Wrongfully Imprisoned Man Freed

A Georgia man wrongfully incarcerated for nearly 21 years was exonerated on Thursday.

Marquez Powell, 41, had been serving a life sentence plus five years after being convicted under a party-to-a-crime theory in the 2005 murder of his best friend, Shah Walton. Prosecutors argued Powell participated in a plan to rob Walton.

New DNA evidence supported that Powell was not involved in the robbery or murder.

His release comes as Georgia begins paying eligible exonerees around $76,000 for each year they were wrongfully imprisoned under the state’s new Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act, with additional compensation provided for time spent on death row. 

  BioLab Fire Lawsuit Alleges Health Impacts

Two Rockdale County sheriff’s deputies and a local resident have sued BioLab and other related companies over the 2024 chemical fire at BioLab’s plant in Conyers. 

The lawsuit alleges the companies’ negligence surrounding the blaze and lingering toxic plume led to the three being diagnosed with respiratory damage. 

The chemical plume resulted in the evacuation of about 17,000 people and prompted a multiday shelter-in-place order for tens of thousands more.

Last year, BioLab announced that it was closing the facility. The company declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing the pending litigation. 

Georgia Takes Part in America250 Time Capsule

For the country’s 250th anniversary, Georgia is joining the other 49 states, Washington, D.C., U.S. territories, and the three federal branches in contributing items to a time capsule project led by America250. 

The Peach State will be providing two Fort Moore Georgia Award for Excellence challenge coins and a painted relief medallion featuring The Masters logo. 

The capsule, a custom-designed stainless steel cylinder, will be buried on July 4 at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia and reopened in 2276. 

A list of all of the capsule’s contents can be seen here.

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➤ Putnam County: Two people were killed and two others were injured after a large oak tree uprooted and fell onto a pickup truck on Pea Ridge Road. (More)

➤ Sandy Springs: The city has extended its contract with RedSpeed to continue using school zone speed cameras at North Springs High School and Riverwood International Charter School through June 2027. (More)

➤ Monroe County: Two 14-year-olds were arrested after stealing a car from a gas station after its owner refused to give them a ride, with the vehicle later ending up in a ditch. (More)

➤ Savannah: The Carnegie Library Heritage Center received a national award for its restoration work after closing in 2024 due to flood damage caused by Tropical Storm Debby. (More)

➤ Hall County: A dog that became trapped in a ravine during Thursday’s storms was rescued by firefighters and taken to a veterinarian for treatment. (More)

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➤ Spain will try to rebound from last week’s surprising draw with Cape Verde today against Saudi Arabia, as the two Group H teams meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The match will air at noon on Fox. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Friday, overcoming a high-velocity outing from Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, who hit 104.2 mph and threw an MLB-record 47 pitches at 101 mph or faster. (More)

➤ Colton Nussmeier, a four-star Georgia quarterback commit, was ruled ineligible for the 2026 high school football season after transferring from Flower Mound Marcus High School to Denton Ryan in Texas. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | College World Series | U.S. Open | WNBA

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➤ Georgia Tech in Atlanta was the state’s highest-ranked institution in the U.S. News & World Report’s latest Best Global Universities rankings, placing No. 94 worldwide, while five other Georgia colleges also made the list. (More)

➤ A Columbus family received a mortgage-free home from Rapid Fire Investments after losing their previous house to a fire. (More)

➤ Memorial Health in Savannah celebrated Father’s Day by giving dads with babies in its neonatal intensive care unit personalized baseball keepsakes featuring their newborns’ footprints. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ JD Vance revealed the wardrobe expectations inside President Trump’s White House. (Hear More)

➤ Washington launched a new UFO task force and promised more answers. (Listen Now)

➤  A strong market helped retirement savers reach a major milestone. (Podcast Available)

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