Georgia
Georgia snow, ice, freezing temperatures: GDOT treats roads before winter weather hits
What’s brine? GDOT starts winter weather prep
The Georgia Department of Transportation is already pre-treating roads with brine around the clock in preparation of the extremely cold temperatures and potential for ice over the next few days.
Crews with the Georgia Department of Transportation are out pre-treating roads with brine around the clock, trying to stay ahead of the below freezing temperatures over the next few days and the potential road hazards that could bring.
What they’re saying:
“We’re using everything. That means every piece of equipment, every individual that we can get on the road to treat safely, and every material we have,” said Georgia Department of Transportation Spokesperson Natalie Dale.
What we know:
GDOT brine trucks started rolling out at 7 a.m. Sunday, and will likely keep rolling well into the week.
They’re working to keep all 6,000 miles worth of interstate lanes treated, as well as overpasses, bridges and state routes.
Extreme cold weather in Georgia poses challenges
Dig deeper:
Dale says they’re starting now, even before snow and ice are forecast, because of just how low the temperatures will be for the next few days.
“We’re dealing with temperatures that really stretch how effective brine can be. So we’re getting that brine treatment down now when we’re still above 20 degrees to get as much benefit from that as we can,” Dale said.
Dale says when the brine becomes no longer effective, they have other materials ready to go.
“Following with the salt, the rock and when we have icy spots we’ll be using the calcium chloride,” Dale said.
But, she acknowledged that despite their best efforts, the weather may still prove treacherous to drive in.
Car flips over on Hall County I-985
Georgia officials are urging drivers to stay off the roads due to icy conditions. In Gainesville, a car flipped on its side on Interstate 985. Luckily, officers say no one was injured in the crash.
“That doesn’t mean we stop working throughout the scenario. It means, again, that we’re doing everything we can do,” Dale said.
During the last round of snow and ice on Jan. 9, crews from Middle and South Georgia were able to assist in North Georgia.
But now, with freezing temperatures across the entire state, they won’t have that luxury.
“We’re talking top to bottom winter weather impacts throughout the State of Georgia, and that is something we don’t experience all that often,” Dale said.
GDOT ready for snow, ice, winter storm
Despite the potential strain on their resources, Dale asserts GDOT is ready.
“We have what we need. We have the brine filled, we have salt filled, and we have the crews strategically placed throughout the state,” she said.
Dale says they also have contractors on standby as backup in case they’re needed.
What to do if you see GDOT trucks on the road
What you can do:
Right now, GDOT is not advising drivers to stay off the roads.
But they are advising drivers to stay back at least a hundred feet from their trucks.
“Steer clear of our vehicles. We are less effective when we have to deal with cars. Certainly, the ones that are tailing or following too closely are impeding the work that our crews are doing because those dumps are loaded with rock and salt. If you are following too closely, it is highly likely you’ll be replacing your windshield,” Dale said.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation. This article is based on original reporting by FOX 5 Atlanta’s Eric Mock.
22 sea turtles released into the ocean at Jekyll Island
Mystic Aquarium, a Connecticut-based aquarium and animal rescue organization, released 22 sea turtles into the Ocean at Jekyll Island.
A quiet stretch of the Georgia coast is back in the national spotlight.
In a recent feature, Southern Living highlighted the Golden Isles as one of the South’s most serene escapes, praising the region’s undeveloped marshes, barrier islands and slower pace compared to other East Coast beach destinations.
Located roughly halfway between Savannah and Jacksonville, the Golden Isles include Brunswick, Sea Island, St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island and Little St. Simons Island.
Here’s what to know.
What makes Georgia’s Golden Isles different?
Unlike more densely developed beach towns in neighboring states, Georgia’s coastline is defined by tidal creeks, salt marshes and wide stretches of protected land.
“The coast of Georgia is quite different than the shores of North Carolina or South Carolina,” Southern Living wrote. “It’s wilder and quieter, and it’s much less populated with beach towns.”
While the islands offer modern resorts and vacation homes, much of the natural character remains intact.
One of the most photographed spots is Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, known for its haunting remains of a maritime forest scattered along the shoreline.
Where are visitors staying?
