Top of the morning!
Here is Your AM Rundown, with news updates in 400 words or less. Get caught up on headlines and other developments you might’ve missed. Here’s what to know for today:
- Spelman College is now eligible for an immediate grant under the Project School Emergency Response to Violence program from the U.S. Department of Education. Vice President Kamala Harris announced Wednesday that HBCUs affected by the series of national bomb threats will be able to use the Project SERV funds to increase campus security and provide mental health resources. Funds are limited and awards will range from $50,000 to $150,000 per school.
- The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections has named its interim director. The announcement comes just two months before the general primary election. Nadine Williams will lead the department in place of its embattled current director, Richard Barron, who is leaving April 1. The county is still recruiting a permanent director.
- The Georgia Senate voted in favor of legislation that will continue to allow public citizens to attend all local school board meetings. Senate Bill 588 reaffirms that school board meetings are public meetings and that observers cannot be ejected unless they are disruptive.
- Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens made it clear this week that cracking down on violent crime is one of his biggest priorities following a string of incidents that have made local and national headlines. Dickens told reporters 72% of Atlanta Police homicide cases have ended with an arrest, far above the 2020 national average of about 54%.
“I want to stress to the would-be offenders out there that if you think you want to commit a crime in this city, you might want to think again,” he said. “We have our eyes on you and you will be caught.”
ICYMI: The last day to see the Obama Portraits Tour at the High Art Museum of Atlanta is this Sunday, March 20. The original works from Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald will head to Houston next.
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