Georgia Trend Daily – Feb. 21, 2022
Feb. 21, 2022 GlobalAtlanta.com
Georgia Exports Hit New Record in 2021, Surpassing Previous Peak After Last Year’s Dip
Trevor Williams reports that Georgia exports grew by 9 percent in 2021 to $42.36 billion, a record total that resumed the state’s pre-pandemic growth trajectory and showed the prior year’s decline to be an anomaly. Total trade —the sum of exports and imports — also reached an unprecedented $166.11 billion, an increase of 20 percent from the prior year, as the U.S. and global economies recovered from the disruptions wrought by COVID-19 in 2020.
Feb. 21, 2022 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Nursing program expands to Milledgeville
Patty Rasmussen reports that Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) in Warner Robins is expanding its high-demand Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program to the college’s Milledgeville campus beginning with the fall 2022 semester. The expansion significantly increases the program’s reach, easing the burden for nursing students who have had to travel to the main campus.
Feb. 21, 2022 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mystery of the missing workers? Long COVID a big piece of the puzzle
Michael E. Kanell reports that the coronavirus that nearly killed Stephanie Schroeder in 2020 is still keeping her from working. She is among many people with lingering COVID-19 aftereffects who cannot work or can only work part-time.
Feb. 21, 2022 Brunswick News
State of the Port of Brunswick coming
Gordon Jackson reports that the latest developments at the Port of Brunswick will be explained at the State of the Port presentation at 11 a.m. on March 9 at the Jekyll Island Convention Center. The event, sponsored by Georgia Ports Authority and the Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, will feature the authority’s Executive Director Griff Lynch as the keynote speaker.
Feb. 21, 2022 Georgia.gov
Governor Kemp Announces Georgia’s Participation in CyberStart America
Staff reports that Governor Brian P. Kemp announced Georgia’s participation in CyberStart America, an innovative, online cybersecurity talent search and competition sponsored by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) and the SANS Institute. The competition is open to all high school students to explore their aptitude for cybersecurity and computer science, with participants able to win scholarships and prizes and recognition for their schools.
Feb. 21, 2022 Fresh Take Georgia
MARTA will launch a pilot program to test on-demand ride-sharing service
Madeline Hipp reports that MARTA is launching a six-month pilot program March 1 that will bring an on-demand ride-sharing service to three south Atlanta areas. The program, MARTA Reach, aims to reduce waiting and walking times for public transit riders.
Feb. 21, 2022 Athens Banner-Herald
Governor Kemp signs HB 890, solidifying Athens’ Republican-drawn commission district map
Stephanie Allen reports that Governor Brian Kemp on Thursday signed HB 890, the bill that outlines the new commission district map and has received criticism from local elected officials who oppose the drastic changes the new map creates. The passing of the bill comes right before a deadline from the Secretary of State’s office for the local elections office.
Feb. 21, 2022 The Current
Spaceport site holds toxic legacy
Mary Landers reports that Ricky Manning loved working at Union Carbide in the 1980s. But precisely because he worked there he’s adamant the county should not buy the land from its present owners, Union Carbide and Bayer Crop Science.
Feb. 21, 2022 WABE
A new push at the state Capitol to get Georgia’s medical cannabis program on track
Rahul Bali reports that there could be hope for thousands of patients waiting to get legal access to medical cannabis oil grown in Georgia. A bill filed Thursday at the state Capitol is meant to unjam the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission.
Feb. 21, 2022 Union Recorder, Ga.Fla. News
Online marketplaces target of Georgia retail crime proposal
Asia Ashley reports that Georgia lawmakers are trying to crack down on organized retail crime by regulating online marketplaces. The “Inform Consumers Act,” SB 332, — which would provide protections for Georgians who unknowingly purchase stolen and counterfeit products from online marketplaces — has already received unanimous approval in the Senate.
Feb. 21, 2022 Capitol Beat News
Election-year politics dominating General Assembly session
Dave Williams reports that election years in the General Assembly are typically marked by politically motivated legislation. But the trend is on steroids this year, as majority Republicans push a conservative agenda aimed at GOP base voters on topics from gun rights to abortion to what goes on in Georgia schools.
Feb. 21, 2022 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Jolt: Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight focusing on Georgia for 2022 elections
Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell report that Fair Fight, the political organization that Stacey Abrams built after her 2018 defeat, isn’t fading away. Cianti Stewart-Reid, Fair Fight’s new chief executive, outlined her vision for the voting rights group with Abrams and her top advisers focused on her gubernatorial bid.
