Community Tea

The Biden administration said that it is sending additional border agents to a South Texas town where thousands of Haitian migrants are being held under a bridge, as officials prepared to begin flying them back to their home country under a public-health policy allowing for rapid expulsions. U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to send 400 agents and officers to Del Rio, Texas, and is moving migrants to other processing locations along the border. 

The Department of Homeland Security plans to start flying people back to Haiti this weekend. According to officials, they are moving to increase the pace of flights back to the home countries of migrants or counties where they last lived.

At a Georgia Department of Public Health board meeting, Dr. Cherie Drenzek, a state epidemiologist, said most outbreaks are now happening in schools. More children are getting sick and spreading the virus. About 60% of all COVID-19 outbreaks in Georgia now take place in K-12 schools, with more than 100 school outbreaks so far.

Former Minneapolis police officer and now prison inmate Derek Chauvin pleaded not guilty last week to federal charges alleging he violated a teenager’s civil rights in a separate case that involved a similar restraint to the one he used on George Floyd. Chauvin was indicted on federal civil rights charges earlier in the year for an incident in September 2017 where he and two other officers responded to a domestic call in which a 14-year-old boy was accused of assaulting his mother. The two-count indictment alleges Chauvin held his knee on the boy’s neck and upper back while the teenager was face down on the ground, handcuffed and not resisting. Prosecutors say body camera video, which has not been made public, shows Chauvin striking the boy in the head with a flashlight. 

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday announced an investigation into violence and conditions inside Georgia prisons. “We must ensure the inherent dignity of everyone, including people who are incarcerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the DOJ’s civil rights division. She said the inquiry would focus on violence among the incarcerated; understaffing issues; and abuse of inmates who are gay, lesbian, transgender or otherwise identify as members of the LGBTQ community. The investigation follows calls for federal intervention by lawmakers, nonprofits, activists and loved ones of people in Georgia prisons.

As the Altanta Mayor’s race approaches, a new poll conducted by the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs news poll says the Atlanta Mayor’s race is a toss-up. City Council President Felicia Moore is in a statistical dead heat with former Mayor Kasim Reed. None of the other major candidates — Antonio Brown, Andre Dickens and Sharon Gay — cracked 6% from the 842 registered voters in the survey.

Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, is hiring thousands of workers across Georgia. Amazon has 30 facilities in metro Atlanta and hopes to fill more than 9,000 full- and part-time positions at more than 50 facilities across the state. Amazon’s fulfillment and transportation workers receive starting pay of at least $15 per hour. The company offers an average starting pay of more than $18 per hour and up to $22.50 per hour in some locations, sign-on bonuses up to $3,000 in select locations, benefits and access to training programs.

Kroger grocery stores are recalling their branded 16-ounce bags of kale because the item, produced by Baker Farms, may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. In an announcement released last week, grocery officials say the Kroger branded kale was distributed from stores in its Atlanta, Nashville and Columbus (Ohio) divisions, which serve Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, eastern West Virginia, Columbus and Toledo, Ohio, and Knoxville. Store officials say the voluntary recall includes all 16-ounce bags of the Kroger branded kale with the UPC 11110-18170 and a best by date of 09-18-2021, which is printed on the front of the package below the light blue bar. Kroger urges customers who have purchased the product to either dispose of it or return it to the store for a full refund.

The 88th annual North Georgia State Fair — which attracts more than 300,000 people each year from Georgia and neighboring states is coming to Cobb County this year. Presented by Superior Plumbing, metro Atlanta’s largest fair will be held at Jim R. Miller Park in Marietta from Thursday, Sept. 23- Sunday, Oct. 3. It will feature live music, a variety of attractions, petting barns with barnyard and exotic animals, flower shows, competitions, local entertainment, and fair foods.

SPOTLIGHT sends birthday wishes to former NAACP President Dionna who recently celebrated her 85^th birthday with family and friends.

 Have a safe and wonderful week.