Road Costs Skyrocket 

The cost of building and repairing Georgia roads has climbed sharply since 2020, state transportation officials told a House study committee.

Asphalt resurfacing costs rose 42% from 2020 to 2025, GDOT civil engineer Walt Taylor said. Interstate resurfacing is up 62%.

GDOT chief engineer Meg Pirkle said the department’s budget grew 36% over a similar time period, forcing the agency to drop projects from its statewide plan.

A Reason Foundation report released in March ranked Georgia’s highway system second nationally for cost-effectiveness and performance.

  NASA Funds Aerospace Training

NASA selected Georgia Tech to lead a statewide program training skilled technical workers for the aerospace industry.

The Southeast Space Technology and Aerospace Readiness Skills Hub will coordinate with the Technical College System of Georgia, Georgia Southern University, and career academies across the state.

The hub will scale Georgia Tech’s existing space-focused technical courses—covering avionics, propulsion, advanced manufacturing, systems testing, machining, and assembly—and align them with diploma and certificate pathways at the other schools.

The award went to Georgia Tech Research Corporation, one of seven organizations nationally sharing about $10.5 million over three years.

Botanical Garden to Expand

The Atlanta Botanical Garden will build an entrance directly onto the Beltline’s Northeast Trail, part of $160 million in planned improvements and expansion.

Other improvements will include a Beltline Plaza hosting free public programs, plus a visitor center with bike parking, a cafe, and a gift shop.

Overall, the project will transform nearly eight acres along Piedmont Avenue, expanding the 30-acre garden by about 25%. The Beltline entrance is expected to open in late 2028 or early 2029.

The expansion required a land swap with Public Storage, which sold its Piedmont Avenue facility to the garden.

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➤ Nicholls: The city council appointed its first city manager after a new state law abolished the 1903 charter and established a council-manager government. (More)

➤ Atlanta: Morehouse School of Medicine and Atrium Health won approval for a teaching hospital on Metropolitan Parkway, opening with 50 beds and a capacity to expand to 700. Atrium is committing more than $700 million, with the city expected to add over $115 million for site prep, roadwork, and equipment. (More)

➤ Statewide: Gov. Brian Kemp appointed former commissioner Stan Wise to the Public Service Commission, replacing Tricia Pridemore, who resigned effective Sept. 4. (More)

➤ Grady County: The sheriff’s office began offering scent-preservation kits that can store an individual’s scent for years to assist with bloodhound tracking in the event a person goes missing. The initial rollout will focus on special needs children and seniors. (More)

➤ Augusta: Two nonprofits teamed with OpenAI to offer a free artificial intelligence workshop to help local veterans and their families build practical skills for new careers. (More)

➤ Calhoun: A 2.4 magnitude earthquake was recorded early Saturday in Gordon County, centered about nine miles northwest of town in the John’s Mountain Wildlife Management Area. (More)

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➤ The Atlanta Braves defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 in the MLB Little League Classic on Sunday night in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, playing in front of Little League World Series players and their families. (More)

➤ Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been fully cleared for 11-on-11 drills after recovering from ACL surgery. (More)

➤ One of the nation’s top prep prospects, defensive lineman Jalen Brewster, announced he is transferring from Texas to Buford High School this season. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NFL | Golf | NASCAR | IndyCar | F1 | Tennis | WNBA | Soccer | Little League World Series

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➤ Charter Communications closed its $34.5 billion purchase of Cox Communications, planning to use the Cox name and maintain a large presence at Cox’s Atlanta campus. (More)

➤ Developers in Cedartown broke ground on a 110,000-square-foot development anchored by Publix and backed by $9.9 million in tax allocation bonds. (More)

➤ State lawmakers meeting in Macon heard that the average Georgia farmer is 59 years old and that family farms face projected annual losses topping $28,000. (More)

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This statement from the U.S. transportation secretary after his historic flight in an eVTOL this June has captured Wall Street’s attention. 

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➤ Buford-based Vintage Modern builds cars by hand that pair vintage styling with modern engineering, with custom builds starting near $200,000. (More)

➤ Jason Isaacs, known for playing Lucius Malfoy, stopped by the Tybee Island Police Department to greet officers and show his support. The actor is in the area filming the mystery-thriller Girl. (More)

➤ The church-run Hope Center in Albany celebrated the start of construction on a new kitchen and meeting space, funded by a $200,000 donation and aimed at teaching job and life skills. (More)

➤ The Cumberland community improvement district in Cobb County will host its first arts festival Oct. 17-18, with an artist market, live entertainment, food vendors, and a children’s zone. (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:

➤ Nearly two weeks after deadly storms hit Indiana, thousands are still in the dark, and residents want to know why. (Hear Story)

➤ Imagine a winter without a single sunset before 5 p.m. Congress could make it happen, but there’s a catch. (Hear Trade-Off)

➤ How to wake up without an alarm clock, according to sleep researchers. It only takes about a week to retrain your body. (Listen How)

How would you grade the roads in your area?

1. Good
2. Need work
3. Other

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever been to a Banana Ball game? 

1. No: 88%
2. Yes: 12%

Which school founded in 1740 is considered the oldest continuously operating school in the state?

Show me the answer