Athens-Clarke County
Reporting about Clarke County, Georgia. Some stories will be republished in the Athens Banner-Herald as part of a news-academic partnership with Grady Newsource.
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Athens Land Trust: Creating Community, Battling Food Insecurity
Food insecurity, the lack of reliable access to affordable, nutritious food, is a pressing issue in Georgia and Athens-Clarke County is no exception to the growing challenge. According to Feeding America, the food insecurity rate in Athens in 2022 was 16.8%, which is higher than the national average. Many local…
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Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Tackles Georgia Literacy Crisis
The National Literacy Institute has declared a state of crisis as 40% of students across the country fail to read at a basic level. Here in The Peach State, this issue persists, with only 34% of Georgia’s children reaching reading proficiency at the start of the fourth grade. With research…
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Athens Community, Campus Respond to Laken Riley Act Signing
The Laken Riley Act became the first bill signed into law by President Donald Trump’s new administration on Jan. 29. The Act was named after Laken Riley, an Athens-Clarke County resident and Augusta University School of Nursing student who was killed by José Antonio Ibarra, an undocumented migrant from Venezuela…
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Athens-Clarke Mayor Comments on Possible Immigration Crackdowns
Mayor Kelly Girtz said Athens-Clarke County is not a sanctuary city. “There isn’t even a formal definition of that term,” Girtz said on Monday. “Under Georgia law, cities and counties cannot legally function as sanctuary cities.” President Donald Trump’s administration has escalated its challenge against “sanctuary city” laws by threatening…
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New UGA School of Medicine Expected to Combat Physician Shortage
The University of Georgia announced the launch of the University of Georgia’s new School of Medicine for 2026 with the intention to help address the state’s shortage of medical professionals. Georgia’s healthcare system has faced a physician shortage for decades, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Thirty-six Georgia counties received a…
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Athens-Clarke Names Former Planning Director as Interim Government Manager
Mayor Kelly Girtz has appointed former planning director Brad Griffin as the interim manager of Athens-Clarke County. Griffin will oversee the county government’s daily operations and manage more than 1,800 employees during a national search for a permanent manager. “In his role as planning director, Brad was always graceful in…
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Effectiveness of Scripted Curriculum in Athens Remains Unclear
Editor’s note: The Georgia elementary school principal is identified only by the state they are employed to protect the privacy of the school in which they work. Scripted curriculum is a one-size-fits-all approach to education, and its effectiveness remains unknown a year after its inception. This teaching system often requires…
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Snow Cancels Classes at University of Georgia
The second winter storm of the semester sent students, staff and faculty home at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. While the total accumulation was low, the extremely cold temperatures turned roads icy quickly.
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The Unlikely Librarian: Director Makes Library a Safe Space for Pinewoods Community
It’s a cool October morning in Athens, and a light breeze stirs leaves across the freshly trimmed grass outside the Pinewoods Library. Five women step through the library’s doors, escaping the chill. The doorbell lets out a pitched chime, and they gather around a wooden table in the center of…
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Taking the Fast Track to UGA, Career in Family Dentistry
At 14, Alec Hall posed a simple question from the backseat of his dad’s car. “Well, why can’t I?” he asked. “Well, I don’t know,” replied Brian Hall, Alec’s father, from the front seat. “Well, let’s just see if you get in.” Alec was asking his father if he could…