Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1926, boxer Theodore "Tiger" Flowers—born in Camilla and nicknamed the "Georgia Deacon"—won the world middleweight title.

Today's Business section includes some grim retail news for familiar businesses: The pending closure of all Joann stores and a possible bankruptcy filing by Atlanta-based Hooters.

If you're planning a trip, be sure to include today's sponsor, Babbel, in your itinerary.

SBA to Move Out of Sanctuary Cities

New U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) chief Kelly Loeffler, a former Atlanta businesswoman, announced that the agency will relocate SBA regional offices out of sanctuary cities.

A list of cities and a timeline have not been released. Atlanta, home to the SBA regional office for Georgia, is considered by some a sanctuary city due to policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

"To better serve Main Streets across America, especially in rural areas, SBA will relocate regional offices currently based in sanctuary cities to less costly, more accessible locations in communities that comply with federal immigration law," Loeffler said in a memo.

The Center for Immigration Studies lists five places in Georgia as sanctuaries for illegal immigrants: the cities of Atlanta and Athens-Clarke, along with Columbia, DeKalb, and Douglas counties.

Macon Airport Lands D.C. Flight

Contour Airlines plans to begin daily nonstop flights from Macon to Washington Dulles International Airport on May 1, saying it will conclude its current service to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on April 30.

"This change not only opens connections for Macon travelers, it creates a new audience of visitors to Middle Georgia from across the country," said Gary Wheat, CEO of Visit Macon.

Contour will operate multiple daily weekday and weekend flights from Middle Georgia Regional Airport to Dulles using a 30-passenger Embraer ERJ-135 aircraft.

Airfare through the Contour website is $139 each way for standard service and $239 each way for a ticket that allows for cancellation up to 60 minutes before the flight. Different fares may be available elsewhere.

Driftwood Beach in the Top 10 Again

Tripadvisor named Driftwood Beach one of the top 10 beaches in the U.S. for a third straight year, heralded as a "picture-perfect beach with—you guessed it—beautiful, weathered driftwood dotting its long, sandy shore."

The Jekyll Island getaway ranked No. 7, up from No. 8 last year. Siesta Beach in Siesta Key, Florida, topped this year's "Best of the Best Beaches" list based on traveler reviews. See the full list here.

Jekyll Island attracts more than 3 million visitors a year, and recently celebrated the opening of the area's new state-of-the-art Public Safety Complex for local fire and EMS departments and the Georgia State Patrol.

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➤ Statewide: Georgia Supreme Court Justice Michael Boggs will resign on March 31 to return to private practice. Gov. Brian Kemp will name his replacement. (More)

➤ Columbus: The city will open three public swimming pools for the summer, following years of delays in upgrades and construction. (More)

➤ Atlanta: Zoo Atlanta may propose upgrades to its now-vacant giant panda center in its bid to resurrect a panda program with China that ended in 2024. (More)

➤ Savannah: Police warned Coastal Georgia residents of an uptick in text scams regarding unpaid tolls, a growing problem nationally. (More)

➤ Statewide: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones cheered a Georgia-style DOGE bill to reduce inefficiencies in state agencies. (More)

➤ Fulton County: Rudy Giuliani has "fully satisfied" the $148 million judgment against him in a lawsuit filed by two election workers, the court said. (More)

➤ Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot hinted the team would move forward with Kirk Cousins as the primary backup to Michael Penix. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Hawks allowed their fewest points in nearly four years on the way to a 98-86 victory over Miami. (More)

➤ Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Ian Anderson struggled in his spring debut, walking three hitters in 1.2 innings. (More)

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➤ A dozen more Joann stores in Georgia will close after the bankrupt crafts and fabric retailer expanded its recently announced store closures to include all of its 800 U.S. locations. (See Locations)

➤ Atlanta-based Hooters may file for bankruptcy as a way to address its debt and restructure the restaurant chain. (More)

➤ Norcross-based Waffle House isn't alone in its decision to charge extra for eggs due to rising costs. South Carolina-based Denny's announced a surcharge of its own. (More)

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➤ Savannah Slithering, an illuminated lantern parade, is scheduled for Saturday as the city celebrates St. Patrick's Day by honoring the tale of St. Patrick driving snakes out of Ireland. (Details)

➤ Atlanta rapper and Fast & Furious star Ludacris posted a progress report on the new "Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift" roller coaster coming to Universal Studios Hollywood. (Watch Video)

➤ Jamie Baker, a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design, talked about being part of the team that won an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing for the 2011 movie Hugo. (More)

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