(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has scheduled a full closure of I-285 in both directions on the west side of Atlanta for this weekend. The closure will begin at 7:00 tonight and continue until 5:00 Monday morning, weather permitting. This is part of a long-term reconstruction project to replace aging concrete with asphalt along the Westside Perimeter, which is expected to continue through 2029.
*Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), along with the Tennessee Valley Authority, joined forces this week to provide bank stabilization at Lake Chatuge by planting 1,500 water willow trees and 100 buttonbush shrubs along the shoreline. Josh Stafford, a fish biologist with DNR, says, among other things, the native plants help with erosion due to water fluctuations in the reservoir.
*A developer south of Savannah is going to pay the federal government for allegedly mishandling thousands of Native American artifacts. Uncle Sam shut down the construction of the Waterways development in Richmond Hill in early last year once it was discovered. The AJC reports Savannah Land Holdings agreed this week to pay a $1.1 million settlement. The federal government says more than 80,000 artifacts weren’t properly curated.
*FEMA has approved over $51 million in funding for 13 recovery projects in Georgia following Hurricane Helene. This includes around $22 million for temporary sheltering for 1,500 survivors in over 100 hotels and about $17 million for restoring power and repairing utilities.
*State Ag Commissioner Tyler Harper is urging Georgians to report yellow-legged hornet nests to help stop the invasive species from spreading. Officials say you should report any suspected nests rather than try to remove them yourself.