Georgia Trend Daily – June 23, 2026
June 23, 2026 Georgia.gov
Gov. Kemp Announces Georgia Activation at Great American State Fair
Staff reports that Gov. Kemp on Monday announced the State of Georgia’s participation in the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., as part of the nationwide celebration of America’s 250th Birthday. Georgia’s activation will include exhibits highlighting key industries in the state, as well as special items from well-known Georgia-based companies like Waffle House and Chick-fil-A.
June 23, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
The Business of Helping Others
Jerry Grillo reports, it takes more than talent, good ideas and hard work to breathe life into the American Dream. Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development authority, learned this from her parents.
June 23, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Executive returns to Atlanta to take on ‘less forgiving’ real estate market
Zachary Hansen reports, Randy Fink spent much of the 2010s in Atlanta, at a time when money abundantly flowed to finance new office buildings, warehouses and mixed-use districts throughout the region. He’s now returning to Atlanta as the new Atlanta market leader for Colliers, after those red-hot days were snuffed out by the COVID-19 pandemic and interest rate shock.
June 23, 2026 GlobalAtlanta.com
Underground Atlanta Is Vying to Be the City’s Ground Zero for Celebrations Around Morocco’s World Cup Match
Trevor Williams reports that Underground Atlanta is staking its claim to being ground zero for the city’s effort to show love to African champions Morocco as the team arrives for a Wednesday World Cup match against Haiti. Starting Tuesday, the downtown entertainment district is hosting a two-day Moroccan fan celebration that will include futsal pitches open to the public, food vendors, live music, cultural performances and a game-night watch party just a short walk away from the FIFA Fan Festival — all without the advance registration requirement.
June 23, 2026 Athens Banner-Herald
Controlled farming may help crops survive climate swings, UGA says
Erica Van Buren reports, University of Georgia researchers are studying controlled environment agriculture to help growers combat the effects of climate change, such as extended periods of drought. Ruchika Kashyap, an urban and controlled environment plant pathologist at the University of Georgia, said controlled environment agriculture can range from growing crops in a hoop house to a high-tech greenhouse.
June 23, 2026 GPB
Georgia flags three beaches for elevated fecal bacteria levels
Jillian Magtoto reports, the national Clean Water Act requires states to identify polluted surface waters every two years. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) identified 15 miles of beach with polluted waters, including parts of Tybee, St. Simons, and Jekyll islands.
June 23, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Radio host Martha Zoller dies
Ty Tagami reports that Georgia radio host and state school board member Martha Zoller died Monday, House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, said in a speech on the House floor. “We lost a great Georgian today: Someone who was a great conservative, but she was also a friend to all Georgians,” Burns said Monday afternoon during the Legislature’s special session.
June 23, 2026 Rome News-Tribune
Floyd County Commission poised to OK airport runway project
Adam Carey reports that the Floyd County Commission is expected to sign off Tuesday on a $3.8 million resurfacing contract for Runway 1/19 at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport in Armuchee. The majority of the cost, 90%, will be paid by the federal government, with 5% paid by the state and the county responsible for the remaining 5%.
June 23, 2026 Macon Melody
Why Bibb schools are facing a budget crisis
Casey Choung reports that for months, members of the Bibb County Board of Education have grappled with budget woes. As board members looked to adopt a new fiscal year spending plan, they were confronted with a looming budget deficit, one that threatens to deplete the district’s fund balance.
June 23, 2026 Georgia Recorder
GOP lawmakers save Kemp from rare threat of a veto override
Alander Rocha reports that Georgia Republicans on Monday blocked a Democratic attempt to push for what would have been the first vote to override a veto from Gov. Brian Kemp. Atlanta Democratic state Rep. Stacey Evans called on her colleagues to override one of Kemp’s vetoes on a bill that would have required funds appropriated to the Department of Human Services and the Department of Community Health for specific purposes to be kept in separate accounts and prohibit the two agencies from using those funds for other purposes.
June 23, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Legislature kills sales tax for property tax swap
Ty Tagami reports that Democrats in the Legislature on Monday closed the door on Republican proposals to implement new local sales taxes to offset homeowner property tax bills. On the fourth day of their special session, Republicans got a redo of a vote Saturday that nixed the tax swap.
June 23, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A tactical GOP retreat comes with a cost in Georgia
Greg Bluetein reports that Republican leaders tamped down two of Georgia’s most politically explosive issues before the 2026 election. But that doesn’t mean the party’s activist base is happy about it. The decision to delay a contentious overhaul of the state’s political maps and postpone a rewrite of how ballots are counted could de-escalate two potent campaign issues for Democrats in an election year already shaping up as a referendum on President Donald Trump.
