Georgia Trend Daily – July 31, 2026

July 31, 2026 Savannah Morning News

Georgia Power makes $7.3 million purchase in Savannah’s east side

Evan Lasseter reports that the Georgia Power Company recently made a new splash on Savannah’s east side. The company purchased three acres for $7.3 million in the 2600 block of Causton Bluff Road on July 22, according to the latest round of property transfers.

July 31, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

Catching up… with Dr. Michelle “Shelley” Nuss

Patty Rasmussen reports that Dr. Michelle “Shelley” Nuss, Founding Dean of the University of Georgia School of Medicine, is a professor of Medical Education in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry. She has spent much of her career focusing on ways to address shortages in healthcare education and workforce pipelines.

July 31, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta auto giant Hennessy sold in deal valued at $1.3 billion

Savannah Sicurella reports that one of Atlanta’s largest luxury auto groups, Hennessy Automobile Companies, has struck a deal to sell its dealerships and real estate assets to a Houston-based group rapidly expanding in the region. Group 1 Automotive, one of the largest publicly traded dealership groups, is the buyer.

July 31, 2026 Marietta Daily Journal

Cumberland bridge dedicated to late developer credited with ‘transforming Cobb County’

Isabelle Manders reports, long before Cumberland became a major economic hub and entertainment destination, developer John Williams envisioned what the area could become. On Thursday, state and local leaders, family members and longtime friends gathered to honor that vision by officially dedicating the U.S. Route 41/State Route 3 bridge over the Chattahoochee River as the John A. Williams Memorial Bridge, recognizing the developer, civic leader and philanthropist whose influence continues to shape metro Atlanta years after his death.

July 31, 2026 Valdosta Daily Times

Lowndes County begins conversation on controlling data centers

Bailey Wilson reports, it’s official: data centers are set to be welcome in Lowndes County, but not without a fight. The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners hosted a data center information session on Jul. 28 following the regular meeting.

July 31, 2026 Albany Herald

Albany Commission hits pause on data centers for study, drafting regulations

Alan Mauldin reports that the Albany City Commission had a much larger audience than usual, and a number of those present were on hand hoping that commissioners would approve a moratorium on permitting data centers. That group was not disappointed as the commission approved a 12-month pause on allowing data centers, with a possible six-month extension if the initial halt proved insufficient for drafting regulations to govern the facilities.

July 31, 2026 Newnan Times-Herald

Moreland approves container moratorium

Laura Camper reports, at their July 6 meeting, Moreland aldermen approved a 6-month moratorium on permits for cargo containers in the city. Mark Mitchell, attorney for the town of Moreland, said the mayor and aldermen are taking time to create an ordinance governing the containers.

July 31, 2026 Georgia Recorder

Georgia state agencies told to freeze spending and draft contingency plans

Alander Rocha reports that Gov. Brian Kemp’s office has instructed Georgia state agencies to keep spending level as they prepare budget proposals ahead of next year’s legislative session. Kemp is term-limited and signed his final budget earlier this year, cutting more than $300 million in new spending at the time to help pay for an income tax cut package that lawmakers passed earlier this year.

July 31, 2026 Macon Telegraph

Georgia is the 3rd worst state for healthcare, WalletHub says. Here’s why

Chelsea Madden reports that good healthcare is a necessity in America, especially after the COVID pandemic. However, finding good, affordable healthcare seems to be a struggle among citizens.

July 31, 2026 GPB

Georgia could pass a law mandating insurance coverage of IVF for family planning, but hasn’t

Ellen Eldridge reports that the Center for Reproductive Rights and other advocacy groups are raising awareness this week of legislation impacting infertility care options for families. In Georgia, the ability to build a family often comes down to what you can afford and whether your insurance covers in vitro fertilization, according to Jorie Dugan with the Human Rights Counsel at Center for Reproductive Rights.

July 31, 2026 GlobalAtlanta.com

Georgia Manufacturers Sound Off on New Forced Labor Tariffs and Canada Levies Set to Take Effect in August

Trevor Williams reports that Georgia companies, including foreign investors in the state, have been spending time on Capitol Hill this month sharing with lawmakers a mixed picture of how the latest volley of U.S. tariffs could affect their businesses. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce, meanwhile, has issued a white paper aimed at helping local firms prepare for the more upheaval, including a proposed 50 percent levy on certain goods from Canada, the state’s largest trading partner.

July 31, 2026 State Affairs

CareSource clawbacks, cuts hit autism testing in Georgia

Beau Evans reports, psychologists who diagnose children with autism and other conditions in Georgia are reeling after a major state-contracted insurer clawed back tens of thousands in Medicaid funds, sparking fears of financial ruin for many local clinics. Initial reporting found pediatric therapists across the state were slapped with steep cost hikes in May by two of the state’s Medicaid providers, CareSource and Peach State Health Plan — a move that threatened access to critical treatments for hundreds of Georgia’s most vulnerable children in their most formative years.

July 31, 2026 WABE

Sen. Warnock reports that tariffs are driving up back-to-school shopping prices

Marlon Hyde reports that preparing for the upcoming school year is getting more expensive for Georgia families. That’s according to Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who says tariffs are putting additional pressure on Georgia’s families.

July 31, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mike Collins gets multimillion-dollar boost from GOP group

Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report, reinforcements are coming for Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Collins. The congressman is getting a boost from One Nation, a GOP-aligned group that said Thursday it plans to spend $15 million in Georgia targeting Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.