Georgia Trend Daily – Oct. 7, 2024

Oct. 7, 2024 Augusta Chronicle, Detroit Free Press

Profit on the ground: How Hurricane Helene is still robbing Georgia farmers

Matthew Dolan reports, walk a cotton field these days and puffs of the white material − soaked by rain and ripped prematurely from its branches by wind − now carpet the soil below. “That’s profit on the ground right there,” sighed one farmer on Sunday morning along Brown Road in Hephzibah.

Oct. 7, 2024 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

How the Surest Health Plan Helped Improve Access to Care and Lowered Costs

Bryan Palmer reports, encouraging a healthier workforce has long been a priority for employers aiming to attract and retain top talent and spur productivity. To help achieve these goals, many employers are opting for a more modern approach to health benefits like the UnitedHealthcare Surest health plan, which is designed to help improve access to care with the goal of reducing health care expenses.

Oct. 7, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A ‘tsunami’ of data centers is coming. Why that wave is hitting Georgia

Zachary Hansen and Drew Kann report, the backbone of the internet and brains behind artificial intelligence may seem like nebulous concepts hard to visualize in the real world. But in the Atlanta area, they’re easy to see. You just have to look at construction sites.

Oct. 7, 2024 Covington News

Newton County to receive $750,000 from Meta PILOT payment

Evan Newton reports that the latest PILOT payment from Meta will result in Newton County receiving a significant amount of money. At the latest Joint Development Authority (JDA) meeting, it was announced that the tech giant Meta — which is the parent company of social media apps Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — will be sending another $2 million to the four-county board as part of its PILOT payment.

Oct. 7, 2024 The Brunswick News

Milton could bring flooding similar to Irma, Nicole, strong wind

Michael Hall reports, flooding conditions from Hurricane Milton, which is currently in the Gulf of Mexico heading for the West Coast of Florida, could be similar in Glynn County to those experienced during Irma in 2017 or Nicole in 2022, the Glynn County Emergency Management Agency said on Sunday.

Oct. 7, 2024 Athens Banner-Herald

Where Southern Living magazine ranks Athens on ‘Best College Town to visit this fall’ list

Vanessa Countryman reports that Southern Living has rated Athens, home to the University of Georgia, in the top 5 for Best College Towns to visit this fall. The magazine highlights that for those who enjoy a balanced blend of historic charm and youthful energy, Athens is an ideal destination.

Oct. 7, 2024 Marietta Daily Journal

The Atlanta Women’s Foundation Awards Over $1M in Grants

Staff reports that the Atlanta Women’s Foundation celebrated its annual Community Investment Celebration on Sept. 24, marking the first time the event was hosted at Atlanta City Hall. The celebration underscores AWF’s mission to empower women and girls by funding organizations that address the challenges they face, particularly those stemming from poverty.

 

Oct. 7, 2024 Rome News-Tribune

DCA Awards Tax Credits For $17M Cave Spring Redevelopment Project

John Bailey reports, the Northwest Georgia Housing Authority will utilize a Department of Community Affairs tax credit program to demolish aging public housing facilities and rebuild updated housing in Cave Spring. The DCA recently announced they accepted the Northwest Georgia Housing Authority’s application for a 9% Housing Tax Credit to redevelop low-income housing development located on Fincher Street.

Oct. 7, 2024 Valdosta Daily Times

Tift County added to disaster declaration

Staff reports that Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday afternoon that four additional Georgia counties affected by Hurricane Helene are now eligible to apply for disaster assistance — including Tift County. The disaster declaration now covers Elbert and Rabun for Individual Assistance, and Effingham and Tift for Individual and Public Assistance, according to a press release from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security (GEMA/HS).

Oct. 7, 2024 Capitol Beat News

Preservationists worried over proposed land exchanges on Cumberland Island

Dave Williams reports, the National Park Service (NPS) is proposing four land exchanges at the Cumberland Island National Seashore the agency says would protect important parcels now privately owned from development. But the lack of details surrounding the plan currently available to the public has environmental advocates worried it could threaten the pristine character of Georgia’s largest barrier island, defeating the purpose of Congress designating the national seashore more than 50 years ago.

Oct. 7, 2024 Albany Herald

Georgia River Network rebranded as Georgia Rivers

Carlton Fletcher reports, the Georgia River Network is reintroducing itself with a new name and look that emphasizes its commitment to protect and connect people with Georgia’s rivers and special waterways like the Okefenokee Wilderness Canoe Trail.

Oct. 7, 2024 State Affairs

Weekend Read: Georgia abortion clinics see surge after 6-week abortion ban struck down

Tammy Joyner reports that Georgia lawmakers seek to restore the state’s six-week abortion ban struck down earlier this week, some abortion clinics are reporting increased activity as women seek help during what some view as a temporary reprieve in the state law. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney on Monday struck down Georgia’s abortion ban, ruling it unconstitutional, thus allowing the state to resume abortions up until about 22 weeks of pregnancy.

 

Oct. 7, 2024 GPB

Criminal justice advocates work to register thousands of formerly incarcerated Georgians to vote

Amanda Andrews reports, organizers from across Georgia rallied in Augusta in September as part of a canvassing effort to register voters spread the message: If you have completed your felony sentence, you can register to vote. Leaders from the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, ReNForce, and Going Back 2 Give Back are working on the “Vote In My Honor” campaign.

Oct. 7, 2024 Georgia Recorder

After months of rewriting rules, Georgia election board meets once more before November

Stanley Dunlap reports, an investigation into allegations that several county election boards are failing to properly investigate challenges disputing voter eligibility is on the agenda of the controversial Georgia State Election Board on Tuesday.

Oct. 7, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Donald Trump to visit Georgia amid his criticism of Helene response

Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report, as former President Donald Trump arrives today in Georgia for his second visit this week to survey Hurricane Helene damage, Democrats are pleading with him not to politicize the ruinous aftermath of the deadliest storm to ravage the state in decades.