State Leaders Vow Fast Disaster Aid

Georgia leaders are pushing for a fast payout of the $21 billion in disaster relief and $10 billion in farm aid added to the year-end federal budget package. 

Discussions are ongoing about the timeline for disbursements and whether they will be state block grants or direct payouts to impacted individuals and businesses.

At the request of Georgia officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) extended the deadline to apply for disaster assistance to Feb. 7.

State leaders thanked Congress for including the disaster and farm aid, with one top official calling it “a phenomenal Christmas present for Georgia agriculture.”

  Georgia Men’s Basketball Grabs Spotlight

Off to its best start in 94 years, the University of Georgia men’s basketball team is generating the kind of buzz usually associated with the school’s football program.

The Bulldogs are 12-1 following a weekend win over South Carolina State and are on track to make their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2015. The last time the team started this strong was the 1930-31 season under coach Herman Stegeman, for whom the school’s arena is named.

Georgia will begin SEC league play against Ole Miss on Jan. 4. Currently, the Bulldogs are just outside the AP Top 25 men’s basketball rankings.

Carter Funeral Set for Jan. 9

As tributes to Jimmy Carter continue, plans have been finalized to honor the former president with a state funeral in Washington, D.C., and a national day of mourning, both scheduled for Jan. 9.

Memorial events in Georgia will start on Saturday.

Residents of Carter’s hometown of Plains shared their memories of him, including one woman who recalled the time Carter surprised her with a call to offer roofing advice.

Religious leaders from across the country also reflected on Carter’s legacy, noting how he made his Christian faith a central part of his public life. In 2018, Carter authored the book Faith: A Journey for All.

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➤ Douglasville: A tree crashed onto a family’s home, injuring two people during Sunday morning’s storms. (See Photos)

➤ State: Gas prices fell slightly at the end of the year, with the statewide average of $2.89 down 2 cents from a month ago and down 10 cents from a year ago. (More)

➤ Rural Georgia: Federally mandated wage hikes for migrant workers—set to rise 9.5% to $16.08 an hour in Georgia—threatens the farm economy, state Attorney General Chris Carr said. (More)

➤ Macon County: A judge ruled that a peace officer training certificate is required for an individual to serve as sheriff, a setback for the candidate who won the most votes in the November election. (More)

➤ Savannah: For the 50th year, Skidaway Island State Park will begin the new year with its First Day Hike, a one-mile trek starting at Big Ferry Trailhead. (More)

➤ Augusta: A $2.2 million federal grant has been approved to plan animal roadway crossings aimed at reducing car crashes involving wildlife. (More)

➤ Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris said that he expected the team to get to the line of scrimmage faster late in the fourth quarter against Washington when he let the clock run instead of using a timeout. (More)

➤ Trae Young scored 34 points with 10 assists on Sunday night, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 136-107 win over the Toronto Raptors. (Watch Highlights)

➤ Georgia faces Notre Dame tomorrow in the Sugar Bowl, with the winner advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: NFL | NCAAF | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW

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➤ Bars and restaurants succeeded in convincing the Savannah City Council to limit an increase in alcohol-related fees to 20%, less than half of the initial proposal. (More)

➤ Grocery chain Aldi has recently opened new stores in Hartwell and Brunswick. (More)

➤ About 100 workers participated in a strike that ended last week at nine Amazon delivery hubs, including one in Atlanta. (More)

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➤ Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt football players spent part of Christmas Day visiting a veterans hospital in Birmingham, Ala., ahead of last week’s Birmingham Bowl college football game. (More)

➤ New Year’s Eve celebrants across Georgia will drop everything—and anything—to welcome the new year in the spirit of the Times Square ball drop. Items set to be dropped include a giant peach, a stuffed possum, geraniums, and edelweiss. (More)

➤ Georgians can set off fireworks until 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day, an hour later than usual. However, the state’s other fireworks regulations remain unchanged. (Fireworks Rules)

Did you ever meet Jimmy Carter in person?

1. Yes
2. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Did you get the gifts you wanted this Christmas?

1. Yes: 57%
2. No: 43%

What was the “Peanut Special”?

Show me the answer