I was in my car that morning, on the way to my job when I heard on the radio of the first plane hitting. The announcers thought at first that it must be a small plane and likely an accident. Seventeen minutes later all doubt vanished as the second hit. I called Mrs. GaPundit at home. Over the next hour, a third plane hit the Pentagon and a fourth went down in a field in Pennsylvania. We watched on television as the towers burned, then collapsed.
Shortly afterwards, the Family Room opened in a nearby tower to provide a place for loved ones to grieve out of the public eye.
The Family Room opened in April 2002 in space donated by Brookfield Office Properties, the owners of 1 Liberty Plaza, across Church Street from the trade center site. By presenting what was known as a medical examiner’s family identification card, victims’ relatives were admitted during regular workdays and at night, on weekends and on holidays.
On the 20th floor, behind a door marked “The Family Room,” relatives could settle into ample leather couches or stand at windows 15 and 20 feet wide. The room was intended for “quiet contemplation,” said a 2002 notice from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which created and maintained the space, just a few doors down from its own headquarters and those of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center Foundation.
When the Family Room at 1 Liberty Plaza was replaced this summer by a new private gathering space in the National September 11 Memorial Museum pavilion, the [New York] State Museum and the memorial museum painstakingly documented the older room, and the State Museum acquired what contents family members themselves did not choose to reclaim.
There are materials in the Family Room collection related to about 1,000 victims, Mr. Schaming said, or roughly one-third of all casualties that day. “It is the most singular collection of the faces of people who were killed on 9/11,” he said.
A monument on Long Island to victims of 9-11 will include the names of 582 people who later died of conditions related to the aftermath of the attacks.
A separate plaque will have the names of 582 police officers, firefighters, construction workers, cleanup volunteers and others who spent time in the rubble of the World Trade Center in the days or months after the attacks and, years later, died of a variety of causes that they, their families or their doctors suspected were linked to toxic ash and smoke at the site. There will be room to add more names.
“I think what the town of Hempstead is doing is nothing short of honorable,” said John Feal, a longtime advocate for 9/11 responders with health problems. “People who lost a loved one to illness suffer just like someone lost on that day. Hopefully this will offer some ease and comfort to them.”
In May, officials at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum announced plans to set aside a commemorative space at the World Trade Center to honor rescue and recovery workers.
New York’s police and fire departments also have memorials for personnel who have died of illnesses since Sept. 11. A 9/11 memorial in Staten Island recently added a plaque with the names of residents there who have died of illnesses.
Feal’s charitable organization also maintains a memorial wall to 9/11 responders in Nesconset, New York.
James Oglethorpe arrived at Augusta on September 12, 1739, 287 years ago Sunday.
The Second Continental Congress opened in Philadelphia on September 13, 1775; Georgia was represented by Archibald Bulloch, Lyman Hall, John Houstoun, and John Zubly.
French troops arrived near Savannah to prepare for a siege against British forces there on September 12, 1779.
On September 13, 1788, the Confederation Congress voted to implement the Constitution and authorized states to elect Senators and Representatives and called the first Presidential election, with selection of presidential electors in the states to be held on January 7, 1789, and February 4, 1789 as the day electors would cast their ballots.
One day after Perry’s victory in the Battle of Lake Erie, American Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough led American forces in the Battle of Plattsburg at Lake Champlain, New York on September 11, 1813.
The Union Army began evacuating civilians from Atlanta via Lovejoy’s Station on September 11, 1864.
Georgia-born Ty Cobb took his last at-bat on September 11, 1928.
After a week-long Presidential campaign swing through ten states, former Governor Jimmy Carter returned to Plains on September 11, 1976.
On September 11, 1985, Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb’s career hit record, notching number 4,192 against the San Diego Padres.
On September 12, 2009, the “Taxpayer March on Washington” coalesced the Tea Party movement.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #09.10.26.01, ordering flags on state buildings and grounds to half-staff today in observance of Patriot Day. From Atlanta News First:
“Tomorrow we mark 25 years since the horrific attacks of 9/11,” Kemp wrote in a social media post Thursday. “In memory of the lives taken from us and in recognition of the heroic first responders, flags across Georgia will be lowered and a statewide moment of silence will be held to honor their impact and loss.”
A moment of silence will be observed at 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center, the order says.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris (D-CA) will campaign with U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Atlanta), according to the AJC.
Harris will headline a Fulton County Democrats dinner on Oct. 30 and campaign alongside Ossoff, part of a broader push by the former Democratic presidential nominee to visit battleground states.
Harris has also recently featured in fundraising appeals for former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic nominee for governor.
The October visit will come four days before the Nov. 3 election and on the final day of early voting in Fulton County.
Her return to Georgia also carries some political baggage. Harris lost the state to Republican Donald Trump in 2024 by 115,100 votes after Joe Biden had narrowly carried Georgia four years earlier. Republicans will eagerly work to tie Ossoff to her political brand.
