Obamacare Prices Set to Spike

Obamacare insurance premiums in Georgia and other states are expected to rise sharply next year, according to an analysis by health researcher KFF.

About 1.5 million people in Georgia are insured through the Affordable Care Act’s state and federal insurance marketplaces, commonly known as Obamacare, based on January data.

Georgia was one of 19 states analyzed in the KFF report, which cites rising health care costs and the end of enhanced premium tax credits as factors in the coming rate hikes.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the largest ACA insurers in Georgia, Washington state, and Rhode Island are looking to hike rates by more than 20% in 2026.

  21 Nabbed in Houston County Drug Busts

A months-long drug investigation led by Perry police and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office resulted in 21 arrests and more than $5 million in drugs seized.

Authorities executed nine search warrants, targeting a trafficking ring suspected of funneling cocaine, meth, and fentanyl-laced drugs into Houston County.

Investigators recovered $200,000 in cash.

The suspects are being held at the Houston County jail and face RICO charges, signaling an organized criminal operation.

Last Year’s Top State Salaries Listed

The state’s Open Georgia website shows the CEO of the Georgia Ports Authority was among the top-paid state officials last year, receiving nearly $1.4 million.

The chief investment officer for the Teachers’ Retirement System received $1 million. You can access the website for other salaries here.

Gov. Brian Kemp received just under $182,000 last year. A proposal to raise the salaries of Kemp and other elected officials was rejected by state lawmakers in March.

Outside of state government, college coaches received some of the biggest public salaries last year. Georgia football coach Kirby Smart’s $12.2 million salary led the pack.

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➤ Gwinnett County: The school board approved spending $19.4 million to install artificial intelligence-aided weapons detectors in secondary schools. (More)

➤ Hall County: The sheriff’s department’s service dog Timo retired and was adopted by his handler following a diagnosis of a spinal infection. (More)

➤ Cartersville: The locally-based nonprofit Operation Outreach America continues rebuilding homes in Western North Carolina a year after Hurricane Helene. (More)

➤ Cobb County: SWAT officers responded Monday night to a standoff in the same Austell neighborhood where a boy was shot hours earlier in an unrelated incident. (More)

➤ State: U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, teased a likely 2026 U.S. Senate run, posting a video of his past support from President Trump. (More)

➤ Monroe County: Sheriff’s deputies arrested Tommy Thomason for allegedly swindling an unidentified victim of $35,000 by selling land he didn’t own. (More)

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➤ The University of Georgia’s football program was valued at $1.92 billion by The Athletic—the second-highest valuation in the country. (More)

➤ An AAU basketball team from Georgia dominated the EYBL Peach Jam tournament for the second straight year, winning the U15 age range title. The players are part of a 2028 high school class expected to be one of the best in the state’s history. (More)

➤ Georgia State’s volleyball and beach volleyball programs received American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Awards, extending their long streaks of earning among the nation’s best team GPAs. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA | Tour de France

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➤ Metro Atlanta lost residents for the first time in 30 years in 2024, with some of the movers citing the area’s rising housing costs and traffic congestion. (More)

➤ Georgia’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.5% in June, remaining below the national average as total jobs statewide hit a record 5 million. (More)

➤ Food manufacturer King’s Hawaiian will invest $54 million to add a production line at its Oakwood facility. (More)

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➤ The Atlanta Braves unveiled their NASCAR-inspired uniforms for the Speedway Classic game against Cincinnati on August 2 in Bristol, Tennessee. (More)

➤ A scratch-off ticket player in Dahlonega won $3 million as Georgia Lottery paid out nearly $40 million in scratch-off winnings last week. (More)

➤ Georgia Tech students created Unhoused Georgians, a web app offering real-time information on food, shelter, and care for DeKalb County’s homeless population. (More)

Do you plan on watching the Atlanta Braves’ Speedway Classic game in Bristol, Tennessee?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not sure

Yesterday’s Results:

What’s your favorite river activity? 

1. Fishing: 27%
2. Other: 24%
3. Kayaking: 18%
4. Swimming: 16%
5. Canoeing: 15%

What racetrack was known as the “Indianapolis of the South” before closing in 1979?

Show me the answer