Georgia Trend Daily – Aug. 26, 2026
Aug. 26, 2026 The Current
PSC deadline arrives for Georgia Power’s 3.2-gigawatt OpenAI data center contract
Mary Landers reports that Georgia Power and OpenAI are expected to close a deal on Wednesday that will see the monopoly utility provide electricity for a 3.2 gigawatt hyperscale data center planned for Effingham County. The deal requires the approval from the staff at the Georgia Public Service Commission, a hurdle Georgia Power nearly tripped over earlier this month.
Aug. 26, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Third Places for the Win: Main Street Cities in Georgia
Jerry Grillo reports, it’s Friday night, and people are gathering downtown to play and eat and drink. They want activity-based entertainment that emphasizes fun over fancy.
Aug. 26, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia’s biggest companies seek more than $1.5 billion in tariff refunds
Amy Wenk reports, some of Georgia’s biggest companies are collectively reporting more than $1.5 billion in tariff refunds after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down certain import taxes wielded by President Donald Trump, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis. Home Depot and UPS account for the bulk of that total, with millions in tariff refunds also flowing to children’s clothing maker Carter’s, Sharpie and Rubbermaid parent company Newell Brands and flooring retailer Floor & Decor.
Aug. 26, 2026 Augusta Chronicle
Meybohm expands Augusta footprint with VanderMorgan acquisition
Joe Hotchkiss reports that Meybohm Real Estate’s acquisition of VanderMorgan Realty marks a significant consolidation in the Augusta-area housing market. The deal brings VanderMorgan’s agents into the Meybohm organization, strengthens the latter’s regional footprint, and keeps VanderMorgan founder Justin Bolin in a senior leadership role.
Aug. 26, 2026 GlobalAtlanta.com
Dominican Republic Appoints Consul General in Georgia
Trevor Williams reports, for the Dominican Republic, it isn’t quite an intro to Atlanta, but a new consulate general set to open in the metro area is deepening the country’s presence in Georgia. A decree issued by President Luis Abinader in June appointed Rosa Yanina Torres Tamares as the island’s top diplomat for Georgia in June ahead of an anticipated opening of the consulate in Gwinnett County.
Aug. 26, 2026 Savannah Morning News
Data centers are a prohibited use in Richmond Hill
Latrice Williams reports, as neighboring communities grapple with proposals for large-scale data centers, Richmond Hill officials say the city’s current development ordinance already prohibits such facilities, making it unlikely that developers seeking to locate such an operation there could move forward without a significant zoning change. “Data centers are still a very new concept and there are different elements to consider regarding them,” said Bryan Crooks, director of planning and zoning.
Aug. 26, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Dozens of threatened plant and animal species could gain state protection in Georgia
Ross Williams reports that Georgia is set to update its list of protected plants and animals for the first time in two decades, and the number of protected species is set to grow by more than 100. On the bright side, 40 species were removed from the list because survey data showed their populations have recovered.
Aug. 26, 2026 Athens Banner-Herald
Crews battle growing Wassaw Island wildfire as blaze grows
Vanessa Johns reports, a wildfire burning on Georgia’s Wassaw Island has grown to more than 800 acres as crews continue monitoring the blaze, while a state representative says there is currently no threat to the island’s private property. The Main Trail wildfire was listed at 820 acres and 45% contained in the latest USA TODAY fire data, with an estimated $30,000 in costs to date.
Aug. 26, 2026 Griffin Daily News
Curative adds Wellstar to Georgia Provider Network
Staff reports, last week, Curative, the employer-sponsored health plan redefining access to healthcare through its $0-deductible, $0-copay model, today announced a network agreement with Georgia-based Wellstar Health System, adding 12 hospitals and more than 400 medical office locations, as Curative continues to build out statewide coverage.
Aug. 26, 2026 WSB TV
Blair winner in special election to finish out late Rep. David Scott’s term
Alex Jones reports that Georgia voters who live in the 13th Congressional District have chosen their next representative. Former Gwinnett County School Board Chair Everton Blair beat Marcye Scott, daughter of the late Rep. David Scott, by fewer than 800 votes, according to unofficial election results.
Aug. 26, 2026 Georgia Recorder
With drug prices on the rise, Georgia lawmakers examine role of industry players
Ariel Hart reports that a business rep was on the phone telling Hugh Chancey’s pharmacy in southwest Georgia to transfer all of an elderly patient’s prescriptions away to another pharmacy. The patient herself said that’s not what she wanted, Chancey recounted, but the company was relentless.
Aug. 26, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Key lawmaker exploring legislation to curb Flock camera misuse
Ty Tagami reports that growing public concern about license plate reader systems has led a key state senator to consider legislation to limit abuses by police. After nearly weekly news reports of law enforcement officers accused of misusing license plate reader data for personal purposes, such as spying on friends and family, Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, said on Tuesday that he was joining a new task force to explore whether legislation is needed.
Aug. 26, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jackson suggests Kemp will use National Guard to monitor election
Greg Bluestein reports, Republican Rick Jackson assured a nervous attendee at a recent rally that Gov. Brian Kemp will call up the Georgia National Guard to monitor the midterm elections in November. The assertion by the GOP nominee for governor comes amid an ongoing fight over whether the military will be deployed to polling sites across the country during the election.
