Jumat, 25 September 2026

Legacy Cemented, Falcons Roll, and GABBAFest

Friday, September 25, 2026

Good morning! On this day in 1946, Robert Benham was born in Cartersville. A great-grandson of slaves, he became the Georgia Supreme Court’s first African American chief justice.

Home Depot became the latest company honored by the Georgia Historical Society, joining a list that includes other household names. Find the full list in Top Stories, and reply with any you think deserve a spot.

Today’s sponsor is Curated Gift Guides, rounding up 37 of the most useful and ingenious gadgets of 2026 designed to solve everyday problems and make great gifts.

Helene's Scars Linger Two Years Later

Two years ago this weekend, Hurricane Helene tore across Georgia as a Category 2 storm, and hard-hit communities are still rebuilding homes and routines.

The storm killed 37 Georgians and caused more than $1.5 billion in property damage, plus at least $5.5 billion in agricultural and timber losses statewide.

Augusta lost seven residents in the storm, and Mayor Garnett Johnson says scars remain visible even as he credits a regional recovery effort.

Signs of renewal are multiplying as parks, trails, and outdoor businesses that closed after the storm welcome customers again.

Parties Battle Over State House

Georgia House Democrats say 2026 is the year they could flip the chamber and end more than two decades of Republican control.

Republicans say they have heard such predictions before, and say they're confident they will grow their numbers. A wave of retirements and open seats in both parties has widened the battlefield.

House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley of Columbus said Democrats are 10 winnable state House seats away from their first majority since 2004, now holding 81 of 180 seats.

All 180 House and 56 Senate seats appear on November ballots. Republicans hold a firmer 33-23 edge in the Senate.

Home Depot Etched in History

The Georgia Historical Society dedicated a new historical marker in Atlanta honoring The Home Depot's place in state business history.

The marker tells the story of the company's growth since opening its first two Atlanta stores in 1979 and the pioneering one-stop shopping model that transformed home improvement retailing.

The society's Business History Initiative, which has now honored 29 companies, counts Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, and Chick-fil-A among past honorees.

Co-founders Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank built the retailer into the world's largest home improvement chain. Marcus died in November 2024 at 95.

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➤ Macon: Voters will decide Nov. 3 on two senior homestead exemptions cutting county property taxes for homeowners 65 and older, with residents 85 and up fully exempt. (More)

➤ Perry: The Haseya Women's Club raised more than $1 million for an 18,000-square-foot inclusive playground at Magnolia Point Park, set to open in November. (More)

➤ Cumberland Island: A proposed federal land swap would expand public parkland on the island's north end while letting two Carnegie-descendant families build up to eight large homes, drawing conservationist opposition. (More)

➤ Athens: A "change my mind" sign by the Young Americans for Freedom chapter at the University of Georgia sparked a school choice debate outside the student center. (More)

➤ Peachtree Corners: The city is weighing a deer management plan after a study estimated nearly 200 deer per square mile, nearly eight times what wildlife experts recommend. (More)

➤ Avondale Estates: The city approved nearly $48,000 for active shooter response kits for every police officer, including helmets, shields, and first-aid gear. (More)

➤ Dalton: Authorities shut down at least seven massage parlors and spas in Whitfield County and arrested nearly a dozen people following a months-long investigation. (More)

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➤ Michael Penix Jr. returned and led the Atlanta Falcons to a 35-14 road win against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, as Bijan Robinson scored twice in Atlanta's first win of the season. (More)

➤ Chris Sale struck out 10 to reach 200 for the season in the Atlanta Braves' win against Cincinnati on Wednesday. (More)

➤ Kenyan President William Ruto, in New York City for the U.N. General Assembly, watched courtside as countrywoman Madina Okot and the Atlanta Dream won against the Liberty. (More)

➤ Georgia's swim and dive teams open the season today in the new College Swimming League, facing Alabama, NC State, and Virginia in suburban Chicago. (More)

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➤ Rockdale County beauty school Georgia Career Institute will close Oct. 1 after decades of operation, saying the Council on Occupational Education dropped its accreditation. (More)

➤ The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Business Expo welcomed its largest exhibitor lineup ever Thursday, featuring more than 80 local businesses. (More)

➤ Mexico City logistics startup PartRunner became the first internationally headquartered business to join Atlanta startup platform Engage. (More)

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➤ Firefighters, animal control officers, and utility workers teamed up to rescue several dogs trapped in a Baldwin County storm drain, using catch poles to lift the animals to safety. (More)

➤ GABBAFest continues through Sunday in Macon, drawing Allman Brothers Band fans for live music at The Big House, Grant's Lounge, and the Grand Opera House. (More)

➤ Four engineering students from the University of Georgia won NASA's Future Game-Changer Award for their project on monitoring stress levels on aircraft parts. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes.

➤ Researchers tracking some of the world's last hunter-gatherers say one overlooked factor may control the human sleep cycle. (Hear Details)

➤ Narcotics investigators are looking into two student deaths at Ole Miss as reported druggings spread fear across campus. (Listen Now)

➤ One reporter tried a $499 high-tech health scan and left with news her doctors had missed. (Hear Story)

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Secret Service at Neyland, Symphony Struggles, and Smokey's Understudies

Friday, September 25, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1780, the Overmountain Men mustered at Sycamore Shoals to confront British Maj. Patrick Ferguson, earning a pivotal victory that some historians say turned the tide of the American Revolution.

