Georgia Trend Daily – Nov. 18, 2024
Nov. 18, 2024 State Affairs
Gov. Kemp calls on state agencies to be fiscally restrained amid record $16.5B surplus
Tammy Joyner reports that Gov. Brian Kemp asked the state’s 51 government agencies for continued fiscal restraint when drafting their amended fiscal year 2025 and 2026 budgets. Most agencies adhered to his request even as the state’s general fund surplus hit a record $16.5 billion last month.
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Nov. 18, 2024 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Georgia City Planning: Curb Appeal
Patty Rasmussen reports, parking isn’t the sexy part of economic development. When cities and counties announce new projects, it barely merits a side note.
Nov. 18, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Trump reportedly plans to end EV tax credits. What does it mean for Georgia?
Zachary Hansen and Greg Bluestein report that tax credits intended to encourage more people to buy American-made electric vehicles might be unplugged soon after President-elect Donald Trump reenters the White House, according to a Thursday report from Reuters. The Republican’s presidential transition team is reportedly planning to kill the $7,500 consumer EV tax credit program President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022.
Nov. 18, 2024 Saporta Report
State Road and Tollway Authority announces $16 million in grants and loans for local transportation projects
Grace Donnelly reports that the State Road & Tollway Authority (SRTA) announced on Tuesday that applications are open for up to $16 million in transportation loans and grants for local, regional and state governments and community improvement districts. The goal of the funding is to fast-track transportation infrastructure improvements and enhance mobility and economic development across the state.
Nov. 18, 2024 Capitol Beat News
Proposed expansion of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge draws strong support
Dave Williams reports that a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plan to expand the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge – including land near the swamp being eyed by a mining company – received strong support this week. Speakers at a public hearing on the proposal in Folkston were overwhelmingly in favor of the plan to add about 22,000 acres to the existing refuge.
Nov. 18, 2024 Marietta Daily Journal
Cobb Travel & Tourism Unveils Latest Tourism Impact in Cobb County
Staff reports that Cobb Travel & Tourism unveiled the 2023 economic impact of tourism in Cobb County, as travel and tourism continue to be an economic powerhouse for the county. According to a study done by Tourism Economics, tourism remains the largest industry in Cobb, with a $2.6 billion economic impact, an 8.3% increase over 2022.
Nov. 18, 2024 Macon Telegraph
Power company named after Cherry St. prioritizes solar. It hopes to expand in Macon soon
Margaret Walker reports, solar panel systems in Macon are already contributing energy to local buildings, and more are on the way through Cherry Street Energy. Cherry Street Energy, a private solar power company, has its 10 systems powering local government buildings and property.
Nov. 18, 2024 Valdosta Daily Times
Hurricane’s impact on Lowndes agriculture still being studied
Terry Richards reports that authorities are still assessing the damage a recent hurricane caused to crops in Lowndes County. The county was slammed hard by Hurricane Helene, which came ashore in north Florida Sept. 26 as a Category 4 storm before moving inland across South Georgia.
Nov. 18, 2024 The Brunswick News
King and Prince Seafood recognized as authority’s Manufacturer of the Year
Gordon Jackson reports that King and Prince Seafood, the Golden Isles Development Authority’s 2024 Manufacturer of the Year, was recognized at a luncheon in the company’s honor. As part of the celebration, Chick-fil-A Brunswick donated a complimentary lunch for King and Prince Seafood’s staff for over 200 employees on Nov. 5.
Nov. 18, 2024 Albany Herald
Grant will allow ABAC to integrate drone technology into program
Staff reports that Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s Department of Forest Resources has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to integrate drone training in its natural resource management baccalaureate degree program. “This initiative is a significant leap forward in the department’s efforts to provide students with learning opportunities and skills, keeping them competitive in today’s technologically advanced work environment,” William Moore, head of the Department of Forest Resources, which is a part of ABAC’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said.
Nov. 18, 2024 Dalton Daily Citizen
Runway repaving will bring bigger planes to Dalton
Staff reports that there are no planes taking off or landing this week at the Dalton Municipal Airport. The runway is closed for its first repaving in more than 35 years. Once the project’s done, though, bigger and heavier airplanes will be able to use the airport.
Nov. 18, 2024 Georgia Recorder
Georgia election board majority that was praised by Trump resumes rulemaking push this week
Stanley Dunlap reports that the Georgia State Election Board will hold its first post-election meeting on Monday, where it is set to consider resuming its recent push to change Georgia’s election rules and stir the debate anew about counties review controversial mass voter challenges.
Nov. 18, 2024 Savannah Morning News
Caucuses in Georgia’s House and Senate elect leaders for upcoming legislative session
Maya Homan reports, as election season comes to a close, legislators in the Georgia House and Senate are looking ahead to the 2025 legislative session. For both parties, that includes picking the officers to lead the caucuses for the next two years.
Nov. 18, 2024 Capitol Beat News
Boaters want to separate paddling from fishing in debate over access to waterways
Dave Williams reports, boating enthusiasts and representatives of the recreational boating industry are asking Georgia lawmakers to separate the right to float along the state’s rivers and streams from hunting and fishing. That was a major theme of the final meeting Nov. 13 of a legislative study committee that has been grappling with how to guarantee Georgians access to the state’s navigable rivers and streams without violating private property rights.
Nov. 18, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Will lawmakers release Matt Gaetz’s ethics report? They did for Nathan Deal
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report, in the heat of a tough Republican primary in 2010, Deal abruptly quit his Gainesville-based House seat to focus on his race for governor. But at the time, he was also facing a House ethics investigation of his business dealings with the state. The House Ethics Committee released its report on Deal anyway, which accused him of earning too much outside income and using his office to protect a lucrative state contract for his company.
