Latest news with #FOX5I-Team
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Retired deputy dies at home, three months after horrific car crash. I-Team found it might have been prevented
The Brief Patricia Carper, 64, died at home last month, 15 weeks after a one-vehicle crash in Gwinnett County left her and her husband trapped overnight in an overturned Dodge Caravan. An investigation by the FOX 5 I-Team, aired in March while Carper was still hospitalized, found the wreck might have been prevented. Before the Feb. 4 crash, the head football coach at nearby Seckinger High School had been lobbying Gwinnett County Transportation to install a barrier at the end of the road, but the county backed away after the new city of Mulberry formed. Mulberry, though, doesn't have a roads department. Carper's daughter says she never recovered from the wreck and blames the dangerous road for her mother's death. MULBERRY, Ga. - What happened to Patricia and Walt Carper had happened multiple times before on West Rock Quarry Road. And it might have been prevented, a FOX 5 I-Team investigation found. For months before the crash, the head football coach at nearby Seckinger High School had begged Gwinnett County's Department of Transportation to install some kind of barrier at the dead end, where the Carpers would careen into an embankment. "All I know is that people are getting hurt, and there's a very real chance somebody's going to lose their life," Coach Tony Lotti told the I-Team in March. At that time, Carper was still hospitalized. What we know Carper, a retired Clarke County Sheriff's deputy, died in her home May 20, according to her Georgia death certificate. Even before the crash, she suffered from kidney and heart problems, and she had just been discharged from a hospital stay in Braselton when the wreck happened Feb. 4. She suffered broken ribs, bruising and oxygen deprivation in the ordeal. Her daughter, Heidi Rutledge, said that for the next 15 weeks, her mother was in and out of hospital care. She remained in constant pain, had difficulty breathing, suffered an infection from being intubated, and lost the use of her left hand from lying on her arm for so long before her rescue, Heidi said. She had been out of the hospital for 12 days before she died. The cause of death on her death certificate: "acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia (lack of oxygen)." "The wreck caused my mom's death," Heidi told the I-Team. "She was up on her feet when she came out of the hospital the first time, before the wreck," she said. "But after the wreck, she'd been bedbound and couldn't hardly move her body." The backstory The day of the crash, Heidi said her stepfather, Walt Carper, picked her mother up at the hospital. Then after a stop at a grocery store, her mother took the driver's seat of the Dodge Caravan and headed back toward their home in Barrow County. But she took a wrong turn in the dark at a roundabout and wound up on the south end of West Rock Quarry Road, which runs along the back side of Seckinger High School in Gwinnett. The Carpers had no way of knowing it, but for months Coach Lotti had been lobbying county DOT to make safety improvements to the road. Some students had been T-boned turning left out of a school exit, along with multiple other accidents involving drivers running off the dead end. "We'll be sitting on the front porch or doing something out here, and I'll see cars just flying down here," West Rock Quarry Road resident George Grob told the I-Team in March. "And then we'll hear them go off. I bet I've come down here for probably 10 or 15 people. "One night, it was two of them," Grob said. "Like, within an hour of each other." Coach Lotti asked the county for speed breakers, as well as a barricade at the cul-de-sac. With poor lighting, the distant lights of I-85 created an illusion that the roadway kept going, he said. Heidi said that's what misled her mother. "She looked through the trees, and I guess she (saw) that it was ongoing cars, so she thought it was an ongoing road," Heidi said. Driving off the embankment was only the beginning of the Carpers' suffering. The minivan landed on its side, and neither Patricia nor Walt could reach their cell phones. A Gwinnett County Police report estimated the crash time at 7 p.m. Heidi said she tried to call them every few hours. She finally went to her parents' home, found her mother's tablet, and located her mother's phone just north of the interstate. She called police to report them missing just after noon on Feb. 5. Around the same time, some passersby found the Carpers, Gwinnett County 911 records show. It was past 1 p.m. when both Patricia and Walt had been extracted. It was a school day. "When we heard about the couple that was stranded, my heart just sunk," Lotti said. "We had no idea they were there." Walt, 71, suffered a brain injury in the crash. He's still recovering in a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Monroe, his stepdaughter said. Why you should care Late last year, Gwinnett DOT had been working with Lotti to address safety hazards on the road. The county conducted a traffic study, recording speeds as high as 90 and 100 miles per hour, where the speed limit is 25. DOT added two new signs – one saying, "School," another saying, "Dead end 1000 feet." Lotti said he and traffic officials discussed adding speed breakers. But then everything came to a stop. Mulberry, a new city, formed on Jan. 1. "Congratulations! You are now in the