32+ min ago (510+ words) November 30, 2025 / 3:03 PM EST / CBS Atlanta Atlanta homeowners have endured steep property tax increases for the last two years " a trend driven by soaring home values, new development, and rapid population growth. For many older residents on fixed incomes, those increases pose a real threat: displacement from the homes and neighborhoods they've lived in for decades. One program, launched by Invest Atlanta, is working to change that. Mary Johnson, a 75-year-old retired nurse, has lived in her home off Metropolitan Parkway since 2005. Her neighborhood, just blocks away from the Atlanta BeltLine, has seen development accelerate " and so have tax bills. "I've been here since '05 and the property taxes have gone up, especially with the Beltline being only a couple of blocks away," Johnson said. Her most recent tax bill totaled $3,517, up from $3,449 the year before. For Johnson, who lives on a…...

1+ hour, 31+ min ago (278+ words) November 30, 2025 / 2:04 PM EST / CBS Atlanta A Hiram police officer and their family are without a home after a fast-moving fire tore through their house on Baywood Crossing Thursday morning " as powerful winds pushed flames and smoke across the neighborhood and made firefighting conditions "especially difficult," according to officials. Paulding County Fire & Rescue says multiple crews rushed to the home, located near Hiram High School and the Hiram-Douglasville Highway, shortly before noon. When firefighters arrived, heavy smoke and flames were shooting from the structure. No residents or firefighters were injured, officials said " a relief for neighbors who watched the fire move quickly in the strong holiday winds. In a Facebook update, Paulding County Fire & Rescue wrote that gusty winds "made conditions especially difficult," but crews "did an outstanding job" knocking down the fire and protecting nearby homes. Fire officials say containment…...

1+ day, 14+ hour ago (318+ words) November 29, 2025 / 1:04 AM EST / CBS Atlanta In a low-scoring showdown that lived up to the rivalry's reputation, the Georgia Bulldogs held off the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 169 Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, extending Georgia's dominance in the annual Gridiron Classic. The victory marks Georgia's eighth straight win over Tech in the series known as Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. Georgia Tech struck first with an early field goal, but Georgia responded with 13 unanswered points before halftime. Neither team found the end zone in the first half, and the only second-half touchdown came from Georgia on a short run midway through the third quarter to push the Bulldogs' lead to 163. Tech managed two more field goals to close the gap but never threatened to tie the game. The Jackets were held to under 80 total yards in the first half, struggling to build momentum against…...

1+ day, 15+ hour ago (390+ words) November 29, 2025 / 12:07 AM EST / CBS Atlanta Inside a lively room filled with music, laughter, and bold energy, a group of Atlanta seniors is getting ready to hit the runway. But this isn't your typical senior activity'no bingo cards, no quiet crafts. Here, it's all about the walk. "Anything you do in your day, you should strut," said Carrie "Dr. Tut" Tut Hamilton, the powerhouse instructor behind Seniors on the Runway. "They don't call me Dr. Tut for nothing'there's no strut without Tut!" Hamilton started the group in 2006 with a mission: to help seniors step into confidence, movement, and joy at any age. "I want them to see that in their golden years, they don't have to rock chairs'they can rock runways," she said. And for nearly two decades, she's done just that. Hamilton works with more than 400 seniors across metro Atlanta,…...

1+ day, 16+ hour ago (602+ words) November 28, 2025 / 11:07 PM EST / CBS Atlanta It's been one week since a brawl on the field led to nearly 80 players from Gainesville High School and Langston Hughes High School being suspended. The Gainesville Red Elephants were supposed to continue their playoff run in a high-stakes quarterfinal matchup against Langston Hughes on Friday, Nov. 28, but the game never kicked off. Gainesville players say the ongoing wait has devastated morale. Senior wide receiver Phillip Williams said he feared his high school career might be over. "I just remember after everything happened in the locker room, you know, thinking that I might not be able to play another football game for Gainesville High School again." Williams has played alongside some teammates since they were seven years old. "We talked about it growing up, 'We're going to win a state championship for Gainesville. We want…...

