Georgia Trend Daily – Feb. 17, 2020

Feb. 17, 2020 Georgia.org

Macy’s, Inc. $14 million Atlanta technology hub to locate at T3 West Midtown, Johns Creek

Staff reports that Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced today that Fortune 500 company Macy’s, Inc. will open a new office at Atlanta’s T3 West Midtown facility to create the innovative technology hub recently announced as part of the company’s three-year strategic plan, while maintaining its current Johns Creek facility. The $14 million project will create 630 new jobs.

Feb. 17, 2020 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

Serving those who serve our food

Mary Ann DeMuth reports that Atlanta-based Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides emergency assistance to food service workers, has expanded its footprint to the entire state. That means more than 480,000 Georgians who work in restaurants, catering, concessions and food trucks now have access to financial support and a network of community resources.

Feb. 17, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bitcoin ATMs start to spread — and to draw scrutiny

Andy Peters reports that at a 76 gas station on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Scottdale, manager Jimit Patel said between 10 and 15 people walk in to use the store’s bitcoin ATM each day. For consumers who don’t have a bank account, a bitcoin ATM is a way to convert cash into a digital format to purchase items or pay bills online, said Brandon Mintz, CEO of Atlanta-based Bitcoin Depot, one of the largest bitcoin ATM operators.

Feb. 17, 2020 Rome News-Tribune

Heritage Sleep Concepts booking in large new plant

Doug Walker reports that leaders at Heritage Sleep Concepts are not sleeping on their laurels after making the move to a new production center in Armuchee. The bedding manufacturer purchased the former Capitoline Products building adjacent to Richard B. Russell Regional Airport last year, making a $2.4 million investment in the future of the company.

Feb. 17, 2020 Albany Herald

Governor, DNR recognize corporate forest landowners

Staff reports that Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources recognized three corporate forest landowners this week for their stewardship and land management practices benefiting wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts across the state. But the announcement that Weyerhaeuser, CatchMark Timber Trust and Georgia Power are 2019 partners in DNR’s Forestry for Wildlife Partnership also noted changes to the 24-year-old program.

Feb. 17, 2020 Brunswick News

Lawsuit alleges ‘almost certain’ environmental catastrophe with Golden Ray

Wes Wolfe reports that a former contractor on the M/V Golden Ray salvage operation alleges the Coast Guard is failing to enforce federal law and presiding over “an almost certain” environmental catastrophe in the St. Simons Sound. Attorneys for Donjon-SMIT filed a lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Brunswick asking the court to grant an injunction to halt the process slated to begin soon.

Feb. 17, 2020 Athens Banner-Herald, Capitol-Beat

Mass timber construction technology holds promise for Georgia forestry

Dave Williams reports that Georgia’s timber industry, which already tops the nation in a number of categories, may get a boost from new technology that lets developers construct mid-rise office buildings made mostly of wood. The General Assembly is considering legislation asking the state Department of Community Affairs to recommend whether Georgia should adopt a provision in the International Building Code that allows buildings constructed of “mass timber” to rise as high as 18 stories.

Feb. 17, 2020 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

More soldiers are coming to Columbus. What to know about added Fort Benning brigade

Mark Rice reports that two days after learning it wasn’t selected to house a new U.S. Army leadership headquarters, Fort Benning has announced it will add another brigade. More than 500 personnel are expected to be added at Fort Benning when the 197th Infantry Brigade is reactivated this summer.

Feb. 17, 2020 Augusta Chronicle

Vogtle construction site employment hits 9,000

Damon Cline reports that Georgia Power said employment at the Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4 construction site has hit an all-time high of 9,000. The company also said it has made the final concrete pour inside the unit 3 containment vessel, the structure that houses the reactor.

Feb. 17, 2020 Saporta Report

Georgia lawmaker’s legislation could help usher PadSplit into the mainstream

Sean Keenan reports that an Atlanta-based start-up PadSplit grows, its founder and CEO Atticus LeBlanc has been hoping government regulations could be enacted that would help add an extra element of legitimacy to the operation. Today, local zoning regulations can make things tricky for the company which thrives on splitting up single-family homes and manages them as rental properties.

Feb. 17, 2020 Washington Post

Blacklist, ‘swamp creature’ and ‘Potomac panic polka’: Republicans turn on each other in U.S. Senate race in Georgia

Paul Kane reports that a U.S. Senate race in Georgia has turned into a proxy war ensnaring three national Republican committees and top GOP congressional leaders in a battle over whose allies get to work for which candidates. The fight pitted the political lieutenants of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) against top political advisers to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.

Feb. 17, 2020 Georgia Recorder

Rep. Doug Collins shrugs off GOP attacks, expects to be senator in 2021

Robin Bravender reports that U.S. Rep. Doug Collins finds it funny that his GOP critics are attacking him as a “swamp creature.” Collins, a fourth-term Georgia Republican in the U.S. House, sparked an intra-party brawl when he announced his challenge to Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed after the retirement of former Sen. Johnny Isakson.

Feb. 17, 2020 Gainesville Times

Habersham attorney Tricia Hise to run for Georgia Senate District 50

Megan Reed reports that Tricia Hise, a Habersham County attorney, is running to represent District 50 in the Georgia Senate.Hise, a Republican, serves on the board of the Habersham Chamber of Commerce and chairs the Governmental Affairs Committee. She has held state board positions on the Georgia State Property Commission and the Georgia Building Authority.

Feb. 17, 2020 The Center Square

Higher tax incentives for adoption could result in Georgia revenue loss of more than $12M

Nyamekye Daniel reports that Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposal to increase foster care adoption tax credits could result in a state revenue loss of $12.8 million over the next five years, according to fiscal researchers. Kemp wants the General Assembly to increase the annual tax incentive from $2,000 to $6,000 to promote more adoptions from the state’s foster care system.

Feb. 17, 2020 Capitol Beat

Exiting break, Georgia lawmakers take a stab at budget cuts

Beau Evans reports that Georgia lawmakers capped a hiatus week at the state Capitol by pulling back on some of Gov. Brian Kemp’s ordered budget cuts, which have dominated talks so far in the 2020 legislative session. The governor’s proposed cuts – rounding out to $557 million through the 2021 fiscal year – inspired the General Assembly to set aside bill-wrangling for 10 days and focus almost exclusively on the budget.

Feb. 17, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Trump’s plan to divert military funds to border could impact Georgia

Tia Mitchell reports that Georgia lawmakers aren’t sure of the local impact of President Donald Trump’s decision to divert $3.8 billion in defense funding to build the border wall. Among the announced cuts is a reduction in the order for C-130J cargo aircraft built in Marietta, fewer F-35 stealth fighter planes with parts made in Georgia and a nationwide $1.5 billion reduction to a program that allows Air National Guard and reserves units in each state to purchase equipment.