The entire full-time police force and city manager in a small town in Georgia recently resigned from their positions, officials revealed during a city council meeting on Monday.
Milner, Georgia, City Manager Tausha Grose told the city council Monday night that the town's entire full-time police force and most of its part-time volunteer officers have resigned. Grose also announced her own resignation during the meeting.
"It is with my extreme sorrow that our entire full-time police department has resigned, most of our part-time police. And also, I've also filed my resignation with the city clerk today," Grose said.
Milner Police Chief Lamar Bunn accused city hall of secretly placing a tracker on his truck, paid for with personal funds and without the knowledge of anyone else in city government. He also said he had been falsely accused of having an affair with the city manager.
"City Hall every day, it's got a tracker on my truck, it was bought with personal funds and placed on my vehicle without the city council or my supervisor, city administrator knowing it," Bunn said at the meeting. "Here's the thing, still I'm looking for a glimmer of hope to stay in the city. I don't know why. It's because I've devoted my life to Lamar County. 15, 16 years with the sheriff's office and now I'm back here in this county. My dad was here in '74 policing with his police department. I got roots here."
During the meeting, Mayor Craig Timmons acknowledged the concerns and said he hopes the situation can be resolved. Officials had disagreed over police overtime and a proposal to bar officers from using city vehicles for part-time work, but those disputes were not cited as the reason for the resignations.
In resignation letters obtained by Fox News Digital, Bunn said he was stepping down over what he described as conflicts with city leadership on legal and ethical issues.
"I have determined that it is in my best interest to step down at this time due to fundamental differences regarding leadership, governance, and ethical alignment. Regrettably, recent actions and governance decisions within city leadership â specifically regarding legal compliance, ethical standards, and core values â have compromised my ability to perform my duties with integrity," Bunn said.
Other full-time employees at the police department echoed Bunn's concerns, with Milner Police Captain Craig Walton demanding an investigation into Timmons in his resignation letter.
"I sincerely hope that the residents of Milner and the members of the City Council will take these concerns seriously and pursue an independent investigation into the mayor's conduct, including any potential violations of his oath of office or the rights of city employees," Walton said.
A California mayor insisted that handing out monthly cash payments is an effective tool to combat the state's soaring cost of living, even as local leaders face steep hurdles in securing permanent taxpayer funding to keep guaranteed income programs alive.
"I believe that guaranteed income programs like our Rise Up Alameda (RUA) pilot program are a valuable and effective tool to address the affordability crisis, based on the documented experiences of program participants," Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft told Fox News Digital.
"The average age of the 150 program participants was 49 years, with 26% being 62 years or older, and most participants were either employed or retired."
Ashcraft’s comments follow the completion of Rise Up Alameda, the city's first-ever guaranteed income pilot project. City staff presented the program's final 24-month evaluation report to the Alameda City Council on Oct. 6.
According to city documents, the pilot aimed to "reduce economic instability for program participants, help to change local narratives and perceptions surrounding poverty and the provision of public benefits and help to support and inform the national discussion regarding public benefits and anti-poverty policies."
The Alameda City Council previously allocated $4.6 million in federal pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to finance the initiative, which provided 150 low-income households with $1,000 per month in no-strings-attached cash over two years. However, city notices confirm that because ARPA was a one-time federal allocation, the pilot has officially concluded, and the city has no plans or budget allocated for a permanent continuation.
"As mayor, I believe our responsibility is to advance practical, compassionate and evidence-informed policies that help residents meet their basic needs, preserve their dignity and build a more stable future for themselves and their families," Ashcraft told Fox News Digital when asked whether she planned to implement a permanent program.
Ashcraft highlighted several personal accounts of local residents who received monthly payments through the pilot.
Among them was Andrea, a certified nursing assistant who used the funds to stay afloat following the death of her mother. The financial boost helped cover medical bills, rent, gas and Bay Area bridge tolls while allowing her to care for her father and ailing brother.
Another participant, Dolores, a retiree in her 70s living in affordable senior housing after a 41-year career at AT&T, used the extra $1,000 a month to pay off credit card debt and build an emergency savings account.
Other recipients included Haroon, a rideshare and transit driver; Julia, a woman with a disability who was able to buy new mattresses, groceries and a set of car tires after an eviction forced her to move in with her sister; and Tyronne, a Navy veteran and former truck driver at the decommissioned Alameda Naval Air Station who relied on the extra money to cover medical bills and stabilize his housing.