new city of Mulberry," a traffic analyst told Lotti in an email obtained by the I-Team. "Unfortunately, we do not have an agreement with the City of Mulberry to install speed humps inside the city limits. We are stopping all progress and closing the request for a Public Hearing for West Rock Quarry Road." The email referred Lotti to the city's website. The trouble there: The city doesn't have a roads department. Its charter, approved by the state Legislature and ratified by voters, says the county must keep up roadwork during a two-year transition period. But Gwinnett and Mulberry have been locked in a heated dispute over the charter, which the county contends shifts too much financial burden to county taxpayers. The county is challenging the charter in court, the case currently with the Georgia Court of Appeals. The county filed another lawsuit last month against the state over Senate Bill 138, aimed specifically at Gwinnett and stripping its sovereign immunity for a year if a judge finds it violated the new law. Sponsored by the area's Republican state senator, Clint Dixon, the bill passed this year and was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp. When the I-Team contacted Gwinnett DOT Director Lewis Cooksey earlier this year, he said the county would need to have an intergovernmental agreement with Mulberry before putting any more work into West Rock Quarry Road. But the second time the I-Team reached out, Cooksey agreed safety is paramount and said the county would make additional safety improvements after all. Within days, a barrier had been erected at the dead end, and a new warning – "Road closed ahead" – was painted in giant letters on the road surface. "We were happy to help," Cooksey told the I-Team in a text. "We will continue to monitor the area and we ask that everyone use the utmost caution when traveling." Cooksey did not respond to messages about this story, and Gwinnett County Transportation had no comment on Patricia Carper's death. What they're saying "I think this is a perfectly good example of why we need to work together," Mulberry Mayor Michael Coker said. Coker said West Rock Quarry Road will be the city's responsibility eventually, but for now, it's the county's job to maintain it. "You guys came out and did that story, you brought attention to this issue," he said of FOX 5's story in March. "And ultimately the county made the changes, they put up those barricades. So I think that tells you everything you need to know, as to whose responsibility was that road." Heidi said her mother would still be alive if the barricade had gone up sooner. Local perspective Patricia Carper served 22 years with Clarke County, retiring in 2010. She worked as a jailer, and a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office said she's remembered as an excellent marksman. She's also remembered for taking over operations of the Athens jail in May 2000, the spokeswoman said. That was so other deputies could attend the funeral of a lieutenant who had died on duty in a car crash. Carper was laid to rest Wednesday at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Winder. She's survived by her husband, two children and three grandsons. The Source The FOX 5 I-Team reported in March how Gwinnett County's Transportation Department backed off safety improvements to a treacherous road, just before a Barrow County couple's horrific ordeal running off the roadway in February. For that story, the I-Team reviewed traffic reports, a traffic study, accident reports and photos of past wrecks provided by school personnel and residents. This story was prompted when the daughter of the driver in the February crash informed reporter Johnny Edwards that her mother died.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
DeKalb ‘party house' rattles nearby homes, despite multiple calls to authorities
The Brief A group of homeowners in unincorporated DeKalb County has complained for more than a year about pounding music and other noise blaring from a new mini-mansion in their midst. The owner of the home, 36-year-old Brock Shorter, not only throws parties, but also rents out the house for private events – something a county spokesman confirmed isn't allowed under the neighborhood's zoning. Surrounding residents shared photos and videos with the FOX 5 I-Team documenting loud music, loud traffic, overflow parking and armed security. In a letter to the county, they compared the house to a "commercial nightclub." Shorter has been cited for code violations, which have mostly been dismissed. But with the I-Team making inquiries, Code Compliance met with Shorter on Wednesday, and he said he won't hold a Memorial Day party. County officials say this is one of at least four so-called party houses the county is dealing with right now. ATLANTA - Imagine the nightmare: You buy your dream home to raise kids or enjoy retirement, only to have your peace shattered by a new, very loud neighbor. Not just loud, but throwing frequent parties – with pounding music, shouting, heavy traffic, and such large crowds, the front yard becomes a parking lot. There's even valet parking, shuttle service and armed security. And the owner rents the house out for private events, which get loud too. A group of homeowners in unincorporated DeKalb County told the FOX 5 I-Team they've been living in this suburban hell for the past year and a half, with no relief from county authorities. The backstory Two years ago, Brock Shorter's $1.8 million home went