State Lawmaker Dies After Cancer Battle

State Rep. Mandi Ballinger, a Republican from Canton and chair of the House Juvenile Justice Committee, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. She was 50.

Ballinger served for more than a decade in the state House and was widely known for her work on juvenile justice, domestic violence, and child advocacy.

She “will be greatly missed by each of us who had the profound honor of serving alongside her, and all those who knew and loved her,” Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns said.

Ballinger is survived by her husband, State Court Judge Allen Morris, and their son, Henry.

  Jones Enters Secretary of State Race 

Vernon Jones announced he’s running for Georgia Secretary of State in 2026.

The Republican, a close ally of President Trump, said he seeks to cut small business regulations and push for tighter voting rules, including paper ballots and stricter voter ID laws.

A former two-term chief executive of DeKalb County, Jones served multiple terms in the state House and ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 2022.

He joins several other candidates in the race to succeed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Country Stars Add to GameDay Buzz

Country stars Luke Combs and Bailey Zimmerman will perform when ESPN’s College GameDay visits Athens for Saturday’s top 10 college football matchup between Georgia and Ole Miss.

The popular pregame show will air live from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday from UGA’s Myers Quad.

Show co-hosts Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, Desmond Howard, and Nick Saban are scheduled to attend. Longtime co-host Lee Corso retired earlier this year.

As the excitement grows for the high-stakes SEC battle between the No. 8 Bulldogs and No. 5 Ole Miss, one UGA alum offered tips on how to do game days in Athens right.

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➤ Bryan County: A Wall Street Journal investigation found that three workers have died and more than a dozen have been injured during the construction of the Hyundai plant. A group of workers told the newspaper that the construction environment included many inexperienced immigrant laborers, often lax safety standards, and frequent accidents. (More)

➤ North Georgia: The U.S. Department of Agriculture will airdrop 700,000 rabies vaccine baits for raccoons in parts of north Georgia this month, following reports of several rabies cases in animals this summer.  (More)

➤ The U.S. Department of Energy plans to use the Savannah River Site to produce plutonium pits for nuclear warheads. (More)

➤ Norcross: More than 60 residents were evacuated Sunday after a fire damaged two units at The Reserve at Gwinnett apartments. (More)

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➤ The Atlanta Falcons beat the Buffalo Bills 24-14 at home on Monday night, boosted by strong performances from their top skill players. Running back Bijan Robinson logged 170 rushing yards, while wide receiver Drake London added 158 receiving yards. (More)

➤ No. 12 Georgia Tech football will face a high-powered Duke offense in Saturday’s matchup in Durham, North Carolina. (More)

➤ Georgia Southern’s No. 5-ranked rifle team remained undefeated on the season after defeating No. 14 Army and No. 19 North Georgia. (More)

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

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➤ The Arthur Blank Foundation will donate $50 million to support students attending the Atlanta area’s historically black colleges. Blank is co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons. (More)

➤ Two veterans who specialize in government contracting will host a workshop on Oct. 16 at Clayton State University in Morrow, aiming to help small businesses win lower-barrier government contracts. (More)

➤ Atlanta-based UPS may begin disposing of unreturnable imported packages that fail to clear U.S. customs regulations. (More)

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➤ Auburn retired the No. 2 jersey of Atlanta native and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton during halftime of the Georgia-Auburn football game. (More)

➤ The Lightning Run 5K/10K returns on Oct. 25 in Sandy Springs, raising funds for local student programs through a community race that includes music and family fun. (More)

➤ Georgia ranks among the lowest states for binge drinking, according to CDC data. (More)

Have you ever been to a UGA football game in Athens?

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Yesterday’s Results:

Do you have a favorite Halloween candy? 

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2. No: 49%

What is considered the oldest 100-mile trail race in Georgia?

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