Georgia
Georgia Is Turning Away Federal Funds That Would Feed Kids Next Summer
For the second year, it looks likely that Georgia won’t participate in a federal program that helps feed hungry families during the summertime.
Summer EBT, also called Sun Bucks, provides qualifying families with $120 for each eligible child in their household. Congress approved the program in 2022 to help feed children who receive free and reduced-price lunches at school during summer break, when schools are closed or have limited hours.
But Aug. 15 was the first deadline for states to notify the U.S. Department of Agriculture if they plan to participate next year in Summer EBT, and the governor’s office has not provided clarity on Georgia’s decision. On Thursday, it did not immediately respond for comment on whether Georgia submitted a plan.
Two communities that could be greatly impacted by Georgia’s decision about Summer EBT are Black and rural residents in need of food assistance.
“There have been significant increases in food insecurity really across all demographic groups over the past couple of years, but Black families are significantly more likely to experience food insecurity than white families for sure, and more likely to experience food insecurity than any other large demographic group in our state,” said Kyle Waide, president and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
Earlier in the week, Garrison Douglas, a spokesperson for Gov. Brian Kemp, said in an email to Capital B that the state still had concerns around the “lack of nutrition standards” and “fiscal sustainability” of the program. Instead, the state will continue to promote its two summer feeding programs. In a separate email, Douglas said that the state’s Department of Human Services would “confirm” the state’s decision on Summer EBT “when the time comes.”
“In my mind that means that there are all these children during the summer who have nothing to eat, and, as a mom, I find that unconscionable,” said U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath in an interview with Capital B last month after she sent a letter in July to Kemp urging him to opt into the program. McBath, who represents Georgia’s 7th Congressional District, sent another letter to the governor in August with several Democratic state lawmakers, apparently to no avail.
Summer EBT does require that states split half of the administrative costs for the program with the federal government. According to Kemp’s office, Georgia would need to contribute $4.5 million. In July, the USDA announced grant funding to help states cover those costs, but this doesn’t seem to have changed the governor’s mind.
Georgia is one of at least 12 states that opted out of Summer EBT in its first year, according to the USDA’s website. By leaving federal dollars on the table, an estimated 1.2 million eligible children across the state will miss out on money next summer that might have assisted in paying for groceries in their homes. It happens as the cost of groceries has climbed by roughly 25% since February 2020, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and as nonprofit organizations are seeing an increase in demand for food assistance.
Interviews with food bank workers, farmers, and state officials ahead of the federal deadline outlined the current challenges that families in need face with finding food assistance in the summer. They include transportation challenges, inconvenient mealtimes at feeding sites, or lack of availability of feeding sites altogether.
Summer feeding program issues
While Georgia did not participate in Summer EBT this year, the state pointed Georgians toward the state’s existing summer feeding programs.
Georgia offers Happy Helpings, run by the Department of Early Care and Learning, and Seamless Summer Option, run by Georgia’s Department of Education. Both have designated sites where meals are served to school-age children in the summer, and both are funded through the USDA.
Seamless Summer Option provided more than 2.5 million breakfasts and 3.2 million lunches, and Happy Helpings served 2.8 million meals in 2023, according to Kemp’s office.
But those who work closely with families looking for food assistance say these programs are not serving as many children as they need to due to accessibility challenges.
Danah Craft, the executive director of Feeding Georgia, which is a statewide network of food banks, said that only around 13% of the students that qualify for free and reduced lunch are being served in the summer by these programs.
Craft said that many families struggle getting to the summer feeding sites because of transportation challenges during the summer and because some sites have short windows of time for eating or picking up meals.
“If children have parents who are working or if they don’t have transportation to be able to drive to where the location is, they’re not going to have access and the meal times are very prescribed,” said Craft. “You have to pick up the food, or you have to eat the meals, like between 11 a.m and 1 p.m. So there’s a lot of wonderful things about that program — it’s just not reaching enough people.”
Accessibility issues with the feeding programs are exacerbated by the fact that some counties don’t have meal sites available in their communities, and some sites end operation before the summer break is over.
Of Georgia’s 159 counties, 100 had feeding sites under the Happy Helpings program this year, up from 85 two years ago, said Cindy Kicklighter, an official with the Department of Early Care and Learning. She added that some counties missed by that program could still be served by Seamless Summer.
