Georgia Trend Daily – Aug. 12, 2025
Aug. 12, 2025 Norcross Southern
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to Create America’s First Transcontinental Railroad
Staff reports that Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) and Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) today announced an agreement to create America’s first transcontinental railroad. These legendary companies will seamlessly connect over 50,000 route miles across 43 states from the East Coast to the West Coast, linking approximately 100 ports and nearly every corner of North America.
Photo credit: georgiamountainfairgrounds.com
Aug. 12, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
75 Years of the Georgia Mountain Fair
Julia Roberts reports, for 75 years, the Georgia Mountain Fair has been helping families create memories they’ll never forget. On top of the carnival rides, flower show, a pioneer village with an exhibit hall and arts & crafts, there will be celebrations over the 10 days to commemorate their big anniversary.
Aug. 12, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
State seeks more than $540K in legal fees from Rivian factory opponents
Zachary Hansen reports that contentious and sprawling legal battle over Rivian’s planned electric vehicle factory an hour east of Atlanta is poised to return to court Wednesday with new — and potentially unprecedented — stakes at play. The state and a local development authority are seeking more than $540,000 in legal fees accumulated in two unsuccessful lawsuits filed by six Morgan County property owners who challenged the factory’s zoning.
Aug. 12, 2025 Valdosta Daily Times
Air Force to host virtual meetings about Moody
Staff reports that the Department of the Air Force will host two virtual meetings Aug. 12 and 14 to discuss the proposal to bed down two squadrons of F-35A aircraft at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta. The meetings will present narrated informational posters and provide an opportunity to submit written questions.
Aug. 12, 2025 Griffin Daily News
Amazon buys more than 980 acres in Lamar County for possible data center
Larry Stanford reports, while the two data center properties in Spalding County seem rather large, with one totaling 132.9 acres and the other totaling 127.45 acres, they are minuscule in comparison with the 984.89 acres of land in Lamar County that Amazon recently purchased for what is believed will be a data center campus. The first data center proposal on the north side of High Falls Road was approved by the Spalding County Board of Commissioners in June.
Aug. 12, 2025 Savannah Morning News
What is townsizing? Georgia town among top 20 destinations for this vacation travel trend
Miguel Legoas reports, if you want a vacation that’s all about slowing down and relaxing, you may want to consider “townsizing. SIXT car rental company released its study via email of the top 20 cities for the trend and the only Georgia town to make the list is Madison in the No. 18 spot.
Aug. 12, 2025 The Current
Vidalia state senator declares run for lieutenant governor
Justin Taylor reports that State Sen. Blake Tillery on Monday entered the race for lieutenant governor, stepping on all the bases required of any Republican candidate as Georgia gears up for next year’s fiercely contested GOP primaries. In Savannah, the first of seven stops across the state to announce his candidacy, the 41-year-old, four-term lawmaker from Vidalia reaffirmed his opposition to “woke” ideologies, mandates for diversity, equity and inclusion, “gender extremism,” personal income taxes, drug cartels, street gangs and sanctuary cities that don’t make undocumented immigrants accountable for their crimes.
Aug. 12, 2025 WSB Radio
President Trump endorses Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones in his bid for Georgia governor
Staff reports that President Trump has endorsed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones in his bid for governor on a social media post. Writing on Truth Social Monday evening, Trump says in part “Burt was strongly committed to my campaign in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and worked tirelessly to help us win.
Aug. 12, 2025 WABE
Jimmy Carter reshaped the federal government. Trump is undoing some of his work
Sam Gringlas reports, since taking office, President Donald Trump has moved swiftly to slash the footprint of the federal government – firing workers, cutting funding and even taking steps to eliminate some agencies entirely. Among the Trump administration’s top targets for dismantling: the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Aug. 12, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Georgia lawmaker says he may push for state verification of farmers’ grass-fed beef claims
Leon Stafford reports that Georgia could soon take on an inspection role in ensuring grass-fed beef lives up to its labeling under a new proposal a key state legislator says he may pursue next year. State Rep. Robert Dickey, who chairs the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, said there needs to be more transparency in how cattle are raised in the grass-fed beef industry to protect consumers from potentially misleading marketing.
Aug. 12, 2025 Capitol Beat News
Ossoff sounds alarm on abuses of immigrant detainees
Dave Williams reports that an investigation led by U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., has uncovered 510 credible reports of human rights abuses at immigration detention centers across the country. The list included 14 credible reports of mistreatment of pregnant women and 18 credible reports of mistreatment of children.
Aug. 12, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What Donald Trump’s endorsement of Burt Jones means for governor’s race
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report that President Donald Trump’s early endorsement of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones could either be a game changer for his campaign for governor or a footnote when the votes are finally counted. The support was no surprise. Jones first hitched his wagon to Trump a decade ago.
