It is rare for a native-born Georgian to serve as an ambassador to a foreign nation, but J. Mark Burkhalter is one of that elite few, having been nominated by President Donald Trump and then confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Moldova. The Alpharetta native represented north Fulton County in the General Assembly for 18 years and briefly served as speaker of the House of Representatives. A successful real estate developer, Burkhalter is a University of Georgia alum with a double major in German and Slavic Languages, and Global Studies/Political Science. As he prepares to locate in a country (a U.S. ally) bordered by Romania and Ukraine, his boat (and Georgia’s) is RISING…
The city of Woodbine, in Camden County, finds itself in big trouble after it was revealed city officials haven’t filed an audit since 2020. Failure to do so has cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in road infrastructure grants already, and leaves it at risk of being dissolved entirely by the state legislature. Furious city residents have filed petitions to recall three separate city councilmembers, and plan to do the same for the remaining two. Woodbine’s city leadership is SINKING…
One of the biggest legislative wins for the Georgia General Assembly this year was a sweeping literacy package that included funding for reading coaches in every elementary school. Now U.S. Congress is getting in on that effort, with U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath co-sponsoring the Reading Excellence and Achievement for Development Act. The bipartisan bill would award grants to low-performing high schools (including many in Georgia), where far too many students manage to graduate without sufficient literacy skills. RISING…
The Clayton County Water Authority was hit by a cyberattack that experts fear may have come from Iran. While the disruption only lasted a few hours and led to a boil water advisory, it resembled a string of attacks made on other states by “malicious cyber actors” affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber Electronic Command. The threat of cyberattacks on Metro Atlanta water systems has our cybersecurity SINKING…
During the Biden administration illegal immigrants overwhelmed systems ranging from healthcare to schools. Illegal alien street gangs flourished. Now, though, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the results of an enhanced immigration enforcement operation throughout Georgia. “Operation Safe Community” yielded 1,226 immigration arrests in recent months. Of those individuals who snuck across our borders, 720 had been convicted or charged with crimes in the U.S. According to ICE, the criminal histories of the arrested aliens include sex crimes, crimes against children, aggravated assault, assault and battery, drug crimes, lewd and lascivious acts, weapons crimes and burglary. Incarceration and deportation of Georgia’s illegal immigrants are RISING…
After failing to get 1% of the vote in the 2024 elections, and now unable to collect signatures of 1% of active voters (roughly 70,000) the Libertarian Party will not be on Georgia ballots this fall. That could be a big deal in the state’s marquee elections – U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock both won runoffs created by Libertarian candidates taking about 2% of the vote. The Libertarian Party’s influence in Georgia is SINKING…
Is Atlanta full yet? The answer, according to new data from the Atlanta Regional Commission, is a resounding “no!” The 11-country Metro Atlanta region added 53,690 new residents between April 2025 and April 2026. And while historically the city’s sprawling suburbs have seen the fastest growth, it’s actually the city center that’s currently booming, driven by a surge of multifamily high rises in Midtown and along the Beltline. Metro Atlanta’s population is still RISING…
CIty of College Park officials find themselves in hot water after hastily calling an important City Council meeting… in Savannah. At that meeting they selected a new Destination Marketing Organization, ‘Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance,’ that has some sketchy ties to city officials and which has been accused of fudging lists of past clients that it used in its “winning” bid. The entire situation smells fishy, and has College Park officials (and the residents they serve) SINKING…
Georgia’s hosting duties during this summer’s FIFA World Cup were a smashing success. Some numbers: Mercedes-Benz Stadium welcomed 544,516 fans across Atlanta’s eight matches while the FIFA Fan Festival in Centennial Olympic Park saw another 500,000 visitors during the tournament, making it one of the most popular in the nation. MARTA transported more than 2.5 million riders during the tournament, a 200% increase over normal ridership. A team effort from both city and state officials as well as the entire Atlanta World Cup Host Committee had an action packed summer RISING…
Pines:
Brantley County
The devastating Highway 82 Fire in southeast Georgia was the worst in state history, destroying 110 homes and burning a staggering 22,419 acres. The response of the local community was inspiring, with the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension helping lead the way. Within 48 hours of the fires starting, UGA Southeast District Extension staff launched community assistance efforts that would last for months, orchestrating donation efforts, supporting firefighters and organizing volunteers. While the fire is now contained, recovery efforts are ongoing. Another generous resonse came from the Georgia Forestry Foundation, which donated $85,000 to the Brantley County Family Connection to help rebuild essential infrastructure like wells and septic systems.
Columbus
One of the challenges of having a large military community is figuring out how to transition veterans back into the workforce when they leave service. Columbus, home to the U.S. Army’s Fort Benning, is addressing that issue with the opening of the Col. Ralph Puckett Workforce Development Center. The center, operated by Columbus Technical College, will help train and connect vets to local employers, serving as both a powerful econonomic development tool and a bridge between Columbus’ business and military communities.
Fort Valley
The competition for the Georgia Chamber’s 2026 ‘Coolest Thing Made in Georgia’ competition was more heated than ever, but emerging from the crowded field was the Blue Bird Vision Electric School Bus. Manufactured in the city of Fort Valley in Peach County, the electric bus actually debuted all the way back in 1996, but was reintroduced in 2018. Today, more than 4,000 Blue Bird electric school buses operate nationwide, providing sustainable transportation while still offering the safe, comfortable experience that parents expect. Blue Bird was founded in Fort Valley in 1927, making it one of Georgia’s most enduring and successful manufacturers. It remains the premier school bus-maker in the U.S., and its EV (and alternative-fuel) models are keeping it on the cutting edge of the industry.
Macon
Five years ago, Macon-Bibb County officials launched an ambitious anti-blight program, identifying more than 5,200 blighted properties across the city. Through vigorous enforcement of an aggressive blight tax, Macon-Bibb collected $3 million in total, and has now torn down or fixed up over 2,500 properties. That stunning success story stands out compared to similar efforts in Metro Atlanta, where a blight tax was created in 2024, but city officials have struggled to implement it both in terms of enforcement and collection. Atlanta officials should take notes from Macon-Bibb and Mayor Lester Miller, where the sound of construction now rings out over formerly blighted properties citywide.
Okefenokee
Georgia conservationists gathered in a hotel ballroom in the scenic city of Busan, South Korea, to celebrate a major victory for one of the state’s most treasured natural wonders. The Okefenokee Swamp in south Georgia, one of the most unique and best-preserved wetland ecosystems on the planet, has been named a World Heritage site by UNESCO, becoming the first of its kind in Georgia and the first natural site in the U.S. added in more than three decades. It joins natural and man-made wonders like the Grand Canyon, Versailles, and the Great Barrier Reef. The expectation is that the title will bring eyeballs and tourism to Charlton, Clinch and Ware counties, all of which contain parts of the 400,000-acre swamp. A projection from a conservation group says it expects tourism to rise to between 1.4 million and 1.6 million by 2035, up from about 800,000 a year today.
Savannah
As part of the US250 celebration, Savannah residents got to experience a little slice of history with a live reading of the Declaration of Independence in Johnson Square, right where politician Archibald Bulloch read it to the public 250 years ago. Bulloch was a leader of the Liberty Party, and one of the main figures in Savannah’s pushback against the British Parliament’s taxation without local consent. He later served as Georgia’s first official governor, represented the state in the Continental Congress and fought in the Revolutionary War. “We stand here being the recipient of 250 years of struggle and strife, all founded upon an idea that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness was an opportunity for all,” said Savannah Mayor Van Johnson.
