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Georgia health officials urge residents to vaccinate against measles

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Georgia health officials urge residents to vaccinate against measles


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  • A measles outbreak in Texas, linked to two child deaths, raises vaccination concerns in Georgia.
  • Measles cases in the US have significantly increased in 2025 compared to previous years.
  • The majority of measles cases are occurring in unvaccinated or individuals with unknown vaccination status.

ATLANTA – The surge of measles infections in West Texas connected with the death of two children is prompting Georgia health officials to stress the importance of vaccination against the highly contagious disease.

“It’s a really very unique and very, very large outbreak,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Cherie Drenzek said Tuesday. “I think that we can expect that this Texas outbreak will likely go on for months more as well.”

Two children have died during the outbreak in a largely unvaccinated religious community, Drenzek said at a briefing for the Georgia Board of Public Health, adding that a U.S. adult has died of measles as well.

The infections have resulted in nearly two dozen calls to the Georgia Department of Public Health from concerned medical providers about potential measles infections here, but so far Georgia officials have identified only three cases.

The infections were all in one family and resulted from international travel, with no connection to Texas.

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But the Texas infections appear to be spreading to nearby states, with New Mexico recently reporting 56 cases and Kansas reporting 24.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday that there have been 607 documented measles cases in the country so far this year, up from 285 in all of 2024. This year, 12% of the infected have been hospitalized.

Children and adults under 20 have been the most affected age group, with a fifth of those hospitalized being under age 5.

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The CDC reports that 97% were either unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown.

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2020, meaning there was no spread within the country and new cases developed only after travel abroad.

But infections started climbing during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 49 cases in 2021 and 121 in 2022. Infections fell to 59 in 2023 but then started rising sharply last year.

“Every single one is a public health emergency,” Drenzek said.

She said the measles vaccine is the most effective prevention and urged Georgians to ensure they’ve been vaccinated unless they contracted the disease as children and that children get the vaccine in preschool.

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Drenzek also urged medical providers to continue calling the state hotline with suspicious cases, at 866-PUB-HLTH.



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Georgia Bulldogs Earn Commitment From 2027 Offensive Lineman Abram Eisenhower

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Georgia Bulldogs Earn Commitment From 2027 Offensive Lineman Abram Eisenhower


The Georgia Bulldogs have added another prospect to their 2027 recruiting class. Here are the details.

The Georgia Bulldogs are gearing up for their 2026 college football season and are looking to once again reach the College Football Playoff. But while the 2026 season is right around the corner, the Dawgs have already begun diligently working on their 2027 recruiting class.

Georgia’s latest efforts appear to have paid off, as they have just added another commitment to their class. According to reports, offensive lineman Abram Eisenhower has announced his commitment to the Bulldogs and will be joining their 2027 recruiting class.

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Eisenhower was heavily pursued by other notable Power Four schools such as, Auburn, South Carolina, and Florida State. But the offensive lineman ultimately chose to continue his athletic career in Athens with the Georgia Bulldogs.

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According to 247 Sports, Eisenhower stands at approximately 6-foot-5 and weighs just under 300 pounds. His athletic abilities could provide a massive contribution to the Dawgs once he arrives on campus.

What Abram Eisenhower Brings to the Georgia Bulldogs Offensive Line

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Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; The Georgia Bulldogs offense lines up against the Mississippi Rebels defense in the fourth quarter during the 2026 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Since taking over as Georgia’s head coach in 2026, Kirby Smart and his staff have always made a strong emphasis on possessing an elite offensive line. Adding prospects such as Eisenhower to the team’s future rosters will ensure that the Bulldogs remain dominant within both sides of the lines of scrimmage.

Smart has also placed a strong emphasis on recruiting players within the state of Georgia. Einsenhower himself is a Valdosta, Georgia native. Making him an excellent target for the Bulldogs’ class.

As the offseason continues and the Bulldogs’ 2026 regular season begins, Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs staff will continue to diligently recruit highly touted prospects in hopes of landing another top-5 recruiting class.

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Georgia Bulldogs 2027 Commits

  • Donte Wright, CB
  • Kelsey Adams, OL
  • Noah Parker, RB
  • Aden Starling, WR
  • Kemon Spell, RB
  • Jerry Outhouse Jr., CB
  • Ty Johnson, OL
  • Abram Eisenhower, OL



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Georgia and Katie Abrahamson-Henderson Mutually Agree to Part Ways – University of Georgia Athletics

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Georgia and Katie Abrahamson-Henderson Mutually Agree to Part Ways – University of Georgia Athletics


ATHENS, Ga. — The University of Georgia and women’s basketball head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson have mutually agreed to part ways, the UGA Athletic Association announced Saturday.  

Abrahamson-Henderson compiled a 69-59 overall record with a pair of NCAA tournament appearances during her four seasons as Georgia’s head coach. 

“We would like to thank Coach ABE for her leadership and wish her well moving forward,” J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks said. “We are committed to building on the proud tradition of Lady Bulldog basketball and will continue to support our program with the necessary resources for future success. We have an outstanding group of alumni and a dedicated fan base. Our search for a new head coach will focus on someone who will carry on this legacy and connect with our student-athletes, alumni and supporters in an impactful way.” 

Georgia’s search for a new head coach will begin immediately. 

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GOPers ignore election officials’ warnings, leaving Georgia little time for paper ballots switch

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GOPers ignore election officials’ warnings, leaving Georgia little time for paper ballots switch


Georgia election officials have less than three months to convert the state’s entire voting system from touchscreen machines to paper ballots, after the state Senate failed to vote Friday on legislation that would have delayed the conversion until 2028. 

The rushed system switch risks compromising election security and will complicate ballot counting, delay reporting results and create “widespread confusion” for voters and election administrators, county officials say.

Georgia’s current touchscreen system generates QR codes for ballot counting. But in 2024 GOP state lawmakers voted to sunset these machines by July 1 of this year, making it illegal to use them beyond that. Last week, the state Senate passed a bill to change over to a completely hand-marked ballot system. 

However, local election officials urged lawmakers to delay that switch until 2028 so that they would have time to put the new system in place, which would include pre-printing millions of ballots and re-training election workers.

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The state House passed a bipartisan bill this morning that would’ve allowed for that two-year grace period. But the Senate – led by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R), who is running for the GOP nomination for governor – declined to bring it forward for a vote Friday, the final day of this year’s legislative session. 

That means election officials now have until July 1 to develop a system where voters use a pen to fill in oval bubbles to select their candidates. 

“This proposal would create widespread confusion for Georgia voters and election officials,” said Joseph Kirk, a county election supervisor and president of the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials (GAVREO), last month. “Simply put, transitioning to a new election system and implementing major changes to the voting process this close to the 2026 general election is unworkable.”

Among the problems with doing a ballot system conversion in a crunch – and so close to midterms and Georgia’s gubernatorial election – is that the bill offers no funding for implementing the switch or for technology that could help expedite it. It also creates a security risk, according to GAVREO, given that election officials have little time to train staff and develop protective measures for guarding the millions of pre-printed ballots required by the law before Election Day. 

Election officials also warn that the law’s new reporting requirements will cause delays in ballot counting and in delivering timely results. Those problems often trigger chaos, controversy and conspiracy theories, as seen in the fallout over Fulton County’s 2020 election ballot count, which is still being probed today. 

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Leaders of both parties are now scrambling to see if they can make other modifications or resuscitate the delayed deadline through a special emergency session.



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