But Ossoff’s camp sees little downside in adding Harris to the mix. His advisers believe they can fire up Democrats while still making a play for swing voters and Republicans turned off by Trump and Collins.
The visit will inevitably draw more attention to the 2028 speculation surrounding both Harris and Ossoff. Ossoff’s rising national profile has fueled chatter about a White House bid, but he has repeatedly tried to squelch it. Harris has left the door open.
“We all, in one way or another, have chosen, no matter what your profession or what you do every day, in some small or big way, we have chosen to serve,” she said at an October 2025 stop in Atlanta. “And I’m not walking away from that.”
Retired Judge M. Gino Brogdon Sr. denied a motion by Stockbridge Mayor Jayden Williams to exclude allegations of sexual midconduct from proceedings seeking to remove Williams from office, according to the AJC.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last month on one misconduct allegation against Williams, involving an 18-year-old high school junior who met the mayor through his interest in a city-sponsored political mentoring program, according to a police report.
But a motion Williams’ attorney filed Wednesday says the mayor faces allegations he had personal, romantic or sexual relationships with “multiple” high school students who were “adults.” The allegations include that “one or more individuals participated in, or were associated with,” activities connected to the mayor, such as programs, initiatives or mentorship, the document says.
The motion, filed with the city clerk’s office and obtained by the AJC, also signaled concern that Williams’ testimony potentially could incriminate him in a future criminal case and violate his Fifth Amendment rights if the city forces him to testify without giving him certain protections. The motion asks to quash a subpoena compelling his testimony.
In addition to allegations of sexual misconduct, Williams is accused of misusing a city-issued credit card and vehicle, along with retaliatory or intimidating conduct toward city employees.
Retired Judge Gino Brogdon Sr. will preside over Saturday’s hearing. He denied almost all of the requests in Kenner’s motion during a virtual hearing Thursday evening. The only request Brogdon granted is that the city identify any witnesses whose testimony would support the sexual misconduct allegations.
Officials said Saturday’s hearing will function similarly to a trial, with attorney Robbie Ashe acting as prosecutor . Ashe and Kenner can make opening statements, call witnesses and make closing arguments.
Four of Stockbridge’s five council members are expected to hear the case and potentially vote on whether to oust the 23-year-old mayor, the city’s youngest ever elected, from office.
Brogdon has removed Councilmember LaKeisha Gantt from the panel that could make that decision, ruling she has shown bias against the mayor and “animus” toward him.
Earlier this week, Governor Brian Kemp’s Office released state revenue data for August 2026, according to a Press Release.
The State of Georgia’s net tax collections for the month of August approached $2.50 billion, for an increase of $85.4 million, or 3.5%, from August 2025 (FY 2026), when net tax collections totaled $2.41 billion.
The changes within the following tax categories account for August’s overall net tax revenue increase:
Individual Income Tax: Individual Income Tax collections for the month approached $1.20 billion, representing an increase of $40 million, or 3.5%, from roughly $1.16 billion in August 2025 (FY 2026).
The following notable components within Individual Income Tax combine for the net increase:
Individual Income Tax refunds issued (net of void checks) increased by $4.3 million or 6.7%.
Income Tax Withholding payments for August increased by $49.3 million, or 4.4%, from FY 2026.
Individual Income Tax Return payments decreased by $3.5 million, or 9.2%, from August 2025.
All other Individual Income Tax categories, including estimated payments, were down a combined $1.4 million.Sales and Use Tax: Gross Sales and Use Tax collections in August totaled roughly $1.79 billion, for an increase of $129 million, or 7.8%, over FY 2026. Net Sales and Use Tax increased $44.6 million, or 5.4%, compared to August 2025, when net Sales Tax revenue totaled nearly $821.8 million. The adjusted Sales Tax distribution to local governments totaled $911.9 million for an increase of $81.9 million, or 9.9%, over last year, while Sales Tax refunds increased by $2.4 million, or 29%, compared to August FY 2026.
Corporate Income Tax: Corporate Income Tax collections for August totaled $18.4 million, a decrease of $21.4 million, or 53.8%, from FY 2026 when net Corporate Tax revenues totaled $39.8 million.
The following notable components within Corporate Income Tax make up the net decrease:
Corporate Income Tax refunds issued (net of voids) were up $27.6 million, or 153.2%, over FY 2026.
Corporate Income Tax Return payments increased by $1.7 million, or 13.9%, from August 2025 (FY 2026).
All other Corporate Income Tax payments, including estimated payments, were up a combined $4.5 million.Motor Fuel Taxes: Motor Fuel Tax collections for the month decreased by $6.6 million, or 3.3%, from August 2025, when Motor Fuel tax collections totaled $199.5 million.
