Restaurant closes, hall of fame, redevelopment & more: top Columbus stories

The mayoral election heading to a runoff, a restaurant closing temporarily and a bakery closing permanently — these are among last week’s top news stories in Columbus.

Here are key takeaways from the five most-read Ledger-Enquirer stories about Columbus in the past seven days:

Mayoral election: The 2026 Columbus mayoral election is headed to a June 16 runoff between former city manager Isaiah Hugley and one of the city councilors, Joanne Cogle, who voted to fire him last year. No candidate received a majority of the votes as Hugley led the six-candidate field and Cogle finished second. Click on this link to read the full story.

Restaurant temporarily closes: Country Road Buffet has temporarily closed for expansion as of May 18, according to a notice posted on the restaurant’s door. No reopening date has been announced, though the restaurant shared photos of its addition on Facebook. Click this link to read the full story.

South Commons redevelopment: The Columbus Council approved $250,000 to master-plan the redevelopment of South Commons, a 170-acre area along the Chattahoochee River that includes city-owned sports and entertainment facilities. Minneapolis-based Nelson Worldwide was selected for the project, with officials emphasizing community engagement and strategies to prevent gentrification. Click this link to read the full story.

Bakery closing: Gigi’s Cupcakes of Columbus will close May 30 after operating since 2012, owner Patrick Cooper announced on Facebook. The Opelika store, however, will remain open. Click this link to read the full story.

Hall of fame class: Two Columbus natives will be inducted into the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame on Oct. 24 in Atlanta. Jasper Sanks, a 1990s Carver High School running, and John Henry Jackson, a 1950s Spencer High School quarterback, are among 33 inductees in the Class of 2026. Click this link to read the full story.

These summaries were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. All the Ledger-Enquirer articles linked in this recap were reported, written and edited by journalists.

Brittany McGee

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Brittany McGee is the community issues reporter for the Ledger-Enquirer. She is a 2021 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Media and Journalism with a second degree in Economics. She began at the Ledger-Enquirer as a Report for America corps member covering the COVID-19 recovery in Columbus. Brittany also covered business for the Ledger-Enquirer.

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Jordyn Paul-Slater

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Jordyn Paul-Slater is the business and engagement reporter at the Ledger-Enquirer. Her work has appeared in publications such as Reuters, Fast Company and The New York Observer. She completed her master’s degree in specialized journalism at the University of Southern California and earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from George Washington University.