Historic Courthouse Burns

A fire destroyed the historic Floyd County Courthouse in Rome on Monday, collapsing its iconic bell tower and leaving the 134-year-old landmark a total loss.

The blaze broke out about 2:20 p.m. while the building was undergoing renovations. Firefighters evacuated everyone safely before switching to a defensive posture as flames engulfed the structure.

“What we saw was the tower catching on fire and collapsing. It was a slow process, but once it went down, it imploded on itself,” a witness said. Rome City Manager Sammy Rich said the 1892-built structure “has long stood at the heart of our community’s identity.”

The courthouse housed the county’s tax offices. The fire displaced about 35 workers. Most tax records were previously digitized, but many paper records kept at the offices were likely destroyed, county officials said.

  Founding Papers Arrive for Public Display

Nine founding-era documents from the National Archives touched down at Hartsfield-Jackson on Monday aboard the Freedom Plane, a traveling display in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

National Guard personnel escorted the documents from the tarmac to the Atlanta History Center, where they will go on public display from Friday through April 12.

Tickets to see the display are free but limited in number, with advance registration required. The museum’s website shows that many dates are already fully booked.

The collection includes an 1823 engraving of the Declaration of Independence, the 1774 Articles of Association, oaths of allegiance signed by Washington, Hamilton, and Burr, and the 1783 Treaty of Paris.

Bill Seeks Novel Fix to Time Change

The state Senate voted 45-5 on Monday to pass House Bill 154, the Georgia Sunshine Protection Act, which would keep the Peach State on daylight saving time year-round.

Congress hasn’t authorized permanent daylight saving, so the bill takes a creative route, asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to move Georgia from Eastern Standard Time to Atlantic Standard Time.

The move would effectively lock in the later sunsets Georgians enjoy each summer, although the state also could find itself two hours ahead of neighboring Alabama during standard time months.

Supporters of the bill argue that twice-a-year clock changes disrupt sleep, commerce, and school schedules.

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➤ Augusta: Construction on the new downtown arena remains on schedule and on budget, with steel now being erected and a topping-out ceremony planned for late summer. (More)

➤ Thomas County: A freight train carrying pulp material derailed early Tuesday, tilting four cars onto their sides and closing Old Cassidy Road at the railroad crossing pending cleanup. (More)

➤ Statewide: The state Senate unanimously passed a bill banning cellphone use in high schools from bell to bell, extending restrictions already in place for younger students. (More)

➤ Fulton County: A district judge will hear arguments Friday in the county’s lawsuit over the federal government’s seizure of 2020 election ballots. (More)

➤ Cobb County: A student was taken into custody after bringing a firearm to Hillgrove High School, with officials saying the situation was resolved within minutes. (More)

➤ Statewide: Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill legalizing drones for locating feral hogs on private land and removing trapping license requirements as the state ramps up its fight against 600,000 wild pigs. (More)

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➤ Georgia Tech welcomed new men’s basketball coach Scott Cross at a press conference earlier this week. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Hawks will donate $1.2 million to fund free eye exams and glasses to students across the Atlanta metro area. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Falcons hired Wisconsin’s wide receivers coach Jordan Reid to become assistant quarterbacks coach. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Tennis

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➤ Belgium-based biopharmaceutical company UCB announced a $2 billion investment to build its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Gwinnett County, creating about 330 permanent jobs. (More)

➤ Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines temporarily suspended VIP airport escorts and other specialty services for members of Congress as the partial government shutdown continued. (More)

➤ Southeast Georgia farmers say fertilizer prices have surged nearly 50% amid the Iran conflict, leading some to rethink planting plans. (More)

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➤ A violinist performed for passengers stuck in long TSA lines on Friday in Atlanta. (Watch)

➤ Tanger Outlets shopping center in Savannah was recognized on Newsweek’s 2026 list of Greatest Workplaces for Women. (More)

➤ Metro Atlanta’s pollen count hit 5,902 on Tuesday, the third straight day in the extreme range, driven largely by pine, oak, mulberry, sycamore, and birch as allergy season ramps up. (More)

Should Georgia change time zones?

1. Yes
2. No
3. I don’t care either way

Yesterday’s Results:

Are you seeing a drop in gas prices yet?

1. Not really yet: 33%
2. No: 26%
3. Yes, by a few pennies: 25%
4. Yes, a big drop: 16%

What Georgia city made it “illegal” to eat fried chicken with a fork?

Show me the answer