Open in NewsBreak

Hamilton

See all locations
Customize your news
67°F
publisher avatar

Municipal

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

partner publisher · 23.9K followers
article img

Harris County wants 3,840 acres to be industrial. Public exposes it's for data centers

In late July, the Harris County Board of Commissioners started the process of amending its comprehensive plan to add three new industrial areas in the county. But during the first of two public meetings Oct. 20 , commissioners were met with anger and fear from residents concerned the proposal could allow the development of a hyperscale data center. On Nov 17, the public will have a chance to meet with commissioners again to express their opinions about this proposed amendment. The compressive plan, which was passed in July 2024 , is meant to last until 2029, but the commissioners are making the case that there needs to be zoning amendments to industrial (M-1, light manufacturing) to diversify the tax base and attract industry. “We have been concerned about diversifying our tax base,” commission chairwoman Susan Andrews (District 5) said at the Oct. 20 meeting. “For the last 30 years it’s been a topic of conversation. Not even 1% of our land is commercial or industrial, not even 1%.” Harris County economic development director Greg Panzer presented the current and future plans with this amendment, including specifics about the location, acres and parcels. “I brought this to the board in July,”

Harris County, GA · 1d

WTVM

website

Phenix City Riverwalk section to close Monday

PHENIX CITY, Ala. (WTVM) - A contractor working for the Phenix City Utilities Department will close a section of the Phenix City Riverwalk beginning Monday, Nov. 9. The closed section is between the north end of the wooden pedestrian bridge over Mill Creek and the Phenix City Amphitheater. The closure...

Phenix City, AL · 23h
article img

WSFA

website

Results coming in for Alabama sheriff races

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Residents in four counties headed to the polls Tuesday where they voted for, among other races, a new sheriff. Some other counties had races where there was no challenger. Covington, Crenshaw, Dallas, and Lee counties are selecting new top law enforcement officers. COVINGTON. Incumbent Sheriff Blake...

Alabama · 3d
article img

Only In Your State

partner publisher · 18.0K followers
article img

The Legend Behind Georgia's Most Haunted Bridge

For more than 40 years, folks have claimed that drivers who set a candy bar on their hood inside Concord Covered Bridge in Georgia will hear the footsteps of ghost children clamoring for the sweet treat. Drivers, of course, use the bridge by day to make their way between Smyrna and Mableton, but come nightfall, […]

Georgia · 4d

Now Georgia

partner publisher · 2.8K followers

It’s official: Lee County has a new sheriff in town

It’s official: Lee County has a new sheriff in town It's official: Lee County has a new sheriff in town after the November 3rd midterm in Alabama. Former deputy Cam Hunt, who was famously fired by Sheriff Jay Jones for launching a campaign against the incumbent won Tuesday night's election with 27,667 votes and about 66% of the total vote. "To everyo…

Lee County, AL · 3d

citizenofeastalabama.com

website

City approves one-time holiday compensation for employees, retirees

PHENIX CITY, Ala. — The Phenix City Council reviewed a packed agenda during its work session on Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. ET and its regular meeting on Nov. 3 at 9 a.m., both meetings held at the Phenix City Public Safety Building. Holiday Compensation. The council also voted...

Phenix City, AL · 3d

cnaw2news.com

website

CNAW2News projects Cam Hunt wins Lee County Sheriff’s race

CNAW2News projects Cam Hunt won Lee County sheriff's race over write-in incumbent Jay Jones. Hunt plans culture change, jail reform, and quarterly public safety meetings when taking office in January. CNAW2News projects Cam Hunt as the winner of the Lee County sheriff’s race, following an election that drew significant attention...

Lee County, AL · 3d

WTVM

website

Fans travel to Columbus for 36th Fountain City Classic

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Fans from across the state are traveling to Columbus to tailgate and attend the 36th annual Fountain City Classic, which is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium. Local officials said the annual rivalry is expected to bring in more than $2 million...

Columbus, GA · 22h

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

partner publisher · 23.9K followers

Governor appoints 2 Columbus lawyers as Muscogee County judges

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has selected two Columbus attorneys to serve as Muscogee County State Court judges. Kemp appointed Chief Recorder’s Court Judge David Ranieri and private practice attorney Alex Shalishali to the court. Judge Pete Temesgen is the only State Court judge in Muscogee County after Judge Andy Prather retired. The other position was created by the Georgia General Assembly when it added a third State Court judge for Muscogee County. According to the news release from the governor’s office: Ranieri began his legal career in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He served as a prosecutor for more than 21 years, handling misdemeanor and felony cases in the U.S. Army, the Muscogee County Solicitor General’s Office and the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office. He also spent more than nine years in private practice, primarily handling civil litigation involving personal injury, construction, medical malpractice, transportation, insurance coverage, workers’ compensation and business disputes. Born and raised in Columbus, Judge Ranieri attended Columbus College before transferring to Mercer University on an Army ROTC scholarship. He graduated cum laude in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and earned his law degree from Mercer University in 1988. “I am

