Georgia Trend Daily – Jan. 16, 2024
Jan. 16, 2024 11 Alive
Gov. Kemp tells Georgians to ‘be prepared’ ahead of freezing temperatures
Donesha Aldredge reports that Gov. Brian Kemp is telling Georgians to be prepared ahead of freezing temperatures this week. A significant storm system is moving across the southeast on Monday and will bring wintry weather to parts of the area. The governor shared on the X platform that state and local partners will monitor the weather system.
Jan. 16, 2024 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Georgia Tech’s GaMEP is driving innovation
Julia Roberts reports that “A stitch in time saves nine,” goes the old saying. For a company in Georgia, that adage became very real when damage to a key piece of machinery threatened its operation. The group stepping in to help was the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP), a program of Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute that — for more than 60 years — has been helping small to medium-sized manufacturers in Georgia stay competitive and grow, boosting economic development across the state.
Jan. 16, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hearings start today on Georgia Power’s plan to burn more fossil fuels
Drew Kann reports, Georgia Power executives will begin asking state regulators today to allow the company to add huge amounts of electricity capacity to their system — mostly powered by climate-warming fossil fuels — to meet the “historic” demand the utility says is on the horizon. As recently as 2022, the company forecast only a modest increase in electricity demand later this decade.
Jan. 16, 2024 Savannah Morning News
Will warehouse growth slow down in Effingham County? Officials share future growth plans
Latrice Williams reports that industrial growth is still a hot topic in Effingham County, where residents are concerned now more than ever that what was once their small piece of country paradise is being overrun by warehouses. “What we need is a shift in how local leadership defines progress,” said Effingham County resident Nikki Carangelo.
Jan. 16, 2024 LaGrange Daily News
LaGrange’s planned inland port to have major impact
Tommy Murphy reports that LaGrange is set to become the host city for Georgia’s newest port, the West Georgia Inland Port. The proposed port is a dry port, meaning it’s not on a waterway. The ports are sometimes referred to as “inland” ports as they provide central distribution points for distribution of cargo after leaving more traditional ports.
Jan. 16, 2024 Dalton Daily News
Joint Development Authority gets grant to develop workforce housing
Charles Oliver reports that Gov. Brian Kemp has awarded the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority (JDA) $1.5 million in Rural Workforce Housing Initiative funds. The money will be used to build streets and stormwater drainage and other infrastructure on Dalton-owned property at 900 S. Hamilton St.
Jan. 16, 2024 Augusta Chronicle
Augusta Sportswear Group acquired by new equity owner to help expand its product reach
Joe Hotchkiss reports that the global investment firm that bought local manufacturer Club Car in 2021has acquired another major Augusta-areabusiness. Los Angeles-based Platinum Equity recently announced its new ownership of Grovetown-based Augusta Sportswear Brands.
Jan. 16, 2024 Rome News-Tribune
Preparations Underway for Presidential Preference Primary
Diane Wagner reports that Georgia’s presidential preference primary is closer than you think, with preparations already getting underway for the March 12 statewide vote. Voters must be registered by Feb. 12 to weigh in on the presidential candidate who will represent their party in the Nov. 5 general election.
Jan. 16, 2024 The Current
Georgia’s legislative priorities: Readers weigh in
Craig Nelson reports, access to affordable health care. Salary raises for teachers. Workforce housing. Those are the needs that readers of The Current want Georgia’s lawmakers to put at the top of their to-do lists as work gets underway at the state capitol in Atlanta in the latest session of the Georgia General Assembly, according to a survey.
Jan. 16, 2024 Georgia Recorder
Proposed state law would push social media companies to require Georgia minors to get parental consent
Ross Williams reports that Georgians under 16 could soon need to get permission from their parents before they can log on to social media if a bill backed by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones becomes law. Senate Bill 351, sponsored by Dallas Republican Sen. Jason Anavitarte, would require social media networks to “make commercially reasonable efforts” to determine users’ ages and treat those under 16 as minor users.
Jan. 16, 2024 Capitol Beat News
Bulging state budget surplus driving ambitious spending plans
Dave Williams reports that the budget proposals Gov. Brian Kemp released during the first week of the 2024 legislative session call for spending more than $2 billion of the surplus on what the governor’s office described as “historic” investment in education, public safety, tax relief for Georgians, and infrastructure improvements across the Peach State.
Jan. 16, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgians spread closing messages to Iowa voters on caucus day
Tia Mitchell reports that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene entered a crowded restaurant in north central Iowa to cheers and began throwing red “Make America Great Again” hats to the crowd. She handed the last one to a boy wearing a Donald Trump T-shirt. Greene, the Georgia Republican, then delivered the first of over a dozen speeches during the two-hour event.
