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May 17, 2013 Georgia Times-Union
FAA backs off closing control towers at Georgia Airports
Walter C. Jones reports that Georgia officials breathed a sigh of relief this week as they got word that federal air-traffic controllers won’t be removed from towers at airports in Athens, Albany and Macon in June as had been planned. The Federal Aviation Administration had announced it would close 149 towers across the country at airports with the least commercial traffic because of the budget sequestration.
May 17, 2013 Georgia Trend - Exclusive!
Albany/Dougherty County: Ready to do business
Randy Southerland reports that Southwest Georgia has long been a favorite of hunters and outdoorsmen. The quail shooting is among the best you’ll find anywhere, and once you visit you often want to stay, say locals. It was on the annual Georgia Quail Hunt in Albany and Dougherty County that executives with Outdoor Network decided they wanted to move a major distribution center here. The event is one of Georgia’s premier economic development efforts, and lately it’s been working.
May 17, 2013 GPB.org
Tourism leads Georgia job growth
Orlando Montoya and Larissa Allen report that state labor officials reported an 8.2% April jobless rate. That's down 0.2% of a point from March and a full point from April of last year. The hospitality industry led the job growth in Georgia with a monthly gain of 10,000 jobs. Jon Watkins of Old Town Trolley says leisure jobs are growing because people want to travel. "They're not afraid to spend the money even though the economy's been down," Watkins says. "Our business, year over year, has been up even though the economy has not been in great condition."
May 17, 2013 Georgia Times Union, Morris News Service
Vogtle executive: No higher costs for customers
Walter C. Jones reports that cost overruns on the construction of two nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle won’t end up making a significant impact on customers’ monthly electricity bills, the chief executive officer of Southern Company said Thursday. The company’s Georgia Power subsidiary has already reported to regulators that construction spending is $381 million over budget and that additional overruns are possible.
May 17, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Southern CEO: Renewable energy still not competitive
Dave Williams reports that renewable power will not get a major share of Southern Co.’s energy portfolio anytime soon, even as the Atlanta-based utility makes forays into wind and solar power, CEO Tom Fanning said Thursday. “It’s going to remain a niche for some time,” Fanning said during a luncheon speech to the Atlanta Press Club. Southern is the parent company of Atlanta-based Georgia Power Co., which announced last month plans to buy 250 megawatts of wind energy from a wind farm in Oklahoma.
May 17, 2013 Brunswick News
Golden Isles agency eyes film commission
Nikki Wiley reports that the Golden Isles Convention and Tourism Bureau says it plans to have a film commission up and running within a year. The bureau announced its intentions at a meeting of the organization's board Thursday. The decision comes at the heels of Paramount Picture's filming of "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" in the Golden Isles. Actors starring in the movie include Will Ferrell and Steve Carrel, both of whom descended on the area's beaches earlier this month for filming of the sequel to the 2004 "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy."
May 17, 2013 Rome News-Tribune
Release: Data Processing Services of Ga. working with federal authorities after problem with payroll deposits
Doug Walker reports that the doors were locked Thursday at a local company that helps process payroll funds, and police say the FBI is looking into the issue but has not launched an investigation. Rome police detective Gary Clayton said he also has received several inquiries from around the nation concerning Data Processing Services, 316 E. Seventh St.
May 17, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Best-paying jobs are in the medical field
Christopher Seward reports that you’d think chief executive officers would have the highest-paying jobs given the buzz their annual compensation packages attract each year, but when it comes to average annual pay, CEOs take a back seat to anesthesiologists. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates survey, anesthesiologists rank No. 1 with an average annual pay of $232,830.
May 17, 2013 WABE.org
Rep. Tyrone Brooks indicted
Robert Aaron reports that a federal grand jury has issued a 30-count indictment against State Rep. Tyrone Brooks. The indictment accuses Brooks of misappropriating almost one million dollars from two different charitable organizations. The indictment charges Brooks with mail fraud, wire fraud, and tax fraud going back to the mid-1990s. The charges accuse Brooks of diverting charitable contributions and using them for his personal expenses.
May 17, 2013 Athens Banner-Herald, Morris News Service
Ex-congressman's son announces run for 10th district
Walter C. Jones reports that Mike Collins announced Thursday that he wants to follow his father's footsteps to the U.S. Congress by pursing the seat that U.S. Rep. Paul Broun is giving up in his own quest for the Senate. Collins, son of ex-Rep. Mac Collins, R-Jackson, made the announcement at the trucking company in Jackson where he had already followed his dad into the business world.
May 17, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Political Insider
Karen Handel announces for U.S. Senate
Jim Galloway reports that former secretary of state Karen Handel, who lost the 2010 GOP runoff for governor, just announced her candidacy in the 2014 race for Senate. She made the announcement hours before the first day of a two-day state Republican convention. She becomes the fourth formal GOP candidate for the spot, with U.S. Reps. Paul Broun, Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston.
May 16, 2013 Georgia Times-Union, Morris News Service
Governor imposes restrictions on adoption of common core standards
Christina A. Cassidy reports that Gov. Nathan Deal signed an executive order Wednesday putting in place restrictions on a set of academic standards adopted by the state that have faced growing opposition in recent months by tea party and conservative groups. Under the order, the state will be prohibited from collecting certain information on students and their families, including religious and political affiliation and voting history.
May 16, 2013 Georgia Trend - Exclusive!
Georgia View: Marta: Open for business
Bill Crane reports that at the end of 2012, MARTA placed a talented new GM at its helm. Keith Parker means business, and he has a track record of success in other places. Though the transit systems he ran in Charlotte and San Antonio were smaller, he faced down similar demographic differences in ridership, declining fare bases and large segments of the population in both cities, which did not initially consider buses or trains a transportation option.
May 16, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Water bill green lights harbor project
Dave Williams reports that the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation Wednesday that would let the planned deepening of the Port of Savannah move forward. The biennial Water Resources Development Act includes a provision allowing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with projects such as the $652 million deepening of Savannah Harbor with a current cost that is higher than Congress originally authorized.
May 16, 2013 Athens Banner Herald, Morris News Service
Fed economist says manufacturing strong to Georgia auto executives
Walter C. Jones reports that gloom and doom pronouncements about the state of American manufacturing are uninformed and wrong according to a senior eonomicst with the Federal Reserve bank. William Strauss, senior economist and economic advisor at the Fed’s Chicago branch, told members of the Georgia Automobile Manufacturers Association during a speech Tuesday that while factory hiring has indeed been declining for 60 years, output and profits are growing faster than the overall economy.
May 16, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia unemployment rates falls to 8.2 percent in April
Henry Unger reports that Georgia’s unemployment rate fell to 8.2 percent in April — the lowest level since December 2008 — from 8.4 percent in March as employers added thousands of more jobs, the state labor department said Thursday. “While a two-tenths of a percent drop in one month is good to see, the most important part of that is that we saw Georgia employers create over 31,000 jobs,” state Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said in a statement.
May 16, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Atlanta lures ExacTarget regional HQ with $200K in incentives
Urvaksh Karkaria reports that Digital marketing firm ExactTraget will receive $200,000 in incentives from the city of Atlanta to relocate a regional headquarters in Buckhead. Invest Atlanta, the city's economic development arm, is expected to vote on the incentive package Thursday. Indianapolis-based ExactTarget (NYSE: ET) will bring 150 jobs and invest $2.25 million in the expansion.
