Georgia Trend Daily – Dec. 31, 2024
Dec. 31, 2024 WABE
Six days of tributes in Georgia and D.C. will trace the arc of Carter’s life
Sam Gringlas reports, former President Jimmy Carter will be buried next week near the home in Plains he shared with his wife, Rosalynn, for more than six decades. But first, six days of tributes and services will trace the arc of the 39th president’s life, from his tiny Southwest Georgia hometown to the State Capitol in Atlanta and Washington, D.C.
Dec. 31, 2024 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Catching up with… John Yates
Karen Kirkpatrick reports, John Yates has been with the law firm Morris, Manning & Martin since 1987, when he launched the firm’s technology practice. He co-founded the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), serves as chair of the Downtown Atlanta Rotary Club, is chair of the Woodruff Arts Center’s Corporate Campaign and co-chair with his wife, Ellen, of the 2025 Annual Gala at Zoo Atlanta. These are edited highlights from an interview.
Dec. 31, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clean energy group’s suit alleges Georgia Public Service Commission is violating state records law
Meris Lutz reports, a clean energy watchdog group has filed a lawsuit against Georgia energy regulators and an elected member of the agency’s board for allegedly violating the state’s open records law. The Energy and Policy Institute, a California-based nonprofit, alleges Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tricia Pridemore uses personal email accounts and her cellphone for public business.
Dec. 31, 2024 WSB Radio
Georgia awarded almost $2.2 million to prevent deadly wildlife-vehicle crashes
Staff reports, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the State of Georgia was awarded nearly $2.2 million in grant funding to help prevent deadly vehicle crashes with wildlife in the state. The grant award was given to the Georgia Department of Transportation by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program “to integrate wildlife-vehicle reduction measures and habitat connectivity goals into transportation project planning and construction.”
Dec. 31, 2024 Rome News-Tribune
Floyd To Join Forces with Bartow and Polk to Boost Economic Development
John Bailey reports, Northwest Georgia has been a hotbed of economic activity over the past year with the build of the SK On/Hyundai battery plant and announcements by Qcells, Microsoft and SOLARCYCLE. There’s no indication that it’s slowing down, Rome-Floyd County Development Authority President Missy Kendrick said.
Dec. 31, 2024 Fox 5 Atlanta
Johns Creek company at center of U.S. Treasury hacking probe
Travis Maurer reports that Chinese hackers accessed several U.S. Treasury Department workstations and unclassified documents after breaching a third-party software service provider, the department confirmed Monday, calling the incident a “major cybersecurity incident.” The Treasury learned of the breach on Dec. 8, when BeyondTrust, a Johns Creek-based software service provider, reported that hackers had stolen a key used to secure a cloud-based service for remotely providing technical support.
Dec. 31, 2024 Dalton Daily News
Dalton couple to premiere documentary on possible impacts of food dyes
Charles Oliver reports that each day, millions of Americans consume artificial dyes in their food and drink, and most of them notice no major side effects. But Dalton resident Whitney Cawood said when her son, now 6, was an infant, they noticed that the sweet-tempered child would have severe mood swings.
Dec. 31, 2024 Georgia Recorder
Hurricanes Helene and Milton swept a wave of invasive species into Georgia in 2024
Ross Williams reports, a map from the U.S. Geological Survey finds that there are 222 possible non-native species that had the potential to spread in Georgia and Florida due to storm-related flooding from Hurricane Helene, which devastated southern states including Georgia in September. The list includes 90 species considered invasive and likely to spread via flood waters.
Dec. 31, 2024 Valdosta Daily Times
Georgia Bridgemen to play in Presidential Inauguration Parade
Staff reports, Lowndes County Schools announced Sunday evening that the Lowndes High School Georgia Bridgemen band has been selected to participate in the Presidential Inauguration Parade on Monday, Jan. 20, in Washington, D.C. “Our band will represent the state of Georgia, and we are one of only four high school bands selected to play in the parade,” Jon Bowman, Lowndes High School director of bands, said.
Dec. 31, 2024 August Chronicle
What will happen to Georgia’s student loan debt during Trump’s second term?
Melissa Cruz reports, student loan debt is a serious problem for many Georgians – and the path forward is unclear. Georgia has the greatest amount of student debt out of any state in the South and the third highest nationally.
Dec. 31, 2024 State Affairs
New year, new laws: Georgia’s school vouchers expand, voting rules tighten for homeless
Tammy Joyner reports, an estimated 1 in 5 Georgia schoolchildren could be eligible for school vouchers next year. Meanwhile, the homeless will be limited to registering to vote in the county where they’re currently staying.
Dec. 31, 2024 GPB
From Taylor Swift tickets to social media bans, here are new 2025 state laws
Clay Masters, Megan Myscofski, Grant Gerlock and Acacia Squires report, across the country, the new year will usher in thousands of new state laws. At least 20 states increase statewide minimum wage starting Jan. 1 — the highest in Washington state at $16.66 an hour, followed by California at $16.50. Kentucky becomes the latest state to legalize medical marijuana and several states, including Delaware, tighten gun control.
Dec. 31, 2024 Athens Banner-Herald
Jan 6. inmates from Georgia await pardon, release from jail: ‘We’re going home, boys!’
Melissa Cruz reports, as Donald Trump prepares to take office again, Georgians charged for their role in the January 6th insurrection on the U.S. Capitol are hoping that the president-elect makes good on a campaign promise: pardon them on Day One. “A pardon to me, would be vindication of all that I have endured over the last four years,” Dominic Box, a 34-year-old inmate housed at the D.C. jail, told USA TODAY.
Dec. 31, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Who can float on Georgia’s small streams? The matter may still be up for debate
Drew Kann reports, from the winding blackwaters of the Suwannee River to the ice-cold streams that flow through the Appalachian foothills, Georgia is home to more than 70,000 miles of waterways. Some stretches are beloved by anglers and rafters, while others simply offer regular Georgians a chance to convene with nature.
