Morning, y’all! I’m going to the Sept. 20 Atlanta United game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and you should come with. Once you get to the bottom of the newsletter (which you always do, of course), keep going to see how you can enter to hang out with me and watch our struggling soccer team at the same time. The seats will be really great, and we can talk about water infrastructure. What a win!
Let’s get to it.
WHEN THE MILL CLOSES
Four southeast Georgia paper mills are shuttering as paper giant International Paper scales back its manufacturing. One of the facilities is a 90-year-old mill in Savannah.
It’s hard to overstate how devastating these kinds of closures can be. That kind of industry shapes the culture and rhythms of entire towns, and when it’s taken away, livelihoods are threatened, other industries are reshaped, and local culture is put in peril.
- The International Paper closures will be completed by Sept. 30, and will affect 1,100 hourly and salaried workers in Savannah, Port Wentworth and Riceboro.
- The closures will likely affect nearby timber farmers and loggers who supply pine to the factory.
- In some cases, several generations of people have worked at the same mill. Savannahians mourned the loss of their almost century-old mill, calling it a “cornerstone of the community.”
These mill closures will undoubtedly deal a devastating blow not only to Georgia's timber industry, but to the economic fabric of the entire southeast Georgia region.
What happens next?
A while ago, I talked to veteran newspaperman Mac Gordon about small-town revitalization in Mississippi. Now a Georgia resident, he was already concerned about mill closures in the state because he’s seen the devastation firsthand.
- He said, if towns can work together and rebuild around another shared part of the culture like, say, the arts, they could see the dawning of a new era.
- “The world is in turmoil, and small towns have had to reinvent themselves or redefine themselves,” he told me. “I maintain the cultural arts is a way to do that.”
- Some recent additions to the area may also provide some job relief. The massive Hyundai Motors electric vehicle manufacturing plant is less than an hour’s drive from Riceboro and Savannah.
🔍 READ MORE: What other local leaders are saying about the mill closures
Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
ONE CAN RAISE UNLIMITED FUNDS, THE OTHER CAN’T
Goodness, the 2026 Georgia governor’s race is already getting testy.
Attorney General Chris Carr and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, both vying for the Republican nomination, went to court yesterday. The beef is litigious!
- Carr’s lawyers say Jones has an illegal advantage in both favor and funding opportunities. Because of his position as lieutenant governor, Jones can raise unlimited cash for his campaign through a political leadership committee.
- Only governors, lieutenant governors, elected nominees of these offices and legislative leaders of both parties can create these kinds of groups.
- Carr wants an injunction to limit Jones’ fundraising ahead of next year’s primary.
- Jones said he’s doing nothing wrong, and Carr could tap the same cash stream if he got a political leadership committee to support him.
🔎 READ MORE: More particularities around political fundraising
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
⚡ A new bill from Sen. Jon Ossoff would bolster educational and technical training programs for Georgians through tax incentives for companies in emerging industries like data centers, EV manufacturing and battery manufacturing.
💰 The Southside trail, a proposed 31-mile trail program connecting the Beltline to points south, lost $65 million in funding in President Donald Trump’s economic spending plan. Leaders say they’re going to get it done anyway.
MORE CDC SADNESS
About 600 CDC employees received permanent termination notices this week. That includes about 100 people who worked in violence prevention — a cruel irony, advocates said, given the recent attack on Atlanta’s CDC headquarters.
Other eliminated staff members worked on projects to prevent rape, child abuse and teen dating violence.
The American Federation of Government Employees says “due to a staggering lack of transparency from HHS,” it’s hard to nail down the full scale of the cuts.
🔍 READ MORE: What other areas could be affected
WEEKEND PLANS
There’s something on tap for every special interest this weekend. Pick your fav:
Football Fest & Free Day: Get free admission to the College Football Hall of Fame, along with special games and music. (If you haven’t been, the CFB HOF is really cool.)
Lego Brick fan event: Whether you create Lego buildings, Lego art or race-able Lego cars, every brick enthusiast will find something to enjoy.
Great Southeast Pollinator Census: Not only can you learn about butterflies, bees and beetles — this event at the Dunwoody Nature Center contributes meaningful data to conservation efforts.
More fun ideas: An international festival, movies under the stars and end-of-summer soirees. Learn about all of them here.
NEWS BITES
Georgia’s next Buc-ees is coming to southern Monroe County along I-75
This news created quite a commotion in the AJC’s morning meeting.
Braves’ Austin Riley undergoes surgery, will be out for the season
At least he doesn’t have to worry about missing the postseason, amirite?
Seriously. If you have a teen, you need to read up on those things; they’re terrifying.
Cracker Barrel changes logo, interior designs, to some customers’ displeasure
If the ghostly eyes of a woman in a weathered daguerreotype didn’t silently judge you as you hoovered a plate of hash brown casserole, did you really eat at a Cracker Barrel?
ON THIS DATE
Aug. 22, 1959
From the front page of The Atlanta Journal: It’s official now, Hawaii becomes 50th. Hawaii, the jewel-like chain of islands 2,400 miles west of the mainland, has brought the United States of America to an even 50. Using a dozen pens to sign his name, President Eisenhower proclaimed its statehood Friday. It was the second time in less than a year that he performed such an historic duty — Alaska became a state Jan. 3. As Hawaii followed Alaska into the Union, the President also signed an executive order fixing the design of the 50-star flag. With a twinkle, he remarked that he’s running out of ideas for flag designs.
I’m fascinated by the characterization of Eisenhower here. A dozen pens (?!), a twinkle (in his eye, one supposes) — what an enticing tapestry of words.
ONE MORE THING
Of course, there are exceptions, but using an AI language learning model as a companion is like talking to a funhouse mirror of yourself who also burns down trees. This has been AJ’s Weekly “I Hate Generative AI” PSA. Thank you.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
AJ Willingham is an National Emmy, NABJ and Webby award-winning journalist who loves talking culture, religion, sports, social justice, infrastructure and the arts. She lives in beautiful Smyrna-Mableton and went to Syracuse University.
