Earlier this year, a Duluth Police officer transporting a suspect along Highway 316 was rear-ended by a drunk driver. While no one was injured, the police vehicle was designated a total loss.

In July, the city received an insurance settlement of $26,463 for the police vehicle. Those funds will be transferred to the SPLOST Vehicles fund to be used to purchase a new vehicle. The city anticipates replacing the 2016 Dodge Charger with a new 2017 Ford Explorer costing approximately $27,634 before the addition of police equipment.

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)