Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for October 22, 2025

General James Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia, signed a treaty with the Spanish government of Florida on October 22, 1736.

On October 22, 1832, the Cherokee Land Lottery began in Milledgeville, with more than 200,000 Georgians competing for 53,309 lots of land.

Georgia Governor John B. Gordon signed legislation on October 22, 1887 that increased the number of justices on the Georgia Supreme Court from 3 to 5.

President Grover Cleveland arrived in Atlanta for the Cotton States and International Exposition on October 22, 1895.

On the Presidential campaign trail, Franklin Delano Roosevelt arrived in Atlanta on October 23, 1932, speaking to 10,000, and continued on to his “second home” at Warm Springs, Georgia.

FDR campaigning in Atlanta and Georgia in 1932.

When he arrived at Warm Springs, FDR gave a short speech:

“Two more weeks to go. . . . First, let me say this: this old hat, a lot of you people have seen it before. It’s the same hat. But I don’t think it is going to last much longer after the 8th of November. I have a superstition about hats in campaigns, and I am going to wear it until midnight of the 8th of November. . . . Well, it’s fine to see, and I’m looking forward to coming down here for the usual Thanksgiving party at Warm Springs, and having a real old-fashioned Thanksgiving with my neighbors again. I thank you!”

On October 23, 1971, the Coca-Cola Company launched the advertising campaign “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke.”

On October 22, 1991, the Braves played Minnesota in the first World Series game in Atlanta.

Georgia-born Clarence Thomas was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court on October 23, 1991.

The Atlanta Braves won Game 2 of the 1995 World Series, beating Cleveland 4-3, on October 22, 1995.

Georgia artist Howard Finster died on October 22, 2001.

One of my dogs is named Finster, after the artist.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Police blotter: Former Public Service Commission candidate Patty Durand (D) was arrested and charged with stealing trade secrets, according to the AJC.

Patty Durand, a former Democratic Public Service Commission candidate who openly criticizes the agency and Georgia Power, the utility it regulates, was arrested Tuesday at the commission’s downtown Atlanta headquarters, law enforcement officials confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Durand was charged with theft of trade secrets, which is a felony, Fulton County jail records show.

According to a warrant for her arrest, Durand was seen on video taking a booklet of Georgia Power materials labeled trade secret, a designation for confidential business information that has not been made public.

The warrant says Durand exited the PSC hearing room, where testimony was being delivered to the commission in a case involving Georgia Power at 12:04 p.m. Tuesday. Video cameras captured her reentering the room moments later and then picking up a booklet of trade secret documents from a desk, the warrant said. The hearing was adjourned at the time for a lunch break.

After placing the files back, she walked to a second desk, where a second booklet containing the same materials was located, according to the warrant. Durand picked up the second set of files and after flipping through them, placed them in her purse and left the hearing room, the warrant says.

Durand has long criticized Georgia Power for concealing information under the cloak of trade secret about various initiatives and requests of state regulators. As of about 7 a.m. Wednesday, a bond had not been set, according to the Fulton jail website.

Durand, is not a candidate this cycle for either of the two contested PSC seats. Early voting is underway, and Election Day is Nov. 4.

Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #10.21.25.01, suspending Towns County Sheriff Kenneth Henderson. From AccessWDUN:

Governor Brian Kemp suspended Towns County Sheriff Ken Henderson for 60 days, as he remains under investigation for misconduct.

Kemp signed the executive order on Tuesday, Oct. 21, after the committee submitted its recommendation for suspension on Oct. 17.

The investigative committee includes Attorney General Chris Carr, Coweta County Sheriff Lenn Wood, and Newton County Sheriff Ezell Brown.

Henderson is being investigated for an alleged physical altercation between him and a Hiawassee Police officer.

The incident occurred at the same time as a Towns County deputy allegedly falsely reporting a shooting in December, leading to the arrest of 26-year-old Austin Bradburn of Blairsville.

After that incident, District Attorney for the Enotah Circuit Jeff Langley said he became aware of a separate incident at the scene when he asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to conduct an investigation.

“I have since made a request to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council (PAC) of Georgia to name a special prosecutor, independent of our local jurisdiction, to handle further decisions in connection with the GBI’s investigation,” Langley said in a statement.

Hiawassee Police Chief Paul Smith also released a statement regarding the investigation.

