Today on Athens News Matters, candidate for District Attorney’s office Kalki Yalamanchili explains why he’s running. Plus, local government’s controversial decision to transfer money from youth to infrastructure.
“Doing the right thing regardless if anyone is watching:” Kalki Yalamanchili on his candidacy for District Attorney
Residents of Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties will watch this year’s election of their District Attorney closely. Kalki Yalamanchili is a local attorney running against controversial incumbent DA Deborah Gonzalez. He sat down with WUGA’s Emma Auer to discuss his candidacy.
Commissioner Jesse Houle on controversial ARPA funding decision, more
Hurricane Helene swept through Georgia last week, destroying livelihoods and knocking out power for millions. At a meeting Tuesday, the Athens-Clarke County Commission met to discuss a Hazard Mitigation Plan, the steps the county will take to prepare for future emergencies.
They also debated a controversial move: spending $3 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds on infrastructure projects rather than the youth development and violence prevention programs they were originally intended for.
Jesse Houle represents the 6th District on the Commission. They sat down to discuss the at-times fiery meeting with WUGA’s Emma Auer. Here’s that conversation now.
Georgia nonprofit backs suit against State Election Board
This year, Georgia’s Republican-led State Election Board passed a number of measures that will, if implemented, change the way elections are run. Opponents of the measures fear they could be used to block the certification of election results and sow doubt in the electoral process.
Georgia First, a cross-partisan nonprofit that aims to ensure election access and security, backed a recent lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee against the SEB. Natalie Crawford is the Executive Director of Georgia First. She sat down with WUGA’s Alexia Ridley to discuss her organization’s decision.