up in a quiet neighborhood in unincorporated DeKalb County, just inside I-285. Soon the neighborhood wasn't quiet anymore. Shorter hosted a New Year's party to ring in 2024, and a succession of other parties followed throughout the year. Neighbors told the I-Team the blaring music, shouting, traffic, and other noise obliterated their serenity. "It is very dysregulating to your nervous system," said Sarah Kleiner, who is raising two children two doors up. "You could just be relaxing at home, and then all of a sudden the bass starts. You're sitting on your couch and it just starts thundering through the home." Andre Jackson and his wife, Lisa Burrows, live next door to Shorter, his two-story modern home dominating Jackson's backyard view. "On a party day, we retreat further inside the house than we normally would, because you can hear the music through our double-paned windows, which are always closed," Jackson said. "We live with loud music, screeching car tires late in the evening, car alarms, car horns, and associated noise." Rafi Muhanna, a university professor, lives on another street, but his yard backs up to Shorter's property. His back deck is about 200 feet away from the party house's pool. "Sometimes we cannot sleep, we cannot work, we cannot rest," he said. "We cannot use our deck. "It is destroying our quality of life," Muhanna said. Neighbors said they once had a cordial relationship with Shorter, but that quickly soured. "When he first moved in, he told us he was having a New Year's Eve party," Kleiner, the mother of two, said. "He even asked us if the music was too loud. He tested out his speakers. And I was laying in the bathtub at the time, and I told my husband, 'That's way too loud. Please have him turn that down.'" Jackson said with the neighbors wanting quiet, and him wanting to hold party after party, they reached an impasse. "He pretty much said he heard us, and he had a property that he could sort of use as he saw fit," Jackson said. Dig deeper But what's happening is more than just a 36-year-old homeowner whose lifestyle clashes with his neighbors. Some of the gatherings at his home are revenue generators. Shorter has the house listed on Giggster and Airbnb as a "modern compound," renting for $500 per hour and $10,500 for five nights. DeKalb County Police reports show the house being used to shoot a music video, and in another case, for a spiritual event that prompted a noise complaint. Some of the events charge for admission, such as a businesswomen's brunch last month with $75 tickets, according to an ad on Instagram. The I-Team asked DeKalb County Code Compliance if that's allowed in a residential area. "No," a county spokesman responded by email. "Based on the R-75 designation for this property, the use of the property as a special event center is not permissible." What we know So why has the party house kept on partying? Partly, because every time Shorter has been cited for code violations, the charges have been dismissed, Magistrate Court records show. He's been cited for not having a business license and running a business in a residential area – with both cases nolle prossed. "I've been to court multiple times," Shorter told the I-Team in a phone interview. "Nothing has stuck. Because I'm in my rights." He did pay a $405 fine in July for lacking a certificate of occupancy, court records say. Police reports show that when officers have been summoned, they often ask Shorter, or other party hosts, to keep it down. They also inform those complaining that they can't do anything about loud noise before 11 p.m. When Jackson summoned police over the music video shoot in December, an officer wrote in his report, "We reminded Mr. Jackson that we are unable to enforce the county's' residential noise ordinance until 2300 hours." By that time, Jackson had already written a letter to the DeKalb County Commission and Code Compliance in June asking for help, comparing the house next door to a "commercial nightclub." Including him and his wife, 32 people from 18 addresses signed on to the letter. "The property owner and his associates are growing adept at skirting right to the edge of the existing laws and their spotty enforcement," the letter to the county said. Kleiner said the parties are causing serious problems for her family. "My daughter is 17. She has non-verbal autism and also a seizure disorder," Kleiner said. "And one thing that can trigger violent behaviors and seizures is loud noise and lack of sleep. "I don't have a problem with someone having a party," she said, "but having speakers that are loud enough to reverberate sound into my home to disturb my children's bedrooms and my bedroom is unacceptable." The other side Shorter, a former Ole Miss basketball player, told the I-Team his neighbors have been exaggerating the noise levels. He said they're actually the ones harassing him. "They'll complain just to run the numbers up," he said. "When you do that, you cry wolf like that just to run the numbers up to make my house seem like a nuisance. It just taints the whole claim." He said he's used decibel meters to test how far his sound system carries. He said he knows the county code, and he's not violating any ordinances. "I'm not even going to sit here and act like, 'Oh, I'm just a saint.' I do have parties. I do have music playing," he said. "You're going to be able to hear it during the hours that (you) are allowed to hear it. But it's not going to be unreasonable." He also denied running a so-called