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New legislation looks to change how surviving military spouses receive benefits

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New legislation looks to change how surviving military spouses receive benefits


AUGUSTA, Ga. (WFXG) – A brand new bipartisan invoice goals to shake up how advantages for members of the family of deceased service members obtain advantages. Underneath present guidelines, members of the family lose spousal advantages in the event that they re-marry earlier than the age of 55. 

Tammy McCracken’s husband David served our nation for years. She says she was with him each step of the best way till he tragically misplaced his life 11 years in the past. 

“We form of moved all around the world, lived all over the place,” she mentioned. “The ache of dropping David was fully insufferable.”

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She says the months after dropping David had been hazy, however there was one assertion from survivor outreach companies that caught out to her.

“They mentioned hey by the best way, should you’re interested by remarriage, you cant till at the moment it was 57. Otherwise you lose your entire advantages,” she recalled. 

Underneath present legal guidelines a surviving partner may lose all survivor advantages in the event that they remarry and are beneath the age of 55.

“For me its like my husband fought for our nation for 30 years, it was him that served, however I used to be there too,” McCracken mentioned. 

These guidelines may change beneath the brand new Love Lives on Act, a bipartisan invoice launched by Republican Kansas Senator Jerry Moran and Democratic Georgia Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock. 

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The brand new laws would enable surviving spouses to retain their survivor advantages upon remarriage, whatever the age. 

“Its not simply service members that present up, their households do,” Sen. Warnock mentioned.  “There’s nothing about their shifting on that deletes the service that they’ve already offered.”

Senator Warnock says introducing this laws is vital for him due to Georgia’s wealthy navy background.

“Individuals who characterize us and who serve us, and get the very best for us. Must get the very best from us,” he mentioned. 

For Tammy, she says she hopes this act passes partly so she doesn’t should signal a letter annually certifying that she has not remarried. 

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“It’s like you want to report in. It’s like it’s some kind of entrance ticket to a sporting occasion that you simply didn’t wish to go to anyway,” she mentioned. 

Copyright 2022 WFXG. All rights reserved. 



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2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Dog Owner Charged After Woman, 21, Killed by Two Pit Bull-Type Dogs in Augusta, Georgia

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2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Dog Owner Charged After Woman, 21, Killed by Two Pit Bull-Type Dogs in Augusta, Georgia


After Samara Rogers was killed by dogs, the owner was charged with manslaughter.

Woman Walking Killed by Dogs
Augusta, GA – A 21-year old woman is dead after being attacked by two dogs Wednesday in Augusta. At approximately 10:29 am, Richmond County sheriff’s deputies responded to the 3500 block of Ira Road in reference to a dog attack. Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowden said the victim, Samara Rogers, was walking on Ira Road when the dogs attacked her. Upon arrival, deputies located the severely injured victim. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:05 am, according to Bowden.

WRDW captured footage of an animal control officer and deputy removing the two large dogs from a nearby home with a catch pole. The first was white with a few dark spots and the second was tan with a darker muzzle and a white chest. Both are pit bull-type dogs. The white dog appears similar in size and structure as “Blade,” which killed baby Serenity Garnett in Martinez, a suburb of Augusta, in 2022. The baby’s great-grandmother, Migdelia Guadalupe, was sentenced to six years in prison.

Not long after the dogs were seized from the home on Ira Road, the sheriff’s office arrested Charles David Blackwell, 55, of Augusta, for involuntary manslaughter in connection to Rogers’ death. We believe we located the brown dog on Kimberly Blackwell’s Facebook page, his wife, who is asking for prayers for “Chuck Blackwell,” and “I’m doing everything I can. I love you thick and thin we will get through this.” One commenter asked, “What about the poor girl that was killed by your dogs?”

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There are also unconfirmed comments on the Jail Report Facebook page stating that a person was bitten by one of these dogs as recently as yesterday. Typically (if not always), the criminal charge of manslaughter or higher is only filed if the dog(s) were involved in bites or acts of aggression prior to the deadly mauling. Authorities are expected to provide additional information as the investigation progresses. So far, we have not seen any comments from the victim’s family members or friends.

dog owner charged after 2 pit bulls kill samara rogers

Two pit bull-type dogs being seized from a home on Ira Road after deadly dog mauling.

dog owner charged after 2 pit bulls kill samara rogers

Samara Rogers, 21-years old, was killed by two dogs on Ira Road in Augusta, Georgia.

dog owner charged after 2 pit bulls kill samara rogers

Unconfirmed reports of a previous bite by one of the two dogs as recently as yesterday.

Related articles:
04/27/23: 2022 Dog Bite Fatality: 7-Month Old Killed, Great-Grandmother Injured by Muscular…
08/07/20: Teenager Suffers Critical Injuries, Crushed Trachea, in Pit Bull Attack in Barrow County

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Baseline reporting requirements:
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent “baseline” information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.



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Augusta, GA

1 person killed in Augusta dog attack

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1 person killed in Augusta dog attack


AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A woman was killed in a dog attack Wednesday in Augusta, according to deputies.

At 10:29 a.m., the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 3500 block of Ira Road in reference to a dog attack.

The victim was walking on Ira Road when she was attacked, Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen said.

Upon arrival, deputies located a female victim who had been attacked by two dogs, according to deputies.

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She died at the scene, according to Bowen.

The victim won’t be identified until next of kin have been notified, Bowen said.

An autopsy has been scheduled.

The investigation is in its early stages and no further information is available, deputies said.

The attention seemed to be focused on a grayish house.

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Animal control officers appeared to be inside one of the homes on the street, and they brought out two dogs.

The last fatal dog attack in memory in the CSRA happened on March 22, 2202, in the 3700 block of Columbia Drive in Martinez. Serenity Rose Garnett, who was 7 months old, was killed by a dog while her great-grandmother was watching over her at a home where she rented a room.

Another dog attack in January 2023, also in Columbia County, severely injured Justin Gilstrap, then 11, leading to a long series of surgeries.



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No. 18 UCLA pounds Prairie View A&M to go 8-0 at home

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No. 18 UCLA pounds Prairie View A&M to go 8-0 at home




















No. 18 UCLA pounds Prairie View A&M to go 8-0 at home | NCAA | wfxg.com

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