Georgia Trend Daily – April 22, 2020
April 22, 2020 Savannah Morning News, Capitol Beat News
Kemp draws fire for reopening Georgia businesses
Dave Williams and Beau Evans report that public health experts and local elected officials raised concerns Tuesday over whether Georgia businesses are ready to reopen safely while the coronavirus pandemic continues to chalk up new infections and deaths. But business leaders welcomed Gov. Brian Kemp’s announcement Monday that some businesses will be allowed to reopen as soon as the end of this week as a first step toward getting critically needed cash back into their coffers.
April 22, 2020 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Preserving Georgia’s historic buildings
Mary Ann DeMuth reports, in times when the future is so uncertain, there’s comfort in preserving the past – especially when it involves reclaiming beautiful old buildings. Last week the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation announced 24 awards that recognize the state’s best preservation projects.
April 22, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coca-Cola warns of sharp fall in drink sales as people stay home
Matt Kempner reports that Coca-Cola Company expects hard times ahead, announcing Tuesday a 25% drop in volume of drinks sold globally so far in April. The pandemic sliced into consumers’ outside purchases at places such as restaurants, movie theaters and sporting events, which normally account for about half of company sales.
April 22, 2020 Atlanta Business Chronicle
Delta exec rescinds retirement to lead COVID-19 response
Eric Mandel reports that long-time Delta executive Paul Jacobson is sticking around after all. Jacobson will forgo his decision to retire from Delta Air Lines Inc. and continue as executive vice president and chief financial officer, according to a memo from CEO Ed Bastian.
April 22, 2020 Georgia Southern University
Parker College of Business students gain real-world experience through networking events
Staff reports that Georgia Southern University senior marketing major Steve Lopez was able to see his skills gained in the classroom come full circle when he placed first in the second annual Parker Regional Sales Competition (PRSC). “This competition gave me so many new opportunities and skills that I don’t think I could have gained any other way,” Lopez said.
April 22, 2020 Brunswick News
Business slowdown at ports
Gordon Jackson reports that Georgia ports saw more than an 18 percent drop in activity in March, and they’re not the only ones. The coronavirus pandemic is expected to cause slower activity at ports across the nation through April and May, and it could go beyond that time.
April 22, 2020 The Center Square
Business, policy leaders weigh in on what’s needed to help rebuild Georgia’s economy
Nyamekye Daniel reports, while part of Georgia’s economy is scheduled to reopen Friday, business and policy leaders say the state needs to take action to secure long-term stability. Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy for the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) – an independent nonprofit think tank – said state officials should involve business leaders and local organizations in the reopening process.
April 22, 2020 Rome News-Tribune
Southeastern Mills donates to local food banks and community organizations across the country
Staff reports that Southeastern Mills is donating nearly $100,000 to local food banks and organizations that are supporting communities and retail and food service workers across the country.“At Southeastern Mills, community is at the core of who we are,” said Brad Olsen, vice president of marketing in a press release.
April 22, 2020 WABE 90.1
Augusta University To Play Key Role In Georgia’s Promised Escalation In COVID-19 Testing
Emil Moffat reports that as the state of Georgia attempts to increase the number of COVID-19 tests it conducts each day, Augusta University is taking a central role. The university and Augusta University Health System have been tapped to serve as the command center for scheduling coronavirus tests for those who report symptoms through its app and hotline.
April 22, 2020 GPB
Georgia Elections Officials Navigate Sea Of Absentee Applications While Polling Places Back Out
Stephen Fowler, Laura Corley and Georgia News Lab report that more than half a million absentee ballot applications have been processed for Georgia’s June 9 primary so far, overwhelming local officials who already face a shortage of poll workers and polling places.
April 22, 2020 Marietta Daily Journal, Capitol Beat News
Lawsuit seeks delay, better sanitation for Georgia primary amid coronavirus
Beau Evans reports that Georgia’s postponed primary election has drawn a federal lawsuit that seeks another delay to the end of June. The suit, filed by a group of voters and advocates often at odds with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, also calls for his office to take several sanitation and security steps, including shelving a key component of the state’s new voting machines.
April 22, 2020 Albany Herald
Georgia U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, husband donate $1 million to Phoebe Foundation
Staff reports that Phoebe Putney Health System received a generous gift to help provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital care team members on the front line of the COVID-19 battle. Sen. Kelly Loeffler and her husband, Jeff Sprecher, donated $1 million to the Phoebe Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Fund.
April 22, 2020 Georgia Recorder
Kemp lifts some restrictions on businesses, critics say it’s premature
Ross Williams reports that Georgia’s hair stylists, tattoo artists and massage therapists are among the people who can go back to work Friday following a new executive order from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp that eases business constraints designed to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.
April 22, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia to mail out 323,000 new absentee ballot request forms
Sarah Kallis reports that thousands of Georgia voters may not have gotten the absentee ballot request forms the secretary of state’s office sent out recently for the June 9 primary. Gabriel Sterling, the implementation manager for the state’s voting system, said the secretary of state’s office will soon mail new request forms to about 323,000 voters.
