Author

Ross Williams

Ross Williams

Before joining the Georgia Recorder, Ross Williams covered local and state government for the Marietta Daily Journal. Williams' reporting took him from City Hall to homeless camps, from the offices of business executives to the living rooms of grieving parents. A native of Cobb County, Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Atlanta's Oglethorpe University and a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. The Florida Phoenix is a sister media outlet to the Georgia Recorder. Both outlets are part of the nonprofit States Newsroom.

Georgia’s wild turkeys were once considered a conservation success but now are in decline

By: - November 23, 2023

The majestic gobble of the wild turkey no longer echoes as loudly through Georgia’s Piedmont region as it once did. The wild turkey was once considered a conservation success story. In 1973, Georgia’s turkey count was just 17,000, but by 1984, 113,000 of the plump little critters roamed the state. Unfortunately for the turkeys, that […]

One for the books as Trump and rest of Fulton 19 enter Georgia justice system over 2020 election

By: , and - August 26, 2023

At the end of a historic week at the Fulton County jailhouse, the criminal case against former President Donald Trump and his 18 allies also accused of subverting Georgia’s 2020 presidential election is just beginning. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Trump and the rest of the group – which includes lawyers, former federal […]

Trump, allies start to forge bond deals ahead of expected booking at Fulton County jail this week

By: - August 21, 2023

Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys agreed to a $200,000 bond and other terms of release ahead of his expected trip to Georgia this week to be booked into the Fulton County Jail. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Trump and 18 co-defendants last week over an alleged conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which Trump […]

UPDATE: Suspect captured in Atlanta medical facility shooting that killed one and injured four

By: and - May 4, 2023

This story was updated at 10 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, 2023.  One person was killed and four others injured in a mass shooting at a high-rise Midtown Atlanta medical facility that put Georgia’s capital city on edge and immediately sparked calls on all levels of government for more action on gun safety. The shooting happened […]

Marjorie Taylor Greene lands on committees two years after House Democrats exiled her

By: - January 19, 2023

With Republicans regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives, controversial Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has had her committee privileges restored after Democrats stripped them in early 2021. Greene has been tapped for the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, her office confirmed Tuesday. The Homeland Security Committee deals with […]

Raphael Warnock wins U.S. Senate runoff, giving Democrats a 51-seat majority

By: - December 7, 2022

Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock will return to Washington to represent Georgia for the next six years after winning his Senate runoff Tuesday, handing Senate Democrats a coveted 51st seat. The Associated Press called the race at 10:26 p.m. Tuesday. By early Wednesday morning, Warnock had 51.3% of the vote, edging out Republican Herschel Walker […]

Decision day: Georgia’s whirlwind U.S. Senate runoff comes to a dramatic close

By: - December 6, 2022

When the sun rises Wednesday morning, Georgians will hopefully know who will represent them in the U.S. Senate for the next six years. Democrats are hoping to elect incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock and end their year on a happy note. Though the party outperformed expectations nationwide, just narrowly losing control of the U.S. House, the […]

Black voters, students home for the holiday help drive early turnout for Georgia Senate race

By: - November 29, 2022

Early voting in the U.S. Senate runoff got off to a busy start in Georgia, with more than half a million ballots cast as of Monday night, including more than 300,000 votes cast Monday. “Just…WOW!” tweeted Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer for the secretary of state Monday night. “GA voters, facilitated through the hard work […]

Georgia Supreme Court restores state’s strict six-week abortion ban, for now

By: - November 23, 2022

Most abortions are now once again illegal in Georgia because of a state Supreme Court decision. Last week, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert C. I. McBurney blocked the state’s controversial law, which bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected in the fetus, typically six weeks into a pregnancy, before most women know they are […]

Georgia Senate candidates hit campaign trail as Trump factor could again aid Warnock

By: - November 11, 2022

It’s already started. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker were back on the campaign trail Thursday, two days after an election in which neither of them received a majority of votes. The two are set to face off in a Dec. 6 runoff that is likely to be brutal and expensive. Depending on the outcome […]

Georgia’s short runoff election turnaround to spark frenzied ground game to capture Senate prize

By: - November 10, 2022

Herschel Walker and Sen. Raphael Warnock may be enjoying a break from their hectic campaign schedules for now, but they will soon be back on the roads and the airwaves hoping to convince Georgians to vote for them in the Dec. 6 runoff election. So will the grassroots organizations that aim to help them. On […]

Georgia U.S. Senate race likely headed for a Dec. 6 runoff

By: - November 9, 2022

Updated at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022.  Georgia’s U.S. Senate race appears to be headed into a runoff as neither incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock or Republican challenger Herschel Walker are projected to exceed 50% of the vote. By late Wednesday morning, Warnock held 49.34% of the vote to Walker’s 48.6%, according to unofficial […]