Georgia Trend Daily – Oct. 19, 2023
Oct. 19, 2023 Covington News
Archer Aviation secures $65 Million for manufacturing facility
Staff reports that Archer Aviation Inc., a leader in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, today announced that it has closed agreements with Synovus Bank and Evans General Contractors, LLC for the financing and development of its high-volume manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia. Construction is already underway on the first phase of the Covington facility build out of approximately 350,000 square feet to support production of up to 650 aircraft per year, which would make it the world’s largest eVTOL aircraft manufacturing facility by volume.
Oct. 19, 2023 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Center of Culture
Candice Dyer reports, the Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Center started as a school that was built in 1928. The institution closed and fell into disrepair, but it gained a vibrant new life in the 1980s as local artisans pitched in to fix it up, trying to preserve its character as much as possible.
Oct. 19, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Solar giant Qcells says Dalton factory expansion is complete
Drew Kann reports, solar panel manufacturer Qcells announced Wednesday that it has completed the expansion of its existing Dalton factory, the largest plant of it kind in the Western Hemisphere. The new manufacturing muscle means the factory will now be able to produce more than 5.1 gigawatts of solar panels each year — 30,000 solar panels a day.
Oct. 19, 2023 Capitol Beat News
Georgia EMCs land federal grant for electric grid, clean energy projects
Dave Williams reports that Georgia’s electric membership corporations (EMCs) received a $250 million federal grant Wednesday for a series of grid improvement and clean energy projects. The award to Oglethorpe Power, Georgia Transmission, Georgia System Operations, and Green Power EMC will go toward an estimated investment of $507 million and is part of a $3.5 billion nationwide investment U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced Wednesday at a ceremony in Locust Grove.
Oct. 19, 2023 Savannah Morning News
Georgia Southern economist: Pooler can be hopeful about sustained growth
Destini Ambus reports, population, employment growth and traffic were among the topics discussed on Wednesday at the annual economic outlook luncheon hosted by the Greater Pooler Area Chamber of Commerce. The event featured Michael Toma, professor of economics at Georgia Southern University, as the keynote.
Oct. 19, 2023 Rome News-Tribune
Rome Added 1,300 Workers in September vs. a Year Ago but Dipped by 100 From August
John Druckenmiller reports that even as the Rome/Floyd County labor force picked up 1,300 jobs in September vs. the same month in 2022, there were 100 fewer people employed compared to August. The latest employment snapshot from the Georgia Department of Labor puts the September workforce at 44,700.
Oct. 19, 2023 Athens Banner-Herald
Athens-based Bell’s grocery stores acquired by another Georgia grocery chain
Caitlyn Stroh-Page reports that after nearly 100 years in business, Bell’s Food Stores is being purchased by another Georgia-based grocery chain. Bell’s posted on social media on Tuesday, Oct. 17 confirming the sale to B&T’s Food Fresh Market, first reported by the Oglethorpe Echo on Oct. 12.
Oct. 19, 2023 State Affairs
How Georgia’s 8-year-old infrastructure initiative is paying off
Tammy Joyner reports that six years ago, Georgia had more than 700 bridges in poor condition. Today, the state’s list of structurally deficient bridges has fallen to 239.
Oct. 19, 2023 11 Alive
‘Unprecedented’ | More than 125,000 apply for Georgia Housing Choice Voucher Program in first 36 hours
Grace King reports, on Tuesday, Georgia’s Housing Choice Voucher Program opened its application portal for the first time since 2021. More than 125,000 people had already applied by Wednesday afternoon.
Oct. 19, 2023 The Brunswick News
Harbor Pilots welcome new apprentice
Taylor Cooper reports, on Wednesday, Wednesday, the Brunswick Pilots Association accepted Andrew Longwater as an apprentice. At the end of the apprenticeship, if he succeeds, Longwater will join the current roster of six pilots assigned to assist the massive cargo ships entering the Port of Brunswick. A full complement is eight.
Oct. 19, 2023 Rome News-Tribune, Polk Standard Journal
Anavitarte Proposes Tax Holiday for Guns and Ammunition in Georgia
Jeremy Stewart reports that a Northwest Georgia state lawmaker has announced he will sponsor a bill eliminating sales tax on firearms, ammunition and related accessories in conjunction with the start of firearms deer season. Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R-Dallas, issued a statement Wednesday that he will propose the “Second Amendment Tax Holiday Act” when the state legislature convenes in January “to encourage hunting, conservation and tourism in the State of Georgia.”
Oct. 19, 2023 The Current
500 new police guns will help failing recruits pass academy, Savannah brass says
Jake Shore reports, over the summer Savannah police leaders brought to city council a plan they said would help stem their agency’s long-standing problem of recruitment and retention. However, an investigation by The Current shows that it is one of several misleading statistics or inconsistent facts that Savannah officials have cited in a nearly two-year push to acquire new weapons.
Oct. 19, 2023 Georgia Recorder
Federal court denies state’s request for dismissal of challenge to Georgia’s political maps
Jill Nolin reports that another challenge to Georgia’s political maps is set to go to trial after the state was unable to persuade a three-judge panel that the pair of cases should be tossed out. The federal court denied the state’s attempts to block a fast-approaching November trial, which will come on the heels of a nearly two-week redistricting trial held last month.
Oct. 19, 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Jolt: Raffensperger, Kemp shoot down proposed paper ballot bill
Adam Van Brimmer, Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Tia Mitchell report that Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger opposes a proposed state Senate bill that would allow in-person voters to choose paper ballots instead of using Georgia’s Dominion touchscreen voting computers. Raffensperger joined Gov. Brian Kemp, himself a former secretary of state, in resisting a switch to paper ballots.