Motor Vehicle – Tag & Title Fees: Motor Vehicle Tag & Title Fee collections for August increased by $8.3 million, or 27.4%, while Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) collections decreased by $0.8 million, or 1.2%, compared to the previous fiscal year 2026.
From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Valdosta Daily Times:
Georgia collected nearly $2.5 billion in net tax revenue in August, a 3.5% increase from August 2025, extending the overall year-over-year gains recorded in July.
The August increase was driven by receipts from individual income taxes and sales taxes, according to figures released by Gov. Brian Kemp’s office this week.
Individual income tax collections rose 3.5% from a year earlier. The nearly $1.2 billion in monthly revenue from the individual income tax was up $40 million from August 2025.
The rise in individual income tax collections reversed declines in June and July.
Net sales and use tax collections of more than $866 million were up $44.6 million, or 5.4%, from August 2025.
That increase built on a year-over-year rise in sales tax receipts in July.
Likewise, the adjusted sales tax distribution to local governments continued upward, totaling $911.9 million in August. It was an increase of $81.9 million over August of last year, or 9.9%.
Revenue from some categories fell.
Corporate income tax collections declined $21.4 million year-over-year, a 53.8% fall from August 2025. The total August collection in that category was $18.4 million.
Receipts from the motor fuel tax fell $6.6 million, or 3.3%, from August 2025, while tag and title fee collections for August increased $8.3 million, or 27.4%.
The decline in motor fuel tax receipts was slightly lower than the year-over-year fall of more than $10 million in July.
Yesterday, Governor Kemp announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded nearly $500 million in grants for water infrastructure, according to a Press Release.
Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the state $499,385,000 to help communities impacted by Hurricane Helene strengthen the resilience of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and respond to water-related emergencies. This funding is a result of the 2025 American Relief Act and will be administered by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA).
“As communities across Georgia continue to recover from the most destructive storm in state history, these funds will help accelerate that ongoing work,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Georgia will be better able to weather future storms and ensure the well-being of its residents, and I want to thank EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the Trump administration, and all those who supported the Helene Resilience Funding package.”
To be eligible for Helene Resilience Funding (HRF), communities must demonstrate impacts from Hurricane Helene and propose an eligible project designed to reduce the risk and vulnerability of flood damage or enhance the resilience of drinking water and wastewater systems to rapid hydrologic changes or natural disasters.
In preparation for the final award of the funding, GEFA issued a call for projects in the fall of 2025. A list of submitted and fundable projects is available on GEFA’s website. GEFA also received funding under the American Relief Act to assist communities in responding to drinking water and wastewater emergencies.
The total Helene-related funding awarded to GEFA is distributed across five funding categories:
HRF wastewater: $124.9 million
HRF decentralized wastewater (septic systems): $8.96 million
HRF drinking water: $359.5 million
Emergency wastewater: $3.3 million
Emergency drinking water: $2.75 millionThe first group of individual project awards will be presented to the GEFA board of directors for consideration at its November meeting. For more information, email helenefunding@gefa.ga.gov.
The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority has frozen two loans to the City of Dawson, according to the Albany Herald.
Neither of the two state loans helping to pay for this city’s $10.2 million sewer overhaul has covered any construction at the wastewater treatment plant, the state lending agency told The Albany Herald last week — an account that does not explain a $109,886 charge city officials told the City Council in August would be paid with loan money.
Both loans have been frozen since at least mid-August because Dawson has not completed its annual audits. The City Council has not been told that in any public meeting record The Albany Herald/Dawson News has reviewed.
State records released to The Herald also refer to a second Dawson water project — a “Drinking Water” project separate from the sewer work — that appears in no city record The Herald has obtained and has not been described to the council or the public since at least February.
The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, which holds both loans, said in written answers Sept. 3 that the larger of the two, tied to the treatment plant, “has only drawn engineering funds.” It said the second loan pays a different contractor for sewer line work and “is not co-funded with any other funding source.”
Between them, the two statements account for no payment to Southern Champion Construction, the Savannah firm rebuilding the plant under a $7.54 million contract. At an Aug. 13 work session, the council was told a change order adding two floating aerators at the plant “will be funded through GEFA in the amount of $109,886.” The change order is not on Thursday’s agenda.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs announced more than $40 million dollars in federal grants to local governments, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
[T]he Georgia Department of Community Affairs announced federal grants totaling $40.9 million to 42 communities across the state.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocates these funds annually to Georgia’s Community Development Block Grant program, which is administered by DCA.
Georgia’s CDBG program is available to non-entitlement local governments and specifically targets rural communities, according to the DCA’s announcement of the grants. After a competitive and thorough evaluation process, applications are scored, rated, and ranked. Grants are awarded based on overall merit, the DCA said.
The Georgia State House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on the Impact of Online Platforms on Georgia Youth met in Augusta, according to WJBF.
Augusta University welcomed the Georgia House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee as they hosted a meeting Thursday at the Georgia Cyber Center.
