Georgia Trend Daily – Feb. 19, 2025
Feb. 19, 2025 Athens Banner-Herald
Why Madison, GA is considered one of America’s best small towns by Country Living
Vanessa Countryman reports that Country Living has released its list of the best small towns in the U.S. for 2025, naming a charming Southern town in Georgia as one of them. Madison is often referred to as one of the prettiest small towns, according to Country Living, and it continues to capture the hearts of residents and visitors alike.
Feb. 19, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Legalizing Sports Betting
Brian Robinson writes, college football fans recently packed Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for both the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the national championship game. Fans across the nation placed bets on the final score, total points and star players’ individual stats.
Feb. 19, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In new era of soda wars, Coke launches prebiotic soda Simply Pop
Kelly Yamanouci reports that Coca-Cola is diving into the burgeoning field of soft drinks promoted for their health benefits by launching its first prebiotic soda called Simply Pop. The debut of the Atlanta-based beverage giant’s new juice-based sodas comes as companies like Olipop and Poppi carve out a new niche in the huge beverage market.
Feb. 19, 2025 Savannah Morning News
U.S. Congressman visits Port of Brunswick on “fact-finding mission” of harbor’s needs
Evan Lasseter reports that the Georgia Ports Authority played host to a key guest at the Port of Brunswick Monday as the authority seeks to find solutions for long overdue dredging of Brunswick’s shipping channel. U.S. Rep. Mike Collins toured the port’s facilities with GPA officials on what he called a “fact-finding mission.”
Feb. 19, 2025 GlobalAtlanta.com
Stryten Lands Joint Venture With Canadian Supplier of Key Battery Metal
Trevor Williams reports that Alpharetta-based Stryten Energy has landed a joint venture with a Toronto-based supplier of vanadium, securing domestic supply for a key element used in next-generation batteries. An affiliate of Stryten is working with a subsidiary of Largo Inc. to create Storion Energy LLC, which will supply U.S.-made vanadium electrolyte for flow batteries, a technology the companies say needs a reliable domestic supply chain to lower costs and increase adoption.
Feb. 19, 2025 Rome News-Tribune
Goodbye Chiaha: Sixty Years of Arts, Culture and Community
Seviro Avila reports, after 60 years as a staple of Rome’s cultural calendar, Chiaha Harvest Fair is saying goodbye. The event is iconic as the community’s premiere arts and crafts festival, bringing thousands of locals and visitors together in the fall to enjoy food, live music, arts, crafts and of course community fellowship.
Feb. 19, 2025 The Brunswick News
Land bank discusses property disposal
Glynn-Brunswick Land Bank Authority met Tuesday to discuss, among other things, derelict properties the land bank owns and is pursuing for rehabilitation and sale. Taylor Ritz, the land bank’s manager, said surveys will be a common need.
Feb. 19, 2025 Marietta Daily Journal
Georgia GOP Threatens Smyrna Pride with Lawsuit
Annie Mayne reports that an LGBTQ+ organization based in Smyrna has been threatened with a lawsuit from the Georgia Republican Party after rejecting a Republican vendor’s application for its 2025 Pride festival. Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon posted a letter sent to Smyrna Pride (formerly Smyrna is Fabulous) on X Monday night, which warns the organization that it’ll be slapped with a lawsuit unless the Georgia Log Cabin Republicans are allowed to participate in its June festival.
Feb. 19, 2025 WSB Radio
New measure under the Gold Dome could overhaul the way the state’s top educator is elected
Jonathan O’Brien reports, if some Georgia House lawmakers have their way, 2026 will be the last year that the people decide who the state school superintendent is. A new house resolution under the Gold Dome could overhaul the existing way the state’s top educator gets into office, meaning the state school board would have the power to appoint the superintendent’s position.
Feb. 19, 2025 11 Alive
New bill aims to further restrict Georgia abortion law
Joe Riley reports that some Georgia lawmakers are working to impose stricter limits on abortion rights in the Peach State. If passed, HB 441 would consider life to begin at conception.
Feb. 19, 2025 Augusta Chronicle
Bill in Georgia House seeks transparency, access for ‘interveners’ in PSC hearings
Erica Van Buren reports that a Georgia bill that if passed will increase access to information during Georgia Public Service Commission hearings recently was introduced in the state House by Rep. Jordan Ridley. “The bill allows third party interveners the right to discovery in cases before the PSC,” Ridley said of House Bill 446, which was introduced on Feb. 13.
Feb. 19, 2025 WABE
Georgia bill would allow property owners a tax refund if cities don’t clear homeless encampments
Stephannie Stokes reports that legislation in Georgia would put more pressure on local governments to enforce laws around homeless encampments, panhandling and other issues. It would allow property owners to claim a tax refund if they could show they lost value or incurred extra expenses because local governments failed to enforce bans on these practices.
Feb. 19, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Georgia House Republicans advance bill to withdraw state from voter location data group
Stanley Dunlap reports that a Georgia House elections panel advanced a bill Tuesday that would prevent the Secretary of State from participating in a multistate database that state election officials and voting rights advocates say helps maintain accurate voter rolls. Republican members of a House elections subcommittee voted Tuesday in favor of passing the so-called Voter Integrity Act.
Feb. 19, 2025 Capitol Beat News
State House panel OKs bid to promote Georgia music industry
Dave Williams reports that legislation that would create a statewide music office to promote the industry in Georgia cleared a state House committee Tuesday. The House Creative Arts & Entertainment Committee approved House Bill 353, which would establish the Georgia Music Office within the state Department of Community Affairs.
Feb. 19, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ousted Georgia judge mum on whether he asked Donald Trump for a job
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report that Christian Coomer isn’t saying whether he penned a letter to Trump asking to be named as Atlanta’s top federal prosecutor. But the dispatch, first reported by Bill Simon at Political Vine, has Atlanta’s legal community buzzing.