According to Feeding Georgia, of the meal sites that don’t require registration, 585 shut down in July. Many of those sites were with the Seamless Summer Option.
Linette Dodson, the Georgia state school nutrition director with the state’s Department of Education, said that while the parameters in Georgia for the Seamless Summer Option require that sites operate when “school is not in session,” the timeline for that operation depends on what resources are available locally with schools. She said that “several districts” operated for the full summer.
“Each district determines what they have the capacity to really support because typically this is done by the staff that works throughout the school year, and there’s always a lot of work that has to be done in preparation for the start of school when the buildings open back up,” said Dodson.
Increasing need
With access already a challenge, advocates say residents across the state are in need of extra food assistance this year.
Ashley Keyes, executive chef for the Center Helping Obesity In Children End Successfully, said nonprofits like her organization, which does pop-up food pantry events throughout the year, have been stretched thin for food resources due to the rise in need for food assistance.
Her organization is facing dual pressures. On one hand, more families are looking for assistance. On the other, there’s less food to distribute.
“What we’ve seen from that is a decrease in the number of families we serve. On average, we served 600 to 800 families twice monthly,” Keyes said. “Now we serve about 300 families a month.”
Waide, of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, said he’s seen lines lengthen at food pantries across metro Atlanta and in north Georgia because financial assistance programs that were previously available during the pandemic are now gone.
“So you have fewer resources that are being provided to people at the same time that their cost of living has gone up tremendously, and that’s causing more and more people to need help, which means we’re serving more people than we ever have,” he said.
“The food that’s available for us through donated sources and through federal commodities, it’s just not growing fast enough to keep up with the level of need.”
Black and rural disparities
That level of need has only grown among the ranks of Georgians who are food insecure and also either Black or live in rural areas. Those residents face higher barriers when accessing food for their families, including food deserts and inadequate infrastructure. Black residents are two times more likely to experience food insecurity compared to white residents, Waide said, based on the data gathered by his organization across 29 counties.
State Rep. Imani Barnes, a DeKalb County Democrat, said Black residents in some parts of her district often have less access to healthy foods compared to wealthier, whiter areas. That forces many to turn to less nutritious options like fast food or even buying groceries at gas stations, dollar stores, or convenience stores.
“If that’s what’s in walking distance, then that’s what we’re most likely to eat. And so what you’ll notice is hypertension and high obesity is prevalent more in the Black community,” said Barnes.
Keyes said that limited access to fresh produce due to food deserts, coupled with a history of illnesses like diabetes and hypertension, result in Black communities suffering greatly from food insecurity.
“It affects our population the most, I say, because of the lack of resources available to our communities,” she said. “If I go to a grocery store in downtown Atlanta or Buckhead, it looks totally different than if I go to East Point or College Park, just because of what is sold in those stores.”
Beverly Robinson runs a goat farm in rural Treutlen County, about 150 miles southeast of Atlanta. It’s one of the 59 Georgia counties that did not have a Happy Helpings meal site in 2023. The majority of those counties were rural.
Robinson said it’s common in rural areas for there to be only one grocery store, and for that store to be many miles from residential areas. Additionally, lots of people don’t have access to transportation, which can lead to inflated grocery prices, she said.
“When you’re in a community where you only have one of something, then price gouging happens because those merchants take advantage of the fact that the people can’t go anywhere else, which is a big issue in rural America,” she said.
Not too late?
While the Aug. 15 deadline is set forward by the USDA as a marker for states to help ensure that their Summer EBT program will be able to run effectively, it’s not the final say.
States are required to submit a Notice of Intent to participate in next year’s program no later than Jan. 1 to the USDA, and it wouldn’t be unprecedented for a state to join the Summer EBT program even after these deadlines.
Several states, including Louisiana, Vermont, and Nebraska, missed these deadlines in 2024 and had Summer EBT this past summer.
Those pushing for the program have not yet lost hope for a possibility of Summer EBT in Georgia. Craft said that her organization is going to continue to work with state officials and present to them their data around accessibility issues to summer meal sites in the hopes of making a convincing argument for why Summer EBT should exist in the future in the state.
