Good morning, Athens.

Taqueria Del Sol is selling a special taco today to benefit Giving Kitchen and support restaurant workers facing financial hardship during crises.

On Sept. 21, a Georgia Lottery player won a $4 million prize from the 200X Money scratch-off at Kwik Stop Food Mart on Highway 29 North, and the winner chose a lump sum cash option of $2,028,082 + their identity remains unknown.

Barberitos, the Athens-born restaurant chain, will open a new location on Atlanta Hwy on Monday, Sept.

28 in a retail center across from Georgia Square Mall. The restaurant will offer $5 burritos for students and a kids-eat-free promotion on opening day.

The Lyndon House Arts Center will open its biennial student exhibition Rooted on Oct.

1 and run it through Jan. 23; an opening reception with performances by the Cedar Shoals Orchestra (and Clarke Central Orchestra) is set for Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the center.

Panelists including Michael Thurmond and Doc Eldridge recalled the challenges of merging Athens High and Burney-Harris at Clarke Central on Sept.

16. Their discussion — filled with personal memories and thoughtful reflection — highlighted a difficult compromise that reshaped local school culture and honored a beloved Black institution.

Fall officially began on Sept.

22, yet Athens will not see its first 50-degree morning until Oct. 9 when forecasts predict a high of about 53 degrees + the delay in cool mornings is similar in other parts of the state.

Experts say Georgia’s fall foliage now arrives later due to warm temperatures that slow the change of color until shorter days set off the shift.

The trend could influence local scenic views this season.

Georgia baseball coach Wes Johnson’s pay increased by $200,000 (to $1.55 million) after a season that brought SEC titles and a College World Series appearance, and his contract was extended through 2032.

Georgia basketball began preseason practice on Monday as coach Mike White wore a sling after rotator cuff surgery and joked about a left-hand layup.

The Bulldogs (set to face Georgia State in an exhibition on Oct. 7) will play North Carolina Central for their season opener on Nov. 2.

Georgia football offensive line coach Phil Rauscher’s new contract boosts his pay from $650,000 to $925,000 on Feb.

1, 2027 & includes a clause that limits his buyout to $250,000 if he joins the Raiders between Feb. 5 and Feb. 15. The memorandum was signed after his recent promotion.