Bald Eagles Continue Comeback 

Just ahead of the Fourth of July, wildlife officials reported that the state’s bald eagles raised 170 eaglets from 101 nests this spring, with an 89% success rate that topped the long-term average.

The results continue Georgia’s decades-long bald eagle comeback, after going through most of the 1970s without a single known successful nest and a 2022 setback because of a bird flu outbreak.

“This year’s results reflect a population that is having a strong year acquiring food resources and has clearly bounced back,” survey leader Dr. Bob Sargent said. Eagles remain classified as threatened statewide.

The state Department of Natural Resources checks nests by helicopter twice a year. Of the 113 nests surveyed this spring, success ran from 88% on the coast to 94% among volunteer-watched nests.

  Election Board Fight Heads to State’s High Court

The state Supreme Court agreed to decide whether Fulton County can refuse to seat two Republican nominees on its election board, with oral arguments set for October.

State law gives each political party the right to name two members of the five-seat board, but in 2025 the county’s Democrat-led commission rejected the GOP’s picks.

A trial judge ordered the appointments to go forward and held the county in contempt, but the state appeals court reversed that order in March.

Justices are expected to consider whether the law that establishes the appointment process complies with the state constitution.

Pat’s Place a Draw 46 Years Later

More than 45 years after opening, Pat’s Place pub in Americus remains one of South Georgia’s favorite gathering spots, drawing students, bluegrass players, and three generations of local families.

Pat’s Place owner Pat Spann said he has no plans to retire before the restaurant’s 50th anniversary in 2030. Spann opened the business in 1980 as a sandwich shop, offering sandwiches, beer, and canned sodas. Pizza and the pub atmosphere soon followed.

The walls now hold four decades of framed photos of employees and regulars, the oldest arranged in the shape of a pizza crust. Pool tables, trivia contests, and events such as Beers and Hymns night keep the customers coming.

Ralph Cornwelf, the first customer through the door in 1980, said he still stops in nearly every day for tea and the newspaper, and also plays bass in the Tuesday bluegrass band. “Having a place you can come to, have your birthday parties here, celebrate things here. It’s a great thing to happen to this town,” he said.

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➤ Columbus: The city’s new curfew for unsupervised minors faces its first big test over the Fourth of July weekend, with more than 30 officers set to deploy around Friday’s parade and Saturday’s fireworks. (More)

➤ North Georgia: U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller, R-Lookout Mountain, said he will propose a constitutional amendment to end birthright citizenship for U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, a day after the Supreme Court upheld the practice. (More)

➤ Savannah: The city broke ground on the $9.8 million Windsor Forest Community Center, which will include a gym, fitness studio, and youth room. (More)

➤ Irwin County: Gov. Brian Kemp suspended county coroner Brandon Fletcher following Fletcher’s grand jury indictment on charges of theft and financial card fraud. (More)

➤ Grovetown: City leaders proposed a 2.22% increase in the property tax rate, with public hearings planned. The tax funds police, fire, roads, and parks. (More)

➤ Atlanta: Nateal Campbell, the 71-year-old mother of Baltimore Ravens and former Atlanta Falcons lineman Calais Campbell, was found murdered at a home Tuesday, authorities said. Her son—Campbell’s brother—was charged in the death. (More)

➤ Macon: A local man died of a heart attack in a wooded area of Alabama while trying to dispose of the body of his strangled girlfriend, the district attorney said. (More)

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➤ Georgia placed No. 8 in a CBS Sports ranking of the best overall college athletics programs for the 2025-26 season, while Georgia Tech ranked No. 42. (More)

➤ Sea Island’s Seaside Course ranked No. 30 and McLemore’s The Keep placed No. 31 in Golfweek‘s annual ranking of the top 100 public-access courses in the country. (More) 

➤ Atlanta Falcons players Jalon Walker, Jessie Bates III, and Zach Harrison visited U.S. military bases in Japan as part of the NFL’s Salute to Service program with the USO. (More)

➤ Athens’ new Indoor Football League team opened fan voting on its name, with four finalists on the ballot through July 8: Bullfrogs, Crush, Hedgehawgs, and Panic. The team will make its league debut in March. (See List)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | Wimbledon | MLB

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➤ North Macon developers seek to rezone nearly 50 acres across from a planned Costco for commercial use. (More)

➤ The Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry named catering company Proof of the Pudding its official food and beverage partner, with plans to offer year-round dining options. (More) 

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➤ The marching band at Lakeside High School in Evans will represent the Augusta area in America’s 250th Anniversary Parade on Saturday in Washington, D.C. (Read Story)

➤ A string of recent black bear sightings around metro Atlanta led police to urge residents to secure garbage and pet food and to give the animals space. (More)

➤ Valdosta chef Sachem Lane is competing in the national Favorite Chef Challenge, with a top prize of $25,000. Lane, a senior at Valdosta State University and a culinary instructor at Wiregrass, credits her late grandmother for her skills. (Read Story)

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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:

➤ Researchers highlighted five habits that are guaranteed to help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer. (See Habits)

➤ The Justice Department and 17 states have accused three major egg producers of manipulating prices, inflating the market. (Hear Episode)

➤ A new report suggests everyday phone use may be quietly reshaping the body in ways few people realize. (Listen Now)

Have you seen a bald eagle in the wild?

1. More than once
2. Once
3. Hope to one day

Yesterday’s Results:

Do homes in your neighborhood fly the flag for Independence Day?

1. A few: 52%
2. Most: 36%
3. Only our house/other: 12% 

Where was the gold mined for Georgia’s state capitol dome?

Show me the answer