Gwinnett Daily Post PodcastLawrenceville's New Downtown Hotel Rising Ahead of Schedule | Lawrenceville Resident Kicks Off New Year by Winning $1 Million in the Georgia Lottery | The Latest: US Strikes Venezuela, Captures Maduro and His Wife
Top Stories for January 6th
Publish Date: January 6th
From the BG AD Group Studio Welcome to the Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast.
Today is Tuesday, January 6th and Happy Birthday to Malcolm Young
I’m Peyton Spurlock and here are your top stories presented by KIA Mall of Georgia.
- Lawrenceville's new downtown hotel rising ahead of schedule
- Lawrenceville resident kicks off new year by winning $1 million in the Georgia Lottery
- The Latest: US strikes Venezuela, captures Maduro and his wife
All of this and more is coming up on the Gwinnett Daily Post podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen daily and subscribe!
Break 1: Kia Mall of Georgia - Sugar Hill Ice Skating Rink
STORY 1: Lawrenceville's new downtown hotel rising ahead of schedule
Lawrenceville’s dream of a downtown hotel has been a slow burn—years of planning, delays, and setbacks. But now? It’s finally happening, and faster than anyone expected.
The Lawrence Hilton Tapestry, a boutique hotel nestled between the Lawrenceville Lawn and Arts Center, is set to open mid-2026. Or maybe even earlier. “We’re ahead of schedule and under budget,” said City Manager Chuck Warbington.
Brickwork is already going up, and the weather’s been a surprising ally—minimal rain, no freezing temps.
The hotel will feature 120 rooms, meeting spaces, a chef-driven restaurant (Bellfire), and a bar (Old Nick’s). Plus, 200 new parking spots in the city-owned deck below.
This project’s been a decade in the making, delayed by COVID and financing hurdles. But now, Lawrenceville’s vision of a walkable, thriving downtown is finally within reach.
STORY 2: Lawrenceville resident kicks off new year by winning $1 million in the Georgia Lottery
Three Georgians are starting 2026 a whole lot richer—millionaires, in fact. Among them? A lucky winner from Lawrenceville, along with two others from College Park and Grovetown. Their $1 million prizes came from the Georgia Lottery’s second-chance Georgia Millionaire drawing, announced right as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s. Talk about a way to ring in the new year.
The Georgia Millionaire scratcher offers $10,000 instant prizes and a shot at the big one through second-chance entries.
STORY 3: The Latest: US strikes Venezuela, captures Maduro and his wife
The United States launched a military operation early Saturday, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, in a move that’s already shaking the world. By morning, he was aboard a U.S. warship, blindfolded and bound for New York to face drug trafficking charges.
President Trump, speaking on Fox News, called the operation “genius” and confirmed the U.S. would oversee Venezuela’s next steps. “We’ll be involved very much,” he said.
The fallout was immediate. Venezuela’s U.N. ambassador condemned the strike as a “colonial war,” while China and Russia slammed the U.S. for violating international law. Meanwhile, in South Florida, Venezuelan exiles celebrated, waving flags and chanting “Liberty!”
Maduro’s capture marks a dramatic escalation in U.S.-Venezuela tensions. Trump dismissed criticism over bypassing Congress, calling his opponents “weak” and insisting the operation was necessary. “The tyrant is gone,” said Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
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We’ll be right back
Break 2: Ingles Markets
STORY 4: ART BEAT: Beat those January blues with exciting Gwinnett arts events
Feeling the post-holiday slump? The decorations are packed away, the parties are over, and—ugh—football season’s almost done. So now what?
Here’s an idea: throw on that big coat, brave the chill, and dive into Gwinnett’s arts scene. Plays, concerts, art classes—there’s plenty to shake off the winter blahs.
On Jan. 11, the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra and Youth Orchestra team up for a concert at Discovery Theatre in Lawrenceville. Mozart, Strauss, and even Anderson’s quirky “The Typewriter” are on the program. Tickets? Head to www.tix.com.
Prefer visual art? The Hudgens Center in Duluth has three exhibits running through January, including “Sketching with Buck,” a stunning collection of hand-drawn architectural sketches from around the world.
Or maybe you’re itching to create? The Suwanee Arts Center offers classes like “Watercolor Landscapes” (Jan. 7 and 14) and “Drawing Basics” starting Jan. 17.
Winter doesn’t stand a chance.
STORY 5: Meet the first babies born in 2026 at hospitals in Gwinnett
New Year’s Eve is exciting enough—countdowns, confetti, champagne. But imagine if Jan. 1 was also your birthday. That’s exactly the case for a few lucky babies born in Gwinnett hospitals as the calendar flipped to 2026.
At 12:44 a.m., Julian Alessandro Sanchez made his debut at Northside Hospital Gwinnett in Lawrenceville, becoming their first baby of the year.
Over at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Braselton, Brittany and Ryan Hopper of Hoschton welcomed twin boys—Koen Anthony at 4:58 a.m. and Kaden Michael at 5:14 a.m.
The Hopper family even received a gift basket from the hospital’s Auxiliary and Safe Kids program.
We’ll be right back.
Break 3: EAGLE THEATRE Gentleman’s Guide
STORY 6: Gwinnett police offering free women's basic self-defense course
The Gwinnett County Police Department is hosting a self-defense program for women 16 and up, and honestly, it’s something every woman should consider. The Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) course isn’t just about learning moves—it’s about building confidence, awareness, and practical skills to stay safe.
Over four sessions (Jan. 20, 22, 27, and 29, from 6–9 p.m.), participants will dive into risk awareness, avoidance strategies, and hands-on defense techniques. It wraps up with a live simulation—because practice makes perfect, right?
Held at the Gwinnett Police Training Center in Lawrenceville, spots fill fast. Don’t wait. Call 678.442.6520 or visit GwinnettCounty.com/RAD to register.
STORY 7: Norcross Grad Mason Kaplan Earns NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete Award
Norcross alum Mason Kaplan just added another impressive accolade to his already stacked resume. On Saturday, the Illinois State linebacker snagged the NCAA FCS Football Elite Scholar-Athlete Award—one of the most prestigious academic honors in college football.
Here’s the deal: this award isn’t just about being good on the field. It’s for the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the finals site of an NCAA championship. And Kaplan? He’s rocking a 4.0 in grad school, studying the psychology of sport and physical activity. Oh, and he’s also president of ISU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
What’s wild? Kaplan started his college career as a quarterback, playing two seasons at Valparaiso and one at Illinois State before an injury sidelined him in 2024. This year, though, he’s made a seamless (and dominant) transition to linebacker, helping lead the Redbirds to Monday’s FCS National Championship in Nashville.
We’ll have closing comments after this
Break 4: GCPL Passport
Signoff –
Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.gwinnettdailypost.com
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