party house. Shorter said most of the parties his neighbors take issue with are his own. "When I throw a party, let's just say it's Memorial Day weekend – (it's) my friends and family and whoever else I want there. It's pretty fun, you know?" Shorter said. He said he does not sell tickets. Asked about a post on Eventbrite about an upcoming Memorial Day blowout – which put general admission at $25, on-site parking at $117, and $866 for "2 bottles and 5 tickets" – Shorter said he knew nothing about that and that someone posted it without his permission. Soon after the interview, the Eventbrite post was changed to "canceled," then taken down. Why you should care The neighborhood's county commissioner, Michelle Long Spears, said she's been trying to help the neighbors. As for why the problem still festers, she referred that question to the county's executive branch. "Since January of 2024, we have received 20 calls for noise concerns," Spears told the I-Team. "My office has been actively working with the administration since then – four different departments, including both police and code enforcement, to help resolve this issue." Ultimately, the commissioner said, the solution may be for the commission – the county's legislative branch – to adjust county codes. The Atlanta City Council recently tightened its laws, defining party houses and banning them from certain neighborhoods, "We have been working on a short-term rental ordinance," the DeKalb commissioner said. "A portion of that ordinance does relate to dealing with these party-house issues. And we have also tried to tackle it through strengthening our current noise ordinance." The proposed solution there: Cap decibel levels at 65 during the day and until 11 p.m. on weeknights and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. And after 11 p.m. or midnight, forbid sounds that are audible 100 feet or more from the source. Shorter said if ordinances change, "I have no problem with it. I'm going to go by any rules that they set." What's next Very little, if the neighbors have their way. With the I-Team making inquiries, Code Compliance met with Shorter on Wednesday to talk about the community's concerns. Shorter said he's taking steps to reduce the impact from his music, and they clarified parking rules for him. Shorter said he assured them he wouldn't hold a party on Memorial Day. That will be a relief to Jackson and his wife. "We wanted this to be our dream home," Lisa Burrows said. "And we worked our whole lives to live in the kind of neighborhood where you can hear birds and have quiet coffee on the deck. "And it's very frustrating to have to hear loud music and cursing," she said, "and all the things that you work your whole life to avoid in the neighborhood." The Source The FOX 5 I-Team interviewed four residents who've complained about the noise coming from a neighbor's home and reviewed a letter to the county signed by 32 residents from 18 surrounding addresses. The I-Team also reviewed police, code enforcement, and Magistrate Court records. I-Team reporter Johnny Edwards spoke at length with the 36-year-old homeowner whom the neighbors are complaining about.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
School zone camera bills: One to ban them, one to reform. But both overturn the system
The Brief The Georgia House of Representatives approved two measures for reeling in automated school zone speed cameras, sending both over to the state Senate. House Bill 225 bans the cameras completely. House Bill 651 sets strict guidelines for operating them. The latter bill also strikes language in current law allowing cities and counties to send unpaid tickets to the state Department of Revenue – which then blocks auto tag renewals until the fines are paid. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, acknowledged to the FOX 5 I-Team, that would effectively eliminate the incentive to pay the tickets, which are civil citations. "Who's to push anybody to pay?" he said. Meanwhile, the I-Team found more than $700,000 in political donations over the past four years from three major camera companies. ATLANTA - In the debate over what to do with school zone speed cameras popping up all over Georgia, the state House of Representatives has approved two solutions to the same problem. On Tuesday, lawmakers approved one bill that outlaws the cameras – overturning the 2018 law that allowed automated ticketing systems near schools. The other bill would let them stay, but with a list of restrictions on when they can operate, how to warn oncoming traffic and what can be done with the proceeds. But the FOX 5 I-Team has learned that even the reform bill would effectively overturn the system. Under its current language, there would be no penalty if a ticketed driver decided to toss his citation in the trash. SEE ALSO: 2 school zone speed camera bills pass House, move to Georgia State Senate The backstory In 2018, then-Speaker of the House David Ralston worked with his Senate counterparts, during the final minutes of that year's session, to pass a bill that allowed school zone speed cameras. One of the lobbyists pushing the bill was Ralston's son, Matt. The stated purpose was to slow traffic near schools, protecting students, parents, and school personnel. But critics claim the real motive has been easy revenue for local governments and private, out-of-state speed camera companies. "We can safely say that fines have been issued at a level in excess of $200 million," state