Memorials, lawsuit mark death anniversary of Ahmaud Arbery
Lawmakers paused to remember him at the Georgia state Capitol, and President Joe Biden offered thoughts on the slaying one year ago of Ahmaud Arbery. As three men await trial for murder, those closest to Arbery sought to make sure his death isn't overlooked again. Pleas for justice by Arbery's family went largely unheard as Georgia and the nation entered lockdown in the coronavirus pandemic. AdThe anniversary march was organized by the 2:23 Foundation, a group founded by Vaughn and Arbery's cousin, Demetris Frazier, to fight systemic racism. Vaughn, who coached Arbery at Brunswick High School, said the slaying remains painfully fresh.
Maine company successfully launches prototype rocket
This Jan. 31, 2021 image provided by bluShift Aerospace shows The Knack Factory in Limestone, Maine, where an unmanned rocket lifts off in a test run. It was the first commercial rocket launch in Maine history. (bluShift Aerospace via AP)BRUNSWICK, Maine โ A Maine company thatโs developing a rocket to propel small satellites into space passed its first major test on Sunday. Itโs carbon neutral.โAdThe goal is to create a small rocket that could launch a 30-kilogram (66-pound) payload into low-Earth orbit, more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) above Earth's surface. An attempted test launch in Limestone earlier in January was postponed because of weather.
Bond denied for father, son charged in Ahmaud Arbery slaying
In this image made from video, from left, father and son, Gregory and Travis McMichael, accused in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia on Feb. 2020, listen via closed circuit tv in the Glynn County Detention center in Brunswick, Ga., on Thursday, Nov. 12, as lawyers argue for bond to be set at the Glynn County courthouse. The McMichaels chased and fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, after they spotted him running in their neighborhood just outside the port city of Brunswick. (AP Photo/Lewis Levine)
Judge: Voters can't abolish embattled GA police department
BRUNSWICK, Ga. โ Voters can't try to abolish an embattled Georgia police department that was wrapped in controversy even before the department oversaw the initial investigation into the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a judge ruled Friday. Superior Court Judge Charles Paul Rose ruled that the referendum on abolishing the Glynn County Police Department is unconstitutional. Brian Kemp signed the measure amid troubled times for Glynn County police. And Glynn County officers brought no charges in February after Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by white men who armed themselves and pursued him after spotting Arbery running in their neighborhood. Glynn County commissioners filed suit to stop the vote, saying it infringed on their authority under Georgia's constitution to provide police services.
Georgia county where Black man shot sues over policing vote
BRUNSWICK, Ga. โ The commissioners of a coastal Georgia county where Black man Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot after being pursued by armed white men are suing to stop a referendum on abolishing the county police department. The Glynn County Commission filed the lawsuit Friday, The Brunswick News reports. Glynn County commissioners have opposed that effort, saying two local Republican lawmakers are trying to help their political ally, Sheriff Neal Jump. A Glynn County narcotics officer was found to have been having sex with two confidential informants. The county also argues the law is improperly targeted at only Glynn County.
Arbery family lawyer: Feds looking into how case handled
In this May 17, 2020, photo, a recently painted mural of Ahmaud Arbery is on display in Brunswick, Ga., where the 25-year-old man was shot and killed in February. (AP Photo/Sarah Blake Morgan)ATLANTA โ A lawyer for the family of Ahmaud Arbery said Monday that a federal prosecutor told the slain man's mother federal officials are investigating potential misconduct by local officials who handled the case. Lawyer Lee Merritt said U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine, whose jurisdiction includes southern Georgia, met with him and Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, on Thursday. More than two months passed before Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, were arrested on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault. The elder McMichael worked for her as an investigator before retiring a year ago, which required the office to step away from the case.
Ahmaud Arbery case puts spotlight on community's race legacy
On the contrary, residents say, Brunswick has often stood out for its ability to work through troubled times peacefully, though it is far from perfect. โI donโt think a few bad white people have defined this whole community,โ Mayor Cornell Harvey told The Associated Press. But the organization worked with white residents, and many places were integrated without protest or confrontation. But she also pointed to a recent anti-racism training she co-facilitated at the city's Robert S. Abbott Race Unity Institute. Ahmaud's killing โis not just an issue that people here say is one for the black community.
5 things to know today - that aren't about the virus
McMichael's father, Gregory, who was also at the scene, said Arbery was shot as the two men fought over the gun, according to the police report. The AP has not been able to verify the source of the video. (Twitter via AP)Your daily look at nonvirus stories in the news:1. DOJ ABRUPTLY DROPS FLYNN CASE The prosecution against Trumpโs first national security adviser has become a rallying cry for the president and his supporters in attacking the FBIโs Russia investigation. JUDGE WON'T TOSS COLLEGE BRIBERY CHARGES A federal judge has refused to dismiss charges against actress Lori Loughlin, her fashion designer husband and other prominent parents accused of cheating the college admissions process.