SEC Title Game Buzz Builds

Fans are hungry for a win—and some fun—as No. 3 Georgia gets set to clash with No. 9 Alabama in the SEC Championship football game on Saturday in Atlanta.

Many are busy planning their game-day foods, including Dawg Chow, voted a top four SEC tailgate snack. You can learn how to make this Chex-based treat here.

For those hoping to attend the game in person, prepare to fork over a few bucks, with the cheapest tickets costing about $250 each on online ticket reseller sites.

Georgia enters the game as a 2.5-point favorite. With a win, the Bulldogs would also likely secure a first-round bye in the playoffs.

  Escaped Inmate Caught

A three-day manhunt for escaped inmate Timothy Shane ended in his capture Wednesday, with authorities swarming a Covington neighborhood where he was spotted.

Search teams aided by a helicopter and dogs tracked him using store surveillance, doorbell cameras, and neighborhood tips before finding him in an empty home.

Shane, considered armed and dangerous, escaped Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta over the weekend, stealing two cars and ordering an Uber ride-share to aid his getaway.

He had been taken to the hospital from Rockdale County Jail after a suspected suicide attempt, which authorities now believe he faked. An investigation into how he was able to escape the hospital continues.

Shane’s criminal history includes drug and weapons charges.

Key Signs $6.5M-Per-Year Extension

Georgia Tech head football coach Brent Key signed a five-year contract extension through 2030, solidifying his future with the Yellow Jackets amid interest from major programs.

Key, a former Tech lineman, will be paid $6.5 million annually. The school also agreed to salary increases for Key’s staff as part of a pledge to spend more on the football program in general.

Key led Tech to a 9–3 regular season this year, the school’s best in more than a decade. The team’s record is 27–19 since Key took over in 2022.

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➤ South Georgia: Communities are rescheduling their light parades and other holiday kickoff celebrations due to forecasted stormy weather. (More)

➤ Columbus: Police reported a 29% drop in violent crimes compared to the first 11 months of last year, with murders down from 32 to 27 and sharp drops in robberies and aggravated assaults. (More)

➤ Augusta: The committee—led by a former mayor and Mennonite Disaster Service—began its work of assisting homes still in need of repairs after last year’s Hurricane Helene. (More)

➤ Decatur County: All K-12 schools will implement a ban on smartphones and smart devices starting Jan. 1. (More)

➤ Atlanta: The school board approved a plan to close more than a dozen school buildings, seeking to save $25 million annually amid declining enrollment. (More)

➤ Fulton County: Authorities detailed the investigation that led to the convictions of 16 members of the 1-8 Trey Bloods criminal gang, suspected of recruiting youth members using ice cream trucks and bounce houses. (More)

➤ Cobb County: A mother called police after her daughter was missing and eventually found asleep on a school bus, the second time the same driver mishandled her child’s drop-off. (More)

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➤ Kennesaw State football plays at Jacksonville State tonight in the Conference USA Championship game, with kickoff at 7 p.m. on CBS. The Owls enter the game as slight favorites. (More)

➤ Georgia State football signed more than 20 high school and community college transfer players on National Signing Day, including a dozen with ties to Georgia high schools and communities. (More)

➤ Georgia center Drew Bobo will not play in the SEC football title game due to a lower leg injury. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer | PGA

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➤ The average gas price in Georgia fell to $2.82 per gallon after Thanksgiving travel, as gas prices in most states hit their lowest levels since May 2021. (More)

➤ Walmart gave a start-to-finish look at its grocery drone delivery service, which expanded to metro Atlanta this week. (Watch)

➤ Georgia Works opened its first women’s center, offering housing, work, and support to assist formerly incarcerated or homeless women. (More)

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➤ A son recounts his mother’s eternal Christmas tree in Sterling, decorated with shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day, lilies for Easter, and flags for the Fourth of July. (More)

➤ The Marshall House in Savannah was named a Christmas must-see by Leisure Group Travel, praised for its historic charm and whimsical Southern decor, including a pineapple-themed tree. (More)

➤ Travel group AAA reminded motorists to properly secure Christmas trees, citing a past study that found one in five buyers has experienced a tree falling off or out of a vehicle. (More)

Would you use a drone delivery service for groceries?

1. Sign me up
2. Not sure
3. No thanks

Yesterday’s Results:

Would you prefer snow or no snow on Christmas?

1. A little snow: 27%
2. A lot of snow: 26%
3. No snow: 27%
4. No preference: 20%

Where was the now-closed Georgia Music Hall of Fame located?

Show me the answer