Georgia Trend Daily – June 11, 2026

June 11, 2026 Georgia.org

Rideout Arsenal Bringing $22M, 120 New Jobs to Thomas Co.

Staff reports that Gov. Kemp on Wednesday announced that Rideout Arsenal, a firearms designer and manufacturer, is investing $22 million in a new manufacturing facility in Thomasville, creating 120 new jobs over the next several years. Based in the United States, Rideout Arsenal specializes in high-performance, high-end competition pistols.

June 11, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

Tharon Johnson writes, can you believe that it hasn’t even been 10 years since Atlanta United’s first match? Soccer has become an integral part of our city’s sports identity right alongside the Braves, the Falcons and the Hawks. Tens of thousands of people go to every game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with throngs of fans in their jerseys cramming into MARTA trains and packing Downtown streets with energy.

June 11, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Zachary Hansen reports, spanning roughly 10 blocks, South Downtown has become a cacophony of construction that is rushing to meet the deadline of World Cup crowds anticipated to flood Atlanta for much of the summer. A group of Atlanta technology investors led by David Cummings and Jon Birdsong have invested $140 million into bringing the area back to life, ranging from attracting restaurateurs, renovating spaces for startups, improving sidewalks and creating new green spaces.

June 11, 2026 Georgia.gov

Staff reports that Gov. Kemp and the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) Board of Directors on Tuesday approved $26 million in funding for Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) grants and low-interest loans that will support 20 transportation roadway projects and 2 regional airport hangar projects. SRTA also announced the opening of the GTIB FY 2027 call for applications, inviting Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) and local, regional, and state government entities to apply.

June 11, 2026 WABE

Jess Mador reports that Fulton County, Georgia and federal officials are warning of potentially dangerous heat and humidity ahead of Atlanta’s 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. The Fulton County Board of Health urged everyone heading to World Cup events to take precautions to stay safe.

June 11, 2026 GlobalAtlanta.com

Trevor Williams reports, since the downtown Atlanta Streetcar went into service in 2014, a few complaints have consistently surfaced: the light rail infrastructure is fixed and difficult to tailor to demand, and its trams are also forced sit in traffic with cars. Neither impediment will plague a new Glydways autonomous transit pilot set to be installed near the world’s busiest airport by the end of this year.

June 11, 2026 The Current

Jabari Gibbs reports, after decades of pollution, Brunswick residents have a new resource for researching the link between area Superfund sites and their health. A five-year, $15 million grant from the National Institutes of Environmental Health (NIH) has been awarded to Emory University to examine how environmental contaminants affect human health, following a 2023 pilot study involving approximately 100 Glynn County residents, according to the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.

June 11, 2026 The Brunswick News

Taylor Cooper reports that Gov. Brian Kemp’s office announced Tuesday that the city has been awarded a $1 million grant and a low-interest loan for the same amount from the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank to help pay for a roundabout at the intersection of Newcastle and Bay streets. It was part of a raft of loans and grants issued by the bank this month, according to the State Road and Tollway Authority, totaling $26 million.

June 11, 2026 Macon Melody

Casey Choung reports, as part of its efforts to help Maconites find suitable places to live, the Macon-Bibb County Affordable Housing Fund is developing two new homes designated as permanent supportive housing units in Payne City. The units will be located on Davis Street next to Freedom Park.

June 11, 2026 Marietta Daily Journal

Jack Lindner reports that Marietta attorney William “Bill” Gentry has always lived by a “service first” motto, both in his work and personal life. Gentry, 67, was voted president-elect last year, and will succeed current president Christopher Twyman in overseeing the Bar’s 43,000 active attorneys across the state.

June 11, 2026 The Brunswick News

Gordon Jackson reports that a potential agreement to swap public land for private land on Cumberland Island generated criticism Tuesday during a town hall meeting. Kelly Cox, senior policy and planning specialist with Defenders of Wildlife, raised questions about transparency, saying the National Park Service took nearly 18 months to respond to Freedom of Information requests regarding the status of four proposed land exchanges.

June 11, 2026 Georgia Recorder

Ross Williams reports that in January, the Georgia Legislature is likely to welcome its first openly transgender, nonbinary and Japanese-American lawmaker, and all these firsts could be courtesy of one person. Bentley Hudgins, whose experience includes serving as Georgia state director for the Human Rights Campaign, was the top vote-getter in last month’s Democratic primary election to represent House District 90, which includes parts of DeKalb County.

Juen 11, 2026 Capitol Beat News

Ty Tagami reports, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and entrepreneur Rick Jackson have a few things in common. Both are wealthy, but one is wealthier. Both say they are aligned with President Donald Trump, though Trump has endorsed only one of them.

June 11, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Isaac Sabatai reports that the November matchup for Georgia governor is still undecided. No Republican candidate won 50% of the vote in the May primary, which means the top two finishers — billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — will face off to decide who goes against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in November.