Top Stories for August 22nd
Publish Date: August 22nd
Commercial: PREMEIER HEATING AND AIR
From the Ingles Studio, Welcome to The Community Podcast. This Podcast brings you the top stories from the Rockdale-Newton Citizen and the Morgan Citizen.
Today is Friday, August 22nd and Happy birthday to Norman Scharzkoff
I’m Peyton Spurlock and here are your top stories presented by Times Journal
Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on budgeting
These stories and more are coming up in today’s edition of the Community Podcast for Rockdale, Newton, and Morgan Counties! Please like, follow, and subscribe.
BREAK: ARTISAN MARKET
STORY 1: Trans Am Takeover: October event to celebrate ‘Smokey and the Bandit’
Remember Smokey and the Bandit? Turns out, Jonesboro played a big role in the 1977 classic, and this fall, the town’s rolling out the red carpet—well, metaphorically—for a weekend-long celebration.
The Trans Am Takeover runs Oct. 17-19, with Saturday, Oct. 18, dedicated to downtown Jonesboro. Expect 100+ Trans Ams (yes, including the Snowman semi-truck), local food trucks, filming location tours, and even a live band playing Jerry Reed’s hits.
Fun fact: Burt Reynolds himself visited Jonesboro in 2017 for the movie’s 40th anniversary. He got a key to the city—and a day named after him.
STORY 2: Madison and Morgan Forge Alliance On Northside Bypass Proposal
Madison’s push for a Northside Bypass—a $30 million project to connect Highway 83 to Highway 441—sparked a lively debate Tuesday between city and Morgan County leaders. The goal? A safer, less congested Madison. But not everyone’s sold.
City Engineer Aaron Wadley pitched a route along Head Road, designed to minimize land grabs.
County Commissioner Ben Riden wasn’t convinced.
Collaboration remains key, but tensions linger.
STORY 3: EchoPark Speedway to host two NASCAR weekends in ’26
NASCAR fans, mark your calendars: EchoPark Speedway is bringing the heat in 2026 with two action-packed race weekends.
First up, the spring race weekend, Feb. 20-22, kicks off just after the Daytona 500. The headliner? The brand-new Autotrader 400, promising high-speed drama and, if history repeats, record-breaking lead changes.
Then, July 11-12, it’s back under the lights for the Quaker State 400. This year, it’s part of NASCAR’s In-Season Tournament—think 190 mph duels for a $1 million prize.
Doubleheaders, night races, and non-stop adrenaline. Atlanta’s high banks are ready. Are you?
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We’ll be right back
Break: COPY CENTRAL
STORY 4: MoCo Marlins Make Big Splash At 2025 Championship
The MoCo Marlins made waves—literally—at the 2025 GRPA Class C State Championship, leaving the competition in their wake.
Jordan Ferguson couldn’t stop raving about the team’s performance: top-eight finishes in nearly every race, a haul of first-place wins, and personal bests all around.
Shoutout to Coaches Beth Austin-Bowen, Thomas Bradshaw, and Emelia Austin-Bowen for guiding these young athletes to greatness.
From individual victories to relay domination, the Marlins owned the pool. Special congrats to every swimmer—you’ve earned every cheer and then some.
STORY 5: Georgia lawmakers plan for federal cuts to already ‘underfunded’ public health services
With federal funding cuts looming, Georgia lawmakers are scrambling to rethink the state’s public health system. At a hearing Wednesday, they dug into the numbers: nearly half of the $922.5 million public health budget comes from federal dollars—money that could dry up fast.
Dr. Kathleen Toomey, the state’s public health commissioner, called it a chance to “reimagine” public health, but there’s a catch. More flexibility might mean fewer services, especially in rural areas already struggling.
With a potential government shutdown weeks away, the clock’s ticking.
We’ll be right back.
Break: NEWTON FEDERAL BANK
And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on budgeting
We’ll have closing comments after this.
Break: Ingles Markets
Signoff-
Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Community Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at https://www.rockdalenewtoncitizen.com/ and https://www.morgancountycitizen.com/news/
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