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  • Jaha Howard narrowly wins Georgia Senate District 35 runoff

    Jaha Howard narrowly wins Georgia Senate District 35 runoff

    Jaha Howard narrowly wins Georgia Senate District 35 runoff

    Dr. Jaha Howard won the Georgia state Senate election for District 35 with just over 200 votes. 

    Howard has experience in education, health care and local government, serving four years on the Cobb County Board of Education.

    He received 51% of the vote in the race against fellow Democrat Roger Bruce. The runoff election was required after no candidate received a majority of the vote at the special election Nov. 18.

    The election was called after the resignation of state Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta, who is running for governor in 2026.

    Roger Bruce previously served in the Georgia House and raised more funds than any other candidate in the race at $40,802 total contributions, according to the Georgia Campaign Finance System. 

    District 35 covers parts of Cobb and Fulton counties, which tend to favor Democratic candidates.

    Howard, who raised $36,362, is expected to be sworn in ahead of the next legislative session, according to CBS News.

  • Atlanta replaces peach drop with citywide fireworks and drone countdown

    Atlanta replaces peach drop with citywide fireworks and drone countdown

    Atlanta replaces peach drop with citywide fireworks and drone countdown

    Although Atlanta will celebrate New Year’s Eve, the annual Atlanta Peach Drop will be replaced with fireworks and a drone display. 

    Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced Monday that the city will ring in the New Year with a citywide fireworks display and a drone countdown display that will be visible mostly in Downtown and Midtown.

    “The Annual Peach Drop has been a big part of our city’s New Year’s Eve since 1989, bringing people together in a way only Atlanta can. However, this New Year’s Eve, we are reimagining that tradition with Countdown Over ATL,” said Mayor Andre Dickens in a news release. “We cannot wait for residents and visitors to experience several fireworks displays that will light up the night across Atlanta. All you have to do is step outside, hit your neighborhood spot, meet on a rooftop or watch from your backyard, and you’ll be part of one special shared moment.”.

    The drone display of a peach countdown will be more visible to people across the city. The change reflects the mayor’s focus on equity, accessibility and inclusion, the city said.

    “Atlanta is a city of opportunity for all, and this year we are going to meet you where you are,” Dickens said.

    The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that last year’s Peach Drop cost the city $630,000, and this year’s display will cost no more than $250,000.

    A 12-minute “Digital Drone Peach in the Sky” show will start at 11:48 p.m. and will be followed by fireworks at multiple locations. The City of Atlanta will release a list on their website of businesses in the coming weeks that will have rooftops available to view the display.

     

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  • Georgia doubles top maternity care hospitals, adds 5 to U.S. News list

    Georgia doubles top maternity care hospitals, adds 5 to U.S. News list

    Georgia doubles top maternity care hospitals, adds 5 to U.S. News list

    Georgia more than doubled the number of hospitals recognized for maternity care in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.

    U.S. News lists seven Georgia hospitals in its 2026 Best Hospitals Report for maternity care. The state only had two hospitals on the list for the 2025 report.

    Jennifer Winston, a health data scientist, spoke with Georgia Public Broadcasting and said the hospitals provide critical care for communities that might not have access to other avenues for maternity care.

    “So, they’re really the last bastion against their community becoming a maternity care desert,” she said.

    However, the state still ranks 45th for preterm birth with a rate near 12% and received an F grade from the March of Dimes’ 2025 Report Card.

    “Behind every data point is a family, and in Georgia, we’re working every day to make sure they aren’t navigating this journey alone,” said Tamara Mason, director maternal and child health collective impact for the March of Dimes Georgia, in a news release. “We’re meeting families where they are, in their communities, their homes, and their care settings, to make it easier for moms to get the support and resources they need for a healthy pregnancy and a strong start for their babies.”

    The state’s seven best hospitals are:

  • Warnock backs Ossoff in 2026, warns of rising healthcare premiums

    Warnock backs Ossoff in 2026, warns of rising healthcare premiums

    Warnock backs Ossoff in 2026, warns of rising healthcare premiums

    U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. has high hopes for his colleague in the 2026 election and expressed growing concern for rising healthcare premiums.

    When he appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Warnock was questioned about Sen. Jon Ossoff’s, D-Ga., ability to maintain his seat. Warnock quickly responded.