Rep. Dale Washburn, R-Macon, told his House colleagues Tuesday. "The school zone cameras are taking a percentage of that. Using a conservative estimate, they've probably taken $50 million out of Georgia." Over the past seven years, complaints have poured in to lawmakers about the automated tickets. Drivers have claimed they were ticketed outside of school hours or on weekends, that cameras are set up on busy four-lanes where children don't walk, and that signage is too confusing. The FOX 5 I-Team identified cameras in three cities where timing disconnects between cameras and flashing school zone lights misled drivers into speeding, or caused them to be cited them for speeding when they weren't. The I-Team's stories led to more than a half a million dollars in refunds for drivers. "When people are being entrapped and issued tickets, with deceit and trickery, it is wrong," Washburn said in a House Motor Vehicles committee meeting last month. "And it's something we need to do something about." Washburn introduced House Bill 225, which overturns the 2018 law. It would require police departments statewide to shut down the cameras entirely. State Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, with the support of current Speaker of the House Jon Burns, introduced House Bill 651, which salvages the camera systems, but with strict guidelines. By the numbers The votes Tuesday showed more appetite for the reform bill than the total ban. Washburn's bill passed by a vote of 129 to 37. Powell's passed 164 to 8. Both bills now move to the state Senate, which can grapple with the issue and make adjustments, additions and subtractions of its own. Washburn said he does not think senators will be swayed by which bill got the most votes Tuesday. Tickets from school zone cameras are civil citations, not criminal. They don't put points against drivers' licenses and they can't lead to jail time. "I'm not sure that they'll pay that much attention to that," he said. "My goal is to get over to the Senate now, and begin to talk to some individual senators, and to talk to their leadership, and try to convince them that banning these school zone cameras is a good thing." What the reform bill does Powell called his bill "a second choice." House Bill 651 would limit ticketing to two-hour periods on mornings and afternoons, when school starts and lets out. "A lot of the jurisdictions were running these around the clock, through the day, sporting events," Powell told the I-Team. "It just became suspect. It became a 'gotcha.'" His bill also requires feedback signs, informing oncoming drivers of their speeds before they pass a camera. It requires half of a jurisdiction's speed camera ticket proceeds to go to local schools, to be used for school safety. It applies "speed trap" rules on cities and counties, setting limits on how much a government can collect from citations, in relation to their police budget – no more than 35 percent. The bill eliminates $25 administrative fees that inflate citation amounts. So tickets can cost no more than $75 for a first violation and $125 for a second. Under the bill, when the tickets arrive in the mail, the envelope has to be clearly marked, so as not to be confused with junk mail. "The bill I passed was pretty radical about putting guardrails around this," Powell said. But actually, he acknowledged to the I-Team, ticketed drivers could treat the citations like junk mail. House Bill 651 eliminates the section of current law that allows cities and counties to send unpaid school zone tickets to the state Department of Revenue, which then blocks car tag renewals until the tickets are paid. Tickets from school zone cameras are civil citations, not criminal. They don't put points against drivers' licenses, and they can't lead to jail time. "If it doesn't go through the Revenue Department, who's to push anybody to pay," Powell said. "Either bill, we're getting to the same conclusion." The other side Bob Dallas, a former Governor's Office of Highway Safety director who's now a lobbyist for camera company Blue Line Solutions, said the company opposes many of the points in Powell's bill. (And it opposes Washburn's bill entirely.) Dallas said, to keeps school zones safe, ticketing should be allowed throughout the school day. Children and parents come and go from a school building all day, he said. He said Blue Line supports the warning devices, would agree to pay for them, and would also agree to requiring flashing school zone lights wherever automated cameras are placed. The company opposes the 35-percent rule on revenues, which Dallas said would negatively impact smaller jurisdictions. And Blue Line wants to keep the system of sending unpaid tickets to the Department of Revenue. Washburn's ban bill received pushback on the House floor Tuesday. A lawmaker who represents South Fulton brought up the death of an 11-year-old outside Sandtown Middle School in 2018. A speeding car struck the car the girl was riding in. "Is it not true that I shared with you that I was on the scene the day that a young middle school student was killed by a speeding driver ...?" State Rep. Robert Dawson, D-Atlanta, asked Washburn. "It is a terrible tragedy whenever a child is killed," Washburn responded. "But I must say that there is little evidence that the cameras would have prevented that tragedy." Dig deeper Still to be determined as the Senate considers the bills: How much will some very large political donations factor into the outcome? That includes