Connect with us

Georgia

A statue honoring John Lewis will replace a former Confederate monument in Georgia

Published

on

A statue honoring John Lewis will replace a former Confederate monument in Georgia


Rep. John Lewis thanks anti-gun violence supporters following a rally outside the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 4, 2017.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America


hide caption

Advertisement

toggle caption

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America

A Georgia square that was home to a Confederate monument for more than a century will now host a statue of the late civil rights icon John Lewis.

Advertisement

Authorities began installing the sculpture of the former Georgia congressman in Decatur last week ahead of its official unveiling on Saturday.

“It’s exciting to see it going up and exciting for the significance of what it represents and what it’s replacing,” Basil Watson, the artist behind the new statue, said at the installation.

Its arrival comes about four years after Decatur officials removed a 30-foot-tall obelisk erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy in 1908.

That statue was taken down in June of 2020, amid national racial justice protests that erupted across the U.S. following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn. Floyd, who was Black, died after a white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes as he lay facedown, hands cuffed behind his back.


A large bronze statue of the late civil rights leader and politician Rep. John Lewis was installed last week in Decatur, Ga., where a monument to the Confederacy was removed in 2020.

A large bronze statue of the late civil rights leader and politician Rep. John Lewis was installed last week in Decatur, Ga., where a monument to the Confederacy was removed in 2020.

Ron Harris/AP

Advertisement


hide caption

toggle caption

Ron Harris/AP

Advertisement

Lewis died in July 2020 at the age of 80 after being diagnosed with advanced-stage pancreatic cancer.

The following summer, a group created by DeKalb County called the John Lewis Commemorative Task Force kicked off its search for a new public art installation at the site of the former Confederate monument.

Watson told Decaturish in 2022 that the 16-foot-tall sculpture of Lewis depicts him with his hands over his heart in a gesture of love that he was fond of.

A civil rights activist, Lewis led sit-ins protesting segregation in the Jim Crow-era South and was beaten alongside other demonstrators during a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., in 1965.

Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1987, where he served as a Democrat until his death four years ago.

Advertisement





Source link

Georgia

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

“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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Georgia

Mayor Kelly Girtz Inducted Into Georgia Municipal Hall of Fame

Published

on

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 […]



Source link

Continue Reading

Georgia

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.





Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending