Storms Ease Drought

Some of the state’s counties are drought-free for the first time in months after more rain poured this week, the U.S. Drought Monitor’s latest update shows.

Meanwhile, the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map shows only a few small pockets of severe drought, the midrange of drought classifications. Large parts of the state now fall in the abnormally dry category.

Storms that moved through the region this week continued a rainy pattern, helping the state recover from the worst drought in 20 years.

A warmer, drier weekend is forecast, with high temperatures in the 90s and feels-like temperatures topping 100 degrees in parts of the state.

  Georgia Faces Food Stamp Penalties

Georgia is among dozens of states that could eventually owe millions to the food stamp program because of overpayments.

Data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture offered the first look at potential costs under a new federal law, which ties each state’s monetary penalty to its error rate.

Georgia posted the fourth-highest error rate nationally at 15.21%, most of which was for overpayment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

States facing penalties get one year to reduce errors or face a new rule that requires they start covering a bigger share of SNAP costs from non-federal funds.

Beaches Flagged for Bacteria

State environmental regulators’ latest water quality report flags about 10 miles of Georgia coastline for elevated levels of fecal bacteria during peak beach season.

The beaches remain open under a public advisory to avoid impacted areas. 

The state reported high readings around Tybee Island, Jekyll Island’s Driftwood Beach, and the South Beach area of St. Simons Island, with water quality testing ongoing. Federal law requires states to release the report on water quality every two years. 

The bacteria can signal contamination by fecal waste, though officials say they have not pinpointed the sources of the pollution along the coast.

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➤ Columbus: A friend paid tribute to a Dollar General store manager who was shot and killed on Tuesday, saying the mother of three loved her job. The customer suspected in the shooting was later killed after opening fire on police officers, authorities said. (More)

➤ East Point: A doctor who ran Rutledge Medical Associates faces 40 fraud counts, accused of billing Georgia Medicaid more than $4 million for services prosecutors say were never performed between 2017 and 2023. (More)

➤ Rome: Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who resigned her northwest Georgia seat in January, said she no longer supports the Republican Party, citing opposition to the party’s support of foreign military actions and other policies. (More)

➤ Hinesville: A Fort Stewart sergeant who shot five soldiers and his fiancé last August was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences, dishonorably discharged, and reduced in rank to E-1. (More)

➤ Augusta: A new outreach effort aims to bring water and cooling relief directly to people living outside, where organizers say traditional cooling centers are not always accessible. (More)

➤ Savannah: The city’s archives department invited residents to share photos, postcards, and memories through its Your Savannah Story campaign, with the next collection day set for July 8 at City Hall. (More)

➤ Sparta: Some property owners asked the state Supreme Court to take up a case challenging a private railroad’s effort to acquire land through eminent domain. (More)

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➤ Seven Georgia football players entering their final year of eligibility will now get an extra season after the NCAA approved new rules giving athletes five years to play five seasons. (More) 

➤ Sanford Stadium in Athens pulled in more than $4.31 million in public alcohol sales last season, up over $1.5 million from 2024. It was the University of Georgia stadium’s second year of selling beer to general fans. (More)

➤ Speaking of Sanford Stadium, EA Sports ranked the venue as No. 4 on its updated list of toughest places to play in college football, after the stadiums at LSU, Ohio State, and Penn State. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: World Cup | MLB | WNBA | Golf

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➤ Augusta golf-cart maker E-Z-GO could be sold or spun off as parent company Textron moves to shed its industrial segment and focus on its aerospace and defense units. (More)

➤ Georgia, 16 other states, and a trade group representing distributors and wholesalers filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block California from enforcing a 2022 recycling law, saying the law will unfairly impact businesses nationwide. (More)

➤ Paramount is nearing completion of its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent of Atlanta-based CNN, with European Union trade regulators expected to approve the deal. (More)

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➤ Augusta-area amateur radio operators will take part in a 24-hour joint U.S.-Canada amateur radio disaster drill starting at 2 p.m. Saturday at Blythe City Hall. Open to the public, the event will demonstrate how radio operators connect with one another during disasters such as Hurricane Helene. (More)

➤ Davenport House Museum in Savannah will host a free Wish Wall Celebration on Friday, inviting the public to share hopes for the next 250 years as the nation nears its anniversary. (More)

➤ Employees with disabilities at the Augusta Training Shop created patriotic artwork for a holiday project that drew community members to the nonprofit. (Watch)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ The world’s first trillionaire held the title for less than two weeks. What knocked him back down to mere billionaire? (Press Play)

➤ A federal judge just blocked a major piece of the President’s mail-in voting overhaul, and it comes down to one constitutional question. (Hear the Ruling)

➤ It nearly went extinct, until one Missouri farmer admitted she’d been quietly growing it all along. Meet summer’s most star-studded fruit. (Take a Bite)

What will America look like 250 years from now?

1. Like no sci-fi movie yet made
2. The Jetsons
3. Colonies in space
4. All of the above … and more
5. No idea

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you enjoy taking photographs?

1. Yes, with smartphone: 39%
2. Not a shutterbug: 29%
3. Yes, with traditional camera: 11%
4. Yes, with either: 21%

In which month in 1776 did Georgia host its first Independence Day celebration?

Show me the answer