Georgia Trend Daily – Feb. 22, 2021
Feb. 22, 2021 The Center Square
Georgia to provide more than $550M in rental, utility assistance
Nyamekye Daniel reports that Georgia will provide $552 million in rent and utility assistance to landlords and tenants, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday. The federal government provided the COVID-19-related aid through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, and it will be paid directly to landlords and utility companies.
Feb. 22, 2021 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Metro Atlanta companies unite to advance racial equity
Mary Ann DeMuth reports that the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC), which serves 29 counties, recently announced the ATL Action for Racial Equity initiative. The multi-year, multi-step action plan is designed to help address the ongoing effects of systemic racism.
Feb. 22, 2021 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia becomes top 10 exporter state as manufacturing rebounds
Michael E. Kanell reports, as the pandemic hit, orders dropped at Winton Machine in Suwanee, chilled by confusion and uncertainty. The 23-year-old maker of fabrication equipment — machines that make tubular parts for other machines — has buyers ranging from the corporate like General Electric to the military like the U.S. Navy.
Feb. 22, 2021 Georgia Southern University
Parker College of Business students, faculty excel in virtual global competition
Staff reports that sales students in the Parker College of Business spent the fall semester communicating and making deals with a robot through the virtual RNMKRS College Sales Skills Competition. The students, who placed in the top 1% of more than 2,200 participants, learned and practiced selling a product by speaking virtually with Alex, a consumer bot who listens, adapts and responds as students used voice activation on their mobile phones.
Feb. 22, 2021 Rome News-Tribune
Oldcastle aims to have mulching facility running by this fall
Doug Walker reports that officials with Oldcastle Lawn & Garden, part of Oldcastle APG, are still working to get everything in order to begin construction of a large mulch plant on Ga. 53 about 8 miles north of Rome. Oldcastle Lawn & Garden executives Scott Wiltsey and Tim Lesko updated members of the Rome-Floyd County Development Authority on plans for their new facility this past week.
Feb. 22, 2021 Newnan Times-Herald
Plant Yates ash permit at least a year away
Sarah Fay Campbell reports that a draft permit for the ash pond closures at Georgia Power Plant Yates isn’t expected until the first quarter of 2022, according to information presented Thursday at the meeting of the Georgia House Natural Resources and Environment Committee. Thursday’s meeting was the annual update given by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and Georgia Power on coal ash mediation.
Feb. 22, 2021 Georgia Recorder
Lawmakers debate college tuition for DACA recipients, campus free speech
Ross Williams reports that colleges across Georgia are working to educate students in the midst of a pandemic that has changed the face of instruction and brought new worries to students, faculties and staff. But hot-button issues like immigration, campus free speech and college affordability have not gone away with the pandemic, and all of these long-simmering topics came up at an at times emotional meeting of the House Higher Education Committee Friday.
Feb. 22, 2021 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Loeffler launches group to boost GOP turnout, promote ‘big tent’ policies
Greg Bluestein reports, as former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler is wading back into Georgia politics weeks after her runoff defeat with the start of a new voter registration group aimed at helping Republicans recover from the stunning Democratic victories in November and January. The former financial executive framed the launch Monday of the Greater Georgia organization as a Republican answer to the powerful Fair Fight voting rights group that Stacey Abrams started days after her 2018 defeat in the race for governor.
