Georgia Trend Daily – April 23, 2026
April 23, 2026 Georgia.gov
Gov. Kemp Declares State of Emergency in Response to South Georgia Wildfires
Staff reports that Gov. Kemp on Wednesday declared a State of Emergency for 91 Georgia counties in response to the ongoing wildfires in South Georgia. The governor also directed the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) and other relevant state agencies to mobilize all necessary resources to assist with active response efforts in the southern region of the state.
Photo credit: Daemon Baizan
April 23, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Catching up with…C.J. Stewart
Patty Rasmussen reports on the Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of the L.E.A.D. Center for Youth (Launching, Exposing, Advising, Directing). With his wife and L.E.A.D. co-founder Kelli, Stewart uses sports to educate and empower young men and women by providing programs in athletics, academics, civic engagement and commerce.
April 23, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Why UPS wants to ship your returns more than your online orders
Emma Hurt reports that UPS isn’t as interested in the e-commerce deliveries that used to be its bread and butter. “There’s just not a lot of margin in delivering T-shirts to houses,” Chief Financial Officer Brian Dykes told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last fall.
April 23, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Georgia Congressman David Scott remembered for tenacity, perseverance
Ross Williams reports that Congressman David Scott, who rose from humble origins to a 50-year career in politics, including more than 20 years in Congress, has died. Those who worked with him say they’ll remember him as a man of dignity and respect.
April 23, 2026 WABE
Georgia leading the US in preschool quality and access, per national report
Meimei Xu reports that Georgia is the first state with a universal pre-kindergarten program to meet all 10 quality benchmarks set by the National Institute for Early Education Research. Universal pre-K means that any child who meets age requirements can attend.
April 23, 2026 GlobalAtlanta.com
Hartsfield-Jackson Stays Busiest Airport in World Despite Traffic Drop
Trevor Williams reports, despite a small drop in traffic, Atlanta’s airport remained the undisputed world champion in passenger volumes in 2025, even as Chicago tried to steal some of its shine. Passengers slid 1.6 percent to 106.3 million from 108 million in the prior year, perhaps a symptom of announced cuts to Southwest‘s schedule.
April 23, 2026 WSB Radio
Georgia breaks ground on largest infrastructure project in state history
Staff reports that a ceremonial groundbreaking was held for the Georgia 400 express lanes project, the largest infrastructure project in state history. The multi-billion-dollar project is expected to have a major impact on travel through Fulton and Forsyth counties, with new toll-managed lanes aimed at reducing congestion and improving access.
April 23, 2026 Augusta Chronicle
Start your engines: Augusta Tech gets $6.8M grant for new auto institute
Joe Hotchkiss reports that Augusta Tech plan to create an automotive service training center downtown finally has the funding to get rolling after more than four years of planning. The U.S. Department of Commerce has approved Augusta Tech’s application for a $6.8 million grant to complete the Jim Hudson Automotive Institute, the workforce development school announced this week.
April 23, 2026 Albany Herald
Dougherty County Commission mulls data centers
Alan Mauldin reports that data centers get a bad rap, and there are some good reasons for that. Neighbors complain that they’re noisy, and the facilities can be massive, using huge quantities of electricity, and in some cases sucking up several million gallons of water per day.
April 23, 2026 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Ma Fest in Columbus to celebrate ‘Mother of the Blues’ with live music, food and more
Kelby Hutchison reports, Ma Fest, paying homage to the “rich cultural traditions of the South” and named after Columbus native Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, known as the “Mother of the Blues,” will take place this Saturday from 4-9 p.m., according to a news release from the Columbus Consolidated Government. The news release says the event will be at the Historic Liberty Theatre & Cultural Arts Center and will be an outdoor celebration with food, live entertainment, vendors and “community pride.”
April 23, 2026 The Brunswick News
Fox Theatre grant to assist in Colored Memorial auditorium renovations
Taylor Cooper reports that Brunswick’s Rise Risley project earned attention from Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, which will contribute to the renovation of the Colored Memorial Building’s auditorium and recognize the project at an event next month. “We received a grant from them in the amount of $45,000,” said Tres Hamilton, CEO of the Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority.
April 23, 2026 Healthbeat Atlanta
Georgia public health board goes seventh straight month without meeting
Rebecca Grapevine reports that for the seventh month in a row, the board of the Georgia Department of Public Health will not hold a meeting this month. DPH manages a $933 million budget and nearly 6,000 state and county public health employees.
April 23, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Supreme Court races turn into partisan battleground
Greg Bluestein reports, Georgia Democrats are aggressively campaigning to unseat two sitting Supreme Court justices, a marked escalation in officially nonpartisan races long treated as sleepy, low-profile contests. At last week’s annual Democratic gala in Atlanta, party leaders made no secret of their push to elect left-leaning challengers Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin over incumbent Justices Charlie Bethel and Sarah Warren, who are both backed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