May 16, 2013 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Paul, Courtney Amos donate $1.5 million toward Columbus Regional's pediatric emergency department
Tony Adams reports that Columbus Regional Medical Foundation has received $1.5 million -- its largest donation ever -- toward completion of a new Pediatric Emergency Department at The Medical Center that is scheduled to open June 12. Aflac President and Chief Operating Officer Paul Amos II and his wife, Courtney, said they made the contribution in honor of Dr. Kathryn Cheek, a Columbus pediatrician who is among those who have long pushed for improvement of child care in the community.
May 16, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Delta battling for new Brazil flights
Staff reports that Delta Air Lines Inc. is bringing out the big guns in its battle to win new flights to Sao Paulo, Brazil, from Atlanta and New York. Twenty nine members of Congress have cosigned a letter in support of Delta getting the new routes, which Delta applied for in March. Delta submitted the signatures to the U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday.
May 16, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution-Political Insider
Like father, like daughter: Decoding Michelle Nunn's Senate deliberations
Jim Galloway reports that father, like daughter. A great deal of stealth has accompanied Michelle Nunn’s deliberations over whether she intends to try and follow her dad’s footsteps into the U.S. Senate next year.
May 15, 2013 Georgia Times-Union
Federal court OKs plan for Vogtle plant
Tom Schoenberg reports that opponents of Southern Co.’s plan to build two nuclear reactors in Georgia failed to persuade a federal appeals court to revoke the license and reactor-design certification granted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
May 15, 2013 WABE.org
Ga. Attorney General calls for warnings on powerful pain medications
Michelle Wirth reports that Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to place warnings on powerful prescription pain medications like OxyContin.
May 15, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Foreclosure notices remain at 2007 levels
Arielle Kass reports that foreclosure notices in metro Atlanta are staying at six-year lows for the sixth consecutive month, a continued sign of improvement in the region’s housing market.
May 15, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia Power adds to biomass portfolio
Jacques Couret reports that Georgia Power Co. inked a deal with Rollcast Energy Inc. to add 53.5 megawatts of biomass capacity to its generation portfolio. Financial terms to the 20-year purchase power deal were not disclosed.
May 15, 2013 GPB.org
Opportunities improve for recent graduates
Claire Simms reports that over the last week thousands of students have graduated from colleges across Georgia and many of them already have offers of full time employment. University officials believe that is a sign of an improving job market. “It is looking better in my observation as far as employment opportunities and next steps,” said Dr. Vince Miller, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Georgia Southern University.
May 15, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Delta inches higher in customer satisfaction survey
Kelly Yamanouchi reports that in its long quest to improve its customer service, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has inched a step closer to its goal of topping competitors in a closely watched airline satisfaction study.
May 15, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia Tech to offer online master of science degree for under $7K
Carla Caldwell reports that the Georgia Institute of Technology will offer an online two-year master's degree in computer science at a cost of less than $7,000, the school says. Georgia Tech says the program is the first professional Online Master of Science degree in computer science (OMS CS) that can be earned completely through the "massive online" format.
May 15, 2013 WABE.org
The fight against 21st century human trafficking: A talk with journalist Christine Dolan
Denis O'Hayer reports that educators from around Georgia gathered at the Carter Center in Atlanta on May 13 and 14, for a conference on human trafficking, organized by the State Department of Education. The purpose was to help teachers, counselors and other educators keep children from becoming victims of human trafficking, especially in the child sex trade. One of the featured speakers was journalist Christine Dolan, a former political director at CNN.
May 15, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
$15M Internet deal in Stockbridge touted as "gamechanger" for Southside
Tammy Joyner reports that Stockbridge businesses, government offices, schools, hospitals and homes — and ultimately Henry County — will get state-of-the-art high-speed Internet capacity under a $15 million deal city officials say will be an economic “game-changer” for the Southside.
May 15, 2013 Georgia Times-Union
Cousin of former governor Perdue mulling run for U.S. Senate
Donnie Fetter reports that former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue stumped Tuesday for a cousin considering a run for the U.S. Senate. “David [Perdue] is strongly considering a run for U.S. Senate,” Sonny Perdue wrote Tuesday in a email to supporters. “I believe he is exactly what our state and our nation needs — someone that can take his expertise to Washington, fix some big problems, and then return home. Isn’t that what the Founders intended?”
May 14, 2013 WABE.org
Delta to pay dividends, further boost shares
Jim Burress reports that in what Delta Air Lines is calling a “milestone,” the Atlanta-based carrier has announced a $5-billion plan to boost its stock value which includes returning a billion dollars to shareholders over the next three years. Delta will pay a six-cents per share quarterly dividend. That accounts for half. The carrier is also buying back $500-million in stock.
May 14, 2013 Athens Banner Herald, Morris News Service
Chambliss seeks to de-classify Benghazi e-mails
Wesley Brown reports that U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss said on Monday that he plans to ask the CIA to declassify all e-mails surrounding the Benghazi, Libya, attacks in an attempt to make the investigation into last year’s assault a national security issue and not a “political exercise.”
May 14, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Home Depot to open IT center in Texas
Lance Murray reports that Home improvement giant The Home Depot Inc. will open a new IT office in Irving later this month that by next year will employ roughly 130 workers. The Dallas Morning News reported that the office is part of Atlanta-based Home Depot's (NYSE: HD) plan to expand its online capabilities.
May 14, 2013 Gainesville Times
Schrieber plans to close facility in North Georgia
Meredith Pruitt reports that making tough decisions based on efficiency concerns, Schreiber Foods confirmed it will close its Gainesville location, which will result in 115 layoffs this fall. The layoffs are scheduled to occur on Aug. 4, while a part of the plant ceases operations. The rest of the plant is expected to continue business as usual until April 2014, Tobisch said. This employee-owned dairy company is headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., and has locations in the United States, Austria, Brazil, Germany, India, Mexico and Uruguay.
May 14, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Theragenics gets $69M - $71M buy-out offer
Jacques Couret reports that Theragenics Corp., whose bottom line has been hurt in recent quarters by shrinking demand and ObamaCare costs, has a $69.9 million to $71.4 million buy-out offer from Juniper Investment Co. LLC. The Buford, Ga.-based surgical products and cancer treatments company said it inked a deal May 12 to deal and negotiate exclusively with Juniper through June 11.
May 14, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bard settles Ga. whistleblower suit for $48 million
Bill Rankin reports that a medical device company on Monday agreed to pay a $48.2 million settlement to resolve claims by a Georgia employee that it paid kickbacks to doctors and customers who bought radiation treatment for prostate cancer. C.R. Bard Inc., which is headquartered in New Jersey and has offices in Covington, resolved a whistle-blower suit filed by the employee in 2006.
May 14, 2013 WABE.org
Kids vs. vegetables: Locally sourcing young appetites
Kate Sweeney reports that in a typical lunch period at Garden Hills Elementary School, you'll find Georgia-grown apples, kale--and even fresh sweet potatoes that were grown in Georgia or surrounding states. The trend of eating local has gone big in recent years. But the love affair with local produce often stops short of kids' appetites. Atlanta Public Schools gets most of its cafeteria food from the Southeast. It’s all part of a larger plan to get kids eating fresher food—which sounds great.
May 14, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fischbein in Suwanee acquired by NY investors
Christopher Seward reports that Suwanee-based Fischbein, a supplier of packaging machinery and material handling equipment, has been acquired by Odyssey Investment Partners, the NY ompany announced Monday.
May 14, 2013 Savannah Morning News
'Slamming' April Savannah area home sales
Adam Van Brimmer reports that LaTrelle Pevey sells residential real estate for a living, so rarely does a phone call go un-answered. The ratio of answered to returned phone calls is changing for Pevey and other Realtors who work in Effingham County. Effingham is "slamming" as the spring season ramps up.
