Georgia Trend Daily – April 7, 2020
April 7, 2020 11Alive
‘Georgia lost a gentle giant’ | State Senator Jack Hill dies
Donesha Aldredge reports that Georgia State Senator Jack Hill has passed away. He was 75 years old. The Georgia State Senate released a statement Monday saying the “Senate lost a true public servant in every meaning of the word.” They did not release the cause of his death.
April 7, 2020 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Political Notes: Ups, Downs and In-Betweens
Susan Percy reports that State Rep. Joe Campbell (R-Camilla) won a special election earlier this year to serve out the remainder of the late House District 171 Rep. Jay Powell, who died suddenly in November. A general election for the seat will be held in November.
April 7, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia agriculture’s biggest player whipsawed by shopping changes
Christopher Quinn reports that for the past few weeks, shoppers have been emptying grocery stores of chicken, spurred on by fears of coronavirus shortages. Yet wholesale prices for the meat are dropping.
April 7, 2020 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Poultry processor sends 415 south Georgia employees home with pay
Jessica Saunders reports that more than 415 poultry plant workers in south Georgia have been sent home with pay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Laurel, Miss.-based Sanderson Farms (NASDAQ: SAFM) sent workers at its Moultrie, Ga., plant who live in neighboring Dougherty County home due to the high number of COVID-19 cases in Dougherty County, according to a conference call.
April 7, 2020 Gwinnett Daily Post
New dates for 2020 Masters, Tour Championship announced in revamped golf schedule
Will Hammock reports that golf’s governing bodies around the world came together Monday for a revamped 2020 schedule that includes two major events in Georgia, the Masters and the Tour Championship. The new schedule, forced by coronavirus pandemic delays, has the Masters at Augusta National from Nov. 12-15 and the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club from Sept. 3-7.
April 7, 2020 WABE 90.1
Officials Working On System, Developing Plan To Get People Their Unemployment Benefits
Suzanna Capelouto reports that Oren Malik came to Georgia eight years ago to work as a second assistant cameraman in the movie industry. He says the movie industry was just revving up from its winter slump a few weeks ago.
April April 7, 2020 Brunswick News
Motion filed to prevent DNR, Honeywell settlement
Lauren McDonald reports that One Hundred Miles has joined a group of local citizens to take legal action aimed at preventing the $4 million settlement agreement proposed in December between the state Department of Natural Resources and Honeywell International, Inc., from being finalized. The settlement agreement covered environmental mitigation at the former LCP Chemicals site, currently owned by Honeywell and now a Superfund Site.
April 7, 2020 The Center Square
IHME model now forecasts earlier COVID-19 peak, more deaths in Georgia
Jason Schaumberg reports that updated COVID-19 projections by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluations indicate a worsening situation in Georgia. IHME, an independent health population research center at the University of Washington Medicine, now forecasts Georgia will reach a peak of 137 daily COVID-19 deaths on April 21.
April 7, 2020 Law.com|Daily Report
COVID-19 Judicial Emergency Extended
Katheryn Tucker reports that Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold D. Melton extended the statewide judicial emergency Monday. The new order runs until May 13, extending by a month the one Melton signed on March 14, which was due to expire April 13.
April 7, 2020 Rome News-Tribune
Fundraising frozen for state lawmakers, campaign clock keeps ticking
Diane Wagner reports that the clock is ticking on elections, but the Georgia General Assembly session is frozen and incumbents can’t raise money for their campaigns. State law prohibits lawmakers from soliciting or accepting donations during the annual 40-day legislative session, which was temporarily suspended after Day 29 due to the coronavirus threat.
April 7, 2020 Gainesville Times
12 North Georgia county commissions ask Gov. Kemp to close state parks
Nick Watson reports that commissioners from 12 North Georgia counties signed a letter sent to Gov. Brian Kemp asking him to close state parks in the area during the statewide shelter-in-place order. The letter dated April 6 was signed by commissioners from Habersham, Towns, Rabun, White, Franklin, Gilmer, Dade, Lumpkin, Fannin, Stephens, Union and Banks counties.
April 7, 2020 Georgia Recorder
State panel to watch for voter fraud as primary shifts to absentee ballots
Jill Nolin reports that Georgia’s top election official has launched a new panel that he says will help sharpen his office’s focus on any fraud that could accompany a likely surge in absentee voting this year. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger hasn’t publicly named the members of a new task force, but says he will tap election experts, district attorneys and solicitor generals to sit on it.
April 7, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Statesboro church’s defiance underscores Kemp’s shutdown dilemma
Greg Bluestein reports that Gov. Brian Kemp publicly agonized about a shutdown of religious services to slow the coronavirus pandemic before opting instead to require social distancing at houses of worship. A Statesboro church flouting his mandate underscores his dilemma.
