Northeast Georgia News
Reporting from Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, Madison, Oconee and surrounding counties.
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Rebuilding Champions
Fluorescent lights beam down, creating an eye-squinting brightness. Shoes squeak against the shiny yellow-orange floors. A bead of sweat runs down the forehead of senior Ilinca Moroianu as she tries to catch her breath. A whistle blows, signaling the first of the few 60-second breaks in an hour and a…
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Bottoms Wins as First Black Female Governor in Nation’s History
Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black female governor in the U.S. on Nov. 3, 2026 when she won the Georgia governor’s race. She beat her opponent, Republican Rick Jackson, by garnering 53% of the vote or 2,268,462 total votes in the state, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s…
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PHOTO GALLERY: Early Morning of Election Day 2026 in Athens
The polls opened at 7 a.m. this morning in Athens for Election Day 2026. The photojournalism students were there at 6:15 a.m. It was dark. Street lights lit poll workers placing “Vote Here” signs around the Athens-Clarke County Library and Clarke Central High School, which turned into polling stations for…
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Democrats Make Final Push in Athens Ahead of Election Day
College Square in Athens traded football anticipation for a final election push on Monday, just hours before Election Day. Keisha Lance Bottoms, Democratic nominee for governor, visited Athens as part of her statewide campaign push. “You know, I’ve got a lot of love for y’all, Dawgs,” Bottoms said at the…
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Rising Costs, Political Division Drive Athens Senior Citizens to Polls
Residents at Wesley Woods’ Talmage Terrace retirement community are already casting ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, motivated by concerns ranging from rising living costs to political division. The Athens-Clarke County Library, the closest advance voting location to Beechwood Hills, opened for early voting on Oct. 13. On…
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Early Voting Turnout Lags Among Downtown Athens Residents
Advance voting for the 2026 midterm elections in Athens-Clarke County came to a close on Oct. 30, and voters who live in Downtown Athens have voted the least out of the 14 registered Athens neighborhoods and historic districts examined by Grady Newsource reporters. Eleven out of 111 registered Downtown voters…
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Two Careers, One Passion: Tim Dondero’s Path to the Kitchen
A 40-year career in medical research took Tim Dondero around the world, but his next chapter brought him closer to home and around the kitchen with his family. Donderos’ Kitchen, the breakfast and lunch cafe on Milledge Avenue, is owned by Tim Dondero, his daughter, Anna Dondero, and her husband.…
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PHOTO GALLERY: Here’s What Early, In-Person Voting Looked Like in Athens-Clarke County
Advance voting numbers in Georgia toppled records compared to past midterm elections, with more than 2.4 million ballots cast in person, according to the Secretary of State’s election data hub website. Students in Reporting II captured the scene and voter activity around lunchtime — from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.…
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Athens-Clarke Library Quick Option for Early Voters
Voters gathered at the Athens-Clarke County Library to cast their votes prior to Election Day. Athens residents were able to start voting early on Oct. 13 for the upcoming midterms on Nov. 3. The Five Points neighborhood is the largest registered neighborhood in Athens, producing 44% of the voters in…
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Two Football Warriors Fighting Opponents, Diabetes During Senior Year
At Oconee County High School, the football team starts practice at 6 a.m. That’s hard enough for any teenager, but it’s an extra challenge for two: Darius Darden and Hatcher Hogan are playing with type 1 diabetes. Darden, now a senior linebacker, was diagnosed in the fourth grade. “I was…