some sizable donations made to the head of the Senate, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. For years, private camera companies have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into campaign coffers and political committees. "They have given a lot of money here," Washburn said. "It's obviously very important to them, because they're making a lot of money. And so they are spending a lot of money. "But the money they're spending is a very small percentage of the money they're taking out of Georgia." The I-Team examined the past four years of donations from three major companies – RedSpeed, Blue Line Solutions and American Traffic Solutions, or Verra Mobility. The total: $728,250. More than half of that – $400,200 – poured in since February 2024, when now-retired state Rep. Clay Pirkle first floated a bill to ban the cameras entirely. Since 2021, there's been $215,000 donated to the Georgia House Republican Trust, with a lion's share ($150,000) given by RedSpeed. Another $110,000 went to the Georgia Republican Senatorial Committee. Lt. Gov. Jones's leadership committee received $171,000, also mostly from RedSpeed, and his campaign received another $38,500. Jones's office didn't respond to a request for comment on the donations, but he said in a written statement to the I-Team, "I believe that school safety is a critical issue we must address through a variety of initiatives." The I-Team also found $16,500 in camera company donations to Rep. Powell. "I think if you looked at the outcome (Tuesday), political donations don't carry any weight about doing the right thing," Powell told the I-Team. "You saw two bills passed that's going to probably put these folks out of business in Georgia." Dallas, the lobbyist, described the donations as camera companies' way of reaching out to policymakers to educate them on the issue. "What's happening – an industry representing it's desire to make school zones safe," he said. READ MORE: School zone speed cameras clash: Georgia lawmakers to debate on ban vs. reform Fight to ban school zone speed cameras begins in Georgia House Ga. lawmaker aims to shut down school zone speed cameras I-Team: Thousands ticketed by school zone cameras set up further from the school than law allows After I-Team investigations, ATL and Riverdale to automatically refund drivers wrongly ticketed by speed cams The Source The FOX 5 I-Team has been reporting on problems with school zone speed cameras for more than a year, discovering thousands of erroneous tickets issued in Atlanta, Jonesboro and Riverdale. I-Team reporter Johnny Edwards has been tracking bills dealing with the cameras at the state Legislature. He was at the Capitol for Tuesday's vote on two bills and interviewed the sponsors of both.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School zone speed cameras clash: Georgia lawmakers to debate on ban vs. reform
The Brief Automated school zone speed cameras, authorized by a 2018 law, have faced scrutiny due to erroneous ticketing, leading to over half a million dollars in refunds in cities like Jonesboro, Riverdale, and Atlanta. State Rep. Dale Washburn is pushing for a ban on these cameras through House Bill 225, arguing they prioritize revenue over children's safety. A competing proposal, Senate Bill 75 by Sen. Max Burns, seeks to reform the system by limiting ticketing times and improving signage. Local officials, such as Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett, argue that removing the cameras would strain law enforcement resources and potentially compromise student safety. Since 2023, camera companies have donated $215,000 to the Georgia House Republican Trust, highlighting the financial stakes and influence in the debate. ATLANTA - A contentious debate is unfolding over the use of automated school zone speed cameras. These cameras, which were authorized by a 2018 law, are designed to monitor vehicle speeds near schools, photograph license plates, and issue tickets to violators. However, investigations by the FOX 5 I-Team last year revealed significant issues with the system, including the issuance of erroneous tickets to thousands of metro Atlantans. This led to over half a million dollars in refunds from cities like Jonesboro, Riverdale, and Atlanta. What we know State Rep. Dale Washburn, a Republican from Macon, is spearheading a legislative effort to ban these cameras through House Bill 225. The bill recently passed its first hurdle by gaining approval from the House Motor Vehicles Committee. Washburn argues that the cameras are more about generating revenue than ensuring children's safety. "When we see the deceit and trickery that's involved in this, the design is not for children's safety. The design is to write tickets and rake in revenue. There's no question about that," he stated. What they're saying Not everyone agrees with Washburn's approach. Some city governments and camera companies advocate for reform rather than a complete ban. Sen. Max Burns of Sylvania has introduced a competing bill, Senate Bill 75, which aims to reform the system by restricting ticketing to specific two-hour periods in the morning and afternoon. Bob Dallas, a lobbyist for Blue Line Solutions, expressed support for a revised bill that includes better signage and speed feedback signs. "What a lot of folks don't realize is that when the speed limits are reduced in the morning and afternoon, school districts do not have to have blinking lights. We believe that should be part of