Fire Displaces Priests

A fire started by a lightning strike destroyed the Legionaries of Christ home in Cumming early Sunday morning, displacing the 12 priests and missionaries who lived in the residence.

Four of the 12 were home at the time of the fire and none of them were hurt. One priest, who saw a glow in the ceiling after the lightning strike, alerted the others to get out. Click here to see photos of the priests and the destroyed structure.

Neighbors responded immediately.

“They came out right away. We went over to the neighbors right in front of us, who gave us coffee and whatever we needed. They had breakfast for us and were all so kind,” said the Rev. Scott Reilly, who serves as associate pastor of St. Brendan the Navigator Parish.

The Legionaries of Christ is an international Roman Catholic religious congregation of priests and men studying for the priesthood. In the U.S., its parishes are located in about 40 cities in 27 states.

  Updated School Voucher List Released

The state has released an updated list of low-performing K-12 schools where students can apply for Georgia’s new school voucher program. See the full list here.

The revised list includes about 500 schools, which is similar to the number on the original list released in December. Due to its large size, state education leaders ordered a review of the initial list.

Students who live in one of the listed schools’ attendance zones are eligible to apply for the program, but voucher slots are limited to 6,500 in the program’s first year and could ultimately be decided by a drawing.

The application period begins on March 1.

Federal Job Cuts Reach Georgia

The Trump administration’s federal job cuts include nearly 1,300 probationary employees at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The layoff of roughly 10% of the CDC’s workforce comes as Trump orders spending cuts at many federal agencies across the country, citing his goal of reducing government bloat.

Among Georgia’s political leaders, reaction to the CDC cuts fell along partisan lines, with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp saying “government can stand a little right-sizing” and Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff terming the layoffs “indefensible” and “indiscriminate.”

As of November, the federal government employed about 3 million people nationally, up from 2.7 million in 2014. A 2023 count found Georgia with 77,034 federal workers, which ranked No. 6 among states.

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➤ Rincon: A 45-year-old woman suffered serious injuries, and two others received minor injuries when their car was struck by a slow-moving train Monday morning. (More)

➤ Atlanta: A federal judge ruled against a death row inmate who, citing his medical history, suggested the use of a firing squad instead of lethal injection. (More)

➤ West Georgia: Several thousand homes and businesses remained without power as of Monday morning as utility crews worked to clear trees downed by Sunday’s storms. (More)

➤ Tifton: The city sent a cease-and-desist order to a woman using her home as a wildlife refuge for raccoons, owls, vultures, and deer, saying such use violates city code. (More)

➤ Washington, D.C.: U.S. Rep. Brian Jack, R-Peachtree City, was appointed to serve on the House DOGE subcommittee chaired by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome. (More)

➤ Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young says he is “not a fan” of the new NBA All-Star Game format. (More)

➤ Former Pro Bowl quarterback Jameis Winston called Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix “a future Super Bowl MVP.” (More)

➤ The Atlanta Braves extended a spring training invite to Georgia native Buck Farmer, a veteran relief pitcher coming off a strong 2024 season. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAASB | Soccer 

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➤ Double B Plant Farm in Grovetown will close after 37 years in business. The owners have decided not to rebuild after the 30-acre site was leveled by Hurricane Helene. (More)

➤ One of the area’s top developers outlined his vision for converting the old Applied Fiber factory complex in Leesburg into a mixed-use site to include housing. (More)

➤ Upscale convenience store chain Wawa will open two stores in Hinesville this week, continuing the Pennsylvania-based retailer’s expansion in the state. (More)

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➤ The North Georgia mountains could see a dusting of snow this week while other parts of the state brace for cold temperatures and midweek rain. (More)

➤ Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta tops the list of the “7 Most Spectacular Aquariums You Need to Visit,” according to the Times of India. (More)

➤ Karen T. Jordan of Savannah said that her late mother would have been “ecstatic” about The Six Triple Eight, the Tyler Perry-directed Netflix movie that tells the story of her mother’s WWII Army Corps unit. (More)

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