Award-winning consumer reporter Harry Samler - also known as Better Call Harry - has launched his own series of podcasts. In episode one, Harry talks with Jason Wiggam, a veteran metro Atlanta tax attorney, about everything you need to know when filing your taxes ... and even how to get them done for free.…

Forty years after the historic Quality Basic Education Act, Georgia lawmakers are again struggling to meet the demands of a good education in the state's public school systems. Also: President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are turning their Department of Government Efficiency efforts toward the U.S. Department of Education, and Georgia congressman Bud…

School districts across Georgia are scrambling to meet a July deadline to train thousands of teachers in a new set of curricula intended to help improve literacy rates. The mandate is connected to a new law passed by the state legislature in 2023 intended to overhaul how children learn to read to address a state-wide education crisis: By fourth gra…

A Georgia lawmaker is trying to pump the brakes on a long-time police practice that generates millions for small cities off the backs of drivers. The proposed legislation follows a series of Atlanta News First investigations published over the past year entitled Taxation through Citation that uncovered at least 17 municipalities relying on 25 perce…

North Georgia residents are one step closer to getting answers about how chemical contamination in their drinking water may have impacted their health. Emory University's pilot study is in direct response to a 2023 Atlanta News First investigation which tested 11 Rome residents for PFAS and other 'forever chemicals.'…

Families who’ve had their food benefits stolen this month are now finding out there’s no money left to replace them after federal funds to reimburse stolen benefits ended in December, but the fraud is increasing at an alarming rate. An Atlanta News First investigation found thieves are swiping millions in federal taxpayer dollars, while families ac…

Georgia lawmakers are tackling the controversy over transgender women and girls participating in women and girls' sports. Also, a bill introduced in the state legislature is designed to provide more safety measures for students in Georgia schools, while the issue of immigration and deportations continues making national headlines.…

A DeKalb County neighborhood has been swarmed with vultures for months. Leaders in DeKalb County could raise your water and sewer bill by 10%. The DeKalb County School Board is spending millions to buy Kroger office space in Northlake. Decatur Dish airs every Tuesday on ANF+ at 12:30 p.m.

Atlanta News First and our media partners at Decaturish spoke to DeKalb County Chief of Police Mirtha Ramos on crime and emergency response, staffing initiatives, and her hopes for the future.

Families who’ve had their food benefits stolen are now finding out there’s no money left to replace them after federal funds to reimburse stolen benefits ended in December, and the fraud is increasing at an alarming rate. An Atlanta News First investigation found thieves are swiping millions in federal taxpayer dollars, while families across the co…

According to the Georgia Department of Education , 19,888 of Atlanta Public School students missed more than 15 days of class in 2023. A child is considered chronically absent when they’ve missed 10 percent of their school year. An analysis by Atlanta News First Investigates revealed this school system saw metro Atlanta’s highest rate of absenteeis…

President Donald Trump will sign the Laken Riley Act on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, marking his new administration's first step toward immigration reform. At the same time, federal immigration authorities are conducting raids that are arresting alleged criminals who have entered the U.S. illegally. Also, the White House has temporarily suspended all …

Businesses and insurance experts argue state law is driving businesses out of high-crime areas and Georgia altogether, as well as making insurance coverage more expensive, if it can be obtained at all.

Two drug testing labs contracted by the state of Georgia to conduct drug tests are under fire for allegedly returning false positive reports.

