Georgia Trend Daily – Aug. 9, 2019

Aug. 9, 2019 WABE 90.1

Atlanta Considers A Ban On Plastic Single-Use Items At The Airport

Roxanne Scott reports that travelers through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport may have to give up straws and other single-use plastic items. That’s if a proposed Atlanta law takes effect. There’s still a while to go before the ordinance could potentially become law.

Aug. 9, 2019 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

At Issue: A Personal Feud

Kerwin Swint writes, Georgia is undeniably in the eye of a storm when it comes to voter registration and ballot access. Credit the personal invective and animosity between Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp that stretches back to 2013. Their six-year feud has now gone national, along with Abrams’ celebrity status and adjoining media coverage.

Aug. 9, 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta ranked third worst for work-life balance

Rose Kennedy reports that it seems Atlantans don’t do very well balancing work and private life. In fact, according to data from Kisi keyless security experts, Atlanta ranked third worst on the list of top cities for healthy work-life balance, released August 7. San Diego was named the city with the best work-life balance, followed by Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco.

Aug. 9, 2019 Atlanta Business Chronicle

Starbucks says big Atlanta project is still percolating

Douglas Sams reports that a plan for a major Starbucks Corp. expansion that was first announced last year and could bring hundreds of jobs to Atlanta is still brewing. Project “Yogurt,” the code name for the proposed Starbucks regional office used in economic development circles, first emerged publicly last year. It was announced the new regional office could employ up to 500.

Aug. 9, 2019 Georgia Health News

Health plan won’t raise rates next year for teachers, state employees

Andy Miller reports that Georgia teachers and state employees got good news Thursday about their health care benefits. Monthly premiums, deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance will be the same in 2020 as they are this year, state officials announced.

Aug. 9, 2019 Saporta Report

Climate experts say rescue food can reduce warming; it now feeds those in need

David Pendered reports that climate-change scientists meeting in Geneva released a report Thursday that locks on to one of metro Atlanta’s popular social action programs as a way to stem global warming – rescuing food that’s destined for the landfill and getting it on someone’s table.

Aug. 9, 2019 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

Drone mapping in North Georgia

Mary Ann DeMuth reports that University of North Georgia (UNG) is the site of cutting-edge research into using drones to map terrain. Professor Emeritus JB Sharma of UNG’s department of physics assembled a team of faculty, staff and students to produce a detailed digital elevation model of the university’s Gainesville campus. The project resulted in a book that will highlight industry best practices in using small drones for map work.

Aug. 9, 2019 GlobalAtlanta.com

Atlanta Fintech Firm Ebix Makes Largest India Buy Yet in Bid to Grow Travel Portfolio

Trevor Williams reports that Atlanta-based Ebix Inc. just made its biggest acquisition yet in a buying spree aimed at making the company’s Indian subsidiary into the top provider of exchanges for foreign currency and travel services. EbixCash announced in July the all-stock deal to acquire Yatra Online Inc. which operates one of India’s largest travel marketplaces at Yatra.com.

Aug. 9, 2019 Valdosta Daily Times

Brown to serve on rural health board

Staff reports that South Georgia Medical Center-affiliated cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Randal Brown was asked to serve on the advisory board of the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center at Mercer University School of Medicine.  “The center’s goal is to work closely with Mercer University School of Medicine to review, evaluate and recommend programs and projects to assist in meeting the vision of a healthy Georgia,” hospital officials said.

Aug. 9, 2019 Dalton Daily Citizen-News

Hamilton Medical Center says new technology will help keep patients closer to home

Charles Oliver reports, when patients come into Hamilton Medical Center’s critical care unit, they are often dealing with multiple organ failures and need close attention from the nurses and doctors who staff the unit. PrisMax is a new type of continuous renal replacement therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just last week. Hamilton started using it last week, making it the first hospital in the nation to use the machine, said Dr. Elwyn Clark, Hamilton’s medical director of critical care.

Aug. 9, 2019 University of Georgia

$1M gift to UGA law school to support Family Justice Clinic

Heidi Murphy reports that the memory of a domestic violence victim will have a lasting impact on the University of Georgia School of Law as an anonymous donor has pledged $1 million to support the school’s Family Justice Clinic and create a Distinguished Law Fellowship, both bearing the victim’s name – Jane W. Wilson. Wilson, a resident of rural Northern Georgia in her early 30s, was shot and killed by her second husband of just three days during August 1976.

Aug. 9, 2019 GPB

Sen. Perdue Has Concerns About ‘Red Flag’ Gun Laws

Stephen Fowler reports that Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue says he has concerns about “red flag” gun laws that would give judges authority to temporarily remove a person’s guns if they are considered dangerous to themselves or others. Speaking to a group of reporters in his Atlanta office during a wide-ranging interview, he said he could not comment on any specifics until a bill has been drafted.

Aug. 9, 2019 Newnan Times-Herald

Heartbeat Bill, education top issues for House candidates

Laurel Huster reports that the Heartbeat Bill and education were among the top issues discussed by the four candidates for Georgia House District 71 at Wednesday’s candidate forum.   Dean Jackson moderated the forum at the Central Educational Center, asking Nina Blackwelder, Jill Prouty, Marcy Sakrison and Philip Singleton questions about policies affecting the state.

Aug. 9, 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Capitol Recap: The spotlight finds Georgia’s Sonny Perdue

Jim Dinery reports that secretary of agriculture is normally not one of the higher-profile slots in the Cabinet. For instance, there’s no television network drama called “Mr. Secretary” about the nation’s ag chief. Somehow, though, Sonny Perdue has been popping into the spotlight.