Holiday Weekend Deaths Climb

Eleven people died in crashes and four more drowned across the state over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

The crash deaths nearly doubled last year’s total of six and stretched across 10 counties from Dade to Appling. A Polk County crash killed a 1-year-old riding in the front seat.

On the water, the fatalities pushed Georgia’s drowning toll for the year to 33. Statewide, game wardens charged 34 boaters with operating under the influence and worked six boating incidents, half of them on Lake Lanier.

On state roads, state troopers arrested 372 suspected impaired drivers and issued 872 seat belt citations during the holiday enforcement period.

  Tree Falls on Six Flags Guests 

A tree crashed down on four guests near the entrance of Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell as severe storms rolled through Sunday evening.

Two of the four were seriously hurt, Cobb County fire officials said. All were treated at the scene and taken to a hospital for further evaluation.

Park-goer Charles Smith, who was waiting with his wife for fireworks when the storm moved in fast, described the storm as “almost like a little tornado come through.”

The guests’ names and conditions weren’t immediately available, and the park did not say whether the storm damaged anything else near the gates.

Theo of Golden Spurs Tourism

Readers of Allen Levi’s bestselling novel Theo of Golden are streaming into Columbus, the real-life model for the book’s fictional Southern town.

JudyBug’s Books reports up to 50 more customers a day, and Fountain City Coffee—the model for the novel’s coffee shop—credits the book for up to 20% of its traffic.

Levi, a former judge who grew up in Columbus, self-published the book in 2023. Simon & Schuster picked up the rights in October 2025, and the book has now sold more than 1 million copies and currently tops the New York Times Best Sellers list.

Columbus’ tourism agency published a Theo of Golden online guide so visitors can walk the real places behind the fiction, from the coffee shop to the Chattahoochee riverfront.

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➤ Dougherty County: A 63-year-old paramotor pilot died in a crash Monday in the front yard of a home where he planned his landing. (See Details)

➤ Metro Atlanta: Early voting opened in the July 28 special election to replace U.S. Rep. David Scott, who died in April. (More)

➤ Fort Valley: Revolutionary War veteran William Wiggins, credited as a founder of Fort Valley, was honored with a ceremony at Oak Lawn Cemetery. (Read Story)

➤ Crisp County: Three people were hospitalized after a fireworks malfunction during a July 4 show at Lake Blackshear. (More)

➤ Henry County: A boil water advisory was issued Monday for customers in parts of the county’s southeast after operational issues at the Tussahaw Water Treatment Facility. (See Details)

➤ Brunswick: Sunday’s storms peeled back the roof of a leased hangar at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport. Wind gusts of over 50 mph were reported. (See Photo)

➤ Forsyth County: Authorities evacuated a Walmart on Sunday night after a bomb threat later determined to be a swatting call, a hoax designed to draw a heavy police response. (More)

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➤ Five Atlanta Braves are headed to the July 14 All-Star Game in Philadelphia, tied with the Dodgers and Phillies for the most in baseball. Fans voted catcher Drake Baldwin and second baseman Ozzie Albies into the starting lineup. Matt Olson, Chris Sale, and Raisel Iglesias were selected as reserves and pitchers. (More)

➤ Atlanta Falcons star Bijan Robinson was ranked the NFL’s best running back heading into 2026 by a panel of more than 70 league executives, coaches, and scouts surveyed by ESPN. He led the NFL with 2,498 scrimmage yards last season. (More) 

➤ Argentina takes on Egypt in a World Cup quarterfinal today at noon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Argentina’s Lionel Messi leads all scorers in the tournament and is chasing the all-time World Cup goal record. (How to Watch) 

➤ Yesterday’s results: World Cup | Wimbledon | MLB | WNBA

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➤ HOAs in Georgia must now give homeowners written notice and 30 days to pay before pursuing attorney’s fees, and also get court approval that the fees are reasonable, under the state’s new Property Owners’ Bill of Rights Act. More provisions, including HOA registration and higher foreclosure thresholds, take effect in January 2027. (See Details)

➤ Georgia gas prices fell to an average of $3.53 per gallon Sunday, down a nickel from a week earlier, AAA reported. (See Details)

➤ Raising Cane’s will open a chicken finger restaurant in Albany this month, its thirteenth location in the state. (More)

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➤ From Stock Cars to Racecars, a temporary exhibit at Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, will run through Sept. 27. (See Details)

➤ A visitor to Georgia’s exhibit at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., voiced surprise over the state’s many agricultural products, including eggs. (More)

➤ Emory Healthcare will more than double its footprint at Northlake Mall in Tucker, leasing an additional 274,000 square feet for expanded clinical, primary care, and administrative operations. (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:

➤ Skip the expensive creams, because here are five sure-fire remedies to calm sunburned skin and speed recovery. (Hear Details)

➤ Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin heads to a Utah courtroom this week, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. (Hear Episode)

➤ China test-fired a long-range ballistic missile from a submarine into the South Pacific, inside a decades-old nuclear-free zone. (Listen Now)

Should summer thermostat settings be capped?

1. Yes
2. Hands off my thermostat
3. Not sure/other

Yesterday’s Results:

Which half of the summer do you prefer?

1. No preference: 51%
2. Up to the Fourth of July: 32%
3. After the Fourth: 17%

Which two very different careers did Columbus native Allen Levi leave before writing Theo of Golden?

Show me the answer