Georgia NOW News for Tuesday Fed. 24, 2026

Georgia has confirmed its second measles case of 2026. State health officials say an unvaccinated Bryan County resident who recently traveled out of state tested positive. Bryan County is part of the Coastal Health District, which also reported Georgia’s first measles case this year. In 2025, the state recorded 10 cases, including at least one in Fulton County. Health leaders are urging vaccination as the best protection and are working to notify anyone who may have been exposed.

In Atlanta, the Black Health Matters Winter Summit brought free screenings, fitness sessions and medical resources to Friendship Baptist Church, with more than two dozen partners offering services from mammograms to blood pressure checks to help close persistent health gaps. Meanwhile, the Georgia Senate has set aside $409 million in its amended budget to build a 300-bed state mental health hospital — the first since the 1960s — with a proposed location near Atlanta or Augusta. Lawmakers say local jails have become de facto mental health facilities and the investment is needed to ease the strain.

In Athens, faith leaders held a candlelight vigil outside the federal courthouse to honor people held in ICE detention, reading names of those who died in custody and calling for compassion toward immigrants. And at the Capitol, State Rep. Eric Bell is advancing the Pollution Prevention and Producer Responsibility Act of 2026, which would require producers to reduce packaging and beverage container waste, establish producer responsibility organizations and create a state advisory board to guide implementation. Supporters say similar models in other states and countries have reduced waste and strengthened sustainability.

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