The group was created in 2025 by House Speaker Jon Burns. They’re studying the impact of online platforms on youth in the state of Georgia. The goal is to eventually strengthen safety protections, address mental health concerns, and promote age appropriate access to online content.
The Committee is chaired by State Representative Rob Clifton (R) of Evans.
“The numbers are – they’re painful to hear. The amount of kids. I don’t have it in front of me, but there’s something around every, I think, one in every four kids by 14 will encounter a predator online or at least be exposed to a conversation that wasn’t appropriate,” Clifton said. “Technology is great and what we’re going to do. But there’s got to be a communication and got to be back to the family dinner table we got. How was your day? You know, we got to get back to talking more.”
Representatives from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Child Enrichment, and Augusta DA Jared Williams presented best practices and statistics of apps and platform misuse in the aera.
Republican Rick Jackson rolled out his five-point “Action Plan,” in his campaign for Governor, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Valdosta Daily Times.
Republican Rick Jackson unveiled an expansive pitch to voters Tuesday as he campaigns against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms to win the governor’s office.
Speaking before a small invitation-only group at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter, Jackson made five campaign promises that were broad in scope but narrow in detail.
His appearance came after Bottoms held an event at a Lawrenceville grocery store last week to unveil a plan to target the rising cost of living by encouraging local officials to waive their taxes on groceries.
The “Jackson action plan,” as he called it, goes far beyond one problem and one solution.
He reiterated the state tax-cutting plan he unveiled at an Atlanta barbershop last month: reduce income taxes by half, eliminate the tax on tips, suspend the gasoline tax during price spikes and eliminate taxes on energy for residential and small-business customers.
Jackson said at that campaign stop last month that he would pay for those tax cuts by increasing government efficiency, for instance with new computer systems, and by cutting the budget.
His new tax plan builds on something he announced last month: taking a bite out of rising local property taxes by freezing property values. On Tuesday, Jackson said he would require local governments to hold a public hearing and take a recorded vote before raising property taxes.
Georgia law already requires local governments to advertise extensively and to hold three public hearings before voting to set a property tax rate that does not fall enough to offset any increase in tax proceeds caused by rising property values.
Jackson said he would attack housing costs by expediting permitting and inspections, which are largely functions of local government. He said he would ensure no data centers are approved unless they would not increase local utility costs. For the college-bound, he said he would freeze tuition, room and board at Georgia’s public colleges and technical schools.
And he said he would build on Gov. Brian Kemp’s template for Medicaid with “intelligent” expansion.
Kemp’s Pathways to Coverage program limits access by requiring participants to work, attend college, care for others or volunteer their time.
Jackson said he would expand coverage for those who earn too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but too little to afford other coverage.
Unemployed able-bodied adults would be trained and linked to employment, he said. Meanwhile, he would discourage people from swapping private insurance for Medicaid.
“I believe every Georgian should have access to healthcare coverage or insurance,” said Jackson, who founded and operates a healthcare staffing company. “So on day one, I will close the coverage gap with intelligent Medicaid expansion. We will cover those who need it the most and keep work requirements in place for those who are able. And we will not force the 500,000 people who have subsidized private plans onto a government plan.”
Jackson said he would reduce overall medical costs by requiring “meaningful price transparency” so patients can price shop. He did not say how he would accomplish this.
He said he would pursue fraud, waste and abuse in state healthcare programs by using “modern technology.”
And he said he would use the state’s bulk-purchasing power to drive down drug and healthcare-related costs.
“Nothing is more important than making Georgia more affordable,” Jackson said. “Many Georgia families are working harder than ever and still feel like they’re falling behind. Affordability is a crisis and government needs to treat it like one.”
But Jackson also said public safety was the most important part of his plan. “Nothing else in this plan works if a family does not feel safe in its home, a child does not feel safe in walking to school, or a small-business owner is afraid to open the door,” Jackson said.
Jackson said he would end child sex trafficking and set high standards for law enforcement while providing the “right” resources. He took a dig at his opponent for her handling of public unrest when she was mayor of Atlanta.
“Keisha Lance Bottoms’ record in Atlanta offers a warning about what happens when police morale and staffing are not treated as priorities,” Jackson said. “As governor, I will make public safety a daily responsibility, not a talking point after a crisis.”
The Georgia Supreme Court held that police action isn’t always shielded from liability, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Valdosta Daily Times.
The Georgia Constitution gives the state broad authority to exercise police power, but the state Supreme Court clarified the extent of that authority when it comes to private property rights.
In an opinion Wednesday, the state’s high court overturned lower courts that said the state had no obligation to compensate a farming company for crop loss caused by law enforcement activity.
The case stems from a drug-interdiction operation by the Governor’s Drug Suppression Task Force in the summer of 2021.
