🏡 Your 2026 Athens property tax bill has arrived

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Together With:

Make sure you're signed up for the next Athens Scoop Dinner Club!

If you have no idea what the event I’m talking about is:

We pair tables of 6 strangers together at a great local restaurant as a way to meet new people in the city specifically tailored to your vibe.

How it works:

• Take a short personality quiz

• Get matched with 5 compatible guests

• We pick the restaurant, handle the details, and provide conversation starters

You just show up.

NEXT DATE: Tuesday, September 1st at 7:00 PM

If you've been craving conversations with substance (the kind that remind you why community matters) then this is for you. If you want to reserve your limited spot (or read about it more), just click below:

“I would definitely go again and will highly recommend to my friends!” - Sydney Burd

“I’m looking forward to the next outing!! So fun!!” - Joy Hoyt

Any questions? Just hit reply. See you there.

🍊 I Joined Orangetheory Athens Last Month. Here's the Honest Version

Quick confession: my workout routine did not survive the Georgia heat. Running outside in July is miserable, and "I'll go later" quietly became not going at all.

So in June I walked into Orangetheory Athens in Beechwood to see what all the orange hype is about. Five classes in, here's what it's actually like.

Every class is one hour and a coach runs the entire thing. You rotate between treadmills, rowers, and weights, and you never have to plan a workout or stand around wondering what to do next. You wear a heart rate monitor, which sounds intimidating until you realize it's the opposite: the workout scales to your level, so the person next to me training for a race and the retiree two treadmills down both left having gotten exactly the workout they needed. If cardio isn't your thing, their Strength 50 classes rotate upper, lower, and full body every day.

What surprised me most is that people know each other. Coaches learned my name by class two. It's been locally owned since 2016, and you can feel it.

If your routine also melted this summer, this is the easiest restart I've found. You show up, and someone else handles the thinking for an hour.

And the timing is good: right now Orangetheory Athens is offering 4 free classes for Athens Scoop Readers to try it out (for a short period). Most gyms give you one trial workout, which isn't enough to know anything. Four is enough to actually feel the difference.

Thank you to our local sponsors who help make this newsletter possible!

Presented by Team Bernstein:

🏡 Your 2026 Athens Property Tax Bill Has Arrived

The Gist: Athens-Clarke County mailed its 2026 property tax bills on Aug. 20, with payments due by Oct. 20, 2026. Property owners who haven’t received a bill should contact the Tax Commissioner’s Office, since not receiving a bill does not remove the responsibility to pay on time.

Why It Matters: If you own a home or business in Athens-Clarke County, now is a good time to check your bill and mark the October deadline. Late payments are subject to interest and penalties.

Read more here.

💻 A $40M Fiber Expansion Is Coming to Athens

The Gist: Wire 3 announced a $40 million investment to expand its 100% fiber network across Athens, with the project expected to reach more than 39,000 homes and businesses. Construction is expected to begin this fall, with the first customers potentially connected as early as this winter.

Why It Matters: The expansion could give more Athens households and businesses access to faster, more reliable internet and another option for home connectivity. For people who work from home, stream, or simply want better service, it’s a local development worth watching.

Read more here.

Call or text Holly at 404-819-5841 to see what fits your property. She’s Athens Scoop’s Recommended source for outdoor structures.

Thank you to our local sponsors who help make this newsletter possible!

🌿 Forest Bathing Experience | Sandy Creek Park | Athens | Aug. 22 | More Slow down and reconnect with nature during this guided forest-bathing experience at Sandy Creek Park.

🦋 Pollinator Census | Sandy Creek Nature Center | Athens | Aug. 22 | More Help count local pollinators during this hands-on citizen science activity at Sandy Creek Nature Center.

🧺 Athens Farmers Market | Bishop Park | Athens | Aug. 22 | More Shop from local farmers and makers during the Saturday morning Athens Farmers Market.

💃 Ritmos y Raíces Dance Weekender | Athentic Brewing Company | Athens | Aug. 21–23 | More Spend the weekend exploring Latin dance with workshops, live music, performances, and social dancing.

🍺 Athens Beer Fest | Akins Ford Arena | Athens | Aug. 22 | More Sample regional beers and enjoy a Saturday afternoon of live music and festival fun.

🎶 Live Music: Justin Vreeland | Creature Comforts Athens Taproom | Athens | Aug. 21 | More Settle in for folk, country, and Americana covers and originals during Friday evening's live music at Creature Comforts.

If you want to read any of our previous issues, check them out HERE on our website.