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| ISSUE# 058 | TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026 | HENRY COUNTY GA |
Good morning, Henry County ☀️
Go ahead and pour that second cup. You'll want it warm for this one.
Today we've got a health update out of Atlanta worth knowing, a gas deadline sneaking up fast, a voting reminder, plus graduation season kicks off, and the biggest weekend on the Square is just days away!
Let's get into it. 🦅👁️
Hantavirus Patients Being Treated at Emory After Cruise Ship Exposure
ATLANTA - Two Georgia patients are now at Emory University's Serious Communicable Diseases Unit after being exposed to hantavirus on a cruise ship. Georgia DPH says there's no public risk right now, but the virus carries a 35% fatality rate, and health officials are watching closely. Read more at GPB News →
Early Voting Closes This Thursday
GEORGIA - Georgia's May 19 primary is one week away, and early voting wraps up Friday, May 15. If you haven't been yet, find your nearest location at mvp.sos.ga.gov. Read more at Georgia Secretary of State →
Georgia's Gas Tax Break Expires in One Week
GEORGIA - Georgia drivers have been saving about 33 cents per gallon since March, when Gov. Kemp suspended the state's motor fuel tax through May 19, with no word yet on an extension. There's also talk in Washington of suspending the federal gas tax, though that would only save drivers about $2 per fill-up and still needs Congress to approve it. Read more at CBS News →
🎓 Congratulations, Class of 2026
Henry County's seniors take the stage this week. Graduation ceremonies run May 13–21 at EchoPark Speedway and HCS Performing Arts Centers. The last day of school is May 22. To every graduate and every family cheering them on… this one's yours. 🦅
Your Retirement Savings Need to Outlast You
Most retirement plans underestimate two things: how long your savings need to last, and how quietly inflation erodes them along the way.
The 15-Minute Retirement Plan helps you close both gaps with practical guidance on longevity risk, purchasing power, and building a financial plan that doesn't run out before you do.
If you have $1,000,000 or more saved, download your free guide to start.
Not So Hidden Gem 🦅 The Festival That Started With a Family and 250 Geraniums
MCDONOUGH — When 28,000 people show up for something every year, "hidden" isn't exactly the right word. But the Geranium Festival is absolutely a gem, and that's exactly why it belongs here!
It didn't start as the massive street event it is today. It started in 1977 as a modest arts and crafts festival at Big Spring Park, moved to the Square two years later, and opened that second location with roughly 55 booths.
Then Lois and Kirk Carney got involved.
The couple ran a 5-acre plant house in McDonough and decided to donate red geraniums to the festival each spring. First 250. Then 400. Then 600. Eventually, more than 800.
By 1982, the event had officially been renamed the Red Geranium Festival in honor of their generosity.
Today, the McDonough Lions Club runs the whole thing; the name has since been simplified to the Geranium Festival, and what started as a handful of booths has grown into one of Georgia's largest free outdoor festivals.
This Saturday, May 16, the Square fills up from 9am to 5pm with more than 300 vendors, food trucks, live music, and the kind of crowd that makes McDonough feel like the center of everything.
It's free to attend, open to all ages, and worth arriving early before parking gets creative.
If you go every year, you already know. If you've never been, there's no better week to start.
📍 McDonough Square · Saturday, May 16 · 9AM–5PM · Free · Geranium Festival
TUESDAY, MAY 12
Urban Ballroom Dancing 📍 J.P. Moseley Recreation Center · 1041 Millers Mill Road, Stockbridge · 🕐 Beginners 6:30 PM · Intermediate 7:30 PM · $10 per person per class · A fun Tuesday night out for all skill levels. Show up, learn some moves, no partner required.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13
In The Mix Networking — 1-Year Anniversary · 📍 Sweet Auburn BBQ, McDonough · 🕐 6PM–8PM · The Henry County Chamber's networking series turns one — bring your cards and your appetite, it's at a BBQ joint.
THURSDAY, MAY 14
Shades of Hunks – Ladies Night · 📍 Southern Roots Tavern, McDonough · 🕐 Doors 6:30PM · Early bird tickets are $14.95 — round up your crew before they sell out.
SATURDAY, MAY 16
McDonough Geranium Festival · 📍 McDonough Square · 🕐 9AM–5PM · FREE · Henry County's biggest street festival draws 25,000 people and 325+ vendors to the Square — if you go every year, you already know; if you've never been, this is the one to start with.
Joeann Compton Tennis & Pickleball Center Sign Unveiling · 📍 Richard Craig Park, 125 S. Zack Hinton Blvd., McDonough · 🕐 9AM · Henry County Parks & Rec names a brand-new facility — a quick, meaningful stop before the festival crowds arrive.
Bad Dad Joke of the Day 🤣
Why do flowers always drive so fast?
They put the petal to the metal. 🌸 🤣
That’s it for today!
Until tomorrow, keep your eyes open and your roots deep, Henry County, and if you have a tip or a story recommendation, reach out at [email protected]
Stay sharp, stay local. The Eagle Eye Digest 🦅👁️