Three police helicopters and an airplane flew so close to legal hemp crops in Dahlonega that they destroyed two rows of plants.
The owner, Blue 42 Organics, is licensed to grow hemp in Georgia. As required, the company had logged the coordinates of its operations.
But that didn’t stop the police from flying near enough to the company’s crops for the aircraft’s rotor wash and prop wash to cause an estimated $37,000 in damage.
The company sued, and the state Department of Public Safety convinced a trial court that it had no obligation to pay for the damage. The state argued that its use of police power made it “categorically exempt” from the state constitutional prohibition on the taking of private property without “just and adequate” compensation.
The trial court dismissed the case, so the company appealed. Then, the Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal.
When the state high court agreed to hear the case, the National Hemp Association filed a brief in support of Blue 42 Organics.
Hemp crops became legal after Congress passed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The Georgia Legislature followed with its own regulatory law.
The association said in its brief that the federal and state laws would be worthless if the Supreme Court allowed the state to inadvertently destroy hemp crops during what the brief described as “a routine aerial survey for marijuana” in the absence of an emergency.
“If state law enforcement agencies can destroy licensed hemp crops — without checking readily available licensing databases, without coordinating with the regulatory agency that issued the license, and without any obligation to compensate the farmer — then the federal-state regulatory framework that Congress and the Georgia General Assembly built is rendered meaningless,” the association’s brief said.
The outcome turned on the interplay between sovereign immunity, which shields the state from lawsuits; eminent domain, which allows the government to take land when compensating the owner; and on the extent of state police power.
The Georgia Attorney General’s office argued that the crop destruction was caused by police action rather than eminent domain, so the state did not have to compensate the owner.
That argument did not convince the high court.
The opinion, written by Chief Justice Nels S.D. Peterson, said case law allowed police to destroy private property without compensating the owner while either abating a nuisance or acting during “urgent necessity.”
But the Department of Public Safety’s motion to dismiss the case had failed to argue that either condition applied in the crop destruction, the opinion said.
Instead, the agency had argued that it was immune from being required to pay compensation through a “categorical police power exemption.”
That argument did not persuade the high court.
With all justices concurring except one who was disqualified, the Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals decision, ruling that the Department of Public Safety had failed to identify a categorical exemption that would apply to such a “routine” police action.
“The Constitution’s promise to protect private property rights would be an empty one if the State is permitted to avoid paying just compensation for taking or damaging private property merely by invoking the police power,” the opinion said.
The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System hired a project manager for their Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Education (E-SPLOST) program, according to the Savannah Morning News.
The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System’s $700 million Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales program now has a new manager.
The SCCPSS Board approved an $18.9 million contract for Hoar Program Management to serve as the project manager for the school system’s ESLPOST portfolio, which includes renovation of the board’s 208 Bull St. into an educational hub for architecture and urban design.
Hoar Program Management was selected from an initial seven bids, which were assessed on experience, the work plan costs and interviews. That initial seven was refined to three potential managers, resulting in Hoar being recommended to the board by district staff.
The contract is for a five-year period and comes as the board recently made other notable-SPLOST related moves. The board approved its architect for 208 Bull St.’s renovation at its August meeting, a $135,000 contract that initiated design for the project.
Georgia’s Secretary of State joined a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Trump administration’s proposed actions on mail-in ballots, according to Atlanta News First via WTVM.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and a coalition of county election supervisors across the nation are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to block a last-minute federal rule governing mail-in ballots.
In a bipartisan amicus brief filed Wednesday, the officials warn that forcing new mandates on local offices just weeks before the November midterm elections invites widespread administrative chaos and voter disenfranchisement.
While the 38 current and former election officials from 10 states take no position on the legal authority or policy behind the new rule, they argue that the logistical demands simply cannot be met in the 48 working days remaining before Election Day.
The rule, titled “Ballot Mail for Federal Elections” and issued in late August, imposes sweeping new requirements on election offices nationwide.
Among them: mandating specific barcode-compatible envelope designs, enrolling every mail voter in an as-yet-untested federal portal before a ballot can be mailed and requiring election workers to hand-deliver outbound ballots to postal facilities for piece-by-piece scanning and verification.
Election administrators across Georgia said the changes arrive at the worst possible time, when budgets are spent, procedures are finalized and the election calendar is already in motion. Federal law requires ballots for overseas and military voters to be sent by Sept. 19, and general absentee mailings will follow shortly after across Georgia’s 159 counties.
Local election leaders joining Raffensperger on the brief include supervisors and directors from across metro Atlanta and rural Georgia, representing Cherokee, Paulding, Bartow, Carroll, Lowndes, Muscogee, Whitfield, Chatham, Morgan, Irwin and Heard counties, as well as former members of the Georgia State Election Board.
According to the brief, most local election offices already have their envelopes designed, approved and printed for the 2026 general election. Vendor reorders often take up to two months, meaning offices cannot meet the rule’s strict envelope requirements. Noncompliant mailings face rejection by postal facilities under an all-or-nothing standard.
