Hurricane Hermine Latest, Lake Lanier Alligator Captured, Hot Car Deaths: News Nearby

Patch has community sites across Georgia. Here are some of the top posts from the past 24 hours.

• Dacula Girls Safe After Mom's Bizarre Abduction: Police
• Lake Lanier Alligator Captured and Removed
• Father Indicted in Twins' Hot Car Death

Hurricane Hermine Could Be Felt in Metro Atlanta

Tropical Storm Hermine strengthened into a hurricane on Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico, and was expected to make landfall in Florida around midnight before sweeping into Georgia.

According to the National Hurricane Center, data from an Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft confirmed that the storm had reached the sustained winds of at least 74 mph to be considered a hurricane. >>> Read more.

Troopers Prepare For Busy Labor Day Weekend

Troopers with the Georgia State Patrol will hit the roads this weekend with the goal of ensuring you safely get from Point A to Point B. The 78-hour Labor Day holiday travel period will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, and end at midnight Labor Day, Sept. 5.

“This holiday weekend, the Georgia State Patrol has one goal in mind — safety,” said Colonel Mark W. McDonough, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety.>>> Read more.

• Double Shooting in Lithonia; One Brother Dead, Another Injured
• Security Guard Shot Multiple Times at Norcross Hotel
• Uber Soon Launching Scheduled Rides in Atlanta
• Woman Struck, Killed at South Atlanta Intersection

Share your local news, events and pics by clicking "+" at the top of any page.

• Dover Pleads Guilty, Gets 10-Year Sentence In Carr Murder Case
• Former GBI Agent Charged With Racketeering
• Arson Suspected in Fire at Norcross Townhome
• Atlanta Community Food Bank Unveils New Look

Photo via National Weather Service