$350M Arena Breaks Ground

Macon-Bibb County broke ground on a $350 million arena that will seat more than 10,000 and replace the nearly 60-year-old Macon Coliseum.

The venue will open in late 2028 with luxury suites, a flex hall, outdoor plazas, and two parking decks. The Coliseum will stay open until then.

A marching band, local officials, community members, and students gathered for the groundbreaking celebration on Wednesday.

Mayor Lester Miller said the county expects the venue to host more than 400 events a year, framing the project as an economic engine that will pay for itself.

  Apalachee Father Sentenced

Colin Gray, 55, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday for allowing access to the rifle his teenage son used in the 2024 Apalachee High School shooting that killed four people.

A jury convicted Gray in March on 27 counts, including two of second-degree murder and 18 of second-degree cruelty to children. He is the first parent of a school shooter convicted of murder in the U.S.

Judge Nicholas Primm said his sentencing decision was difficult because Colin Gray had no intention to commit a crime and didn’t have foreknowledge of the attack. Prosecutors had sought a prison term of 80 years.

Colt Gray received life without parole Tuesday. Separately, the prosecutor in the case explained why his mother was not charged, saying she was away from the family’s home much of the time and that testimony in such a case would likely cause the son to be seen as a victim.

More Students Head Back

More students around the state returned to class Thursday as the back-to-school season accelerated.

Lamar County opened under later start times, with middle and high schools at 6:50 a.m. and elementary schools at 7:15 a.m. for extra sleep.

Next week, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fayette, Fulton, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale counties will open Monday, followed by Gwinnett—the state’s largest—and Douglas on Wednesday and Hall and Habersham on Aug. 7.

One district already back, Chattooga County, noted its four-day calendar requires its school year to run for 38 weeks instead of 36 weeks.

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➤ Effingham County: Incentives used to attract OpenAI’s planned $20 billion data center included a 37.5% property tax discount, records show. (More)

➤ DeKalb County: A woman died when a large tree fell on her home Wednesday evening, causing structural damage that slowed crews from reaching her. (More)

➤ Norcross: The police department will receive $450,000 in federal funding for a real-time crime center inside the community’s new $24 million public safety complex. (More)

➤ Camden County: Smoke from a lightning-sparked wildfire shut Interstate 95 for hours Wednesday night. The blaze grew overnight to 800 acres and was 50% contained Thursday morning. (More)

➤ Atlanta: State wildlife investigators blamed a June 27 ferric chloride leak at the South River Water Reclamation Center for killing 1,254 fish across 2.5 miles. The city disputes the finding. (More)

➤ Covington: Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney Randal “Randy” McGinley to the circuit’s Superior Court, one of two judicial appointments announced Thursday. (More)

➤ Augusta: A fire at Solomon House, a sober-living home at 3839 Mike Padgett Highway, displaced 10 residents Tuesday night. (More)

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➤ Four former Georgia defensive linemen signed NFL extensions this offseason worth a combined $397 million. (More) 

➤ Mercer athletics director Jim Cole stepped down from his position after 16 years, during which he brought football back to the Macon campus after a 72-year absence and oversaw 51 conference championships. Deputy AD Brian Gerrity will succeed him. (More) 

➤ The Atlanta Braves released 18-year-old pitching prospect Wilmer Almonte ahead of the trade deadline as they clear roster space. They’re reportedly pursuing Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Golf

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➤ Wellstar Health System agreed to pay $4.25 million to settle a proposed class action lawsuit alleging it shared roughly 870,000 patients’ data with Meta and Google. Wellstar denies wrongdoing. (More)

➤ Unemployment ticked up in all 12 of Georgia’s labor department regions in June, a shift the agency attributed to schools letting out. Rates were at or below year-ago levels. (More)

➤ Developer John Dewberry regained full ownership of the long-stalled Campanile building in Midtown Atlanta after ACORE Capital released its $75 million interest. (More)

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➤ A magnitude 2.3 earthquake centered near Lilburn was felt by some in Gwinnett County on Wednesday morning. Small quakes occur in Georgia throughout the year and rarely cause damage. (More)

➤ A new specialty license plate honoring the Savannah-founded Girl Scouts is open for pre-order, with proceeds split between Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta and Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia. (More)

➤ Atlanta Ballet 2 dancers will perform Cinderella at the Fox Theatre Oct. 16-17, the company’s first return to the venue since 2019. (More)

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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 father who gave his son the rifle used in Georgia’s deadliest school shooting has been sentenced in a first-of-its-kind case. (Hear Details)

➤ Coordinated cyberattacks on dozens of Minnesota water plants are reportedly under investigation for possible ties to Iran. (Hear Episode)

➤ Belgian authorities say an intern inside NATO’s top military command is suspected of spying for an unnamed foreign power. (Listen Now)

Have you ever felt a small earthquake?

1. I felt Wednesday’s
2. Yes
3. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Are you ready for football season?

1. Bring it on: 63%
2. Not a fan: 22%
3. Too soon: 15%

The state’s two largest earthquakes in the modern era hit which communities?

Show me the answer