Georgia Trend Daily – April 1, 2024
April 1, 2024 WABE
Vehicle cargo could be heading to Georgia ports following the collapse of Baltimore’s Bridge
Marlon Hyde reports, Georgia ports are prepared to absorb cargo diverted from Baltimore following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse earlier this week. It could take some time to determine where shipments will be rerouted, but auto companies have already contacted the Port of Brunswick about transferring car shipments.
April 1, 2024 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
2024 Economic Yearbook – Energy and Technology
Staff reports that Fiscal Year 2024, which began last July, is proving to be yet another period of strong growth and development, especially in the e-mobility, clean tech and energy sectors. “A reliable energy grid, maintained by the state’s utility companies, keeps Georgia competitive for energy-intensive sectors such as manufacturing and clean energy,” says Kristi Brigman, deputy commissioner of Global Commerce at the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD).
April 1, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Local officials court delegation of Indian business owners to Georgia
Mirtha Donastorg reports, more than 50 Indian CEOs and business leaders traveled thousands of miles to meet this week with county, state and federal Georgia officials who were aiming to persuade the group to set up shop in Georgia. The delegation came from Coimbatore, a city in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
April 1, 2024 Augusta Chronicle
Augusta, Athens employment agencies create stronger approach to pair people with jobs
Joe Hotchkiss reports that a pair of personnel staffing companies founded in Augusta and Athens have merged to expand its reach and its resources. Loop Recruiting and SCI Workforce Solutions announced the new partnership March 25.
April 1, 2024 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Columbus’ new emergency management plan includes climate change. Here’s what that means.
Kala Hunter reports that the guiding light for emergency management and homeland security officials to do their job, reduce natural threats and protect people and properties is the Columbus-Muscogee County Hazard Mitigation Plan. And for the first time, climate change is part of that plan: The soon-to-be-complete 2024 plan added climate change considerations, landslides, extreme temperatures (hot and cold), and social vulnerability.
April 1, 2024 Albany Herald
DNR awards Wildlife Viewing Grants
Staff reports, six grant projects announced recently by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will improve public opportunities to see and learn about native animals and plants statewide. The proposals chosen by the DNR Wildlife Resources Division for this year’s Wildlife Viewing Program grants range statewide from Talking Rock Nature Park in Pickens County to Burton 4-H Center on Tybee Island. v
April 1, 2024 New York Times
A Georgia Town Basks in Bountiful Filming. The State Pays.
Jonathan Abrams and Matt Stevens report, it is no wonder that moviemakers saw potential in Thomasville, Ga., as a stand-in for Main Street U.S.A. Cobblestone streets and mom-and-pop stores speckle the downtown of this city of 18,000 that is caked in red clay soil and nestled among rolling hills.
April 1, 2024 Newnan Times-Herald
Georgia one of nation’s leaders for TB cases
Laura Camper reports that Georgia is one of the nation’s leaders in new tuberculosis cases and, like the rest of the U.S., the number of cases is on the rise after decades of steady decline. According to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state of Georgia has the seventh highest number of new cases and 11th highest number of cases per 100,000 people among the 50 states.
April 1, 2024 The Brunswick News
Legislative session ends in disappointment for Okefenokee mining opposition
Gordon Jackson reports that the General Assembly session ended in disappointment for opponents of a proposed heavy mineral mine in Charlton County near the southern boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Lawyer Joshua Marks, who has been leading opposition to the proposed mine, was hoping the General Assembly would pass some meaningful legislation to protect the world-famous swamp.
April 1, 2024 Rome News-Tribune
Property Tax Cap Passes General Assembly; Georgians To Vote On Constitutional Amendment
Diane Wagner reports that Georgia homeowners will have a chance to vote on limiting how much their property taxes can increase, following passage of two pieces of legislation in the waning hours of the Georgia General Assembly session. “This will be the largest property tax overall cut in history,” said Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, in presenting his bill for a final vote shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday.
April 1, 2024 Georgia Recorder
Republican state lawmakers revise Georgia election rules in time for 2024 campaign season
Stanley Dunlap reports that the 2024 election season may further highlight contentious voter eligibility challenges and result in the enactment of new rules governing future elections in Georgia. Republicans in the Georgia Legislature passed a series of election rules as the 2024 session concluded last week that would change how votes are counted on ballots, create new ballot security measures, and outline the probable cause for voter eligibility challenges that have risen since the 2020 presidential election.
April 1, 2024 State Affairs
Sine Die 2024 winners and losers: 2025 budget, elections, film industry, culture warriors
Tammy Joyner and Jill Jordan Sieder reports, Georgia lawmakers late Thursday night nailed down a budget in the final hours of their legislative session and passed a controversial omnibus election bill that critics say will burden election workers and impact the November presidential election in this key battleground state.
April 1, 2024 Capitol Beat News
Some perennial causes make it through General Assembly, some don’t
Dave Williams reports that tax cuts, private-school vouchers, and health-care reform topped the list of accomplishments for the 2024 General Assembly session, which wrapped up just before 1 a.m. Friday following a frenetic marathon of nearly 15 hours. Vouchers and reforms to Georgia’s Certificate of Need (CON) law came after years of unsuccessful efforts by majority Republicans to move the needle on school choice and improve access to health care by making it easier to build hospitals and provide new medical services.
April 1, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What bills from Georgia’s 2024 session will Kemp sign into law?
Greg Bluestein reports that Georgia lawmakers approved dozens of measures during the legislative session that ended early Friday, leaving Gov. Brian Kemp with 40 days to make decisions on whether to sign, veto or allow legislation to become law. The second-term Republican took a hands-off approach with most major bills during the session, intervening only on a handful of top priorities.
