Compiled by Hallie G. Turner
Michael Doti opened the show with news regarding major US airlines and numerous travel groups are encouraging the Biden administration to develop temporary COVID passports.
Doti also reported that this plan would allow people who do travel by airplane to have digital proof of a negative COVID test or a vaccination so they would not have to quarantine. Leaders of the travel industry believe these credentials will be essential to accelerate safe economic activity and recovery. The Airlines for America travel group also believes that this could be big for the airline business, as they have struggled for nearly a year now.
The Biden administration may be busy with other things though. According to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, the primary goal for the US government right now is getting people vaccinated. The CDC even said that vaccinated people should still avoid traveling.
Next up Conner Hendricks gave the latest on state news where Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office is reopening the investigation into Kendrick Johnson’s death. Johnson was a student at Lowndes County High School and was found rolled up in a gym mat back in 2013.
Hendricks stated in his report that the death was ruled accidental and the GBI closed the case over the summer. Investigators believed he died due to accidental asphyxiation, but the family provided two autopsies showing blunt force trauma. Johnson’s family believes he was killed by schoolmates. The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office expects the investigation to take at least six months.
Hallie Turner proceeded with an update on the local Athens news where a on a woman was scammed into wiring $8,000 to a man she met on a dating app.
The suspect was scammed by a man who calls himself “Casanova Scammer.” They met on a dating app called The League. The two started their online relationship and then he told her that he was paying off $30,000 on her home mortgage and $50,000 of student loan debt that never occurred. According to Athens Clarke Police Lieutenant Shaun Barnett, the case has been turned over to a detective.
Thomas Ehlers then reported on the jury selection that began Tuesday in the trial of the police officer charged in killing George Floyd. Derek Chauvin faces second degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter charges.
Chauvin pleaded not guilty and will possibly face a third-degree murder charge pending a trial judge’s decision. Chauvin faces up to 40 years and 10 years, respectively, for the charges. According to CNN, nine jurors were interviewed, and as of Tuesday afternoon, officials selected a woman and two men to serve so far. CNN reports finding potential jurors could last up to three weeks, as the court must find 12 jurors and two alternates for the trial.
Doti reported that Georgia lawmakers are working to try to make this the final daylight savings time. State Representative Wes Cantrell is the one who brought House Bill 44 to life, and its proposal is to permanently keep the state of Georgia in standard time. Cantrell argues to make the switch in order to preserve the eight months we have at the same time, from March to November.
If House Bill 44 passes through the Senate, Georgia would become the 16th state to enact legislation to get rid of daylight savings time, however federal law prohibits states from doing that, so they would have to wait for Congress to act. Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states that don’t recognize daylight savings time at all.
Hallie Turner gave the latest on entertainment where UGA and Grady graduate of 2012 Audrey Martin watched her small idea turn into five hours of national television content. The four part documentary series, “The Inside Story” just aired on Mar 4. This series gave viewers what Andrew Shearer with the Athens Banner Heralded calls an intimate and reflective look at the 30-year history of the program.
This series combined more than 100 interviews with certain clips that date all the way back to 1989 when “inside the NBA” began. It is four 90-minute episodes centered around the four hosts of Inside the NBA, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal. Martin wanted their stories to be told in the best way possible and she hopes the documentary reflects that.
Doti followed up with a story where an adopted child found out her biological father is a famous murder. Kathy Gillchrist’s four-year search finally came to an end thanks to her third cousin and genealogical researcher, Susan Gilmor.
William Bradford Bishop Jr. is one of the most wanted criminals by the FBI for murdering his family back in 1976. According to the FBI, Bishop is accused of bludgeoning his mother, wife and three sons to death in their hometown in Maryland. He then drove all the way to Columbia, North Carolina where he put them into shallow graves and then lit the graves on fire, according to reports.
Doti reported that the FBI said Bishop is an insomniac and was previously under psychiatric care while taking medication for depression. He was apparently prone to violent outbursts. Bishop would be 84 today, and the FBI still classifies him as armed and dangerous with suicidal tendencies.
Yara Manasrah appeared on the show to give an international report on the royal family interview with Oprah. Almost 48 hours after a bombshell interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, the Royal Palace has broken its silence. The couple’s statements regarding an unnamed royal family member’s concerns over the color of their unborn son’s skin as well as the Duchess’s contemplations of suicide made major waves both in Britain and across the globe, with some comparing the incident to the Prince’s late mother Princess Diana and her interviews after her divorce.
The statement describes how “the whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” as well as “the issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning.” CNN reported that the Sussexes have no plans to respond to the Tuesday statement.
Manasrah ended her report with staying that one immediate consequence of the royal fallout, according to NPR, was the departure of Piers Morgan from Good Morning Britain after his sharp remarks of the Duchess’ claims that she considered suicide drew mass criticism from both viewers and his colleague, Alex Beresford. This resulted in Morgan walking off the set, saying, “OK, I’m done with this.”
Thomas Ehlers closed out Wednesday’s show with the Sports Power Minute. He began with the SEC men’s basketball tournament kicking off at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Texas A&M and Vanderbilt compete in first round action, while Georgia faces the Missouri Tigers on Mar. 11.
The Gonzaga men’s basketball team capped an undefeated regular season last night with a win in the West Coast Conference championship. The Bulldogs defeated Brigham Young University 88-78, overcoming a 12-point deficit at halftime and receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. They look to become the first undefeated NCAA Champion since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers.
The Georgia men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams prepare for national championships this weekend. The University of Arkansas hosts nationals this year, taking place Thursday through Saturday. Several UGA athletes have chances to win individual championships, including pentathlete Anna Hall, heptathlete Kyle Garland and multi-event athlete Matthew Boiling with others slated for hardware in other events. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 and have a shot for a first-place team finish.