While Ashcraft praised these personal outcomes, she acknowledged that direct cash payments are not a full remedy for California's economic pressures.
"These stories demonstrate the value of direct, unrestricted cash in helping residents navigate financial hardship, maintain stability and improve their overall well-being," Ashcraft said.
"While guaranteed income is not a stand-alone solution to the affordability crisis, programs like Rise Up Alameda can provide meaningful support as we pursue longer-term solutions to the high cost of housing, health care, transportation and other basic needs."
Alameda's program underscores a funding challenge local governments face across the nation regarding how to sustain guaranteed income pilot programs now that temporary federal pandemic relief funding is ending.
Many local guaranteed income pilots were underwritten by temporary pandemic-era ARPA allocations. With federal deadlines requiring municipalities to spend remaining relief funds, mayors and advocacy groups are searching for ways to convert short-term experiments into permanent, taxpayer-funded government programs.
A major organization advocating for guaranteed income is the Economic Security Project (ESP). Founded in 2016 by a network of entrepreneurs, activists and researchers, ESP has helped support more than 100 guaranteed income pilots nationwide. California leads the country with more than 60 pilot launches.
ESP has urged governments to consider taxpayer-funded measures to establish permanent minimum-income guarantees.
When asked by Fox News Digital whether local pilots are transitioning into permanent public policies, ESP indicated that multiple municipalities are actively working on legislative proposals.
"We can say, however, that there’s an active and growing movement for cash in hundreds of communities across the country," Shafeka Hashash, director of cash initiatives at the Economic Security Project, told Fox News Digital.
"We regularly take calls from some of the 1,500 members of the Guaranteed Income Community of Practice — researchers, nonprofits, local government officials and community leaders all interested in bringing cash to their neighborhoods," Hashash added.
"We just can’t announce any pilots or policies before the localities do."
One pilot program has become permanent in Cook County, Illinois. To sustain the initiative without federal aid, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved $7.5 million for guaranteed income in the county budget, signaling a shift toward long-term local funding.
Republican state officials and conservative policy groups have sought to block guaranteed income programs. Critics argue unconditional handouts discourage work, increase dependence on government assistance and misuse taxpayer funds.
"The affordability crisis is hitting Americans across backgrounds, geographies and party lines, and it's imperative that state and federal leaders adopt a solutions-focused approach," Mayors for Guaranteed Income founder Michael Tubbs told Fox News Digital.
"Banning policies that have proven effective at the local level is not only undemocratic, it is incredibly counterproductive to solving the key problem facing American families," he added.
"We should be unlocking innovation at the local level to boost economic security, stabilize households and restore faith in the American dream."
Louis Civello, a Suffolk County police officer and president of the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association, detailed Tuesday a prior incident in which a protester he once arrested tracked him down and waited outside his home.
"We are at an inflection point. This job is harder than ever before," Civello said during a New York State Public Safety Alliance event advocating for stronger legal protections for law enforcement officers and other local officials.
Civello recounted an incident in early 2026 in which he arrested a protester who showed up at his office for trespassing.
"Well, that wasn't enough for this individual," Civello said.
"He then decided he was going to find my address, came to my home with a billboard truck. That's how much money these people are making. They can buy billboard trucks," Civello continued.
"Now, there's only one reason to come to my house, right? I'm a public figure. Everyone knows where my building is in Suffolk County. There are seven police precincts in Suffolk County that you can protest in front of if you so choose. You only come to my home to terrorize my family, to get at me via my wife and my children," Civello said.
He then explained that the harassment his family endured from the provocateur was far from an isolated incident, but rather the norm.
He used the moment as an example of why he believed New York state needed to enact stronger protections for police officers, particularly as it pertains to privacy.
"The laws are woefully inadequate, and they're gonna get worse if we don't work to fix them," he said.
"Right now, no law against it. No law against coming to my house. So if you are a rapist, and I as a police officer arrest you, you can sit at the edge of my driveway and greet my wife as she comes home. No law against it. No law is publishing my address. If you want to look me up, look any police officer up, look any of us up, it's a few clicks of a mouse," he continued.
Civello called for an anti-doxxing law, and also questioned why New York doesn't have a "Halo Law," the popular moniker assigned to a newly enacted Florida statute that protects first responders from harassment after they give an individual a warning.
"All we're asking for is fifteen foot," Scott Munro, the president of the Detectives' Endowment Association, said. "Fifteen foot, that's all we're asking for, for safety reasons."