May 14, 2013 GlobalAtlanta.com
Georgia State choir to compete for U.S. in Tours, France
Phil Bolton reports that University Singers, Georgia State University’s premiere vocal ensemble, has been selected to represent the United States at the 2013 Florilège Vocal de Tours, an international choral song competition, in Tours, France, May 24-26.
May 14, 2013 Marietta Daily News
Marietta businesswoman Pridemore to seek Gingrey's congressional seat
Jon Gillooly reports that, standing before a packed room at Dave Poe's BBQ on Monday evening, Tricia Pridemore, a successful businesswoman and friend of Gov. Nathan Deal, became the fourth candidate to announce for the seat held by U. S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta.)
May 14, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Political Insider
Better Georgia Poll: Michelle Nunn would be 'competitive'
Jim Galloway reports that an effort to welcome Michelle Nunn into a Democratic race for the U.S. Senate continues apace. Better Georgia, the progressive group associated with Democratic causes, has just released an automated May 8-10 poll of 1,662 registered voters that indicates Nunn could best Republican Karen Handel, who has not entered the race, but could also be beaten by likes of U.S. Reps. Paul Broun and Jack Kingston.
May 13, 2013 Georgia Times-Union
Jekyll Island Task Force questions just how big island is
Russ Bynum reports that a decades-old state law passed to protect Jekyll Island’s unspoiled beaches, salt marshes and maritime forests seems simple enough, limiting development of hotels, golf courses and other amenities to just 35 percent of the island’s land area. But a task force assigned to make recommendations about the coastal state park’s future has raised questions the 1971 law fails to answer clearly: Exactly how large is the island?
May 13, 2013 Georgia Trend - Exclusive!
Cherokee County: Opportunity and Improvement
Patty Rasmussen reports that since climbing out of the recession, the Cherokee Office of Economic Development has recorded a steady, four-year increase in prospect activity. “The number of inquiries looking for building space was up 63 percent from 2011 to 2012,” says Misti Martin, president of the economic development agency.
May 13, 2013 WABE.org
Georgia colleges employ new strategy to help boost completion rates
Martha Dalton reports that Georgia has one of the nation’s lowest college completion rates. According to national data, in 2009, just 47% of the state’s college students graduated from a four-year school. Now some schools are trying to boost rates by reaching out to adult learners. Prior Learning Assessment programs give students credit for college-level learning acquired through previous school or work experience.
May 13, 2013 Marietta Daily Journal
Isakson under pressure: GOP eyes senator on immigration vote
Jon Gillooly reports that Congress takes up a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s immigration system, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) has come under pressure from a divided Republican Party on how he will vote on the topic.“He is under pressure from both sides,” said Kerwin Swint, a political science professor at Kennesaw State University. “The stalwarts that don’t want any kind of immigration package or the others who say we’ve got to do something, so he’s just kind of caught in the middle a little bit.”
May 13, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Sunrise bank closed
Carla Caldwell reports that Sunrise Bank of Valdosta was closed by regulators Friday, with its deposits being assumed by Synovus Bank, Columbus. Sunrise Bank, an affiliate of Capitol Bancorp Limited, has offices in Valdosta, Atlanta, and Jeffersonville, Ga. All three branches of Sunrise Bank will reopen Monday as temporary branches of the Synovus Bank divisions in the following markets: Atlanta (Bank of North Georgia), Jeffersonville (CB&T of Middle Georgia), and Valdosta (First State Bank and Trust Company), according to a statement released by Synovus.
May 13, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Aflac hires U.S. portfolio manager
Christopher Seward reports that Columbus-based Aflac, a global insurance provider, recently hired a former portfolio manager at an affiliate of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway to be chief investment officer for the U.S. Before joining Aflac, Teresa McTague served as portfolio manager at General Re-New England Asset Management, where she was responsible for managing and investing unaffiliated assets for insurance clients in the U.S. and Europe.
May 13, 2013 Valdosta Daily Times
Landfill gases turned into electricity
Jason Schaefer reports that the Pecan Row Landfill is about to get a little cleaner. Energy Systems Group, Advanced Disposal and Green Power EMC have partnered for a project that will turn methane gas created by the landfill into renewable energy that could power about 2,000 homes.
May 13, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Investors flexing muscles over executive pay
Russell Grantham reports that more investors are getting serious about deflating corporate chiefs’ ballooning pay. Lawmakers handed them a sharp implement two years ago — a law that required publicly-traded companies to hold so-called “say on pay” votes at annual shareholder meetings starting in 2011.
May 13, 2013 GPB.org
Researchers to deploy submersible
Orlando Montoya reports that the University of Georgia is preparing to deploy its first robotic submersible. Marine scientists will use the torpedo-shaped device to learn more about the Gulf Stream. The submersible is called the Salty Dawg. It will work along with a North Carolina State University submersible next year to record the workings of warm eddies in the Gulf Stream.
May 13, 2013 Cherokee Tribune
Chief appraiser: Cherokee property values up
Joshua Sharpe reports that the Cherokee County Tax Assessor’s Office has released numbers for the 2013 tax digest. Cherokee County Chief Appraiser John Adams said in a news release Tuesday that property values are up. “Not all properties in the county have increased in value, but a lot have,” Adams said. “And the ones that still went down didn’t go down as much as they have each of the last few years.”
May 13, 2013 Atlanta Journal Constitution - Political Insider
GOP leaders play defense on Common Core school standards
Jim Galloway reports that only the most elastic imagination could conceive of state Sen. Fran Millar of Dunwoody, a man of direct and sometimes caustic temperament, as a wide-eyed little Dutch boy. Yet this coming weekend, Millar will head to Athens and try to hold back the educational revolt that threatens to wash over a two-day state GOP convention.
May 10, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Low inventory puts housing market in a frenzy
Christopher Seward reports that when Hilary Quirk put her East Cobb home on the market one Monday in April, she wasn’t sure it would sell. Imagine her surprise when it went under contract the next day. For days after the contract was signed, Realtor Kelly Allen turned away others who simply got to the house too late. With the supply of metro Atlanta houses as low as it’s ever been, the competition among potential buyers is fierce.
May 10, 2013 Georgia Trend - Exclusive!
Business Casual: Out of Order
Susan Percy writes, late last year, when the school system in DeKalb, my home county, was put on probation and warned it would lose its accreditation if school board members couldn’t pull their act together and behave like responsible grown-ups, I was incredulous and mad. A school system entrusted with the education of some 98,700 children in one of the most populous and prosperous counties in the state in danger of failing because its elected leaders spent their time bickering and meddling in things they shouldn’t – like hiring decisions and bus routes – all the while failing to provide basic budgetary oversight? Inexcusable.
May 10, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Dekalb biomass plant approved
Dave Williams reports that Georgia environmental regulators have signed off on an alternative energy project in DeKalb County. The state Environmental Protection Division has issued an air permit to South Carolina-based Green Energy Partners LLC to build and operate a plant that will convert biomass into electricity.
May 10, 2013 Georgia Times-Union
Georgia tax collections leap in April
Walter C. Jones reports that improving economy pushed Georgia tax collections up 13 percent in April, Gov. Nathan Deal’s office announced Wednesday. He let the news slip a day earlier when he signed the $19.9 billion budget into law in his Capitol office before a dozen reporters. He was asked if future budgets would include the 3 percent cuts most agencies are getting in next year’s spending plan.
