Good morning, Athens.

On Newton Bridge Road, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia received 40,000 pounds of food last Thursday from a church program—one of 250 nationwide donations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The food will provide over 30,000 meals as Hunger Action Month approaches.

Neiko Flowers of Praise 1025 previews Praise in the Park as tickets are on sale now for the event set for Oct.

3.

Walmart announced its $1.3 billion new fulfillment center, a high-tech automated 1.5 million-sqft facility, will soon start construction in Carnesville (less than 40 miles north of Athens); it is projected to create about 1,000 jobs.

Angélique Kidjo, the Grammy-winning musician and activist, will be interviewed by WUGA’s Akinloye Ojo at the 40 Watt Club in downtown Athens on Wednesday, Sept.

9 (7-8 p.m.). The live recording is part of her residency from Sept. 8-10 that concludes with a UGA Presents performance.

The Lamar Dodd School of Art hosted the Fall Exhibitions Opening Reception on Thursday, Aug.

27, showcasing Professor Joseph Norman’s 'Cornucopia: Ties That Bind' and Victoria Dugger’s 'Runner Up' for local art enthusiasts.

The Athens Film Festival held its kickoff event on Thursday, Aug.

27 at Ciné as directors, actors and viewers enjoyed short-film screenings and a happy hour celebration; the four-day festival featured over 110 independent films across six downtown venues.

The Georgia Department of Labor reported that Athens' unemployment rate dropped to 3.0% in July—a decline of 0.5 percentage points from both June and last year.

The labor force reached 111,658 that month, with unemployment claims increasing slightly to 220.

Supplemental Security Income recipients in Athens will get their checks on Tuesday, Sept.

1, as part of the Social Security schedule for September 2026; regular benefits follow on dates based on birth dates. The schedule explains payment adjustments for weekends and holidays and lists local office locations.

Carter Loflin argued in court on Friday for a temporary order to add a 5th season with Georgia golf + his team eyes Monday’s tournament, though Judge Haggard said no ruling is expected before the roster is finalized by Sunday.

Georgia basketball announced its preseason schedule with two home games at Stegeman Coliseum—against Georgia State on Oct.

7 and Charlotte on Oct. 16—and an away game against Clemson on Oct. 23 at Littlejohn Coliseum. Home game tickets are included with season passes.

Georgia football will start its season on Aug.

25, 2029 with a nonconference game against Akron after agreeing to a deal that includes a $1.5 million guarantee + 3,000 ticket rights while planning future matchups at Clemson and Georgia Tech.