Kate Brumback, Author at The Rapid City Post

This image made from an Oct. 20, 2025, police body camera footage shows Billy Joe Cagle, of Cartersville, Ga., right, talks to police officers before he was arrested inside the domestic terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta. (Atlanta Police Department via AP)

Federal prosecutors charge man accused of threatening to shoot up Atlanta airport

October 21, 2025

Federal prosecutors have charged a Georgia man arrested this week at Atlanta’s airport after his family told police he planned a shooting. Police said Billy Joe Cagle was detained on Monday with an assault rifle and ammunition in his truck at the international airport. Authorities said the man’s family had alerted police and he was detained after his arrival at the airport. Authorities said Cagle threatened violence during a FaceTime call. He faces charges of attempted violence at an international airport and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Police say Cagle was jailed and will be transferred to federal custody.

Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara, right, greets neighbors after arriving at a relative's home in Apopa, El Salvador, following his deportation from the United States, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)

Spanish-language journalist arrested while covering protest near Atlanta deported to El Salvador

October 3, 2025

A Spanish-language journalist who lived and worked in Georgia has been deported to El Salvador. Mario Guevara was detained in June while covering a protest near Atlanta. Local police arrested him and handed him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On Wednesday, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to halt his deportation order. All criminal charges against him were dismissed, and his lawyers argued he was being targeted for his journalism work. Guevara fled El Salvador two decades ago and built a large audience in Atlanta.

FILE - Judge Scott McAfee addresses the lawyers during a hearing on charges against former President Donald Trump in the Georgia election interference case, Thursday, March 28, 2024 in Atlanta. (Dennis Byron/Hip Hop Enquirer via AP, Pool, File)

Judge sets 14-day deadline for appointment of new prosecutor in Georgia election case against Trump

October 3, 2025

A judge has announced that the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others will be dismissed in 14 days if a new prosecutor isn’t appointed. Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee issued the order after District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified. The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia is responsible for naming a new prosecutor. Willis was removed due to an “appearance of impropriety” created by a romantic relationship she had with a special prosecutor she appointed to lead the case. It is unlikely Trump could be prosecuted while he is president. But there are 14 other people still facing charges in the case

Lawyers for Spanish-language journalist in ICE custody fear deportation after unfavorable ruling

September 19, 2025

Lawyers for a Spanish-language journalist detained since June are worried he could be deported after an unfavorable ruling. Mario Guevara was arrested in June while covering a protest near Atlanta and handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. An immigration judge set a bond for him in July, but he remained in custody while the government appealed. On Friday, the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed the government’s appeal, saying it is moot. Guevara’s lawyers argue the ruling is based on incorrect information and have filed for an emergency hearing seeking to have him released from custody.

Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett (right) speaks outside the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, while her colleague, Commissioner Mo Ivory, looks on. (AP Photo/Kate Brumback)

Georgia’s Fulton County fined $10,000 a day for not appointing Republican election board nominees

August 27, 2025

A judge has ruled that Georgia’s Fulton County must pay $10,000 daily until it appoints two Republican nominees to its election board. Superior Court Judge David Emerson found the county’s Board of Commissioners in contempt for not complying with an earlier order to appoint the nominees. The fine begins Friday. The county’s Democratic commissioners had refused to approve the nominees, citing concerns about their suitability. The Republican Party sued, arguing the law requires the appointments. The judge agreed, stating the commissioners lack discretion to reject qualified nominees.

FILE - Jose Ibarra appears at his trial at the Athens-Clarke County Superior Court, on Nov. 19, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)

Judge orders mental evaluation for Venezuelan man convicted of killing Laken Riley

July 8, 2025

A judge has ordered a mental evaluation for Jose Ibarra, the Venezuelan man convicted of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley. Ibarra was found guilty in November and sentenced to life without parole for the February 2024 killing. His lawyers claim Ibarra has a mental deficiency that affected his ability to stand trial or assist in his defense. The judge’s order asks for an evaluation to determine Ibarra’s competency during trial and post-conviction proceedings. Prosecutors say there were no prior concerns about his mental state but do not oppose the evaluation. Ibarra is seeking a new trial.

This photo provided by Florida Department of Corrections shows death row inmate Anthony Wainwright. (Florida Department of Corrections via AP)

Florida executes man convicted of raping and killing a woman 3 decades ago

June 10, 2025

A man convicted of raping and killing a woman three decades ago after kidnapping her from a supermarket parking lot has been executed in Florida. Fifty-four-year-old Anthony Wainwright received a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke on Tuesday. He was convicted in the April 1994 killing in Lake City of 23-year-old Carmen Gayheart. Wainwright is the sixth person put to death in Florida this year. Another execution is scheduled for later this month. The state executed six people in 2023, but only carried out one execution last year.

Kate Brumback.