🎄 Flip the switch

WonderLights flips the switch Friday, Nov. 13 — Hey there! It’s Ansley Kelly with our weekly Athens newsletter. ❄️ The holiday season is getting underway in Athens, as Winter WonderLights prepares to open at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia for its sixth year. The garden hosted a special ticketed preview event Thursday, giving people an early look at the more than 2 million lights. The lights at the garden open to the public Nov. 19. You can read more about Winter WonderLights here . 🏈 Meanwhile, Georgia football returns to Athens on Saturday. At 3:30 p.m., the No. 1 Bulldogs take on the Missouri Tigers in an SEC matchup at Sanford Stadium (960 AM/106.1 FM; ABC). In other local and regional news… 🚌 Athens-Clarke County Transit is celebrating 50 years of public transportation in Athens. The system launched in 1976 and currently offers fare-free rides throughout the county, connecting residents to work, school, health care and more. 🐕 Ahead of the holidays, Three Dog Night Rescue , Dirt Road Doggies Rescue and other area nonprofits are lining up seasonal fosters and addressing worries about dog abandonment. ⚖️ A 17-year-old has been convicted in connection with the 2024 fatal shooting of 20-year-old Cameron Manago at Rolling Ridge Apartments. Keanthony Sorrells was found guilty of felony murder, armed robbery, and other charges. He is the second and final defendant convicted in the case, according to the state attorney general’s office. WUGA previously reported on Sorrells’ arrest . 🌳 The Oglethorpe County Board of Education will receive more than $125,000 in state funding to help offset the tax revenue lost from timber trees damaged during Hurricane Helene in 2024. The grant is part of a statewide program providing relief to 93 counties affected by the storm. 🏛️ Crawford resident Jane Kidd has been named a co-chair of governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms’ transition team. Kidd, who chairs the Oglethorpe County Democratic Committee, previously represented the Athens area in the Georgia House and led the state Democratic Party from 2007 to 2011. ✏️ The Georgia Department of Education is rolling out a new statewide initiative to help teachers bring more writing into their classrooms. Through Georgia Writes , educators will receive training and resources to help students develop writing skills across different subjects. Have a great weekend, and Go Dawgs! Ansley 🛍️ Be a holiday gift-giving superstar! Shop unique, locally made gifts at Midtown Artisan Markets, Nov. 22 & Dec. 13. Enjoy festive activities, special giveaways, and family fun at Midtown Green, 98 14th St. Free admission , noon–5 p.m. SPONSOR MESSAGE The sweet twist inside Treehouse Kid & Craft 🎨 Treehouse Kid & Craft is more than just an Athens toy store. Alongside its selection of toys and fidgets that fill nearly every available space at the shop, Treehouse offers art classes and also sells candy from around the world and soft-serve ice cream. Owner Kristen Bach first opened Treehouse in 2010 on the outskirts of downtown Athens. But in 2023, she relocated Treehouse to Barber Street in the historic Boulevard neighborhood, creating an opportunity to expand the business with an ice cream shop called Treathouse Candy and Cones . Since moving to Barber Street, she’s found that more college students visit the shop. Adult customers sometimes tell her they visit simply because they need a little happiness in their day, along with a sweet treat from the soft-serve counter. 🍦 Read more about Treehouse and Treathouse here . Love at first arrival in Spartan Estates SPONSORED BY GENA KNOX OF DWELL REAL ESTATE 🏡 Some homes win you over the moment you arrive. This one sits on a quiet cul-de-sac in Spartan Estates , newly built with six bedrooms and a finished basement. Listed for $2.75 million, the home centers on a vaulted living room where exposed beams and a wood-paneled fireplace wall make every evening feel like an occasion. A kitchen of custom inset cabinetry and quartzite sits just beyond. ➞ Gena Knox, co-founder of Dwell Real Estate, is one of Athens’ top-producing agents and holds the record for the city’s highest in-town residential sale. SPONSOR MESSAGE ☕ Nosh Cafe Breakfast and Coffee ; today at 8 a.m. at Athentic Brewing. 🏈 Georgia Bulldogs vs. Missouri Tigers ; tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. at Sanford Stadium. 🧺 Crow Market ; Sun., Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. at Creature Comforts Brewing Co. More Events 🛍️ Be a holiday gift-giving superstar! Shop unique, locally made gifts at Midtown Artisan Markets, Nov. 22 & Dec. 13. Enjoy festive activities, special giveaways, and family fun at Midtown Green, 98 14th St. Free admission , noon–5 p.m. SPONSOR MESSAGE ⚒️ Private Collection : Find coins, toys, collectibles and firearms from a local private collection in Athens. Arrive early to browse before bidding. Sun. 💿 Moving Sale : Owners are leaving a large collection of vintage albums, entire house of furniture, holiday decor, TVs, outdoor furniture, a hot tub, a pressure washer and more. Sat.-Sun. 🖼️ Art in Braselton : Come for framed art, ceramics, decorative mirrors and tables, games, glassware and more. Fri.-Sun. 👓 About 50 blind Georgia veterans received free glasses powered by artificial intelligence that can help them move through the world more freely. People who can’t see can ask camera- and microphone-equipped “smart glasses” what’s in front of them. ☎️ Georgia voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment last week allowing lawmakers to create a dedicated fund for 911 upgrades. Now they must decide how to pay for it. 🏟️ The SEC Championship game , held in Atlanta every year since 1994, will be played for the final time Dec. 5 — its 35th edition — as the College Football Playoff expands to 24 teams next season. Georgia has appeared in 13 of the games, winning six, including the last two. 🛍️ Be a holiday gift-giving superstar! Shop unique, locally made gifts at Midtown Artisan Markets, Nov. 22 & Dec. 13. Enjoy festive activities, special giveaways, and family fun at Midtown Green, 98 14th St. Free admission , noon–5 p.m. SPONSOR MESSAGE 🌱 Shoal Creek Sanctuary is looking for volunteers to remove invasive species, plant native species and raise fences. 👩‍👩‍👧‍👧 Help growing families by counting, sorting, and/or wrapping diapers with the Athens Area Diaper Bank. 🌼 Plant daffodil bulbs on the Loop 10 College Station Road on and off ramps with PSO’s Week of Service.