May 10, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Incentives for Dalton-area carpet plants could top $100M
Greg Bluestein and J. Scott Trubey report that company that plans two two new factories in Georgia’s carpet country could get state incentives worth as much as $105.6 million over several years, information released Wednesday by state economic development officials shows. Calhoun-based Engineered Floors expects to hire 2,400 workers at new plants in Whitfield and Murray counties. It is one of the state’s biggest job announcements in years and a boost for northwest Georgia’s flooring industry, which was savaged by the recession and housing bust.
May 10, 2013 Marietta Daily Journal
Marietta on board with Common Core
Lindsay Field reports that while concerns about the Common Core State Standards led the Cobb School Board to turn down a multi-million dollar purchase of math materials last month, Marietta City Schools is already implementing the new standards and has purchased resources.
May 10, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Nature's power plants
Urvaksh Karkaria reports that University of Georgia researchers are developing a new technology that makes it possible to use plants to generate electricity. “Clean energy is the need of the century,” said Ramaraja Ramasamy, assistant professor in the UGA College of Engineering. “This approach may one day transform our ability to generate cleaner power from sunlight using plant-based systems.”
May 10, 2013 GPB.org
Marshall won't advocate on Defense panel
Adam Rugasea reports that former Georgia congressman Jim Marshall said he’s honored by his appointment to a Pentagon review panel, but military communities can’t necessarily count on him to be their advocate. Marshall's appointment to the 8-member National Defense Panel was made public Monday. The congressionally-mandated body is part of the Quadrennial Defense Review process, a regular reexamination of the Pentagon’s strategic objectives.
May 10, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Political Insider
Reed rules out a 2016 run for U.S. Senate
Jim Galloway reports that another Democratic shoe just dropped. On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. John Barrow announced that he would pass on a 2014 race for U.S. Senate. This morning, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed did likewise – ruling himself out as a candidate in the 2016 Senate contest.
May 9, 2013 WABE.org
Democrats eye potential candidates in U.S. Senate race
Michelle Wirth reports that which Democrat will run in a U.S. Senate contest to fill a seat currently held by retiring Republican U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss? That’s the question after Democratic Congressman John Barrow announced Tuesday he doesn’t intend to participate in the race. Michelle Nunn, the CEO of a major nonprofit and daughter of former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, has been discussing a potential run with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Political experts also say state representative Scott Holcomb is another possibility.
May 9, 2013 Georgia Trend - Exclusive!
Neely Young: People to count on
Neely Young writes, Jerry Grillo's article in the May issue of Georgia Trend profiles Savannah’s Bob Jepson, who formed companies that made millions and then formed a company to give it away. Jepson joins a long list of philanthropists past and present who help people by revitalizing their communities: Georgians such as Robert Woodruff, the Callaway family in LaGrange, Bill Turner in Columbus, Julian Saul in Dalton and many others are all like the small-town icons described by Henry Grady, people who can be counted on if there is a special need in the community.
May 9, 2013 WABE.org
Coca-Cola pledges $5 million for state and city children's health initiatives
Jonathan Shapiro reports that Coca-Cola pledged nearly $5 million to city and state initiatives aimed at boosting children’s health and fitness. The announcement was made as the company celebrated its 127th year in business. Coca-Cola will donate a million dollars each to Georgia SHAPE and Walk Georgia – state programs that promote physical activity. Another million will go to expanding after-school recreation centers in Atlanta.
May 9, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
$1 million grant from Coke to give Atlanta more Hope
Ernie Suggs reports that since Jamia Perry, a 10-year-old fifth grader, has been coming to the Center of Hope at Thomasville, she has mastered the computer and is proficient enough in chess to teach it. That is what Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed wants to hear. When he was elected in 2009, he promised to open every city recreation center — most were shuttered — and enhance them enough to be Centers of Hope, with added programs in technology, character, fitness and academics.
May 9, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Zaxby's gets sponsorship deal with 25 universities
Jacques Couret reports that Zaxby’s landed collective intellectual property rights at 25 Division I colleges through a two-year deal with their football and basketball teams. Financial terms were not disclosed. The Athens, Ga.-based chain also put out a special logo featuring the 25 partnering colleges dubbing Zaxby’s “The Official Chicken of College Sports.”
May 9, 2013 GlobalAtlanta.com
Middle Eastern firm to build facility in Murray County
Phil Bolton reports that United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabian carpet-backing producer is to build its first manufacturing facility outside the Middle East in Murray County. Gov. Nathan Deal announced that the Mattex Group, headquartered in Dubai, UAE, would invest $60 million in its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility creating 200 jobs over the next three years.
May 9, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Delta to return more than $1B to investors
Christopher Seward reports that Delta Air Lines will return more than $1 billion to shareholders over the next three years, the company told investors Wednesday. The Atlanta-based carrier said it will accomplish the return by initiating a 6 cent-per-share dividend for shareholders of record as of Aug. 9, 2013.
May 9, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Cousins posts $57 million profit for 1Q
Jacques Couret reports that the Atlanta-based real estate investment trust Cousins Properties Inc. moved into the black in the first quarter. Revenue: $41.3 million, up 19 percent, Net Income: $56.9 million, N/M, Earnings Per Share: 51 cents, N/M, Funds From Operations: $11.5 million, down 14.8 percent.
May 9, 2013 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
One of two outfitters for new Chattahoochee River course pulls out; remaining outfitter reduces rate for river runs
Chuck Williams reports that one of two outfitters selected to work the newly created Chattahoochee River whitewater course has pulled out less than three weeks before the Memorial Day opening. Nantahala Outdoor Center president and CEO Sutton Bacon confirmed that his company, the top outfitter in the Southeastern United States, would not be opening a Columbus store as announced late last year.
May 9, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Political Insider
Michelle Nunn outperformed John Barrow in Dem poll
Daniel Malloy reports that an internal Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee poll obtained by the AJC showed that Michelle Nunn was a slightly stronger candidate than Rep. John Barrow against Republican Rep. Jack Kingston. The March poll of 800 respondents found Kingston leading Nunn 33 percent to 32 percent, while Kingston led Barrow 33-29.
May 8, 2013 Georgia Times-Union
Deal signs Georgia state budget with 4.6 percent increase in state spending
Walter C. Jones reports that pledging to remain tightfisted as tax collections rise, Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law the 4.6 percent increase in state spending Monday that the General Assembly passed two months ago. “We believe this is a budget that will maintain the fiscal conservatism of the other budgets I have signed,” said the governor, who is in the third year of his term.
May 8, 2013 WABE.org
State unveils new school grading system
Martha Dalton reports that the Georgia Department of Education Tuesday unveiled a new way of grading schools. The new system is part of the state’s waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law. The new College and Career Ready Performance Index replaces the Adequate Yearly Progress requirement of No Child Left Behind.
May 8, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
More competition for jobs
Christopher Seward reports that competition for jobs is still stiff even if the picture is improving in metro Atlanta and across the rest of the nation. There were about three unemployed people for each job opening in March nationally, which is higher than the typical 2-to-1 ratio when the recession began in December 2007, according to numbers from the U.S. Labor Department.
May 8, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Florida software company relos HQ to Midtown Atlanta
Urvaksh Karkaria reports that a Pensacola, Fla.-based software company has relocated its headquarters to Atlantic Station in tech-friendly Midtown. Overgroup Consulting develops billing and back-office software for telecom providers. The company has relocated 25 employees to 271 17th. St. — a 25-story office tower that anchors the Midtown mixed-used development.
May 8, 2013 Macon Telegraph
Houston Healthcare breaks ground on $40 million expansion
Christina M. Wright reports that construction on a $40 million expansion of Houston Medical Center will begin soon, after a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday morning. “We’re really looking forward to it,” said Sonny Watson, chairman of Houston Healthcare Systems. “All of our doctors are really cramped.”
