Georgia Trend Daily – May 19, 2026
May 19, 2026 Georgia.gov
Georgia-Based Unified Legacy to Create 500 New Jobs in Macon-Bibb County
Staff reports that Gov. Kemp on Friday announced that Unified Legacy, a Georgia-based precision metal fabrication and manufacturing company, is expanding its existing footprint in Macon-Bibb County. The company will invest $125 million in a new manufacturing facility in Macon, creating 500 new jobs over the next several years in Bibb County.
May 19, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
The Merger Effect: Banking in Georgia
Arthur Brice reports that banking in Georgia had a busy 2025 that continued this year with the $8.6 billion merger of Synovus Financial and Pinnacle Financial Partners, making the state a leading player in the red-hot national trend toward bank consolidations. The deal between the Columbus-based Synovus and the Tennessee-based Pinnacle Financial, announced in July 2025 and completed in January, is part of a national wave that saw at least 180 mergers nationwide since the beginning of 2025, including at least three in Georgia.
May 19, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New $125M plant to serve Georgia’s booming data center, aerospace sectors
Zachary Hansen reports, few industries are booming more in Georgia than the data center, aerospace and defense sectors, and one company that provides parts for those businesses is ramping up its own operation. Unified Legacy, a metal fabrication and manufacturing firm, announced Friday it is building a $125 million facility in Bibb County near Macon to provide parts and components to feed those industries.
May 19, 2026 The Current
Brantley County wildfire victims await federal aid as damage assessment continues
Margaret Coker reports that some of the Brantley County fire survivors are living with relatives. Some are sleeping in cars. Others need to rely on charity, because everything they have is now ash.
May 19, 2026 Georgia.org
Tidewaters Industrial Complex in McIntosh County Earns ‘Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development – Select’ Certification
Staff reports, the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), in cooperation with the McIntosh County Industrial Development Authority (MCIDA), today announced that the Tidewaters Industrial Complex has earned “Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development” (GRAD) certification with “Select” status. The site’s new “GRAD Select” status provides an additional seal of approval that makes it especially attractive for future industrial development.
May 19, 2026 Decaturish
Developer proposed data center deal to commissioner
Zoe Seiler reports, an email between DeKalb County Commissioner Nicole Massiah and developer Ryan Millsap shows an agreement was drafted last year that promised the county’s full approval of a two-story data center at 2235 Bouldercrest Road. The property in question was part of a 40-acre land swap DeKalb County negotiated with Millsap in 2021 when he was still head of Blackhall Studios.
May 19, 2026 Saporta Report
Coca-Cola’s new CEO Henrique Braun: ‘Atlanta is my hometown’
Henrique Braun, who has been CEO of Coca-Cola Co. for less than two months, already is making his presence felt in Atlanta. Braun welcomed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to Coca-Cola’s headquarters on May 14 to be part of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour and to highlight Atlanta as one of the host cities of the international sporting event.
May 19, 2026 Macon Melody
Georgia Trust for Local News names Cynthia DuBose executive director
Joshua Wilson reports that journalist and media executive Cynthia DuBose has been tapped as the new head of the Georgia Trust for Local News, which, as the Peach State’s largest independent newspaper company, operates 20 publications throughout Middle and South Georgia.
May 19, 2026 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
$2.2 million Dragonfly Trails project to ‘improve quality of life’ in Columbus
Mike Haskey reports, community leaders broke ground Friday on the Dinglewood Park Trail, a $2.2 million project that, when complete, will further activate a green space in midtown Columbus and better connect users to their community and each other. “This trail is so important because not only does it improve the quality of life for residents in our community, but it also attracts tourism,” said Becca Zajac, executive director of Dragonfly Trails Inc.
May 19, 2026 Savannah Morning News
Savannah council approves new industrial buffers near homes
Evan Lasseter reports that Diane Brannen had a clear message for Savannah City Council at its most recent meeting: the elected officials will be seeing a lot less of community groups from the city’s western outskirts. The reason was because council unanimously approved greater buffer standards in between residential and heavy industrial uses.
May 19, 2026 Georgia Recorder
GOP officials pursue eleventh-hour fight for access to the secretary of state’s election night hub
Maya Homan reports, Georgia’s State Election Board, the state Republican Party and multiple Republican candidates are demanding access to the secretary of state’s election night hub during Tuesday’s state primary election. With less than a day to go before the election, state Sen. Greg Dolezal, who is running for lieutenant governor, congressional candidate Chris Mora and Cobb County Commissioner Keli Gambrill have also filed an emergency motion against Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
May 19, 2026 Augusta Chronicle
UGA study: Policy, not emotions, drives democracy satisfaction
Caroline Paczkowski reports that new research from the University of Georgia suggests emotions alone may not determine whether people are satisfied with democracy. After elections, a familiar pattern emerges across democracies. Election winners tend to feel more satisfied with democracy than those whose candidates lose.
May 19, 2026 State Affairs
Campaign spending, early voter turnout set new records before Georgia primaries
Jack Rutherford reports that the rubber will meet the road tomorrow as Georgians select their party’s candidates for the 2026 midterm elections. Already, the election has seen record-breaking numbers of early voting, with around 1 million Georgians casting a ballot before early voting closed on Friday.
May 19, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Judicial ethics panel says Jordan, Rankin likely violated rules in state Supreme Court campaigns
Maya Homan reports that a state agency responsible for overseeing complaints of judicial misconduct says that two Democratic-backed candidates seeking to oust Republican-appointed state Supreme Court justices violated judicial ethics rules during their campaigns. A special committee within the state Judicial Qualifications Commission released two public statements Sunday, just days before the election, declaring that it “reasonably believes” former Democratic state Sen. Jen Jordan and personal injury attorney Miracle Rankin defied Georgia’s Code of Judicial Conduct by publicly endorsing each other.
May 19, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia’s chaotic, unsettled primary season races to an unpredictable finish
Greg Bluestein reports, not so long ago, Georgia’s election cycle seemed headed toward a more predictable script with seasoned front-runners battling for the state’s top nominations. Instead, Tuesday‘s finale is shaping up to be one of the state’s most chaotic primary elections in decades.