McBath said that although she doesn’t understand the governor’s reasoning for not participating in Summer EBT, she’s determined to make sure that families in the state are being fed.
“We may never have an answer on why he’s chosen to make these various decisions. My goal is just to stay focused on making sure that I am equipping our children and our families to be successful going forward,” she said.
The post Georgia Is Turning Away Federal Funds That Would Feed Kids Next Summer appeared first on Capital B News – Atlanta.
ATHENS — Georgia will hold its annual spring game on Saturday, April 18. Below you can find live updates, the score and rosters for the 2026 G-Day game.
Georgia will have the red team, featuring the first team offense and second team defense, taking on the black team, which will be the first team offense and second team defense.
Georgia football live updates, highlights, roster for 2026 G-Day game
Seventh Drive Black- Red 17, Black 7
Hezekiah Millender completes a short pass to Jeremy Bell for 2 yards. Millender goes back to Bell for a gain of 10 yards. Then, Jae Lamar rushes to the left for 4 yards. Millender is sacked by Khamari Brooks for a loss of 7 yards. On 3rd & 13, Millender passes to Brayden Fogle for 32 yards. Jae Lamar picks up 5 yards on the ground. Team Black picks up the first down on a 7 yard reception by Will Taylor. Then, Bo Walker carries for a 2 yard gain. On the 10 yard line, Jae Lamar picks up 9 yards to put his team on the 1 yard line. Millender keeps for a TD.
Third Quarter
Sixth Drive Black- Red 17, Black 0
Hezekiah Millender completes a short pass to Bo Walker for 4 yards. Then Millender completes another pass to Ethan Barbour for 20 yards. After back to back it to back incomplete passes, Harran Zuriekat in brought in to kick a 48 yard FG which he narrowly misses.
Sixth Drive Red- Red 17, Black 0
Gunner Stockton completes a short pass to Craig Dandridge complete for 8 yards. Stockton attempts to get it to Dandridge again but it is incomplete. Josh Horton receives an offsides penalty which gives team Red the first down. Back to back incomplete passes by Gunner Stockton ends the drive for the Red Team.
Fifth Drive Black- Red 17, Black O
Todd Robinson picks off Ryan Montgomery’s pass intended for Ethan Barbour
Fifth Drive Red- Red 17, Black O
10 Plays 65 Yards, 5:10
The drive begins with a Ryan Puglisi incomplete pass intended for Elyiss Williams and the next play sees another incomplete pass intended for CJ Wiley. Team red picks up the first down thanks to Puglisi’s 32 yards pass to Talyn Taylor. Dwight Phillips Jr see back to back carries for a totaly gain of 3 yards. On 3rd & 7, Chauncey Bowens rushes to the left for 10 yards. On the 20 yard line, Puglisi completes a short pass to Elyiss Williams for 2 yards. Then Ryan Pugli’s pass to Jaden Reddell is good for 16 yards and a first down to put Team Red at the 4. Dwight Phillips Jr rushes up the middle for 3 yards. On 2nd & 1, Dwight Phillips Jr finds the endzone.
Fourth Drive Black- Red 10, Black 0
Ryan Montgomery’s pass intended for Ethan Barbour is incomplete. Dante Dowdell rushes to the left for a gain of 27 yards. Montgomery’s pass to Jeremy Bell is complete for 4 yards. On 2nd & 6, Bo Walker carries up the middle for a gain of 4 yards followed by another Walker carry for no gain. The drive ends after an incomplete pass intended for Talyn Taylor.
Fourth Drive Red- Red 10, Black 0
Chauncey Bowens rushes up the middle for a gain of 4 yards. Ryan Puglisi scrambles to pick up 1 yard. On 3rd & 5, Puglisi’s passed is tipped by Justin Greene.
Third Drive Black- Red 10, Black 0
On the first play, Jeremy Bell rushes for 35 yards but Lincoln Keyes draws a holding penalty. Then, Bell rushes again but there is no gain. On 3rd down, Montgomery’s pass intended for Ethan Barbour is incomplete.
