Mary Jones, a longtime dispatcher for the Sparta Police Department in Georgia, was killed in the Sept. 12 crash. Sparta is a small community between Atlanta and Augusta.

A railroad company wants to use eminent domain to condemn property in one of Georgia's poorest areas.

At least 15,148 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported across the state, including 80 new deaths added Monday on the state’s status report. The state reported 50 additional hospitalizations Monday, bringing the total for the year to 56,089. Over the year since the pandemic reached Georgia, about one of every 13 residents have tested positive for coronavirus. His 20-year career was honored with a parade that passed right by the house of Linda Thompson, Gibb’s mother. On Monday, Georgia reported 2,060,352 vaccines have been given in the state, with nearly 1.3 people having received their first dose and almost 778,318 have both shots.

(Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)The Georgia Department of Public Health on Saturday reported 6,606 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those cases, 136 were reported in the six Southeast Georgia counties tracked by News4Jax. As of Saturday, a total of 581,999 confirmed cases had been reported by the state Department of Public Health. (Note: There are variations in the day-to-day data reported by the Georgia Department of Public Health. At times, cases and deaths are removed from the overall running total reported by the Department of Public Health.)

The earthquake’s epicenter was in Allegheny County, North Carolina. The earthquake was also felt by those in southwest Virginia, Tennessee and as far south as Atlanta, Georgia. It was the largest earthquake to hit North Carolina since 1916, when a magnitude 5.5 quake occurred near Skyland, the National Weather Service said. Earlier Sunday morning, the USGS reported a 2.6 magnitude earthquake close by in Sparta, North Carolina. Keep up to date on any changes at: https://t.co/VDWMntMTno pic.twitter.com/p1H4lEtgae — USGS (@USGS) August 9, 2020The Associated Press contributed to this report.

SPARTA, Ky. Cole Custer became the first rookie winner in the NASCAR Cup Series in nearly four years, surging to the lead in a four-wide, final-lap scramble Sunday at Kentucky Speedway. The victory was the first by a series rookie since Chris Buescher at Pocono on Aug. 1, 2016. Making his 20th series start, the 22-year-old Custer celebrated with a frontstretch burnout as his crew happily ran to greet him. That didn't last long as Truex quickly stalked him on the last-stage restart and took over on 181 in hopes of his third Kentucky win in four years. Truex settled for watching Custer take the win.

SPARTA, Ky. Austin Cindric dominated Friday night to sweep the NASCAR Xfinity Series doubleheader at Kentucky Speedway. A night after racing to his first career oval victory in an overtime finish, the Team Penske driver was even stronger in the No. Cindric was third in the first stage, won the second and stretched it out in the final segment. The 21-year-old Cindric, son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric, won twice last year on road courses at Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio. Gragson again showed early strength in taking the 45-lap first stage, his third segment win in two nights on the 1.5-mile oval.

SPARTA, Ky. Austin Cindric won the first of two NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Kentucky Speedway, charging past Chase Briscoe on an overtime restart Thursday night for his first victory of the season and first on an oval. Cindric spent most of the first two stages chasing Noah Gragson, the pole-sitter who seemed poised to dominate all three segments. The 21-year-old Cindric had eight top-10s on ovals before breaking through on the 1.5-mile Kentucky layout. His only other series victories came last year on road courses at Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio. Briscoe entered the race red hot with consecutive victories at Pocono and Indianapolis and three in his past four starts.