Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Hospital Rankings, Record Payday, and Senior Prank

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Good morning! On this day in 1889, Conrad Aiken was born in Savannah. Haunted by a childhood tragedy, he won the Pulitzer Prize, shaped modern poetry, and was named Georgia’s poet laureate in 1973.

Here's a debate you don't want to miss. Warren Buffett, the man behind one of history's greatest fortunes, has an investing rule for everyday people, and it's simple. He calls it the 90/10 rule, and it's the same plan he wrote into his own will for his wife's inheritance. But critics say it's far too aggressive for retirees, and maybe for anyone who can't stomach a downturn. So which side is right? Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla takes you inside both sides of the fight, plus what happened when one researcher put the rule through a 30-year stress test. Tune in here!

Today's sponsor is Incogni, a privacy service that helps remove your personal information from data broker databases and keep it off the web automatically.

State's Best Hospitals Ranked

U.S. News & World Report named Emory University Hospital the top hospital among 13 ranked in metro Atlanta in its 2026-2027 Best Hospitals edition.

The 37th annual study recognized 505 regional hospitals across 49 states and Washington, D.C., and placed 20 hospitals on its national Honor Roll. You can search hospitals here.

New this year, U.S. News introduced regional specialty rankings in cancer, cardiology, orthopedics, and rehabilitation, letting patients compare nearby options for complex care rather than only national programs.

This year's methodology gave heavier weight to risk-adjusted survival and complication rates, drawn from more than 800 million patient care records.

Robinson Hits Pay Dirt

The Atlanta Falcons agreed to terms on a three-year extension with Bijan Robinson reportedly worth up to $75 million, the richest running back deal in NFL history.

Robinson receives $51 million guaranteed, including $37 million at signing, and his $22.25 million average annual value passes Saquon Barkley's $20.6 million.

The deal ends a week-long training camp hold-in and returns Robinson to the practice field at Flowery Branch.

Atlanta reached longer-term deals with three other young offensive starters this offseason: wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts, and guard Matthew Bergeron.

Towns Among Nation's Least Costly

Three Georgia towns landed on Kiplinger's ranking of the 25 cheapest U.S. small towns, with Dublin, Dalton, and Statesboro all falling below the national cost-of-living average.

Statesboro, home to Georgia Southern University, ranked No. 15, with housing 23.5% under the national figure. Dalton placed No. 20 at 12.5% below average, highlighted for its carpet-industry strength and housing nearly 30% below average.

Dublin ranked 23rd at 11.6% below average, including housing that runs 24% cheaper. Three college campuses and a VA medical center anchor the town of about 16,000.

Kiplinger defined small towns as places with populations of approximately 10,000 to 50,000 people, and based the rankings on the Council for Community and Economic Research's cost-of-living index.

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➤ Marietta: Charlie Duncan, Georgia's oldest World War II veteran, died Friday at 107. Services are Wednesday. (More)

➤ Clayton County: Local, state and federal authorities are investigating whether unauthorized cyber activity caused the pump station failure behind last week's boil advisory. (More)

➤ Savannah: More than 34,400 students returned to Savannah-Chatham County classrooms as the district opened 61 locations, including the new REACH charter school. (More)

➤ Columbus: Columbus Technical College opened a $12 million, 13,000-square-foot workforce training center named for Medal of Honor recipient Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. (More)

➤ Fulton County: Schools are using Linewize monitoring software this year that can flag what students type on school devices, including text they delete before sending. (More)

➤ Talbot County: Residents urged county commissioners to hold open meetings and refuse nondisclosure agreements before signing any deal for proposed data centers or battery storage projects. (More)

➤ Marion County: A ban on personal electronic devices in all grades takes effect with the new school year, going beyond the state's new kindergarten-through-eighth-grade requirement. (More)

➤ Waynesboro: Plant Vogtle's four reactors make it the nation's largest nuclear plant by generating capacity, and the site supports nearly 2,000 permanent jobs around the clock. (More)

Enjoy reading The Georgia Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.✈️

