DeAnn Komanecky reports that the Port of Savannah will soon be able to unload six 14,000 TEU vessels at the same time. A TEU is a measurement unit equivalent to a 20-foot container. Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch told attendees at the Georgia Foreign Trade Conference Tuesday morning that the Big Berth/Big Ship program will be completed in 2024.
Ben Young writes, most prognosticators are optimistic about Georgia’s economy for the near future and further down the line. This is indeed good news and represents a pivotal opportunity to maintain our state’s success.
Michael E. Kanell reports that gas prices have edged up the past few days from three-year lows, and increases are likely to continue through late in the spring, thanks to a mix of national and global forces, according to experts. Even though the United States has become the world’s leading oil producer, prices are affected by global supply and demand.
Alex Gailey reports that Delta’s launch of its newest narowbody jet, the A220, is just around the corner. The A220 is a few days away from entering service, with initial flights set to depart this Thursday, Feb. 7, from New York’s LaGuardia airport.
Staff reports that the Gwinnett Chamber is currently seeking an exceptional leader with strong local and regional relationships to fill the role of President/CEO. The Gwinnett Chamber, one of the largest suburban Chambers of Commerce in the nation and the voice for businesses, recently announced Dr. Daniel J. Kaufman’s retirement from the role of President & CEO, effective June 30.
Staff reports that environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler will visit the Augusta area to promote President Trump’s State of the Union address and talk about other issues. The visit is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at McCorkle Nurseries Neal’s Mill Farm in Dearing, Ga.
Isabel Hughes reports that the Georgia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) will now function completely under the umbrella of the Atlanta Humane Society, the two organizations recently announced. Last year, the Georgia SPCA merged with the Atlanta Humane Society, with the original plan being that the two would share the Georgia SPCA’s Suwanee facility.
Michael Terrazs reports that Georgia Coastal Ecosystems, a research program based at the University of Georgia Marine Institute, has just been renewed for another six years by the National Science Foundation with $6.7 million in funding. The award marks the third renewal of GCE’s long-term ecological research, or LTER, grant from NSF and ensures that the group’s research will continue into its third decade from its base at the Marine Institute’s headquarters on Sapelo Island, Georgia.
Jenifer Shockley reports that Georgia State University alumna Ann-Marie Campbell, executive vice president of U.S. Stores at The Home Depot, is one of 33 business school graduates who have been honored by AACSB International, the world’s largest business education alliance, as a 2019 Influential Leader. AACSB annually recognizes notable alumni from AACSB-accredited business schools whose inspiring work is a model for the next generation of business leaders.
Donna Lowry reports that voters in Banks, Stephens, and Habersham counties are hoping three is the final number. For the third time since December, voters will have to go to the polls to decide the race between incumbent Rep. Dan Gasaway and former Banks County School Superintendent Chris Erwin.
Greg Bluestein and Tamar Hallerman report, at a dress rehearsal for her State of the Union response, Stacey Abrams made one thing clear to organizers: I don’t need lip balm, she told them, and hold the water. It was a joke, but it also underscored a truth: She told supporters she was “terrified” of squandering the chance to rebut Donald Trump’s address, like so many from both parties had done before, with a miscue that ruins the opportunity.