Third Drive Red- Red 10, Black 0
8 Plays, 67 Yards, 4:32
Gunner Stockton’s pas intended for Craig Dandridge is incomplete. Chauncey Bowens breaks loose for an 18 yard rush. After an imcomplete pass intended for Talyn Taylor, Stockton completes a pass to Dwight Phillips Jr for 19 yards. Bowens takes a tackle for loss that brings the Red team back to the 32. Jaden Reddell gets involved with a 23 yard carry. On 1st & 9, Chauncey Bowens rushes up the middle for a gain of 2 yards. The Red Team scores on a 7 yard reception by Jaden Reddell.
2nd Quarter
Second Drive Black- Red 3, Black 0
Ryan Montgomery completes a pass to Kaiden Prothro for 2 yards followed by another pass to Prothro for 7 yards. On 3rd & 1, Bo Walker fumbles.
Second Drive Red- Red 3, Black 0
8 Plays, 67 Yards, 4:40
Stockton completes a pass to Isiah Canion followed by Dwight Phillips Jr carries for a 2 yard gain. Dwight Phillips Jr breaks loose for an explosive run of 15 yards. Then, Stockton completes a pass to Craig Dandridge for 33 yards. On the 16 yard line, Chauncey Bowens picks up 4 yards. Bowens gets the ball on the next play but there is no gain. On 3rd down, Stockton keeps but is short of the 4th down so Peyton Woodring is brought in to kick a 26 yard field goal which he makes.
First Drive Black- Black 0, Red 0
The first play sees an incomplete pass by Ryan Puglisi, intended for Ethan Barbour. Then, Nnmadi Ogboko gets the sack against Puglisi for a loss of 4 yards. On 3rd down Puglisi completes a pass to Jeremy Bell but it is short of the first down.
First Drive Red- Red 0, Black 0
The first play for the red team sees Nate Frazier rush for 5 yards. Then, Gunner Stockton pass to Chauncey Bowens is complete for yards. After an incomplete pass intended for Isiah Canion, Dwight Phillips Jr rushes for 7 yards. On 3rd down, Gunner Stockton keeps but is short of the first down.
1st Quarter
12:45 p.m. ET update: Couple of Bulldogs look like they won’t play today. As Georgia compeltes pregame warmups, wide receiver Sacovie White-Helton, linebacker Raylen Wilson and cornerback Demello Jones were not seen going through warmups. Cornerback Gentry Williams is in a white non-contact jersey, as is linebacker Zayden Walker. Both were dealing with shoulder injuries coming into today.
On the offensive line, Zykie Helton was working as the first-string right guard, with Juan Gaston at right tackle. Jah Jackson is also expected to play with the first-team offensive tackle.
11:30 p.m. ET: Georgia has released the rosters for the 2026 G-Day game. You can see them below.
RED TEAM
0 — Sacovie White-Helton
1 — Talyn Taylor
3 — Nate Frazier
4 — CJ Wiley
5 — Chauncey Bowens
6 — Isiah Canion
7 — Lawson Luckie
8 — Landon Roldan
10 — Zayden Walker
10 — Elyiss Williams
11 — Darren Ikinnagbon
12 — Ja’Marley Riddle
12 — Ryan Puglisi
13 — AJ Kruah
13 — Tyler J. Williams
14 — Gunner Stockton
15 — Khamari Brooks
15 — Ryan Montgomery
16 — London Humphreys
18 — Caden Harris
20 — Dwight Phillips Jr.
