Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker may be getting closer to a debate.
Warnock said Wednesday that he will participate in the debate Walker prefers if Walker agrees to another forum Warnock wants, the latest turn in a months-long debate over debates. So far, Walker has not agreed to any additional debates.
Walker’s proposed debate would take place October 14th in Savannah and would be hosted by WSAV television, and shown on stations throughout Georgia.
Warnock first won election in a hotly-contested runoff election in January 2021; he is on the ballot this year for a full six-year term.
UPS to hire over 100K workers for holiday rush
UPS plans to hire more than 100,000 workers to help handle the holiday rush this season, about in line with the previous two years. Holiday-season volumes usually start rising in October and remain high into January.
While online shopping has slowed from the height of the pandemic, it’s still well above historic norms. UPS said Wednesday that there will be job openings for full- and part-time seasonal positions, primarily package handlers, drivers, and driver helpers.
According to the Atlanta-based company, roughly 35% of people hired for seasonal package-handling jobs land permanent positions.
Atlanta schools to install new weapons detectors
Atlanta Public Schools will spend $2.6 million to install more advanced weapons detection equipment in middle and high schools.
The system says the new units will supplement existing metal detectors, but have greater sensitivity and won’t require school staff to search each student’s bag by hand. In addition to safety, school officials hope it will speed up the process of checking students in.
As with many school systems, Atlanta schools have seen an increase in the number of weapons brought on campus over the last year. Most of the guns recovered have been stolen.
New COVID data expected later today
Many local eyes will be on the CDC today, as new data are expected on COVID-19 community transmission.
Athens-Clarke County has been at a high rate of transmission for the last two weeks, meaning that a mask mandate is in effect on public transit and in local government buildings.
The ACC Mayor and Commission voted to renew the long-standing state of emergency for COVID-19 at its meeting on Tuesday.
