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A big lottery win, a wave of new jobs heading to the Fountain City, and a national honor for local law enforcement — here is what is making news in Columbus this week.
Columbus Resident Hits $1 Million on Scratch-Off
Someone in Columbus is having a very good week. A local resident purchased a “2nd Edition Billionaire Club” $30 scratch-off ticket at the BP gas station on 5900 Veterans Parkway on Thursday — and walked away a millionaire.
The winner claimed the $1 million prize the same day it was purchased, taking home a lump-sum cash payout of $535,398.06. The Georgia Lottery confirmed the win, making it one of the largest prizes claimed in the Columbus area in recent memory.
The “2nd Edition Billionaire Club” game offers top prizes ranging up to $7 million, with several major prizes still remaining in the game statewide.
Columbus Economy on the Rise: Hundreds of New Jobs Coming
Columbus is bucking Georgia’s stagnant 2026 job market with a wave of private-sector investment that is bringing hundreds of new positions to the region.
Among the biggest announcements: BioTouch is establishing operations and bringing 480 jobs to the area, while JS Link is adding 520 positions. Aerospace giant Pratt & Whitney has committed a $206 million investment expected to generate roughly 400 jobs. Amazon is also opening a new delivery station, adding 200 more positions to the local workforce.
Additional expansions from Sigma Stretch Film, Smucker, and other companies are expected to add hundreds more in the coming months. Columbus State University is also planning an advanced technology center focused on robotics and engineering, positioning the city for long-term growth in high-demand fields.
Analysts point to Columbus’s affordable housing, low cost of living, and proximity to Fort Moore — the area’s largest employer with roughly 45,000 workers and a $4.75 billion annual economic impact — as key factors driving the investment surge.
Columbus Police Department Earns FBI National Academy Honor
The Columbus Police Department has been named the recipient of the Georgia Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates’ Phyllis Goodwin Agency of the Year Award — one of the most prestigious honors a law enforcement agency in Georgia can receive.
The award recognizes departments that demonstrate exceptional professionalism, community engagement, and leadership. The recognition comes on the heels of “Operation Sweet Silence,” the joint federal-local operation that dismantled the Zohannon criminal organization, resulting in 31 defendants and the seizure of more than $20 million in narcotics tied to two Mexican drug cartels.
The honor adds to what has been a strong stretch for the department’s public standing as it continues to build on its community-centered approach to policing in the Fountain City.
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