The publication pointed to several well-known properties across the islands:
- The Cloister at Sea Island
- Jekyll Island Club Resort
- St. Simons Island: The Grey Owl Inn and the St. Simons Lighthouse.
Little St. Simons Island, accessible only by boat, was highlighted for its all-inclusive lodge and thousands of acres of protected marshland and upland habitat.
What can you do in the Golden Isles?
Southern Living emphasized simple, immersive experiences:
- Biking under live oaks
- Kayaking through marsh creeks
- Horseback riding along the beach
- Watching sunsets over the water.
Public beaches like East Beach on St. Simons Island remain open to visitors, while golf courses on Jekyll Island and St. Simons offer year-round play.
The region’s history also plays a major role. Visitors can climb the St. Simons Lighthouse, explore historic districts in Brunswick or learn about Gullah Geechee heritage through local organizations.
For more information, visit southernliving.com/georgias-golden-isles-11906085.
Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.
ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp on Tuesday signed HB 973, the amended Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
The amended budget includes $2 billion in income and property tax relief, alongside investments in education, public safety, mental health, transportation and rural development.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones praised Gov. Kemp, saying the budget…
“Makes critical investments in middle-class families, mental health services, healthcare workforce development, transportation and Georgia’s veterans community.”
Key allocations in the amended budget include:
- Education and Workforce Development: $325 million to endow the DREAMS Scholarship, a new needs-based scholarship program; $6 million for a Career Navigator tool; and funding for new and expanded programs at University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia institutions.
- Public Safety: $150 million for Department of Corrections bed space, $9.7 million for additional corrections officers, $15 million for a new K-9 training facility, and $50 million to help communities address homelessness, including among veterans.
- Mental Health: $409 million to design and construct a new Georgia Regional Hospital to expand mental health bed capacity.
- Transportation: More than $1.6 billion to extend and expand I-75 express lanes in Henry County; $185 million for SR 316 interchange conversions; $100 million for rural bridge rehabilitation and replacement; and $250 million for local maintenance and improvement grants.
- Rural Georgia: $15 million for rural site development grants; $35 million for a new natural gas infrastructure program; and $8.9 million for the Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative.
Governor Kemp says the state’s conservative budgeting approach has allowed Georgia to provide tax relief while making “generational investments.”
MACON, Ga. (WGXA) — Middle Georgia Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has issued a statement regarding the U.S. and Israel’s joint strikes on Iran over the weekend.
According to other WGXA articles, based on reports as of early March 2026, the United States and Israel have launched major, coordinated military operations against Iran, labeled in reports as “Operation Epic Fury” and “Operation Midnight Hammer”. This follows months of failed nuclear negotiations and escalating regional tensions.
RELATED | Hegseth insists US-Israel strikes on Iran are ‘not Iraq, not endless’
WGXA asked Middle Georgia DSA, the largest activist organization in Middle Georgia, for their opinions on the strikes, and they responded with this:
The strikes on Iran, carried out by the United States and Israel, mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal act of aggression. The Iranian people do not deserve to live in fear of American bombs and of the instability of regime change. Americans do not want our tax dollars and the lives of our people to be wasted on opening up a new war in the Middle East, or on bombing girls’ elementary schools. We want relief from the affordability crisis. We want peace. Middle Georgia DSA unequivocally condemns these attacks and any politicians who cannot do the same. We do not want this, we do not deserve this.
DSA added that they are not currently planning any protests at this time, and that they “remain focused on improving the conditions of people who live within our communities directly, and do not feel a protest is the best strategy to deliver on that.”
Middle Georgia DSA condemns U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, calls escalation ‘illegal’, March 2, 2026 (Image is meant to say 2026 instead of 2025, Courtesy of GCSU Mutual Aid)
However, GCSU Mutual Aid, a grassroots, community-led initiative focused on collective care and resource sharing within the Milledgeville and broader Middle Georgia area. While not an official department of Georgia College & State University (GCSU), it frequently operates in coordination with student-led groups and local residents to address gaps in traditional social safety nets.
RELATED | GCSU encourages peaceful expression ahead of national ICE walkout
GCSU Mutual Aid is planning a protest for Wednesday, where they will be “Marching for Democracy” in retaliation to recent events in the U.S.
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