Georgia Trend Daily – Dec. 4, 2024
Dec. 4, 2024 Albany Herald
GDOT works to modernize infrastructure, expand broadband
Staff reports, the State Transportation Board of Georgia has selected Plenary Broadband Infrastructure as the Operations, Maintenance and Commercialization partner for Georgia DOT’s Statewide Broadband project, which will install 1,400 miles of broadband infrastructure along all interstates in Georgia. When completed, a portion of the broadband infrastructure will be dedicated to Georgia DOT’s traffic operations with additional capacity reserved for commercial use which will provide faster, more reliable broadband access for communities, households and businesses in 70 Georgia counties.
Dec. 4, 2024 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
A Shot in the Arm
LeeAnn Dance reports, in June, Gov. Kemp announced grants totaling $6 million to 13 rural hospitals through the Dual Track Rural Hospital Support program. “These funds will provide support to initiatives that address critical needs for both Georgia’s rural hospitals and citizens,” Joel Presley, executive director of the State Office of Rural Health said in a statement.
Dec. 4, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Storms, strikes and soon tariffs. Can Georgia Ports survive it all?
Adam Van Brimmer reports, business headwinds have blown against Georgia’s ports for months now with a new challenge — President-elect Donald Trump’s tariffs — lurking in 2025. But much like the hulking container ships that off-load cargo at the authority’s docks, the Georgia Ports Authority is barreling through the rough conditions.
Dec. 4, 2024 Capital Beat News
Georgia PSC certifies battery storage projects
Dave Williams reports that the state Public Service Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to certify Georgia Power’s plan to build battery energy storage systems at four locations, including in Floyd County. The Atlanta-based utility’s proposal, which was approved without discussion, will add 500 megawatts of electrical generating capacity to Georgia Power’s energy supply portfolio. One megawatt is enough electricity to power 750 homes.
Dec. 4, 2024 Savannah Morning News
Hurricane season’s impacts put temporary dent in Savannah metro’s economic growth
Evan Lasseter reports that early fall’s spate of hurricanes and tropical storms left more than just debris and power outages across the Savannah region. The storms also put a slight dent in the Savannah metro economy’s growth during the year’s third quarter.
Dec. 4, 2024 The Brunswick News
Port using federal grants to be greener
Michael Hall reports that Georgia Ports Authority is using federal grant money at the ports of Brunswick and Savannah with the hopes of reducing its carbon footprint, the authority announced this week. More than $120 million in federal grants will fuel several port projects, including shore power for ships at berth and improvements to the rail system that serves Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island.
Dec. 4, 2024 GPB
Ongoing research into farmer stress considers the specific needs of women workers
Sofi Gratas reports that just over half of all U.S. farms report having a female producer and thousands more have women working in other roles. Those women are the focus of a new paper from the University of Georgia published in the Journal of Rural Mental Health.
Dec. 4, 2024 Athens Banner-Herald
Does Georgia have sanctuary cities? What to know about Athens, other cities in the state
Ryne Dennis and Cheryl McCloud report, the term “sanctuary city” has generated a lot of news, especially over the past several months since Athens came into the spotlight following the murder of Laken Riley. It’s a term that doesn’t have a precise legal definition, but cities and even states across America have passed laws to limit cooperation of local law enforcement authorities with federal immigration officials, including not providing information about immigration status and limiting the length of immigration detainers.
Dec. 4, 2024 State Affairs
Georgia eyes AI growth with safety rules, education and new legislation
Tammy Joyner reports, the Senate Study Committee on Artificial Intelligence released nearly two dozen recommendations Tuesday on how Georgia should deal with the rapidly growing, widespread technology. The nine-member bipartisan committee unanimously passed the 185-page report at its final meeting at the Capitol on Tuesday.
Dec. 4, 2024 WABE
Georgia education department names security, support as 2025 legislative priorities after Apalachee shooting
Meimei Xu reports that ahead of the 2025 Georgia legislative session, the state’s Department of Education is pushing for increased school safety measures, initiatives for academic and educator success and support for students and schools. Many of the recommendations come in light of the Barrow County school shooting in September, during which an Apalachee High School student allegedly shot and killed two students and two teachers, injuring others.
Dec. 4, 2024 Georgia Recorder
Georgia state senators work on real world guardrails for fantastical world of AI
Ross Williams reports that next month, Georgia lawmakers will be tasked with putting laws on the books to guide human-AI interactions in the real world. State senators gave a glimpse into their intentions Tuesday, approving a 185-page report that includes recommendations for the next session, set to begin Jan. 13.
Dec. 4, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia’s House speaker wants to ban transgender girls from women’s sports
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report that Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones wants the Georgia Senate to ban transgender girls from competing in women’s school sports next year. At a seaside retreat this week, House Speaker Jon Burns made clear a similar measure is atop his to-do list in 2025.