    “Oh, we’re going to win Georgia,” Warnock said with a smile. “Georgia has saved the nation before. Remember, Jon Ossoff and I literally flipped the Senate, and Georgia’s going to show up again. He’s doing the work, fighting for health care, fighting for affordability, and we’re going to win Georgia.” 

    Both Warnock and Ossoff recently voted to pass a Democratic bill that would extend Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years, but it failed to advance in the Senate.

    Ossoff spoke on the Senate floor before the vote saying Georgians will suffer if the subsidies expire.

    “My constituents cannot afford this,” he said. “And some of my constituents cannot survive it.”

    Both Ossoff and Warnock voted against a Republican-sponsored bill that would give money to health saving or HSA accounts of low-income Americans. That bill also failed in the Senate, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.

    When asked about healthcare premiums increasing on NBC, Warnock said although he is hopeful they can find a solution, Republicans control Congress and the White House, and he said they have failed to act 13 times to stop premiums from increasing.

    “It’s people in red districts and red states that will be disproportionately impacted by these premiums that are set to double in a matter of weeks, triple for some people, quadruple for others,” Warnock said. 

    “If you live in Claxton, Georgia, if you live in rural America, even if you have wealth and resources, and you’re having a stroke, and there’s no ICU within a reasonable distance because of these draconian cuts, you are impaired. Your life is in peril. You are in trouble. We can do better than this.”

  • Metro Atlanta Jewish community celebrate Hanukkah, react to Sydney attack

    Metro Atlanta Jewish community celebrate Hanukkah, react to Sydney attack

    Metro Atlanta Jewish community celebrate Hanukkah, react to Sydney attack

    Metro Atlanta’s Jewish community gathered Sunday to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah in the wake of the mass shooting in Sydney, Australia. 

    The deadly attack at Bondi Beach killed at least 15 people, the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the country’s history. Authorities have declared the attack an act of terrorism and was carried out by a father and son targeting the Jewish community during a Hanukkah celebration.

    Rabbi Hirshy Minkowick of Chabad of North Fulton told Atlanta News First that he knew one of the rabbis who was killed in the shooting.

    “He was a very energetic, upbeat, happy guy who spent his entire life trying to help people connect with their faith in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, he paid with his life,” Minkowick said. “It’s been difficult. I have to dig a little deeper to find the strength to come together for a festive celebration.”

    Georgia state Rep. Esther Panitch, the state’s only Jewish legislator, spoke with Atlanta News First at a celebration Sunday.

    “We know that we are not hiding. We’re going to stand up, and we’re going to fight back. Imagine any community being attacked for who they are. It’s okay to be scared, but it’s not okay to be paralyzed and stop moving,” Panitch said.

    The community in Avalon began the Jewish Festival of Lights by lighting the first candle of the menorah Sunday, and leaders called for strength and unity in the aftermath of the shooting.

    “This is not a jewish issue, it’s a human issue,” Minkowick said. “Every human being, wherever they live, anywhere in the world, needs to know they can freely express and live their religion. That’s why we are holding this event tonight, even though it’s difficult. Every person, Jew and non-Jew alike, should stand up for freedom, against hate, against terror, against evil. This is not for one denomination or one religion; it’s for the entire world. We all deserve the freedom to live our lives as we choose,” Minkowick told Atlanta News First.

  • Trump-era wage cut slashes pay for thousands of Georgia migrant farmworkers

    Trump-era wage cut slashes pay for thousands of Georgia migrant farmworkers

    Trump-era wage cut slashes pay for thousands of Georgia migrant farmworkers

    A Trump administration policy change cut wages of thousands of migrant farmworkers in Georgia.

    The federal government slashed minimum hourly wages from $16.08 to $10.52 for the H-2A temporary agricultural workers program, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The program allows migrant workers to come to the U.S. on a temporary visa to work in positions that farmers cannot fill with the domestic workforce. 

    A coalition of farmworkers, including one from Georgia, filed a lawsuit last month arguing that cutting wages for the program ultimately cuts wages for domestic agricultural workers. As part of the program’s stipulations, farmers cannot pay domestic workers less than H-2A workers.

    The program requires farmers to pay for the H-2A workers’ flight to and from the U.S., their housing while they are here and transportation to the fields every day.

    Supporters of the cuts say they are a corrective measure for sizable increases in wages in the past several years, but critics say the move could increase labor abuses and hurt small farmers and farmworkers.