22 — Todd Robinson
23 — Tyriq Green
23 — Jaden Reddell
27 — Balke Stewart
28 — Walter Blanchard
28 — Jordan Smith
29 — Isaiah Gibson
32 — Jaylan Morgan
33 — PJ Dean
35 — Elijah Littlejohn
36 — Daniel Okonkwo
38 — AJ Lonon
39 — Will Snellings
41 — Carter Luckie
42 — Nick Abrams II
45 — Terrence Penick
48 — Duncan Carpenter
50 — Cortez Smith
52 — Valdin Sone
55 — Zykie Helton
55 — London Seymour
63 — Dontrell Glover
64 — Jahzare Jackson
71 — Earnest Greene
73 — Juan Gaston
74 — Drew Bobo
82 — Craig Dandridge
82 — Colton Heinrich
91 — Peyton Woodring
92 — Preston Carey
94 — Henry Bates
95 — Nnamdi Ogboko
96 — JJ Hanne
97 — Wade Register
BLACK TEAM
0 — Gabe Harris
1 — Ellis Robinson IV
2 — Thomas Blackshear
2 — Zion Branch
3 — Quintavius Johnson
4 — KJ Bolden
5 — Raylen Wilson
7 — Khalil Barnes
8 — Demello Jones
9 — Ethan Barbour
9 — Chris Cole
11 — Jeremy Bell
16 — Maurice Hayes
17 — Golter Ginn
17 — Amaris Williams
18 — Bryson Beaver
19 — Hezekiah Millender
19 — Justin Williams
20 — Zech Fort
22 — Donte Dowdell
24 — Braylon Conley
24 — Bo Walker
25 — Jake Bobo
25 — Jontae Gilbert
26 — Micah Bell
26 — Gentry Williams
27 — Rasean Dinkins
27 — Jae Lamar
30 — Terrell Foster
31 — Kyron Jones
31 — Wade Penn
36 — Jackson St. Clair
37 — Ben McElreath
41 — David Lalaian
44 — Jordan Hall
45 — Eli Barrow
46 — Danny Curan
47 — Will Taylor
51 — Malachi Toliver
52 — Michael Uini
53 — Zach Lewis
54 — Waltclaire Flynn
60 — Henry Peagler
65 — Dennis Uzochukwu
66 — Tyreek Jemison
67 — Clinton Barlow
69 — Graham Houston
70 — Daniel Calhoun
72 — Ekene Ogboko
75 — Mason Short
76 — Marcus Harrison
78 — Tate Helms
79 — TyQuez Richardson
80 — Kaiden Prothro
81 — Josh Horton
83 — Brady Holbert
84 — Dallas Dickerson
85 — Chase Linton
85 — Ryan Mosley
87 — Lincoln Keyes
88 — Brayden Fogle
88 — Nasir Johnson
90 — Elijah Griffin
90 — Drew Miller
91 — Justin Greene
94 — Xzavier McLeod
98 — Connor Ferguson
99 — Joseph Jonah-Ajonye
99 — Harran Zuriekat
Georgia will be without a few key players on Saturday, as outside linebacker Amaris Williams and cornerback Ellis Robinson are not expected to play due to injury.
Georgia spring game: How to watch 2026 G-Day online
This game will not be streamed over traditional cable. You can still watch the game if you have a cable subscription to ESPN. Visit the WatchESPN tab on ESPN’s homepage and find the game on either ESPN+ or SECNetwork+. Click here to watch the game.
Below is a video walking through how to watch the game.
Georgia spring game game time for 2026 G-Day
The Georgia spring game starts at 1 p.m. ET.
Georgia spring game TV Network for 2026 G-Day
The Georgia spring game will be broadcast on SECNetwork+/ESPN+.
Georgia spring game radio options for 2026 G-Day
The G-Day scrimmage can be heard loclally on WNGC 106.1, 95.5 WSB and WXKT 103.7. G-Day will also be distributed to all network affiliates and the game will be available on the Georgia Bulldogs app.
Georgia spring game rosters for 2026 G-Day
*These have not been released by UGA yet. This section will be updated as soon as the rosters are available.
WR Ted Hurst
- Height: 6’4”
- Weight: 206 lbs
- Class: Senior
- School: Georgia State
- Hands: 9 ¾”
- Arm length: 32 ⅝”
- 40-yard dash: 4.42s
- 10-Yard Split: 1.55s
- Vertical Jump: 36 ½”
- Broad Jump: 11’3”
- STATS
An unranked recruit out of Johnson High School in Savannah, Georgia, where he enrolled at Valdosta State and played two years at the small school before transferring to Georgia State in 2024.
He was a three star recruit in the transfer portal; the 211th wide receiver, and the 1,624th player. Hurst was raised in a military family and his brother, Darrell Myers Jr. was a wide receiver for Valdosta State when they won the 2018 Division II National Championship.
Hurst dominated the smaller level of competition and caught 61.1% of his contested catches during his two years at Georgia State. He dropped 14 passes (drop rate of 9.7%) and his average yards per reception was 15.4-yards with an 14.8-yard aDot and a 2.18 yards per route run number.
