Punk Rock Priests: New Film 'Parallel Love' Tells Story Of Georgia Band Luxury

Going from punk rock to the priesthood is not a common progression. Then again, Georgia band Luxury never followed the rules.

A new film called Parallel Love: The Story of a Band Called Luxuryfollows the Toccoa and Athens group through their brush with death and, eventually, three members becoming Eastern Orthodox priests. The documentary feature makes its Georgia premiere at the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta on Wednesday, June 19 and at Ciné in Athens on Thursday, June 20.

Three members of the band joined On Second Thought to share the band's story.

CREDIT GEORGIA COUCIL ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Billboards, telling stories of recovery from addiction, are now live across the state. The campaign was announced earlier this month by Georgia Recovers.

The money for the billboard campaign comes from Congress’s response to the opioid crisis, and the funds were distributed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Georgia Council on Substance Abuse Executive Director Neil Campbell said.

People such as Laarni McCarver, who is featured on a billboard holding a small dog, live in the communities where the billboards are displayed and present a positive message. McCarver, who is from Athens and works in a recovery center in Jesup now, wants people to learn as she did that people with substance use disorder do get better.

Read more from GPB's Ellen Eldridge here.

A doctor talks with an assistant in a hospital corridor
Credit: MAX PIXEL

On Second Thought - Georgia To Cut 30,000 Poor, Elderly And Disabled From Medicaid

Earlier in June, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that 17,000 poor, elderly or disabled Georgians had lost their Medicaid benefits. The Georgia Department of Community Health said their accounts were terminated for not responding to renewal notices. Now, the AJC reports state officials have revealed the full number of people slated to lose Medicaid is closer to 30,000.

Approximately 2 million Georgians receive Medicaid benefits. Many of the 17,000 already dropped – and their lawyers say they never received those notices. Now they're fighting to get their benefits back. We spoke with reporter Ariel Hart, who broke the story for the AJC. Alisa Haber, a staff attorney at the Georgia Senior Legal Hotline, also joined the conversation. She assists seniors all over the state in applying for and renewing their Medicaid benefits.

Listen to their conversation here.

The Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed a case of measles in an unvaccinated metro Atlanta resident who recently traveled overseas. TOM E. PUSKAR / AP

Health Department Says Georgians Should Get Vaccinated After New Measles Case Confirmed

The state health department on Thursday confirmed the seventh case of measles in Georgia this year.

An unvaccinated metro Atlanta resident was diagnosed with measles after traveling overseas, Department of Public Health spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said.

Like the U.S., Europe is dealing with its biggest measles outbreak since the 1990s. The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from measles is by getting vaccinated, Nydam said.

“Anyone planning international travel should be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before leaving,” said state epidemiologist Cherie Drenzek. “Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, 90% of the people close to that person who have not been vaccinated or are not immune will also become infected.”

Read more from GPB's Ellen Eldridge here.

For these stories and more visit GPBNews.org.