Georgia Trend Daily – April 20, 2026
April 20, 2026 Savannah Morning News
Tybee Island faces funding shortage with beach nourishment
Destini Ambus reports, since 1974, beach renourishment projects have reinforced Tybee Island’s shoreline every five years, pumping sand from a borrowed site offshore to strengthen the island’s natural barriers against wind and water. The last nourishment in 2020, dumped 1.3 million cubic yards of sand on the beach, smoothing out the cliffs left behind by erosion and extending the length of the beach.
April 20, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
From a Wendy’s Dumpster to Building Businesses That Matter
Julia Roberts reports, Allan Soto’s first startup capital didn’t come from investors. It came from a Wendy’s dumpster. At 22 years old, fresh out of Johns Hopkins University and with more vision than resources, Soto discovered a promotion between Wendy’s and AirTran Airways that allowed for the exchange of cups for airmiles.
April 20, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Higher gas prices might be here to stay, energy secretary warns
Shaddi Abusaid reports that Georgia drivers probably shouldn’t expect fuel costs to dip back below $3 a gallon anytime soon, although prices may not climb higher, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday. Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Wright said he doesn’t anticipate the price of gasoline falling to prewar levels until later this year or sometime in 2027.
April 20, 2026 Saporta Report
Fulton Reparations Task Force quantifies harm tied to county’s role in slavery, Jim Crow
Adrianne Murchison reports that the Fulton County Reparations Task Force drew on an abundance of documents and data to “quantify harm” against Black people during slavery and the Jim Crow era. The result: a loss of trillions of dollars to descendants, Fulton County Commissioner Marvin S. Arrington Jr. said.
April 20, 2026 Albany Herald
Fluoride violation fuels push for public vote in Lee County
Kathryn Crockett reports that state regulators have cited the Lee County Utilities Authority for exceeding federal and state limits on fluoride in part of its drinking water system, prompting a second public notice and ongoing corrective actions, though officials say there is no immediate risk to customers. According to a notice issued by the authority, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division determined the system exceeded the maximum contaminant level of 4.0 milligrams per liter for fluoride, based on a running annual average of test results.
April 20, 2026 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Columbus Council considers reversing promise to refund nonprofit’s $28,706.62 tax payment
Brittany McGee reports, Columbus Council is debating refunding property taxes totaling over $28,000 and paid by the Columbus Botanical Garden before its nonprofit status was exempted after the organization made a mistake in its filing. This issue has been raised twice during council meetings.
April 20, 2026 GlobalAtlanta.com
Exchange Gives German Apprentices Taste of Atlanta’s Working World
Trevor Williams reports, atop the Southface Institute, a group of German apprentices took a moment under the sun to appreciate a hive of bees, aging solar panels and a rainwater collection system that helps feed a living roof. But hearing a presentation over the din of nearby construction wasn’t easy: The nonprofit’s Old Fourth Ward demonstration home, built in the 1990s, now sits in one of the hottest areas of the city.
April 20, 2026 Marietta Daily Journal
Cobb lawmakers talk tax bills, ICE, elections in ‘lively’ forum
Isabelle Manders reports, in what state Rep. David Wilkerson, D-Powder Springs, called a “lively” discussion Wednesday, members of the Cobb Legislative Delegation fielded questions ranging from taxes to immigration, offering residents a glimpse into a sometimes contentious legislative session. Only one Republican — state Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-east Cobb — attended the event, a point that did not go unnoticed by both constituents and fellow lawmakers.
April 20, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Georgia endorsements and fundraising: Who’s in and who’s out?
Ross Williams, Alander Rocha and Jill Nolin report, the May 19 primary is just over a month away, and in this week’s political round up, we’ve got the scoop on some major endorsements, including big ones from labor leaders in the state. And if armies march on their stomachs, do political campaigns march on their wallets?
April 20, 2026 Augusta Chronicle
Ossoff criticizes Trump on health care, Iran, ‘corruption’ in Augusta
Joe Hotchkiss reports, lowering health care premiums and returning consumers to financial affordability mean electing leaders instead of rulers, the state’s senior U.S. senator said during a campaign swing through Augusta on Saturday. With public criticism mounting against the Trump administration’s handling of the economy, rising health care premiums and a war with Iran, Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff mounted an offensive to urge voters to fight for the ways of life he said they deserve.
April 20, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Election officials left in limbo as state leaders contemplate next steps for ballot QR codes
Maya Homan reports, it’s rare to see any sort of consensus when it comes to elections and voting in Georgia politics. But on the subject of how elections across the state will be run this upcoming November, elected officials, advocates and elections workers alike will agree on one thing: Right now, there doesn’t seem to be a clear answer.
April 20, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Can Keisha Lance Bottoms avoid overtime in the Georgia race for governor?
Greg Bluestein reports that Keisha Lance Bottoms insists the Democratic race for governor isn’t the “forgotten contest,” even as the Republican side has been consumed by a nearly nine-figure ad war. But the more pressing question for the Democratic front-runner may not be who she faces in a runoff. It may be whether she can avoid one at all.