Hurst had an excellent 2026 NFL Scouting Combine and has quietly been a “sleeper” during the draft process.
Strengths
- Elite size + fluidity combination
- Solid thickness + muscle definition + excellent AA
- Excellent size/speed/fluidity combination
- Long strider with IMPRESSIVE acceleration and stop/start
- Has an explosive second gear
- Above-average change of direction + excellent explosiveness on in-breaking routes
- Swift transitions on the vertical plane
- Quickly gets his numbers back to the QB on curls/comeback
- Excellent ability to gear down on the vertical plane
- Very good ball skills – tracks and secures deep balls well
- Concentration is great – can pluck away from his frame
- Has acrobatic catch ability
- Wide catch radius with above-average hands
- Solid YAC ability
Weaknesses
- Limited route tree
- Route nuance and pacing could improve
- Solid YAC ability, but won’t consistently make NFL defenders miss
- Not much special teams in his past
- Was not used much as a run blocker
Summary
Ted Hurst possesses a rare blend of size, speed, and fluidity. He has an elite ability to smoothly transition/break on routes within the vertical plane (comeback/curl); he has great hip bend and explodes out of his breaks with above-average suddenness.
Hurst has traits that any WR coach would love to develop + his ball-skills are great. He’s a developmental option with a high ceiling, but his route running, timing, and ability to consistently beat NFL athletes must be refined and/or proven. He’s a high upside traits pick that may find his way into Day 2.
GRADE: 6.22
Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news and send your mailbag questions to us.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
What to expect from Georgia’s quarterback room during the spring game.
While the Georgia Bulldogs do not have a quarterback battle occuring at the moment for the starting spot, it’s still a very important position to pay attention to during the spring game. Gunner Stockton returns as the starter, but fans have not gotten to see the guys behind Stockton a whole lot throughout their careers.
With that said, here is what fans expect to see from Georgia’s quarterback room during the spring scrimmage on Saturday.
What to Expect from Georgia’s Quarterback Room on Saturday
For starters, fans should not expect to see a whole lot from Stockton. He has been with the program for a long time now. The coaching staff knows what they have in him, so the most important part is that he is ready to go when the fall rolls around.
What’s more important is for Georgia to get a good look at guys like Ryan Puglisi and Ryan Montgomery on Saturday. Puglisi served as the backup quarterback last season, but with Montgomery fully healthy this offseason, it could create a little bit of a battle for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.
So the expectation should be that Puglisi and Montgomery get the bulk of the reps during Saturday’s scrimmage. The best way to get in good graces with Georgia’s coaching staff at quarterback is to not turn the ball over and have the offense stay ahead of the sticks.
Puglisi has all of the tools in the world to be successful at the college level. The arm talent is there and he is the perfect mold for what most are looking for in a quarterback. However, he did turn the ball over against Kentucky in some limited playing time last season, so it will be important to see if he has cleaned that up this year.
As for Montomgery, this is the first real look fans will get of him since he got to Athens. He was rehabbing a knee injury he suffered during his senior season in high school last spring, but is a full go this year.
Fans can also expect to see Colter Ginn, Hezekiah Millender and Bryson Beaver some this weekend as well. Beaver got to Georgia in January after transferring out of Oregon.
Fans who are not able to attend Saturday’s spring scrimmage will be able to watch the game on ESPN+. Kickoff is set for 1 PM ET.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Mississippi5 minutes agoGeorge County High School senior killed in Highway 26 crash, MHP says
-
Missouri11 minutes ago
Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for April 18, 2026
-
Montana17 minutes ago
Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for April 18, 2026
-
Nebraska23 minutes agoGallery: Huskers Run-Rule No. 12 USC to Take Series
-
Nevada29 minutes agoIN RESPONSE: Cortez Masto lands bill would keep the proceeds in Nevada
-
New Hampshire35 minutes agoNew Hampshire grapples with nuclear waste storage – Valley News
-
New Jersey41 minutes agoNearby shooting interrupts 13-year-old’s birthday party in Paterson; 1 killed, 3 injured
-
New Mexico47 minutes agoCalm and warmer conditions move into New Mexico