UT's beloved mascot Smokey is holding a clinic Sunday to find two understudies to step into the famous hound-dog suit. Which mascot do you think is the greatest of all time, and which one gives you the creeps? Reply and tell us.

Today’s sponsor is Curated Gift Guides, rounding up 37 of the most useful and ingenious gadgets of 2026 designed to solve everyday problems and make great gifts.

Secret Service To Screen Neyland Visit

The Secret Service will conduct enhanced security screenings at every Neyland Stadium gate for Saturday's Tennessee-Texas game ahead of President Trump's expected attendance.

Stadium gates will open at 9 a.m. ET, three hours before the noon kickoff, and fans are urged to arrive significantly earlier than usual.

University police warned of increased wait times, extra checkpoints around campus, and no re-entry once a ticket is scanned. The clear-bag policy remains in effect, with no on-site storage for prohibited items.

The visit adds a presidential spotlight to an already massive matchup, No. 1 Texas versus No. 14 Tennessee, with ESPN's College GameDay broadcasting from campus.

AI Giants Hire Their First Tennessee Lobbyists

Major artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, have hired lobbyists in Tennessee for the first time in 2026, state ethics filings show.

At least 11 companies tied to AI and data centers are now lobbying state lawmakers, joining firms like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Oracle that were already active in the state.

Analysts say the push is aimed largely at countering a rising anti-data-center movement, as communities worry about electricity costs and environmental impacts.

Several Tennessee towns have imposed moratoriums on data-center construction, and disputes have flared around projects like Elon Musk's xAI facilities in Memphis.

Civil War-Era Home Restored after Helene

A Civil War-era family home in Rutledge has been restored two years after Hurricane Helene devastated East Tennessee, its cracked foundation rebuilt and new drainage installed to withstand future storms.

The home belongs to Michael Brown, whose family has held the property since his great-great-grandmother bought it with a Civil War pension after her husband was killed at the Battle of Bulls Gap.

Crews with Clinch-Powell Resource Conservation and Development stabilized collapsing basement walls with metal bracing and added a sump pump and drainage to stop the water intrusion.

A field supervisor said many homeowners didn't discover the storm's damage until weeks or months later. Crews continue to assist with recovering and rebuilding damaged structures two years after the storm.

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The 37 Best Gadgets of 2026 You Won’t Find in Stores

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➤ Statewide: Independent candidate Lauren Pinkston says she won't drop out of the governor's race after Democrat nominee Jerri Green urged her to, arguing an independent bid could split the anti-Blackburn vote. (More)

➤ Gatlinburg: A Tennessee judge ordered Dolly Parton's nephew, Bryan Seaver, to stay at least 1,000 feet from her estate's employees and business partners after filings alleged repeated threats. (More)

➤ Memphis: The family of construction worker Alexis Vicent is suing for $30 million, alleging he died in a fall on his first day at xAI's Colossus 2 data center because of missing safety equipment. (More)

➤ Hamilton County: The school district launched the Tennessee QuantumWorks curriculum in classrooms, building on EPB's quantum-computer deployment in Chattanooga. (More)

➤ Bristol: A woman is suing a funeral home for more than $2 million, alleging her late partner's returned belongings were contaminated with human remains. (More)

➤ Nashville: The Nashville Symphony says it lacks enough cash to sustain current operations and is drafting a restructuring plan after two rounds of layoffs in 2024 and 2025. (More)

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➤ Braves CEO Derek Schiller said the team won't support Nashville as an MLB expansion city, citing that part of Tennessee falls within Atlanta's designated territory. (More)

➤ Titans legend Chris Johnson, diagnosed with ALS this year, told People he wonders whether football played a role but won't blame the game, calling instead for more research. (More)

➤ Beloved local sports broadcaster and youth coach Aaron Harvey, 37, died from injuries in a head-on crash in Roane County. His family invites mourners to wear Tennessee orange. (More)

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➤ Nashville's planned East Bank hotel won't be finished before the city hosts the 2030 Super Bowl, with construction now running from late 2027 into fall 2030. (More)

➤ Cracker Barrel stock rose 4.49% after a mixed fourth-quarter earnings report and a Fiscal 2027 outlook projecting growth, trading at above-average volume. (More)

➤ Jackalope Brewing Co. in Nashville posted 17.1% beer-sales growth over 26 weeks, sharply outpacing the city's declining craft-beer market after its 2024 acquisition and purchase of Black Abbey. (More)

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Genius Gadgets: The 37 That Actually Earn Their Keep

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➤ Tennessee secured 350 acres at the jagged "Devil's Racetrack" formation in Cumberland County to preserve the landscape and extend the backcountry Cumberland Trail. (See Photos)

➤ University of Tennessee mascot Smokey is holding a free clinic on Sunday for aspiring mascots, offering students hands-on learning time during a search for two understudies. (More)

➤ Memphis' First Presbyterian Church, founded in 1832, will sell its historic downtown building and relocate as its congregation outgrows the aging space. (More)

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