A delegation from Kumamoto, Japan, last visited Rome in February of 2025.

Rome is preparing for a visit from its sister city.

A delegation from Kumamoto, Japan, is scheduled to visit during the first week in July.

On Wednesday, the city’s international committee met and discussed tentative plans for activities, which could include tours, dinner events, and more.

More than 30 years ago, then Rome City Commission chair George Pullen initiated the relationship with Ueki Town, which was merged into the expanded city of Kumamoto in 2010.

In years past, the relationship has included students and elected officials from Rome visiting Kumamoto, and vice versa.

Ueki is an agricultural community known for its watermelons.

Meanwhile, the greater Kumamoto area has a population of more than 1.5 million, and is home to a castle and an active volcano.

It’s that time of the year again.

The annual Ridge Ferry Park Farmer’s Market opens this Saturday.

It will be open from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday until September 26.

Locally grown produce, fresh cut flowers, baked goods, canned goods, jellies, herbs, and hand-made craft items will be available to purchase.

Selection varies daily.

Vendor Information, including application, rules, and contact Vendor Info

Faith Owens (Berry College photo)

Three Berry College students have received Gilman Scholarships to support their study abroad programs in Japan, Spain, and Costa Rica this summer.

The Gilman Scholarship supplies up to $5,000 in merit-based scholarships to exceptional students and is overseen by the Institute of International Education. The scholarship aims to encourage foreign language skills, international experience, and global networking.

Destiny Castro (not pictured), a sophomore from Rome, Georgia, and a Spanish and mathematics double major, will study in Valencia, Spain.

“I aspire to use my Spanish major in a career where I can communicate with those from other cultures and serve communities to bring them closer to Christ. My volunteer work at ESL has motivated me to become certified to teach English as a foreign language, especially in international environments,” Castro said. “I value that Valencia offers cultural experiences in a setting where it does not feel overwhelming, especially since I am a first‑generation college student studying abroad for the first time.”

Abby Shoemake (Berry College photo)

Faith Owens, a sophomore from Fairmount, Georgia, will attend a biology program in Costa Rica. Owens is a double major, studying biology and environmental science while pursuing a minor in psychology.

Abby Shoemake, a junior from Cumming, Georgia,  majoring in elementary education, was also named a Gilman Scholar. During her time abroad, she will visit early education schools and contribute to the students’ skills in language development.

“I will be traveling to Japan, which is known for its high academic performance and community-based learning style. I am hoping to learn how I can bring some of their unique classroom management skills back to the United States and implement their successful strategies into my future classroom.”

A manufacturing plant located in White has announced the layoff of more than half of its employees.

According to a WARN notice from the Georgia Department of Labor. Constellium Automotive USA, located at 1 Constellium Drive in White, announced the layoff of 57 of its 99 employees.

According to the notification, this is a layoff or closure listed as a permanent reduction in force.

Positions affected include Operator, Material Handler, Maintenance Tech, Quality Manager, EHS Specialist, Operations Supervisor, and Shift Supervisor.

August 1st is the first date of separation.

The plant opened in 2017 in Highland 75 Industrial Park and produces lightweight aluminum structural components and crash management systems for automakers in the southeast and North America.

Constellium N.V., headquartered in France and the Netherlands, specializes in the design, development, and recycling of aluminum products for the aerospace, automotive, and packaging industries.

Georgia DNR photo

Although there have been few black bear sightings in our immediate area this spring, there have been some bear sightings in metro-Atlanta.

David Gregory with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Office in Floyd Springs was a guest on WRGA’s First News with Doug Walker on Thursday.

“We may not have heard much in Rome, but turn on the Atlanta News,” Gregory said. “We just did an interview just the other day with Channel 11, and there are plenty of them in Cobb County and Cherokee County right now, making phones ring off the hook. They are out and about and doing well. Our North Georgia population is doing fantastic. They are hungry and out and about.”

Gregory offered the following tips regarding black bears.

“Don’t feed them,” he said. “That means don’t leave your trash can out. Don’t put bird feeders out, as well as pet food. That same guidance really applies to most critters—to not feed them, because if you don’t want foxes in your yard, well, foxes are eating the mice and rats that are coming to the bird seed that is on the ground that the birds have spilled. You have to be careful about feeding wildlife. It’s all about making the habitat for them, meaning food, water, shelter, and space.”

Feeding bears (intentionally or unintentionally) trains them to approach homes and people for more food.

Bears will defend themselves if a person gets too close, so don’t risk your safety and theirs.

Sound wildlife management practices have restored Georgia’s black bears to a thriving population estimated at 4,100 bears statewide.

On Friday morning, a Rome City Schools bus transporting students to summer activities was involved in a minor accident near West End Elementary School.

There were no injuries, and all students and staff are safe.

The parents of the students on the bus have been contacted.

"On June 3, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations," SOUTHCOM said in a post on X.

"Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations."