Muscogee County, GA · 1d

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

partner publisher · 23.9K followers

Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms flips 6 Republican-leaning precincts in Columbus

Twelve Muscogee County voting precincts Gov. Brian Kemp won in his 2022 race against Stacey Abrams swung 10.7 points toward Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms in Tuesday’s election, according to a report by the government relations and public affairs firm Ohio River South . The shift in these Republican-leaning precincts began in 2022 and continued in 2024, Karl Douglass, a partner at Ohio River South, told the Ledger-Enquirer. But he said there was a noticeable uptick in 2026. “Those 12 precincts that Kemp won that are in north Columbus and midtown, Keisha Lance Bottoms won six of them outright,” Douglass said. “And in every one of them, she gained ground against both the (Kamala) Harris share of the vote and the Abrams share of the vote in ‘24 and ‘22, respectively.” The report said the Democratic share of the vote in those precincts rose from 39.6% to 50.3%. In Muscogee County, already a solid Democratic stronghold, the number of voters who chose the Democratic nominee in the governor’s race increased by 7.1 percentage points from four years ago. How Bottoms outperformed in Republican-leaning precincts Bottoms, the first Black woman elected governor in the United States, won Muscogee County by 20,676 votes,

Columbus, GA · 1d

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

partner publisher · 23.9K followers

Retiring Russell County superintendent lists school district's achievements during tenure

Russell County School District superintendent Brenda Coley is retiring. Coley plans to work through the end of December. She has worked all 37 years of her education career, including the past 11 as superintendent, in the school system where she was a K-12 student. “Even though I still enjoy it, I don’t want to feel like you burn out,” Coley, 60, told the Ledger-Enquirer. “… I just know that my assignment is complete because God has given me confirmation on that, and I feel like He’s just redirecting me. I don’t have plans in the mix, but I do know that there’s something else. I’m just not sure what it is.” Coley rose through the ranks in RCSD, from teacher to assistant principal to principal and to director of administrative services before the RCSD board appointed her superintendent in 2015. Asked what she is most proud of during her tenure as superintendent, Coley listed the following achievements RCSD has accomplished: Improved the graduation rate from 75% in 2015 to 97% now. Improved the district’s grade on the state report card from a D in 2015 to a B now. The graduation rate and the report card grade are expected to

Russell County, AL · 2d

WTVM

website

Russell County school board begins search for new superintendent

RUSSELL COUNTY, Ala. (WTVM) - The Russell County School Board established a plan Thursday to begin searching for a new superintendent. The board made the plan at a special called meeting. Superintendent search. Superintendent Dr. Brenda Coley announced her retirement in September. She has worked in the Russell County School...

Russell County, AL · 1d

WTVM

website

MILITARY MATTERS: People Invited To Vets Events in Chattahoochee Valley Before And After Veterans Day

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Veterans Day is less than a week away. And one in 10 people who live in Columbus are former military service members. There are at least a half dozen events happening in the Fountain City and East Alabama before, on, or after that holiday. Marching bands...

Columbus, GA · 1d

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

partner publisher · 23.9K followers

After mayor died, Smiths Station explains how the vacancy will be filled

The City of Smiths Station has announced the process it will follow to determine its next mayor. Mayor Richard Cooley died Oct. 24 at Columbus Hospice House. He was elected in August 2025 . According to Alabama law, the city council fills the vacancy by electing a successor to serve the remainder of the four-year term, which runs through November 2029. The council may elect a successor among its five members or any other Smiths Station resident. Mayor Pro Tem Victoria Greene has been filling in during the interim, according to the city’s Facebook page . During its Nov. 10 meeting, starting at 6 p.m. in city hall, the council is scheduled to elect a new mayor. If a council member is elected mayor, the council will fill that vacancy at a subsequent meeting. Alabama Code 11-44G-1 explains that process: Within the first 60 days, the city council may elect a replacement member at a regular or subsequent meeting to serve the remainder of the term. If the council leaves the seat vacant, council members and the mayor have another 30 days to submit nominations to the Alabama governor for appointment. If the governor fails to appoint someone within 90

