Georgia Trend Daily – April 2, 2024
April 2, 2024 WABE
Who controls the power? The overlooked officials who have say over Georgia Power’s policies and prices
Emily Jones reports, on a Tuesday morning in January, college student Aurora Gray stepped up to the podium in a windowless room in Atlanta, around the corner from the state Capitol building. In front of her sat a five-member panel of elected officials that oversees how and where many Georgia residents get their power.
April 2, 2024 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
A Recognized Resource
Patty Rasmussen reports, in December 2023, Catherine Higgins fulfilled her longtime goal of earning a college degree. At 75 years old, the former judicial assistant graduated from West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) in Carrollton with an associate degree in General Studies with a concentration in criminal justice. Higgins was also an honor graduate and selected to speak at her graduation ceremony.
April 2, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UPS wins major air cargo contract with postal service
Kelly Yamanouchi reports that Sandy Springs-based UPS has announced it won a major air cargo contract with the U.S. Postal Service. UPS will replace rival FedEx as the primary postal service air cargo carrier, carrying the majority of air cargo for the postal service in the United States.
April 2, 2024 GPB
Southwest Georgia hospital could reopen with help from federal appropriations
Sofi Gratas reports, the community of Cuthbert in Southwest Georgia was left reeling when its only hospital closed in 2020 after decades of being in operation. Now, congressional appropriations passed mid-March secured $11.8 million for the Randolph County Hospital Authority to re-establish a hospital in town.
April 2, 2024 Augusta Chronicle
No fooling: April 1 groundbreaking for Columbia County hospital marks important milestone
Joe Hotchkiss reports that Columbia County’s first hospital officially broke ground Monday, but its positive impact on the region and state is no April Fool’s joke, the new president of Wellstar MCG Health said. “As medical practitioners we understand that someone’s ability to access health care directly impacts their well-being, but there’s so much more to it,” said Ralph Turner, senior vice president and hospital president at Wellstar MCG Health.
April 2, 2024 Dalton Daily Citizen
USDA designates Whitfield, Murray counties as primary natural disaster areas due to severe drought conditions
Staff reports that on March 25, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated 17 Georgia counties as primary natural disaster areas, including Whitfield and Murray. The secretarial natural disaster designation allows the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.
April 2, 2024 Rome News-Tribune
Marketing Rome in Seoul: Development Authority Hopes Recent Trip Will Pay Economic Dividends
John Bailey reports that a recent economic development trip to South Korea has the potential to pay some local dividends. Rome Floyd County Development Authority President Missy Kendrick was part of the Southern Economic Development Council delegation, which traveled to Seoul for the InterBattery Conference — South Korea’s premier battery exhibition.
April 2, 2024 Savannah Morning News
Bloomberg taps Savannah as one of its American Sustainable Cities, to fund 3 positions
John Deem reports that Savannah looks to put a charge in its sustainability efforts by plugging into a national network of cities recognized for efforts to reduce their carbon footprint while opening access to clean energy resources and creating jobs in underserved areas. As one of 25 communities selected to join the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities program, the city will launch a three-year initiative to “leverage federal funding to implement transformative local solutions and build low-carbon, resilient and economically thriving communities,” according to a recent announcement.
April 2, 2024 Marietta Daily Journal
Wellstar Names New Kennestone President
Staff reports that Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center has a new president. Lorrie Liang will be president of Kennestone and Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital and serve as vice president of the Wellstar Health System.
April 2, 2024 Valdosta Daily Times
Georgia Cotton Commission approves 2025 research
Staff reports that the Georgia Cotton Commission Board of Directors approved $675,340 in research for the 2025 crop year during the March board meeting. In a press release late this week, the Georgia Cotton Commission said the money will fund 17 projects that will be conducted by University of Georgia researchers and extension specialists.
April 2, 2024 GPB
Study finds thousands of Georgia’s archaeological sites in danger due to storm surge, sea level rise
Benjamin Payne reports, as human-caused climate change intensifies the severity of hurricanes and accelerates the rate of sea level rise, more than 4,000 archaeological sites in Coastal Georgia stand at risk of partial damage — or complete loss, according to a new scientific study. Publishing their findings in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, archaeology professors Victor Thompson of the University of Georgia and Matthew Howland of Wichita State University used computer modeling to estimate the vulnerability of material cultural heritage along Georgia’s Atlantic coastline and nearby inland areas.
April 2, 2024 The Current
More homes eligible for historic preservation tax credits
Robin Kemp reports that homeowners and commercial developers pursuing historic preservation can benefit from the extension of the state’s tax credit for such projects, after bills passed both houses of the legislature this year. More owner-occupied residential properties, such as those in Savannah neighborhoods like Cuyler-Brownville Historic District, Streetcar (formerly Mid-City) Historic District, Ardsley Park-Chatham Crescent Conservation District and Ardmore Conservation District, will be eligible for the credit, which has been extended to 2029.
April 2, 2024 Georgia Recorder
State PSC poised to hear Georgia Power’s plan to increase fossil fuel use to power data centers
Stanley Dunlap reports that environmental and consumer groups are urging state regulators not to approve Georgia Power’s plans to increase its use of fossil fuels to meet a rapidly growing industrial demand. Georgia Power and the Public Service Commission staff reached a tentative agreement last week that several clean energy and consumer advocacy groups contend skirt an important regulatory process while failing to adequately protect ratepayers from more expensive electric bills.
April 2, 2024 Cherokee Tribune & Ledger News
GOP Candidates for Georgia’s 11th Congressional District Make Their Case to Voters
Ethan Johnson reports that Republican candidates for Georgia’s 11th Congressional District met with voters Monday evening to discuss their goals if elected or re-elected to Congress in November. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, Lori Pesta and Mike Pons, joined a forum Monday at the historic Cherokee County Courthouse in Canton.
April 2, 2024 Capitol Beat News
Internet trade group urges veto of age-verification mandate for social media access
Dave Williams reports that a trade association of internet companies is asking Gov. Brian Kemp to veto legislation requiring social media platforms to make “commercially reasonable” efforts to verify the age of users. Senate Bill 351, which the Georgia House and Senate passed last week on the final day of this year’s legislative session, is aimed at protecting young people from cyberbullying and other negative effects of social media.
April 2, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
PG A.M.: Warnock stepping out as national voice for Democrats against Trump
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Van Brimmer report that U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s identity as senior pastor at the iconic Ebenezer Baptist Church has always been a core part of his campaign for public office and his tenure in Congress. It’s also why his recent criticism of the former president’s latest sales pitch to Christians carries more weight.
