Georgia Trend Daily – Oct. 16, 2026
Oct. 16, 2026 Rough Draft Atlanta
Construction set to begin on MARTA’s first arterial rapid transit corridor
Collin Kelley reports that MARTA will soon begin construction on its first arterial rapid transit (ART) corridor along Cleveland Avenue and Metropolitan Parkway. Construction will begin in both the City of Atlanta and the City of East Point on Oct. 26, 2026, with crews moving along the corridor in phases.
Oct. 16, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
The Macon Beer Fest
Candice Dyer reports, the Macon Beer Festival, founded in 2010 (also known as the Macon Oktoberfest), is a party with a purpose. Held downtown at the intersection of Third Street and Poplar Street, the annual shindig has likely provided more than $ 1.5 million in prostate screenings for free since it began.
Oct. 16, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The 74
Georgia’s building boom for data centers comes with a cost for schools
Linda Jacobson reports that Georgia has become a preferred destination for the multi-billion dollar, A.I.-fueled data center industry. This year, construction activity in the metro Atlanta area has even surpassed northern Virginia, which has the highest concentration of data centers in the world.
Oct. 16, 2026 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
What does economic development look like in Columbus, GA?
Jordyn Paul-Slater reports that Columbus has no shortage of organizations working on economic development. The harder part is figuring out which one actually does what.
Oct. 16, 2026 Albany Herald
Albany considers battery storage system to address electricity surplus
Alan Mauldin reports, in the novel “Catch-22,” it is a persistent point of confusion as to how mess officer Milo Minderbinder can buy eggs for seven cents and sell them for four cents and still make a profit. That question of how the city of Albany is making money by purchasing electricity for 7 cents per kilowatt and selling it for 4 cents is not, by contrast, confusing.
Oct. 16, 2026 GPB
JD Vance encourages supporters to vote for Mike Collins in Atlanta as Election Day looms
Sarah Kallis reports, as Election Day looms, high-profile visitors continue to visit Georgia. On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance traveled to Atlanta, greeting supporters ahead of a private fund raising event. Vance spoke on the tarmac of Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport.
Oct. 16, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Lieutenant governor’s race heats up as candidates spar over public safety, healthcare, Trump
Maya Homan reports, with early voting already underway across the state, the race to be Georgia’s next lieutenant governor is becoming increasingly contentious as the two candidates strive to appeal to undecided voters — and explain why their opponent is the wrong choice. Both men are members of the state Senate with reputations for being outspoken and unafraid to advocate for their beliefs on the Senate floor.
Oct. 16, 2026 WABE
Miller, Strickland clash over surveillance and records in Georgia AG race
Chamian Cruz reports, in the final weeks before the election, Georgia Attorney General Democratic nominee Tanya Miller and Republican nominee Brian Strickland are setting themselves apart on issues ranging from police surveillance and data centers to public records. Both candidates are attorneys and state legislators with experience in criminal law and public safety, except Miller also previously worked as a federal and Fulton County prosecutor.
Oct. 16, 2026 Fox 5 Atlanta
Why the Georgia labor commissioner race could reshape worker rights and union rules
Travis Maurer reports that Georgia labor commissioner candidates sparred Thursday during a televised debate in Atlanta, clashing over union rights, disputed economic statistics and delayed agency technology upgrades. Appointed Republican incumbent Barbara Rivera Holmes and Democratic challenger Nikki Porcher presented contrasting priorities for the state’s workforce as early voting got underway.
Oct. 16, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Court lifts block on Georgia law that restricts children’s access to social media
Ty Tagami reports, Georgia can enforce a 2024 state law that seeks to limit social media companies’ access to children under a new ruling by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Protecting Georgia’s Children on Social Media Act passed the General Assembly with broad bipartisan support, but an organization representing online platforms sued and secured a preliminary injunction last year.
Oct. 16, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Will Trump’s Georgia rally be a lifeline or an anchor for the GOP candidates he seeks to boost?
Ross Williams, Ignacio Perez and Alander Rocha report, President Donald Trump is set to visit Dalton in northwest Georgia Friday to stump for Republican candidates as early voting is underway for the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Trump visited Dalton in early 2021 at the end of his first term to drum up support for then-Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in a runoff following the 2020 election that Trump lost.
Oct. 16, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Trump isn’t on Georgia’s ballot. Both parties are campaigning as if he is.
Greg Bluestein reports that top Democrats and Republicans agree on one thing heading into November: Georgians should vote as if Donald Trump is on the ballot. They just disagree on whether that’s a reason to reward Republicans or punish them.
