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across the nation, and the Chattahoochee has the
perfect recipe of water flow and rapids to support a
wave. The project could cost about $4 million, mostly
from private funds, and the hope is to put Columbus
on the map as an inland surf spot— some 300 miles
from the ocean.
Helen Georgia’s oldest continuously operating general
Atlanta Trails ATL, an ambitious plan engineered by
the city of Atlanta and the PATH Foundation, seeks
to link Atlanta’s neighborhoods via a sprawling, 535mile web of walking and biking paths. “Our goal is to
have 95 percent of Atlantans within 10 minutes of a
high-quality trail,” says Eric Ganther of PATH. This is
a long-term project. Only 37 percent of Atlantans live
within 10 miles of a trail, with about 81 current network miles. And even with buy-in from local officials,
private donors and native taxpayers, the project isn’t
slated to be completed until 2052. But Trails ATL
proponents say the plan will make Atlanta greener,
healthier and more connected than ever.
Buford If you needed a reminder that high school
football is a big deal in Georgia, look no further
than Buford High School’s new, 10,000 seat, $62
million stadium. Featuring 15 luxury suites and a
3,600-square-foot video display, Phillip Beard Stadium
is the second-most expensive EVER built for a single
high school team. Safe to say that Buford’s 17,000
residents are football crazed (the school has won 14
state championships)— and they look to keep that
winning tradition rolling with some major financial
backing in one of the most dazzling high school stadiums in the nation.
Columbus The Chattahoochee River running through
Uptown Columbus is known for its whitewater rapids, beloved by canoers and kayakers. But why stop
there? A new riverfront project is installing a natural
surf wave in the river between the Thirteenth and
Fourteenth Street bridges for use by kayakers and yes,
traditional surfers. River surfing has picked up steam
store is nestled in the Nacoochee Valley near Helen.
The Old Sautee Store has been serving customers
since 1872, and if you stop by, you’ll feel like not much
has changed since then. The front room maintains
its original shelves and counters and displays antique
goods that you might have found more than a century
ago. Once a trading post and post office, the store is a
piece of living Georgia history, famous for its Swedish
Farmer Cheese as well as locally made jams and honey.
Rome All the way back in 1929 the Desoto Theatre
opened in downtown Rome, serving as the jewel of
Broad Street for the past 96 years. But as the historic
landmark approaches its 100th anniversary, upgrades
and renovations are in order, say members of the Historic Desoto Theatre Foundation. They are pitching the
city and private donors on a $1.3 million project that
would include new and upgraded lights, stage curtains,
enhanced dressing rooms and a loading dock. The City
Commission is considering the proposal, which would
begin next year with the goal of finishing everything
before 2029, when the theater will celebrate its 100th
birthday in style.
Valdosta The original Valdosta Regional Airport Terminal was built in 1947, so the groundbreaking of the
project to replace it with a new air traffic control tower
was much needed and warmly welcomed. “Compared
to when this building was built, the technology leap is
astronomical,” says Dan Williams, airport operations
manager. “This will bring us into a more modern age,
a more aesthetically pleasing building and hopefully
it’ll give us a little more capability with charter jets and
things of that nature.” The control tower is expected to
be completed by spring of 2026, with opening of the
new terminal to follow.
If you’ve got news from your local community
to share with our readers, please email us.
phickey@jamesmagazinega.com
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