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Pastors believe their primary role is getting people prepared for eternity, survey finds

BETHLEHEM, Ga. — Researchers from the Barna Group have identified stark differences of opinion about ministry between pastors and unchurched people in the communities they serve. “Eighty-four percent of pastors believe the church’s main role is to tell others about Jesus,” Barna said in an article published last week. “Non-Christians, on the other hand, think local churches should focus outward, providing practical help for people in their community.”

Honoring fallen heroes: Americans pay tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice

HULL, Ga. — Sharon Reid is proud of her great uncle Harry Spratlin, a Georgia soldier killed in action in the waning days of World War I. Reid and her cousins gathered this Memorial Day weekend to lay a wreath at the base of his headstone in a rural cemetery just up the road from the farm where he was raised.

Chemical plant operator repays Georgia fire departments $37K for gear, overtime costs fire

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — The operator of a Georgia chemical plant where a raging fire erupted in April is reimbursing fire departments for damaged equipment and overtime pay accrued battling the blaze. Glynn County commissioners on Thursday accepted a check for around $37,000 from Pinova, which produces turpine resins used in glues and other adhesives in the port city of Brunswick.

Real-life ‘Fast and Furious’: Car sent flying over tow truck in Georgia, video shows

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) — It looks like a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster. A sedan rockets into the air after driving up the ramp of a flatbed tow truck on a Georgia highway. And the whole crash is caught on video by an officer's body camera. Shocked motorists and law enforcement watched in horror as the Nissan Altima was launched 120 feet down the highway in Lowndes County, according to a police report on the May 24 crash.

Police in Atlanta arrest 3 behind bail fund supporting protests against police training complex

ATLANTA (AP) — Police on Wednesday arrested three key Atlanta organizers who have been aiding protesters against the city's proposed police and fire training center. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced its agents and Atlanta police had arrested three officers of the group that runs the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, which has bailed out protesters and helped them find lawyers. Charged with money laundering and charity fraud are Marlon Scott Kautz, 39, of Atlanta; Savannah D. Patterson, 30, of Savannah; and Adele MacLean, 42, of Atlanta.

Finnish company Admares plans $750 million modular housing factory in US, hiring 1,400

WAYCROSS, Ga. (AP) — Finnish company Admares plans to invest $750 million to build a modular housing factory in the U.S. state of Georgia, hiring 1,400 people, officials announced Wednesday. The company plans to mass produce housing using heavily automated factories. Admares, which was founded in Turku, Finland, said it's in the process of relocating its headquarters to the United States.

More Georgia news

Nation

Hoskin wins another 4-year term as chief of Cherokee Nation, country's most populous tribe

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) — Cherokee Nation’s Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. won reelection to another four-year term as leader of the nation’s most populous tribe, according to unofficial results posted Monday on the tribe's website. Those results, which are expected to be certified later Monday by the tribe's Election Commission, show Hoskin won nearly 63% of the vote in the four-way race for chief.

Plane crashes in rural Virginia after flying over DC, leaving 4 dead

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal investigators trudged through rugged terrain Monday in search of wreckage from a business jet to solve the mystery of why the plane veered off course and slammed into a mountain, killing four people. A day after the plane flew over the nation's capital, prompting the military to scramble fighter jets, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a brief update that the pilot and three passengers were killed and that the plane was “destroyed” in the crash.

7 shot, 1 fatally, in Chicago when gunfire erupts amid remembrance for man killed in car crash

CHICAGO (AP) — A 25-year-old woman was fatally shot and six other people were wounded early Sunday when gunfire erupted in Chicago during a remembrance for a man who died in a car crash, police said. A large group of people had gathered about 1 a.m. to mark four years since a man's fatal crash when there was an altercation and shots rang out, said Deputy Chief Adnardo Gutierrez of the Chicago Police Department, WLS-TV reported.

France's spectacular abbey Mont-Saint-Michel celebrates 1,000th birthday

PARIS (AP) — France’s beloved abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel has reached a ripe old age. It's been 1,000 years since the laying of its first stone. The millennial of the UNESCO World Heritage site and key Normandy tourism magnet is being celebrated until November with exhibits, dance shows and concerts. French President Emmanuel Macron is heading there on Monday.

Chinese defense minister tells US to 'Mind your own business' after close-call in Taiwan Strait

BANGKOK (AP) — The United States military released video Monday of what it called an “unsafe” Chinese maneuver in the Taiwan Strait on the weekend, in which a Chinese navy ship cut sharply across the path of an American destroyer, forcing the U.S. vessel to slow to avoid a collision. The incident occurred Saturday as the American destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal were conducting a so-called “freedom of navigation” transit of the strait between Taiwan and mainland China.

Norfolk Southern is first railroad to give all workers sick time but all see progress in labor talks

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Norfolk Southern became the first major freight railroad with deals to provide paid sick time to all of its workers Monday, but the other railroads are making progress with nearly 60% of all rail workers securing this basic benefit since the start of the year.

Saudi Arabia cuts in oil supply could mean higher gas prices for US drivers

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Saudi Arabia will reduce how much oil it sends to the global economy, taking a unilateral step to prop up the sagging price of crude after two previous cuts to supply by major producing countries in the OPEC+ alliance failed to push oil higher. The Saudi cut of 1 million barrels per day, to start in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers agreed in a meeting in Vienna to extend earlier production cuts through next year.

US jobs report for May could point to slower hiring as Fed rate hikes cool demand for workers

WASHINGTON (AP) — America's surprisingly resilient job market may have delivered yet another month of solid hiring and pay gains in May, if economists' forecasts prove to be correct. Still, some signs of cooling could emerge in the government report being released Friday. Analysts have estimated that hiring slowed to a still-healthy pace of 190,000 added jobs last month, according to a survey by the data provider FactSet.

Money stored in Venmo, other payment apps could be vulnerable, financial watchdog warns

NEW YORK (AP) — Customers of Venmo, PayPal and CashApp should not store their money for the long term with these apps because their funds might not be safe during a crisis, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned on Thursday. The alert comes several weeks after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, which all experienced bank runs after fearful customers with uninsured deposits pulled their money en masse.

Vick, Fitzgerald and Suggs among stars on College Football Hall of Fame ballot for 1st time

Michael Vick, Larry Fitzgerald and Terrell Suggs are among the college football stars who will be considered for induction to the Hall of Fame for the first time this year. The National Football Foundation released Monday a list of 78 players and nine coaches from major college football who are on the Hall of Fame ballot. There also are 101 players and 32 coaches from lower divisions of college football up for consideration.

Rosario's grand slam caps Braves' 8-5 comeback win over Diamondbacks

PHOENIX (AP) — The Atlanta Braves were down to their last out, the difference between a successful series and disappointment hanging in the balance. With one swing of the bat, Eddie Rosario sent the ball over the wall and the Braves back home with some momentum. Rosario hit a grand slam off Miguel Castro with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Braves rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-5 on Sunday.