The state’s highest court will soon decide whether a man convicted of killing his infant son more than 20 years ago will get a new trial. The case involves the controversial medical diagnosis, shaken baby syndrome. In 2003, a Gwinnett County jury convicted Danyel Smith of murdering his two-month-old son, Chandler. The state’s medical examiner ruled…

Loris Sinanian is a deacon at St. Francis of Assisi’s in north Georgia’s town of Blairsville. At age 93, he still leads mass, but these days, he needs his faith more than ever. A few months ago, Sinanian lost his wife, Peggy. Just before that, he lost his life savings to an internet scam. “Somehow, they got into my computer,” Sinanian said. “When t…

The Laken Riley Act has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives, and is now being considered in the U.S. Senate. Emily Davis, an adjunct professor of law at Emory University and an immigration law expert, joins Atlanta News First Digital Producer Tim Darnell to break down what the proposed law - named after Laken Riley, whose body was foun…

Friday’s winter storm swept through north Georgia and metro Atlanta, covering the area in several inches of snow. Nearly all of north Georgia was under a winter storm warning from 5 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday, closing schools and businesses. Many residents could be seen walking around, sledding, and even building snowmen. A cold front is now ex…

When Patricia Miele’s family moved her into Greenwood Place Assisted Living and Memory Care in Marietta this past October, they trusted the 89-year-old was in good hands, adding the facility came highly recommended. Miele moved from Connecticut to Georgia years ago to be closer to her family and two grandchildren. The former schoolteacher and devou…

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp gave the public an update on Friday morning as a winter storm blew through the area, dumping inches of snow. Download our Atlanta News First app for the latest news and information.Door Atlanta News First

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens appeared on Atlanta News First to update the public on the city's status as a winter storm blows through. Download our Atlanta News First app for the latest news and information.

President Joe Biden, a longtime friend of Jimmy Carter, delivered Carter's eulogy at his state funeral in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Jan. 9. Download our Atlanta News First app for the latest news and information.

Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter's grandson and a politician in his own right, was one of several speakers at the former president's state funeral in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Jan. 9. Download our Atlanta News First app for the latest news and information.

Andrew Young, a civil rights activist and former Atlanta mayor, spoke at Jimmy Carter's funeral in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Jan. 9. Download our Atlanta News First app for the latest news and information.

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond has left office, ending an eight-year stint as leader of the state’s fourth most populous county. Thurmond has spent much of the last four decades as an elected official. He joined the Decatur Dish to reflect on his tenure and look to the future. Download our Atlanta News First app for the latest news and informat…

Of the many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Jason James Carter has followed the closest career path of his legendary grandfather. “He had this tireless energy,” Jason Carter said during his first local television interview with Monica Pearson. “He had this tireless energy, and I feel like I’m always tir…

People from all over have expressed how former President Jimmy Carter impacted their lives. Recently, Atlanta News First spent some time with former U.N. Ambassador and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young at his westside home. Young knew Carter for 55 years and he reflected on the memories that stood out between him and Georgia’s revered native son. Downloa…

Former President Jimmy Carter was widely known as being a strong environmentalist whose administration was faced with some of the nation’s most critical energy challenges in U.S. history. Energy independence was a key focus of Carter’s administration. On Feb. 2, 1977, he signed the Emergency Natural Gas Act. Two months later, during his second nati…

In 1979, Jimmy Carter’s presidency was under siege from all fronts. Domestically, the nation was reeling. Inflation had reached an all-time high, and consumers were feeling the effects of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ 1973 cuts in oil production. The U.S. was in the midst of a full-blown energy crisis, with Middle Eastern natio…

James Earl Carter, Jr., was a farmer, nuclear engineer, writer, painter, homebuilder, family patriarch ... and also the 39th president of the United States who happened to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Alain Sanders, a former TIME Magazine senior reporter who is now professor emeritus at St. Peters University in Jersey City, Jersey, joins Atlanta News F…

A rural county south of Atlanta has become a target for scammers trying to make tens of thousands of dollars off people’s vacant property through local real estate agents. Atlanta News First Investigates discovered a growing issue of sham sellers near Barnesville, where a significant amount of growth is taking place. Real estate agents say the scam…

As 2024 comes to a close, Atlanta News First and Decaturish look back at the news stories that made headlines in and around DeKalb County. Catch weekly episodes every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. EST on ANF+ and Decaturish.com. Download our Atlanta News First app for the latest news and information.Door Atlanta News First / Decaturish