In Other News: Riot video spotlights mob’s focus on stopping Biden win; Heart-shaped art brings love, hope to virus-ravaged spots

Published 12:48 pm Friday, February 12, 2021

Editor’s note: “In Other News” is a list of state, national and global headlines compiled by Daily Citizen-News staff from Associated Press-provided stories. Click on the headlines below to read the full stories.

Riot video spotlights mob’s focus on stopping Biden win

As the insurrectionists breached the U.S. Capitol, smashing windows and climbing in over the jagged glass, some of their first audible cries were a declaration of purpose: “Where are they counting the votes?” The group encountered a single Capitol police officer who yelled: “Don’t do it. Don’t do it.” “Where are they counting the (expletive) votes!” they hollered as they streamed inside, wielding wooden beams and a metal baseball bat, forcing the officer to retreat, according to footage shown this week at Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. Outside, others were setting up a makeshift gallows on the Capitol lawn for Trump’s own vice president, Mike Pence. The stunning and disturbing footage, some never seen publicly before, brought into clear focus how central the former president’s baseless 2020 election claims were to the rioters, and how determined they were to stop lawmakers inside the Capitol from certifying Joe Biden as president.

Investigating Trump a big early move for Atlanta’s new DA

ATLANTA — The district attorney investigating whether former President Donald Trump should face charges for attempting to pressure Georgia’s elections chief into changing the results of the presidential race in his favor has a reputation as a tough courtroom veteran, not only as a prosecutor but also as a defense lawyer and judge. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who was sworn in last month after winning a resounding 2020 election victory over her former boss, entered the national spotlight Wednesday when letters to top state officials revealed her office is investigating whether illegal attempts were made to influence the state’s 2020 elections. That includes the Jan. 2 phone call in which Trump was recorded asking Georgia’s secretary of state to overturn his defeat.

Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Melton to step down

ATLANTA — Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold D. Melton announced Friday that he is stepping down on July 1. Melton said in a statement that he doesn’t yet know what he’ll do next, but that he is exploring opportunities “for the next season of life that will allow me to best serve our legal community and my extended family.” Melton, 54, was appointed to the state’s highest court in 2005 by former Gov. Sonny Perdue. He became chief justice in 2018. He is leaving in the middle of his judicial term, and Republican Gov. Brian Kemp will appoint a replacement.

Heart-shaped art brings love, hope to virus-ravaged spots

FALMOUTH, Maine — Donald Verger has been putting heart into his art during the pandemic. And images of those intricate hearts made from vibrant sea glass are flowing back to schools and hospitals that have been hard hit by COVID-19. “The hearts hit a sweet spot for people,” Verger said. “People love sea glass, the color, the patterns.” Across the country, many artists find themselves struggling during the pandemic, but they’re also finding ways to give back during a health crisis that has claimed more than 465,000 lives in the United States.