May 8, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Tourism generated $51B in 2012
Jacques Couret reports that tourism was worth $51.2 billion to the Peach State in 2012, the Georgia Department of Economic Development reported Tuesday. Georgia Tourism, a Georgia Department of Economic Development division, said the $51.2 billion in business sales here marked a 4.6 percent increase over 2011.
May 8, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constituion
Ag-Pro acquiring GreenSouth John Deere dealerships
Christopher Seward reports that Agricultural Productivity Companies said it will acquire GreenSouth Equipment, combining two Georgia John Deere farm equipment dealers that will have 25 locations. Terms of the deal between Boston-based Ag-Pro and Thomasville-based GreenSouth were not disclosed.
May 8, 2013 Brunswick News
Group wants coastal industry input
Nikki Wiley reports that business leaders in the Golden Isles want to take a regional approach to industry by inviting neighboring manufacturers to discuss common issues. A group of Glynn County industries began a quarterly roundtable in January and now wants to shift focus toward the entire coastal region. "There is tremendous merit, from my perspective, for creating a forum for manufacturing to network with one another," said Nathan Sparks, executive director of the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority.
May 8 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Democrats set out to find another recruit after Barrow's decision
Greg Bluestein and Daniel Malloy report that months, many Georgia Democrats have believed their best shot at taking an open U.S. Senate seat was Rep. John Barrow, the battle-tested campaign veteran who has the conservative profile that could have given him a statewide shot. But Barrow ended months of speculation Tuesday when he announced he would not compete next year for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss. The decision sent Democrats scrambling anew to find a contender for the coveted seat.
May 7, 2013 WABE.org
Gov. Deal signs ethics legislation
Martha Dalton reports that Governor Nathan Deal signed new ethics legislation Monday. The law caps the amount of money lobbyists can shower on lawmakers while trying to influence their decision-making. .jpg)
May 7, 2013 Georgia Trend - Exclusive!
Georgia Trend's Small Business Guide now available
Georgia Trend's annual Small Business Guide -- a guide to starting and growing a small business -- is hot off the press. A full digital edition is available here.
May 7, 2013 Georgia Times Union
Georgia state forestry industry launches PR campaign
Walter C. Jones reports that the people whose livelihood depends on forests have a message for Georgia’s tree huggers, and they’re launching a campaign next week to deliver it. The message is that the industry isn’t just about cutting down trees. It also plants and cares for trees as well as the environment they grow in. Contrary to common perception, the number of trees in Georgia is growing, not shrinking, industry representatives say.
May 7, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
End may be near for tax-free online shopping in Georgia
Arielle Kass and Daniel Malloy report that online shoppers could soon start paying sales taxes for the first time on many purchases, delivering hundreds of millions of dollars to Georgia’s state coffers, under a bill that easily passed the U.S. Senate on Monday.
May 7, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia up to 16 companies on Fortune 500 list
Jacques Couret reports that Georgia has added a company to the Fortune 500 for the second year in a row. HD Supply this year became the 16th Georgia company to make the annual Fortune 500 list, published Monday. Last year, Rock-Tenn made the list for the first time.
May 7, 2013 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Carmike Cinemas loses $5.8 million in the first quarter as attendance slips
Tony Adams reports that a sluggish performance at the box office, with overall attendance slipping, took a bite out of Carmike Cinemas' earnings in the first quarter, leading to a net loss of $5.8 million, or 33 cent per share.
May 7, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Aflac, Coca-Cola 'social-media stars' on Fortune 500 list
Christopher Seward reports that two Georgia-based companies figure prominently on Fortune magazine’s latest list of the nation’s 500 largest companies, but not because of their balance sheet. Both Atlanta-based soft drink maker Coca-Cola and Columbus-based insurer Aflac, with thousands of Twitter followers and Facebook friends, received kudos for being among the Fortune 500’s “social media stars.”
May 7, 2013 Macon Telegraph
Bibb County continues to attract businesses
Linda S. Morris reports that various businesses continue to look at Bibb County as a possible location for their facilities, according to a report from Monday’s Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority meeting. During April, the types of businesses considering Bibb County included two back-office companies, three manufacturers -- one looking for 200,000 to 300,000 square feet of space -- and another one that would employ up 100 people, said Pat Topping, senior vice president of the Macon Economic Development Commission, in his report to the authority.
May 7, 2013 Gainesville Times
Former Gen. Petraeus to serve on Camp Toccoa Board
Jeff Gill reports that David H. Petraeus, the former four-star U.S. Army general who commanded coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, has agreed to serve on the Camp Toccoa at Currahee Board of Trustees. “It is quite an honor,” said Robin Sink McClelland, the group’s president, on Monday. “We are going to put him to use the best we can.”
May 7, 2013 Gwinnett Daily Post
Nash takes role in statewide association
Camie Young reports that Charlotte Nash is now in line to head the statewide Association County Commissioners of Georgia. Nash was sworn in this week as third vice president of the association, which means Gwinnett's commission chairwoman is slated to take the presidency in April of 2016.
May 6, 2013 Savannah Morning News
State VC initiative has potential, needs funding, locals say
Adam Van Brimmer reports that Georgia now has a stick and a string to lure more venture capital to the state. The carrot, valued at $100 million, has yet to be dug from the garden, however. Gov. Nathan Deal signed House Bill 318 into law last Monday, creating the Invest Georgia program. The initiative calls for the state to offer matching funds to venture capital firms that invest in Georgia-based early and growth-stage businesses.
May 6, 2013 Georgia Trend - Exclusive!
Treating breast cancer
Mary Anne Dunkin reports that when it comes to breast cancer, the bad news is that 8,907 Georgians were diagnosed with the disease last year alone – and the chance of receiving that feared diagnosis has been increasing. In the United States, a woman’s chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime is one in eight – up from one in 11 just three decades ago.
May 6, 2013 Georgia Times-Union
Governor signs bill exempting airplane parts from sales tax
Terry Dickson reports that Gov. Nathan Deal flew into town Friday and signed a piece of legislation at a place where it is expected to have some impact. Deal signed House Bill 164, which exempts aircraft parts from state sales taxes, at Gulfstream Aerospace’s maintenance and repair facility at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport.
May 6, 2013 GPB.org
Ethics bill still unsigned
Ellen Reinhardt reports that Governor Deal is set to sign major legislation Monday morning at the State Capitol. He has just two days left to sign new bills into law. Two yet-unsigned measures involve ethics reform. Governor Deal is set to sign major legislation Monday morning at the State Capitol. He has just two days left to sign new bills into law. Two yet-unsigned measures involve ethics reform. One measure that passed this past legislative session will limit lobbyists’ spending on individual lawmakers to $75 per expenditure. But critics and supporters alike say it contains exceptions that may undermine the intent to rein in lobbyists’ power.
May 6, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Comdata scouts Atlanta for 1,000 jobs expansion
Urvaksh Karkaria reports that Nashville, Tenn., electronic payments company is said to be scouting Atlanta — a financial tech hub — for a large office expansion that could bring about 1,000 jobs. Brentwood, Tenn.-based Comdata Corp. could be considering Midtown, including Atlantic Station. Details about the project are closely guarded. Georgia Tech, a major fintech research center, is said to be involved.
May 6, 2013 WABE.org
Strict terms part of Delta's new eGift certificates
Jim Burress reports that Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines for the first time is selling gift certificates on-line. The unveiling is the latest in a long-term --and expensive-- effort to improve customer satisfaction. Delta says the eGift certificates are part of its $140-million digital customer improvement plan. For that price, the airline has so far updated its website, iPhone and iPad apps, and self-service airport kiosks.