    Georgia was number two in the nation for the number of H-2A workers in six of the past eight years, second only to Florida. In 2024, Georgia welcomed 43,436 H-2A farmworkers, according to the AJC.

    Diego Iniguez-Lopez is the government affairs director for the United Farm Workers Foundation, which is a nonprofit that supports farmworkers and immigrants and is a plaintiff in the lawsuit. He told the AJC that the policy change only benefits big agricultural organizations.

    “Instead of actually complying with the statutory obligation to ensure that the H-2A program does not adversely affect U.S. workers, it’s going the opposite route,” Iniguez-Lopez told the AJC. “It’s going to force Georgia farmworkers and others across the country to take second jobs, make cuts to groceries, gas and other necessities,… and this is already a population that has far too much exposure to food insecurity and poverty, and these wage cuts will deepen that.”

  • Georgia prisons see surge in drone smuggling as officials push for new authority

    Georgia prisons see surge in drone smuggling as officials push for new authority

    Georgia prisons see surge in drone smuggling as officials push for new authority

    Criminal organizations are finding new ways to support criminal activity within prisons in Georgia and nationwide.

    ABC News reports that organized crime groups are using drones to smuggle contraband into prisons, including cell phones, drugs, and even weapons.

    “We’re under attack every single day when it comes to combating this issue,” said Tyrone Oliver, commissioner for the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC), in an interview with ABC. “It’s a threat from above.”

    Recognizing the problem drones pose to prison security, GDOC officials partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2024 to conduct “Operation Skyhawk.” The investigation led to 150 arrests and more than $7 million of confiscated items.

    However, Oliver told ABC News that drone-related  security breaches happen almost daily. In November, GDOC reported 71 drone incidents, which is the highest number ever.

    Because drones are considered registered aircraft under Federal Aviation Administration guidelines, prison staff are not allowed to take them down.

    “We have all the fencing to protect people from getting in or, most importantly, getting out, but we don’t have the protection of the airspace,” Oliver said. “We have detection authority, but we don’t have the mitigation authority to be able to safely bring those drones down.”

    Congress is expected to consider later this month the National Defense Authorization Act, which would grant correctional facilities the authority to detect, track and counter drones. The House passed the legislation with a bipartisan vote on Wednesday.

    At a Georgia House appropriations meeting Dec. 3, Oliver reported that GDOC has handled nearly 400 incidents involving drones in 2025.

    “Actually, we have, we’ve confiscated drones that are large enough to lift up 220, 225 pounds,” Oliver said during the meeting. “We got one earlier today that’s, again, that can lift about 80 pounds or 90 pounds.”

    GDOC officials also expressed concerns to lawmakers at the meeting about counties having to pay to store captured drones. 

    The number of incidents involving drones has steadily risen month-to-month this year, starting at 17 in January and rising to 63 incidents in both September and October.

  • DeKalb residents push back on data centers as leaders weigh new regulation

    DeKalb residents push back on data centers as leaders weigh new regulation

    DeKalb residents push back on data centers as leaders weigh new regulation

    As DeKalb County leaders work to regulate data centers, residents gathered at a town hall meetings to voice their concerns. 

    The county held its fourth town hall Wednesday, at which speakers shared concerns about health impacts, property values, and water resources, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.

    DeKalb resident Brandon Brown told GPB that he believes the community feels it is being sold out for money and DeKalb leaders need to do a better job at explaining legal nuance.

    “If it were at all possible to do a permanent moratorium, I would be all for it. But in lieu of that, I think having the strongest text amendment and regulations possible is a good thing,” Brown told GPB reporter Amanda Andrews.

    County Commissioner LaDena Bolton told GPB that completely banning data centers could have negative consequences.

    “If we say no data centers whatsoever, and there’s no legal standing for that, when they sue, then we lose all of our rights to regulate what we want,” she said. “They can sue and get what they want. This way, when we regulate on the front end, we tell them what we will allow in our communities.”

    The DeKalb Board of Commissioners will hold its next business meeting on Dec. 16, the same day the moratorium on data centers ends. The drafted regulation includes 500-foot buffers and noise limits.

    Another meeting was held at Wesley Chapel William C. Brown Library Tuesday, where residents voiced concerns about a proposal by PCC Dekalb LLC for a 95-acre campus near a school and residential neighborhood in Ellenwood.

