$468M Awarded for I-16 Widening

The state transportation department awarded a $468 million contract for the first phase of the Interstate 16 widening project west of Savannah.

The multiyear project will add a third lane in each direction along 32.5 miles of I-16, from the I-95 interchange out to State Route 67 near Statesboro. The project also includes widening or replacing bridges in the project area.

Construction is expected to begin next year.

One of the largest transportation projects ever in coastal Georgia, the widening comes amid projections that the region’s traffic will nearly double within two decades due in part to growth driven by Hyundai’s Metaplant in Bryan County and the Port of Savannah.

  Race Week Begins 

Dawsonville native Chase Elliott will race at his home track when the Quaker State 400 runs under the lights Sunday night at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, capping a week of camping, entertainment, and racing fun. 

Winston native Austin Hill will also be in the field. 

Country star Tim Dugger will take the stage in Sunday’s pre-race concert. Other activities planned include a Fan Zone, a Kids Zone, and NASCAR Trackside Live. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will race Saturday night.

Sunday’s race also doubles as the quarterfinals of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge, with $1 million waiting for the last driver standing. Elliott faces Chase Briscoe in this round. The green flag drops at 7 p.m. on TNT and truTV.

Elliott won his eighth straight NASCAR most popular driver award in November. He recently joined other racing stars to pay tribute to Alan Jackson at the singer’s farewell concert, telling his fellow Georgian, “You’re an absolute legend. I appreciate you representing Georgia so well all these years.”

Sheriff Explains Flock Cameras

Houston County Sheriff Moulton detailed how the county uses its more than 100 Flock safety cameras amid ongoing debate over privacy issues.

The cameras photograph passing vehicles, logging make, model, color, and plate. Moulton and other supporters credit them with helping with crime investigations, stolen car recoveries, and missing persons cases.

“If we get a call at 3 o’clock in the morning of shots fired, and another call that someone’s house has been shot up, our investigators can go in and check the Flock cameras from that area and possibly identify a suspect vehicle,” Moulton said.

Critics counter that the systems track law-abiding drivers without a warrant and can be misused. In Dunwoody, one resident reported pushback after requesting to see audit logs of who was searching Flock data in the community. Dunwoody renewed its Flock contract after adding more privacy protections.

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➤ Statewide: A study ranked Georgia as eighth-highest for summer cooling costs, with households spending about 3.4% of monthly income on electricity. (See Details)

➤ Columbus: Police issued the first citations under its new teen curfew, ticketing six parents whose teens were found downtown alone this past weekend. The parents face fines of up to $1,000. (See Details)

➤ Pooler: The city council adopted a 2.5% rollback in the property tax rate, citing the community’s growing tax base. (More)

➤ Wrens: Sparta Police Chief Tommie Walker Jr. took over as police chief in Wrens while continuing to lead Sparta’s department, under an agreement with the cities. (More)

➤ Oglethorpe County: A teacher settled her federal lawsuit against a school district after she was suspended over a Facebook post about Charlie Kirk’s death. (See Details)

➤ Metro Atlanta: Police charged 11 people under age 21 for break-ins at Urban Air Adventure Park locations, following an investigation into a social media trend that encourages teens to break into businesses after hours to play arcade games and damage property. (See Details)

➤ North Fulton: Drivers on Georgia 400 will face overnight single-lane closures through Friday morning as part of ongoing express lane construction. (More)

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➤ CBS Sports named Georgia the college football team of the 2020s, capping a decade that included the team’s back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Braves placed left-hander Martín Pérez on the 15-day injured list with a forearm contusion after he was hit by a Juan Soto line drive. X-rays showed no broken bones. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, Atlanta Braves legend Chipper Jones said struggling third baseman Austin Riley looks like “he’s guessing from time to time” at the plate, missing hittable pitches and not staying committed to his approach. (More)

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

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➤ Coastal shrimpers praised new NOAA seafood policies that prioritize the domestic shrimp fleet. Commercial shrimper Wynn Gale of Darien said the city is down to one dock and 12 boats, a fraction of its peak of five docks and nearly 50 boats. (See Details)

➤ A Florida brokerage accused of locking Georgia homeowners into 40-year listing contracts was barred from the state and ordered to pay a combined $1 million in restitution to about 400 homeowners. (See Details)

➤ The new four-lane Brampton Road Connector freight highway linking the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal directly to the interstate will open July 16. (More)

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➤ A Valdosta soldier killed in World War II, whose remains were identified following a 2023 recovery effort in Normandy, will be buried with military honors on July 24 at Tallahassee National Cemetery in Florida. (Read Story)

➤ The Peachtree Road Race’s winning T-shirt design drew social-media complaints over the U.S. flag’s orientation, its yellow palette, grammar choices, and more. (Read Story)

➤ Country star Ella Langley will bring her sold-out tour to Akins Ford Arena in Athens on Sept. 18. (Read Story)

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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:

➤ Iran has resumed missile strikes on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials say, threatening the peace deal. (Hear Details)

➤ Ukrainian forces have struck deep into Siberia, putting Russia’s largest refineries within reach for the first time. (Hear Episode)

➤ Discarded items found behind a Georgia Cracker Barrel have helped authorities crack a man’s 1985 killing in Ohio. (Listen Now)

Have you ever met Chase or Bill Elliott in person?

1. Bill
2. Chase
3. Both
4. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Should summer thermostat settings be capped?

1. Hands off my thermostat: 78%
2. Not sure/other: 12%
3. Yes: 10%

What iconic Dawsonville business sounds a siren every time hometown NASCAR star Chase Elliott wins?

Show me the answer