The military said two alleged narco-terrorists were killed in the strike. SOUTHCOM did not say whether anyone survived.

US MILITARY KILLS 2 SUSPECTED CARTEL OPERATIVES IN LATEST EASTERN PACIFIC LETHAL STRIKE, SOUTHCOM SAYS

No U.S. military personnel were injured, the command added.

SOUTHCOM also released a brief video showing a vessel speeding through the water before erupting in flames.

The latest strike brings the number of people killed in U.S. military operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels to at least 207 since the Trump administration launched a broad campaign aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking networks in September, according to The Associated Press.

US MILITARY KILLS 3 IN LATEST STRIKE ON A SUSPECTED DRUG VESSEL IN THE PACIFIC

Wednesday’s strike followed a series of similar operations in recent weeks.

On Saturday, the U.S. military struck a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing three suspected narco-terrorists, according to SOUTHCOM.

A separate strike Friday killed three men, while another operation last Wednesday killed two, the military said.

US KILLS 3 ALLEGED DRUG TRAFFICKERS IN ANOTHER EASTERN PACIFIC STRIKE

SOUTHCOM also carried out a strike last Tuesday that reportedly killed one person and left two survivors.

Earlier in May, the command said an operation in the Eastern Pacific killed two alleged narco-terrorists and left one survivor.

The military has released brief videos and statements describing the vessels as tied to designated terrorist organizations, but it has generally not publicly released evidence identifying those killed or proving the vessels were carrying drugs. The campaign has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, legal experts and human rights groups who question the legal basis for using lethal military force against suspected traffickers outside a traditional battlefield.

The Eastern Pacific and Caribbean remain major corridors for narcotics trafficking, with cartels frequently using small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs toward the United States and Central America.

COAST GUARD HELICOPTER SNIPER TAKES OUT NARCO-BOAT ENGINES IN STUNNING EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

SOUTHCOM oversees U.S. military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting trafficking networks tied to transnational criminal organizations.

The video released Wednesday was in black and white, similar to most footage previously shared by SOUTHCOM.

Last week, however, the military posted what appeared to be its first color video showing a strike against a suspected drug-trafficking vessel.

Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Juan Gabriel Reyes, 51, of Chicago, is charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants, and assault within maritime territorial jurisdiction, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida announced Wednesday. 

Court records obtained by Fox News Digital indicate that roughly 45 minutes after takeoff, Reyes allegedly "became disruptive" as Frontier Airlines Flight 3345 was traveling from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago, Illinois, forcing the pilot to divert to Miami, Florida, on Sunday.

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Police said Reyes allegedly attempted to open the aircraft’s two exit doors in midair before before he assaulted another passenger on the flight. A flight attendant also told authorities they heard Reyes say he wanted to get off the plane.

WOMAN ALLEGEDLY TOUCHES PASSENGERS' FACES THEN PUNCHES ELDERLY TRAVELERS DURING CARIBBEAN FLIGHT

Following multiple alleged attempts to open the flight deck door, authorities said Reyes sat down in a seat that was not assigned to him and attacked a 33-year-old off-duty flight attendant who was seated nearby.

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According to court documents, witnesses told police Reyes lunged at the flight attendant, grabbed him by the head and choked him – which prompted passengers and another flight attendant to restrain Reyes with flex cuffs and seatbelt extenders. 

However, Reyes allegedly broke free from the restraints multiple times until a passenger stepped in to contain him. Video of the confrontation showed passengers working to restrain him.

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"I just grabbed him, restrained him as safely as possible, kind of just really put him in his row, and laid him down, kind of framed against him, controlled his hands and his feet," Josh Longood, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter, told CBS News.  

"It was like holding a kid down throwing a tantrum," he added.

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"Frontier Airlines Flight 3345 landed safely at Miami International Airport around 11:55 p.m. local time on Sunday, May 31, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. The flight departed San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was headed to Chicago O’Hare International Airport," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Reyes was later booked into the Miami-Dade Correctional Center and charged with assault, according to jail records obtained by Fox News Digital.

If convicted, Reyes could face a maximum federal prison sentence of 20 years stemming from the interference charge and the possibility of up to a year behind bars for the assault charge. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Frontier Airlines, the FBI’s Miami office and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s office for comment. 

The gang members, who entered the U.S. illegally, allegedly gunned down Claretha LaQuesha Daniels, 44, and Justin Lawless, 36, in the middle of a residential Bronx street, while also shooting and wounding a third victim, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Keiber "Keybe" Jaen Martinez, Samuel "Klei" Gonzalez Castro, Eferson "Jefferson" Morillo-Gomez, and Keineyer "Keiner" Ibarra-Mujica pleaded guilty in federal court to murder through the use of a firearm and using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

'GOTAWAY' ILLEGAL AND TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBER ACCUSED IN SUBURBAN HOTEL MURDER

A fifth TdA member recently pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and a gunpoint carjacking, bringing the total number of convicted TdA defendants in the case to eight.