1+ day, 16+ hour ago (434+ words) November 28, 2025 / 11:05 PM EST / CBS Atlanta Families from across the metro area poured into Lenox Square on Friday, hoping to score big on Black Friday bargains as holiday shopping season officially kicked off. By 8 a.m., foot traffic at the Buckhead mall was already building. Shoppers like Alyssa Jasper of Dunwoody said getting an early start paid off. "It's been pretty good. It has gotten busier throughout the day," Jasper said. "But it hasn't been too bad. The lines haven't been too bad. I've waited maximum in line for like, 10 to 15 minutes." Jasper told CBS News Atlanta she usually skips Black Friday " but this year was different. "I just got my own job recently, so I have some expendable money and I like to shop," she said. "So, I want to get in the good deals while I can." For Woodstock mom Haley…...

2+ day, 47+ min ago (316+ words) November 28, 2025 / 2:48 PM EST / CBS Atlanta Now that Georgia's election-interference case against former President Donald Trump has been dismissed, the focus has shifted to a new question: How much could Fulton County taxpayers eventually owe? A new Georgia law allows defendants to request reimbursement for their legal bills if a prosecutor is disqualified and the case is dismissed " a change WSB-TV reports was written specifically for this purpose. Attorneys told the station the financial impact on Fulton County could reach "millions" and possibly "tens of millions," though no formal claims have been filed yet. Here's what we know " and don't know " based on verifiable public records. Public filings reviewed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) show Trump's PACs have spent upward of $5.5 million on Georgia-based attorneys since 2021. That includes: All figures are sourced directly from PAC disclosures reviewed by the AJC. The…...

2+ day, 15+ hour ago (389+ words) November 27, 2025 / 11:55 PM EST / CBS Atlanta The Norman sisters definitely have something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving: they just won big on Family Feud. The five sisters " four living in metro Atlanta and one in California " brought their energy, humor, and unmistakable charisma to the popular Steve Harvey-hosted game show. Their episodes, filmed back in March, finally aired this month. As soon as they hit the stage, their enthusiasm was impossible to miss. "We're the Normans! Wooooo!" they cheered in their opening moment on screen. Even Steve Harvey couldn't help hyping them up: "From Atlanta, Georgia" It's the Norman Family!" For sister Liz Knipe, who lives in Atlanta, appearing on the show was a bucket-list moment more than a decade in the making. "I've wanted to be on Family Feud forever. My first audition was in 2014," she said. The sisters…...

2+ day, 15+ hour ago (435+ words) November 27, 2025 / 11:42 PM EST / CBS Atlanta Lambert High School junior Anushka Nag didn't grow up dreaming of becoming an elite archer " but one summer activity changed everything. Today, she's one of the top young competitors in Georgia, across the Southeast, and in the nation, standing out in a sport where precision, patience, and relentless practice set champions apart. What started as a casual way to spend warm months has turned into a defining passion. Most young athletes find their sport through a role model. Anushka simply found archery " or, as her mom recalls, it found her. "We were picking something for her to do over the summer," said Vijaya Nag, Anushka's mother. "And it just started like that." Anushka, who was in seventh grade at the time, immediately felt a connection. "It's a very individualistic sport," she said. "It's the calming…...

2+ day, 16+ hour ago (398+ words) November 27, 2025 / 11:28 PM EST / CBS Atlanta Not everyone can get home for Thanksgiving, but Georgia Tech is making sure every student has a place to spend the holiday. Through the university's growing "Home for the Holidays" program, faculty and staff volunteer to host students who remain in Atlanta during the long weekend. For many, it has become a new and meaningful tradition that bridges cultures, generations, and the campus community in a uniquely Georgia Tech way. This year, Vice President for External Communications Blair Meeks and his family welcomed a group of students into their Decatur home for their first time participating in the program. "There's just so much fun and joy and love," Meeks said. "It's a really special time, and the chance for us to share this moment with students is fantastic." The Meeks family says Thanksgiving has always…...