The Georgia Lottery is celebrating another banner year, transferring a record $1.54 billion to Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship and Pre-K programs during fiscal year 2026.
Georgia families will be able to save substantially more for future education expenses under two major changes to the state’s Path2College 529 Plan.
Georgia’s workforce continues to grow, with the state reaching new all-time highs in both labor force participation and employment during June, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.
The state’s labor force increased by 7,179 people during the month to a record 5,477,859 workers, while employment rose by 10,359 to an all-time high of 5,294,229 employed Georgians. Georgia’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.4 percent, well below the national rate of 4.2 percent.
Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes said June marked the sixth consecutive month that Georgia has set new records for both labor force participation and employment.
Despite the strong employment numbers, total nonfarm jobs declined by 10,100 in June to 5,040,900. The largest monthly job gains were reported in the health care and social assistance sector, while losses occurred in transportation and warehousing, local and state government, finance and insurance, arts and entertainment, and nondurable goods manufacturing.
Compared to one year ago, Georgia’s labor force has grown by nearly 69,500 workers, employment has increased by more than 65,000 jobs, and the state has added approximately 61,500 nonfarm payroll jobs, highlighting continued long-term growth in Georgia’s economy.
Georgia Power has announced a new Customer Protection Pledge, saying it is designed to keep electricity affordable while meeting the state’s rapidly growing demand for power from new industries, including data centers and manufacturers.
One lucky Georgia Lottery player is celebrating a $4 million win after Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing, although the game’s massive jackpot continues to grow.
The winning numbers for the July 14 Mega Millions drawing were 2, 4, 10, 48 and 56, with the Mega Ball 22. While no one matched all six numbers to win the $637 million jackpot, one Georgia player matched all five white balls and had a 4X multiplier, turning a $1 million prize into $4 million.
The Georgia Lottery has not yet released where the winning ticket was sold.
With no jackpot winner, the Mega Millions grand prize has climbed to an estimated $672 million, with a cash option of approximately $293.3 million, making it the largest lottery jackpot in the United States this year and the 10th largest in Mega Millions history. The next drawing is tonight.
The Powerball jackpot is also on the rise, reaching an estimated $498 million, bringing the combined jackpots for the two games to nearly $1.2 billion.
A new Georgia law designed to reduce educational disruptions for children in foster care is now in effect, requiring public schools to enroll foster students within three school business days of a request for enrollment.
The number of immigrant children entering Georgia’s foster care system has increased significantly over the past year as federal immigration enforcement actions have intensified, placing additional demands on the state’s child welfare system.
Georgia farmers are being encouraged to participate in a new statewide survey designed to better understand the financial challenges facing agriculture and help shape future policy and advocacy efforts.
A Summerville woman was cited for public intoxication after police responded to reports of suspicious behavior near the intersection of Kirby Street and Bellah Avenue.
According to a citation issued by the Summerville Police Department, officers encountered Adrianna Nicole Jones, 30, of Summerville, at approximately 2:20 a.m. on July 14.
The citation states officers observed Jones in the area of Kirby Street and Bellah Avenue after reports that she had been looking into and through the windows of vehicles. A witness reportedly told police Jones was staggering and “didn’t appear normal.”
According to the officer’s narrative, Jones admitted she had consumed approximately half a bottle of wine. The report further states that officers detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person and observed that she was unsteady on her feet.
Jones was issued a citation for Public Intoxication under Summerville City Ordinance 38-140. She is scheduled to appear in Summerville Municipal Court on Sept. 15 at 5:00 p.m.
As with all criminal charges and citations, the allegations contained in the citation are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Wednesday, July 15, 2026: