Georgia Trend Daily – Sept. 20, 2021
Sept. 20, 2021 Macon Telegraph
Atrium Health Navicent joins other Middle GA employers increasing minimum wage
Becky Purser reports that Atrium Health Navicent recently increased the minimum wage paid to its hourly employees, joining a growing number of Middle Georgia businesses doing the same. The new $12.50 per hour wage at Atrium Health Navicent is $5.25 more per hour than the federal minimum wage of $7.25.
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Sept. 20, 2021 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
A Byte of Prevention
Kenna Simmons reports that much of the Southeast lags behind in any number of health statistics, from maternal and infant mortality to the percentage of people who have been vaccinated for COVID-19. So when John Showalter, M.D., chief product officer at the Metro Atlanta-based clinical artificial intelligence (AI) company Jvion, says the area is a leader in health information technology (health IT), it’s a welcome departure from the healthcare stereotype.
Sept. 20, 2021 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia shed jobs in August as pandemic’s fourth wave continued
Michael E. Kanell reports that job growth in Georgia stalled last month, mired down by pandemic uncertainty that’s kept workers on the sidelines and customers out of shops and restaurants. After robust hiring during the previous three months, the state’s overall economy shrunk by 500 jobs in August, according to the state Department of Labor.
Sept. 20, 2021 Rome News-Tribune
Sports tourism brings in $5.8 million to Floyd County so far this year
John Bailey reports that two events on the weekend of Sept. 11-12 highlight the roll Floyd County has been on this year, as sports tourism continues to thrive — even during a pandemic. Georgia Cycling’s first race of the season at Kingston Downs and the Southern Ozaki Junior Cup at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College are the most recent examples of that success.
Sept. 20, 2021 Emory University
Emory receives record funding for research with $894 million in last year
Rajee Suri reports that Emory University attracted record support for its research, receiving $894.7 million in fiscal year 2021 for tackling the challenges of our time. Investigators won grants for developing and evaluating COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments; exploring new frontiers of the mind; addressing climate change; and advancing ideas and solutions to end health disparities and promote racial and social justice.
Sept. 20, 2021 Savannah Morning News
Tybee Island moves forward on vacation rental regulations, moratorium townhall raises questions
Nancy Guan reports, after years of debate on short-term vacation rentals, the Tybee Island City Council has taken concrete action towards its regulation in the last two meetings. The latest move, an ordinance establishing a fee structure based on occupancy, passed the six-member council Sept. 9 by a unanimous vote, with member Jay Burke recusing.
Sept. 20, 2021 Brunswick News
Local delegation not in favor of wind farms off the coast
Hank Rowland reports, when state Sen. Sheila McNeill scans the Atlantic from the shores of the Golden Isles, she expects a clear view of the ocean’s horizon. The Brunswick Republican neither expects nor desires a view marred by giant energy-producing wind turbines.
Sept. 20, 2021 The Center Square
High student fees paying off Georgia public university debt
Nyamekye Daniel reports that students at Georgia’s public universities are paying hundreds of dollars each semester to help schools with debt accrued from the last recession, a University System of Georgia (USG) official said. Sen. Sally Harrell, D-Atlanta, who initiated the launch of the Senate Study Committee on University Fees, said the fees placed more financial weight on state scholarship recipients and part-time students.
Sept. 20, 2021 Capitol Beat News
Drug price transparency could return as top legislative issue
Tim Darnell reports that drug prices and who controls them could be back before the General Assembly this winter, as consumer advocates and pharmacy benefit managers remain at odds over issues such as drug price transparency. Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation last year tightening rules on third-party companies that play a role in negotiating pharmaceutical drug prices between insurers and local pharmacies in Georgia.
Sept. 20, 2021 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The former Georgia GOP chair is suing the state party
Greg Bluestein reports that the former head of the Georgia GOP filed a lawsuit this week demanding that the state party repay him for legal fees stemming from a former staffer’s racial discrimination complaint. John Padgett wants the state party to pay him more than $230,000 for legal costs he said he incurred related to the lawsuit filed by Qiana Keith, a former Georgia GOP staffer who claimed her co-workers had referred to her with a racial slur and humiliated her.
