Georgia Trend Daily – Oct. 5, 2026

Oct. 5, 2026 GPB

Nearly 4,000 plaintiffs pursue BioLab injury claims two years after fire

Pamela Kirkland reports that nearly 4,000 people are named as plaintiffs in personal-injury lawsuits alleging they were harmed by the 2024 BioLab fire in Conyers and the resulting toxic plume, according to a GPB review of state court records. GPB identified 3,827 plaintiffs in Georgia State and Superior Court cases filed through Oct. 1.

Oct. 5, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

Beyond Chemotherapy in Georgia

Mary Anne Dunkin reports, each year, more than 300,000 women in the United States – including an estimated 10,400 in Georgia – hear the life-changing words, “You have breast cancer.” For many, the shock of the diagnosis is quickly followed by another frightening prospect: chemotherapy.

Oct. 5, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

New name unveiled for Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery after merger approval

Savannah Sicurella reports, at long last, the soon-to-merge Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery has a name: Skydance. The name was chosen to give the combined entity, which will include Atlanta-based CNN, TNT and TBS among its properties, “an identity of its own.”

Oct. 5, 2026 Saporta Report

At second annual Atlanta Way Day, Mayor Dickens announces strides in major neighborhood plan

Delaney Tarr reports, at last year’s inaugural Atlanta Way Day, a crowd of civic leaders asked a major question: Why is Atlanta ranked last in economic mobility, and how can it improve? The data from a 2024 study by Raj Chetty’s research group Opportunity Insights caused worry among local leaders.

Oct. 5, 2026 City of Marietta

U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary Visits Marietta Power to celebrate grant

Rachel Langelotti reports that Katie Jereza, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity, toured Marietta Power and Water to celebrate a major milestone in local infrastructure resilience: the deployment of new, state-of-the-art SCADA-controlled vacuum interruptible switches as part of the Marietta Power Grid Renewal and Modernization Project. The modernization effort represents a total project investment of $3,962,519, made possible by a $2,659,031 federal funding award administered through the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA).

Oct. 5, 2026 Rough Draft Atlanta

The Berkeley adaptive reuse project begins construction along Beltline

Staff reports that construction is underway on The Berkeley, The Atlantic Companies’ adaptive reuse development at 1500 Northside Drive. The newly-named project will transform the historic former Myers Carpet building into a retail-anchored commercial destination connected to the Atlanta Beltline in the Berkeley Park neighborhood.

Oct. 5, 2026 Access North Georgia

Jackson EMC Foundation allocates funding to feed local families

Staff reports that nearly $30,000 in grant funding has been awarded to four local organizations to assist in their efforts to feed North Georgia families in need. The money is part of a $142,500 charitable donation recently approved by the Jackson EMC Foundation, following a vote by the foundation’s board of directors.

Oct. 5, 2026 Savannah Morning News

How many Georgians are broke? Study shows how many have zero net worth

Vanessa Johns reports that a new study puts a number on how many Georgia households have little or no net worth. According to SmartAsset’s latest analysis, an estimated 11.6% of Georgia households had zero or negative net worth in 2024.

Oct. 5, 2026 WABE

Georgia Medical Cannabis Commission approves home delivery

Rahul Bali and Kendall Murry report that the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission approved and amended Rule 351-6.11 on Wednesday, allowing home delivery of the state’s cultivated products. Companies currently licensed to produce medical cannabis in Georgia could use the U.S. Postal Service or a private carrier to send products to registered patients. Addresses could also include long-term care facilities.

Oct. 5, 2026 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Election directors to take questions from Columbus-area voters at public forum

Britttany McGee reports that Columbus-area residents will have the opportunity to hear from regional election directors at a nonpartisan forum Monday. Voters will be able to ask questions about election processes and security at the event hosted by Keep Our Republic, a nonpartisan civic education organization.

Oct. 5, 2026 Albany Herald

Former Dougherty Commissioner Harry James challenges ‘dean of legislature,’ Gerald Greene

Alan Mauldin reports that State Rep. Gerald Greene’s name is well-known throughout District 154, and he is the longest-serving elected representative in the Georgia Legislature. Harry James has also been active in politics for decades and has continued to participate since his stint as a Dougherty County Commissioner.

Oct. 5, 2026 The Current

Kingston stays the Trump course

Craig Nelson reports, as midterm election campaigning enters the home stretch, Republican congressional candidates, especially those in swing districts and tight races, are distancing themselves from President Trump. Jim Kingston, the Republican candidate in the race to succeed Buddy Carter as Coastal Georgia’s congressman, doesn’t appear worried that the president’s historically low poll numbers, the war with Iran and plummeting consumer confidence will drag down his race against Amanda Hollowell, his Democratic Party opponent.

Oct. 5, 2026 Georgia Recorder

Georgia cuts payments by 30% for foster children’s autism therapy

Ariel Hart reports that Krystina McQueen’s severely autistic foster son – who is prone to biting and hitting — has made big strides in his few weeks in specialized behavior therapy. He’s in it at the crucial time to learn basic skills, as he’s about to turn 3.

Oct. 5, 2026 Capitol Beat News

Georgia voters will see pen and paper at polls

Ty Tagami reports that attentive Georgia voters will notice something different when they go to their polling places on Election Day: pen and paper. Poll workers will log each voter in electronically, but they will also be recording voters’ names on a backup log using pen and paper.

Oct. 5, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bottoms touted changes to cash bail as mayor. Republicans are using it against her.

Riley Bunch reports, in her first act as mayor of Atlanta in 2018, Keisha Lance Bottoms signed an ordinance ending cash bail for low-level offenders — a measure aimed at saving taxpayers money and preventing people from languishing in jail simply because they couldn’t afford to pay. It was praised by criminal justice advocates as a step toward a new, more thoughtful approach to the court system.