Georgia

Wild flamingos spotted in Georgia

Published

2 years ago

August 1, 2024

GREENWOOD, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – An Upstate family experienced a rare and unexpected sighting during a recent trip to Georgia, making the vacation stand out (and up!) above the rest.

“Now we have another new species on the island which is really cool,” amateur naturalist Joshua Wicker said.

When Joshua Wicker and his family visited St. Simons Island a few weeks ago, they were tickled pink by what they saw.

“They’re up on a big marsh on the inside of the island, and it was just like, ‘Oh there it is!’”

During the trip, Wicker spotted five flamingos hanging out in the water.

“This shouldn’t be happening right now. This is Georgia,” Wicker thought when he first saw them.

St. Simons Island sits just off the coast between Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL. It’s also hundreds of miles away from the flamingos’ natural habitat.

“You can find them more frequently on the Caribbean Islands and sometimes on the tip of Florida, so you can find them in North American; but they just don’t come north very often,” John Quinn, Director of Environmental Studies at Furman University, said.

The journey to Georgia for these 4 to 8 pound birds is ‘flamazing!’

“It could have been a strong storm this summer. Maybe they were caught in a current blown around or something like that. They do get blown around by certain weather events,” Quinn added.

Last year, Hurricane Idalia flung flamingos around the East Coast, landing as far north as Pennsylvania. But experts say this is the first time there has been a recorded sighting in Georgia.

“It’s a new experience of type of birds you’ve never seen,” Rey Wicker, 12, said.

Rey Wicker, Joshua Wicker’s daughter, believes no matter how they got here, these birds have a leg up on all the rest.

“Cause they’re pink!” Rey Wicker said with excitement.

If you’re interested in learning more about wildlife in the area, Joshua Wicker offers entertaining and educational videos on his page, Y’all, Be Looking!

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Georgia

Created in a small Georgia town, a cup has become 1 of the World Cup’s biggest souvenirs

Published

10 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Created in a small Georgia town, a cup has become 1 of the World Cup’s biggest souvenirs

They were designed to hold a drink, but cups produced in Rome, Georgia, have become one of the FIFA Men’s World Cup’s most unexpected souvenirs.

Inside the Top Cup plant in Rome, millions of cups were created to celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event.

“We made 10 million over 70 different graphics for the World Cup,” said Rome native and Top Cup General Manager Zach Dixon.

The plant in north Georgia produces up to 750,000 cups a day.

“We’ve always been really proud of the cup … but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Top Cup CEO David Cuthbert.

Fans have been taking them home from matches. Some have even been listed for sale online.

“We’ve always been really proud of the cup… but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Cuthbert.

Dixon said they begin the process with massive coils of aluminum, each weighing about 30,000 pounds. The metal is stamped, stretched, washed, and moved down the line.

The plant produces about 1,100 cups every minute.

Ricardo Marques, the senior vice president of marketing for Michelob ULTRA, said that there have been venue-specific, match-specific, and Finals-specific stadium cups for the World Cup. There are also three separate red, white, and blue designs available for fans at bars and restaurants around the U.S.

“We’ve seen an incredible response to the collection. Together, these commemorative cups give fans a unique keepsake and a lasting reminder of an unforgettable FIFA World Cup experience and the moments that brought millions of people together through the world’s game,” Marques said.

Cuthbert said his company has seen how the World Cup has done wonders for metro Atlanta businesses.

“Our team in Rome, Georgia takes tremendous pride in helping bring this fan experience to life for one of the world’s biggest sporting events,” he said.

So when soccer fans celebrate the surprise victory or mourn their last-minute loss, they’re doing so with a little piece of Georgia.

In:

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Georgia

Mayor Kelly Girtz Inducted Into Georgia Municipal Hall of Fame

Published

22 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Mayor Kelly Girtz Inducted Into Georgia Municipal Hall of Fame

Kelly Girtz (second from left) recently became the first Athens mayor in 40 years to be inducted into the Georgia Municipal Government Hall of Fame in Savannah. The Georgia Municipal cited Girtz’s work on housing affordability, economic development, transportation, environmental sustainability, literacy and preserving local Black history. Under his leadership, Athens-Clarke County has made significant progress in housing affordability, economic development, transportation, and environmental sustainability. In 2022, the community adopted an inclusionary zoning policy designed to expand affordable housing options and encourage thoughtful, equitable growth. He has also championed redevelopment initiatives that have created new mixed-income housing opportunities and strengthened neighborhoods throughout the community. “Mayor Kelly Girtz has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to building a community where every resident has […]

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Georgia

Athlon Sports tabs Florida-Georgia among SEC’s best games in 2026

Published

1 day ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

Athlon Sports tabs Florida-Georgia among SEC’s best games in 2026

Athlon Sports projected the best SEC games for each week of the 2026 regular season.

The conference features some of the most compelling matchups in all of college football, from opening weekend through rivalry week. The selections emphasize games anticipated to have the biggest impact on the SEC championship race and College Football Playoff picture.

Florida’s annual clash with Georgia was tabbed as one of the SEC’s premier fixtures. The game has grown in national significance since it began in 1904, continuing as a battle of blue-blood programs that routinely produces iconic results. The game temporarily moves to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta during the Jacksonville stadium renovations.

The Jon Sumrall era carries with it an increasing sense of belief — many experts see the Gators as a dark-horse CFB playoff contender. Regardless of its final win-loss record, UF will play a part in shaping the season’s narrative as they face several post-season favorites in Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma.

Noted in the article is the SEC’s depth and newly implemented nine-game conference schedule. Georgia, Texas, Alabama and LSU appear multiple times on this list, with Georgia facing Alabama in Week 6 and Ole Miss in Week 10 while LSU hosts Clemson in Week 1 and will see Texas in Week 11 take on Alabama.

Many contenders from the SEC face multiple nationally relevant foes over the course of the season.

Athlon Sports’ Best game for every week of the 2026 season

Week 1: Clemson at LSU (Sept. 5)
Week 2: Ohio State at Texas (Sept. 12)
Week 3: LSU at Ole Miss (Sept. 19)
Week 4: Oklahoma at Georgia (Sept. 26)
Week 5: Auburn at Tennessee (Oct. 3)
Week 6: Georgia at Alabama (Oct. 10)
Week 7: Alabama at Tennessee (Oct. 17)
Week 8: Ole Miss at Texas (Oct. 24)
Week 9: Florida vs. Georgia (Atlanta) (Oct. 31)
Week 10: Georgia at Ole Miss (Nov. 7)
Week 11: Texas at LSU (Nov. 14)
Week 12: Texas A&M at Oklahoma (Nov. 21)
Week 13: Texas at Texas A&M (Friday) (Nov. 27)

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

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