Georgia

Georgia fruit growers, state agriculture experts on alert for spotted lanternfly sightings • Georgia Recorder

Published

1 year ago

November 19, 2024

Georgia fruit growers, state agriculture experts on alert for spotted lanternfly sightings • Georgia Recorder

Larry Lykins has learned to roll with the punches when it comes to threats to his 14-acre Ellijay vineyard.

His winery survived a virus spread via nursery plants several years after he bought the vineyard in 2007. More recently, he dealt with glassy-winged sharpshooters, a bug species that moves viruses from one plant to another.

So, when he heard last week that the spotted lanternfly – a fruit orchard pest with an insatiable appetite for grapes, peaches, plums and apples – had been sighted for the first time in Georgia, he remained calm.

“When I first started back in ’07 or ’08, we didn’t have to spray for insects very much,” said Lykins, owner of Cartercay Vineyards, a grower of several grape varieties, including Vidal Blanc, Catawba, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. “But now we do. It’s all part of warmer climates and globalization where bugs hitch rides on cargo ships.

“Being a farmer you just have to educate yourself and do the best you can with it,” he said.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture last week confirmed the first sighting of the spotted lanternfly on Oct. 22 in Fulton County, making the state the 18th in the nation that the pest now calls home and the most southern. The agency warned farmers, agriculture businesses and homeowners alike that the bug poses a serious risk to the state’s agricultural sector. It does not appear to pose a threat to humans.

The spotted lanternfly. Courtesy Georgia Department of Agriculture)

The spotted lanternfly – which is more akin to an aphid or a stink bug – damages plants and trees by producing “a sticky, sugary waste fluid that encourages the growth of sooty mold,” the state said.

The remedy: kill it on sight, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper said.

“We urge anyone who sees the spotted lanternfly in their area to document it, report it, and kill it,” he said in Thursday’s announcement. “Controlling the spread of the spotted lanternfly is our best strategy for safeguarding Georgia’s agriculture industry, and we are asking for the public’s help in this effort.”

The bug spreads by various methods, including laying eggs or egg masses on tires, chairs and vehicles, said Mike Evans, director of state agriculture department’s plant protection division.

The spotted lanternfly lays eggs from September to November, with nymphs born in the spring, state officials and experts said. Adults die at the first hard frost.

Paul McDaniel, forest health coordinator for the Georgia Forestry Commission, said elimination of the spotted lanternfly is critical to protect the state’s urban trees. Hardwoods in Georgia cities and large ex-urban communities already struggle for survival because of limited space for root growth and excessive sunlight from pavement, making it easier for the spotted lanternfly to cause damage.

“A lot of your urban trees already have stressors just being in that environment,” he said.

A major lure of the spotted lanternfly is the tree of heaven, an invasive deciduous tree that while not as prevalent in Georgia as in other states, still presents a host for the bug, said Sarah Lowder, a University of Georgia extension viticulture specialist and assistant professor of horticulture. Those with trees of heaven on their property should cut them down immediately to reduce the risk of a spotted lanternfly outbreak.

“It is one of their preferred food sources so you want to get rid of that so you don’t hopefully draw any of those in,” she said. “I guess it tastes the best.”

While it’s necessary to alert others to the threat the spotted lanternfly poses, Brett Blaauw told the Georgia Recorder everyone should take a breath. There are still a lot of unknowns about how it will react in Georgia and what steps will be more effective to bring it under control, said Blaauw, a University of Georgia associate professor and extension specialist with a focus on grape growing

Blaauw on Thursday posted to a viticulture blog followed by Georgia vineyard owners that their crops are not in peril.

“We need to work as an industry to monitor, track, and manage this new pest,” he wrote in the blog. “While any new, invasive species is going to be scary, thankfully there has been a lot of work done in other states that we can adapt to be used in Georgia, so we are not starting from scratch.”

He said even if thousands of bugs are found swarming a single tree – which they sometimes have been known to do – the tree can often survive the ambush if it is well-established.

“For growers, seeing this bug that’s over an inch long, it can be quite intimidating,” said Blaauw, who also is a Clemson University associate professor.

It’s also unclear if the spotted lanternfly can take Georgia’s heat, especially the further south it travels, he said.

“It’s a new bug,” Blaauw said. “It’s probably going to expand in its population and its range in Georgia, but we need to not panic. At least not yet.”

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Georgia

Arsenal lead hunt for Georgia Stanway with England midfielder to leave Bayern in summer

Published

7 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Arsenal lead hunt for Georgia Stanway with England midfielder to leave Bayern in summer

Arsenal are among the leading candidates to sign Georgia Stanway this summer after Bayern Munich confirmed the England midfielder would leave the German club when her contract expires.

According to sources, the north London club are understood to be one of a number of teams interested in acquiring the 27-year-old on a free transfer, but Renée Slegers’ team are leading the running having tracked Stanway’s progress and are eager to add a world-class midfielder to their squad.

Stanway helped England win back-to-back European titles as well as being part of a Bayern Munich team that have won three consecutive Frauen Bundesliga titles since she arrived in the summer of 2022.

Bayern’s director of women’s football, Bianca Rech, praised her “commitment and character”, adding in a statement on Saturday: “As the first English player at FC Bayern Women, Georgia Stanway not only made history but also stole our hearts. We talked a lot and openly about her future, and when she told us that she now wanted to try something new, her reasons were completely understandable.”

Stanway posted on social media that she had made lifelong friends at the German club and told the club: “I will give everything for the club and its sporting success until my very last day, just as I have for the past three and a half years. And I want to say goodbye to the club and the fans at the end of the season with as many titles as possible.”

Aston Villa are set to sign the France midfielder Oriane Jean-François from Chelsea for £450,000 in a club-record fee for a sale by the London side. It is understood that the deal is agreed and the 24-year-old’s move should be finalised in the coming days. The former Paris Saint-Germain player has been with Chelsea since 2024.

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Georgia

Georgia ‘super flu’ activity hits ‘extremely high’ levels: When to call 911

Published

19 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Georgia ‘super flu’ activity hits ‘extremely high’ levels: When to call 911

Got the flu? When should you call 911?

Georgia remains in the “extremely high” flu activity category, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even as some indicators show signs of leveling off nationwide.

ATLANTA – Georgia remains in the “extremely high” flu activity category, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even as some indicators show signs of leveling off nationwide.

Emergency crews in the Atlanta area say they’re feeling the impact firsthand, with a sharp spike in flu-related 911 calls.

Flu cases in Georgia

What we know:

EMTs and paramedics at American Medical Response in DeKalb County report handling more flu-related calls than usual this season.

“This is one of the most difficult flu seasons that I’ve seen in a long time,” said Israel Contreras, AMR EMS transformation and innovation manager in the South Region.

Contreras said crews in DeKalb are busier than last flu season.

“We had an increase of about 60% of flu-like symptoms, cause, that’s including, you know, whatever range of flu-like symptoms, fevers, headaches,” he said.

The surge in calls in DeKalb reflects broader trends reported by the CDC. In its latest report, the agency estimates at least 15 million people have gotten sick this season, resulting in 180,000 hospitalizations and 7,400 deaths.

While some indicators have decreased or remained stable this week, the CDC cautioned that it is too early to say whether the flu surge has peaked, noting that the holidays may have affected the numbers.

Super flu symptoms

What they’re saying:

In DeKalb County, Contreras said the increase in calls is straining resources.

“We have to be ready for any kind of emergency that’s happening and so when we have an increase of this nature, we get delayed because we tax the hospital. So now we’re delayed at the hospitals,” he said.

Contreras added that many flu-related calls are for non-emergencies that could be treated at home.

He urged residents to call 911 only for life-threatening situations, such as trouble breathing or chest pain, or if symptoms return with a high fever after initially improving.

“I’m not trying to discourage people from calling 911 when they feel like they have an actual life-threatening emergency. I just want people to evaluate whether they actually are having a life-threatening emergency,” he said.

The CDC also attributed the difficult season to a new variant, sometimes called the “super flu.” Doctors are urging everyone to get a flu shot to protect against severe complications and to stay home if they are sick.

Fighting influenza at home

What you can do:

Based on guidance from AMR and public health officials, DeKalb County encourages residents to:

Get vaccinated. Annual flu vaccines remain the most effective way to prevent severe illness. Residents at higher risk should also ask their healthcare provider about the pneumococcal vaccine.
Practice good hygiene. Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Cover coughs and sneezes. Use a tissue or your elbow to reduce the spread of airborne viruses.
Stay home when sick. Avoid exposing others by remaining home until symptoms improve.

When to call 911 for the flu

AMR advises residents to call 911 or seek emergency medical attention if they experience:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Chest pain or persistent pressure
Sudden dizziness, confusion, or severe weakness
Severe or prolonged vomiting
Flu symptoms that improve but then return with a high fever or worsening cough

The Source: The article cites data from the CDC and Georgia Department of Public Health, alongside an interview between Israel Contreras of AMR and FOX 5’s Tyler Fingert.

DeKalb CountyNewsHealthHealth Care

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Georgia

Meet the 30-somethings aiming to remake Georgia’s congressional delegation

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Meet the 30-somethings aiming to remake Georgia’s congressional delegation

Politics

Midterm elections could bring a generational shift to Georgia’s delegation in Washington.

U.S House candidate Jim Kingston at an automotive construction site in Savannah, Ga., on Jan. 7, 2026. (Sarah Peacock for AJC)

The graying halls of Congress don’t usually evoke images of youthful ambition, but a record number of lawmakers are calling it quits in 2026.

And in Georgia, their replacements may look very different.

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Georgia State Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens, is seen in the House of Representatives in Atlanta on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah, served in the U.S. House for 11 terms, leaving to mount a failed U.S. Senate run in 2014. His son Jim is now seeking Jack’s old seat. (Curtis Compton/AJC)

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Pintail Inc. CEO/Owner Kevin Jackson Jr. shows U.S House candidate Jim Kingston around an automotive construction site in Savannah, Ga., on Jan. 7, 2026. (Sarah Peacock for AJC)

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From student government to the U.S. House?

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Georgia Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens, spoke at a rally titled “Make Athens Safer” at City Hall, Tuesday evening, March 5, 2024. (Nell Carroll for the AJC)

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A new normal?

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State Sen. Colton Moore, R-Trenton, who plans to run for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, speaks to the news media at the Capitol in Atlanta on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/01/meet-the-30-somethings-aiming-to-remake-georgias-congressional-delegation/Adam Van Brimmer

Adam Van Brimmer is a journalist who covers politics and Coastal Georgia news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.

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