia. “Instead of crossing state lines, breaking numerous laws in the process, these families can now stay in our great state,” said Kemp. Athens resident Luis Huisa, who runs…
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Little Free Pantry Helps Combat Hunger, Need in Athens
Athens’ battle against food insecurity has been an ongoing struggle. Food insecurity was 22 percent in Athens-Clarke County in 2016, according to Feeding America’s “Map the Meal Gap” project. That’s 26,340 people who do not know where their next meal will come from. To combat hunger, two years ago, LEAD…
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Reviewing the Immense Power of Prosecutors
The official who holds the most power in the criminal justice system may not be the judge or the jury, but the prosecuting attorney who represents the state, charges defendants and negotiates pleas. According to Edward Brumby, staff attorney under Judge Lawton Stephens and former prosecutor in District Attorney Ken…
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UGA Student Launches Cookie Business From Scratch
At 4 a.m. on a weekday, most University of Georgia students are still asleep, but Baylee Marsh might still be putting the finishing touches on custom cookie orders. Marsh is the owner of Baylee Bakes, an organically grown (and lovingly baked), custom cookie decorating business in Athens, Georgia. Her success…
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UGA Student Creates Sustainable Business that Serves Athens Community
Rekindle Athens is a sustainable candle business, which means all products used to create the candles can be reused and recycled. As a senior majoring in athletic training and exercise and sport science, Matthew Mewbourne has spent long nights studying. In fact, it was after one such long day that…