➤ State basketball championships will move from Macon to the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta for the next two seasons while Macon builds a new arena. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Braves acquired left-handed reliever Brent Suter from the Angels at the trade deadline in exchange for infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. He’s the third addition of the week after they picked up outfielder Lane Thomas and pitcher Tyler Mahle over the weekend. (More)

➤ Georgia Gwinnett College will add men's cross country, women's cross country, and women's volleyball to its athletics program. (More)

➤ USA TODAY Sports released its preseason girls flag football rankings for Georgia, with Greenbrier at No. 1 after going 22-3 last year. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA | Tennis | Little League Softball World Series

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➤ Yamaha will stop building side-by-side vehicles at its Newnan plant after the 2026 model year, part of a global realignment the company says affects about 300 positions. (More)

➤ The former International Paper mill site in Savannah hit the real estate market as a 735-acre heavy industrial parcel with rail, riverfront, and Port of Savannah access. (More)

➤ Terrapin Beer Co.'s brewery in Athens is slated for closure under a restructuring plan by parent company Tilray Brands. (More)

➤ A 25-year-old former intern of the Monticello News bought the newspaper from its longtime owner. (More)

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➤ Marietta High School seniors blanketed their campus in an estimated 1,000 rolls of toilet paper, keeping a first-day-of-school tradition that dates back roughly 60 years. (More)

➤ Kimberly and Matthew Gabriel of Bainbridge sit third nationally in the America's Favorite Couple contest, where the winning pair gets $20,000 and a Hollywood Hills dinner with Jeff Goldblum. (More)

➤ Identical twins Dev and Jay Shetty have done nearly everything together their whole lives until this summer, when the 17-year-olds from the Augusta area each flew solo to earn a private pilot license. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ One of the world's richest investors swears by a rule critics call dangerously aggressive for retirees. (Hear Details)

➤ Rising costs are forcing a record number of young professionals back into their parents' homes. (Hear Episode)

➤ The death of a young woman at a New York med spa is exposing a booming and largely unregulated industry. (Listen Now)

What's your favorite perk of back-to-school season?

Yesterday's Results:

Do you ever play the Powerball?

Yes: 52%
No: 40%
Other: 8%

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The Georgia Flyover
2274 Salem Rd SE
Ste 106 #5265
Conyers, GA 30013

TikTok Indictment, 25th-Best State, and a Worm Farm

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1909, Ernestine "Tiny" Davis, a jazz vocalist and trumpeter, was born in Memphis.

Here is a debate you don't want to miss. Warren Buffett, the man behind one of history's greatest fortunes, has an investing rule for everyday people, and it's simple. He calls it the 90/10 rule, and it's the same plan he wrote into his own will for his wife's inheritance. But critics say it's far too aggressive for retirees, and maybe for anyone who can't stomach a downturn. So which side is right? Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla takes you inside both sides of the fight, plus what happened when one researcher put the rule through a 30-year stress test. Tune in here!

Today's sponsor is Incogni, a privacy service that helps remove your personal information from data broker databases and keep it off the web automatically.

Primary, General Election Tomorrow

Tennessee voters head to the polls tomorrow for the Aug. 6 primary and general election, with races for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and the legislature on the ballot.

The marquee race is the Republican primary for governor, where Sen. Marsha Blackburn faces Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts. Five Democrats are also on the ballot.

Early voting ended Saturday. Democrat ballots were up nearly 7% from 2018 and Republican ballots less than 1%, with both parties roughly 30% above 2022.

General elections for vacant judicial and county offices are also on tap. Voters need a state or federal photo ID.

Man Indicted for TikTok Threats

A federal grand jury in Chattanooga has returned a 22-count indictment against 44-year-old Garry Lee Williams of Knoxville over threats posted on TikTok.

The Justice Department says Williams used the app from January through April to threaten to murder and maim national officials, Knox County officials, and his own relatives.

Prosecutors allege 11 threats against President Trump, seven against the FBI director, and two against the Knox County sheriff and the Knoxville police chief.

Williams pleaded not guilty Tuesday and was detained pending an Oct. 6 trial. He faces up to 145 years in prison if convicted, plus fines of $250,000 per count.