The brief also warns retail postal counters are unequipped to handle piece-by-piece barcode scanning for mass mailings. For rural Georgia counties operating with small staffs and limited tech support, the mandate would require workers to travel long distances to regional postal entry units for manual verification.
Macon-Bibb County election officials are preparing to send out thousands of absentee ballots ahead of November’s election while monitoring a legal fight over proposed federal mail-ballot rules.
Georgia election officials, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to keep the new rules on hold until after the November election. They say implementing the changes at the last minute could add pressure for local election offices.
The Trump administration wants the U.S. Postal Service to require new steps before absentee ballots can be delivered. Those proposed steps include a federal voter-verification system, unique barcodes and new envelope requirements.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the proposed postal rules. The administration has asked the Supreme Court to step in.
Macon-Bibb County Election Supervisor Thomas Gillon said his office is continuing to follow Georgia’s current absentee-ballot procedures as the legal fight continues.
“It’s a year-round process to make sure everything is categorized and arranged properly,” he said.
Gillon said election offices across the state rely on guidance from state officials when laws or procedures change.
“We get advice from the Secretary of State staff, and so we’re 159 counties that will all be reacting the same way to any state or federal laws,” Gillon said.
For now, Macon-Bibb County plans to begin mailing absentee ballots Oct. 5. Gillon said each voter must receive the ballot that matches the districts where they live, which makes the process time consuming.
“Each voter is assigned to a particular combination of districts whether it’s U.S. House, state House, state Senate, county commission, water authority, school board and the like, and each ballot is unique in that respect,” Gillon said.
Gillon said he expects Macon-Bibb County to mail a few thousand absentee ballots by November.
He said his office is monitoring the legal developments but remains focused on its election preparations.
“One day at a time. We keep up with what’s going on, but we don’t panic,” Gillon said.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 23.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-Jackson) spoke to the Republican National Convention, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Georgia Representative Mike Collins took the stage at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday night with a strong message: “Democrats failed Laken Riley.”
Collins, who authored the Laken Riley Act following the murder of the 22-year-old nursing student on the University of Georgia campus by an undocumented immigrant in 2024, is running for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia against incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff.
Collins has been endorsed by President Trump, but has had to navigate multiple controversies and ties to white nationalist figures as Ossoff has maintained a strong lead in statewide polling. Trump’s approval in Georgia has also declined throughout his second term, and messages like 2020 election fraud peddled by Trump and Collins hasn’t appealed to voters the same way it did two years ago.
But, Collins’ race remains of national importance to Republicans as Ossoff sits as the only Democrat up for reelection in the Senate in a state that Trump won in 2024.
That’s why on Wednesday, Collins spent much of his time on stage attacking Ossoff and doubling down on his pro-Trump message.
Collins touted his authoring of the Laken Riley Act, which requires detention without bond for noncitizens accused of crimes ranging from burglary to causing the death of another person.
“Because of our work, y’all, over 20,000 criminal, illegal aliens are off our streets, behind bars, or back where they came from,” Collins said.
He also painted his opponent, incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, as a radical who opposed the bill.
But Ossoff was among a dozen Democrats to vote for the Laken Riley Act, helping to send it to President Trump’s desk in the second week of his second term.
Two candidates for Houston County Commission Post 2 oppose new data centers, according to 13WMAZ.
Shane Gottwals and Rutha Jackson are running for Houston County Commission Post 2 in November. Both candidates say they have concerns about the impact data centers could have on local resources and residents.
Incumbent Gottwals said he has heard of inquiries about potential data center development in Houston County, but he is not aware of a formal proposal.
“If you had to ask me for a yes or no vote in general on data centers. I’m a big no at the moment,” Gottwals said.
Jackson also opposes data center development, questioning how much water and electricity the facilities would require and who would pay for the infrastructure needed to support them.
“My question then becomes, why are they necessary in the areas in which they are trying to place them? And who’s going to pay for it?” Jackson said.
Jackson said she is concerned that costs associated with development could eventually be passed on to residents.
“Eventually it will fall on the citizens in that area,” she said.
The issue is also drawing attention at the federal level.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock has called for a statewide moratorium on new data center construction, with exceptions for projects that meet certain safeguards. His proposal calls for protections against increases to residents’ water and electric bills, restrictions on tax incentives and protections from pollution.
Warnock’s proposal came after he met with residents in Effingham County, where OpenAI has proposed a large data center project. Residents raised concerns about the facility’s potential impact on utility costs, water use, noise and light pollution.
Gottwals said he would support a moratorium.
“I would vote in favor of a moratorium,” he said.
But Gottwals said he does not believe decisions about data center development should ultimately be made at the state level.
