Georgia Trend Daily – Oct. 26, 2026
Oct. 26, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Audi to build first U.S. plant in Georgia
Ty Tagami reports that Georgia residents who are in the market for an Audi will eventually be able to buy one made locally. The German company announced on Saturday that it plans to build its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Peach County.
Oct. 26, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Nice Guys Should Finish First
Loran Smith writes, Dale Murphy, one of the most beloved and appreciated athletes to play for the Atlanta Braves, makes his home in Alpine, Utah, which is around 36 miles south of Salt Lake City, but people see him often enough around the capital city of Georgia that they might conclude that ole No. 3 is still anchored in the place he called home for more than a decade.
Oct. 26, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia gets $10 million to boost teacher hiring efforts
Eric Stirgas reports that the Georgia Department of Education announced Friday it has received two big federal grants to expand teacher apprenticeships statewide. The larger, nearly $6 million grant aims to expand paraprofessional-to-teacher apprenticeships and strengthen teacher preparation, mentoring and support for new educators.
Oct. 26, 2026 Georgia.gov
Gov. Kemp Extends Suspension of State Gas Tax
Staff reports that Gov. Kemp, in consultation with Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and Speaker of the House Jon Burns, on Saturday announced he is extending a state of emergency due to global market volatility and the corresponding suspension of the state’s motor fuel excise tax through November 30. With gas and diesel prices remaining high, this action will provide needed relief for Georgians through the Thanksgiving holiday travel period.
Oct. 26, 2026 Marietta Daily Journal
Lockheed outlines 10-year F-35 deal with federal government
Jack Lindner reports that Lockheed Martin and the Department of Defense have unveiled the outline of a joint plan to manufacture 850 new F-35 fighter jets over the next 10 years, paving the way for the next decade of production at the defense contractor’s Marietta plant.
Oct. 26, 2026 GlobalAtlanta.com
Power Giant Announces Half-Billion-Dollar Expansion Near Savannah on the Eve of Annual Japan-Southeast Conference
Trevor Williams reports, last year toward the end of October, Gov. Brian Kemp was in Tokyo on his first-ever mission to Japan, one of Georgia’s top investor nations. Along with the SEUS-Japan Alliance joint meeting, an annual conference bringing together Japanese firms and leaders from around the Southeast U.S., his agenda included visits to prospects and partners with a presence in the state.
Oct. 26, 2026 WRDW
How battery system at old coal plant could help power Georgia’s future
Sarah Hammond reports, a battery energy storage system is now online at the former Plant Hammond site in Floyd County, which was decommissioned in 2019. The system is one of five battery storage facilities being built across Georgia, according to Georgia Power.
Oct. 26, 2026 Savannah Morning News
OpenAI applies for permit to fill wetlands for data center
Stephanie Castellano reports that OpenAI has applied for a federal permit to fill 72 acres of wetlands at the site of its planned data center campus in Effingham County. The permit application was filed with the United States Army Corps of Engineers and made accessible to the public on Oct. 5.
Oct. 26, 2026 Albany Herald
Pelham farmers turn hardship into a regenerative mission
Kathryn Crockett reports, when serious health problems disrupted April Workman’s career, she and her husband, James, began reconsidering how they earned a living, raised their family and cared for their farm. Part of their answer lay in materials already familiar to southwest Georgia agriculture: poultry manure and cotton gin waste.
Oct.26, 2026 Athens Banner-Herald
Amicalola Falls named Georgia’s top ‘spiritual home’ in new survey
Vanessa Johns reports that Amicalola Falls State Park, near Dawsonville, has been named Georgia’s top natural “spiritual home” in a survey examining the outdoor places people turn to for peace, reflection and emotional comfort. The survey, commissioned by A Mission for Michael and conducted by Cherry Data Signals, asked 3,001 respondents to identify the natural place in their state that holds the greatest personal or spiritual significance to them.
Oct. 26, 2026 The Current
Warnock, Ossoff call for investigation at South Georgia ICE facility as hunger strike said to continue
Jabari Gibbs and Craig Nelson report that Georgia’s two U.S. senators have asked federal officials to determine whether officers at the ICE processing center in South Georgia, the nation’s largest, have retaliated against hunger strikers at the sprawling facility, including placing at least 13 of the protesters into solitary confinement.
Oct. 26, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Georgia draws high-profile boosters to the campaign trail as candidates enter the homestretch
Jill Nolin, Ross Williams and Maya Homan report, several big names are hitting the campaign trail in Georgia in hopes of driving up turnout on their side as voters choose their next governor and decide whether to send Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff back to Washington. Congressman Mike Collins, who is challenging Ossoff, and gubernatorial candidate and healthcare executive Rick Jackson joined President Donald Trump on the stage Saturday in middle Georgia.
Oct. 26, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jon Ossoff says he won’t run for president. Georgia Democrats have other ideas.
Greg Bluestein reports, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff keeps insisting he has “zero interest” in a run for president in 2028. A whole lot of Georgia Democrats wish he would. A new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll shows 84% of likely Democratic midterm voters want Ossoff to seek a White House bid, along with nearly half of likely independent voters.
