Georgia Trend Daily – Aug. 20, 2025
Aug. 20, 2025 Savannah Morning News
Epitaph for a Peach Season: Georgia growers bring in a bumper crop with new varietals
Amy Paige Condon reports, the Sun Prince’s time is waning just as the Liberty Joy’s is ascending, each enjoying about two weeks in the spotlight during the total 10 weeks that comprise a Georgia peach season. They are just two of the more than 40 varieties Pearson Farms grows across 2,000 acres of orchards and ships to Kroger’s, Costco and specialty grocers up and down the East Coast and into Canada.
Aug. 20, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
It’s About Electability
Brian Robinson writes, “I love my home state of Georgia so much,” began U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s announcement in early May that she wouldn’t run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff. Georgians, she writes, “may not be rich with the world’s riches, but they are overflowing with kindness, love, family values and a deep sense of joy, whether they’re sitting on the front porch or the tailgate of a pickup truck.”
Aug. 20, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
‘Transaction Alley’ reputation pays dividends for Atlanta, Deluxe CEO says
Zachary Hansen reports, on a report card, 70% is often the lowest passing grade you can get — hardly something to brag about. But metro Atlanta has a 70% figure it should flaunt, says Deluxe Corp. CEO Barry McCarthy.
Aug. 20, 2025 Georgia Ports Authority
Georgia Ports maintains excellent credit rating from S&P Global
Staff reports, a well-known international financial rating service, S&P Global (Standard & Poor’s), has released their bi-annual rating on August 8, 2025, giving Georgia Ports Authority an excellent rating (high grade) of AA/Stable on GPA’s revenue bonds and effectively the equivalent rating that Moody’s issued last September 2024 at Aa2.
Aug. 20, 2025 Milledgeville Union-Recorder
The Navicent Health Foundation awards $253,000 in community health grants
Staff reports that Navicent Health Foundation has awarded HEAT (Healthcare Employees Achieving Tomorrow) Grants to 25 local organizations totaling $253,000 this grant cycle. The grant awards directly impact central Georgia communities through provision of health care support, food and mentorship for children, mental health prescriptions assistance, survivor support services for breast cancer patients, diagnostic services and much more.
Aug. 20, 2025 Marietta Daily Journal
Smyrna unveils draft plans for downtown overhaul
Megan Jackson reports, tables full of handwritten comments filled the Smyrna Community Center gym as residents gathered for a second time to give input on three draft plans for the Jonquil City’s downtown redevelopment project. The nine-acre redevelopment area was purchased by the city from Smyrna First Baptist Church for $15.8 million, and is intended to continue growing the city’s downtown.
Aug. 20, 2025 Savannah Morning News
‘We can’t afford this’: Board member expresses concern about cost of airport
Latrice Williams reports that Monday’s first official meeting of the Bryan County Airport Authority served as an opportunity to swear in the new board and get feedback from residents on their primary concerns with the project. Realtor Teresa Timmons requested the board consult with experts in the industry to ensure they have qualified individuals who have a background in aviation.
Aug. 20, 2025 Rome News-Tribune
Hufstetler named ‘Legislator of The Year’ by Georgia Life Sciences
Staff reports that Georgia Life Sciences announced Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, as a 2025 Golden Helix Award winner — specifically honoring him with the organization’s Legislator of the Year Award. The annual award recognizes a legislator who promotes state and federal policies that promote life sciences research, investment and innovation.
Aug. 20, 2025 WSB Radio
New plan aims to improve safety for Kennesaw Mountain visitors
Staff reports that changes are coming to improve how visitors reach the top of Kennesaw Mountain, a popular metro Atlanta national park. The improvement plan for Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park has been in the works for several years.
Aug. 20, 2025 Saporta Report
Andre Dickens qualifies for mayoral reelection campaign
Delaney Tarr reports that Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens kicked off the official election season on Aug. 19 when he announced his reelection campaign goals on the City Hall steps. Dickens has formally qualified to run for a second term as the Mayor of Atlanta in the Nov. 4 election.
Aug. 20, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Georgia lawmakers explore ways to end the state income tax, though critics caution against it
Alander Rocha reports that Georgia officials discussed eliminating the state income tax Tuesday but provided little detail on how to do so. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is campaigning to be Georgia’s next governor, helped kick off the first meeting of the Senate Special Committee on Eliminating Georgia’s Income Tax.
Aug. 20, 2025 Capitol Beat News
National tax reform advocate pitches state Senate on repealing income tax
Dave Williams reports that Georgia could eliminate its income tax without raising sales taxes to make up the lost revenue, one of the nation’s leading tax reform advocates said Tuesday. The nine states that have done away with their income taxes are experiencing enough population growth to offset that loss of tax revenue, Grover Norquist, president of Washington, D-C.-based Americans for Tax Reform, told members of an ad hoc state Senate committee formed to consider getting rid of Georgia’s income tax.
Aug. 20, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
GOP lawmakers risk Brian Kemp’s ire by supporting Mike Collins for Senate
Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report, almost as important as what U.S. Rep. Mike Collins said at his formal Senate campaign launch last night was who showed up to support him. The crowd in Collins’ hometown of Jackson included at least a dozen Republican state lawmakers, including state Sens. Greg Dolezal and Sam Watson, and state Reps. Clint Crowe, Robert Dickey and Dale Washburn.
