Georgia Trend Daily – March 27, 2019
March 27, 2019 GPB
Norfolk Southern Breaks Ground On New Atlanta Headquarters
Ross Terrell reports that Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms welcomed Norfolk Southern Tuesday at a groundbreaking for the company’s new headquarters. The building is in Midtown Atlanta, near Norfolk Southern’s current office in the city.
March 27, 2019 Georgia Trend
Trendsetters: Chilling Out
Mary Ann DeMuth reports that at Atlanta-based brrr°, cool has become really hot. That’s because the textile technology company has figured out how to create yarn and fabric that can reduce skin temperature by two to three degrees, and national brands are jumping at the chance to make their products chill out.
March 27, 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A mattress company HQ — and a self-driving shuttle — are coming to DeKalb
D. Capelouto reports that a major mattress company is preparing to move its national headquarters to DeKalb County this spring, launching a massive mixed-use development at the site of a former General Motors plant. Serta Simmons Bedding, the nation’s largest mattress company, is consolidating its offices to be part of what is now known as Assembly Yards in Doraville.
March 27, 2019 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Developers: 1,150-acre industrial park near Savannah could create 3,000 jobs
Jessica Saunders reports that ground was broken on the Georgia International Trade Center in Effingham County March 26. The first phase is slated for completion in second quarter 2020.
March 27, 2019 Savannah Morning News
Georgia Ports Authority marks growth, Kia partnership
Katie Nussbaum reports that year to date container volume at the Port of Savannah increased 8.8 percent for the fiscal period July 2018 to February 2019, the Georgia Ports Authority reported Tuesday at their board monthly meeting. Compared to the same period last year, the increase added 239,033 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), for a total of 2.97 million TEUs.
March 27, 2019 WSB Radio, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hurricane Michael aid talks reach impasse in Senate
Tamar Hallerman reports that talks to send long-delayed emergency money to farmers and other Hurricane Michael victims hit a major snag on Capitol Hill late Monday when a pair of powerful Democrats indicated they were opposed to a proposal spearheaded by Georgia’s two U.S. senators. The announcement from U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey and U.S. Sen. Pat Leahy, the top Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations Committee, sapped bipartisan momentum from a $13.6 billion aid package being pushed by Republicans David Perdue and Johnny Isakson.
March 27, 2019 Saporta Report
Atlanta’s home prices are soaring. Can a new model keep some affordable forever?
Sonam Vashi reports that in 2011, Fayette County resident Jenelle Harris wanted to buy a home closer to her job as an Atlanta Public Schools teacher, but she didn’t make enough money to buy in the quickly gentrifying east side of Atlanta. Then, she heard about a new program through the Atlanta Land Trust that would let her purchase a unit in the Lofts at Reynoldstown Crossing—right where the fledgling BeltLine would eventually hit Memorial Drive—that was perfect: affordable, walkable, less of a commute.
March 27, 2019 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Burgers and Beer in Athens
Mary Ann Demuth reports that for burger and beer lovers, there’s a lot going on in Athens. This week is officially Athens Burger Week, sponsored by the Georgia Beef Board. Carnivores can enjoy specially made burgers for $5 at more than 20 restaurants. There’s even a Burger Week Passport to help in the quest for the best beefiness, and it can lead to prizes.
March 27, 2019 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Macon Telegraph, CQ Roll Call
Georgia Democrat’s bill calls for free tampons, pads available in all federal buildings
Katherine Tully-McManus reports that Rep. Grace Meng introduced a bill Tuesday that would require all public federal buildings, including those on the Capitol campus, to provide free pads and tampons in the restrooms. The bill, called the Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2019, would give states the option to use federal grant funding to provide students with free menstrual products in schools, and it would require Medicaid to cover the cost of menstrual products for recipients.
March 27, 2019 Fox5 Atlanta
Proposed law cracks down on ‘child marriages’
Jaclyn Schultz reports that a proposed law to raise the legal age of marriage from 16 to 17 is making its way through the Georgia State Capitol. House Bill 228, authored by State Rep. Andrew Welch (R – McDonough), would raise the age of marriage in Georgia and require parents to appear before a judge to emancipate their child for the purpose of matrimony only.
March 27, 2019 Brunswick News
Sextortion, sovereign immunity bills head back for concurrence
Wes Wolfe reports that action Monday in the state Senate and Tuesday in the House resulted in two bills, with momentum behind them, returning to their original chambers. Monday, the Senate passed House Bill 311, providing a path for Georgians to sue governments acting unconstitutionally, and Tuesday, the House passed Senate Bill 9, which more-fully covers sexual extortion and includes penalties for sex acts against older teens by those with power over them.
March 27, 2019 Georgia Health News
Push for hospital transparency gets new energy, platform
Andy Miller reports that this year’s legislative fight over Georgia’s certificate-of-need system is different from those in the past, which focused almost entirely on typical CON battles over hospital building projects or authorization of medical services. State Reps. Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin) and Terry England (R-Auburn), among others, have now emphasized a new issue in the push to change CON: financial transparency.
March 27, 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Capitol Hill investigators, Ga. officials in talks to hand over election docs
Tamar Hallerman and Mark Niesse report that Georgia’s top election official is negotiating with congressional investigators who demanded a pile of documents about alleged voting irregularities during last year’s election. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp missed a March 20 deadline set by the House Oversight and Reform Committee for transmitting documents related to Georgia’s “exact match” law, consolidation of polling sites, long lines and a bevy of other election-related issues.