“Officer [José] Carvajal is a dedicated and experienced member of the department whose focus remains on protecting the citizens of Hiawassee and supporting fellow law enforcement officers both within the city and beyond,” the statement read. “The department and its officers are committed to carrying out their duties with the highest level of professionalism.”

Governor Kemp travels this week to Japan and South Korea for economic development, according to Atlanta News First via WSAV.

Gov. Brian Kemp will travel to South Korea this week for an economic development trip, less than two months after 300 Korean workers were swept up in an immigration raid at a Savannah-area car factory.

The raid, carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was the largest workplace enforcement action in the history of Homeland Security. In total, 475 workers were detained, and most of the Korean workers were sent back home days later.

ICE said those workers were here on the wrong type of work visa. Most were contractors with specialized and proprietary knowledge of the equipment being installed – work Americans aren’t trained to do.

In the immediate aftermath, Kemp joined the White House in supporting changes to the nation’s short-stay visa program for specialized workers. Many worried the fiasco would scare other international companies from coming to Georgia, but Kemp said he hasn’t seen any signs of that. He’ll look to shore up a 40-year economic partnership between the state and Korea during his trip.

“We’re going back to continue to build that relationship,” he said. “We still have a lot of things that we’re working on with all these companies and some potential for some new ones.”

Kemp noted the trip to Korea was planned well before the raid took place last month.

The relationship between Georgia and Korea is more than just friendly: Korean companies have formed the backbone of Georgia’s more recent economic development landscape. In addition to the sprawling Hyundai factory in Ellabell, its subsidiary, Kia, also has operations in Georgia. Battery manufacturers SK and QCells, both Korean, also have factories in the state.

Kemp’s first economic development trip after his election as governor was to Korea.

This time, the trip will include elements of immigration as much as it will economics.

“We certainly had to do some explaining about what happened,” said Kemp. “The White House and the companies are talking, which I think is good so to me, even though it was an unfortunate incident, we’ll build off of that and hopefully have something good that comes out of it.”

Kemp’s trip will also include a stop in Japan to meet with companies there.

Kemp discussed workforce issues in Atlanta, according to WSAV.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is calling for a stronger, more skilled workforce to keep pace with the state’s record-setting economic growth.

Speaking at the third annual Governor’s Workforce Summit in Atlanta, Kemp said Georgia continues to lead the nation in job creation and business investment, but the next challenge is filling those positions with qualified workers.

“It means stepping into a better-paying job and ensuring that no matter where you live in our state, you can access opportunity,” Kemp said.

Last fiscal year, Georgia attracted $26 billion in new investments and created more than 23,000 high-paying jobs, marking another milestone in its 12-year streak as the No. 1 state to do business.

Robbie Vickers, Chief Information Officer for the Technical College System of Georgia, said the state’s education and training programs are key to maintaining that momentum.

“We don’t want to be complacent,” Vickers said. “At TCSG, we’re the teaching arm, helping Georgians retrain in areas like AI to make sure they’re prepared.”

Kemp emphasized the importance of building a pipeline from high school to higher education, with strong partnerships between the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia to meet growing demand in fields like manufacturing and healthcare.

“The need is there for all parts of healthcare, nursing, doctors, technicians,” Vickers added. “As new businesses move into rural areas, the demand for healthcare only grows.”

One major initiative helping students plan their futures is the Georgia Match Program, now in its third year. The program automatically sends high school seniors personalized acceptance letters from Georgia colleges and universities, showing them where they’ve already been admitted based on academic eligibility.

This week, more than 136,000 letters were sent to students statewide. Last year, the initiative helped over 24,000 students claim college spots and boosted enrollment across Georgia’s public institutions.

Kemp also unveiled the new Georgia Career Navigator, a tool to help students and parents explore education and career pathways, whether that means college, technical training or military service.

The State Senate Special Committee on Eliminating Georgia’s Income Tax met yesterday in Gainesville, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Athens Banner Herald.

The Georgia Senate will vote on another income tax cut next year, and the only question is how big, the chamber’s budget-writing chief said Tuesday.

“The plan is not to wait until after an election to put this bill on the floor of the Senate. The plan is to move this bill forward next year,” said Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, at the close of a hearing on the topic Tuesday afternoon in Gainesville.

Tillery, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is leading a study committee on eliminating the state income tax. The panel had previously heard from experts and officials from other states that have eliminated their income tax, including Florida and Tennessee.