Smiths Station, AL · 2d

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

partner publisher · 23.9K followers

Columbus to name city building after the late Councilor Jerry ‘Pops' Barnes

The Columbus Consolidated Government is renaming the Boxwood Recreation Center in honor of the late Columbus Councilor Jerry “Pops” Barne s. CCG will conduct a ceremony marking the occasion Nov. 13 at 1:30 p.m. at the rec center, 1068 Enoch Drive. “The renaming honors Barnes for his public service to Columbus,” CCG said in a news release Wednesday. Columbus resident W. Greg Herring submitted the honorary designation application to the city clerk’s office, and the city council unanimously approved the resolution during its Oct. 13 meeting. “After the Boxwood Recreation Center had been closed for ten years, Councilor Barnes spearheaded its reopening in 2013,” Herring wrote in the application. “With his support the Boxwood Soccer Club, Path to Shine and Friends And Neighborhood Network were established at the Boxwood Center. With his leadership the East Carver Heights Community Development Corporation was started in 2021, these programs continue to this day.” Barnes died two years ago at age 80 from an unspecified illness. On the council for 17 years, he represented District 1, where the Boxwood Recreation Center is located. Among the city improvements Barnes helped lead to fruition are parks and recreation centers, hiring more police officers and opening a

Columbus, GA · 3d

WTVM

website

Tri-City Veterans hold 4th annual Pop Barnes Veterans Day Cookout

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - The Tri-City Veterans organization held its 4th annual Pop Barnes Veterans Day Cookout on Friday at Cascade Hills Park. Retired service members attended the event and were honored. Several organizations set up as vendors to offer services to the veterans who attended. The event came less than a week before Veterans Day, which falls in the middle of next week. One in 10 Columbus residents are veterans.

Columbus, GA · 21h

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

partner publisher · 23.9K followers

Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley poised to be next Speaker of the Georgia House

After a historic election night, Georgia Democrats appear to have flipped the House of Representatives for the first time in more than 20 years, putting Georgia House Minority Leader Rep. Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus) in position to become the next speaker of the House. Georgia voters made their voices heard in this election, Hugley said during a Wednesday news conference at the Georgia State Capitol. Seeing Democrats take back control of the governor’s office, all the constitutional offices and likely the state House after two decades is a full-circle moment, retired state Rep. and former Dean of the Georgia House Calvin Smyre told the Ledger-Enquirer. The Democrats’ success all the way down the ballot in Georgia Tuesday night surprised Smyre, who has been involved in state politics since 1974, when he was first elected to the legislature. “In my 50 years of public service and politics, I have not witnessed anything like last night,” Smyre said Wednesday morning. “I have seen many political swings and changes of power, but nothing like this.” When Hugley became the minority leader in 2024, Democrats had a “tremendous hill to climb,” she said. “We are here because Georgia deserves people who are in leadership who

Georgia · 3d

WRBL News 3

partner publisher · 68.0K followers

Rep. Teddy Reese to honor World War II veteran James Sneed during Veterans Day celebration in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — State Representative Teddy Reese (D-Columbus) will participate in a Veterans Day celebration in the city to honor resident World War II veteran James Sneed. During the celebration, Reese will present Sneed with a resolution and a U.S. flag in recognition of his military service and contributions to his community. Reese emphasized […]

Columbus, GA · 1d

WRBL News 3

partner publisher · 68.0K followers

CARE Humane Society expands low-cost spay and neuter program in East Alabama

LEE COUNTY, Ala. (WRBL) — Non-profit organization CARE Humane Society, formally known as the Lee County Humane Society, is expanding its low-cost spay and neuter program to residents outside of Lee County. According to CARE Humane, pet owners in Macon County (including Tuskegee), Chambers County (including Valley), and Tallapoosa County (including Dadeville) are now elgible […]

Lee County, AL · 1d

Marietta Daily Journal

partner publisher · 28.7K followers

McBath secures another term representing Georgia’s 6th District

Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, secured another two-year term Tuesday evening against Republican challenger Kevin Martin. The Associated Press called the race for McBath around 7:30 P.M. At that time, McBath led Martin 84.3% to 15.7%, according to unofficial results from the Associated Press. Results are not official until they are certified by the Cobb Elections Board. The victory didn’t come as a surprise in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, which covers portions of Cobb, Douglas, Fayette and Fulton counties. The district heavily favors Democrats, according to Cook’s Political Report. McBath did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Martin, a controller from Smyrna, also did not respond immediately to a request for comment. A gun control advocate, McBath first ran for Congress in 2018, ousting Republican incumbent Karen Handel. When Republicans redrew electoral districts following the 2020 Census, McBath emerged victorious from a competitive primary against Democratic House Rep. Carolyn Bordeaux. When the district was redrawn again to comply with a court order that found the map unfairly diluted the votes of African-Americans, McBath shifted to the current map. She briefly considered running in the crowded Democratic primary for governor, but suspended her exploratory committee last year due to her

Georgia · 3d