Georgia Trend Daily – Oct. 3, 2019

Oct. 3, 2019 Athens Banner-Herald

Drought growing fast in Southeast

Lee Shearer reports that climate scientists are keeping a close eye on a developing drought enveloping the Southeast. They’re calling a “flash drought” because it’s moving so quickly. What people have been noticing most is the heat. In Athens, the temperature reached 90 degrees or better on 22 days in September.

Oct. 3, 2019 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

From the Publisher: Go Higher

Ben Young writes, each fall college football season provides a timely reminder that our higher education system is more important than ever as the state seeks to leverage its reputation as the best in the country for business with the workforce it needs to hold the title. Gov. Brian Kemp has proposed a 2020 budget of $2.58 billion for the University System of Georgia (USG) and $373 million for the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).

Oct. 3, 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta has second-highest ATM fees among big cities, survey finds

Michael E. Kanell reports, if you use an ATM in metro Atlanta that is not included in your own network, it will really cost you. Atlanta has the nation’s second-highest out-of-network ATM fees, averaging $5.50 per transaction, according to the annual survey of the 25 largest U.S. metros by Bankrate.com, a personal finance site for consumers.

Oct. 3, 2019 Atlanta Business Chronicle

Delta to expand ‘auto check-in’ feature, security wait time info

Eric Mandel reports that Delta is upgrading its Fly Delta app, with plans to expand its “auto check-in” feature and to offer integrated security wait times in certain markets. Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) said Wednesday that later this year, it will introduce the auto-check-in option to international flights.

Oct. 3, 2019 Savannah Morning News

Brunswick port expansion completed early

Katie Nussbaum reports that the Georgia Ports Authority has completed a 40-acre expansion at the Port of Brunswick dedicated to auto processing at the Roll-on/Roll-off port at Colonel’s Island Terminal near Brunswick. Speaking during the annual Brunswick State of the Port address on Wednesday at the Jekyll Island Convention Center, GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch said the expansion had been slated for completion in November but finished ahead of schedule.

Oct. 3, 2019 Clayton News-Daily

Final major module for Georgia Power’s Vogtle 3 & 4 project arrives onsite

Staff reports that the final major module for construction of the Vogtle 3 & 4 units has arrived onsite, meaning all 1,485 major modules required to complete construction have now been manufactured and safely delivered. The arrival of the final major module marks the completion of sourcing construction modules from 25 suppliers and vendors from around the globe. These modules help streamline the construction process, since they are made in advance of arriving to the project site and ready to be assembled into larger components that make up the nuclear units.

Oct. 3, 2019 Emory University

NIA announces major $73 million Alzheimer’s grant, Emory leads international drug discovery center

Staff reports that the National Institute on Aging (NIA) is awarding approximately $37 million over five years to a team of international researchers, led by Emory University, to help accelerate the development of promising new therapies that will effectively treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD). NIA is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Oct. 3, 2019 Brunswick News

Local Rotary idea turns into six-figure grant for Puerto Rican agriculture

Wes Wolfe reports that an idea planted locally sprung forth and bore fruit, to the tune of $289,000, and now that money is helping to enhance sustainable agriculture in Puerto Rico, where recovery from Hurricane Maria is still woefully behind. The project started with an idea by St. Simons Island Rotary Club member Leslie Mattingly who, with husband former ambassador and U.S. Sen. Mack Mattingly, have extensive connections on the island and friends in need.

Oct. 3, 2019 Georgia Recorder

Georgia Power rate hike plan called burden on low-income customers

Stanley Dunlap reports that Decatur’s Catherine Carter is such a stickler for conserving electricity that the 76-year-old didn’t turn on her air conditioner throughout this year’s sweltering summer. Carter is among the Georgia Power customers who complain it is unfair for state officials to grant the utility’s request to nearly double its base electricity rate, the minimum amount customers pay for power.

Oct. 3, 2019 GPB

How A Rural Georgia Doctor Is Taking An Holistic View On Maternal Care

Virginia Prescott, Grant Blankenship and Jake Troyer report, through her work as a rural physician, Dr. Keisha Callins addresses the bigger picture of maternal morality in Georgia. Serving as the only OB-GYN for the 16 health clinics in the community heath care systems in Georgia, Callins believes in taking an holistic approach to women’s health.

Oct. 3, 2019 Valdosta Daily Times, CNHI

Lawmakers, hotel operators target human trafficking

Riley Bunch reports that Federal and state lawmakers joined forces with the hospitality industry against human trafficking. Gov. Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp hosted a blue ribbon panel discussion Tuesday focusing on legislative steps being taken to combat human trafficking in Georgia. U.S. Sen. David Perdue, U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, Georgia House Pro-Tempore Jan Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr all spoke during the panel talks.

Oct. 3, 2019 The Center Square

HUD grants $314M to fight lead and home hazards

Nyamekye Daniel reports that Georgia and North Carolina are among 31 states slated to receive millions of dollars to protect residents from lead-based paint and other housing hazards. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded more than $314 million to 77 state and local government agencies to combat lead poisoning and more than $5 million to address home health and safety hazards in six tribal communities.

Oct. 3, 2019 Union-Recorder, CNHI

Gov.’s budget cuts scrutinized

Riley Bunch reports that a state economist warned Thursday that Georgia’s economy could be heading into a recession, reinforcing the governor’s call for budget cuts. Gov. Brian Kemp’s directive to slash spending drew the ire of several lawmakers, including fellow Republicans. Dr. Jeffrey Dorfman, the governor’s fiscal economist, said he believes there is a “50/50” chance of a 2020 recession.

Oct. 3, 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Matt Lieberman, son of former VP nominee, runs for Senate in Georgia

Greg Bluestein reports that Matt Lieberman, an entrepreneur who is the son of former U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, became the first Democrat to enter the race for retiring Republican Johnny Isakson’s seat on Thursday with a promise to be a voice for frustrated Georgians. “I’m running as a fed-up citizen of Georgia and for the fed-up citizens of Georgia,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.