On Tuesday, Tillery and his fellow lawmakers held their third hearing in a cafe, where taxpayers got a chance to speak.

A mother of a toddler quizzed them on the cost of diapers and baby formula. A retired firefighter talked of firefighters working multiple jobs to make ends meet. And Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish said it is difficult to recruit trained officers from other states when they can work in neighboring states that lack an income tax.

Georgia relaxed its training standards for experienced officers, Parrish said, but it was not enough to ease recruiting.

“We thought that is a win until we realized that we are competing in these other states with Tennessee and with Florida,” he said. “Because police chiefs in those states can offer that there’s no state income tax.”

Democrats on the committee said cutting income taxes could cause increased reliance on other revenue, such as sales taxes.

Sen. Michael ‘Doc’ Rhett, D-Marietta, warned of the impact on low wage earners.

“We want to make sure before we move forward with something like this that the money that’s going out also has to be coming in and not be a burden to the working person, not be regressive,” he said.

A regressive tax places a higher burden on the income of low-wage earners than on high-income earners, economists say.

Republicans countered that any reduced revenue caused by income tax cuts could be made up by eliminating corporate tax credits or by charging tourists more for “consumption” in Georgia. They also said Georgia could use its billions in reserves to offset reductions in income tax revenue.

Tillery and several other Republican members of the committee are running against each other for state office.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones will not be campaigning for re-election next year. Instead, the Republican from Jackson is running for governor, opening an intraparty contest to succeed him.

Sen. John F. Kennedy, R-Macon, wants to be the next lieutenant governor and stepped aside as president pro tempore of the Senate — the highest office in that chamber below lieutenant governor — to run for Jones’ job. And Sen. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, stepped down as majority leader — the next highest office — to run for the same job.

Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, who is vice chair of Tillery’s Appropriations Committee and chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, is running for the office too.

All of them but Kennedy attended Tuesday’s hearing. Dolezal and Gooch took the opportunity to blame inflation on income taxes.

Jones attended briefly, opening the hearing with a pledge to work “methodically” and “responsibly” to abolish the state income tax, currently 5.19%.

“We’re serious about wanting to eliminate the state income tax. We’ve done a good job in lowering it the last three years,” he said. “Our plan is to eliminate it completely.”

From Atlanta News First via WRDW:

Georgia lawmakers are examining what it would take to eliminate the state’s income tax as a Senate committee continues its statewide tour to gather public input.

The state Senate’s special committee on eliminating Georgia’s income tax held its third public hearing at Longstreet Café in Gainesville, hearing from residents who could be affected by the potential change.

Nine states currently have no individual income tax.

Working mom Carley Jones told senators she supports the change.

“A sales tax is much more fair, in my opinion,” Jones said.

Gainesville’s police chief said Georgia agencies are struggling to compete for new talent, sandwiched between Florida and Tennessee, where there’s no state income tax.

Firefighter Riley Shoemake told lawmakers that a bigger paycheck could mean more family time.

“When you’re making money and your paycheck can’t help your family as much as it should be — that’s hard,” Shoemake said.

Political divide emerges over proposal

Republican lawmakers said the goal is to make government smaller and let taxpayers keep more of what they earn.

Democrats argued the committee is misleading people, saying while it sounds good, the state is already underfunding higher education grants, pre-K programs and waivers for adults with special needs.

Committee Chairman Blake Tillery said he’s now drafting a bill.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has made eliminating the state income tax a cornerstone of his campaign for governor, signing a pledge not to raise taxes. The promise drew applause inside the café.

“If we want to continue to be competitive — for people to live, work, and play — we have to be competitive from a tax point of view,” Jones said.

Tillery said the next meeting will focus on specific proposals, including what a phase-out could look like and how Georgia would replace that revenue.

From AccessWDUN:

Democrat State Senator for District 33 in Marietta Michael ‘Doc’ Rhett said he wanted to see caution in bringing back the income tax.

“I understand the purpose and intention, but what I would like to make sure is that the amount of funding we’re going to let go is the same amount we’re going to receive,” Rhett said. “When I was in the Air Force, I had the flight engineer. He would monitor to see that the same amount of air that was going into the engine was the same amount going out.”

Rhett also said for now, it is unclear which programs the state will have to pick up due to the uncertainty in the federal government’s cuts.

Republican State Senator for District 27 covering Forsyth County and Alpharetta and Lieutenant Governor candidate Greg Dolezal said they have not yet discussed sales taxes.

