Ledger-Enquirer
Columbus’ Synovus, TSYS transforming in major business deals
Columbus’ financial services industry has started 2026 with significant shakeups after two major players announced last year landmark deals that reshape their operations, market reach and name. Fidelity Information Services (FIS) has finalized its...
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Columbus artist's home to be restored, moved for museum
The Historic Columbus Foundation is partnering with the Columbus Consolidated Government to preserve the history of renowned Columbus artist Alma Thomas. Historic Columbus plans to move Thomas’ childhood home approximately 2 miles from Rose Hill to...
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Columbus HR director retired after city paid her legal fees
Reather Hollowell retired Dec. 31 as the human resources director for the Columbus Consolidated Government. Hollowell served CCG for over 39 years, Mayor Skip Henderson told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email Monday, including the past 13 years as HR...
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From AI to immigration, new state laws take effect in 2026
Artificial intelligence. Immigration. Gender-related care for minors. Across the nation, new laws will take effect at the stroke of midnight Jan. 1 in virtually every state. From cellphone bans to higher minimum wages, here are some of the important...
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After debate, Columbus Council may repeal airport commission
Members of the Columbus Council are considering repealing the Columbus Airport Commission after the two groups clashed during Tuesday’s council meeting. Airport director Amber Clark, along with members of the airport commission and staff, attended the...
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US strikes 3 more boats in eastern Pacific, killing 8
The U.S. military struck three boats it suspected of carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific on Monday, killing eight people, the U.S. Southern Command announced. The strikes, which the military said were carried out in international waters on what it...
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Fast EV chargers coming to Georgia highways
Georgia and the federal government are making it easier for electric vehicle owners to get across the Peach State without range anxiety. The project, called the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, stems from the 2021 Bipartisan...
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TSA offers $45 option for those without REAL ID or passport
Transportation Security Administration announced Monday that fliers who don’t have an acceptable REAL ID or passport can pay a $45 fee and use Confirm.ID, a modernized identity verification system to confirm their identities at security checkpoints...
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Bakery owner dies unexpectedly: ‘Her legacy will live on’
The owner of a beloved local cupcake shop has died. Jennifer Cooper, owner of Gigi’s Cupcakes, 2511-B Airport Thruway, has died. Her husband, Patrick Cooper, announced her death with a Facebook post on Nov. 21. Cooper died in a tragic accident, her...
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‘One-of-a-kind’ children’s bicycle park coming to Columbus
A new bicycle park is coming to the city after the Columbus Council approved an agreement allowing MidTown Inc. to conDinglewood struct the project. Mayor Skip Henderson and the MidTown Inc. board and staff will gather for a groundbreaking ceremony...
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Senate passes bill to reopen government amid Democratic rift
The Senate passed legislation Monday night to end the nation’s longest government shutin down, after a critical splinter group of Democrats joined with Republicans and backed a spending package that omitted the chief concession their party had spent...
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Trump admin to send only partial SNAP payments this month
The Trump administration will send partial payments this month to the roughly 42 million Americans who receive food stamps, offering only a temporary and limited reprieve to low-income families as the federal shutdown approaches its sixth week. The...
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Columbus food bank faces shortage as SNAP may not pay out
Feeding the Valley Food Bank has less than a month’s supply of food on hand, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture warns states that it does not have sufficient funding to cover Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in November because of...
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‘Wave’ of data center ordinances sweeps through GA counties
Throughout several counties in and around Atlanta, contractors are grading soil and importing building materials, and construction crews are hammering away to build warehouses with cooling equipment that will house massive, hyperscale computing...
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Without a deal, US troops likely to miss shutdown paycheck
The financial impacts of the government shutdown are set to escalate this week, even as Senate Republicans and Democrats show no signs of breaking the stalemate over health care policies at the heart of the fight. Without a deal, military troops would...
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‘Growing pains’: Has Paws Humane improved animal control?
The Columbus Consolidated Government contracted with Paws Humane Society to manage the Columbus Animal Care and Control, starting eight months ago, after the city manmore ager announced the facility no longer could ensure compliance with Georgia...
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US cities should be military ‘training grounds,’ Trump says
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summoned more than 800 of the country’s top brass to a military base in Virginia on Tuesday to voice a familiar litany of culture war talking points and criticize a military that they complained...
