Georgia Trend Daily – Feb. 5, 2026

Feb. 5, 2026 Georgia.gov

Gov. Kemp: 200 New Jobs Headed to Emanuel County

Staff reports that Gov. Brian Kemp yesterday announced that Dongwon Autopart Technology plans to invest $30 million in a new production facility in Emanuel County. The automotive project is anticipated to create 200 new jobs over the next several years.

Feb. 5, 2026 Georgia Trend Exclusive!

Project SHARE’s Impact

Ben Young writes, during these cold winter months, it’s important for us to do what we can for those without. There’s one way in particular that comes to mind this season more than 40 years after the effort began. This would be Project SHARE, a collaboration between the Salvation Army and Georgia Power that my father, Georgia Trend Publisher Emeritus Neely Young, helped initiate in Dalton in 1985, and which has raised more than $91 million to help needy Georgians.

Feb. 5, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Debate heats up over how to protect Georgians from data center energy costs

Drew Kann reports, do state utility regulators and Georgia Power already have enough guardrails in place to make sure residential customers don’t see their power bills climb as data centers flock to Georgia? Or do state legislators need to intervene to make sure the server warehouses pay for all the new power plants and transmission infrastructure planned to meet their voracious electricity demands?

Feb. 5, 2026 Walton Tribune

Warehouse in process of being sold to DHS, Collins tells Social Circle

Evan Newton reports that the City of Social Circle says that the rumored future U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility is moving forward without the city’s consent or input. In a Facebook post published by the City of Social Circle on Wednesday afternoon, city officials said they learned that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was in the process of purchasing a 1.2 million square-foot facility located at East Hightower Trail and Social Circle Parkway from PNK S1 LLC.

Feb. 5, 2026 Saporta Report

Marcus Foundation gives $21.9 million to largest-ever study on profound autism

Delaney Tarr reports, on Feb. 2, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta announced a major $21.9 million grant that will fund the Marcus Autism Center’s “largest-ever” study of autism severity causes and treatments among children. The grant is from the late Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus and the Marcus Foundation.

Feb. 5, 2026 Albany Herald

Annual Georgia Quail Hunt puts southwest Georgia in the spotlight

Alan Mauldin reports, for the last 37 years, the Georgia Quail Hunt has brought business leaders from across the country and around the world to southwest Georgia, the event credited with bringing in billions of dollars in economic investment over the years. One of two premiere state showcases of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the other being the Red Carpet Tour held during the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, the Georgia Quail Hunt gives attendees the opportunity to enjoy some Southern hospitality.

Feb. 5, 2026 GPB

Atlanta initiative offers small business grants, loans for World Cup preparation

Amanda Andrews reports that Atlanta’s small business owners can now access an expanded list of resources including grants and loans to prepare for the World Cup. It’s part of the Showcase Atlanta initiative. The initiative includes marketing grants of $5,000 to eligible small businesses in downtown Atlanta to help prepare for large-scale local events like the World Cup.

Feb. 5, 2026 Rome News-Tribune

Shorter University president Don Dowless to retire after spring semester

Tom Mayer reports, after nearly 15 years leading Shorter University across moments of clarity, challenge, change and covid, President Don Dowless will retire at the conclusion of the spring 2026 semester. For Dowless, who became Shorter’s 19th president in June 2011, that tenure has been shaped by a steady commitment to the university’s Christian identity and a deep concern for the students entrusted to its care.

Feb. 5, 2026 Augusta Chronicle

Developer eyes Augusta for $2 million waste transfer station

Joe Hotchkiss reports, a developer is proposing to build a $2 million solid waste transfer station in Augusta in 2026. The project would be built at 927 Molly Pond Rd., a former fertilizer and agribusiness site at the tip of the city’s Bethlehem neighborhood.

Feb. 5, 2026 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Folks are moving to GA from these states the most, new Census data shows

Sundi Rose reports that recent data from the US Census reveals Georgia’s population is on the rise, fueled by strong state-to-state migration. These patterns show more people are deciding to move here than move away.

Feb. 5, 2026 The Current

Bryan County to review Westwin allegation of toxic waste left at Caesarstone site

Mary Landers reports, on Monday night the chief executive of Westwin Elements told a packed town hall that she was committed to transparency about her company’s plans to build a nickel refinery near The Highlands residential community in Richmond Hill. Less than 24 hours later two facts emerged that cast doubt on that stance.

Feb. 5, 2026 Macon Telegraph

Geoff Duncan plans to use state funds, expand Medicaid to lower Georgia living costs

Lucinda Warnke reports that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Geoff Duncan detailed his plan to increase affordability for Georgians by expanding Medicaid and leaning on the state’s rainy day fund to bolster social programs. “Affordability is literally a crisis for everybody right now,” Duncan said in a Monday interview with The Telegraph.

Feb. 5, 2026 Marietta Daily Journal

Loudermilk will not seek reelection

Staff reports, in a surprise announcement, U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, said Wednesday he is not seeking reelection. Loudermilk represents northwest Georgia’s 11th Congressional District, which includes parts of Cobb County.

Feb. 5, 2026 WABE

Georgia House passes bill expanding feral hog hunting, including drone use

Marisa Mecke reports that the Georgia legislature is looking to loosen regulations on hunting a big invasive animal in the state. The Georgia House of Representatives on Tuesday passed House Bill 946, authorizing the hunting and trapping of feral hogs under broader circumstances.

Feb. 5, 2026 State Affairs

Surplus takes center stage as House shifts funds from Kemp priority

Beau Evans reports that House leaders are squaring off with Gov. Brian Kemp over the surplus. Budget drafters in the House on Wednesday released their version of a $42.3 billion spending plan that does not include Kemp’s top initiative this year: another round of income tax refunds.

Feb. 5, 2026 Georgia Recorder

Fulton County officials file lawsuit seeking return of 2020 ballots taken during FBI raid

Maya Homan reports that Fulton County has filed a lawsuit challenging last week’s FBI raid on an elections warehouse, County Commission Chair Robb Pitts announced Wednesday. The lawsuit, which Pitts said was filed in federal district court, seeks the return of the roughly 700 boxes of election records seized during the raid, and for an affidavit the feds filed in support of the FBI’s search warrant to be unsealed.

Feb. 5, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Rick Jackson’s fortune will make Georgia governor’s race more expensive

Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report, Rick Jackson’s surprise bid for Georgia governor has turned the contest into a cash arms race. And the two front-runners are loading up. Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones will report today that he’s raised more than $6 million since he launched his campaign in July, pushing his total cash on hand to more than $19 million.