Georgia Trend Daily – Jan. 14, 2026
Jan. 14, 2026 Savannah Morning News
Are Georgia businesses hiring or firing in 2026? See job data
Vanessa Countryman reports that after a strong December jobs report, Georgia business owners are cautiously optimistic about staffing plans for the new year. New data from LendingTree shows that 11% of Georgia businesses plan to hire in the coming months, while 9% expect to reduce staff, leaving the majority, over 80%, with no immediate changes.
Jan. 14, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
The Times, They Are A-Changin’
Tharon Johnson writes, welcome to the new Georgia. As even the most casual observers of politics know, Georgia has become one of the nation’s most competitive battleground states over the last decade.
Jan. 14, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As Georgians push back on data centers, Microsoft pitches local benefits
Zachary Hansen reports, it was only a few years ago when data centers garnered little public attention outside of techies and industry insiders. But now in Georgia and across much of the country, protest signs against potential projects dot lawns, petitions amass thousands of signatures and voters cite data centers as a top-of-mind topic.
Jan. 14, 2026 Saporta Report
Raj Chetty to Atlanta: connect people to opportunity to improve economic mobility
Maria Saporta reports, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation invited the guru of economic mobility – Harvard University researcher Raj Chetty – to Atlanta on Jan. 13 to share his insights on why Atlanta ranked dead last among the major cities in the United States. The Blank Foundation convened an influential group of business and civic leaders, government and nonprofit representatives as well as community activists to hear from Chetty and better understand why metro Atlanta currently ranks 50th out of the 50 largest U.S. cities when it comes to economic mobility.
Jan. 14, 2026 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
This Georgia power provider is upping its green energy with 500-acre solar plant
Kala Hunter reports that Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia Power is moving into solar power plants, marking a major move for MEAG, which has operated since 1975 as a public power organization delivering electricity to cities and towns across Georgia by selling it wholesale directly to cities. MEAG Power has partial ownership in power plants such as nuclear Plant Vogtle and Plant Hatch, as well as gas plants including Wansley and Scherer.
Jan. 14, 2026 Newnan Times-Herald
CCDA sees $141 million in 2025 investment, outlines 2026 strategy
Laura Camper reports that Coweta County Development Authority Board started off 2026 on Thursday reviewing 2025 and the 2026 business plan. Sarah Jacobs, executive director of the authority, said that in 2025, the authority had 68 new projects to which it responded with requests for information and conducted 22 site visits.
Jan. 14, 2026 WABE
What are tax allocation districts and why are they contested in Atlanta?
Meimei Xu reports, in Atlanta, tax allocation districts are an economic tool used for major development projects throughout the city — and a point of contention politically. Tax allocation districts (TADs) are zones in which a base property tax value is frozen at creation, and any increases in property tax above that base are used for development in that specific area rather than funding public schools or government services.
Jan. 14, 2026 GlobalAtlanta.com
Diplomatic Digest: Turnover in Atlanta’s Consular Corps During 2025
Trevor Williams reports, with the FIFA World Cup coming around 30 years post-Olympics, the eyes of the world are turning with greater focus toward Atlanta and Georgia. For some of the city’s 70-plus diplomatic missions or trade offices, that means the work of tapping into a generational sports-diplomacy opportunity is already piling up.
Jan. 14, 2026 The Current
Camden takes back old Gilman Paper site in St. Marys
Maggie Lee reports that Camden County public agency is seeking a new developer for the roughly 700-acre Gilman Paper site in St. Marys, after Atlanta-based developer Jim Jacoby squandered a final chance to pay millions of dollars of debt to the county. Under a deal agreed in a bankruptcy court, Jacoby’s company JDI Cumberland Inlet, LLC lost control of the Gilman Paper site Tuesday to the Camden County Joint Development Authority.
Jan. 14, 2026 Healthbeat
Amid funding threats, nearby measles, and vaccine changes, Ga. public health board hasn’t met in months
Rebecca Grapevine reports, as the federal government makes major changes to food and vaccine policy, uncertainty swirls in Washington over public health funding to states, and neighboring South Carolina is battling a surging measles outbreak, the board of the Georgia Department of Public Health has decided it doesn’t need to meet this month. “As there is no official business pending for the Georgia Board of Public Health, no meeting is scheduled at this time,” state Department of Public Health spokesperson Nancy Nydam Shirek told Healthbeat on Friday.
Jan. 14, 2026 Gainesville Times
Sen. Drew Echols stepping down as floor leader but picking up new leadership role
Jeff Gill reports that Sen. Drew Echols, R-Alto, is dropping one leadership role and picking up another one in the Georgia Senate. Echols, who represents Hall County, is stepping down as Senate floor leader and has been appointed by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones to serve as the chairman of the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee, according to a press release Tuesday, Jan. 13.
Jan. 14, 2026 WSB Radio
Lawmakers plan to make a push for online sports betting in Georgia
Staff reports that Georgia lawmakers are trying again for online sports betting in the state. State representative Matt Reeves says he plans to push for a vote on a measure that stalled last year that would’ve put the question before the voters in November.
Jan. 14, 2026 State Affairs
Georgia Senate rolls out plans to lower property taxes
Beau Evans reports that property tax reform is officially in the crosshairs of the Georgia Senate. In a surprise move, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones announced Tuesday that legislation has been filed to keep property taxes from soaring by capping how much assessments for millions of homes can rise from one year to the next.
Jan. 14, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Georgia Democrats unveil bills designed to rein in federal immigration agents
Ross Williams reports, Georgia Senate Democrats unveiled a raft of proposed bills Tuesday that they say will protect Georgians from what they characterized as a rogue federal government using immigration enforcement to terrorize citizens. “As this regime has sought to build a wall against progress, the progress of achieving America’s values and ideals, we must build a wall against (President Donald Trump),” said Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones.
Jan. 14, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Senate Republicans to address affordability, education
Ty Tagami reports that the Republican leaders of Georgia’s Senate will push to reduce both income and property taxes while targeting other cost-of-living issues during a legislative session that will be influenced by election-year politics. Senate leaders gave a brief outline of their priorities at the Capitol Tuesday, the second day of their 40-day session.
Jan. 14, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Why Georgia’s culture wars may be finally cooling
Greg Bluestein reports, are culture wars on the back burner in Georgia this legislative session? After more than a decade in which Republicans passed new abortion limits, gun rights expansions and transgender restrictions, this could be the year those debates are at least partially sidelined.
