Georgia Trend Daily – Jan. 29, 2025
Jan. 29, 2025 Savannah Morning News
Georgia Ports Authority continues investment in Ocean Terminal Renovations
Evan Lasseter reports, the Georgia Ports Authority Board approved Tuesday a significant investment towards its renovation of Ocean Terminal on Savannah’s west side. GPA is moving forward with a $73.5 million project to expand its gate capacity at the terminal, creating a new gate complex that will host 12 inbound truck lanes and six outbound lanes.
Jan. 29, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Preserving the Past
Stephanie Kalina-Metzger reports, a flying museum is how some describe Airbase Georgia in Peachtree City. The museum itself doesn’t fly, but rather displays a collection of World War II era aircraft at numerous air shows throughout the Southeast.
Jan. 29, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Judge weighs whether Georgia railroad can force land sales for a spur
Zachary Hansen reports that a potentially precedent-setting legal battle aims to decide whether a railroad can use eminent domain in one of Georgia’s poorest counties to build a rail spur to serve private businesses. The case centers on Sandersville Railroad’s plan to condemn portions of several parcels to build 4.5 miles of new tracks near the town of Sparta, about 100 miles east of downtown Atlanta.
Jan. 29, 2025 Rome News-Tribune
Major Mixed-Use Development Announced for Bartow County
Staff reports that Hines, a global real estate investment firm, has partnered with the Aubrey Corporation to develop a sprawling mixed-use village and employment center spanning more than 2,390 acres in Bartow County. The development, located at the I-75 interchange with U.S. 411, is expected to contain 10 million square feet of manufacturing, data center and logistics facilities.
Jan. 29, 2025 The Current
Pause in federal grants puts some environmental programs in limbo
Mary Landers reports, following the issuance late Monday of a White House memo ordering federal agencies to freeze all grant and loan disbursements, Coastal Georgia environmental grant recipients are scrambling to understand how they’ll be affected. “We just don’t know how this will impact us,” said St. Marys Riverkeeper Emily Floore, whose nonprofit recently won a $716,000 grant partially funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to develop plans to protect local communities from the effects of climate change.
Jan. 29, 2025 Gainesville Times
Rep. Andrew Clyde responds to 2026 primary challenge from Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon
Denise Etheridge reports that Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon announced Tuesday he would run against U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens, in the 2026 Republican primary race for the Ninth Congressional District seat.
Jan. 29, 2025 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Portrait of retired state Rep. Calvin Smyre of Columbus now hangs in the Georgia Capitol
Ty Tagami reports that retired state Rep. Calvin Smyre of Columbus made history as the longest-serving member of the Georgia House of Representatives, and now his likeness will grace the state Capitol for years to come. Lawmakers unveiled his official portrait Tuesday.
Jan. 29, 2025 Marietta Daily Journal
Georgia Supreme Court Dismisses Mableton Cityhood Challenge
Annie Mayne reports that the Georgia Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to the constitutionality of the city of Mableton. The lawsuit was filed by five Mableton residents in Cobb County Superior Court in May 2023.
Jan. 29, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Georgia Democratic senator’s bill would create statewide database to flag students who pose a threat
Ross Williams reports, the chair of a Senate committee tasked with reducing gun deaths among Georgia children has filed legislation to create a statewide database to notify districts of safety concerns from transfer students and to install a “gun czar” to oversee gun safety. “Georgia has the eighth highest rate of unintentional shootings by children in the United States, and I hope that kind of sinks in with members that are present here today,” said Sen. Emanuel Jones, a Decatur Democrat.
Jan. 29, 2025 State Affairs
Lawmakers push for greater oversight of HOA practices
Tammy Joyner reports, a bill calling for more accountability from homeowners associations has been introduced in the House. Rep. Sandra Scott, D- Rex, along with two other representatives, introduced House Bill 62, the Georgia HOA Accountability and Community Empowerment Act, on Jan. 15.
Jan. 29, 2025 WABE
New bipartisan bill to expand Medicaid faces difficult path
Sam Gringlas and Jess Mador report that Democrats in the state legislature are making another attempt this session to extend health insurance to more Georgians under Medicaid coverage — and this time, four Republicans have already signed on, despite Gov. Brian Kemp making clear he does not back full Medicaid expansion. “We believe that this bipartisan legislation can get passed,” Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones told reporters at a Tuesday press conference.
Jan. 29, 2025 Capitol Beat News
Georgia Chief Justice Boggs pitches judicial pay raises
Dave Williams reports that Georgia Chief Justice Michael Boggs used his annual State of the Judiciary address to members of the General Assembly Tuesday to plug two bills raising the salaries of superior court and statewide judges. “An independent judiciary must be able to attract and retain qualified jurists,” Boggs told a joint session of the Georgia House and Senate.
Jan. 29, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Brian Kemp’s aim to limit some large jury awards gets a $1 million boost
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report, as Gov. Brian Kemp prepares to unveil specifics of his long-promised plan to overhaul Georgia litigation rules, the Republican-backed effort to curb big jury awards and limit lawsuits is getting some timely backup. A group called Protecting American Consumers Together said Wednesday it plans to spend more than $1 million to promote the legislative push, which Kemp and other Republicans often call “tort reform.”
