Georgia
Georgia football star Rodarius Thomas being held without bail after arrest on family violence charges
Rodarius “Rara” Thomas will be away from the Georgia football team for the foreseeable future. The Bulldogs wide receiver was suspended indefinitely after he was booked into jail around 3:20 a.m. Friday, Athens-Clarke County jail records show.
Thomas was arrested on charges of cruelty to children and battery. He is being held without bail.
Thomas’ arrest marks the latest in a string of legal issues involving various members of the powerhouse college football team over the past several months.
This week’s arrest marks Thomas’ second in the past 18 months. University of Georgia Police arrested the wide receiver in January 2023 on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor count of family violence battery.
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Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas was arrested on charges of cruelty to children and battery early Friday, July 26, 2024, in Athens, Ga., adding to the team’s recent legal woes. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
Those charges were later dropped when Thomas entered a pretrial diversion program. Details about Friday’s arrest were not immediately available.
Georgia Athletic Association spokesperson Steven Drummond said the situation involving Thomas “is a pending legal matter. We will have no further comment at this point.”
TWO GEORGIA FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARRESTED ON BACK-TO-BACK NIGHTS ON RECKLESS DRIVING CHARGES
Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart spoke at Southeastern Conference media days July 16 about attempts to address repeated driving offenses by his players.
A Georgia Bulldogs helmet during the fourth quarter of a game against the Missouri Tigers at Sanford Stadium Nov. 4, 2023, in Athens, Ga. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Smart said players have been suspended and fined through the collective that provides name, image and likeness (NIL) payments to the school’s athletes. Smart’s policy is to not make public announcements when players are suspended.
“I don’t necessarily think it’s right to go down to the town square and publicly shame kids,” Smart said at SEC media days earlier this month. “When that happens, they go through a lot. And there’s a lot of remorse from these young men who’ve made mistakes. But our job is to educate. Continue to grow these young men.”
A team official confirmed the suspension of Thomas.
Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
The Bulldogs open the season in Atlanta Aug. 31 in a matchup with the Clemson Tigers.
Georgia players have been involved in 24 driving-related violations (DUI, reckless driving or speeding), The Atlanta-Journal Constitution has reported, including a crash that killed a player and a recruiting staffer in January 2023.
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Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy were killed in a car crash on Jan. 15, 2023, just days after the Bulldogs won the national title game.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Georgia
Georgia Lt. Gov. candidate releases controversial ‘Sharia law’ video
Gas prices surge as Iran war closes Strait of Hormuz
Gas prices rise as Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz threatening oil supply and raising fears of global economic fallout.
In the days since the initial U.S. strikes in Iran, countless lawmakers stateside have weighed in on the Trump Administration’s decision to once again get involved in a conflict in the Middle East.
Prominent Georgia political figures like former representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senators Ossoff and Warnock have denounced the attacks, while candidates to replace MTG and others running in midterm elections have backed the president.
Now, Georgia State Senator Greg Dolezal, who is running for Lieutenant Governor in November, has posted a controversial video to social media depicting a hypothetical scenario where an extreme version of what he calls “Sharia law” has taken over the United States.
“London has fallen. Europe is under siege. In America, the invaders who would rather pillage our generosity than assimilate are roaming Minnesota, New York and LA,” Dolezal said in the post. “As Lt. Governor, I will fight the enemy before they’re within the gates and keep Georgia safe and Sharia free.”
The video was marked with a content warning on X.
What does the video show?
The video, appearing to have been AI-generated, begins with two people walking toward a building and wearing head coverings, possibly hijabs, shaylas, Al-miras or khimars.
It then cuts to a man writing with frosting on a cake, possibly “Happy Easter,” but the letters are unclear. A figure dressed in all black runs into frame and slices the cake with a weapon like a Zulfiqar sword.
It goes on to show military vehicles driving down the street, a woman being stopped from driving, a group of men in head coverings shooting weapons into the air and a suicide bomber vest, all while playing a song with the lyrics “No Sharia.”
(Warning: the video may be disturbing for some viewers.)
Video called ‘disgusting’ and ‘racist’
The video was met with significant criticism, including from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Geoff Duncan.
“This is disgusting. People wonder why I became a Democrat, it’s because of the inexcusable hatred spewed by so many Republicans like Greg Dolezal. Hate, including Islamophobia, has no place in Georgia,” Duncan wrote on X.
