Georgia Trend Daily – Aug. 3, 2026
Aug. 3, 2026 Athens Banner-Herald
Georgia ranked among the best states in new US News report
Vanessa Johns reports, Georgia landed in the top half of a new nationwide ranking that looks at everything from the state’s economy and education system to healthcare, infrastructure and quality of life. The 2026 Best States rankings from U.S. News & World Report placed Georgia No. 22 overall among all 50 states.
Aug. 3, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Most Respected Business Leader 2026: Erica Qualls-Battey
Jerry Grillo reports, Erica Qualls-Battey, Atlanta area general manager for Marriott International, still marvels at the power of a handshake and a smile in a hotel lobby. She’s hosted Presidents Clinton and Obama, baseball legend Hank Aaron and some of the world’s other influential people at her hotel through the years.
Aug. 3, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia film and TV production spending slips to $2B, a 10-year low
Savannah Sicurella reports that Georgia’s film industry slump is getting deeper with the state seeing the weakest year in production spending in about a decade. Film and television projects spent about $2 billion in Georgia in the 12 months that ended June 30, according to numbers released Thursday by the Georgia Film Office.
Aug. 3, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Georgia Power breaks ground on natural gas expansion at Plant Bowen despite air pollution concerns
Alander Rocha reports, a major natural gas expansion at Georgia Power’s Plant Bowen will hurt air quality in the Atlanta region, which is already struggling with ozone pollution, according to environmental groups challenging a state air permit for the project. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division in January issued a permit authorizing Georgia Power to build new turbines that will be powered by natural gas, a fossil fuel that is mostly methane, at the Bartow County power plant, which can currently produce about 3,500 megawatts of coal-fired power.
Aug. 3, 2026 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Can Columbus turn Fort Benning transitions into jobs? Leaders point to new center
Jordyn Paul-Slater reports, as Columbus works to grow its workforce and retain more transitioning military service members, local leaders say a new workforce development center outside Fort Benning could become one of the city’s strongest economic development tools. Honoring the life and legacy of Col. Ralph Puckett Jr., the Col. Ralph Puckett Workforce Development Center, located just outside the gates of Fort Benning at 2329 Fort Benning Road, opened on Friday.
Aug. 3, 2026 Macon Melody
GDOT asks residents to weigh in on restoring passenger train service to Macon
Alaysia Ezzard reports, the Georgia Department of Transportation is surveying the public through Aug. 6 to gauge interest in Atlanta-to-Savannah rail service that could include a stop in Macon. The study area for the project includes Macon, Atlanta, Athens, Statesboro, Milledgeville, Augusta, Savannah and others.
Aug. 3, 2026 WSB TV
McCaysville begins cleanup after flash flood turns downtown streets into rivers
Brittany Kleinpeter reports, a North Georgia community is working to recover after a powerful flash flood turned downtown McCaysville into a river over the weekend, leaving behind mud, damaged businesses, and a new challenge for residents.Cleanup crews spent Sunday removing waterlogged furniture, damaged merchandise, and debris as business owners and residents began the long process of recovery.
Aug. 3, 2026 Saporta Report
The late Ted Turner to receive Lifetime Achievement Award on Nov. 5
Maria Saporta reports that the 40th anniversary of National Philanthropy Day will take place Nov. 5 at the Georgia Aquarium to celebrate individuals and organizations for their generosity, leadership and volunteerism. The Greater of Atlanta Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals is hosting the luncheon with Delta Air Lines as its presenting sponsor.
Aug. 3, 2026 Union-Recorder
Commissioners impose mining moratorium
Billy Hobbs reports, nearly 25 residents gathered Saturday morning to express opposition to the possibility of a mining company, or rock quarry, starting operations in Baldwin County. The company, which has reportedly purchased 600 acres off Avery Store Road, a dirt road that runs off Ga. Route 212, would use the land for mining granite.
Aug. 3, 2026 The Current
More than 1,000 Georgia Democrats meet to strategize for November election
Craig Nelson and Robin Kemp report, more than 1,000 Georgia Democrats gathered in Savannah Saturday for a pep rally and strategy session, brandishing their determination to put a Democrat, Keisha Lance Bottoms, into the governor’s seat for the first time in a generation and to re-elect Jon Ossoff to the U.S. Senate. The state Democratic party’s daylong convention kicked off with speeches offering a united message: Winds of change are sweeping Georgia, driven by people fed up with the rising cost of living, job insecurities and anxieties that the American dream is slipping away.
Aug. 3, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Student absenteeism a persistent problem, but Georgia is doing better than most states
Ty Tagami reports, when COVID-19 struck, schools closed, students “attended” from home, and too many got out of the habit of going to school when the doors reopened. In 2022, nearly a quarter of Georgia’s students had absenteeism rates high enough to be considered “chronic” — nearly double the rate before the pandemic.
Aug. 3, 2026 State Affairs
Prediction markets put the pressure on to allow sports betting
Jack Rutherford reports, prediction markets have become widely available across the United States, causing some Georgia lawmakers to reconsider whether the markets and other forms of gambling like sport betting should be legal and taxed. Previous efforts to legalize the practice in the Peach State have failed in the General Assembly.
Aug. 3, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Collins’ healthcare event derailed by questions about his son-in-law
Greg Bluestein reports, one of Mike Collins’ first public appearances in weeks was supposed to showcase a familiar Republican healthcare agenda. Standing outside the Monroe County Hospital on Thursday, Collins called for expanded tax credits, greater price transparency and policies aimed at lowering prescription drug costs, while accusing Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of being out of touch with Georgians’ problems.