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Israel launches ground offensive in Gaza City
The Israeli military said Tuesday that it had launched a ground incursion into Gaza City overnight, embarking on a risky operation to take control of a key urban area even as hundreds of thousands of Palestinian residents remain there. The ground...
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What to know about $223M deal bringing 524 jobs to Columbus
On Sept. 3, the Ledger-Enquirer reported that JS Link America, a U.S.-owned subsidiary of Korean biotechnology company JS Link, will invest $223 million to create a rareearth permanent magnet facility in Columbus. The L-E obtained the inducement...
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Schumer faces new test amid Democratic fury
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, will be facing a political test as Congress reconvenes and lawmakers start considering a new funding bill to avoid a government shutdown. Newsweek reached out to Schumer’s office for comment...
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Columbus police K-9 unit adds four new four-legged officers
The Columbus Police Department swore in its newest fourlegged officers Monday in what CPD calls the largest K-9 unit in the department’s history. The dogs are Havoc (2-yearold German Shepherd), Colt (2-year-old Belgian Malinois), Neytiri (8-year-old...
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New owner, same legacy: Beloved Rosehill Seafood to reopen
A legacy seafood restaurant and market in Columbus is reopening — with new ownership. Jeff Lunsford, former owner of Rosehill Seafood, announced the restaurant’s closure May 3. Later that week, Lunsford told the LedgerEnquirer he wants the...
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Scholarship honors memory of Columbus State graduate
After their son died at the age of 24 due to complications following a heart transplant, Phil and Amy Martin of Harris County are honoring his memory with a scholarship fund to further the service that defined his life. The Grant C. Martin Scholarship...
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4 dead, including NYPD officer, in Midtown Manhattan shooting
Four people were killed, including an NYPD officer, and another man was critically injured in a shooting Monday evening inside a New York City skyscraper, which houses the corporate offices of the National Football League and Blackstone. The gunman...
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Muscogee County schools will have weapon detectors installed
detectors will be installed at all middle schools, high schools and athletic facilities in the Muscogee County School District this year. MCSD chief operations officers Travis Anderson announced the news during Monday night’s school board meeting. At...
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US weapons ready to ship in deal to supply Ukraine via NATO
Patriot air defense systems, missiles and ammunition are among the American-made weapons NATO allies will buy under an arms deal brokered with President Donald Trump to help Ukraine defend itself from Russian attacks. Nearly all of the weapons are...
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Ex-basketball star, beloved youth coach Larry Florence dies
Considered among the best high school basketball players in Chattahoochee Valley history — and a beloved youth coach — Larry Florence has died. Florence, who battled for a decade against the blood cancer multiple myeloma, died Saturday in Piedmont...
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Israel says Gaza operation nears end as Monday toll hits 100
An end to Israel’s current war in the Gaza Strip is near, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday, as the daily death toll in the Palestinian territory was reported to be at least 100. “We are now approaching the conclusion of the operation in...
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How the public helped halt mine at edge of Okefenokee Swamp
A six-year saga between a mining company, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, and countless hours of litigation between environmental lawyers and nonprofits came to an end on Friday in a $60 million dollar purchase by The Conservation...
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‘Nobody pinch me’: UGA grad reflects on Miss Georgia win
At 6-foot-1, Audrey Kittila stands tall — literally. She also is standing tall as the 80th winner of the Miss Georgia Scholarship Competition, a title she earned Saturday night after four days of competing at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts in...
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Georgia residents: Don’t power data centers with coal
Over the past 18 years, coal power in Georgia has seen a precipitous decline. Between 2007 and 2013, coal power generation was cut in half, dropping from 66% of the Georgia Power energy mix to 32%. It has further dropped from 28% in 2015 to 16% in...
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Columbus’ Brookstone claims state championship in baseball
Brookstone High School won its second straight baseball state championship Friday night. The Cougars swept a best-ofthree series against First Presbyterian Day School, winning 9-3 on Thursday before a decisive 4-3 win in Friday night’s game at Synovus...
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GOP crackdown on immigrant aid would hit US citizens
President Donald Trump has vowed to end what he calls the “waste of hard-earned taxpayer resources” by cutting off federal benefits for immigrants living in the country illegally and ensuring that funding goes to American citizens in...
