Georgia Trend Daily – Feb. 5, 2025
Feb. 5, 2025 Capitol Beat News
Doug Collins confirmed as VA secretary
Dave Williams reports that the U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to confirm former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins of Gainesville as secretary of veterans affairs. The Republican nominated for the post by President Donald Trump received strong bipartisan backing in a 77-23 vote, with both of Georgia’s Democratic senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, supporting the nominee.
Feb. 5, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Savannah Book Festival
Jana Lawrence reports that the 18th Savannah Book Festival kicks off on Thursday, February 6 with its ticketed Headliner Events and runs through Sunday, February 9 in Historic Downtown Savannah. Festival Saturday, February 8, with free admission, is the biggest of Savannah Book Festival’s planned events.
Feb. 5, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Waffle House places surcharge on eggs as bird flu fallout hits consumers, businesses
Savannah Sicurella and Olivia Wakim report that the rising cost of eggs has been hitting consumers in the pocketbook, and now it’s driving up costs for some businesses — with Waffle House announcing a temporary change to its prices. Waffle House has placed a 50 cent surcharge on every egg, according to signage posted inside the restaurant and a statement provided by a company spokesperson.
Feb. 5, 2025 Savannah Morning News
Pooler approves map amendment for hydrogen fueling station
Destini Ambus reports that after a zoning map amendment approval by Pooler City Council, the city will welcome an electrical vehicle charging station and a HydroFleet manufacturing and fueling site. HydroFleet will invest nearly $33 million into the Pooler facility that will produce, store and dispense hydrogen for local and regional fleets.
Feb. 5, 2025 Rome News-Tribune
New Data Center Proposed for 178 Acres Off Ga. 53
Diane Wagner reports that plans for another data center, on about 178 acres between Plainville Road and Ga. 53, will go before the Rome Floyd Planning Commission on Thursday. Atlas Development Inc. is seeking a rezoning from Suburban Residential to Heavy Industrial use.
Feb. 5, 2025 The Brunswick News
Breakbulk site awarded GRAD designation
Gordon Jackson reports that Glynn County Development Authority announced Tuesday the 1,400-acre Georgia Breakbulk Logistics Park has been awarded the Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development,or GRAD, designation. The status means it will save developers 18 months of time to start developing because all the studies will be done on the site to ensure it is shovel ready, said Ryan Moore, president and CEO of the development authority.
Feb. 5, 2025 Marietta Daily Journal
CID Seeks $2.4 Million from State for Pedestrian Bridge by Battery
Annie Mayne reports that Cobb legislators have been asked to carve out a piece of Gov. Brian Kemp’s supplemental budget for a pedestrian bridge planned near the Battery Atlanta. The bridge would take pedestrians over several lanes of Cobb Parkway traffic between the Battery and the city of Smyrna.
Feb. 5, 2025 GlobalAtlanta.com
Report: Swedish Business Ties Support Nearly 12,000 Georgia Jobs
Trevor Williams reports that Georgia’s trade and investment ties with Sweden sustain 11,775 jobs, according to a recent report by the Scandinavian nation’s embassy in the United States. The 2024 edition of Sweden Creates Jobs in the U.S., released every three years, tracked $209.2 million in yearly Georgia goods exports to Sweden, led by tall oil (a forestry byproduct), supporting 483 jobs. Services exports kicked in 839 more jobs.
Feb. 5, 2025 Capitol Beat News
DNR approves 2025 round of land conservation grants
Dave Williams reports that Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has awarded $24.6 million to help fund 12 land conservation projects across the state through the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program. Voters overwhelmingly approved the program as a constitutional amendment in 2018. The program is funded through a sales tax on sporting goods.
Feb. 5, 2025 Savannah Morning News
USG Board of Regents names Augusta Tech’s Jermaine Whirl Savannah State president finalist
Maya Homan reports that Dr. Jermaine Whirl, the current president of Augusta Technical College, was selected to become the next leader of Savannah State University after the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve him as the finalist during a Tuesday board meeting in Atlanta. “There is no doubt that we made the right decision in selecting Dr. Whirl,” said Regent Patrick Jones, who served as chair of the presidential search committee.
Feb. 5, 2025 The Current
Right whales face uncertain future, but research continues
Mary Landers reports, on an icy Sunday morning in January, Senior Wildlife Biologist Jessica Thompson and two colleagues boarded the DNR’s 26-foot rigid inflatable boat, the RV Timucua, and set off from Brunswick in search of North Atlantic right whales. These bus-sized beasts have become so rare that researchers can identify by sight most of the remaining 370 or so individuals.
Feb. 5, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Georgia House panel advances bill to allow judges to keep personal info out of public records
Stanley Dunlap reports that a Georgia legislative committee voted Tuesday to establish a new process to protect judges from threats by keeping some of their personal information from appearing in public records. The House Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced House Bill 199 Tuesday, which will allow judges to fill out a form that will be submitted to local governments, which will be required to remove judges’ names, addresses and phone numbers from public records.
Feb. 5, 2025 GPB
Georgia lawmakers tackle public health proposals amid federal funding uncertainty
Rebecca Grapevine reports that more expectant parents could qualify for home health care support, community health workers could get professional certification, and immigrant doctors could find an easier path to practicing in Georgia under proposals being considered by state legislators. As the Georgia General Assembly session gets underway, bills are expected to address a number of public health policies and set the state’s spending plan.
Feb. 5, 2025 WABE
Georgia bill banning school zone traffic cameras garners support
Rahul Bali and MeiMei Xu report that Georgia lawmakers filed legislation to ban school zone traffic cameras on Monday, with more than half of state House representatives signing onto the bill due to concerns about operating hours and fines. House Bill 225 would repeal H.B. 978, passed in 2018, which allows the use of automated speed detection devices in school zones.
Feb. 5, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Georgia sets legal bar very high to shield intellectually disabled people from death penalty
Jill Nolin reports that nearly four decades ago, public outrage over the execution of Jerome Bowden, a man with an IQ of 65, spurred Georgia lawmakers to exempt people who are intellectually disabled from the death penalty. At the time, Georgia was the first state with the death penalty to ban the execution of intellectually disabled defendants – and the state’s 1988 law passed well ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling at the turn of the century that said executing the intellectually disabled amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
Feb. 5, 2025 Capitol Beat News
Both chambers of Georgia General Assembly to focus on transgender athletes
Ty Tagami reports that sex and school sports will be a priority for both chambers of Georgia’s General Assembly this year, with House Speaker Jon Burns announcing Tuesday that his caucus will have its own version of legislation banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports. Republicans in the state Senate have a head start on the issue.
Feb. 5, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Inspired by a local election, Georgia Senate passes first bill of legislative session
Adam Beam reports, the Georgia Senate on Monday voted to let bail bondsmen hold local elected office, a measure aimed at making it easier to recruit candidates in rural counties that sometimes have a dearth of prospective politicians. The vote is the first bill to pass one chamber of the Georgia Legislature this year in a session that has gotten off to a slow start.