“I would always, almost always be in favor of counties having control over matters of development because every county’s different,” he said.
Gottwals said the issue could become an important factor for voters in local races across Georgia.
“I genuinely think the data center issue can win or lose campaigns depending on what county we’re talking about,” he said.
Gottwals and Jackson are competing for the Houston County Commission Post 2 seat in November.
13WMAZ reached out to candidates and commissioners in other Central Georgia counties who support data center development for their perspectives. We have not heard back.
The debate comes as Georgia considers how to balance the economic investment associated with data centers with concerns over the infrastructure and resources needed to operate them.
Colquitt County Commissioners voted to extend a moratorium on new data centers, according to The Moultrie Observer.
County commissioners extended the moratorium on data centers for another 180 days after a discussion Sept. 1, which was witnessed by more people than usual.
[Count Administrator and State Rep. Chas] Cannon went over some of the more specific water-related restrictions in an ordinance from Floyd County that he had been referencing during the discussion with the commissioners.
Another resident asked if [County Attorney Lester] Castellow could explain more about the county not being able to ban a data center outright.
“What I said was, an outright ban raises constitutional issues because you’re taking away the private property rights of everybody in the county,” he told her and someone asked what about zoning. “That’s what we’re talking about doing is looking at zoning as the way to regulate it and we’re looking to deal with all these issues in a manner to protect the people of Colquitt County.”
[Commission Chair Denver] Braswell clarified it even more by saying, “The banning question. It kind of steps on your right as a property owner of what you can and can’t do. I think what he is saying is we haven’t given you the due process or you haven’t had the chance to make your argument if we just blanket ban it.”
He said a blanket ban would take away everybody’s rights, but a zoning rule would allow for public hearings where people could make their case for or against a project. Then, each specific instance could be decided on, he said.
Someone spoke up and said that there were other places that had bans on data centers and Castellow replied that their cases had not been litigated all the way up to the Supreme Court to determine whether those bans violate due process.
“I would not advise this board to ban them,” he said.
He said that was why he had suggested that the commission extend the moratorium for another 180 days because they were dealing with very complicated issues not just legally but factually and technically.
“Everybody here has raised some really good points and we have really good resources to aid us in dealing with these,” Castellow said.
Cannon said that if commissioners came up with an ordinance, the cities within the county could mirror it or come up with something completely different.
Braselton Police fired an officer accused of Flock misuse, according to AccessNorthGA.
In a press release from the Town of Braselton Friday, Sept.11, the agency said that the termination took place on Aug. 20, 2026. The investigation determined that the officer had misused the system in 2024 and 2025.
The name of the officer was not released, as the case was turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for further investigation.
“When made aware of potential misuse occurring during the former administration, we took immediate action to investigate and hold the individual accountable,” Interim Chief Zack Tiller said. “This past behavior occurred before our current safeguards were enacted. Today, our Flock camera system is strictly monitored to ensure it is used solely to fight crime and protect our community.”
The agency said that an audit of all Braselton employees authorized to access the Flock camera system uncovered no other instances of misuse.
“The Town of Braselton takes Flock camera system misuse seriously,” the Town said in a statement . “No misuse will be tolerated. The Braselton Police Department is committed to protecting the public from any improper use of the Flock camera system and ensuring the system is used solely to keep the public safe from criminal activity.”
The termination marks the 15[th] instance of Flock misuse in the northeast Georgia region amid ongoing audits by various agencies.
Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney T. Wright Barksdale is asking the FBI to investigate a $15 million dollar shortfall in Baldwin County’s budget, according to 13WMAZ.
Barksdale says he’s not satisfied after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) concluded their own investigation into the county’s $15 million budget shortfall, and he’s asking the FBI to step in.
In February, the county fired its manager Carlos Tobar. Financial audits then revealed missed payments and untracked spending, totaling $15 million.
The GBI confirmed they completed their investigation into the deficit, but Barksdale said Tuesday that it “raises more questions than answers.” He says the investigation did not examine bank records or show how the money was spent.
The budget shortfall has Baldwin neighbors feeling the pressure. Pamela Peacock says she was at the meeting where commissioners announced the shortfall, and she and other neighbors want answers.
“We need to know where the money went, and I’m thankful for Mr. Barksdale to come out and say let’s look into it further because the people of the county do deserve to know what happened to all that money,” Peacock said.
Also in support of the federal investigation is District 5 Baldwin Commissioner Scott Little.
“If our DA feels like there’s a reason to bring in these other agencies, I fully support him,” Little said.
In the meantime, the county has discussed increasing property taxes to help make up for the deficit. Right now leaders are considering increasing the millage rate by 9.3 mills to 19.066 mills.
Peacock and her neighbor Michelle Kent say that increase would bring their property taxes up by roughly $2,000 a year. Both agree that they want answers, but worry they will have to foot the bill in the meantime.
