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By Chase Davis

Troup County’s city and county governments will close on Monday for Memorial Day.

The city of LaGrange will be closed for business Monday. This includes convenience centers.

All garbage and recycling pickup days will be pushed back by one day, according to the city’s website.

The city’s essential services, such as the LaGrange Police Department and the LaGrange Fire Department, will remain open.

West Point’s and Hogansville’s city services will be closed on Monday as well. Trash pick-up in both cities will occur at its regular time.

All Troup-Harris Regional Libraries will be closed Saturday, May 28, through Monday.

The LaGrange Daily News Office will be closed on Monday.

According to AAA, Memorial Day weekend is expected to be the busiest in three years, building on a travel resurgence that began earlier this spring. This year’s forecast marks the second-highest single-year increase in travelers since 2010.

“By the looks of this Memorial Day travel forecast, the summer travel season is off to a sizzlin’ start,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group.

“People are more comfortable traveling now than any other time in the past two years, and travel bookings are a reflection of that.

Reservations for flights, hotels, and cruises for Memorial Day weekend are twice as strong as last year’s holiday and that momentum will likely carry into the summer.”

AAA predicts nearly 1.2 million Georgians will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, a 7.5% increase over 2021, bringing travel volumes almost in line with those from 2018.

The average price for gasoline in Georgia is $4.15 per gallon.  Previously, Memorial Day travelers found pump price averages of $2.91 in 2021, $2.61 in 2019 and $2.84 in 2018.

The highest average price recorded on Memorial Day was $3.91 per gallon in 2008.

“Coming out of this two-year pandemic, Georgians are eager to travel again, and it doesn’t seem like record high gas prices or other inflationary pressures will stop them,” Montrae Waiters, spokeswoman of AAA – The Auto Club Group, said.

“Many may look at cost cutting measures to offset the added expense, like driving shorter distances, staying in a less expensive hotel, or spending less on shopping, dining and entertainment.”