Today's top headlines:

• Downtown Rome 'special' police unit to patrol for speed, noise and related issues following surprise meeting Wednesday.
• 16 patients with COVID-19 in Floyd, Redmond, up 2 from Tuesday. A record 2,946 new cases Wednesday in Georgia. Statewide, more than 700 deaths in June.
• Georgia Health News: As state cases surge, 1,500-plus healthcare workers urge Kemp to require masks in public.
• Rome committee to discuss naming a citizens panel to study monuments in Myrtle Hill; it is a follow-up to June's emotional Forrest debate.
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• Independence Day: Armuchee Ruritan Club has flags flying; timely new flag at Saint Mary's School thanks to Coosa Valley Credit Union. Plus: Fireworks, parades on the way.
• Ware Mechanical Weather Center: Heat index of 98 today; low 90s over the Independence Day weekend; rain chance 20% to 50%.
• Truett's Chick-Fil-A Sports Report: Atlanta Braves to pay minor leaguers through July.

Rant of the Day: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes to our Hometown community:

After today, we reducing our rants, newscasts and podcasts. They're not going away; we're just doing fewer of them. We already have two podcasts scheduled for later this month.

And on Facebook, we're retiring our Hometown Headlines page and switching to a Hometown group. We've been swamped with toxic comments in recent months that we don't care to read or edit. Under this new format, we'll be able to put those comments in a collective time out while still serving our readers and advertisers.

Both changes are effect Friday. We're not going anywhere; we have much more on the way.