MetroMatters

ATLANTA — Early polling in the 2026 Georgia governor’s race shows unsettled contests in both parties, with large shares of undecided voters and clear signs of momentum for some candidates while others struggle to gain any traction. For conservatives in the Atlanta metro, the numbers highlight not only who is ahead but which candidates are sinking before the race has even begun in earnest. On the Republican side, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones continues to post the strongest e

ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council voted Monday to establish a new 13-member oversight commission that will guide and monitor one of the largest redevelopment strategies in city history, a multibillion-dollar plan aimed at reshaping long-neglected neighborhoods in south and west Atlanta. The panel, called the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative Commission, will serve as an advisory body as city leaders move to extend eight major tax allocation districts. Those TADs are sched

ATLANTA — A narrowly divided Atlanta City Council on Monday rejected a proposal that would have banned new short-term rentals across portions of northeast Atlanta, leaving in place the city’s current rules as pressure over neighborhood quality-of-life issues continues to grow. The measure, introduced by Councilmember Howard Shook, failed on a 7-6 vote. It would have prohibited new short-term rentals in District 7 — a swath of north Buckhead, Lindbergh, and areas bordering Bro

ATLANTA — A rapid-housing development rising near Midtown is taking shape, marking one of the most visible steps yet in the city’s push to add 500 supportive-housing units by the end of 2025. New images show significant progress at the Waterworks Rapid Housing site, located where Green Street meets Reservoir Drive in the Berkeley Park neighborhood, just west of Atlantic Station. The project features two three-story modular buildings that will provide roughly 100 studio units

ATLANTA — Demolition of the former Atlanta Medical Center campus in the Old Fourth Ward is nearing completion, marking the end of a major chapter in the city’s healthcare landscape and the beginning of a long-term redevelopment effort. The 22-acre property, once one of the largest hospital campuses in the city, has been steadily cleared over the past six months. Large portions of the main hospital structure and the adjoining parking deck have already come down as crews prepar

ATLANTA — A Mega Millions ticket worth an estimated $980 million was sold at a Publix in Newnan, marking one of the largest lottery wins in Georgia history and drawing national attention to the Atlanta metro area. The winning ticket was purchased at Publix Super Market #1816, located in the Arbor Springs Plaza on North Highway 29. State lottery officials confirmed the sale early Monday and noted that the retailer will receive a $50,000 bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ti

ATLANTA — Microsoft has broken ground on a new artificial-intelligence data center in metro Atlanta, adding another major tech investment to one of the fastest-growing data-center corridors in the Southeast. The project, highlighted in a company announcement Monday, is part of Microsoft’s nationwide expansion to support AI computing. The Atlanta facility will operate alongside a companion site in Wisconsin, with both campuses linked by a dedicated fiber-optic network designed

BALL GROUND, Ga. — A new luxury “farmstead” community on the northern edge of Metro Atlanta is selling at a rapid pace, underscoring strong demand for large-acreage living in Cherokee County. Sanctuaire Farms, a 461-acre development located just outside Ball Ground and roughly an hour from downtown Atlanta, has already sold about 70 percent of its roughly 50 available lots. The project broke ground in July and has quickly become one of the fastest-moving residential offerings

Metro Atlanta’s once-red-hot housing market is finally showing signs of cooling, with new data pointing to shifting ground across the region’s 12-county footprint. Prices have ticked down, listings are up, and buyers are starting to regain leverage not seen since before the pandemic. The median home price across Metro Atlanta sat at about $390,000 in October, a 2.4 percent drop compared to the same month last year. While modest, it marks one of the clearest year-over-year dec

MILTON, Ga.  — A North Fulton community long known for its open space and suburban character is receiving national recognition for something else: safety. Milton has been named one of the safest small communities in the United States, reflecting years of policy choices centered on controlled development, strong public safety funding and a clear commitment to preserving local quality of life. A recent national ranking listed Milton among the top communities for safety, citing

ATLANTA — Two women were hospitalized early Monday after a shooting that broke out during a dispute with a tow-truck driver near Georgia State University, according to Atlanta police. The incident happened shortly after 12:30 a.m. in a church parking lot next to the EZ Market BP on Piedmont Avenue NE, an area heavily trafficked by GSU students and residents. Police said a tow-truck operator was attempting to remove a vehicle when a man approached, pushed the driver to the gro

CANTON, Ga. — Cherokee County deputies seized about 200 pounds of methamphetamine this week, the largest meth bust in county history. Investigators say the $500,000 shipment is tied to an international network with links to El Salvador, Mexico, and MS-13. Deputies found the drugs inside a Canton storage facility. The scope of the operation shows how deeply organized crime has penetrated Metro Atlanta’s suburban counties. A shipment this large represents a distribution pipelin

ATLANTA — Metro Atlanta is once again at the center of national attention as the state’s top prosecutorial oversight agency has assumed control of the long-running 2020 election-interference case—marking yet another dramatic turn in a saga that has repeatedly pulled Fulton County’s justice system into the national political arena. Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, confirmed late Thursday that he will personally take over th

Georgia’s medical marijuana program is entering a new phase of growth as state regulators approve another dispensary in Metro Atlanta. The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission has authorized FFD Georgia Holdings to open a new location in the city. This brings the statewide total to 19 dispensaries. Patient enrollment has already surpassed 33,000 and continues to climb. The state will be required to issue more licenses once the registry reaches 35,000 patients. Metro

In a stunning result that underscores the political shift taking place in parts of Atlanta, Democratic Socialist Kelsea Bond  won the City Council District 2 race with an overwhelming 64% of the vote  on November 4, 2025. Bond, a self-described community organizer and field director for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, defeated a crowded field of more traditional Democrats and one Republican challenger. Her margin of victory was so wide that no runoff was required—an un

After failing to achieve 50% +1, three-term Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul advances to runoff. Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul is headed to a December 2, 2025 runoff after falling short of the majority needed to win outright in the November 4 municipal election. Paul, who has served as mayor since 2013, captured roughly 43 percent of the vote in a crowded field of challengers. Dontaye Carter, a community advocate and former city spokesperson, finished second with about 21 perc

The state has scheduled a special election to fill the vacancy in Georgia House District 23 following the passing of incumbent Representative Mandi Ballinger (R) in October. The general election will be held on December 9, 2025 , with early voting beginning November 17 . If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held January 6, 2026 . District 23 is located in Cherokee County and includes parts of Canton, northern Holly Springs, and surroundin

November 2025 changed everything. For years, conservatives treated metro Atlanta as a lost cause—ceded to the Left and written off as “too urban” or “too blue.” But November’s election was a wake-up call. The lesson was clear: the future of Georgia will be decided right here in the metro. If we lose Atlanta’s heartbeat, we lose Georgia’s future. That’s where MetroMatters  comes in. This isn’t just another blog or newsletter. MetroMatters  is a new platform for conservative vo