Georgia Trend Daily – Nov. 10, 2023
Nov. 10, 2023 Athens Banner-Herald, USA Today
Unemployment claims in Georgia declined last week
Staff reports, initial filings for unemployment benefits in Georgia dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 4,791 in the week ending November 4, down from 5,018 the week before, the Labor Department said.
Nov. 10, 2023 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
A New Class of Unmanned Aircraft
Susana Hills reports, Cartersville-based Phoenix Air Unmanned LLC has won national recognition for its use of aerial drone data capture to inspect utility transmission lines and for civil engineering, survey and land development purposes. It was among the first companies in the nation to receive FAA authorization to fly drones beyond the line of sight.
Nov. 10, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rivian closes 1,800-acre Georgia land deal for $5B EV factory
Zachary Hansen reports, electric vehicle startup Rivian officially closed on a complicated land agreement Thursday to gain access to a 1,800-acre megasite an hour east of Atlanta, allowing the automaker to soon begin vertical construction on its planned $5 billion factory. The Joint Development Authority of Jasper, Morgan, Newton and Walton counties (JDA) approved multiple resolutions earlier this week to finalize the lease agreement, issue bonds related to the project’s property tax financing and prepare to turn over the site to the California-based upstart.
Nov. 10, 2023 WebMBA
WebMBA Partner Schools Earn Top Rankings
Staff reports, facilitating a one-of-a-kind, team-based Master’s in Business Administration program, seven Georgia universities partner together to create the consortium WebMBA program. This year, the universities who comprise the consortium–Augusta University, Columbus University, Georgia College & State University, Georgia Southern University, Kennesaw State University, University of West Georgia, and Valdosta State University–boasted top rankings while offering their on-campus programs as well as this unique online program.
Nov. 10, 2023 Savannah Morning News
Savannah Convention Center completion pushed out (again) to May 2024
Evan Lasseter reports that the Savannah Convention Center’s planned expansion is looking at a late May 2024 material completion date. But that target is pending resolution of a sitework design for its east side, which has prompted concern that the new space may not be ready for visitors already booked that month.
Nov. 10, 2023 WABE
Waffle House workers rallied outside of corporate headquarters
Marion Hyde reports that dozens of Waffle House workers from Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina rallied at corporate offices in Norcross, Georgia, this week. According to union officials, workers are asking the Georgia-based restaurant chain to prioritize improving their pay and overall security.
Nov. 10, 20023 The Brunswick News
Port sees increase in cargo
Gordon Jackson reports, the Port of Brunswick has seen a sharp increase in roll-on/roll-off cargo at the Colonel’s Island Terminal. In September, the port handled 70,645 units of roll-on/roll-off cargo, up 61% over the same month last year.
Nov. 10, 2023 Capitol Beat News
Green mutual fund files shareholder proposals opposing mine near Okefenokee
Dave Williams reports that mutual fund company Green Century Capital Management is urging chemical producer The Chemours Company and paint manufacturer Sherwin-Williams to consider the environmental risks of mining titanium near the Okefenokee Swamp. Green Century has filed shareholder proposals with the two companies opposing a plan by Alabama-based Twin Pines Minerals to mine titanium dioxide on Trail Ridge, the swamp’s eastern hydrologic boundary.
Nov. 10, 2023 State Affairs
Health care providers and Gov. Kemp balk at proposed federal rule for staffing nursing homes
Jill Jordan Sieder reports, a proposed new federal rule mandating minimum staffing levels at nursing homes is causing consternation among Georgia’s senior care providers and health care advocates. Public comment on the rule ended this week, and Gov. Brian Kemp joined 14 other Republican governors in a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to reconsider what they call an unfunded mandate that could force many long-term facilities to close, “eroding health care for some of our most vulnerable citizens.”
Nov. 10, 2023 Georgia Recorder
Court suit against Georgia’s law that allows mass voter challenges nears judge’s ruling
Stanley Dunlap reports, a federal judge will soon decide whether a conservative group is intimidating voters in Georgia by challenging voters’ eligibility in large numbers. U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones with the Northern District of Georgia is expected to make a ruling in the coming days after this week’s conclusion of a trial for a lawsuit filed by voting rights group Fair Fight against True the Vote organization that in the aftermath of the 2021 U.S. Senate runoff led the charge to question whether more than 364,000 registered voters were eligible to cast ballots.
Nov. 10, 2023 Capitol Beat News
Legislative Democrats looking to end ban on rent control
Dave Williams reports that affordable housing advocates and their allies in the General Assembly vowed Thursday to push for legislation that would get rid of a ban on rent control in Georgia that dates back to 1984. Senate Bill 125 would do away with the provision in state law that prohibits local governments from imposing rent control in their communities.
Nov. 10, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Jolt: Manchin’s political future uncertain as he speaks today at UGA
Adam Van Brimmer, Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Tia Mitchell report, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin shook the political world on Thursday when he announced he won’t seek another term, effectively ceding a Democratic-held seat in deep-red West Virginia to the GOP. Later today, he’ll be at the University of Georgia for a discussion on bipartisanship — and, presumably, his political fate.
