Conversation about the evolution of artistry and the history of iconic music legends quickly turns into a rabbit hole among deep-diving music fans, and it’s a conversation that local creative Chris McKay is well equipped to indulge. Artificial intelligence (AI) is an inevitable but explosive part of the conversation in the present, and one that McKay has felt personally. “My only problem that I have with AI is when people try to lie about it, or be manipulative about it, or try to make yo...| Flagpole
Official enrollment statistics won’t be released until later this fall, but the University of Georgia will likely set new enrollment records. UGA fall semester classes began Aug. 13 with a freshman class of more than 6,200, out of a stunning applicant pool of more than 48,000 (not all those who apply are accepted, and not all those accepted enroll), along with more than 2,050 new transfer students, according to a university press release. This is the fourth consecutive year of 6,000-plus fi...| Flagpole
Affordable housing will be the top issue in the race for mayor, according to candidate Tim Denson, who is also planning a “moon shot” effort to address homelessness if elected. Denson wrapped up a series of summer campaign events last week by fielding questions from a small group of voters at Normal Bar. The former Athens-Clarke County commissioner said he would deal with an affordable housing crisis by encouraging building more housing and more diverse types of housing, as well as by bee...| Flagpole
Drummer Bob D’Amico (Sebadoh, The Fiery Furnaces) gets triggered onstage, and it’s intentional. Working under the project name No Chief, D’Amico explores the concept of synesthesia—i.e. the involuntary experiencing of a second sense while experiencing a primary one (e.g. tasting colors, hearing images, etc.). The focal point of his live show is a piece named “Il Contadino,” during which D’Amico plays drums live behind a semi-transparent screen and reacts immediately to images pr...| Flagpole
Cobbham residents are asking the developer of a hotel behind the former UGA President’s House on Prince Avenue to reduce the size of the building by almost two-thirds. Gainesville-based Capstone Property Group has proposed an 88,000 square-foot, 116-room hotel on the five-acre property, with the historic house serving as a restaurant, bar and suite. The Historic Cobbham Foundation voted to support a hotel that’s about 30,000–38,000 square feet, in line with The Rivet House hotel at the ...| Flagpole
Earlier this month, Mayor Kelly Girtz announced that, for the first time, Athens had made it through half the year without a single murder. “This has been a team effort with ACCPD, every community support organization, and every resident,” he posted on social media. “We continue to strive for improvements, but this is a huge accomplishment.” That does not mean, however, that Athens no longer has a gun violence problem. From 2021–2024, there were 436 shootings in Athens, wounding or ...| Flagpole
Clarke Central High School student Noah Kilpatrick found a way to connect his passion for running to a community service project for the Eagle Scouts, resulting in a uniquely impactful opportunity that engages multiple communities within Athens. The Eagle Scout project is the last step in becoming a full Eagle Scout, and scouts submit a detailed proposal to the organization’s board for a project that benefits the community. Once approved, the scout works with a project coach and must show l...| Flagpole
The two organizations are unrelated, but the YWCO and YMCA share similar missions, play similar roles in the Athens community, and both are embarking on capital campaigns to expand and modernize their facilities. The YWCO recently sold a 22-acre parcel it had purchased in 2007, when a senior housing developer made an offer they couldn’t refuse for its Research Drive land. That project fell through, however, and the board of directors eventually realized they could not afford to maintain two...| Flagpole
Mayor Kelly Girtz introduced a $202 million general fund budget for Athens-Clarke County last week, down $2 million from the current fiscal year, keeping the property tax rate level at 12.45 mills. The budget includes pay raises for ACC employees but few new initiatives, adding just 12 positions to the county government workforce of 1,800. “I wanted to be extremely cautious,” Girtz told Flagpole, noting uncertainty about the national economy, potential federal budget cuts and a new floati...| Flagpole
For over 35 years in Athens, GA, Flagpole has taken a fiercely independent, hyperlocal approach to covering politics, music, art, food and culture, in addition to providing a comprehensive events calendar. Put simply, we keep Athens informed on the who, what, when, where and why of goings-on around town. Unlike many other newspapers, Flagpole has always been and will continue to be free, thanks largely to Athens’ local business community. In exchange for their support, our partners reach m...| Flagpole
The Athens-Clarke County Commission split along familiar lines in approving Commissioner Mike Hamby’s budget proposal that, in a novel juggling act, uses accumulated interest from sales tax collections to pay for a small property tax cut and a number of requested items, such as raises for sheriff’s deputies. Commissioner Carol Myers had proposed a budget that included a much smaller amount of SPLOST and TSPLOST interest—Hamby’s budget included $6.7 million and Myers’ $1.5 million—...| Flagpole
Superior Court Judge J. Wade Padgett denied the request of community group Inner East Athens Neighbors to move the date of the special election to replace former commissioner Mariah Parker to Nov. 8. The special election to fill the vacated District 2 commission seat will remain on Mar. 21 as originally scheduled by the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections. Several District 2 voters officially joined Inner East Athens Neighbors in their lawsuit seeking to force the ACC Board of Elections t...| Flagpole