May 6, 2013 AJC.com
Accountable care seeks to lower costs, improve patient outcomes
David Markiewicz reports that Felecia Perkins is taking advantage of a growing health care option called an accountable care organization. It’s offered by her provider, Piedmont Healthcare, one of several top metro Atlanta health systems that have launched such a plan. In an attempt to lower costs, ACOs twist the traditional payment model by rewarding providers for value and efficiency, not for the volume of services they perform. ACOs emphasize primary care, preventive medicine and wellness, rather simply treating sickness. For providers, the shift to a pay-for-performance system could result initially in lower revenue, but they could make it up by sharing in the expected savings.
May 6, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Newell Rubbermaid to divest Hardware and Teach Platform, Q1 profit drops
Jacques Couret reports that Newell Rubbermaid Inc. (NYSE: NWL) plans to sells its sell Hardware and Teach Platform businesses and reported its first-quarter profit dived after $41 million in restructuring costs. The Atlanta-based consumer products giant said its Hardware and Teach Platform unit includes the Bulldog, Shurline, Ashland and Amerock brands, its drapery hardware business, and Mimio. Combined, they generated $300 million in sales last year.
May 6, 2013 Cherokee Tribune
Ga. schools superintendant addresses concerns about a federal curriculum
Jon Gillooly reports that Georgia Schools Superintendent John Barge wanted the audience at the Cobb GOP’s Saturday breakfast to know he’s not to blame for the controversial Common Core Standards. Barge made this point a half dozen times during a talk on the subject, clearing Gov. Nathan Deal of blame as well.
May 6, 2013 Carrollton Times-Georgian
Tanner named in $8 million law suit, medical center answers with counterclaim
Colton Campbell reports that a Villa Rica psychiatrist has filed a lawsuit against Tanner Medical Center, alleging racketeering and invasion of privacy and seeking damages in excess of $8 million. Dr. Randy Warner, 43, has alleged that the health center has engaged in a pattern of unethical and illegal activities aimed at keeping the psychiatrist — who owns a private practice and was formerly on staff at Tanner’s Willowbrooke facility in Villa Rica — as a “captive physician” in order to maximize profits.
May 6, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Political Insider
The impact Mark Sanford's fate may have in Georgia
Jim Galloway reports that as Election Day has crept ever closer, the pile of humiliations heaped upon Mark Sanford has grown deeper and deeper. Pornographer Larry Flynt has “endorsed” him as a sexual hero. A website that advertises itself as a discrete dating service for adulterers has put the former South Carolina governor’s face on an I-26 billboard.
May 3, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Delta hikes change fee, matching competitors
Kelly Yamanouchi reports that Delta, which dominates at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, said it “closely monitors competitive conditions,” increasing its change fees “to remain competitive in the marketplace.” Delta last increased its change fee in 2008, hiking it from $75 to the same $150 level as Northwest Airlines, which Delta acquired that year.
May 3, 2013 Georgia Trend - Exclusive!
Economic Development May 2013
Christy Simo writes about economic development around the state, including a Kubota tractor plant in Jefferson and a rejuvenated mixed-use project near Clayton State University.
May 3, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Power: Errors caused Bowen blast
Kristi Swartz reports that worker errors, not equipment failure, caused last month’s generator explosion at a Georgia Power coal-fired plant near Cartersville, a spokesman for the utility said. Georgia Power recently finished part of its internal investigation and determined workers did not comply with procedures and did not communicate properly, spokesman Mark Williams said.
May 3, 2013 WABE.org
Juvenile justice overhaul signed into law
Jonathan Shapiro reports that to keep kids out of detention centers and help cut down on costs, Governor Nathan Deal today signed into law an overhaul of the juvenile justice system. The measure allows judges far greater flexibility to steer kids into community-based help, rather than incarceration. It also includes millions for a pilot program aimed at bolstering local counseling programs.
May 3, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Software developer PointClear relos HQ to Atlanta, 200 jobs
Urvaksh Karkaria reports that Healthcare software company PointClear Solutions will relocate its headquarters to Atlanta and bring up to 200 jobs. Huntsville, Ala.-basedPointClear designs and develops healthcare technologies for hospitals, health systems and physician practices by partnering with health IT vendors.
May 3, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Zipcar opens location at Hartsfield-Jackson
Kelly Yamanouchi reports that ar sharing business Zipcar said it is opening a location at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The move adds another option for travelers, particularly those who want to rent cars by the hour during a long layover. Zipcar will have three cars next to the Avis location at the airport’s remote rental car center accessible by SkyTrain people-mover.
May 3, 2013 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Shares of AFLAC stock rise to $55.10 following solid first-quarter earnings report
Staff reports that shares of Aflac stock pushed to a 52-week high of $55.10 on Thursday before settling to a 54.94 close. It was the second consecutive day the Columbus-based supplemental insurer’s stock tasted the higher ground, beating its Wednesday high of $54.97.
May 3, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Movoto ranks Atlanta No. 8 most exciting U.S. city
Jacques Couret reports that Atlanta’s large young population, number of bars and vibrant music scene make it one of the most exciting places in America. Real estate web site Movoto ranks the Big Peach the No. 8 most exciting U.S. city.
May 3, 2013 Marietta Daily Journal
Bill signed here will help state be smarter on crime
The editorial board writes, Gov. Nathan Deal signed the state's latest criminal justice bill into law Thursday and said it would help the state be "smarter on crime." He is correct. House bill 349 frees judges in certain circumstances from having to impose "mandatory minimum" sentences.
May 2, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Engineered Floors bringing 2,000 jobs to Georgia
Jacques Couret reports that Dalton, Ga.-based carpet maker Engineered Floors LLC will spend $450 million over five years to build new facilities in Whitfield and Murray counties. The move will bring 2,000 new jobs to the Peach State. The company already employs 1,400 in the region.
May 2, 2013 Georgia Trend - Exclusive
Robert Jepson - Visionary
Jerry Grillo reports, Bob Jepson has uncanny vision. That’s what they say, the people who know him. He sees around corners, sees so well that he’s never failed in business, by his recollection. But right now, Jepson is using his telescopic sight to get from the Georgia Ports Authority, where he is chairman of the board, to the Telfair Museums, where his largesse has transformed the cultural heart of Savannah.
May 2, 2013 WABE.org
Atlanta drew an estimated 40 million visitors last year
Denis O'Hayer reports that Atlanta is attracting more visitors all the time, according to new numbers from the Convention and Visitors Bureau. It estimates a record 40.4 million people visited Atlanta last year. ACVB officials said, while major sports events got much of the public attention, the city is lucky to have a diverse set of attractions; luring families and conventioneers, too--all of whom boost the city’s businesses, and tax collections.
May 2, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
'Mom and pop' firms struggle to keep afloat
Christopher Seward reports that Kevin Butt of KB Cleaning Services in Powder Springs knows the challenges of starting a small business and keeping it afloat. His carpet- and home-cleaning service requires long hours, solid customer service and staffers who are willing to work when he needs them — even if the work is not full-time.
May 2,2013 Gainesville Times
Dawson County Steel Fabricator to add 150 jobs
Michele Hester reports that a steel fabricator plans to add more than 150 jobs over the next three years at its Dawson County plant to supply parts for a new Caterpillar production facility in Athens. Impulse Manufacturing will produce parts for several small excavator models. They will be shipped by truck each day to the Caterpillar plant, where they will be assembled.
