State obtains indictment against Cobb County clerk

Top Stories for August 2nd 

Publish Date: August 2nd 

From the BG AD Group Studio Welcome to the Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. 

Today is Saturday, August 2nd and Happy Birthday to Carroll O’Connor 

I’m Peyton Spurlock and here are your top stories presented by Gwinnett KIA Mall of Georgia. 

1. State obtains indictment against Cobb County clerk 
2. Study says Dacula is one of America's five safest suburbs, Buford also in top 10 
3. Georgia Power seeking certification of new energy projects 

Plus, the Stripers report with JR Ritchie, starter in the MLB All-Star Futures Game and the Braves’ No. 2 prospect 

All of this and more is coming up on the Gwinnett Daily Post podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen daily and subscribe! 

----------------------

Break 1: 07.14.22 KIA MOG 

----------------------

STORY 1: State obtains indictment against Cobb County clerk 

 Cobb County Court Clerk Connie Taylor was indicted Thursday, accused of ordering the destruction of government emails and financial records in 2022. The charges? Two counts each of destroying public records and violating her oath of office. 

The allegations stem from an open records request in October 2022. Taylor allegedly told an employee to delete the documents. 

Calls to Taylor’s office Thursday? Dodged. One staffer even forwarded a call to a local newspaper. 

The GBI and Carr’s White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit presented evidence to a grand jury, leading to the indictment. 

For now, Taylor is presumed innocent, but the case has echoes of a 2019 conviction Carr secured against a former Atlanta press secretary for delaying open records. Transparency, it seems, remains a battle. 

STORY 2:  Study says Dacula is one of America's five safest suburbs, Buford also in top 10 

If you live in Dacula or Buford, you’ve got bragging rights—both suburbs just ranked among the safest in America, according to a new study by SmartAsset. Dacula snagged the No. 5 spot, with Buford right behind at No. 6. Not bad, right? 

The study looked at everything from violent and property crime rates to traffic deaths, drug overdoses, and even excessive drinking. Dacula’s numbers? Just 0.0017 violent crimes per capita and 0.0062 property crimes. Buford wasn’t far off, but Dacula edged it out. 

Both cities tied in other categories, like traffic deaths (9.34 per 100,000) and overdose rates. 

Oh, and housing? Dacula’s median monthly cost is $1,547, while Buford’s is a bit lower at $1,300. 

Georgia had a few other cities in the rankings—Canton at No. 20, Acworth at 63—but Dacula and Buford are clearly leading the pack.  

STORY 3:  Georgia Power seeking certification of new energy projects 

Georgia Power is making big moves, asking state regulators to greenlight nearly 10,000 megawatts of new energy projects. That’s a lot of power—enough to keep millions of homes and businesses running, no matter the weather. 

Most of it—about 8,000 megawatts—comes from projects already approved in 2022, including natural gas plants, solar paired with batteries, and standalone battery storage systems. Another 1,886 megawatts comes from this year’s plans, with similar projects in the mix. 

But not everyone’s thrilled. Environmental groups argue the new gas turbines double down on fossil fuels instead of pushing harder for renewables. 

Still, Georgia Power is leaning into battery storage, with projects underway in Bibb, Lowndes, Floyd, and Cherokee counties—and more on the way. 

The PSC will hold hearings this fall, with a final vote in December. 

We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info. 

We’ll be right back 

----------------------

Break 2: Ingles Markets

----------------------

STRIPERS INTERVIEW<