“We have not discussed sales tax other than just broadly so far,” Dolezal said. “Keep in mind people who don’t live here pay them as well when they travel here … What we have said as a committee is we need to go to zero, and what’s the best path to get to zero.”

Another meeting is planned for next month, and Tillery said he wants a more concrete idea of what a bill would look like from his fellow senators.

“We’re just looking at evening out the playing field for everyone, so that the person who’s able to hire a lobbyist at the Capitol stands in the same position as the person who’s not able to hire a lobbyist,” Tillery said.

From the AJC:

Decades ago, Grover Norquist’s pledge never to raise taxes was an influential litmus test for Republican politicians. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones wants to make it fashionable again.

Jones became the first 2026 gubernatorial candidate in Georgia to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, a promise used by Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform to oppose all tax increases.

He inked it in Gainesville on Tuesday during a legislative hearing on eliminating the state’s income tax, saying that Georgians “deserve a governor who will fight to let them keep more of what they earn.”

Hundreds of Republicans have signed the pledge since Norquist introduced it in 1986 with President Ronald Reagan’s blessing. But its influence has faded as lawmakers voted to raise the debt ceiling and gas taxes to fund infrastructure. Only 15 of Georgia’s 180 lawmakers have signed today.

Could Jones’ signature prompt a run on Republican signers in Georgia? “I would encourage each and every one of y’all to sign,” he told his Senate colleagues.

Attorney General Chris Carr promised to ensure Georgia has the lowest tax burden of any Southeastern state, and his campaign said he also plans to sign the pledge.

“Chris Carr is the only candidate with a plan to lower income and property taxes,” said Carr spokeswoman Julia Mazzone.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger signed the same Norquist pledge during previous campaigns, and a spokesman said he intends to sign it again.

United States District Court Judge Tiffany R. Johnson (ND-GA) dismissed a lawsuit by College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom against the city, according to the AJC.

In dismissing Mayor Bianca Motley Broom’s lawsuit against the city, U.S. District Court Judge Tiffany R. Johnson also threw out her claim that council members had passed the ordinance in retaliation against her leadership or her opposing views.

In a news release this week, the city said it spent more than $100,000 in legal fees defending against Motley Broom’s lawsuit and will petition the court to recover funds that “could have otherwise been directed toward community programs and services.”

However, the city has missed the deadline to recoup the attorney fees, according to Motley Broom’s attorney, Chris Balch. Under federal rules of civil procedure, the city must have filed a motion within 14 days after judgment in the case, Balch said.

The dismissal of her lawsuit comes amid an ongoing political feud between council members and the mayor, who regularly calls on them to be more transparent and fiscally responsible.

As for the ordinance, the City Council adopted a rule in January 2024 prohibiting the mayor from commenting or expressing opinions during City Council deliberations. The ordinance contains other provisions that control who can talk and when.

It says, for instance, that the mayor can make closing remarks at the conclusion of each meeting, as can council members. In her ruling, Johnson noted that the mayor also can speak during public comment.

The judge dismissed the mayor’s First Amendment claim because the council was enacting rules of procedure to ensure efficient operation of meetings. “It is not unreasonable for a city council to enact rules that govern and promote efficient meetings,” she wrote.

Dublin City Schools are dumping employees and school days amid a budget crisis, according to 13WMAZ.

Dublin City Schools approved the second phase of its deficit reduction plan Tuesday, cutting 46 positions and eliminating 10 school days as the district grapples with a $13 million budget shortfall and more than $6 million owed to the state health benefits plan.

The latest round of cuts totals approximately $3 million and includes reducing work days for some administrators, according to a press release from the district. The release says school board members will also waive their own salaries through June 2027.

The cuts come as district officials work to balance a budget strained by years of fiscal mismanagement. School officials say they are still calculating the exact savings from each measure, and more reductions are expected.

Among the most significant changes are the 46 job cuts and the reduction of 10 instructional days from the school calendar. The district has also suspended all travel expenses paid by the school system.

In a statement, Interim Superintendent Marcee Poole said the district’s focus during the budget process has been “to maintain their quality of instruction for their students and minimizing the impact in the classroom.”

Augusta Commissioners are also working to address a deficit, according to WRDW.

Augusta commissioners have weeks to address a $21 million budget deficit before finalizing the 2026 budget.

