Georgia Trend Daily – Dec. 3, 2025
Dec. 3, 2025 Georgia.gov
Gov. and First Lady Kemp Lead Economic Mission to Panama
Staff reports that Gov. Brian P. Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp are leading an economic development mission to Panama this week, focusing on logistics infrastructure and supply chain operations at the Panama Canal. They are accompanied by representatives from the Georgia Ports Authority and Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Dec. 3, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Georgia’s Health Challenges
Jerry Grillo reports, Pam Stewart isn’t afraid of bad news. As the CEO of Washington County Regional Medical Center, a vibrant rural hospital in Sandersville, she’s gotten used to it. “We joke about this all time – there is really never much good news for rural hospitals,” she says, adding with a wry chuckle, “seems like it’s always bad news.”
Dec. 3, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Korean diplomats visit Georgia to rebuild strained trust after Hyundai raid
Zachary Hansen reports, the tight-knit relationship between South Korea and the U.S. faced one of its toughest tests in September when federal immigration agents raided Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing campus near Savannah. The operation triggered outrage in Seoul, delayed construction on part of Georgia’s largest economic development project and reportedly later prompted an apology from the White House.
Dec. 3, 2025 The Brunswick News
Largest residential real estate deal closes on Sea Island
Mary Starr reports that the Golden Isles is certainly well acquainted with multi-million dollar real estate deals, but a closing in Atlanta Tuesday morning took those deals to a whole new level — a $30 million level. Susan Imhoff and Ann Harrell, both of Deloach Sotheby’s International Realty on St. Simons Island, listed the former Sea Island home of legendary Atlanta architect John Portman in December 2024 for $40 million.
Dec. 3, 2025 Valdosta Daily Times
Georgia Peanut Commission hires new executive director
Davis Cobb reports that Representatives of the Georgia Peanut Commission are optimistic their new director will continue to support the organization’s efforts to serve the state’s agricultural industry. Commission officials announced Monday that they had selected Taylor Arnold, Worth County executive director for the USDA Farm Service Agency, to serve as executive director for the Georgia Peanut Commission.
Dec. 3, 2025 Macon Telegraph
‘Cybercriminal group’ allegedly hacks Monroe County emergency system
Jesse Fraga reports that Monroe County’s emergency alert system was allegedly hacked by cybercriminals and residents’ personal information was taken in November, the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency announced Monday. An “’organized cybercriminal group’” allegedly “compromised” the county’s mass notification system called OnSolve CodeRED, which warns people of weather, evacuations, boil water notices and other emergencies, the Monroe County EMA said on Facebook Monday afternoon.
Dec. 3, 2025 WSB Radio
$124 million proposal approved in effort to eliminate all roadway deaths in Douglas County by 2050
Staff reports that a new plan has been approved by commissioners in Douglas County that calls for the elimination of all roadway deaths in the county by 2050. The proposal identifies the most troubled areas in the county for roadway crashes and proposes more than $124 million to be made towards improvement efforts.
Dec. 3, 2025 Gainesville Times
UNG unveils plans for ‘transformational’ renovations at Gainesville, Dahlonega campuses
Ben Anderson reports that the University of North Georgia is planning massive renovations at its Gainesville and Dahlonega campuses over the next decade, as outlined in the university’s new 326-page campus master plan. “Across both campuses, the plan outlines a framework for modernizing essential campus systems, including circulation, utilities, parking, and stormwater,” according to the plan’s executive summary.
Dec. 3, 2025 Albany Herald
Don’t get lost in the LOSTs; new sales tax could mean reductions in tax bills
Alan Mauldin reports that the city of Albany and Dougherty County have a taxing issue on their hands, namely discussion of a new sales tax that would be earmarked toward property tax relief. Meanwhile, taxpayers in the county can expect a belated present the day after Christmas when tax bills, normally mailed in November, hit the post office with a day or more to arrive in residents’ mailboxes.
Dec. 3, 2025 Savannah Morning News
Will GA residents get a $2,000 Trump stimulus check by Christmas 2025?
Miguel Legoas and Pam Dankins report that President Donald Trump has repeatedly said American citizens can expect money back from the country’s global tariff income. But will the proposed $2,000 stimulus checks arrive in time for the holidays in 2025?
Dec. 3, 2025 State Affairs
Wild West of AI faces law and order in Georgia Senate
Beau Evans reports, what drove Stephanie Deaton to draft her own bill to regulate artificial intelligence in Georgia was the video she found on her son’s phone earlier this year. In it were several people dressed as cartoon animals called “furries”. It had simply appeared through an algorithm driven by artificial intelligence.
Dec. 3, 2025 GPB
New law could mean Fulton County taxpayers will foot Trump’s legal bill
Sarah Kallis reports that a law passed by the Georgia Legislature earlier this year could leave Fulton County taxpayers responsible to foot the bill for President Donald Trump’s legal fees in Georgia. Senate Bill 244 says a county can be ordered to pay attorney’s fees for a defendant if the district attorney in the case was disqualified for improper conduct and the case dismissed.
Dec. 3, 2025 Georgia Recorder
Senate panel floats proposal to create aid for Georgians who cannot afford college
Ross Williams reports that Georgia is one of the only states that does not provide needs-based financial aid for would-be students who struggle to pay for college. But some state lawmakers are making the case that Georgia should change that, though there are disagreements over how best to pay for such a program.
Dec. 3, 2025 Macon Telegraph
GA lawmakers consider punishing student drivers, athletes over bad attendance
Myracle Lewis reports, a Georgia Senate Study Committee on Combating Chronic Absenteeism in Schools unanimously adopted its final report on addressing the state’s chronic student absenteeism problem — and it may include scrutiny for student drivers and athletes. After four months of hearing from state organizations and school leaders about the causes and effects of prolonged classroom absences, Georgia lawmakers recommended barring chronically absent students from participating in sports programs and temporarily revoking their driver’s licenses until attendance improves.
Dec. 3, 2025 Capitol Beat News
No handing out food and drink at polling places, court rules
Ty Tagami reports that a federal appeals court has restored a state ban on giving food and drink to people waiting in line to vote. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Monday cancelled a preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia two years ago that stopped the state from enforcing its ban on giving “gifts” near polling places.
Dec. 3, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ossoff says Trump administration blocked visit to ICE detention center
Lautaro Grinspan reports that Georgia’s Democratic U.S. senators have launched an inquiry into the Trump administration’s new policy of restricting lawmaker access to immigration detention facilities. On Monday, Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock sent a letter to Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, criticizing her department’s “arbitrary and illegal obstruction” of Congress members’ ability to conduct oversight visits at detention facilities.
