Georgia Trend Daily – Feb. 26, 2026

Feb. 26, 2026 Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation

Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Announces Its 2026 List of State’s 10 Places in Peril

Staff reports that the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation released today its 2026 list of 10 Places in Peril in the state. Sites on the list include: Boggs Rural Life Center in Keysville (Burke County); Civilian Conservation Corps Camp at Hard Labor Creek State Park in Rutledge (Morgan County); Egleston Hall at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Atlanta (Fulton County); Legion Pool at the University of Georgia in Athens (Clarke County); McCranie Turpentine Still in Willacoochee (Atkinson County); Orange Hall in St. Marys (Camden County); Salem Campground in Covington (Newton County); Thomas L. Bell Memorial Ballpark in Americus (Sumter County); Union Brothers and Sisters Mission Hall in Meridian (McIntosh County); and Wayne County Courthouse in Jesup (Wayne County).

Feb. 26, 2026 Georgia Trend Exclusive!

9 Visionary Cities at Work

Jerry Grillo, Brian A. Lee and LeeAnn Dance report, Georgia Municipal Association says visionary cities are ones that create positive change through effective civic engagement and collaboration. These cities have strong leaders who strive to make positive changes that will last well into the future.

Feb. 26, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia Power gets largest federal energy loan to aid data center expansion

Kristi E. Swarz and Drew Kann report, Georgia Power and Alabama Power, two subsidiaries of Atlanta-based Southern Co., will receive $26.5 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy — the largest federal energy loan package ever awarded. The loans are to support a slew of new power generation and transmission grid upgrades as Georgia sees an influx of energy-hungry data centers.

Feb. 26, 2026 Savannah Morning News

What is the median household income in Georgia? How it ranks in US

Vanessa Countryman reports that a new 2026 SmartAsset study takes a closer look at household net worth across all 50 states, and Georgia lands squarely in the middle. The report ranks the Peach State No. 27 nationwide, with a median household net worth of $167,000, driven largely by home equity and retirement savings.

Feb. 26, 2026 Macon Telegraph

Georgia Power plans to truck 2M tons of coal ash through Macon. How will it work?

Margaret Walker reports, Georgia Power is preparing to dispose of more than two million tons of toxic coal ash currently stored in ponds at Plant Arkwright in Macon, the power company announced to neighbors of the plant Feb. 18 during an informational session. The project could take up to six years simply due to the sheer amount of ash, according to Grant Morgan, environmental affairs program manager for Plant Arkwright.

Feb. 26, 2026 Marietta Daily Journal

Kemp vows to ‘leave everything on the field’ in final year as governor

Jack Lindner reports, with less than a year left in his final term in office, Gov. Brian Kemp told Marietta Rotarians he wants to enact the lessons he learned in high school football: “to leave everything on the field. “That’s exactly what I plan on doing,” Kemp said. “As your governor, I promise to do the same by putting in the work until the clock completely runs out.”

Feb. 26, 2026 Georgia Recorder

Lawmakers restore full $325 million for needs-based college aid program, with a boost from Kemp

Makenna Carlton reports that Georgia’s first comprehensive needs-based college scholarship came closer to becoming reality Wednesday after the state House and Senate approved a budget plan that would fully fund the endeavor. Gov. Brian Kemp proposed the DREAMS scholarship in his State of the State Address last month with a proposed price tag of $325 million.

Feb. 26, 2026 Capitol Beat News

Bill allowing broader sales of craft beer by Georgia breweries falls short

Mark Niesse reports that an attempt to permit Georgia breweries to sell beer to restaurants, bars, and stores failed Tuesday when state senators refused to vote on the bill. The proposal’s demise means that craft brewers can still only provide alcohol to in-person customers, who are allowed to buy up to 24 cans of beer to-go.

Feb. 26, 2026 WSB Radio

Georgia Senate passes Rio’s Law requiring Autism response training for law enforcement

Staff reports that a bill requiring law enforcement officers to receive training on the best ways to interact with individuals with Autism has passed the Georgia State Senate. Known as Rio’s Law, the measure also creates a specialty license plate identifying a driver or passenger in a vehicle as having autism.

Feb. 26, 2026 Marietta Daily Journal

Bill removes party labels from commissioner, D.A. races

Isabelle Manders reports that this week, Sen. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, filed a bill that would make county commissions and district attorney races nonpartisan in select counties, beginning in 2027. Senate Bill 573, cosponsored by Sens. Kay Kirkpatrick, R-east Cobb, and John Albers, R-Roswell, applies to “medical examiner counties,” defined as counties where the governing authority appoints a medical examiner instead of electing a coroner.

Feb. 26, 2026 The Brunswick News

Townsend’s workforce bill passes the House

Hank Rowland reports, a bill its author says will add to the development of the district’s workforce passed in the Georgia House of Representatives Wednesday. State Rep. Rick Townsend, R-St. Simons Island, also has introduced a new bill, HB 1445, which he said will improve public safety.

 

Feb. 26, 2026 Georgia Recorder

Income tax cut clears the Georgia House as Kemp adds new money to cover budget priorities 

Jill Nolin reports, House lawmakers signed off on a plan to incrementally reduce the state’s income tax rate over concerns from Democrats who argued the perk would disproportionately benefit wealthier Georgians. The proposal, House Bill 1001, accelerates an already planned cut to the state’s income tax rate and is part of a series of reductions to the rate in recent years.

Feb. 26, 2026 Capitol Beat News

Georgia lawmakers approve midyear budget, restoring major cuts by adding money

Ty Tagami reports that Georgia lawmakers reached a compromise on the mid-year budget Wednesday, fulfilling priorities of the three main players with a little help from extra money. To overcome an impasse after the state House and state Senate took money from each other’s priorities — and from Gov. Brian Kemp’s — to pay for their own projects, Kemp dug up an extra $1.4 billion in surplus funds.

Feb. 26, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Rick Jackson, Burt Jones trade attacks as GOP race for governor intensifies

Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report, the Republican race for governor is getting nastier. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and billionaire Rick Jackson are increasingly slugging it out like it’s a two-man contest. Jones and Jackson are trading blows as if Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger aren’t even in the race.