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Historic Westville Village hires new director
Expanding its name and its vision, a popular Columbus tourist attraction that closed two years ago has taken another major step toward reopening. Historic Westville Village has hired a new executive director, April Kirk, to lead the living history...
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Inflation Reduction Act repeal could hurt clean energy jobs
every corner of Georgia has a manufacturing factory enabling a clean energy economic transition. From Dalton to Savannah and West Point to Pendergrass, manufacturing plants are being built, with some producing an end product that Georgians can drive...
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Critics question Georgia Power’s undisclosed energy plans
Weeks before public interveners are due to testify over Georgia Power’s energy plan, experts and critics have raised concern with Georgia Public Service commissioners over how the state’s largest utility company has proposed to meet a historic demand...
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New farmers market will feature a ‘delightful mix of vendors’
A new farmers market is opening in Harris County this week. Starting on May 3, a farmers market will take place every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2.p.m in Pine Mountain at the intersection of McDougald Avenue and Broad Street, 149 McDougald Ave. The...
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City manager’s lawyer sends cease and desist to councilors
An attorney representing Columbus city manager Isaiah Hugley sent a cease-and-desist letter over allegations of ethical violations to six Columbus councilors Friday afternoon. In the letter, Atlanta-based attorney Scott Grubman addressed Councilors...
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A century of stories: Inside Liberty Theatre’s legacy in Columbus
The Liberty Theatre, a cornerstone of Black culture and community in Columbus, turns 100 years old this year. The century milestone was celebrated with a centennial gala Friday. At the heart of the Liberty’s legacy is the Nesbitt family, especially...
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Trump seeks to spend $45B on immigrant detention
The Trump administration is seeking to spend tens of billions of dollars to set up the machinery to expand immigrant detention on a scale never before seen in the United States, according to a request for proposals posted online by the administration...
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Georgians tell their stories at rally for transgender awareness
At a Colgay Pride rally held in Columbus Friday, two transgender attendees who faced difficulty with their gender identities growing up in religious households shared their stories of embracing how they felt. The rally, held to honor “Trans Visibility...
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Columbus police arrest 9 gang members on 96 charges
Nine documented gang members were arrested after the Columbus Police Department served a search warrant Sunday, CPD announced Friday. CPD’s Special Operations Unit executed the search warrant on a residence in the 7000 block of Sorrel Court, the news...
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Economists disagree with Trump on ‘worth’ of a recession
Presidents usually do all they can to avoid recessions, so much so that they avoid even saying the word. But President Donald Trump and his advisers in recent weeks have offered a very different message. Yes, a recession is possible, they have said....
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Columbus groups, officials create office to reduce poverty
A coalition of community organizations and the Columbus Consolidated Government announced Friday the creation of an office within the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley that will work to reduce poverty. Georgia state Rep. Teddy Reese (District...
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Trump thinks FEMA should go away. Did the agency do its job in 2024?
In the last five years, the U.S. has faced a swarm of catastrophic storms that have left millions of Americans in need of financial help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In August and September, Georgia was victim to the multistate major...
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Sheriff says inmate’s pleas for help weren’t ignored
A family member of the woman who died in the Muscogee County Jail this week has accused jail staff of mistreatment, but the sheriff’s office is refuting the claim. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation told the LedgerEnquirer it’s investigating the...
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Retired Muscogee County Judge John Allen dies
Judge John Allen, who grew up in a Columbus public housing complex, became a decorated U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and presided in State Court and Superior Court in Muscogee County for a combined 26 years, has died. The Muscogee County Sheriff’s...
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Phenix City water meter failures lead to surprise bills
Phenix City resident Janet Sneed didn’t know what happened when she opened her water bill last month. Usually, she pays about $124 for her water utility. But this time it was $353. Sneed and her family began trying to find out whether her home had a...
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Mom invites town to ‘Love Like Lexi’ at event
On the sixth anniversary of her teenage daughter Lexi Webb’s death by suicide, Andrea Mills of Smiths Station and a group of supporters will conduct a free community event they hope will reach more peoLexi ple with the message they’ve been...
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School district sells Rose Hill property, this time for $100K
The Muscogee County School District has agreed for the fourth time in the past eight years to sell the same Columbus property to a different developer. During its monthly meeting Jan. 21, the MCSD board unanimously approved Superintendent David Lewis’...
