Georgia Trend Daily – Dec. 28, 2021
Dec. 28, 2021 Capitol Beat News
Oglethorpe County ranks tops in Georgia for small businesses
Dave Williams reports that Oglethorpe County has the strongest small business presence in Georgia, according to a new study. The report, compiled by the New York City-based financial technology company SmartAsset, ranked counties by the percentage of total tax returns filed by small business owners and the percentage of income derived from small businesses.
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Dec. 28, 2021 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Catching Up With … Joey B. Tucker
Susan Percy reports that Joey Tucker, an associate broker with Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty in Athens, became president of the statewide association of residential real estate professionals in November. These are edited highlights of an interview.
Dec. 18, 2021 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Omicron causes Christmas weekend flight cancellations
Kelly Yamanouchi reports that the omicron variant of COVID-19 is contributing to cancellations of hundreds of flights scheduled for Christmas weekend. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines canceled more than 200 flights scheduled for Friday due to a combination of issues, including the impact of the omicron variant and bad weather.
Dec. 18, 2021 Savannah Morning News
First City Progress: Savannah economy ‘roaring’ to pre-pandemic levels, but wages still lag
Zoe Nicholson reports, while Savannah’s economy has more than recovered, surpassing pre-pandemic levels of output and revenue, wages for workers remain stagnant, according to the “Economic Monitor,” a quarterly report from Georgia Southern economics professor Michael Toma.
Dec. 18, 2021 Macon Telegraph
22 Things to Look for in 2022 in Macon-Bibb
Liz Fabian and Laura Corley report on new developments in the area, including the opening of Hotel 45, the Marriott boutique hotel in the Bankers Insurance high-rise where First and Cherry streets meet Cotton Avenue.
Dec. 28, 2021 Dalton Daily Citizen-News
Officials hope videos will sell people on Whitfield County
Charles Oliver reports, when people look for information on Whitfield County, one place they turn to is the website of the county government (whitfieldcountyga.com). “Over 60% of the traffic to our website is, I think, from outside Georgia, definitely outside of the area,” said county Board of Commissioners Chairman Jevin Jensen.
Dec. 28, 2021 Georgia Cotton Commission
Georgia cotton farmers donate socks to homeless shelters
Staff reports, on behalf of Georgia’s 3,500 cotton farming families, the Georgia Cotton Commission recently donated 12,000 pairs of socks to various homeless shelters across the state.
Dec. 28, 2021 Brunswick News
St. Marys residents look to create pandemic remembrance park
Taylor Cooper reports that a grassroots effort to build a memorial park for St. Marys residents killed by COVID-19 is underway but needs assistance from the community. Allan Geise, 68, chairman of the park planning committee, said he and a group of fellow city residents came up with the idea of creating an area for quiet reflection in St. Marys REC Authority Park earlier this year.
Dec. 28, 2021 Georgia Health News
What’s next for Georgia as Medicaid waiver requirements rejected?
Andy Miller reports that the timing of the waiver decision, right before Christmas, drew a quick, angry response from state Republican leaders. Gov. Brian Kemp’s spokeswoman noted that the federal health officials’ announced rejection of the state’s proposed work requirements for its Medicaid waiver came two days before Christmas.
Dec. 28, 2021 Georgia Recorder
State lawmakers poised to add expanded gun access to 2022 legislative agenda
Ross Williams reports that each new legislative session brings the opportunity for lawmakers to bring home a victory for their constituents, and for Georgia Republicans, passing an expansion of gun rights in 2022 could be just the thing to make their base happy in an election year. The General Assembly declined to pass new firearm legislation last session, though it did come close with a gun rights bill written by Cherokee Republican Rep. Mandi Ballinger.
Dec. 28, 2021 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The questions that will shape Georgia politics in 2022
Greg Bluestein reports, at the dawn of 2022, Georgia is poised for yet another extraordinary political year that will draw attention to the most important battleground state in the nation. Here are some of the biggest questions in Georgia that your Atlanta Journal-Constitution team will be watching this year.
