Lawmaker Charged with Unemployment Fraud

State Rep. Sharon Henderson of Covington was arrested Monday, accused of illegally collecting nearly $18,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits.

The Democratic lawmaker appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge on Monday and entered a not-guilty plea. Her bond was set at $10,000, and she was released.

Federal investigators said Henderson made eight weekly filings for unemployment after she began her term in 2021.

She also filed for weekly benefits before taking office, saying she was unemployed from a substitute teaching job due to COVID-19. Investigators said that records show she last worked as a substitute teacher in 2018.

  More Cold Forecast

North Georgia’s dreary December continues, with cloudy skies and foggy mornings set to give way to a sharp Arctic chill by the weekend.

For the Atlanta area, it’s been the coldest start to a December since 2010, with an average high of 49.1 degrees. The last day with temperatures in the 60s was two weeks ago.

For the larger region, a brief midweek warm-up is expected before colder weather returns, with highs on Saturday below 50 and overnight lows dipping into the teens.

Hawks Player’s Versatility on Display

Atlanta Hawks small forward Jalen Johnson notched his second triple-double in as many nights on Saturday, one game after posting the second-fastest triple-double in NBA history.

For the season, the fifth-year player out of Duke is up to four triple-doubles and averaging career highs across the board.

Atlanta coach Quin Snyder hinted at bigger plans for the versatile Johnson—there’s “more there,” Snyder said—as the team eyes a possible lineup shake-up.

A triple-double means making 10 or more in at least three statistical categories—usually points, rebounds, and assists—in a single game.

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➤ State: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger challenged the state’s campaign finance law, claiming it unfairly boosts fellow governor candidate Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ fundraising. A Jones spokesperson called the move “a pathetic legal challenge.”  (More)

➤ Conyers: U.S. Army veteran Godfrey Wade, 65, faces deportation after a traffic stop, amid reduced immigration law protections for non-citizen veterans. (More)

➤ Fulton County: The election department banned a poll worker who allegedly scanned ballots for absent relatives during last week’s runoff elections. (More)

➤ Dalton: Three people died last week in a wrong-way crash during a police chase on I-75 South near mile marker 336, shutting down traffic for hours. (More)

➤ Stone Mountain: Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder in the beating death of a man whose body was found in a car last month. (More)

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➤ Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner won FootballScoop’s Offensive Coordinator of the Year Award for 2025. (More)

➤ In other Yellow Jackets news, the team signed Louisiana four-star quarterback recruit Cole Bergeron, the No. 20-ranked signal caller in his class. (More)

➤ Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris said team owner Arthur Blank expressed “100% in support” of the team’s coaching staff despite this season’s 4-9 record. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ Georgia leaders stressed the need to expand workforce training to retain the Best State to Do Business title. (More)

➤ Clothing maker Magnolia Loom in Sandersville is advancing Georgia’s farm-to-fiber movement by producing locally sourced cotton shirts and paying farmers 20% above market. (More)

➤ Some local and state lawmakers called for a pause on Waymo self-driving cars in Atlanta after the vehicles were spotted passing stopped school buses. The company announced a software recall. (More)

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➤ Atlanta Braves legend Dale Murphy fell short of election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Contemporary Era balloting. He will be on the ballot again next year. (More)

➤ Sixth grader Naima Williams’ entry of “Uncle Fill” won the naming contest for Savannah’s new pothole repair truck. (More)

➤ Georgians’ average life expectancy was about 76 years in 2022, the latest data available, with women living to an average of about 79 years and men to an average of about 73 years.  (More)

Do you have a Christmas tree in your home?

1. Yes
2. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you plan to watch the World Cup next year?

1. No: 48%
2. I’ve watched before: 28%
3. Yes, first-timer: 24%

Who is the Atlanta Hawks’ all-time leader in triple-doubles?

Show me the answer