Rev. James “Major” Woodall, Sr., of Atlanta, called the video “deeply racist.”
“As a Christian man who deeply loves Georgia, I pray you never become Lt. Governor,” Woodall wrote.
Emanuel Jones, of the state senate, called out his fellow representative and said “if you don’t know it yet, Georgia is better than this!!”
“We don’t need race baiting, fear mongering to get votes. Perhaps that (is) what the Republican Party has devolved into,” Jones said on X.
Dolezal got support, however, from MAGA personality Laura Loomer who commented “No Sharia!”
The video has also been reposted more than 1,000 times as of 2 p.m. on March 4.
Who is Greg Dolezal?
The state senator represents District 27, and is based in Alpharetta. He was sworn in to the Georgia Senate in 2019.
He is a small business owner and attended North Park University.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
Georgia
Why Southern Living is spotlighting serene coastal escape in Georgia
22 sea turtles released into the ocean at Jekyll Island
Mystic Aquarium, a Connecticut-based aquarium and animal rescue organization, released 22 sea turtles into the Ocean at Jekyll Island.
A quiet stretch of the Georgia coast is back in the national spotlight.
In a recent feature, Southern Living highlighted the Golden Isles as one of the South’s most serene escapes, praising the region’s undeveloped marshes, barrier islands and slower pace compared to other East Coast beach destinations.
Located roughly halfway between Savannah and Jacksonville, the Golden Isles include Brunswick, Sea Island, St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island and Little St. Simons Island.
Here’s what to know.
What makes Georgia’s Golden Isles different?
Unlike more densely developed beach towns in neighboring states, Georgia’s coastline is defined by tidal creeks, salt marshes and wide stretches of protected land.
“The coast of Georgia is quite different than the shores of North Carolina or South Carolina,” Southern Living wrote. “It’s wilder and quieter, and it’s much less populated with beach towns.”
While the islands offer modern resorts and vacation homes, much of the natural character remains intact.
One of the most photographed spots is Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, known for its haunting remains of a maritime forest scattered along the shoreline.
Where are visitors staying?
The publication pointed to several well-known properties across the islands:
- The Cloister at Sea Island
- Jekyll Island Club Resort
- St. Simons Island: The Grey Owl Inn and the St. Simons Lighthouse.
Little St. Simons Island, accessible only by boat, was highlighted for its all-inclusive lodge and thousands of acres of protected marshland and upland habitat.
What can you do in the Golden Isles?
Southern Living emphasized simple, immersive experiences:
- Biking under live oaks
- Kayaking through marsh creeks
- Horseback riding along the beach
- Watching sunsets over the water.
Public beaches like East Beach on St. Simons Island remain open to visitors, while golf courses on Jekyll Island and St. Simons offer year-round play.
The region’s history also plays a major role. Visitors can climb the St. Simons Lighthouse, explore historic districts in Brunswick or learn about Gullah Geechee heritage through local organizations.
For more information, visit southernliving.com/georgias-golden-isles-11906085.
Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.
Georgia
Gov. Kemp signs amended FY 2026 budget, delivering $2B in Georgia tax relief
ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp on Tuesday signed HB 973, the amended Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
The amended budget includes $2 billion in income and property tax relief, alongside investments in education, public safety, mental health, transportation and rural development.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones praised Gov. Kemp, saying the budget…
“Makes critical investments in middle-class families, mental health services, healthcare workforce development, transportation and Georgia’s veterans community.”
Key allocations in the amended budget include:
- Education and Workforce Development: $325 million to endow the DREAMS Scholarship, a new needs-based scholarship program; $6 million for a Career Navigator tool; and funding for new and expanded programs at University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia institutions.
- Public Safety: $150 million for Department of Corrections bed space, $9.7 million for additional corrections officers, $15 million for a new K-9 training facility, and $50 million to help communities address homelessness, including among veterans.
- Mental Health: $409 million to design and construct a new Georgia Regional Hospital to expand mental health bed capacity.
- Transportation: More than $1.6 billion to extend and expand I-75 express lanes in Henry County; $185 million for SR 316 interchange conversions; $100 million for rural bridge rehabilitation and replacement; and $250 million for local maintenance and improvement grants.
- Rural Georgia: $15 million for rural site development grants; $35 million for a new natural gas infrastructure program; and $8.9 million for the Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative.
Governor Kemp says the state’s conservative budgeting approach has allowed Georgia to provide tax relief while making “generational investments.”
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