Georgia
Georgia plan for $400M monkey-breeding facility met with protest
Some local residents and an animal-rights group are protesting plans for a monkey-breeding facility in southwest Georgia.
Opponents on Tuesday urged the Bainbridge City Council to block plans by a company called Safer Human Medicine to build a $396 million complex that would eventually hold up to 30,000 long-tailed macaques that would be sold to universities and pharmaceutical companies for medical research. The company says it plans to employ up to 263 workers.
Council members didn’t directly address the concerns Tuesday, WALB-TV reported.
POLICE IN PUERTO RICO RESCUE A RHESUS MACAQUE MONKEY CHASED BY A CROWD
Safer Human Medicine is led by executives who formerly worked for two other companies that provide animals for medical testing. One of those companies, Charles River Laboratories, came under investigation last year for obtaining wild monkeys that were smuggled from Cambodia. The monkeys were falsely labeled as bred in captivity, as is required by U.S. rules, federal prosecutors have alleged. The company suspended shipments from Cambodia.
Charles River had proposed a similar facility in Brazoria County, Texas, south of Houston, but it has been stalled by local opposition.
The Bainbridge facility would provide a domestic source of monkeys to offset imports, the company said. Medical researchers use the animals to test drugs before human trials, and to research infectious diseases and chronic conditions like brain disorders.
A long-tailed macaque, kept in a cage in Bangkok for use in clinical research, May 23, 2020. On Jan. 16, 2024, some residents and animal rights activists protested plans to construct a $396 million facility to breed these monkeys for medical research in Bainbridge, Georgia. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)
“In the aftermath of the pandemic, we learned the hard way that our researchers in the U.S. need reliable access to healthy primates to develop and evaluate the safety of potentially life-saving drugs and therapies for you, your family, your friends, and neighbors,” Safer Human Medicine wrote in an open letter to the Bainbridge community. “Many of the medicines in your medical cabinets today would not exist without this essential medical research and without these primates, research comes to a halt.”
But People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and some local residents say they fear the possibility of monkeys escaping into the community along with other harms.
“They’re an invasive species and 30,000 of them, we’d just be overrun with monkeys,” Ted Lee, a local resident, told WALB-TV.
Lisa Jones-Engel, PETA’s science adviser on primate experimentation, said there’s a risk that local people will be exposed to pathogens and diseases.
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“In a bid to attract a few jobs – many of them low-paying and risking exposure to zoonotic diseases – city and county officials have rolled out the red carpet for an unethical plan by some questionable characters that could spell ecological disaster and potentially spark the next pandemic,” Jones-Engel said in a statement last week.
“PETA urges Bainbridge officials to withdraw their support and shut down this project before a shovel hits the dirt,” she wrote.
The company and local officials said the nonprofit and community’s concerns are baseless. Rick McCaskill, executive director of the Development Authority of Bainbridge and Decatur County, said risks are low because veterinarians and trained staff will be working with the monkeys.
“There are going to be a lot of monkeys, there’s no question. We got more cows in the county then we got people too, and we got more chickens in the county then we have people too,” McCaskill said.
Local officials in December agreed to property tax breaks for the project – waiving them for the first 10 years and then gradually decreasing tax breaks until they end after 20 years.
Georgia
Georgia lawmaker proposes renaming Sawnee Mountain for Trump
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – A Georgia lawmaker is proposing a new name for Sawnee Mountain in Forsyth County — “Trump Mountain.”
(Forsyth County Parks and Rec)
What we know:
According to a post on social media, Rep. David Clark of Buford introduced a resolution to rename the mountain after President Donald Trump.
Clark called Trump “one of the most transformative Presidents in the nation’s history.” Sawnee Mountain is currently named after a celebrated Native American chief.
(Joyce Lupiani/FOX 5 Atlanta )
Clark is running to become Georgia’s next lieutenant governor.
Rep. David Clark joins growing race for Georgia lieutenant governor
Georgia
Weekend snow possible in parts of North Georgia
ATLANTA – While the workweek remains quiet, far eastern North Georgia and the Carolinas are bracing for a potential winter weather blast this weekend.
Chance for snow in Georgia
What they’re saying:
FOX 5 Meteorologist Jonathan Stacey says that while uncertainty remains, the ingredients for a Saturday snow event are beginning to align.
The primary window for impact is early Saturday morning through early Sunday. High-pressure conditions are expected to keep things clear through Friday, but a shifting weather pattern could open the skies just as temperatures plummet well below freezing.
By Sunday, models suggest the system will push offshore into the Atlantic, likely clearing the way for a sunny but cold end to the weekend.
Forecast could change
What they’re saying:
Current forecasting models are in “good agreement” regarding the timing of the front, though they differ slightly on how much moisture will reach the Atlanta metro area.
The European Model: Suggests the bulk of the snow will fall on the eastern side of the Appalachian Mountains in the Carolinas. The big question for North Georgia is whether that moisture will cross the state line to impact eastern communities.
The American (GFS) Model: Offers a more conservative outlook, keeping the “lion’s share” of accumulation in the Carolinas and leaving Georgia with only meager flurries in the easternmost counties and higher elevations.
Georgia snow accumulation
What they’re saying:
With temperatures expected to stay below freezing all day Saturday and Sunday, meteorologists have to account for snow ratios. Typically, warmer snow (near 32°F) is heavy and wet. However, in deep cold, snow becomes “fluffier” and stacks higher.