May 2, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
FreeEnterprise: Georgia among best for entrepreneurship and innovation
Jacques Couret reports that Georgia ranks ninth in the country for entrepreneurship and innovation, but 40th for performance, according to a new report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Georgia’s economy has been a mixed bag since the start of the recession, but according to state economist Kenneth Heaghney, its traditional industries, including manufacturing, transportation, information technology, and financial services, are bouncing back,” the report said of the Peach State.
May 2, 2013 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
John B. Amos Cancer Center receives national award for quality patient care
Staff reports that the John B. Amos Cancer Center has received national recognition for its quality patient care. It is one of three such facilities in Georgia and 79 nationwide to receive the 2012 Commission on Cancer Outstanding Achievement Award. The other two in Georgia are Coliseum Medical Center in Macon and Memorial Health in Savannah.
May 2, 2013 SaportaReport.com
Ingrid Saunders-Jones' retirement has $1 million surprise
Maria Saporta reports that few executives receive the kind of send-off that Jones received, and that’s because Jones is unlike most executives. In her role as senior vice president of Global Community Connections and as president of the Coca-Cola Foundation, Jones extended a personal touch to people in numerous corners all over the world.
May 2, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pinnacle Airlines now a Delta subsidiary
Kelly Yamanouchi reports that Delta Connection carrier Pinnacle Airlines emerged from bankruptcy Wednesday and became a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. Pinnacle also plans to move its headquarters from Memphis to Minnesota by the end of this month.
May 2, 2013 GPB.org
3 Macon students win $250,000 scholarships
Leah Fleming reports that cholarship lighting has struck several high schools in Georgia. The Gates Millennium Scholars program has awarded a quarter million dollars each to 88 students across the state. Microsoft founder Bill Gates has a lot of money. One way he's chosen to share the wealth is through this scholars program which he says will develop leaders for America’s future.
May 2, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kingston's in the Senate race and he won't be outflanked
Greg Bluestein reports that U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston has a message for his conservative challengers for an open Senate seat: He won’t be outflanked on the right. In announcing Wednesday that he’s joining the race for retiring U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ seat, the Savannah Republican told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he’s a workhorse who “will yield no ground to any of my opponents as to who is the most conservative.”
May 1, 2013 Savannah Morning News
Kingston, senators ask Obama for funding
Mary Carr Mayle reports that in a letter sent Monday to the White House, three members of Georgia’s congressional delegation strongly urged the president to make good on his “We Can’t Wait” pledge by including language that authorizes the revised cost of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project in his budget amendment to Congress.
May 1, 2013 WABE.org
Gov. Deal highlights ethics, juvenile justice in legislative overview
Jonathan Shapiro reports that speaking before the Atlanta Press Club in downtown Atlanta, Governor Nathan Deal discussed some of the major accomplishments of the past legislative session, including a bill aimed at reducing the influence of special interests at the Capitol.
May 1, 2013 Augusta Chronicle
Plant Vogtle's spent fuel site delayed until October
Rob Pavey reports that a new storage facility for spent nuclear fuel that has been accumulating for decades at Plant Vogtle will go into operation a few months later than planned according to Southern Nuclear officials. The waste, part of 2,490 tons of the material statewide, has been stored in concrete-lined pools since Vogtle's first two reactors began operating in 1987 and 1989.
May 1, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Atlanta hiring, paychecks inch up in April
Jacques Couret reports that Atlanta’s month-over-month hiring and average paycheck were up 0.2 percent in April, according to SurePayroll’s monthly Small Business Scorecard. Nationally, month-over-month hiring was down 0.2 percent and the average paycheck was flat the report said.
May 1, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia foreclosures continue to decline
Christopher Seward reports that the number of completed foreclosures in Georgia continued to decline in March, following a national trend, according to monthly data from CoreLogic. Completed foreclosures cover properties that have been auctioned off to a buyer. The data show Georgia had 48,199 completed foreclosures in March, down nearly 16 percent from March 2012.
May 1, 2013 Macon Telegraph
Co-op to build Plant Washington breaks up, still supports plant
S. Heather Duncan reports that last four Middle Georgia electric cooperatives that were part of Power4Georgians are no longer partners in the venture to build a coal-fired power plant near Sandersville. But they continue to support the project and plan to purchase electricity from the 850-megawatt Plant Washington once it’s built, spokesman Dean Alford said Tuesday.
May 1, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Metro Atlanta home prices regain lost ground
Arielle Kass reports that Metro Atlanta home prices have climbed back to the highest point in 18 months, as inventory drops and more buyers hit the market. Prices rose 16.5 percent in February from a year earlier, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index, a widely watched barometer. The latest report was released Tuesday.
May 1, 2013 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
TSYS annual meeting: Looking back at past 30 years, preparing for future
Tony Adams reports that the major theme running through the TSYS annual shareholder meeting Tuesday centered on just how far the technology company has come since becoming publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
May 1, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chillier winter lifts AGL Resources profits
Kristi Swartz reports that cooler winter for Georgians helped lift AGL Resources’ first-quarter profit 19 percent to $154 million, from $130 million a year ago. Earnings for AGL’s natural gas utilities, including Atlanta Gas Light, rose to $218 million, up from $194 million, because consumers were running their heat more than in the same period of 2012, which was warmer.
May 1, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
FleetCor buys CardLink
Jacques Couret reports that FleetCor Technologies Inc. bought Aukland, New Zealand-based fuel card issuing and payment processing company CardLink for an undisclosed amount. CardLink provides a fuel card program with near universal acceptance at retail fueling stations across New Zealand, Norcross, Ga.-based FleetCor said.
May 1, 2013 Brunswick News
Superfund cleanup to begin soon
Michael Hall reports that significant progress toward long-term cleanup of the LCP Chemicals superfund site is something Daniel Parshley has been hoping to see since the initial emergency removal of harmful substances between 1994 and 1997. Since then, much of the activity at the 550-acre site that includes large amounts of marshland along the Turtle River has gone into assessing the risk to humans and determining how to proceed in making the area, visible from U.S. 341, acceptable for redevelopment.
May 1, 2013 Georgia Times-Union
Brunswick city commissioner suspended by governor
Mike Morrison reports that the City Commission will meet Wednesday with an empty seat after Gov. Nathan Deal suspended Commissioner James Brooks. Brooks is awaiting trial on charges of violating his oath and racketeering. He also was charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer and witness tampering during the investigation into the murder of a 13-month-old boy last month.
April 30, 2013 WABE.org
4th entertainment studio announces Atlanta plans
Lisa George reports that Pinewood Studios, best known for the James Bond films, announced plans today to build a studio in metro Atlanta. It is the fourth recent announcement of its kind here. Pinewood plans at least five sound stages on 288 acres in Fayette County. That follows new studio projects announced for Gwinnett and Newton Counties and Tyler Perry’s expansion plans in south Fulton County.
April 30, 2013 11Alive.com
"Do not drink" ordered for hundreds in North Ga, FBI investigating
Staff reports that hundreds of people in one north Georgia town are not allowed to drink their water. As reported by WRCBtv.com in Chattanooga, the water treatment plant in Ramhurst is temporarily shut down after someone broke in and changed the chemical settings. It's affecting about 400 Murray County residents. Local, state and federal officials are investigating who's to blame. Officials with Chatsworth Water Works say the source of the problems is at the Carter's Lake Water Treatment Plant in the Ramhurst area.
April 30, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Flooring maker could bring 2,000 jobs to state
Greg Bluestein and J. Scott Trubey reports that a major flooring company is considering building a new factory – and hiring more than 2,000 workers – in northwest Georgia, an area hit hard by layoffs after the housing bust. Two people with direct knowledge of the potential plan told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution a deal to bring the factory to Georgia is pending. They declined to name the manufacturer, but a third person familiar with the plans said the company is Engineered Floors, founded by former Shaw Industries chief Bob Shaw.
