Flocks of Geese

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Good morning, Spalding County!

I was driving early yesterday morning when two large flocks of geese passed over my truck in perfect formation. From where I was sitting, they appeared to be heading southwest, which immediately sent me down a rabbit hole: How do birds know when it is time to leave, and how in the world do they know where they are going? The answer is a combination of instinct, experience and some remarkable natural equipment. Birds use changes in daylight, temperature and food supplies to know when migration season has arrived. Once they are in the air, different species navigate using the sun, stars, Earth’s magnetic field and familiar landmarks below them. Some can even use their sense of smell. It is genuinely incredible.

That curiosity led me to BirdCast⁠, a Cornell Lab project that uses weather radar to estimate nighttime bird migration. Here is the wild part: From Wednesday night into Thursday morning, an estimated 204,500 birds crossed Spalding County. At the busiest point, roughly 30,300 were in the air at once, traveling southwest at an average of 17 mph and about 5,200 feet above the ground.

BirdCast cannot tell me whether the geese I saw were migrating or simply heading across town for breakfast. Still, I apparently had the direction right!

- Chad

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THE DIGEST

Griffin Volunteers Load 39,300 Pounds of Aid for Congo

A Griffin-led relief effort is sending a major shipment of supplies to children and families in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Volunteers gathered at the North Expressway property of Children’s Refuge to load 39,300 pounds of donated goods and equipment into a shipping container. The cargo includes a 50-by-100-foot steel building from Desoto Christian Academy, a three-level playground, new clothing, school supplies, children’s athletic equipment and a sound system for a church. Local children also joined the effort by operating a lemonade stand that raised $700 for the organization. Children’s Refuge was founded by Griffin native Coleman Bailey, whose humanitarian work began after he moved to Nepal following the devastating 2015 earthquake. The shipment extends that mission through another strong show of support from the Griffin community.

Spalding Launches Public Finance Dashboard

Spalding County residents now have a clearer way to follow how local tax dollars are collected and spent. A new online finance dashboard places budget information, revenue figures and county expenditures in one publicly accessible location. Users can compare approved budgets with actual results, review detailed financial reports and examine spending by department or category. The platform also supports downloadable data for residents who want to conduct their own analysis. Financial information will be updated regularly, giving the public a more current view than annual reports alone can provide.

Griffin Approves $5.1 Million Police Technology and Vehicle Upgrade

The Griffin Board of Commissioners approved roughly $5.1 million in police equipment and vehicles on Aug. 25, with funding included in the city’s fiscal 2026-27 budget. The largest expense is a seven-year, $4.39 million agreement with Axon Enterprise covering body and in-car cameras, Tasers, drones, software, training and cloud-based evidence storage. New tools will add automated evidence categorization, license-plate recognition, virtual-reality training, live translation in 55 languages and first-response drone support. Payments begin at $688,000.51, followed by six annual installments of $617,227.90. Commissioners also authorized $388,000 for eight Ford Interceptor vehicles from Wade Ford and $215,200 for four Ford F-150 police vehicles from Akins Ford Dodge. The vehicles will serve patrol, investigations, administration and professional standards.

DUMP SCHEDULE

Monday & Thursday: Carver (610 Carver Rd) and Woodroof (4245 Old Atlanta Rd) 11am-7pm

Tuesday & Friday: Blalock (5756 Newnan Rd) and Cabin (3865 Jackson Rd)
11am-7pm

Saturday: All centers open 7am-1pm (plus Akin for bulky items only)

Sunday & Wednesday: Closed

Got big stuff? The Akin Collection Center (841 S McDonough Rd) is for bulky items only—no regular household garbage. Open Saturdays 7am-1pm.

All centers closed on county holidays.

The Official Griffin Grapevine Hometown T-Shirt

Griffin Grapevine is where local stories, familiar faces, and hometown pride come together and now you can wear that spirit. This soft Comfort Colors tee features a richly illustrated tribute to Griffin, Georgia on the back, with irises, railroad tracks, peach, sweet tea, and classic Doc Holliday hat. Wear it around town, to community events, or anywhere you want to represent the people and stories that keep Griffin connected.

Shop the Griffin Grapevine tee and wear your hometown pride.