the program," Dallas noted. SEE MORE: Fight to ban school zone speed cameras begins in Georgia House Ga. lawmaker aims to shut down school zone speed cameras Thousands ticketed by school zone cameras set up further from the school than law allows The other side Local officials, like Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett, argue that removing the cameras would strain law enforcement resources. "If that tool is taken away, we don't have near enough officers to be able to cover all of our school zones," Garrett explained. Additionally, Ashley Rose-Toomer from the advocacy group Give School Kids a Brake raised concerns about the potential consequences of a ban, questioning what would happen if a student were injured or killed by a speeding driver. By the numbers The financial stakes are significant. Campaign finance records reveal that since 2023, camera companies such as Blue Line Solutions, RedSpeed, and American Traffic Solutions have collectively donated $215,000 to the Georgia House Republican Trust, a political action committee. This financial influence has not gone unnoticed, with Rep. Dewey McClain of Lawrenceville remarking, "It's going to be a heavy lift. And I'll just say this. Just follow the money." What's next Washburn's bill must clear the House before Crossover Day on March 6 to advance further. If successful, it will then need to pass in the Senate and be signed by the governor to become law. Despite having over 100 co-signers, which is sufficient for passage in the House, the bill faces significant opposition and a competing reform bill in the Senate. The Source State Rep. Dale Washburn is advocating for a ban through House Bill 225, while Senator Max Burns has proposed Senate Bill 75 to reform the system. The debate includes perspectives from local officials, such as Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett, and financial influences from camera companies, as highlighted by campaign finance records.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Teamsters Union threatens labor complaint against New Georgia Project
The Brief In an interview with the FOX 5 I-Team, five ex-employees laid off by New Georgia Project alleged that the progressive voter registration organization terminated them for trying to unionize. They're among 14 people laid off by the nonprofit last month. A representative of Teamsters Local Union 728 told the FOX 5 I-Team that all 14 people had signed union cards in support of the effort. Another 20 workers who signed union cards were not laid off. It's the latest round of turmoil for the nonprofit founded by two-time gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and credited with helping to flip Georgia blue in 2020. Last month, the State Ethics Commission fined the group $300,000 – the largest penalty in the commission's history. It's a violation of the National Labor Relations Act to retaliate against workers for trying to form unions. The Teamsters representative said the union plans to file a complaint this week with the National Labor Relations Board. ATLANTA - Some ex-employees of New Georgia Project are accusing the progressive voter registration organization of big-time hypocrisy. They say that after working for years as community organizers for the nonprofit founded by former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, they lost their jobs because they wanted to organize. "It hurts," said JaMae Rooks, 32, who worked on New Georgia Project's black maternal healthcare campaign. "Because people that I love, people that I care about, are being harmed in this process." What we know Five former New Georgia Project workers – Rooks, Klaire Gumbs, Jasmine Keith, Christian Miranda and Eric Robertston – sat down with the FOX 5 I-Team's Johnny Edwards earlier this month, soon after being axed during a Microsoft Teams meeting on Jan. 28. They described inner turmoil at the nonprofit centered around board Chairman Francys Johnson. They said their terminations came as they were taking steps to shield themselves from what they describe as "mismanagement" at New Georgia Project. "It was direct retaliation to our unionizing efforts," Gumbs, 32, who had worked there since April 2020, said. A cell phone video provided to the I-Team shows Keith, 37, reading a demand for union recognition to her manager, a formal step in unionizing, at what's apparently the manager's apartment complex, on Friday, Jan. 24. "We were able to get a majority," Keith, who had worked there since 2022, said. "We delivered our letter demanding recognition. And Tuesday, we ended up fired." A representative of Teamsters Local Union 728 backed up that account. By the numbers According to the union, 14 people were laid off in January, all of them workers who had signed union cards. However, 20 people who also signed the cards were not laid off. And others laid off by the organization late last year, a few days after Christmas, hadn't been involved in unionizing. "On December 27, the New Georgia Project laid off 19 members of their staff with fewer than 12 hours of warning," Stephanie Ali, a policy director for the organization who created the GoFundMe, wrote on the page. "On January 28, they did the same to another 14 staff members, this time allowing for only 3 days of remaining pay and benefits." As of Monday, the GoFundMe had raised more than $10,500. All proceeds will be given to laid off employees on an at-need basis, and the remaining funds will be divided equally between the