(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*For the ninth year in a row, Georgia’s public-school students significantly outperformed their counterparts in the nation’s public schools on the SAT, and their average scores rose even as participation increased, the state Department of Education said Wednesday. Specifically, Georgia’s class of 2026 recorded a mean score of 1031, twenty points higher than the national score.
*A new ranking says the country’s public university that gives students the best return on their investment is Georgia Tech. That’s according to the Princeton Review’s annual report and it’s the fourth straight year Tech has been on top.
*A University of Georgia student conducting wildlife research recently found several animal carcasses floating in the North Oconee River in Athens. According to Classic City News, the animals, including goats, crows and a goose, had been decapitated and mutilated. Police say the killings may have been connected to religious or ritualistic sacrifice, noting the animals did not appear to have been butchered for food. Detectives are investigating possible animal cruelty and illegal disposal violations.
*Baldwin County is raising its millage rate to address a $15 million debt. Commissioners approved a rate of 13.26 after a public hearing, marking an increase of nearly 3.5 mills.
*Georgia is casting its familiar “I Voted” sticker in a new light for the November elections. The Secretary of State’s Office unveiled the redesign, trading the longtime peach emblem for an impressionist print of the State Capitol dome. Millions of stickers are heading to precincts across all 159 counties to supply early voting sites and ballot boxes.