When Macon-Bibb County civic leaders meet, The Macon Newsroom is likely in the room. As is our tradition, we close out the year’s reporting with what we’ve learned to expect in 2026. This concludes the “26 for 2026” five-part series that published Dec. 22, 24, 26, 29 and January 1.
22 Superman’s return to ‘Daily Planet’
DC Universe’s sequel to “Superman” is set to debut July 9, 2027, which means cameras will be rolling in April of 2026.
Certainly, “Man of Tomorrow” can’t hit theaters before a return trip to the “Daily Planet” of DCU’s first film — Macon’s iconic Terminal Station.
DC Studios’ co-CEO James Gunn and crew are expected to be back in Macon for scenes at the fictional newspaper office of Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.
Gunn, who wrote the sequel, has already posted on Instagram a picture of a huge stack of story boards the crew began working on after Thanksgiving.
While movie contracts are confidential, The Hollywood Reporter has already reported that Man of Tomorrow will again be filming in Georgia.
In an article about “Tulsa KIng” actor Frank Grillo, who will be featured prominently in the Superman sequel as Rick Flag Sr., will wrap up production on the Paramount+ series that also films in Macon and head straight to the UK and Georgia to work on the movie.
Just before Thanksgiving, Gunn posted on Instagram a picture of a stack of new story boards for the film.
23 KMBB Explores composting
Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful could be coming after your table scraps in 2026.
In the new year, the local beautification effort plans to take a field trip to the Laurens County Recycling operation.
During KMBB’s November meeting, Laurens County Solid Waste Director Michael Snipes told KMBB’s board about their pioneering biosolids compositing facility at the 650-acre Old Macon Road Landfill.
In recent years as prices have plummeted for recycled plastic and other materials, Laurens County began concentrating on collecting leftover food waste. They acquired a truck that will visit local schools and collect cafeteria waste, and even have an agreement to travel to Macon to pick up food waste from St. Joseph Catholic School.
“To me, composting ties to what you’re doing more than recycling,” Snipes told the KMBB Board. “It is a very, very valuable commodity and it’s really one of the better ways to get the maximum tonnage out of the landfill.”
Snipes said they are currently diverting about 1,000 tons of food waste a year from their food stream.
“It’s not huge,” he said. “But we know the potential is there for more.”
They hope to reach about 10,000 tons of composting a year and a national company has shown interest in Laurens County depackaging its unsold food and adding it to the compost pile.
Each ton of compost sells for about $35.
The facility also delves into speeding up the decomposition of animal carcasses from roadkill, deceased livestock or pets.
Snipes said they were currently considering offering pet composting as an option to burial or cremation.
Macon-Bibb County code enforcement officers gather at the corner of First and Cherry streets on Oct. 24.
24 Senior property tax cut vote
If Georgia lawmakers agree to a referendum, Macon voters will decide whether senior citizens will receive a property tax reduction from the county and the Bibb County School District.
Georgia law currently allows for a $7,000 exemption on a primary residence for homeowners who file for the exemption, but Mayor Lester Miller’s plan allows an extra $10,000 exemption at age 65, an additional $15,000 exemption at age 75, and for a total exemption of $32,000, and no property taxes levied when the owner reaches 85 years old.
If voters approve the plan at the polls in November, Miller intends the tax cuts to be permanent.
25- Planning for National Park, future development
Local leaders remain optimistic that the U.S. Congress will designate the Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first national park and are preparing for a rapid growth in visitors.
The Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve Initiative will be unveiling its strategic plan for public input in the coming year.
Over the last year, ONPPI conducted 26 meetings in Bibb, Houston and Twiggs counties and Kimley Horn consultants who are drafting the plan will have a 30-day review period in 2026.
Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning will begin the year considering restrictions on vape and smoke shops. In the coming months P&Z will unveil its new Historic District Guidelines and recent Housing Study by late spring, and begin work on updating its Comprehensive Land Development Resolution.
The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce will ramp up its Choose Macon 2030 campaign to recruit newcomers to the community.
Chamber President and CEO Jessica Walden plans a fundraising campaign similar to Forward Macon to provide resources for recruitment.
“Our broader goal is to strengthen and expand Macon-Bibb’s workforce to reach and sustain 85,000 total covered jobs by 2030, positioning our region for long term economic growth and prosperity,” Walden said at the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority’s holiday mixer.
MBCIA Executive Director Stephen Adams told his board they have some strong prospects for 2026.
Mayor Lester Miller expects to break ground in summer on the Renaissance on the River development to complement the Mercer University School of Medicine, and could make other announcements on the planned Civic Center hotel complex, prospective Veterans Administration Medical Center on Emery Highway, former Macon Health Club building, East Bank development and possible purchase of the Marriott City Center hotel.
26 Telegraph turns 200, loses legal ads
On Nov. 1, 2026, The Telegraph marks the 200th anniversary of its first publication.
New Hampshire-born pharmacist Dr. Myron Bartlett founded the weekly newspaper in 1826, just four years after Bibb County was established in 1822. The paper began publishing daily in 1831.
Brothers William T. and Peyton T. Anderson bought the Macon Telegraph in 1914, and Peyton Anderson Jr. took over in 1951. The Telegraph thrived under Anderson Jr., who sold both the Telegraph and the Macon News to Knight Newspapers in 1969.
Knight merged with Ridder Publications in 1974 to become Knight Ridder, which owned newspapers across the country.
In 2006, Knight Ridder was purchased by the McClatchy Company, which drastically cut staff over the last two decades, and went from a daily publication to printing twice a week with daily online editions.
Beginning Jan. 1, The Telegraph will no longer be the recipient of hundreds of thousands of dollars in ad revenue each year as the county’s legal organ, or where all county legal notices must be published.
In June, Bibb constitutional officers Sheriff David Davis, Superior Court Clerk Erica Woodford, Probate Judge Sarah Harris and Tax Commissioner Wade McCord announced they would be seeking a new legal organ due to issues with The Telegraph’s inconsistent service, accounting issues and communication.
In December, the constitutional officers awarded legal organ status to the Macon Reporter, Bibb County’s edition of The Monroe Reporter that opened an office in Macon in spring of 2025.
The Georgia Trust for Local News, which owns about 20 newspapers including the Houston Home Journal and The Macon Melody which began publishing weekly in June of 2024, also applied and could challenge the ruling.
Under the law, a newspaper has to publish in a community for two years prior to being awarded a legal organ and in Macon-Bibb County must have at least 1,500 paid subscribers.
Trust Executive Editor Dubose Porter proposed designating the Houston Home Journal as an interim legal organ and publish ads for free The Melody until its second anniversary.
Melody Editor Joshua Wilson published an article Dec. 12 quoting Porter questioning the legality of the selection on the grounds that the Macon Reporter is not a “standalone” publication.
“The Macon Reporter… in my opinion, does not exist, much less meet the minimum requirements to be Bibb County’s legal organ. If that is the case, every ad placed could be vulnerable to challenge and possibly set aside as invalid — including tax sales and foreclosures,” Porter told The Melody.
— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities for The Macon Newsroom and can be reached at [email protected] or 478-301-2976.
