ATLANTA – A Georgia Tech student is hoping to change the way women experience cervical cancer screenings with a new device designed to be more comfortable and accessible than traditional Pap smears.

Rakeb Tesfatsellassie, a junior at Georgia Tech and native of DeKalb County, is developing a home screening test for cervical cancer that she says could encourage more women to get tested. The idea was born from a personal motivation and a desire to improve outdated medical tools.

Cervical cancer home screening test

What they’re saying:

“It’s really an uncomfortable situation to be in,” Tesfatsellassie said. “My partner and I are around the same age, and we both said the same thing — we don’t want to do this. Hopefully by the time we start doing Pap smears, we would want to see new innovation.”

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 4,000 women in the U.S. are expected to die from cervical cancer this year. Tesfatsellassie’s prototype aims to make early detection more appealing by creating a test women can use at home.

“You can insert it yourself,” she said. “It should be softer silicone, not harder. You would be able to grab it and it’s comfortable to insert it in and out.”

The design is described as simple and intuitive.

“It’s similar looking to a tampon,” Tesfatsellassie said.

Doctors typically do not recommend Pap smears until age 21, but Tesfatsellassie began working on the concept at 20. She said her passion for early detection came after losing a close family member to cancer.

“I know how important it is to have early detection,” she said.

Georgia Tech student Rakeb Tesfatsellassie’s accolades 

What we know:

Tesfatsellassie’s idea won last year’s Community College Innovation Challenge while she was enrolled at Georgia State’s Perimeter College. After transferring to Georgia Tech, she joined the university’s Create-X program, which supports student startups and innovations. The project has already received a provisional patent, and Tesfatsellassie and her team have formed a limited liability company.

What’s next:

“It’s not where you start,” she said. “It’s where you want to go.”

ATLANTA – Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announces the appointment of an incoming Georgia Supreme Court judge.

Release:

Governor Brian P. Kemp announced he will appoint The Honorable Benjamin A. Land to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court of Georgia created by the retirement of The Honorable Michael P. Boggs earlier this year.

“After careful consideration of multiple accomplished and noteworthy candidates, I’m proud to announce Ben Land as my appointment to serve on the Georgia Supreme Court,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Judge Land has earned the respect of his peers and hardworking Georgians through his commitment to fairness and impartiality, his strong work ethic, and his integrity. His extensive experience as a former litigator and judge will make him a valuable addition to the Supreme Court as he continues his service to the people of our state.”

Benjamin A. Land has served on the Georgia Court of Appeals since July 20, 2022, following his appointment to the court by Governor Brian Kemp.He won election statewide for a full six-year term in 2024.JudgeLand was previously a judge on the Superior Court for the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, having been appointed by then-Governor Nathan Deal on February 7, 2018.

Prior to his service on the bench, Judge Land was a private practice attorney in Columbus for nearly 26 years, focusing on complex civil litigation. He represented plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases, obtained several record-setting verdicts, and played a key role in the defense of numerous nationwide class action lawsuits. Throughout his career, Judge Land has demonstrated a commitment to his profession and his community. He was presented with the State Bar of Georgia’s William B. Spann, Jr. Award for Pro Bono Advocacy, is a graduate of Leadership Columbus, and has served as the President of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit Bar Association, the Columbus Inn of Court, and the Columbus Bar Association. He was also a District Representative for the State Bar of Georgia’s Younger Lawyers Division, a member of the Joseph Henry Lumpkin Inn of Court, and has volunteered on the boards of the Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity, the Pine Mountain Trail Association, and other community organizations. During his time on the bench, Judge Land has served on the Council of Superior Court Judges Budget Committee and Pattern Jury Instructions Committee, in addition to the Judicial Council’s Court Reporting Matters Committee.

Judge Land graduated with Highest Honors from the University of Georgia where he also earned his law degree, finishing second in his class. While attending law school, he served on the Editorial Board of the Georgia Law Review, clerked for the Georgia Supreme Court, and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

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GEORGIA (WALB) – Georgia’s Main Street Programs are thriving, state officials say. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) says the state’s Main Street Programs generated $824 million in combined private and public investments in 2024.

New statistics from 2024 show programs across the state created:

• 3,658 new jobs
• 667 new businesses
• Supported the building of 1,861 new housing units
• 556 public improvement projects
• 931 commercial rehabilitation projects

“These results are a testament to the power of local leadership and the value of sustained investment in our downtowns. Behind each new business or building improvement is a community working hard to create a more vibrant and resilient future.”

According to DCA, these community investments enhanced the useability of downtowns, creating spaces for nearly 17,000 promotional events. Those events brought 8.9 million attendees to downtown areas increasing visibility and traffic for small businesses.

In total, 91 cities from across the state participate in the DCA Main Street Program. In South Georgia, several cities directly benefit from the program including,

• Tifton
• Thomasville
• Moultrie
• Adel
• Albany
• Americus
• Cairo
• Cordele
• Douglas
• Hahira
• Pelham
• Sylvester
• Valdosta
• Nashville

Tifton, Thomasville and Moultrie are ranked as being exceptional main streets.

To learn more about how to register for the DCA main street program click here.

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