Georgia Trend Daily – March 17, 2025
March 17, 2025 11 Alive
NWS confirms EF-1 tornado in Paulding County after severe storms
Akilah Winters and staff report that the National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed that a high-end EF-1 tornado touched down in the Paulding County area near Dallas during severe storm early Sunday morning. According to officials with the NWS, the tornado had maximum winds of 105 to 110 miles per hour.
March 17, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
TOUR Championship tracking for largest hospitality build in history of event at East Lake
Julia Roberts reports, in a city with a reputation for hosting the world’s greatest sporting events, the TOUR Championship continues to evolve its experience to stand in the upper echelon of Atlanta’s sports landscape. The dynamic onsite experience is curated to showcase the best of golf and the best of Atlanta, which provides a unique platform for businesses across the state and region to host customers, prospects, or employees.
March 17, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta to be the location of Wayfair’s second-ever large store
Savannah Sicurella reports that E-commerce furniture giant Wayfair is coming to Atlanta. The company is opening its second large-format location in the now-shuttered Walmart space on Howell Mill Road, according to a Friday announcement from Wayfair.
March 17, 2025 Albany Herald
Albany, Dougherty County receive grant for safer streets; community asked to provide input
Lucille Lannigan reports that Albany and Dougherty County held the first Safe Streets & Roads public meeting March 11 as part of the Albany Dougherty County Comprehensive Safety Action Plan: Getting to Zero. The community received a Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will fund more than a billion dollars of safety-related projects across the country.
March 17, 2025 GlobalAtlanta.com
14 Czech Companies Visit Atlanta for Incubator Opening
Trevor Williams reports that a new incubator for Czech companies opened Wednesday in Gwinnett County, setting the stage for what organizers hope will be an influx of manufacturing and tech firms from the Central European nation into Georgia. Organizers welcomed dignitaries and a delegation of 14 Czech companies to a ribbon-cutting within the Atlanta Technology Park in Peachtree Corners.
March 17, 2025 The Current
Cumberland Inlet site in St. Marys to be sold at courthouse as Jacoby’s plan falters
Maggie Lee reports that waterfront property in St. Marys is set to come up for sale soon, as a high-profile deal between a county agency and mega-developer falls apart. In a unanimous vote Thursday, the Camden County Joint Development Authority board decided to start advertising foreclosure April 3 against Cumberland Inlet LLC, regarding the site that developer Jim Jacoby promised to turn into an ecotourism base camp with a marina, a RV park, a hotel, home rentals and commercial space.
March 17, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Empowering All
Sucheta Rawal reports that many restaurants are struggling to fill in open positions, Brightside Café in Buford says it has a waiting list of workers. The owners go above and beyond when making a job offer – with balloons, signs and cheering because they believe that every person should be celebrated.
March 17, 2025 The Brunswick News
USDA cuts to local food programs impacts Glynn schools, food banks
Michael Hall reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week it will cut nearly $1 billion in federal spending by eliminating the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. The grant programs helped school systems and food banks purchase food from local farmers and producers.
March 17, 2025 Rough Draft Atlanta
Emory University under federal investigation as part of DEI probe
Collin Kelley reports that Emory University is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for its affiliation with The PhD Project, a nonprofit that focuses on supporting Black, Latino, and Native American students in business doctoral programs. The inquiry is part of a broader federal effort to eliminate race-based preferences in higher education following President Donald Trump’s executive orders to purge diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and programs from the federal government and public education.
March 17, 2025 Dalton News-Daily
Wicks Applauds Passage Of Senate Bill 236
Staff reports, earlier in March, Georgia District 34 Sen. Sen. Kenya Wicks, D–Fayetteville, saw the passage of her first bill — the “Quality Basic Education Act”. Senate Bill 236 will allow active-duty military parents with relocation orders to enroll their students in schools within their intended school district of residence before their official physical residency begins.
March 17, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Georgia native plant fans hope compromise takes root after Cherokee rose supporters dig in
Heather Fields reports that native plant enthusiasts have been working to bring more attention to Georgia’s indigenous flora for years. In recent legislative sessions, advocates have pushed to change the state flower listed in Georgia code from the invasive Cherokee rose to the native sweetbay magnolia.
March 17, 2025 Rome News-Tribune
‘Freedom to Float’ Rally Set for Tuesday at Ga. State Capitol
Staff reports that a coalition of outdoor recreation groups representing thousands of boaters across Georgia will rally Tuesday at the state capitol to urge legislators to protect public access to rivers and streams. The Freedom to Float Coalition is encouraging people to attend the free event and speak with their legislators.
March 17, 2025 State Affairs
Georgia General Assembly week 9 roundup: Tort reform, school choice test lawmakers
Beau Evans reports, lawmakers in the General Assembly took a bit of a breather following the flurry of activity during last week’s Crossover Day, when bills had to pass out of at least one chamber to remain alive this legislative session. They now enter the session’s final three-week sprint faced with high-stakes decisions on funding school choice vouchers and a controversial overhaul of Georgia’s lawsuit system, known as tort reform.
March 17, 2025 GPB
Debate over tort reform continues; Pesticides bill passes House; Georgia Film Week
Orlando Montoya and Jake Cook report, the debate over lawsuit reform heats up at the state Capitol. A bill limiting liability for pesticide manufacturers passes the house, and Georgia Film Week celebrates contributions of the state’s growing film industry.
March 17, 2025 WSB TV
GA lawmakers propose pay cuts for Gwinnett school board if another superintendent is fired
Matt Johnson reports that some Georgia lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation that would slash Gwinnett County school board members’ pay if they fire another superintendent without cause. The bill would reduce board members’ compensation to $50 per meeting until any superintendent buyout is fully paid.
March 17, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Georgia Power to argue new long-term plan to PSC after Legislature stalls consumer-friendly bills
Stanley Dunlap reports that Georgia Public Service Commission is scheduled to begin hearing testimony later this month from Georgia Power officials about how the state’s largest utility plans to spend billions of dollars to meet its skyrocketing energy demand, primarily due to the projected growth of large data centers supporting artificial intelligence. State regulators have set aside multiple days for hearings on Georgia Power’s long-term 2025 Integrated Resource Plan.
March 17, 2025 Capitol Beat News
Growing frustration with smartphones could lead to statewide ban in Georgia schools
Ty Tagami reports that a societal backlash against the dizzying distraction of smartphones has gained momentum in the General Assembly, where legislation to ban the devices in schools remains in play after last week’s deadline to move bills between chambers. House Bill 340, which passed the state House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support, would prohibit student use of personal electronic devices from the first ring of the school bell in the morning to the last ring in the afternoon.
March 17, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Roy Barnes and Nathan Deal blame political parties for stoking division
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report, f ormer Georgia Govs. Roy Barnes and Nathan Deal were bitter opponents in the 2010 election for the state’s highest office. Now the two ex-rivals are unlikely partners navigating today’s caustic political climate.