April 30, 2013 Marietta Daily Journal
Sequestration: National parks in Cobb looking down barrel of fed deficit cuts
Lindsey Field reports that heading into the busy summer season, national parks in Cobb are doing what they can to lessen the impact of sequestration on visitors, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a few inconveniences. Nancy Walther, superintendant at Kennesaw Battlefield National Park, said her staff is working with $83,000 in federal budget cuts.
April 30, 2013 GPB.org
Bill to boost tourism, startups
Jeanne Bonner reports that Gov. Nathan Deal signed a bill Monday that he says will boost jobs in Georgia. The measure gives the state more ways to ease the financial burden on tourism properties and startups. Some worry it’s a tax giveaway for private firms that shouldn’t need public money to succeed. The bill will allow the state to waive sales taxes for some developers of large tourism properties.
April 30, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hostess Brands: We won't shun union applicants
Christopher Seward reports that Hostess Brands, which is hiring for several bakeries, including one in Columbus, emphasized Monday that it will not discriminate against applicants on the basis of union membership or activities. The strident effort to clear the air on its hiring plans followed comments last week by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dean Metropoulos, who suggested the company would be staffing plants with non-union labor.
April 30, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Johns Creek among highest earning U.S. cities
Jacques Couret reports that metro Atlanta municipality is one of only 16 U.S. cities where more than 50 percent of households earn more than $100,000 per year, according to NerdWallet. Johns Creek, Ga., is No. 11 with 52.1 percent of households earning more than $100,000 annually.
April 30, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FirstData's new CEO: 'I'm a builder'
Arielle Kass reports that the new CEO of First Data, the Atlanta payment processor, has a reputation as a man brought in to fix things. But Frank Bisignano sees himself a little differently. “I believe I’m a builder,” said Bisignano, who was previously co-chief operating officer for JP Morgan Chase and CEO of mortgage banking there. “Builders can fix things, but I like to improve things.”
April 30, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Midtown AT&T Towers sell for $225 million
Doug Sams reports that Macfarlan Capital Partners said today it's purchased Midtown’s AT&T office campus for $225 million, about 7 percent off its value at the top of the market more than five years ago. KanAm grundinvest fonds (KanAm Grund), a German real estate investment fund based in Frankfurt, was the seller. The acquisition involves a joint venture between Macfarlan and Cole Real Estate Investments. The transaction undescores that the AT&T buildings managed to maintain most of their value after the downturn.
April 29, 2013 Georgia Times-Union
Juvenile-justice reforms set to high gear in Georgia
Walter C. Jones reports that even ven before Gov. Nathan Deal signs a comprehensive juvenile-justice bill into law this week in Dalton, state and local governments have begun putting the pieces into place. After seven years of effort by lawyers, advocates and legislators, reforms are on the way to becoming law that will fundamentally change how delinquent children are handled.
April 29, 2013 Georgia Trend - Exclusive!
Solutions and Partnerships
Ed Lightsey reports that Georgia’s technical college system is building on good relationships with the university system and the business community to boost enrollments. There was a time when rising enrollments at Georgia’s technical colleges were as predictable as azaleas in the spring, climbing annually by double digits.
April 29, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Home Depot's failure in China: Ignoring women
Ruchika Tulshyan reports that The Home Depot Inc. entered China in 2006 by acquiring 12 stores from Home Way, a Chinese company. But by September 2012, all Home Depot stores closed in China. While cultural differences were cited by Home Depot CFO Carol Tome for the failure, a new study found the Atlanta-based retailer could have succeeded if it catered to Chinese women. In 74 percent of homes in North America and Asia, the woman is fully engaged in deciding what and where to shop, according to a 2008 Pew Research Center survey.
April 29, 2013 GlobalAtlanta.com
UPS to acquire health logistics company in Hungary
Phil Bolton reports that United Parcel Service Inc. announced on April 26 that it is augmenting its growth and investment strategy in Europe with plans to acquire a Hungarian pharmaceutical logistics company. Its planned acquisition of CEMELOG Zrt is to further strengthen its healthcare reach in established European markets and increasingly important markets in Central and Eastern Europe, according to a UPS press release.
April 29, 2013 Athens Banner-Herald
Georgia tops nation in growth of women-owned businesses
Nick Coltrain reports that women are taking the lead in more businesses nationwide, and Georgia is leading the pack, according to a recent study. Since 1997, the number of women-owned firms in Georgia has jumped by 112 percent, according to the 2013 State of Women Owned Business Report commissioned by American Express OPEN. Nationally, the number of women-owned firms has grown 59 percent.
April 29, 2013 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Marmoluna Tile opens in Atlanta
Jacques Couret reports that Marmoluna Tile and Marble Co. will invest $17 million over five years to open up shop May 1 in Atlanta. Engin Ozturk, shareholder and CEO of the company. picked Atlanta after the Gov. Nathan Deal’s visit to Turkey last June.
April 29, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Storm brewing over Jekyll Island development
Dan Chapman reports that the Jekyll Island Authority, which runs the state park off Georgia’s southeastern coast beloved by generations of Atlantans, is embroiled in a standoff with a task force it created to determine if the island will have room for future development.
April 29, 2013 Gainesville Times
Hamilton State Bank acquires failed Douglas County Bank
Staff reports that regulators have closed banks in Georgia, bringing the number of U.S. bank failures this year to 10. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said on Friday it seized Douglas County Bank, based in Douglasville. The lender, which had four branches, had about $316.5 million in assets and $314.4 million in deposits. The FDIC arranged for other banks to take over the failed banks’ deposits and purchase their assets. Hamilton State Bank, based in Hoschton, will pay the FDIC a 0.5 percent premium to assume the deposits of Douglas County Bank.
April 29, 2013 GPB.org
Georgia to test aquifer storage
Orlando Montoya reports that Georgia plans to test a new underground water storage system. The $4 million experiment aims to determine if expanding underground aquifers will help with the state's water woes. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) has never been used in Georgia.
April 29, 2013 Rome News-Telegraph
Metal recycling a booming business at Newell's
Doug Walker reports that Frank Goulding, vice president-marketing for Newell Recycling, said Alton Newell founded the company — which has a major facility in Rome at 4614 New Calhoun Highway — in Texas back in 1935. The company set up a recycling yard in Atlanta to process residues from automobile shredding plants in 1975. “The business grew from a 30-employee operation to 700 plus employees with 12 locations around the state,” Goulding said.
April 29, 2013 11Alive.com
Cobb school board must cut $86 million from budget
Duffie Dixon reports that shere may be just weeks left for students in Cobb County, but school board members have plenty of homework ahead. They are holding a special meeting Monday at 1pm to tackle an 86. 4 million dollar deficit.
April 29, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Political Insider
Good news for Georgia: Obama to tap mayor of Charlotte for transportation secretary
Jim Galloway reports that mayor of Charlotte would replace Ray LaHood, a Republican, who announced in January that he would leave the job once his successor is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. When LaHood announced his departure, it was thought that Georgia would lose an essential federal connection as it pursued hundreds of millions of dollars for the dredging of the Port of Savannah. LaHood and Gov. Nathan Deal served together in Congress. The new path of influence: Foxx not only calls Obama friend, but is likewise close to Kasim Reed. The mayor of Atlanta paid a visit to Charlotte in February, to help the mayor of Charlotte over two hurdles – funding for a new Panthers football stadium, and a city streetcar system.