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

FRIDAY

Griffin Farmer’s Market 2026
When: Friday, September 4, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
What: UGA Extension Spalding County’s weekly market features local produce, honey, boiled peanuts and other regional goods. It’s an opportunity to pick up weekend groceries while supporting area growers and food producers.
Where: Kiwanis Fairgrounds, 1025 South Hill Street, Griffin, GA 30224

Griffin Bears vs. Northgate Vikings
When: Friday, September 4, 7:30 PM
What: Griffin High hosts Northgate for a non-region varsity football matchup under the lights at Memorial Stadium. Tickets are available online.
Where: Griffin Memorial Stadium, 310 East Poplar Street, Griffin, GA 30224

Griffin Christian Titans vs. Community Christian Knights
When: Friday, September 4, 7:30 PM
What: Griffin Christian welcomes Community Christian of Stockbridge for a non-region varsity football game. Tickets are available online.
Where: Griffin Christian High School, 2000 West McIntosh Road, Griffin, GA 30223

Skipstone Academy Warriors vs. Peachtree Academy Panthers
When: Friday, September 4, 7:30 PM
What: Skipstone Academy hosts Peachtree Academy of Covington in a non-region varsity football matchup. Tickets are available online.
Where: Skipstone Academy, 600 Baptist Camp Road, Griffin, GA 30223

SATURDAY

It’s Okay to Feel This Way
When: Saturday, September 5, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
What: New Avenue Life Outreach’s first-Saturday class focuses on understanding and navigating emotions. Participants will learn to identify their feelings, recognize emotions as valid, develop healthy ways to cope and express themselves, and build compassion for themselves and others. Contact NALO for attendance details.
Where: NALO Spalding, 222 Meriwether Street, Griffin, GA 30224

Homecoming Experience with Maranda Curtis
When: Saturday, September 5, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
What: Bigg Motion Entertainment and From The Ground Up Entertainment present an evening of worship featuring gospel artist Maranda Curtis. The ticketed program will include uplifting music, praise and a shared worship experience.
Where: The Griffin Auditorium, 234 East Taylor Street, Griffin, GA 30224

UPCOMING

12th Annual Doc Holliday Festival
When: Saturday, September 12, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
What: The Doc Holliday Festival returns to Griffin City Park for a free day of barbecue, history and family entertainment. The festival will feature more than 30 professional teams competing in a Georgia Barbecue Association competition, along with a People’s Choice tasting where visitors can sample barbecue and vote for their favorite. Spurred West will perform three reenactments of the famous shootout at the O.K. Corral while sharing the story of Griffin native John Henry “Doc” Holliday. A portion of the event’s proceeds will support the Spalding Collaborative for Families and Children.
Where: Griffin City Park, 601 Camp Northern Road, Griffin, GA 30224

Moonlight and Magnolias
When: Wednesday, September 16 – Sunday, September 27. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM.
What: Main Street Players opens its 2026-27 season with Moonlight and Magnolias, a fast-paced comedy set behind the scenes of one of Hollywood’s most famous films. Producer David O. Selznick has halted production of Gone With the Wind because he needs a new screenplay, so he pulls screenwriter Ben Hecht and director Victor Fleming away from their own work and locks them in his office. For five frantic days, the trio survives on bananas and peanuts while racing to rewrite the script. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors 55 and older, and $15 for students. The production runs for two weekends at Main Street Players’ intimate downtown Black Box Theatre.
Where: Main Street Players Black Box Theatre, 115 N. Hill Street, Griffin, GA 30223

WEATHER

FRIDAY

93° 🌡️ 72° | ☀️ | 11% | 💨 5 mph E

SATURDAY

94° 🌡️ 72° | ☀️ | 14% | 💨 5 mph W

SUNDAY

93° 🌡️ 71° | ⛈️ | 51% | 💨 5 mph N

THANKS!

Thanks for reading this edition of the Griffin Grapevine.

Today’s bird migration rabbit hole was a good reminder that remarkable things are happening around us all the time, even thousands of feet above our heads. Sometimes all it takes is looking up and asking one simple question.

If something interesting is happening in your corner of Spalding County, reply and tell me about it. Your tips help make the Grapevine a better reflection of the community it serves.

And if today’s issue taught you something new, or gave you a useful heads-up, forward it to someone who would enjoy it too.

P.S. Local businesses interested in reaching Spalding County readers can reply as well or email griffin@welldiem.com.