Munro also highlighted the broader coalition the New York State Public Safety Alliance had cobbled together in an effort to protect public employees from civilian violence. The group, Munro relayed, included 99 unions. complete with firefighters, traffic agents, sanitation enforcement agents, environmental police, bus drivers and more.
"Those people get assaulted every day. Assaults are up, almost 2,500 assaults this year alone on police officers, felony assaults, and public servants in New York City. That's what's going on," Munro said.
Fox News Digital contacted the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association and the Detectives' Endowment Association, which runs the New York State Public Safety Alliance, for further comment.
FIRST ON FOX: Facing limited options, Denver resident Mariah Wakefield was determined to find a school that suited her adoptive daughter Jasiya’s unique gifts.
"Not that the school system was a terrible idea, she just needed a little bit more for her to succeed," Wakefield told Fox News Digital, noting that Jasiya was formerly enrolled in Denver Public Schools.
The bond between Wakefield and Jasiya runs deep. Wakefield became Jasiya’s legal guardian after the girl's mother died in 2013, when Jasiya was just 4 years old.
In the years that followed, Wakefield navigated significant adversity, including household changes and personal instability while grappling with bereavement and incarceration. Throughout the turbulence — and as other children moved in and out of the home — Mariah prioritized Jasiya’s future.
Help arrived at a pivotal moment through ACE Scholarships, a national Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) that stepped in to help Wakefield enroll Jasiya in a school where she could thrive.
Now, Wakefield wants every parent to know about the organization — especially as ACE launches a nationwide awareness campaign centered around President Donald Trump’s federal school choice initiative.
The program, centered on the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC), allows individual taxpayers to receive up to a $1,700 dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for cash contributions to qualified nonprofit SGOs ($3,400 for married couples filing jointly). Under the legislation, state governors must formally opt in for local families and educational organizations to participate.
More than half of U.S. states have already signed up to participate. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis was the first Democratic governor to announce his state’s participation, dismissing critics at the time by telling local media he "would be crazy not to" join, noting that the program provides crucial funding for tutoring, after-school programs and summer enrichment. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has also faced calls from school choice advocates as states navigate enrollment options.
A Department of Education official recently told Fox News Digital that "competitive pressure" will ultimately compel blue states to capture the influx of private donations created by the tax credit incentive.
Trump's landmark school choice program comes as major blue city school districts struggle to retain students since the coronavirus pandemic.
For decades, school choice has been a contentious issue among many Democrats, who contend that choice models draw funding away from public school districts and weaken labor unions. However, the surge in demand for alternative education — including charter schools, private schooling and homeschooling following the COVID-19 pandemic — has pushed several prominent leaders to reevaluate their stance.
Many organizations, such as the ACE Scholarships, advocate allowing parents to send their kids to schools outside their neighborhood or opt out of going to public school in general. Established 26 years ago, ACE Scholarships issue privately raised scholarships for lower-income families. Since its inception, ACE says it has delivered more than 121,000 scholarships worth over $395 million to students in 13 states.
In response, ACE embarked on a multimillion-dollar national campaign called "Make It Possible." The initiative aims to raise public awareness of the EFTC and educate taxpayers on how directed tax credits can expand access to K–12 education.
"While national advertising is designed primarily to inspire and engage Americans, ‘Make It Possible’ is part of a broader, yearlong effort to help taxpayers and families understand the new federal initiative, how it works, and how they can participate," the organization said in a statement. "ACE will also provide educational resources designed to address common questions, clarify misconceptions, and help taxpayers navigate the new opportunity."
ACE seeks to expand support for school choice in Democratic-led states, where teachers unions have frequently opposed policies that direct public funding toward private education.
Denver is among ACE's primary target markets for the ad push, alongside Washington, D.C., New York, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Kansas City, Orlando and Philadelphia.
For Wakefield, school choice policies were key to unlocking her daughter's potential.
"So we had this opportunity to go into this, and we just took advantage of it," Wakefield said to Fox News Digital. "I feel that everybody should be notified and have the opportunity to be able to have a different outcome of life for your child."
"Sometimes it's really hard to just get into somewhere just because you don't have enough money, enough funding, enough time, any kind of contributions," she added. "So for them to be able to choose a different place to go to is probably the highlight of being able to expand their child's potential ... and get them to where they should really be."
Today, Jasiya is thriving as a student at Kent Denver School.