“Gas prices, you got groceries, and now your property taxes are gonna be up to 19. And when they raise it to 19, when is it gonna come back down?” Kent said. “It’s ridiculous that the citizens have to suffer for their mismanagement.”
Little says he does not support the proposed increase, and wants to discuss other possible solutions with county commissioners. In the meantime, he says he wants Baldwin neighbors to get answers. He says the FBI will help them figure out how the problem happened so local leaders can focus on fixing it.
“The more important priority here is that we right the ship,” Little said. “Figuring out how to get us forward and get us out of the hole and moving forward without essentially bankrupting all of our citizens so I feel like right now that’s where the focus needs to be.”
State Sen. Carden Summers (R-Cordele) and state Rep. Jaclyn Ford (R-Tifton) met with local residents in Tifton, according to the Tifton Gazette.
State Sen. Carden Summers and state Rep. Jaclyn Ford sat down with local leaders over coffee, juice, and the most important meal of the day the morning of Sept. 3 to discuss their recent developments, hot topics and issues on their radar, and the projects they hoped to pursue moving forward as part of their work in the state Senate and House, respectively.
Members of several local organizations, ranging from city and county governments, their various departments, and Tiftarea businesses, and representatives of other state and federal legislators like U.S. Rep. Austin Scott and Gov. Brian Kemp, took part in the morning event.
The two state legislators took the stage together, collaborating on sharing the news of what they had done in their respective prior sessions and what they planned to do in the future.
Ford focused on recent accomplishments, proudly reporting on the reform she had helped secure to remedy issues in education, insurance, and the workforce.
This included the implementation of literacy coaches in elementary schools across the state to address low literacy rates among students, the creation of nearly 200,000 jobs and extension of maternal leave for state employees from six to nine weeks, and the passing of the Georgia Property Owners’ Bill of Rights to extend protections for homeowners, generational family farms, and agricultural lands, among others.
Ford also expressed her intention to hold insurance companies accountable and reduce insurance rates, asserting her work in an insurance study committee over the summer last year aided in decreasing premiums among at least ten insurance companies around the state.
In contrast, Summers discussed hot-button issues that he and his colleagues from the state House hoped to bring attention to in their upcoming sessions, including the decline in support for rural healthcare, data centers, and tax incentives.
Summers claimed that he held a neutral stance regarding data centers, but leaned in favor of them due to the benefits he perceived they could bring, especially if they could majorly benefit rural areas of Georgia. However, he decried what he saw as misinformation regarding the centers, believing that the majority of outcry had blown the issue out of proportion.
When asked about Flock cameras, a similarly divisive topic, he stated he would vote against them if prompted to take a stance at this time, but saw merit in their usage if equipped with the proper regulations.
Summers also promised to review the state’s policy on tax incentives for major industries like film or airlines, lamenting that these industries rarely kept their profits in state, and asserted he and the county’s state representatives would do everything in their power to provide for rural healthcare.
In closing, the two state legislators asked their constituents to not only remain in contact with them, but familiarize themselves with other legislators from around the state, stressing that doing so would aid them in more easily passing the policies and reform they desired for their communities.
Cordele Judicial Circuit District Attorney Brad Rigby has resigned, according to WALB.
The Cordele Judicial Circuit originally had eight prosecutors tackling cases, but it now only has two. According to a source close to the matter, six prosecutors left their positions, including the now-former district attorney, Brad Rigby.
“After careful consideration, I have decided that it is the appropriate time for me to step down from this position and pursue the next chapter of my professional and personal life. I appreciate the confidence placed in me during my tenure…” [said] Brad Rigby, Former District Attorney, Cordele Judicial Circuit
Rigby’s resignation comes just months after a recent investigation by WALB that uncovered more than 4,200 unindicted or pending criminal cases in the Cordele Judicial Circuit.
“There are a lot of cases that no one could possibly be handling right now because there’s just not enough people. We know already that the backlog was crippling,” Chris Cohilas, a legal expert, said. “You can’t get the work done unless you have prosecutors, and if you don’t have prosecutors, that backlog is not getting smaller, it’s getting bigger. And if it’s getting bigger, then you got a bigger problem.”
A source close to the matter says the district has had to cancel hearings and move cases due to the need for immediate help.
As of now, Governor Brian Kemp’s office says the governor will appoint someone to fill the vacancy. The office will provide an update once the appointment is made.
Deer season opens tomorrow, September 12, 2026, according to the Savannah Morning News.
According to Georgia Outdoor News, here are the important dates to remember:
• Sept. 12: Archery season begins
• Oct. 3-4: Special antlerless-only firearms weekend
• Oct. 10-16: Youth firearms week
• Oct. 10-Jan. 10: Primitive weapons season
• Oct. 17-Jan. 10: Statewide firearms season
• Jan. 10: Statewide archery season ends
• Jan. 31: Extended archery ends in eligible counties
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