Law enforcement officials described Tren de Aragua as "one of the most vicious gangs on planet earth."

"They rape, maim, and murder for sport," U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Sec. Markwayne Mullin wrote in a statement. "Under President [Donald] Trump’s leadership, we are targeting and removing gang members from our communities and ensuring those that committed crimes in our country face justice."

VENEZUELAN GANG'S HUMAN TRAFFICKING OPERATIONS SURGE IN TENNESSEE'S FOUR MAJOR CITIES

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said that after the TdA members illegally crossed the border, they flooded New York City streets with "guns, drugs, sex trafficking, and violence." 

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche added the terrorist group has "no place and no future in the United States," and vowed the Justice Department will destroy the organization.

Originally a Venezuelan prison gang, TdA has rapidly expanded into a transnational terrorist organization operating in cities like New York. The group enriches itself through unlawful human smuggling across the border, armed robberies and trafficking a ketamine-mixed drug known as "tusi."

The gang is particularly notorious for the violent sex trafficking of young women, referred to by the gang as "multadas."

The women are smuggled into the U.S. and forced into commercial sex work to pay off smuggling debts. TdA members maintain control over their victims by threatening their families, assaulting them, and tracking down and kidnapping women who attempt to flee.

The convicts face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Mullin awarded the officers medals for their heroic actions during the attack, when a sniper fired 17 shots from a nearby rooftop at the Dallas facility.

Marco Solis, a deportation officer, said he was sitting at his desk when bullets started tearing through the building.

"I got hit in the head with something," Solis said. It was actually debris, sheetrock from the bullet penetrating multiple walls. Caught me off guard. I didn’t know where it came from, right? You just hear a snap come through the door or through the window, the walls. And it wasn’t until that second round came through the wall that I actually watched it tumble on the roof that I realized that we were getting, we had an active shooter on our hands."

INSIDE DALLAS ICE FACILITY IN AFTERMATH OF SNIPER ATTACK THAT KILLED TWO DETAINEES

The officers said the attack quickly turned into a life-or-death rescue mission as detainees were struck by gunfire.

Andres Goche, also a deportation officer, said he and others worked to pull wounded detainees to safety. "It was Mr. Goche here that actually physically pulled those victims out of that van, that transport van, and brought them into our processing area, setting up that triage area for us," Solis added.

"It is a concern that goes through every law enforcement officer," Goche said. "Am I going to die? Am I gonna get injured? Am i gonna… It comes with the job. It’s a hazard that comes with a job, right?" Goche said.

SECOND DETAINEE DIES AFTER DALLAS ICE FACILITY SNIPER ATTACK, FAMILY SPEAKS OUT

The recognition comes as ICE officers have faced threats, violence and growing hostility at facilities across the country.

"This is a new reality for every deportation officer, every ICE employee that’s out there throughout the nation," Goche said. "It’s something that we’ve come to terms with. The best hope that we can hold onto at the moment is to continue to rely on each other and emphasize the importance of our training." 

Solis, who has spent more than 18 years in federal service, said he has never seen the environment become this dangerous.

DALLAS ICE SHOOTING TRIGGERS HEIGHTENED SECURITY AT FACILITIES NATIONWIDE: 'TRULY DISTURBING'

"I think everybody in the law enforcement profession understands the risks and accepts them," Solis said. "I don’t think I’ve witnessed it be this violent or this volatile in my entire 18 years of federal service. It’s a way of life for us now. It’s just a reality that we’ve had to come to terms with."

The officers also addressed misconceptions about ICE, saying officers and their families are increasingly being targeted simply for enforcing federal immigration law.

"Our families, especially our families, shouldn’t have to carry the burden or barrage of threats thrown at them simply because their significant other, their loved one, their family member, is an ICE officer just enforcing the immigration laws of the United States that are enacted by Congress," Solis said.

NO CAGES, DUE PROCESS RIGHTS INTACT: ICE AGENTS SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

Goche said much of the anger toward ICE is fueled by misinformation and agitators.

"These are paid actors. They’re paid individuals with one purpose, which is to cause disturbance, to agitate, and to try to derail us from our mission priorities," Goche said "I want to give my message across to the American people. We’re not here, we’re not the bad guys," he continued. "We’re officers, we’re human beings, we have families, we have the same interests as many other people out there in this beautiful country."

Christopher Pyne, an enforcement removal assistant, said the actions of the officers that day showed the humanity behind the badge.

"These men were willing to risk their lives to save one of our detained. Like, we’re human beings, and we recognize that, you know everyone that we deal with are human beings," Pyne said.

Solis said officers do not do the job for awards or recognitionZ 

"It’s humbling. I don’t believe anybody does it for any awards or accolades or recognition. It’s just the right thing to do, whether anybody’s looking or anybody’s gonna recognize you for it," Solis said.