Tennessee Takes No. 25 Spot in State Rankings

Tennessee climbed seven spots to No. 25 in U.S. News & World Report's annual Best States analysis, its first improvement in the overall ranking since 2022.

The state ranked 13th for economy, up from 24th, and 17th for infrastructure. Its 1.4% job growth rate more than doubled the national average of 0.6%.

Health care and public safety dragged it down, at 39th and 46th. The violent crime rate of 592 per 100,000 residents is well above the national mark of 359.

The report card arrived weeks after CNBC ranked Tennessee the worst state to live in.

Flying together with our sponsor

It only takes one piece of your data to find you.

Your phone number can lead to your address, relatives, workplace, and more.

That information is often sold online by data brokers, making it easier for scammers, stalkers, or strangers to know far more about you than they should.

Incogni helps remove your personal information from these databases and keeps removing it automatically.

Get 55% off with code FLYOVER

➤ Statewide: Gov. Bill Lee says he will not pause Tennessee's three upcoming executions despite May's failed attempt to execute Tony Carruthers, calling that case a different scenario. (More)

➤ Sumner County: Station Camp High School sophomore Kinsley Carter, 15, died Monday from injuries in a Sunday crash in Hendersonville. Police are asking for doorbell and surveillance footage. (More)

➤ Statewide: The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is taking public comment through Sept. 4 on a draft statewide Black Bass Management Plan, with five open-house meetings including one in Birchwood on Aug. 18. (More)

➤ Murfreesboro: ICE says officers on a July 13 enforcement operation found a 2-year-old wandering into the road in a soiled diaper. Police filed no charges but notified the state. (More)

➤ Statewide: Tennessee has logged 283 clinical cases of the drug-resistant yeast Candida auris through July 25, up from 10 a year earlier. Risk stays concentrated in hospitals and nursing homes. (More)

➤ Knoxville: Investigators ruled the July 27 fire at Overcoming Believers Church accidental, tracing it to a wall-mounted heating and cooling unit in the dining area. (More)

Enjoy reading The Tennessee Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.

➤ Tennessee basketball picked up Vanderbilt transfer forward Jalen Washington after a court ruling granted him a fifth year of eligibility. Washington, a Nashville native who averaged 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds last season, was one of several players awarded an extra season through a class-wide injunction covering 2022-class athletes. (More)

➤ Robert's Western World—the iconic Lower Broadway honky-tonk—will open its first-ever satellite location inside the Titans' new domed Nissan Stadium. The 300-level space will feature checkerboard floors, neon signs, and a boot display inspired by the original. (More)

➤ The Nashville Predators' annual Gold Star Showcase intrasquad scrimmage returns to F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville on Sept. 19 during training camp. A portion of ticket sales benefits the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and the location honors the arena's proximity to Fort Campbell. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA | Tennis | Little League Softball World Series

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➤ Gov. Bill Lee called it "premature" to name sites for a federal nuclear campus program, days after TRISO-X added about 70 acres to its Oak Ridge fuel campus. (More)

➤ Census data shows Knox County's growth has leveled off at a steady 1.3%, undercutting predictions that Knoxville was in the middle of a moving boom. (More)

➤ A trade union for public sector employees reached an agreement with the Memphis mayor’s office to raise union members’ baseline livable wage to $22 an hour. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

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That scam call wasn’t random.

Scammers don’t just guess your number. They buy personal information from data brokers, companies selling your phone number, home address, relatives’ info, and more online.

That’s how a random scam call can turn into phishing, impersonation, identity theft or someone knowing more about you than they should.

That’s why I recommend Incogni. It removes your personal information from these databases and continues to do so automatically.

Get 55% off with code FLYOVER

➤ A worm farm in Coalmont raises red earthworms for bait nationwide, taking about seven months to grow them to 4 inches and employing roughly 85 people at peak season. (More)

➤ BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is putting $10 million into remaking Chattanooga's Ross's Landing, with sports courts under the Olgiati Bridge and a nature-themed playscape. (More)

➤ An Amish buggy was destroyed in a crash with an 18-wheeler in Lawrence County on Tuesday. The family survived, and their horse was picked up after a county executive called on the public for help. (More)

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