"For too many American children, financial circumstances determine which educational opportunities are within reach," said Kristy Badger, chief marketing officer at ACE Scholarships. "Every child has unique talents, interests and learning needs that shape how they thrive. Now, the EFTC will bring together what’s possible for countless students in America."
"This historic fraud happened under her watch, and suddenly, she’s looking out for Medicaid and SNAP? Sell it to someone else, Peggy."
With this debate response to Minnesota Democratic Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan’s protestations of concern over access to benefits for the very poor, Republican nominee for Senate Michele Tafoya sealed her status as "rookie of the year" in American politics.
A longtime NFL broadcast professional, Tafoya demonstrated decades of quick on-camera thinking in her debate last week with Flanagan and combined it with a deft slash at Flanagan’s greatest vulnerability: Flanagan’s apprenticeship as lieutenant governor to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during the tidal wave of fraud that swept across Minnesota after Covid-era "look-the-other-way" policies became a feature, not a bug, in Minnesota’s vast system of "safety net" programs.
A federal prosecutor estimated the amount of fraud in Minnesota’s spending at as much as $9 billion — that’s a "b" as in "billion." That is a remarkable sum given the Gopher State’s population of fewer than 6 million souls and an annual budget of about $67 billion. To squander an amount equal to close to 15% of a state’s budget on thieves and con artists is staggering.
That level of corruption forced Walz to drop his planned campaign for re-election and now dogs Flanagan in her head-to-head campaign with Tafoya for the Senate.
As does the rising fear of gangs of Somali-American youths and the sort of violence that recently stunned suburban Twin Cities voters when a shootout occurred at an Eden Prairie high school homecoming game.
Eden Prairie is a standard-issue affluent suburban town of about 65,000 people. Fewer than 3,000 Somali-Americans live in Eden Prairie, but the gang shootout on October 2 at Aerie Stadium, during Eden Prairie High School’s game against Minnetonka High School, shocked voters across the entire state.
Tafoya was quick to note that everyone arrested in the incident — which left two youths wounded and crowds quickly evacuated from the canceled game — was out on bail within days. That shootout plus the fraud have dominated Gopher State media coverage of the Senate race this month.
Tafoya’s knockout line — "Sell it to someone else, Peggy" — was a wake-up call for the electorate. Even longtime Democrats in Minnesota are looking around their beloved state and cannot fathom why it has been engulfed in corruption and crime.
Tafoya would have been a good candidate in any cycle. She’s a terrific one for a midterm statewide campaign when her matchup is among the most watched in the country.
Polls in the race are within the "margin of error," which, to remind readers, means the pollsters conducting the surveys acknowledge it’s a toss-up. There may also be a silent and thus hidden-from-pollsters anti-establishment vote lurking beyond downtown Minneapolis, and the very liberal Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party ("DFL"), Flanagan’s brand, is the establishment in Minnesota.
The DFL is not the DSA, but Flanagan is most definitely "DSA-adjacent." She is as "woke" as "woke" gets. One obvious "tell": Flanagan has repeatedly branded Israel’s battle against Hamas in Gaza — which was triggered by the terrorist invasion and massacre of Oct. 7 — as a "genocide," which is not only a slander but an exceptionally stupid slander.
The "genocide" slogan is popular among the radicals chanting "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," but it’s an "idiot wind," to borrow from Minnesota’s Nobel laureate bard Bob Dylan. To level that charge against the Jewish state should earn whoever utters it an immediate exit from American politics, not a six-year seat in the most powerful legislative chamber on the planet.
Flanagan isn’t the most radical Democratic nominee of the 2026 election cycle. That is clearly Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan.
But Flanagan is tied with Maine’s Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson for the "never going to win the spelling bee" title and with Texas’s Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico for the gold in the "weird" Olympics this fall. (That’s very fitting since Walz popularized calling then-Senator and now Vice President J.D. Vance "weird" in the 2024 campaign.)
Meanwhile, the very smart, very telegenic and very professional and prepared Tafoya has worked and worked every crowd, large and small, across Minnesota with the simple and direct appeal that Minnesota voters deserve better than the hot mess that Walz and Flanagan have left the state in after eight years of hapless indifference to the biggest fraud story in the nation, marching right alongside spiraling violence.
Minnesota elects Republicans, just not often. Tafoya isn’t in the lead, but she’s certainly very close to scoring the biggest upset of 2026. Why? Because sometimes even liberals get sick of the left when the left imposes enormous costs on their lives and on the safety of their children and grandchildren.
Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.
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