Georgia Trend Daily – Jan. 27, 2026
Jan. 27, 2026 GlobalAtlanta.com
International Tourism Stays Strong in Georgia — For Now
Trevor Williams reports that international visitation to Georgia continued to grow in calendar year 2024, outpacing the nation, though the numbers carried potential portents of a future downturn. In proportion to its 174.2 million domestic visitors, Georgia’s 1.3 million international tourists was minuscule.
Grilled Delights: Branzino with lemon, below, and a dry aged tomahawk ribeye, garnished with rosemary, right. Photo credit: Heidi Harris
Jan. 27, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Where Art Meets Appetite in Trilith
Sucheta Rawal reports, located 30 minutes south of Atlanta, the 235-acre master-planned Town at Trilith development is attracting filmmakers, travelers and entrepreneurs. With its claim to fame being proximity to world-famous Trilith Studios (known for Marvel and other blockbuster film productions), the quaint commercial street at the Town is a vibrant place to experience the arts in every sense: Admire custom-made light fixtures, art murals and sculptures outside each business, catch a show or game at Trilith Live, browse a bookstore, shop for flowers and gifts, and then satisfy your palate at one of the local restaurants.
Jan. 27, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kaiser Permanente pays $31.5M to buy land near former Turner Field
Zachary Hansen and Ariel Hart report that one of the country’s largest health care providers has paid top dollar to acquire land south of downtown Atlanta for a future development project. Kaiser Permanente announced Monday it bought a 7-acre site in Summerhill near Center Parc Stadium, which was formerly Turner Field and home of the Atlanta Braves.
Jan. 27, 2026 Albany Herald
Connecting 2 million: AT&T’s reach grows in state with $17 billion investment
Alan Mauldin reports that AT&T has reached a milestone in connectivity, and the company chose Albany to announce the availability of its fiber service to more than 2 million homes in the state. Taking part in the Friday celebration held at the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce was the company’s Georgia president, Riley Blount, and state Labor Commissioner Barbara Rivera Holmes.
Jan. 27, 2026 Macon Melody
Economists see transition year ahead for local economy
Casey Choung reports that Macon and Middle Georgia are heading into what economists describe as a transition year, marked by slower but still positive growth as trade tensions, automation and a tightening labor force reshape the regional economy. The area will experience “rapid change” from those factors, reported Greg George, director of Middle Georgia State University’s Center for Economic Analysis, during a Jan. 23 luncheon for business and political leaders at the Edgar H. Wilson Convention Center in Macon.
Jan. 27, 2026 Savannah Morning News
Commissioners move ahead with 707-acre warehouse development in North Bryan
Latrice Williams reports that commissioners in Bryan County approved a sketch plat for what could be one of the biggest industrial projects in the county. During a regularly scheduled meeting Jan. 13, Stravinski Capital Management LLC was granted approval for a sketch plat for a 707-acre industrial development.
Jan. 27, 2026 Rome News-Tribune
Rome poised to adopt convenience store restrictions
Diane Wagner reports that a moratorium on new gas stations and convenience stores is in effect through April 1 for Rome and Floyd County. Officials contend an escalating number of new applications are more closely connected to coin operated amusement machines than the need for more stores in the community.
Jan. 27, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Appeals court rules in favor of Georgia election takeover and photography ban laws
Mark Niesse reports, a federal appeals court has upheld parts of Georgia’s 2021 voting law that allow state takeovers of county election management and prohibit ballot photography. The ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals is the latest decision that supports the election law passed in the wake of the 2020 election, when Democrat Joe Biden narrowly defeated Republican Donald Trump in Georgia.
Jan. 27, 2026 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
GA House minority leader warns against immigration enforcement violence coming here
Mark Rice reports that Georgia House of Representatives minority leader Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus) issued a statement Monday objecting to federal immigration enforcement activities and a proposed detention center in Social Circle. “Our nation watched with deep concern as events unfolded in Minnesota, resulting in the tragic deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti,” she said in the news release.
Jan. 27, 2026 The Current
As criticism of ICE mounts, Carter urges expansion to Georgia
Craig Nelson reports, a growing number of Republicans are distancing themselves from federal immigration operations following the fatal weekend shooting of a 37-year-old nurse by border patrol officers in Minneapolis. Coastal Georgia’s Congressman Buddy Carter isn’t one of them.
Jan. 27, 2026 Marietta Daily Journal
Support Cobb law enforcement and get a state tax credit
Megan Jacson reports, passed in 2022, the Law Enforcement Strategic Support Act, also known as the LESS Crime Act, allows Georgia taxpayers to make contributions to qualified local law enforcement foundations and receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit on their income taxes in return. To qualify, the foundations must be nonprofit organizations that support local police departments or sheriff offices.
Jan. 27, 2026 Gainesville Times
Gainesville Democrat announcing bid for state House District 29 seat
Jeff Gill reports that Gainesville resident Scott Soracco is running as a Democrat for the Georgia House District 29 seat held by state Rep. Matt Dubnik, R-Gainesville. “I am seeking office because I want to continue to serve,” Soracco, 63, says on his campaign website.
Jan. 27, 2026 Valdosta Daily Times
Georgia legislature considers bill to restrict SNAP purchases
Adelia Ladson reports that the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute stated, in a report released last year, that 22% of Colquitt County’s population received SNAP benefits. A bone of contention among many Georgia taxpayers has been the question of how those benefits are used.
Jan. 27, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Ossoff, Warnock say they will not support DHS funding in wake of second fatal shooting in Minnesota
Ross Williams reports that Georgia’s two Democratic senators are joining their colleagues in the U.S. Senate in a pledge to vote against a spending package that includes billions of dollars in funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Senators have until Friday to pass the package of six bills, which includes a $64.4 billion Homeland Security appropriations bill that funds Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol.
Jan. 27, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Georgia lawmakers telegraph priorities for student cellphone bans, tax cuts and education
Mark Niesse reports, from school cellphone bans to tax cuts, some of this year’s most consequential proposals for new Georgia laws have been in the works for months. State legislators laid the groundwork last year for bills that will be considered during the General Assembly’s session that began this month.
Jan. 27, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jon Ossoff spars with Republican opponents over ICE shooting in Minnesota
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report, as a growing number of Republicans press for a robust investigation into federal immigration operations in Minnesota, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is calling on his GOP rivals to reject what he described as “police state tactics.” The Democrat’s comment to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution follows a federal U.S. Border Patrol agent’s fatal shooting of a protester in Minneapolis and growing scrutiny from congressional Republicans over the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.
