Georgia
Trillions of Cicadas will ascend onto Georgia in the coming weeks. Here's why this time is different
Cicada-geddon to hit Georgia soon
This year is special because the Great Southern Brood is popping up at the same time as the Northern Illinois Brood. It’s the first time they’ve coincided since 1803, and biologists say that won’t happen again until 2245.
Soon, trillions of periodic cicadas will ascent from Georgia’s dirt for the first time since 2011.
The insects’ deafening mating call has become music the Dr. Nancy Hinkle’s ears. She’s an entomology professor at the University of Georgia.
“This is the emergence of the 13-year cicada called the Great Southern Brood,” Hinkle said. “It’s a novelty. It’s a great excuse to take your grandkids to the mountains, look for periodical cicadas, and explain the life cycles to them.”
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Hinkle said they’ve spent the last decade underground, patiently waiting for the ground to get to a perfect 64 degrees this year.
“These cicadas will emerge only where their parents were 13 years ago,” she said.
This year is special because the Great Southern Brood is popping up at the same time as the Northern Illinois Brood.
It’s the first time they’ve coincided since 1803, and biologists say that won’t happen again until 2245.
While Metro Atlanta won’t get a double dose of the screaming critters like parts of the Midwest, Hinkle says the next few weeks will be prime for cicada eavesdropping in North Georgia.
“Particularly the very western, very northwestern part of the state,” she said. “That’s where we found some of the largest numbers 13 years ago in the emerged.”
It’s tough to say how many cicadas will make their voices heard across the south, but some estimates are in the quadrillions.
Hinkle expects them to go back underground by late June.
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It can be hard to find a truly unique experience for your next vacation. That’s where Travel + Leisure comes in.
Back in May, members of the publication’s team created a list in celebration of America’s 250th Fourth of July, highlighting a unique experience in each state “from hidden gems to iconic highlights and editor-approved favorites.”
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Most unique experience in Georgia
The Georgia spot highlighted was the World of Quercus. Here’s what writer Lydia Mansel said about it:
“The 3,800-acre property, dotted with pecan groves and cabins, isn’t your run-of-the-mill retreat. Guests are encouraged to roam the land by golf cart or on foot, visit the biodynamic vegetable garden, fish the Flint River, and connect with the ranch’s horses. Owned by Chiara Visconti di Modrone and her husband Angelos Pervanas, Quercus is a place where relaxation comes in many forms—and you can design your experience to fit your pace and preferences.”
Where is Quercus?
Quercus is in Gay at 208 Caldwell St. It’s about 30 miles east of LaGrange and over 50 miles south of Atlanta.
How much is Quercus per night?
The Sylva, Ember, and Cypress cabins are $2,700 per night. The Naya cabin is $4,500 per night.
Unique experiences in the South
- Alabama: Freedom Monument Sculpture Park
- Florida: Greater Florida Everglades
- Georgia: Quercus
- Kentucky: Kentucky African American Heritage Trail
- Louisiana: New Orleans Museum of Art
- Missouri: Anheuser-Busch Brewery
- Mississippi: Vikin’s Mississippi Delta Explorer
- North Carolina: Good Hot Fish
- South Carolina: Casual Crabbing with Tia
- Tennessee: Blackberry Farm
- Virginia: Chincoteague Island
- West Virginia: New River Gorge National Park
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
APPLING COUNTY, Ga. (WCYB) — The co-owner of Yurezz Home Center in Greeneville has been arrested in Georgia, according to a report obtained by News 5.
Earlier this week, News 5 told you about the dealership in Greeneville that abruptly shut down last month.
This has left homeowners with partially built homes and employees without jobs.
It is not yet clear why Richard Altman was taken into custody.
This is a developing story.
Georgia
Georgia Supreme Court upholds convictions of men in deadly shooting during gas station carjacking
Two men found guilty of murdering a man while he was pumping air into his tires at a Georgia gas station will remain in prison, the Georgia Supreme Court has ruled.
Miles Chatezal Collins and Josiah Hughley, Jr. had appealed to the state’s highest court after they were found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, violating Georgia’s Street Gang, Terrorism and Prevention Act, and hijacking a motor vehicle, among other charges in 2025.
The men’s charges stem from a shooting on July 10, 2022, at a QuickTrip gas station in Peachtree Corners. According to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, 30-year-old Bradley Lamar Coleman had stopped at the gas station to fill up his tires when Collins, Hughley, and a third man pulled up beside him and tried to steal his Dodge Charger.
When Coleman tried to stop the men, officials say they shot him and fled the scene.
Authorities say the three men were members of the Blood gang and had tried to steal the car to increase their status.
While their first trial ended in a mistrial due to a comment by the prosecution, a jury found Collins, Hughley, and their co-defendant, David Jarrad Booker, guilty of more than a dozen charges in 2025. They were each sentenced to life plus 145 years in prison.
In Collins and Hughley’s appeal to the state Supreme Court, they argued that there was insufficient evidence to support some of the charges and that the judge in the case improperly admitted certain evidence and committed errors in instructing the jurors.
The justices’ rulings disagreed, finding that their attorneys failed to object to the supposed errors and that the two men’s claims were insufficient.
The judges also found that a claim by Hughley that his counsel failed him by not asserting that a statement made to law enforcement should have been suppressed. With those findings, the Supreme Court chose not to overrule the case, letting the convictions and sentences stand.
“We are grateful for this affirmation from the Georgia Supreme Court,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “Thanks to the incredible work of our team of trial and appellate prosecutors, and all of the staff that assisted with defending these convictions, two dangerous criminals will remain in prison.”
Booker’s appeal remains pending.
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