    Gina Mangham, with community advocacy group Renew Dekalb LLC, spoke with Fox 5 and argued that data centers do not bring any benefit to the community while having negative impacts on the environment and infrastructure.

    “The regulations the way they’re being written are not enforceable. There’s no one to enforce them. There are no sanctions, penalties or remedies,” she said. “The land will be ruined, the environment will be killed, and we will have a data center wasteland.”

  • Brazil’s Grupo Vialume to invest $4.4M, bring 150 jobs to Colquitt-Miller County

    Brazil’s Grupo Vialume to invest $4.4M, bring 150 jobs to Colquitt-Miller County

    Brazil’s Grupo Vialume to invest $4.4M, bring 150 jobs to Colquitt-Miller County

    A São Paulo company plans to invest $4.4 million to establish its manufacturing operations in Colquitt-Miller County.

    Grupo Vialume, a family-owned transportation safety manufacturer, will create 150 new jobs over the next seven years at its new manufacturing and recycling hub in the City of Colquitt, according to a news release.

    “We are excited to welcome Grupo Vialume to Georgia after meeting with them in Brazil over the summer,” said Gov. Brian Kemp in the news release. “The 150 new jobs this investment is bringing will have generational impacts on the Colquitt-Miller County community, creating long-term opportunities for hardworking Georgians.”

    The facility will produce plastic raised pavement markers and reflective lenses. The operation will also engineer new processes to recycle previously considered unrecyclable materials, such as peanut-shell byproducts and textile cutoffs.

    “We are thrilled to expand our manufacturing footprint into Colquitt, Georgia. This decision reflects the growing demand for sustainable products, the strength of our supplier base in the United States, and the greater ease of exporting to our commercial partners,” said João Paulo Moura, CEO of Grupo Vialume, in the news release. “Combined with attractive tax incentives, the stability of the U.S. dollar, and the security of investing in such a strong market, Colquitt offers the ideal environment for Grupo Vialume to continue building a brighter, more sustainable future.”

    As Brazil’s largest manufacturer of reflective raised pavement markers, the company has been recognized as one of the top five manufacturers worldwide, according to the release. The business comprises four subsidiaries: Vialume, the parent company, Rodoprisma, PetBone, and Medlume.

    The City of Colquitt is a small town of about 2,000 people located in the southwest corner of Georgia, approximately 30 minutes from Bainbridge.

    The company plans to hire for positions, such as production operators, injection machinists, salespersons, and management positions. To learn more about job opportunities, visit www.colquittmillerchamber.com. 

    “I’m encouraged by the positive economic development we’re seeing, because this project truly represents what collaboration can achieve,” said Colquitt Mayor Preston Clenney. “With support from the State of Georgia, the City Development Authority, and the dedicated leadership who have helped nurture this project, Grupo Vialume is creating new opportunities that will benefit our rural community for years to come.”

  • Georgia Sen. John F. Kennedy resigns to focus on lieutenant governor campaign

    Georgia Sen. John F. Kennedy resigns to focus on lieutenant governor campaign

    Georgia Sen. John F. Kennedy resigns to focus on lieutenant governor campaign

    Georgia state Sen. John F. Kennedy, R-Macon, announced Tuesday he is resigning from the Legislature to focus on his campaign for lieutenant governor.

    “When Susan and I decided to announce my campaign for lieutenant governor, we knew this race would take our full focus and commitment because that’s what the people of our state deserve,” Kennedy said. “It is clear to me that continuing my service in the state senate while also running for lieutenant governor would be a disservice to both my constituents and the thousands of hardworking Georgians who have pledged their support for our vision for this state.”

    Kennedy announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor in June, less than a month before current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones announced his candidacy for governor.

    The Georgia secretary of state’s office has already announced a special election to replace Kennedy in District 18, which covers Crawford, Monroe, Peach, Upson, and portions of Bibb and Houston counties. Here are the dates to keep in mind:

    • Qualifying begins Dec. 15
    • Last day to register to vote: Dec. 22
    • Early voting begins Dec. 29
    • Election Day: Jan. 20, 2026
    • Runoff election, if needed: Feb. 17, 2026

    Kennedy was first elected to the Middle Georgia district in 2014 and has served as the Senate president pro tempore.