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Woman organizes walkathon to end gun violence in Columbus
It began with Veronica FlakesJefferson’s cousin, 73-year-old Leroy Jones. He was shot and killed in 2004 on his front porch in Smiths Station. It was a robbery. Jones knew the suspect and would have given him anything. Then Jones’ grandson,...
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Hugley begins role as Georgia House Democratic leader
48 years of representing Columbus in the Georgia House, retired State Rep. Calvin Smyre knows what it takes to be an effective leader under the Capitol’s gold dome in Atlanta. So he didn’t hesitate when asked whether State Rep. Carolyn Hugley of...
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Columbus man empowers kids, provides free food for community
Columbus native Ronzell Buckner, 78, has lived in Columbus his entire life. Buckner graduated from Carver High School in 1964 amid U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He’d just gotten married to his first wife, Barbara, who died after 26 years of...
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Online business license renewal option delayed in Columbus
Columbus city officials are considering changing how business owners pay taxes to make processing business licenses more efficient using automation. However, this change could result in businesses being required to pay taxes only annually, removing an...
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GA looks to benefit as hydrogen enters clean energy economy
An entirely new ecosystem of hydrogen production and development is taking shape, mainly because of climate change, and Georgia may be poised to become a hub for it. Hydrogen, the lightest and most abundant element, can be harnessed through a variety...
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Man injured in Columbus crash gets millions in civil trial
A man injured after colliding with a garbage truck while on his motorcycle has been awarded a major sum in a $42 million civil trial in Muscogee County, the man’s lawyer announced Wednesday. Jonathon Wright sued GFL Environmental Holdings (US) INC.;...
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Harris County student beats cancer, wins speech competition
Winning a state oratory competition is impressive enough, but when you learn the topic of the speech Harris County High School junior Addison Stewart delivered, well, you realize this wasn’t a typical extracurricular project. Addison won first place...
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New public pickleball courts facility coming to Columbus
plan to construct the first public facility in Columbus designed for the fastest-growing sport in the United States has changed. It’s pickleball, and a publicprivate partnership intended last year to build this project in the park at the Uptown Water...
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Shared kitchen in Columbus opens with big waitlist
Around 200 food entrepreneurs are on a waiting list for the Food Mill Shared Kitchen as Columbus organization celebrated its opening Friday. The Food Mill, a nonprofit organization aimed at combating food insecurity, partnered with the Community...
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Muscogee County schools earn Literacy Leader awards
Ten public schools in Columbus are among the 14% in Georgia honored for outstanding achievement or growth in their reading scores on the state’s standardized tests. The following Muscogee County schools are on the 2024 list of Literacy Leaders,...
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Council settles rights claim from city staffer for $95K
A city employee will receive $95,000 to settle claims against Municipal Court Clerk Reginald Thompson and the Columbus Consolidated Government. Columbus Council unanimously approved the settlement during its Oct. 22 meeting. At the end of the...
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Muscogee schools superintendent gets 18% raise
The Muscogee County School District superintendent will receive an 18% raise in his salary after the school board unanimously approved the amended contract Monday night — a decision made without public discussion before the vote, The proposal to...
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Bill Clinton campaigns for Harris ahead of early voting
Former President Bill Clinton criticized conspiracy theories about Hurricane Helene and attacks against President Joe Biden’s immigration policy during a campaign event in Columbus Monday. Clinton’s visit to campaign field office in Columbus was among...
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Muscogee elections board sues panel over hand counting rule
The Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration has sued the State Election Board in Georgia to block a new rule requiring a hand count of ballots. The lawsuit says the state board has moved too late in the process to make this change and it...
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Georgia Supreme Court reinstates six-week abortion ban
The Georgia Supreme Court Monday reinstated Georgia’s six-week abortion ban while the state appeals last week’s Fulton County Superior Court decision declaring the law unconstitutional. Judge Robert McBurney ruled the Living Infants and Equality...
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Harris County native leads Asheville hurricane relief effort
As the executive director of the Asheville Downtown Association, Hayden Plemmons’ job is to promote business and tourism for that western North Carolina city — not provide it hurricane relief. But that’s what this Harris County High School graduate...
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Columbus Animal Care & Control workers charged, official says
Two Columbus Animal Care & Control workers have been charged as part of an ongoing Columbus Police Department investigation into CACC, according to Councilwoman Toyia Tucker. Tucker posted two announcements to Facebook today announcing at least two...
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