Slim Odds for Online Sports Betting?

Among the 11 states without legal online sports betting, Georgia is one of three considered the most likely to pass legislation this year, but an industry group says the odds are still low.

The analysis comes as this weekend’s Super Bowl kicks off another year of debate about sports gambling, an issue Georgians would ultimately need to decide at the ballot box.

Getting a measure to voters has proved difficult, however. Last year, lawmakers failed to put a question on the ballot for the fourth year in a row, citing disagreements over how to spend the state’s cut.

This week, a group of state senators introduced a measure that would place a question on the 2026 ballot to make online sports betting legal in 2027.

  Taxpayers Challenge School Board

The people of Georgia voted in favor of the homestead tax exemption last November, a tax relief measure approved by close to 70% in Bryan County. A group of Bryan County taxpayers have now denounced the local school district’s plan to opt out of participating in that measure.

“The county and the city both are opting in. The school board is the only government entity in Bryan County that is wanting to opt out,” county resident Stephanie Falls told school board members.

Dozens of local governments and school districts around the state have now chosen to opt out, including many in the metro Atlanta area, citing worries about a loss of funding or other tax breaks already in place.

More Stores and Restaurants Closing

Discount department store Bargain Hunt will close all 92 of its stores in 10 states, including 13 stores in Georgia, as the nation’s retail landscape undergoes more shifts to start the new year.

In metro Atlanta, pizza restaurant Humble Pie became the latest of nearly a dozen restaurants to permanently close in the area’s West Midtown district.

Bargain Hunt will conduct going-out-of-business sales this month.

The Tennessee-based chain, which opened in 2004, touts itself as “The Greatest Extreme Savings Store on Earth,” offering discounted appliances, clothing, groceries, and outdoor goods.

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➤ Dunwoody: The city installed the area’s first SaveStation automated external defibrillators, available to the public for use on suspected heart attack victims. (More)

➤ Atlanta: Auditors with the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) building this week. (More)

➤ Dunwoody: A local salon owner praised a woman who found the shop’s unmarked money bag in a parking lot and then took extra steps to identify the owner before returning the cash. (More)

➤ Fulton County: A state Senate panel advanced a bill that would require the city of Atlanta’s jail to accept inmates from the crowded Fulton County jail. (More)

➤ Savannah: Police arrested a 27-year-old man in connection with the widely publicized case of a recent home invasion by two men posing as Amazon workers. The crime was partially caught on camera. (More)

➤ South Georgia: Spring-like temperatures continued Thursday across the state, with Savannah reaching 81 degrees. The record high of 82 was set in 2008. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Hawks agreed to trades involving De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic in separate deals ahead of the NBA trade deadline. (See Analysis)

➤ Meanwhile, the Hawks lost 126-125 to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, falling just short after erasing a 20-point deficit. (More)

➤ Georgia men’s basketball rebounded from a tough loss against Alabama to post an 81-62 win over LSU. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Braves radio network hired Barrett Sallee as the team’s pre-game and postgame show host. (More)

Needs updating ➤ Yesterday’s results: PGA | LPGA | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer 

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➤ Freyr Battery canceled its proposed $2.6 billion Coweta County plant to build battery systems for storing wind and solar power, citing a strategy change. (More)

➤ Gas prices across the state ranged from $2.91 to $3.21 per gallon on Thursday. (See Prices)

➤ A judge approved a railroad’s use of eminent domain to buy land over the objections of landowners for a 4.5-mile rail line. (More)

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➤ The Atlanta History Center in Buckhead paid tribute to baseball legend Hank Aaron, who would have turned 91 on Wednesday. (Watch)

➤ Grammy winners Jeff Hanna of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Matraca Berg will perform at Saturday’s third-annual Legacy Show benefit concert in Gainesville. (Details)

➤ Imprisoned reality star Todd Chrisley accused guards of ripping a MAGA sticker off his jail cell chair as part of an ongoing harassment campaign. (More)

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Yesterday’s Results:

Do you support Gov. Brian Kemp’s call for tighter limits on civil lawsuits, damage awards, and attorney fees?

1. Yes: 79%
2. No: 21%

Which dentist turned Old West gunfighter grew up in Georgia?

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