For example, the same amount of liquid that produces one inch of slushy snow at freezing might produce two inches of dry, powdery snow at 28°F.
While an expansion into metro Atlanta is possible, it is not yet considered likely. Current probabilities favor Northeast Georgia and the Lake Country:
- Athens 40%
- Blairsville 40%
- Gainesville 30%
- Eatonton 30%
- Atlanta 20%
- Canton 20%
- Dalton 20%
- Ellijay 20%
- Rome 10%
- Carrollton 10%
- LaGrange 10%
- Griffin 10%
Sun after weekend
What’s next:
Looking toward next week, there is a silver lining. By Groundhog Day, the sunshine is expected to return. Regardless of whether the groundhog sees his shadow, a gradual warmup is likely to follow the weekend deep freeze.
The Source: This is a FOX 5 original report with all information coming from the FOX 5 Storm Team.
Georgia
Georgia football projected defensive depth chart, starters for 2026 season
ATHENS – With the transfer portal closed and the NFL draft deadline past, we know what Georgia’s roster next season will look like.
The Bulldogs had 15 players depart the program via the transfer portal, while four players declared early for the NFL draft. Seniors such as Daylen Everette, Oscar Delp and Brett Thorson will all move on to the NFL.
With so much turnover, it can be hard to know how things stand with the Georgia roster.
But after the frenzy of early January, we now know that the Bulldogs will have one of the most talented rosters in the sport.
As the offensive depth chart below shows, the Bulldogs bring back plenty of key contributors. There are some holes that need to be filled, specifically in the secondary, but Georgia has a number of promising players eager to step up.
Georgia football 2026 depth chart, defense
Defensive tackle
- Elijah Griffin (Soph.), Xzavier McLeod (Jr.)
- Jordan Hall (Jr.),
- Nasir Johnson (R-Soph.), Carter Luckie (Fr.), Preston Carey (Fr.)
Nose tackle
- Jordan Hall (Jr.), Xzavier McLeod
- Nnamdi Ogboko (R-Fr.)
- Valdin Sone (Fr.)
Defensive end
- Gabe Harris (Sr.), Amaris Williams (Jr.)
- Joseph Jonah-Ajonye (R-Soph.), JJ Hanne (Soph.)
- Justin Greene (R-Soph.),
- AJ Lonon (Fr.), PJ Dean (Fr.)
Analysis: Much like the wide receiver position on the offensive side of the ball, don’t focus too much on who lines up where. Georgia is going to move guys around on the front. For a group that was super young this past season, Georgia brings back plenty of experience while also having a lot of upside. It could easily be the best defensive line Georgia has had since the 2021 Georgia team. With how Griffin finished this past season, he could very well be one of the best players in the country with further development.
Outside linebacker:
- Quintavius Johnson (Jr.)
- Isaiah Gibson (R-Fr.), Chase Linton (R-Fr.), Darren Ikinnagbon (Soph.)
- Khamari Brooks (Fr.)
Analysis: Harris will help here and Johnson really played well to close the 2025 season. It will be very interesting to see how Gibson, Linton and Ikinnagbon develop this offseason, as the Bulldogs will lean on them to help a pass rush that was among the worst in the SEC.
Inside linebacker:
Mac:
- Justin Williams (Jr.)
- AJ Kruah (R-Fr.)
- Nick Abrams (Fr.)
Money:
- Raylen Wilson (Sr.), Chris Cole (Jr.)
- Zayden Walker (Soph.)
- Elijah Littlejon (Fr.), Terrence Penick (Fr.)
Analysis: Even losing a likely first-round pick in CJ Allen, Georgia is simply loaded at this position. Cole and Wilson will see the field plenty, while Williams figures to soak up a lot of Allen’s former snaps. With how much talent Glenn Schumann has at the position, it will very interesting to see how Georgia gets Walker on the field. He’s a clear talent, as his performance against Texas and Alabama showed.
Cornerback:
Right cornerback:
- Ellis Robinson (R-Soph.)
- Braylon Conley (R-Soph.)
- Justice Fitzpatrick (Fr.)
Left cornerback:
- Demello Jones (Jr.), Gentry Williams (Sr.)
- Jontae Gilbert (R-Fr.), Caden Harris (Fr.)
Analysis: Robinson’s emergence as one of the best cornerbacks in football helps solve the departure of Daylen Everette. Georgia went into the transfer portal to add Williams and it will be interesting to see how he and Jones split reps in the secondary. Georgia likes the 2026 signees it got in Harris and Fitzpatrick, though the latter enters Georgia having suffered a significant knee injury at the end of his high school career.
Free Safety:
- KJ Bolden (Soph.)
- Jaylan Morgan (R-Fr.), Jordan Smith (Fr.)
Strong Safety:
- Kyron Jones (Jr.),
- Zion Branch (Sr.), Ja’Marley Riddle (Jr.)
- Todd Robinson (R-Fr.),
- Blake Stewart (Fr.)
Star:
- Rasean Dinkins (Soph.), Khalil Barnes (Sr.)
- Tyriq Green (Fr.), Zech Fort (Fr.)
Analysis: Like at cornerback, Georgia dipped into the transfer portal to add reinforcements. Riddle is more likely to help at the safety spot, while Barnes could very well help at the star position. Jones is worth watching, given how much time he missed in the second half of the season due to injury. Georgia really likes Dinkins and don’t be surprised if one of the four freshmen safeties finds a way to make an impact for the Bulldogs.
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