MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1785, Revolutionary War hero Samuel Elbert began a one-year term as governor of Georgia, during which the University of Georgia was established. Elbert County and Elberton are named after him.

Sad news for football fans today: The luck the Atlanta Falcons needed on Sunday looks to have gone to a pair of big Georgia Lottery winners. Details below.

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Falcons Miss Playoffs for Seventh Year

The Atlanta Falcons' season ended Sunday in a 44-38 loss in overtime to Carolina. Their playoff hopes were further dashed by division rival Tampa Bay winning their game.

The Falcons finished with a record of 8-9, a bitter result after a 6-3 start under newly acquired veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. As the losses mounted, Cousins was benched.

A big focus over the off-season will be on Cousins' replacement, rookie Michael Penix Jr., who showed promise and poise at times after getting named the starter.

Fan reaction to Sunday's outcome ranged from outrage to heartbreak. Others expressed resignation, noting it's the seventh straight season the team failed to make the playoffs.

Schedule: Carter Memorials This Week

Jimmy Carter's longtime church in Plains held its first services since his passing while the late president lay in repose at The Carter Center in Atlanta for a second day on Sunday.

A departure ceremony from the Carter Center will take place at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, after which memorial activities will move to Washington, D.C., starting at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Carter taught Sunday school class twice a month into his 90s at Maranatha Baptist Church, often speaking on a variety of topics for about 45 minutes to crowds of as many as 500

On Thursday afternoon, his body will be returned for a private service and burial next to Rosalynn Carter, his late wife of 77 years, at the family's compound.

Chick-fil-A Waffle Fries Snafu

Fans of the waffle fries at Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A are noticing a different taste to them, and some aren't happy, calling the new version "grainy" and "flavorless."

Chick-fil-A said a "slight adjustment" was made to the fries last year, with pea starch added to the coating to make them crispier for longer.

For nine straight years, Chick-fil-A ranked as Americans' favorite restaurant in annual polling, until slipping to No. 3 last year. This year's poll is due out in the summer.

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➤ Barney: New Year's luck was with Georgia Lottery scratcher players from Barney and Jefferson, each winning multimillion-dollar prizes. (More)

➤ Statesboro: A suspected drug trafficker found with enough fentanyl to kill 79,000 people was arrested near Georgia Southern University. (More)

➤ Thomson: The driver in the deadly New Orleans terror attack spent time in Thomson and attended Georgia State University. (More)

➤ Metro Atlanta: The Dec. 28 wind storms produced six tornadoes that touched down over multiple counties. (More)

➤ State: Researchers are on the lookout for invasive species swept in by Hurricane Helene, with an interactive tracking map now online. (More)

➤ Savannah: A plan for adding 22,000 acres to the Okefenokee Swamp wildlife refuge sets up a potential buyout offer for land owned by a mining company. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Hawks dropped their third straight game in a 131-105 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. (More)

➤ Former Atlanta Braves all-star starting pitcher Charlie Morton signed with the Baltimore Orioles. (More)

➤ Remembrances continue to be posted for the late Sonny Smart, father of Kirby Smart and a longtime Georgia high school football coach, who died Saturday after a fall in New Orleans. (More)

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➤ Rival paving crews brawled in Macon County in a dispute over job territory, with the 77-year-old patriarch of one crew firing off warning shots at one point. (More)

➤ Georgia's nation-leading timber industry suffered $1.2 billion in losses from Hurricane Helene, with 90% of uprooted trees deemed unusable. (More)

➤ The richest zip codes in the state include Sea Island, with a median home price of $5.5 million, and the Buckhead area of Atlanta, a study says. (See Full List)

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➤ You think you're feeling the chill to start the new year? Check out these Polar Plungers in Rome. (See Photos)

➤ Two longtime show hosts on Christian music station WFSH-FM "The Fish" in Atlanta are leaving Jan. 31, following the station's sale. (More)

➤ Get the latest on the state's favorite tourist sites from the newly released 2025 Georgia Travel Guide. (Go To Guide)

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