The shortfall stems from rising costs, including more than 120 new deputy positions, healthcare expenses and federal debt. These factors could force changes to daily city services.

“I want to make sure that we understand what those cuts look like in each department. What will they be cutting from, and then what changes will be made, be it workforce or programming?” said Commissioner Stacy Pulliam, District 2.

Commissioners will meet in four budget workshops before the final budget is decided.

The sessions are scheduled for Oct. 23 from 2-4 p.m., Oct. 27 from 9-11 a.m., Nov. 6 from 2-4 p.m. and Nov. 13 from 2-4 p.m. All meetings will take place in commission chambers.

The budget is scheduled to be finalized on Nov. 18.

Pulliam said the deficit could affect multiple city services.

“I know that in my area, especially, we need our roads to be repaved. There’s a lot as far as lot maintenance is concerned. So how is that going to affect that? How is it going to affect our parks? How is it gonna affect our library? Just all of the departments at large, how will they be affected?” Pulliam said.

Pulliam said ongoing discussions about the budget are necessary and suggested conducting a workforce study.

“These ongoing discussions are imperative. At some point, looking towards doing a workforce study, I think, would be really key. And that’s something that I am going to suggest because we need to know how we can make sure that each department is running efficiently,” she said.

The budget impacts public safety, roads, parks and other daily city services.

Residents of Ivey, Georgia face huge increases in their water and sewer bills, according to 13WMAZ.

[Jennifer Barron] received a warning from her mayor last week: Water and sewer rates could increase by 400% to 500% in the near future. For Barron, whose bill already climbed from $70 to as much as $170 monthly, the math is devastating.

“So now we’re talking about 400 or 500% piled on top of that. Yes, that’s gonna be more than my electric bill is, and you’re right, that breaks into feeding your family and gas to go to work,” Barron said.

The tiny Wilkinson County town finds itself caught in a regional infrastructure crisis. Ivey sends all its sewage three miles down the road to Gordon for treatment — an arrangement that has existed for more than 20 years.

But Gordon raised its water and sewer rates at the start of 2025 to pay for repairs to its aging treatment plant, and those costs are being passed directly to Ivey.

Mayor Clinton T. Hardie sent a letter to Ivey residents warning them of the impending increase.

“In late September, we received a notice from the City of Gordon that our sewage treatment rates would be increased by four to five hundred percent,” Hardie wrote. “Note that Mayor and Council are attempting to negotiate these rates and will continue to do so.”

Gordon Mayor Aprill Adside-Smith has said the rate increases were necessary because of increased operational costs, mandated public health and safety improvements and long-term sustainability efforts. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs previously awarded Gordon a $750,000 grant for water system improvements, but repair costs have far exceeded that amount.

Gordon residents have also seen their bills rise sharply. Wanda Etheridge, who lives in Gordon but owns property in Ivey, said her Gordon bill has increased by at least $50 this year.

Under Georgia law, cities like Gordon have legal authority to raise water rates without a public vote, though they must follow state transparency and procedural rules. The Georgia Water Customer Bill of Rights Act requires that water rates be reasonable, nondiscriminatory and clearly disclosed to customers.

Customers can file appeals about improper rate changes within 45 days of notice, and governing authorities must hold a public hearing if a rate increase dispute is formally appealed.

Augusta Regional Airport is affected by the federal government shutdown, according to WRDW.

Federal employees at Augusta Regional Airport are working without knowing when they will receive their next paycheck as the government shutdown continues.

Many employees at the airport are affected, including TSA workers at security screening checkpoints and FAA employees in air traffic control and maintenance, said Herbert Judon, airport executive director.

“The last pay cycle was the last one that they received, a partial check, and their next pay cycle, they won’t see anything,” Judon said.

The TSA and FAA workers continue to report for duty despite the uncertainty.

The TSA said Atlanta airport issues related to the federal shutdown could get worse, according to the AJC.

TSA lines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport stretched longer than normal earlier this week because of personnel shortages among officers working without pay during the shutdown.

“While the vast majority of our nationwide operations remain minimally impacted by the government shutdown, occasional delays are to be expected,” TSA said in a written statement.

“The longer the shutdown goes on, the more severe the impact on our TSA workforce who have expenses they must pay for, making it harder to show up for work when not being paid.”

The Atlanta airport advised travelers to allow extra time before their flights. Estimated security wait times are available online.

Security lines were longer than normal at times Sunday and Monday, according to TSA and airport officials — though lines appeared to remain largely stable Tuesday morning, typically a less busy day.

If the shutdown continues, Atlanta’s 1,200 TSA officers and other essential federal workers are set to receive zero dollars for their required working hours in their next paycheck.

That also includes the region’s air traffic controllers, though Atlanta’s system remained adequately staffed Tuesday, Dan McCabe, Southern regional vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

A report says Georgia has lost more than $2.9 billion in clean energy projects due to the shutdown, according to the AJC.

The number of clean energy projects that have been canceled across the country, including in Georgia, has starkly increased since President Donald Trump retook the White House, according to a new report.

More than $24 billion worth of projects in the electric vehicle, battery and renewable energy sectors have fallen apart this year, according to data released Wednesday from nonpartisan group E2. Georgia has seen three projects canceled this year, totaling more than $2.9 billion in promised investment and 1,077 anticipated jobs.

Since returning to office, Trump has led an effort to dismantle — including cutting financial support — many of the clean energy and climate initiatives championed by President Joe Biden. While the climate initiatives were championed by Democrats, much of the private sector investment and jobs promises flowed to Republican-leaning states, such as Georgia.

E2 analysts expect the trend to continue as federal policies bolstering clean energy initiatives are revoked.

“The findings underscore the growing risk that federal and administrative policy rollbacks — especially the removal of clean energy incentives — are destabilizing one of the nation’s fastest-growing industries, with ripple effects across supply chains, manufacturing hubs and rural economic development,” the report said.

E2 has tracked the status of large-scale clean energy projects since the IRA was adopted. There have been 35 such announcements for Georgia, totaling nearly $12.9 billion of promised investment and 17,380 estimated jobs. The Carolinas are the only two states with more investment announced in that time span.

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which he signed in July, revoked many of the IRA’s clean energy initiatives. In early October, he also canceled nearly $8 billion in additional clean energy grants across 16 states, all of which voted for his Democratic challenger, Vice President Kamala Harris, in last year’s presidential election.

The Glynn County Airport Commission discussed a military request for additional airspace restrictions, according to The Brunswick News.

The military’s request to expand the restricted airspace around Townsend Bombing Range has been rescinded by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Rob Burr, executive director of the Glynn County Airport Commission, told board members at Tuesday’s meeting the military plans on submitting an amended request for expanded airspace restrictions once the government shutdown ends.

Burr said he is thankful the FAA understood the widespread impact the military’s request for restricted airspace for the region because the request that was just rescinded would have imposed major restrictions on local airspace.

Delta, which has daily flights from the Brunswick-Golden Isles Airport, would have had to take a detour several hundred miles out of the way to fly to and from Atlanta if the request had been approved by the FAA.

Townsend Bombing Range is the primary air-to-ground bombing range for Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, home to Marine Aircraft Group 31. It’s uncertain what proposal the military will bring to the table once the government reopens.

Burr said U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-1, got involved early to voice concerns about the military’s request. He was later joined by U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, and Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia, in the local response opposing the original proposal.

Once the government gets back in business, Burr said the military will submit another request. There will be a public comment period, he said.

The Richmond Hill-Bryan County Airport Authority discussed their airport study and heard public comments, according to the Savannah Morning News.

While the Richmond Hill-Bryan County Airport Authority met Monday to review details from the airport study, the majority of the meeting was spent listening to public comments as residents continue to push back on the development of the proposed airport.

Bryan County resident Corey Foreman expressed concerns regarding the use of Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax or TSPLOST dollars to help cover the cost of funding the airport.

“We have never talked about drawing TSPLOST dollars as the match,” said [Authority Board Member Trip] Addison. “It has always been the use of revenue bonds to fund the match.”

Gainesville City Schools extended the contract of Superintendent Jeremy Williams through June 2028, according to AccessWDUN.

Williams’ current contract runs through June of 2026, and the extension will keep him with the school system until June 2028.

“My family and I have been blessed over the last 8.5 years to call Gainesville our home. With the support of the board, our employees, and community, we have been able to ensure our students have the resources they need to be successful,” Williams said. “I am fortunate to work alongside the Board, and we look forward to continuing our partnership for the Herd. Go Big Red!”

Williams’ annual salary will total $260,000 and can be increased by 3.5% each year if his overall evaluation for the previous year is deemed satisfactory.