Tuesday, February 3, 2026

On this day in 1971, a fire at the Thiokol Chemical plant in Woodbine ignited large quantities of flares and their components, causing an explosion that killed 29 workers and injured many more.

General Beauregard Lee has spoken—and it's not the forecast many wanted. Check out the groundhog's prediction in Top Stories and see how readers hoped it would turn out in Poll results.

A young woman has been awarded millions by a New York jury after suing over a double mastectomy she received as a minor during a gender transition. The verdict, the first of its kind to reach trial, raises questions about medical standards of care. Host Ayla Brown explains on today's episode of The Flyover Podcast. Tune in here.

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Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Health Care Pricing Tool Debuts

The state launched a new online tool to compare prices on more than 200 common medical procedures at hospitals and providers across Georgia.

The search tool shows median costs, price ranges, nearby facilities, and quality ratings, with filters for commercial insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid.

The prices are based on more than 1.5 billion insurance claims from more than two dozen insurers, offering the most complete picture of the wide-ranging health care prices in Georgia, developers said.

State lawmakers authorized the creation of the insurance claim database—known as the Georgia All-Payers Claim Database—in 2020 as a way to track health care prices.

Fallen Officer Mourned

State and local leaders mourned the death of Gwinnett County police officer Pradeep Tamang, killed in a weekend shooting near Stone Mountain that left another officer wounded.

A native of Nepal, Tamang, 25, joined the police department in July 2024 and graduated from the police academy in May. The injured officer, David Reed, joined the department in 2015.

Gov. Brian Kemp called the shooting a stark reminder of the daily dangers law enforcement faces and offered condolences to the officers' families and colleagues.

Gwinnett Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson said the community honors "the service and sacrifice of those who selflessly put themselves in harm's way to protect our community."

The police department parked Tamang's patrol vehicle outside its headquarters for the public to pay their respects and leave flowers. The Gwinnett County Police Foundation began a fundraiser to support the families of the two officers.

Georgia's Lee Predicts More Winter

Georgia's weather-predicting groundhog General Beauregard Lee saw his shadow on Monday, predicting six more weeks of winter rather than an early spring.

The annual Groundhog Day ceremony took place at Dauset Trails Nature Center in Jackson, where Lee lives. Among those in attendance was Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a candidate for governor who grew up in Jackson.

Nationally, Lee ranks among the most reliable groundhog prognosticators with an accuracy rate of about 80%, according to federal researchers.

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➤ Augusta: Wellstar Golisano Children's Hospital plans to open a dedicated pediatric cardiac intensive care unit after receiving a major donation from the Golisano Foundation. (More)

➤ Savannah: A U.S. Coast Guard report determined that human errors led to a crane barge striking the Talmadge Bridge in August, causing $450,000 in damage and traffic disruptions. (More)

➤ Athens: Outdoor tornado siren testing will take place Wednesday as part of Severe Weather Preparedness Week, with residents urged to review emergency plans. (More)

➤ Dunwoody: Community groups and neighbors began a collection drive to help eight families displaced after a Jan. 31 fire destroyed a Dunwoody Village Apartments building. (More)

➤ Coffee County: The family of Melvin Johnson said the state corrections department has refused to disclose information about Johnson's death last week while an inmate at Hays State Prison in Trion. (More)

➤ Grady County: Sheriff's deputies said skeletal remains found near Barnett's Creek are believed to be Andrue Trent Hires, missing since fleeing a traffic stop in 2022. Investigators are awaiting confirmation by a lab. (More)

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➤ The Atlanta Hawks traded sharpshooter Vit Krejci to Portland for Duop Reath and a pair of second-round picks. (More)

➤ Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. (More)

➤ The San Francisco 49ers hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris as their defensive coordinator, the fourth time in his career that he will coach alongside 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. (More)

➤ Georgia men's basketball failed to make the AP Top 25 rankings for the second straight week. (See Full Poll)

➤ Yesterday's results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ ALDI confirmed plans to open grocery stores in Brunswick, Gray, Valdosta, and Douglas this spring and summer. (More)

➤ MARTA will host public meetings this month in metro Atlanta to educate riders on changes as part of its NextGen Bus Network, including redesigned routes and services aimed at improving reliability and access. (More)

➤ The city council in North Augusta, S.C., continues to review a proposal to buy land and develop a cyber center office building to support the Augusta area's economic development. (More)

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➤ Satellite images from NASA offer a space-level view of last weekend's snow that covered parts of the state. (Photos)

➤ A University of Georgia researcher is studying whether deer marks such as tree rubs and scrapes are visible to the animals at night and could help them communicate. (More)

➤ A group of state lawmakers proposed the creation of an optional license plate for autistic or disabled drivers to help alert police during traffic stops, along with added officer training. (More)

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