Dry Branch
The day after Georgia elected its first Democratic governor in over two decades, the last person to hold that distinction spoke in Cobb County. Roy Barnes, who served as Georgia’s governor from 1999 to 2003, addressed the Rotary Club of Marietta Wednesday. Georgia’s last Democratic governor opened his remarks by joking that he didn’t know what to talk about. He went on to analyze the 2026 midterm election results from the night before, and gave his perspective on why the Democratic Party had such banner results across the nation. Barnes chalked up the widespread Democratic victories to national frustrations with President Donald Trump’s administration. “Donald Trump crisscrossed primarily the Southeast and Midwest, and told the crowds that were listening, ‘Vote like I'm on the ballot,’” he said. “And they did.” Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was elected as Georgia’s first Democratic mayor in over two decades since Barnes left office, and became the first Black woman to be elected governor of any state. Barnes expressed optimism about Bottoms’ future as governor, noting she will be Georgia’s first governor since 1966 to not come through the Georgia General Assembly. “I think it's going to be a learning curve for her,”
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - If you use a Georgia EBT card new security rules could stop your next purchase. Since October, online EBT purchases are blocked by default and so are purchases outside Georgia and its five bordering states. To shop online or use your card while traveling, you now have to unlock it first.
Newly Elected Officials Vow to Stop Data Centers
(The Center Square) – Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms will inherit a budget that Gov. Brian Kemp said, when he signed the fiscal year 2027 budget, will have a nearly $1 billion revenue reduction. The state's reserve fund is also dwindling, according to a report by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. "In total, the state reported spending down $6.3 billion in General Fund Reserves, including $4.5 billion on Amended Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations, $1.4 billion on one-time tax credits and $372 million on the mid-year adjustment for K-12 education," according to the report. "These expenditures reduced the balance of General Fund Reserves from $14.9 billion to $8.7 billion, after adjusting for $141.5 million in additional revenues raised and in unspent funds during FY 2026." Bottoms said at a Friday news conference that when she started her campaign for governor, reserves were about $15 billion and estimated a much lower figure for the reserve fund when she takes office in January. "I believe it is on track to be between $1 billion and $2 billion by the time January comes … but I do know the budget surplus is a lot less than it was when we launched our campaign,"
ATLANTA (41NBC/WMGT) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has announced three judicial appointments, including the appointment of Judge Paul K. Cook to the Superior Court of the Middle Judicial Circuit. Cook’s appointment fills a vacancy created by the passage of House Bill 1215, also known as Act 450, during the...
Georgia residents who are 65 or older can start applying for federal heating help on Tuesday, Dec. 1, the first workday of the month. Everyone else who qualifies has to wait until the first workday in January, according to the state Division of Family and Children Services. The help comes from the Low-Income Home Energy […]
Across 40 acres in Cherokee County, banks of Tesla batteries store something Georgians depend on every day: electricity for when they need it most.
Wisconsin utilities cannot disconnect residential customers for nonpayment when the service is used for home heating between Nov. 1 and April 15, the state’s Public Service Commission says, and this year’s moratorium began Sunday. Georgia has a winter hold of its own, with a condition attached. From Nov. 15 to March 15, the Georgia Public... The post Wisconsin bars heating shutoffs for unpaid bills Nov. 1 to April 15, and Georgia blocks freezing-day electric shutoffs from Nov. 15 for customers who agree in writing to a payment plan appeared first on The Financial Wire .
With the leaves piling up this fall, a match can seem like the easy fix, but there’s more to it than that. In Georgia, you can only burn yard debris between official sunrise and sunset. Here are the outdoor burning rules many Georgia homeowners break in the fall. Note:...
A new Buc-ee’s can mean a new place to fill up and, for some people, a new place to clock in. Construction has already started at each site, though opening dates are still targets. Here are the new Buc-ee’s stores coming to Louisiana, North Carolina and Georgia in 2027....
Georgia voters have approved a property tax change that could lower tax bills for some of the state’s largest farming operations, while also raising questions about how the shift could affect local government revenue. Amendment One doubles the amount of land that can qualify for a special agricultural tax...
Older homeowners and renters in Colorado and Montana can apply for winter heating aid through April 30, while Georgia and North Carolina begin taking applications from older residents on Dec. 1, a month ahead of everyone else. New York and Pennsylvania are also open. Each state sets its own dates, income limits and payment amounts […] The post Heating aid is open in New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Montana, while Georgia and North Carolina open Dec. 1 first to households with older residents appeared first on The Money Overview .
Georgia just elected a governor who didn’t need rural Georgia to win. That may turn out to be the most important fact about this election, more important than the size of Keisha Lance Bottoms’ margin or how badly the polls missed it. The question now is what her victory means for rural Georgia, and for any state policy that hopes to address its problems.
A new trial will determine if a $70 million verdict in a landmark pollution case against the owners of a Covington sterilization facility should be reduced by two thirds.
The trajectory of education policy in a trio of historically red states is about to see a major shakeup after voters there elected Democratic governors for the first time in decades. For years, positions on school choice, LGBTQ topics in classrooms and efforts either for or against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have expanded cultural…
Four candidates ran for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission in the general election on November 3, 2026. Incumbent Peter Hubbard (D) defeated Fitz Johnson (R) to win the general election in District 3. Shelia Edwards (D) defeated Josh Tolbert (R) to win in District 5. District 5 incumbent Tricia Pridemore (R) ran for the U.S. House rather than seeking re-election.
Older adults in Georgia and North Carolina can apply for winter heating help starting Dec. 1, a full month before everyone else in those states. Georgia’s program opens on Dec. 1 for people 65 and older and the medically homebound, and North Carolina takes sign-ups from Dec. 1 to 31 from households with someone 60... The post Heating aid opens early for seniors in Georgia and North Carolina on Dec. 1, a month ahead of other households, while Oklahoma expects to open enrollment Dec. 15 appeared first on The Financial Wire .
Week 12 Northeast Georgia matchups Week 12 puts a bow on the box of the regular season. Some teams finished up last week, and others’ playoff hopes are on the line this week. Some have nothing to prove and just want to come out healthy and work on some things. Banks County vs. Northview #6 Commerce @ Providence Christian Dawson Count…
Attorney General-elect Tanya Miller pledged to crack down on grocery price gouging and unfair utility rate hikes across Georgia. The former prosecutor highlighted multi-dollar increases by Georgia Power and vowed strict regulatory scrutiny alongside newly elected utility commissioners. Miller said she will take corporate offenders to court and take legal...
History in Four States: Voters Elect First Black Governors in Georgia, Florida, Nevada and Wisconsin Editor’s Picks talese morrow Nationwide — While Carson voters were deciding a city charter measure and a long list of state propositions, voters in four other states were making history. On Election Night, Georgia, Florida, Nevada and Wisconsin each elected a Black governor for the first time. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore also won a second term. Come January, five […] The post History in Four States: Voters Elect First Black Governors in Georgia, Florida, Nevada and Wisconsin first appeared on Inland Valley News .
