Georgia Trend Daily – Sept. 4, 2026
Sept. 4, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Another record breaker for business expansions and job growth in Georgia
Ty Tagami reports, the economic boom continued in Georgia last year, with a second record-topping year of business investment and job growth. Gov. Brian Kemp and the state Department of Economic Development announced $35.2 billion in project investments for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
Sept. 4, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Raising the Bar for Georgia Wine
Sucheta Rawal reports, twenty-five years ago, I walked into Château Élan Winery & Resort as a curious college student. At the time, Georgia wine was more of a novelty than a destination, and I remember being fascinated that a French-inspired château and winery existed just outside Atlanta.
Sept. 4, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Delta’s newest employee benefit: $1,000 to help seed eligible Trump Accounts
Mirtha Donastorg reports that Delta Air Lines is offering a new benefit to employees: a $1,000 match of the federal contribution given to eligible Trump Accounts, the new investment vehicles for American children that launched this summer. The effort builds on the financial wellness programs Delta started a few years ago to increase their employees’ emergency savings.
Sept. 4, 2026 Augusta Chronicle
Georgia named one of the top 10 hardest-working states. Do you agree?
Miguel Legoas reports, last week, WalletHub released its list of the hardest-working states in the U.S. They were ranked based on 10 metrics grouped into two categories: Direct and indirect work factors with greater weight given to direct factors.
Sept. 4, 2026 WABE
Atlanta Regional Commission unveils roadmap for adding affordable housing
Marlon Hyde reports, the Atlanta Regional Commission says the metro area needs more homes for lower-income residents. Demand is growing as more people move here and housing prices remain elevated. Inside Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church, Anna Roach, who leads the commission, painted a stark picture.
Sept. 4, 2026 Macon Telegraph
With enrollment up, $8.6 million gift boosts Wesleyan’s growing sports programs
Casey Choung reports, when Arline Finch graduated from Wesleyan College in 1956, she was named Miss Wesleyan, a title given to one outstanding senior. Now, the college’s merit scholarship will be named after Finch and her husband after the couple left $8.6 million to her alma mater.
Sept. 4, 2026 GlobalAtlanta.com
Irish Chamber Taps New President a Year After Revival
Trevor Williams reports, just over a year after its revival with a more regional focus, Atlanta’s Irish-American Chamber of the Southeast is announcing a new president. Gerry Leonard, CEO of Transit Technologies, is passing the baton to Jessica Thompson, a realtor at Compass who previously served on the board of directors as communications lead, after having co-founded the Irish Network Atlanta.
Sept. 4, 2026 GPB
Dragon Con celebrates 40 years of fandom in Atlanta
Amanda Andrews reports, when Dragon Con first kicked off in 1987, there were about 1,200 attendees. Now registration is capped at 75,000 people, and the event fills five hotels.
Sept. 4, 2026 The Current
Citizen-led lawsuit challenges zoning for OpenAI Georgia data center
Maggie Lee reports, a lawsuit filed in Effingham County accuses the county commission of skipping a required public hearing for the zoning rule that paved the way for OpenAI to open a planned hyperscale data center near Rincon. The suit, filed on behalf of three Effingham County residents, comes amid a groundswell of opposition to the planned data center, which was announced in late July after months of secret negotiations between Effingham County leaders and the California-based maker of ChatGPT software.
Sept. 4, 2026 WSB TV
Local trade school helps to cut the HVAC tech shortage, well short
Berndt Peterson reports, Chattahoochee Technical College’s expanded HVAC program will make it one of the largest in the state. The school was awarded nearly a million dollars to help pump up the heating and cooling industry.
Sept. 4, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Lawmakers consider how to protect voting access for people with disabilities, non-English speakers
Maya Homan reports, accessibility advocates are urging state leaders to prioritize access for voters with disabilities and those who require language assistance as lawmakers prepare to overhaul Georgia’s election equipment ahead of 2028. Thanks to a bill passed during the June special session, state leaders appear likely to select hand-marked paper ballots as the state’s primary voting method ahead of 2028.
Sept. 4, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Democratic socialists aren’t taking over. But their influence is growing.
Greg Bluestein and Shaddi Abusaid report, the lone democratic socialist on Atlanta’s City Council didn’t set out to be a thorn in the side of the mayor. But Kelsea Bond doesn’t seem to mind shaking things up at City Hall. Over eight months in office, Bond voted against Mayor Andre Dickens’ budget that increased police funding, opposed his plan to extend the city’s tax districts and publicly challenged his administration’s definition of “affordable” housing.
