Georgia Trend Daily – Oct. 17, 2023
Oct. 17, 2023 Capitol Beat News
Gasoline taxes mask net state tax revenue decline again
Dave Williams reports, for the second month in a row, Georgia tax collections last month were in the black compared to September of last year only because the state’s tax on gasoline and other motor fuels wasn’t in force then. While tax revenues in September rose by 6.4% compared to the same month a year ago, when adjusted to account for the gas tax money collected last month, adjusted revenues were actually down by 3.2%.
Oct. 17, 2023 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
AI: Am I … being replaced? Helped? Paranoid?
Julia Roberts reports, at Georgia Tech, scientists and engineers are studying a topic that has dominated headlines and internet searches of late: artificial intelligence. AI solutions have the power to become our silent partners in ways that could drastically improve our daily lives — and are already doing it. Yet, in a world where algorithms can sift through data with a precision no human can match, uneasiness stirs.
Oct. 17, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta hits record number of new warehouses, but demand is slipping
Zachary Hansen reports, the number of new warehouses opening their doors has never been greater in metro Atlanta, but that can’t be said for companies looking to rent large industrial spaces. Developers delivered 12.7 million square feet of new industrial space from July to September, a record for the Atlanta region, according to real estate services giant CBRE.
Oct. 17, 2023 Savannah Morning News
Georgia Ports aims to be national gateway, Lynch declares at State of the Port
Evan Lasseter reports, at Thursday’s annual State of the Port address, Griff Lynch, president and CEO of Georgia Ports Authority, described three key shifts positioning the Georgia ports to grow the ports from a regional hub into a national gateway for global trade: the Southeast’s population explosion, game-changing investments in manufacturing and infrastructure in Coastal Georgia ― the fastest growing area of the state ― and the ascendancy of Southeast Asia, especially India, in global maritime trade.
Oct. 17, 2023 The Brunswick News
Animation studio coming to St. Marys
Gordon Jackson reports that Pigmental Studios has signed an agreement to purchase a 67-acre tract at the old St. Marys Airport as the site for a new movie campus where animated films and other projects will be produced. James Coughlin, executive director of the Camden County Joint Development Authority, said representatives with the movie company first visited the site late last year for a groundbreaking ceremony for a planned 160-slip marina at the site of the old Gilman Paper Co. about a mile away.
Oct. 17, 2023 GPB
TEDWomen conference showcases Georgia leaders, Atlanta’s appeal to global audience
Kristi York Wooten reports, TED Talks arrived in Georgia with TEDWomen 2023: Two Steps Forward. The three-day event at Atlanta’s Woodruff Arts Center from Oct. 11 through Oct. 13 included dozens of speakers and topics ranging from human rights, mental health and artificial intelligence to hair sculpting, fireflies — and actress Glenn Close’s pup, Pip.
Oct. 17, 2023 Rough Draft Atlanta
Atlanta Delta CEO honored at Four Pillar Tribute event
Staff reports that the Council for Quality Growth recently honored Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian during its 34th annual Four Pillar Tribute event. Each year, the Council for Quality Growth pays tribute to one individual who exemplifies the Council’s “Four Pillars” of leadership — Quality, Responsibility, Vision, and Integrity.
Oct. 17, 2023 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Some are criticizing the new Columbus judicial center plan. Can the city make it work?
Tim Chitwood reports, architects for Columbus’ new justice center briefed city councilors Tuesday with a slideshow, an animated video, and a tabletop model of their latest redesign. Still, they did not win over everyone as critics continue to question the new plan, asking whether it has sufficient courtroom space, and how it will affect nearby theaters, traffic flow, and the overall historic nature of downtown Columbus.
Oct. 17, 2023 Valdosta Daily Times
Georgia state Sen. Russ Goodman arrives home safely from Israel with his mother after war shortens Holy Land trip
Roger Alford reports that State Sen. Russ Goodman and his mother, Donna Kane, are safely back in southeast Georgia after having their Holy Land pilgrimage cut short by the gruesome Hamas attack on Israel last weekend. “It was quite an ordeal,” said Goodman, who returned to Homerville on Friday, six days after Hamas militants staged a surprise attack that killed more than 1,300 Israelis, most of them civilians.
Oct. 17, 2023 Georgia Recorder
Georgia students still struggle to catch up on reading skills three years after pandemic learning loss
Ross Williams reports that three school years after classrooms shut their doors in March 2020 following the initial outbreak of COVID-19, Georgia students remain behind in phonics compared to kids in other states, said Woody Paik, executive vice president at education company Curriculum Associates, but the data also shows some good news.
Oct. 17, 2023 Capitol Beat News
Justice Department public safety grants go to South Georgia agencies
Dave Williams reports that the Justice Department has awarded more than $1.2 million in grants to law enforcement and public safety initiatives in South Georgia. The grants include funding for the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, a key component of the Justice Department’s strategy for reducing violent crime, said Jill Steinberg, U.S attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Oct. 17, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Jolt: Georgia lawmakers join push to elect Jordan as House speaker
Adam Van Brimmer, Tia Mitchell, Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy report that key Georgia Republicans are rallying behind U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan in his bid to become House speaker ahead of a noon vote on the leadership post. But the Ohioan’s quest for the gavel still remains in doubt. Jordan spent the last three days recruiting GOP holdouts after fending off a surprise challenge from U.S. Rep. Austin Scott of Tifton.
