Page 4 - aruba-today-20240905

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 5 sepTember 2024
Can the city of Savannah fine or jail people for leaving guns in

unlocked cars? A judge weighs in

By RUSS BYNUM on their rights to own or carry
Associated Press firearms.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A Bates Lovett, Savannah’s
Georgia gun owner’s attor- city government attorney,
ney asked a judge Wednes- noted in court Wednesday
day to halt enforcement of that the state law cited
a Savannah city ordinance by Belt’s lawyer and Carr
that imposes fines and pos- doesn’t expressly say local
sibly jail time for people who governments can’t regulate
leave guns inside unlocked gun storage.
cars. Lovett also argued that Sa-
The lawsuit by Clarence Belt vannah’s ordinance isn’t
could ultimately determine primarily about guns.
whether city officials success- “We’re regulating the vehi-
fully found a niche where cle, not the firearm,” Lovett
they can legally regulate told the judge, adding that
gun safety in a state where it’s perfectly legal in Savan-
Republican lawmakers have nah to store a gun in a car.
widely abolished restrictions “But once you leave the
on owning and carrying fire- vehicle, you must lock that
arms. vehicle.” Monroe said Geor-
Savannah’s mayor and city The J. Tom Coleman Courthouse is seen in Savannah, Ga., on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. gia courts have struck down
council voted unanimously in Associated Press attempts by other local
April to outlaw keeping fire- governments to “indirectly”
arms in unlocked vehicles, al city for shopping, eating didn’t rule Wednesday on Chris Carr, a Republican, regulate guns, and that any
with maximum penalties of and doctor appointments. Belt’s motion to halt enforce- made the same argument limitations on gun storage by
a $1,000 fine and 30 days in His lawyer, John Monroe, says ment of the Savannah ordi- in a May letter to Savannah cities should be considered
jail. They said the law would Belt carries a gun in his ve- nance while considering his officials stating that “no local illegal restrictions on posses-
make it harder for criminals hicle and fears being cited. underlying lawsuit that seeks ordinance can regulate fire- sion and ownership.
to steal guns, and cited lo- “He’s disabled and it’s dif- to have it thrown out perma- arms.” City officials ignored Savannah police had only
cal police statistics showing ficult for him to comply with nently. Monroe said Savan- Carr’s warning that they issued three citations and
more than 200 guns reported the ordinance,” said Monroe, nah’s ordinance should be could face civil liability for one warning for guns left in
stolen last year from vehicles who gave no further details voided because it violates enforcing the ordinance. Sa- unlocked cars as of Aug. 15,
that weren’t locked. about Belt’s disability during a state law prohibiting local vannah Mayor Van Johnson, the Savannah Morning News
Belt filed suit in May. He lives a court hearing Wednesday. governments from regulating a Democrat and a former reported. The police depart-
in Jesup, Georgia, about 66 “He also doesn’t want to “the possession, ownership, police officer, has supported ment did not immediately
miles (106 kilometers) south- comply with the ordinance.” transport, (or) carrying” of the city’s ordinance as a way provide an updated total
west of Savannah, but says Chatham County Superior firearms. to make gun owners act re- Wednesday to The Associ-
he frequently visits the coast- Court Judge Benjamin Karpf Georgia Attorney General sponsibly without infringing ated Press. q

A Florida county’s plan to turn a historic ship into the world’s

largest artificial reef hits a snag

By KATE PAYNE voyage in 1952, The Asso- court set a Sept. 12 dead- fees. reefing program is about
Associated Press/Report for ciated Press reported from line for the ship to vacate Options include scrapping more than just diving. ...
America aboard the ship. its current home at a pier the massive ocean liner Build the reefs, you get the

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Now the historic vessel is in in Philadelphia, following which is more than 100 feet fish.”
Florida county is in talks to a race against time to find a yearslong legal dispute (30 meters) longer than the County staff have been
acquire a storied but aging a new resting place, after a over rent and dockage Titanic or purposefully sink- tracking the status of the
ocean liner in a proposed ing it to create an artificial boat since 2022, with ad-
deal that could create the reef. Officials in Florida’s vocates arguing the SS
largest artificial reef in the Okaloosa County hope to United States could be a
world. do just that: send the SS barnacle-encrusted star in
But the plan hit a snag United States to the bottom the county’s constellation
Tuesday, after local offi- of the Gulf to create the of more than 500 artificial

cials in coastal Okaloosa world’s largest artificial reef reefs.
County in the Florida pan- a diving attraction that But at a meeting of Oka-
handle postponed a vote boosters hope will gener- loosa’s Board of County
on the plan to buy and pur- ate millions of dollars a year Commissioners on Tuesday,
posefully sink the SS United in local tourism spending staff asked that a vote on
States. for scuba shops, charter the proposal be postponed
The largest passenger ship fishing boats and hotels. until the board’s next meet-
ever built in the U.S., the SS “Most divers are going to ing on Sept. 17.
United States shattered a be very excited,” said Da- “We’ve hit a wrinkle with
record for the fastest trans- S.S. United States is moored on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, vid Bailey, a member of the the pier operators,” County
Atlantic crossing by a pas- Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. Emerald Coast Scubaholics Administrator John Hofstad
senger liner on its maiden Associated Press dive club. “But any of the explained.q