Georgia Trend Daily – Oct. 12, 2026
Oct. 12, 2026 The Current
Heavy duty electric truck charging opens in Bryan County
Mary Landers reports that a new heavy-duty charging site in Bryan County could help ease the transition to electric for trucking fleets on I-16, an option made more appealing by soaring diesel prices. The Pilot Travel Center in Ellabell on Thursday unveiled a bay of six new Tesla Megachargers, each rated for up to 1.2 MW.
Commissioner Stan Wise. Photo credit: Contributed
Oct. 12, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Ups, Downs and In-betweens
Christy Simo reports that the Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee, established by the Georgia legislature during this summer’s special session, has now had two of its scheduled meetings as of press time to figure out what to do to overhaul the state’s touchscreen-based voting system. State lawmakers had self-imposed a deadline of July 1, 2026 to phase out the existing QR-code method of counting votes but kicked that can down the road to 2028 during the special session.
Oct. 12, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Home Depot opens command center to prepare stores for Hurricane Isaias
Amy Wenk reports that more than 200 workers filled five rooms at Home Depot’s Vinings headquarters Friday morning, carefully coordinating for the first Atlantic hurricane this season. This is the home improvement giant’s emergency command center.
Oct. 12, 2026 Union-Recorder
Tuskegee Airman Hiram Little’s legacy now permanently remembered in hometown of Eatonton
Billy Hobbs reports that Hiram Emory Little was one of the many brave men willing to put his life on the line for his country during World War II. And he did it proudly while serving as a Tuskegee Airman hundreds of miles away from where he grew up in Eatonton, Ga.
Oct. 12, 2026 WSB TV
Agnes Scott College receives $1 million grant for global learning from Delta Air Lines Foundation
Sam Sachs reports that the Delta Air Lines Foundation has awarded a $1 million grant to Agnes Scott College to support its global learning programs for first-year students. The surprise grant was announced during the college’s seventh annual Women’s Global Leadership Conference in Decatur.
Oct. 12, 2026 Union-Recorder
Exchange Bank commits $50,000 to Georgia College supporting business education and Bobcat Athletics
Natalie Linder reports that Georgia College & State University has announced a new five-year $50,000 commitment from Exchange Bank supporting the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology and GCSU Athletics. The comprehensive partnership builds upon Exchange Bank’s longstanding relationship with Georgia College while providing meaningful support for student achievement, academic excellence and the continued growth of Bobcat Athletics.
Oct. 12, 2026 Rough Draft Atlanta
New nightclub opens at Underground Atlanta, coffee shop, food hall, housing to come
Beth McKibbon reports, Lunchbox, a new bar, nightclub, and music venue with two stages, recently opened near dance club MJQ Concourse at Underground Atlanta. A coffee shop, six-stall food hall, and tapas restaurant will open in the coming weeks and months, along with another sprawling concert hall, which will take over a former parking garage.
Oct. 12, 2026 WABE
How Trump’s gutting of the Endangered Species Act could hurt three iconic Georgia species
Emily Jones reports, the Supreme Court once billed the Endangered Species Act “the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species ever enacted by any nation.” Federal protections have been key to saving nearly 300 U.S. species — including the bald eagle, American alligator, and grizzly bear — from extinction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is primarily responsible for implementing the law, evaluates species and lists them as “endangered” or “threatened.”
Oct. 12, 2026 Athens Banner-Herald
Athens voters receive duplicate absentee ballots for Nov. 3 election
Wayne Ford reports that the Athens-Clarke County Elections Department announced Thursday that a second absentee ballot was mistakenly mailed to 1,154 registered voters who had requested such a ballot for the Nov. 3 General Election. However, elections officials also reported that the state already has measures in place to prevent both ballots from being used.
Oct. 12, 2026 Albany Herald
Incumbent Bill Yearta, newcomer Mitchell Rosa vie for state House District 152 seat
Alan Mauldin reports that Mitchell Rosa is making his first foray into politics after learning that Georgia House District 152 Republican incumbent Bill Yearta has not faced a challenger over several elections. Yearta is looking to retain the seat he has held since he won a special election and was sworn in on Dec. 24, 2019.
Oct. 12, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Election workers prepare for early voting as talk of DOJ ‘intervention’ leaves advocates unsettled
Maya Homan reports, in a warehouse in Bartow County, Georgia, election director Joseph Kirk stands in the middle of a long aisle of voting machines and starts performing his checks. It’s Tuesday, with only a week to go until the start of early voting.
Oct. 12, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ga. election board director acts without approval, tests limits of authority
Caleb Groves reports that State Election Board Executive Director James Mills has been on the job for over a year. In his tenure, he has feuded with the board chair and most recently, he asked the Trump administration to intervene in Georgia’s election and force changes to the state’s voting system.