former staff members, Ali wrote on the page. What they're saying Stiles told the I-Team the Teamsters union plans to file a complaint against New Georgia Project this week, alleging retaliation in violation of the National Labor Relations Act. He also said that if the nonprofit doesn't recognize the union, a strike isn't out of the question. "In my opinion, this is an unfair labor practice that the New Georgia Project has committed," Stiles said. "We feel like the company sent a very chilling message with these layoffs. Like, 'We will target known union supporters,' which is illegal." Asked why they wanted to unionize, Miranda, 29, said it was "for stability." "We felt like we needed to protect ourselves," Gumbs said. "When we saw other people getting laid off, and them holding on to these new people that they were bringing (in)," said Robertson, 51, who worked for the nonprofit's election monitoring program, "that was just another reason people needed to organize to get some protection." The other side Francys Johnson – a Statesboro attorney who became board chair after former chair Raphael Warnock stepped down in 2020 for his successful run for U.S. Senate – declined an interview request from the FOX 5 I-Team. New Georgia Project did not make anyone else available for an interview, instead sending a written statement about the five ex-workers' allegations. The statement said the New Georgia Project Action Fund, the partisan arm of the organization, "has long worked in solidarity with Organized Labor to move Georgia forward for working families. NGPAF is committed to following up with our partners in Organized Labor to ensure compliance with applicable law." To questions about the layoffs, the nonprofit sent an identical statement to one provided for a previous FOX 5 story on the job cuts: "The volunteers, members, and staff of NGP are family, and reductions in staffing are never easy. Nevertheless, NGP must meet its obligation to align its staffing plan with available resources to accomplish its mission." Continuing, "NGP remains committed to leading efforts in building power through voter registration, organizing, and advocacy." The I-Team asked the organization to verify the layoff figures provided by ex-employees, the union and the GoFundMe page. But New Georgia Project did not respond. The backstory Between those two rounds of layoffs, the State Ethics Commission fined New Georgia Project $300,000 for allegedly functioning as an illegal Super PAC for Stacey Abrams' first losing campaign for governor, then illegally campaigning for an unsuccessful Gwinnett County MARTA referendum. It was the largest fine in the commission's history and possibly the largest state ethics fine ever issued in the U.S. The New Georgia Project was established by Abrams in 2013 to register voters, specifically the "New Georgia Majority" – black, brown, young and other historically marginalized voters, according to the nonprofit's website. Abrams stepped away from the group in 2017 to run for governor. NGP came to national prominence for its role in helping turn Georgia blue for Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election. However, the State Ethics Commission had already begun investigating the group's fundraising and spending practices at the time. The investigation spanned five years. The commission's findings revealed that the organization raised $4.2 million in dark money for Abrams and other candidates and spent $3.2 million on various campaign activities. In a commission hearing last month, New Georgia Project admitted to 16 violations of state law. What they're saying The ex-employees who spoke to FOX 5 said they don't believe the ethics fine led to the layoffs. They said they do believe internal discord at New Georgia Project hurt the mission during the 2024 presidential election. "What made it go back red is lack of voter turnout among the base voters of Georgia," Robertson said. "Had we done our job, had we engaged black voters on the scale that we normally engage black voters on in the state of Georgia, Kamala Harris would have won Georgia." However, the ex-workers said their job was to push progressive issues, engage voters and monitor elections, and they weren't allowed to campaign for candidates. "What's at stake is not necessarily the loss of an election for a particular party," Gumbs said. "What's at stake are reproductive justice issues, economic justice issues, health care, housing issues." All five said they would go back to work for New Georgia Project if they could. "We could save that organization," Robertson said. "If (Chairman Johnson) got out of the way, the donors would come back. We could rebuild the entire organization." What's next Stiles, of Teamsters Local Union 728, said the union intends to file a complaint this week with the National Labor Relations Board. However, the labor complaint could get stymied because of actions by President Donald Trump, Stiles said. Last month, the president removed board member Gwynne Wilcox, leaving the board without a quorum of three members to make final decisions. The Source The FOX 5 I-Team's Johnny Edwards spoke with five former New Georgia Project employees who claim they were let go in January in retaliation for unionizing. A representative of Teamsters Local Union 728 echoed this claim. Information for this story was also taken from a GoFundMe raising money for laid-off employees, as well as Edwards' previous reporting on the group's historic state ethics fine.
