Around Town: Spoiler Alert on 'Twisted' Wreckage of Campaign 2024. What's Up With Red-Hot Redmond Corner

Popcorn & Politics: Storm warnings. We walked out of a matinee showing of “Twisters” on Sunday into another type of storm (a reminder we are a family newspaper).

We had silenced our cellphones and settled into the surprisingly comfortable reclining seats for two-plus hours of escapism. Had we known what was to follow, we would have ordered an economy-sized popcorn to go at the concessions stand.

A battered Joe Biden’s Sunday afternoon withdraw immediately resurrected images of Lyndon Johnson’s announcement not to seek new term in 1968. And Richard Nixon’s televised resignation in 1974.

So now this plus the previous drama of the 2024 election — an assassination attempt, continuing court cases and challenges, the Supreme Court’s hard right shift amid mounting ethics challenges and the stunning first presidential debate.

As the TV anchors and analysts reminded us too often Sunday evening, we’ll likely never forget where we were as we heard the latest, twisted updates of this election year.

So where do we go from here?

♦ We doubt Floyd County’s vote will move more than a point in either direction on Nov. 5. Trump has won nearly 70% of the local vote the past two presidential elections.

♦ The Democratic National Convention♦ in August becomes must-see TV. Will Harris be challenged? And will Biden get the gold watch after five decades of public service? Are there ghosts from the raucous ‘68 convention?

♦ All those post-assassination attempt calls for national unity disappeared Sunday almost as quickly as that oversized ear bandage once the prime time cameras left the GOP convention.

♦ The vice president likely will head the Democratic ticket in an election where women’s rights are a battle cry. Women dominate Floyd County voters (32,585 to 28,123), while in Georgia, latest reports show 3.8 million female voters to 3.3 million males.

♦ As with the GOP, the Democratic vice presidential nominee will be about residual benefits offered by a swing state candidate.

Or if you prefer an executive summary: The 2024 presidential battleground today looks like the expansive wreckage from one of the scenes in “Twisters.”

The only thing we really know is nothing is over in Campaign ‘24 until the voters decide it is.

But perhaps we have a clue from a spoiler alert if you will: Of course, Daisy Edger-Jones — the lead actress in “Twisters” — is the hero. The show topped the U.S. box office over the weekend as a crowded Movies at Berry Square parking lot would attest.

Fans paid more than $80 million in ticket sales nationally — while the Harris campaign took in $50 million in just hours Sunday after Biden stepped aside.

Maybe there’s a sequel brewing in November?

Redmond’s Red-Hot Corner

The development of the prime corner by the GE plant at the Redmond Circle intersection continues to draw attention.

Three sites are in various stages of development, one set to be home to Sunbelt Rentals.

The second site, at the peak of the turn, is being marketed as a 20,000-square-foot warehouse with office space on 3.3 acres zoned for heavy industrial. Well underway, the campus at 2147 Redmond Circle NW is available for lease as of January.

Says Gabe Hrib Jr. of Cobb Industrial Inc.: “We are building (a) very similar building to the 2085 Redmond Cir building (Sunbelt Rentals).”

The third part, more toward the Shorter Avenue end, shows a a 23,000-square-foot building planned on 3.2 acres.

Background: In March 2023, the Rome Floyd County Development Authority sold 12.6 acres held by the city to Univeter Road LLC of Canton with plans to build commercial and warehouse space. Sale price: $603,000.

Berry’s latest update

Health sciences building due in a year: No one’s wasting time when it comes to getting Berry College’s Morgan-Bailey Hall out of the ground. Following groundbreaking in March near the football stadium, the $33.4 million addition is rising quickly with a summer 2025 opening set.

It will be home to the college’s new physician associate program as well as the established nursing curriculum. One floor will be used for additional student housing. Tt will feature 36,000 square feet under roof.

As of last week, everything for a back-to-school 2025 premiere was on schedule.

Peaks & Valleys

The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia

Peak to trying to tackle high school football drills amid sizzling summer: Anyone who’s ever played high school football will tell you about the heat during the start of “fall” workouts. It is brutal, even in the sticky morning hours. To fight some of that, the Georgia High School Association created mandated acclimation-day practices, underway this week. The guidelines require teams to hold five days of non-padded practices to adjust to the heat. Full pads are OK starting next Monday.

Valley to the rain that threatened the Coosa Valley Tennis Association’s 60th birthday bash. Even between showers that left more than 2.5 inches of weekend rain, the party went on. Still nicer: Seeing members and friends wearing the commemorative T-shirts from the event at other venues Saturday. It gave us a great look at how deep the tennis roots run in Rome.