James MagazineJames_July-August_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 47
1868. He later provided federal court testimony on political
violence by the Ku Klux Klan. The marker is located outside the Greene County Courthouse, where Colby led black
voters to cast their ballots for the first time.
Griffin It took heavy lifting from local, state and federal
Athens Letters and other records from two of Georgia’s
most prominent politicians of the past 50 years are now
displayed at the University of Georgia’s Russell Library
for Political Research and Studies. Saxby Chambliss
and Johnny Isakson enjoyed a 60-year friendship that
included both eventually being elected to the U.S. Senate.
Their collections provide insider perspectives into some
pressing and historic issues of the 21st century— from
budget and tax reform battles to the Affordable Care Act
and the Global War on Terror. Isakson died in 2021, but
Chambliss said he was honored to open his collection
alongside that of his friend and colleague. “Johnny and I
met at the University of Georgia and began a friendship
that included 16 years serving together in Congress,”
Chambliss said. “I am pleased that students and future
generations will have the opportunity to study the work
we did on behalf of our state and our country.”
Cartersville Known as Georgia’s “Museum City,” Cartersville and Bartow County are home to numerous
acclaimed cultural destinations. Among those is Savoy
Automobile Museum. Open since December 2021,
Savoy has quickly garnered the attention of the car culture community from across the country. For the third
consecutive year, Savoy has been voted the No.1 “Best
Attraction for Car Lovers in America” by the USA Today
10 BEST Readers’ Choice Awards. Savoy connects people
to the cultural diversity of the automobile through ever-changing collections, programs and events. Whether
you are five years old or 95, the cars at Savoy have something for every auto enthusiast.
Greene County The Georgia Historical Society, in conjunction with the Greene County African American Museum,
has erected a historical marker to honor former state Rep.
Abram Colby. He was one of the first black legislators
elected to the Georgia General Assembly after the Civil
War. Colby was a member of the “Original 33,” the first
group of black legislators to serve under the Gold Dome in
leaders, but construction of the new Griffin-Spalding
Regional Airport is underway. The airport, expected to
be completed by 2030, will serve some 160,000 Georgians
along the I-75 corridor between Atlanta and Macon. It replaces the existing Griffin–Spalding County Airport which
was built in 1939 and only has a 3,700-foot runway. The
replacement airport will have a 5,000-foot runway, allowing it to host larger planes and greatly increase capacity
in the region. Engineering firm Croy is serving as the lead
consultant on the airport’s development, and company
CEO Greg Teague calls the project, “a perfect example of
how strong internal and external collaboration brings a
project of this scale from concept to construction.”
Jones County Charm Mapp, an eighth-grade math
teacher at Clifton Ridge Middle School, has been named
the 2027 Georgia Teacher of the Year by the state
Department of Education. With 23 years of experience in
education, Mapp is known for connecting mathematics
to the community through “number talks.” She brings in
guest speakers from fields like accounting, healthcare and
even music to teach students how math truly impacts
the world around them every day. And the award isn’t
just a plaque; as Teacher of the Year Mapp will serve as
an advocate for public education, speak about the profession to the public and serve as an ex-officio member of
the State Board of Education.
Union City South Metro Atlanta has been in a tough spot
when it comes to emergency care access since the closure
of the Atlanta Medical Center in 2022. That’s changing
with the opening of Grady South Emergency Department, a 20,000 square-foot facility open 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. It will be providing critical access
to emergency services to patients across South Fulton
County and beyond. The ER is only the first part of an
ambitious buildout that will include a medical office
building and a 200-bed, nearly $1 billion full-service
hospital set to open in 2031. Plans are already in place
to partner with the Morehouse School of Medicine and
Emory School of Medicine, creating another opportunity
to address Georgia’s critical physician shortage.
If you’ve got news from your local community
to share with our readers, please email us.
phickey@jamesmagazinega.com
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