Audi Site Years in the Making

Details continue to emerge about Audi’s planned new plant at the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, ending the automaker’s lengthy search for a U.S. location.

The automaker’s pick also comes four years after the state and the local development authority bought the Peach County site using state proceeds from a 2021 land sale to Amazon.

“The Middle Georgia Megasite will put the entire Middle Georgia region on the map and position us for significant investment and new jobs,” then county commission chair Martin Moseley said in 2022.

The development authority touts the site’s “extremely flat” terrain, dedicated space for a test track, access to rail and ports, and absence of potential regulatory and environmental hurdles.

In May, Peach, Houston, and Macon-Bibb counties each pledged up to $7 million to market and upgrade the approximately 1,500-acre site under an agreement to share future tax revenue.

  State Expands Teacher Apprenticeships

The state Department of Education received more than $10 million in federal grants to help school aides and support staff become certified teachers.

A $5.98 million Teacher Quality Partnership grant will expand paraprofessional-to-teacher apprenticeships and mentoring, while about $4.3 million will add apprenticeship pathways for aspiring special education teachers. Apprentices earn a salary while completing coursework.

The University of West Georgia will design the new model, with support from the National Center for Grow Your Own. Earlier this month, Georgia Gwinnett College received a separate $3.3 million grant to recruit and train more students to become teachers.

In Savannah, school superintendent Denise Watts said the local district opened the year with 20 to 25 staff openings, down sharply from recent years.

Early Voting Enters Final Week

The final week of early voting began Monday with about 1.8 million ballots cast ahead of next Tuesday’s general election, or about 24% of active voters. Early voting ends Friday.

As of Monday morning, 1,698,469 voters had cast ballots in person, and 82,740 voters had cast absentee/mail ballots.

Mail voting is down sharply. Just over 160,000 Georgians requested absentee/mail ballots before last Friday’s deadline, compared with more than 285,000 in 2022.

Voters can confirm their polling place and sample ballot on the state’s My Voter Page. On Election Day next Tuesday, polls will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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➤ Albany: Construction began on the Albany Museum of Art’s new home, a $35 million project turning the former Belk building on West Broad Avenue into an art and education center. (More)

➤ Americus: Customers at Baker’s Dozen Donuts and Diner can buy $5 “Pay It Forward Dough Bucks” certificates that provide hot meals for homeless residents and others in need. (More)

➤ Brunswick: A coastal flood warning covers Glynn and Camden counties until 11 a.m. today, followed by an advisory through early Thursday. (More)

➤ St. Marys: Two emergency flares helped a Coast Guard crew locate and rescue an overdue boater in Cumberland Sound. (More)

➤ Cumming: City leaders said water that tastes and smells like beets is safe to drink, and that the earthy flavor comes from compounds produced by algae in Lake Lanier. (More)

➤ White County: The county bought a new drone equipped with thermal imaging, a loudspeaker, and the ability to operate in the rain to help find missing people and respond to emergencies. (More)

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➤ Georgia and Florida meet Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as the rivalry moves from Jacksonville while EverBank Stadium is renovated. (More)

➤ Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels, carted off the field a week earlier, had an interception, a fumble recovery, and a team-high 11 tackles in Sunday’s win. (More)

➤ Game 6 of the WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries will take place at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at State Farm Arena. The Dream lost 64-55 on the road Monday night. (Score | More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NFL | NBA | NHL

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➤ What will you discover on this Amazon gadget list? Whether you’re browsing for yourself or looking for a gift, DealWatchdogs rounds up gadgets available on Amazon for you to explore. Take a look through the picks and see if something earns a spot on your wish list.  LEARN MORE

➤ The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded an additional $7.4 million to help Georgia’s timber industry recover from Hurricane Helene damage. (More)

➤ Atlanta startup HOPTEK changed its name to Graypool and raised $5 million in pre-seed financing for its AI truck and freight scheduling tools that help carriers earn more revenue. (More)

➤ A Georgia customer filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Southern Company over a data breach tied to about 400,000 utility accounts. (More)

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➤ Could your next grocery trip cost less? When checkout totals squeeze your budget, a few changes to your shopping routine may help. Explore The Penny Hoarder’s grocery savings tips for ideas to try before your next store run. See which tips could work for your household.

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➤ Leadership Georgia named 63 people to its Class of 2027, chosen from several hundred applicants for a yearlong program on statewide issues. (More)

➤ Effingham County High School’s Rebel Regiment marching band repeated as grand champion at the South Georgia Marching Band Championships this past weekend. (More)

➤ Ahead of Halloween, a TV news station’s photo gallery rounds up the funniest reactions caught on camera inside haunted houses. (More)

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➤ They Did Everything Right. They Still Had Heart Attacks. Nicole, 57, ate clean and walked daily. Frank, 66, was told his numbers looked great. Both had blood pressure and cholesterol “under control.” What went wrong? Researchers are examining the tiny energy engines inside heart cells and how they change with age. See the three overlooked nutrients tied to heart strength →

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ A new study ranks the top 10 and bottom 10 car models for resale value. (See Ranking)

➤ Humana and UnitedHealthcare are dropping Medicare Advantage plans, upending coverage for 1 million seniors. (Listen Now)

➤ A passenger’s alarming text message caused an entire plane to be grounded, searched, and delayed overnight. (Hear Story)

Were you aware of the Middle Georgia Megasite before this week?

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Yesterday’s Results:

Do you have a passport?

1. Yes: 78%
2. No: 22%

Georgia leads the nation in harvesting which forest resource?

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