EAST METRO Top Stories for January 2nd
Publish Date: January 2nd
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From the Ingles Studio, Welcome to The Community Podcast. This Podcast brings you the top stories from the Rockdale-Newton Citizen and the Morgan Citizen.
Today is Friday, January 2nd and Happy birthday to Cuba Gooding Jr.
I’m Peyton Spurlock and here are your top stories presented by Times Journal
Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on breads
These stories and more are coming up in today’s edition of the Community Podcast for Rockdale, Newton, and Morgan Counties! Please like, follow, and subscribe.
BREAK: Bama Boys Towing
STORY 1: Piedmont doctor brings primary care to Monastery monks
Tucked away in the quiet solitude of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, the monks live a life of prayer and reflection, rarely venturing beyond their sacred grounds. But as the years pass, age and health challenges have made even simple trips to the doctor a burden for many of them.
Enter Dr. Bania Calero, a Piedmont family physician who brings care directly to their doorstep. “It’s a blessing,” says Father Augustine Myslinski, the monastery’s abbot.
From managing chronic conditions to performing bloodwork onsite, Dr. Calero ensures the monks get the care they need—without leaving their sanctuary. Brother Emilio Rafael, who struggles with back pain, says tools like MyChart make it easy to stay on top of appointments and records.
STORY 2: One person shot in domestic incident in Porterdale
Chaos erupted on Madison Way Dec. 28 when a domestic dispute turned violent, leaving one person shot and a man in handcuffs.
Police arrived at 75 Madison Way to find Conrad Barrett, 36, arrested on the spot. He’s now facing a laundry list of charges: aggravated assault, cruelty to children, reckless conduct—you name it.
The victim, thankfully, is stable and recovering at Grady Hospital. As for the relationship between Barrett and the victim? Police are keeping that under wraps for now.
It’s a grim reminder of how quickly things can spiral behind closed doors.
STORY 3: Robins Financial Credit Union donates to local non-profits
This holiday season, Robins Financial Credit Union spread some serious cheer, donating $22,000 to seven Rockdale County nonprofits as part of their annual Holiday Giving initiative. Statewide, they gave a whopping $192,000 to 66 organizations.
To celebrate, they hosted a Community Champions event—an evening to honor the nonprofits making a difference. “The holidays are tough for so many,” said CEO Christina O’Brien. “We’re just grateful to support those who work tirelessly to lift others up.”
One recipient, Family Promise of New Rock, called the donation “critical.” Meanwhile, employees pitched in too, collecting diapers, scarves, and care boxes for those in need.
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We’ll be right back
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STORY 4: New laws will address professional services, homeowner protections, car owners and politicians
While most of this year’s new laws kicked in back in July, a few big ones are ringing in the New Year. From fixing shortages in accounting and dentistry to tweaking car tag rules and homeowner protections, here’s what’s changing:
House Bill 148 updates Georgia’s decades-old CPA licensing rules, making it easier to become an accountant and letting out-of-state firms work here without a physical office. Rep. John Carson, a CPA himself, says it’s about tackling the accountant shortage.
House Bill 567? It’s all about teledentistry. Dentists can now treat patients online, and insurance has to cover it. “Geography shouldn’t block care,” said Kristen Morgan of the Georgia Dental Association.
Homeowners get a break too. Senate Bill 35 doubles the notice period for insurance nonrenewals, while Senate Bill 112 ensures HVAC warranties transfer to buyers and start when installed—no more hoops like product registration.
Campaign finance gets a shake-up with Senate Bill 199, which tightens PAC reporting rules, standardizes disclosure dates, and bans ethics investigations within 60 days of elections.
And for the patriotic? Senate Bill 291 introduces a new “America First” license plate, with proceeds going to the state’s general fund.
STORY 5: Rockdale BOE addresses safety concerns with PBIS program
With concerns about bullying and student safety still swirling, the Rockdale County Board of Education spent part of its Dec. 18 meeting breaking down their Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework—a system they say is key to creating a better school climate.
Assistant Superintendent Shawna Miller tied it all back to Superintendent Shirley Chesser’s five priorities: attendance, behavior, content mastery, staff development, and stakeholder engagement. “These priorities guide everything we do,” Miller said.
The district’s new Office of Behavior Supports is tackling big goals: reducing suspensions, helping teachers manage classrooms, and rolling out direct interventions for students. They’ve even brought in experts like Dave Weber to train staff on de-escalation and social-emotional learning.
And safety? It’s high-tech now. Teachers wear lanyards that double as emergency alert buttons, instantly notifying administrators and activating classroom cameras.
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And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on breads
We’ll have closing comments after this.
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Signoff-
Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Community Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at https://www.rockdalenewtoncitizen.com/ and https://www.morgancountycitizen.com/news/
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