Georgia Trend Daily – April 17, 2026
April 17, 2026 Albany Herald
Albany area farmers hit with triple whammy: high costs, depressed commodity prices, drought
Alan Mauldin reports, Southwest Georgia farmers have been sharpening a lot of pencils lately. Or perhaps more accurately they’ve been pounding their computer keyboards figuring and refiguring the numbers as the components that go into producing a crop keep spiking upward.
April 17, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Georgia Grown U-Pick Map
Jana Lawrence reports, you can get Georgia-grown fruits, vegetables, and flowers at the grocery stores, but sometimes it’s more fun to pick them yourself. Georgia is home to a vast network of U-Pick farms where you can do just that, while supporting local farmers and experiencing the agricultural heritage that Georgia is known for.
April 17, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The tiny RFID chip has revolutionized how UPS ships packages
Emma Hurt reports that UPS announced Tuesday that a major rollout of RFID technology is revolutionizing its U.S. network at an unprecedented scale. Thanks to the shrinking cost of radio-frequency identification labels — featuring tiny antennae and microchips that now cost just a few cents — the company says every single U.S. package has an RFID label.
April 17, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Trump picks new director for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Ashley Murray reports, President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will nominate Erica Schwartz, who served in the president’s first administration, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a seat left vacant for months after his last director said she was ousted in a rift over childhood vaccines. Trump announced his new pick on his social media platform, Truth Social, touting Schwartz’s career as a medical doctor with the U.S. armed forces.
April 17, 2026 The Brunswick News
USDA Office of Seafood set to be a boon for local shrimpers
Michael Hall reports that the local fishing industry has watched for years as farmers and other food producers accessed government programs and grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Accessing similar programs has not been so easy for seafood producers like shrimpers, those in the industry say.
April 17, 2026 GlobalAtlanta.com
How to Meet With 10 Companies from Belgium’s Flanders Region
Trevor Williams reports that a group of 10 companies from the Belgian region of Flanders will touch down in Atlanta April 20-24, with the goal of showcasing Flemish excellence in a range of sectors, from metals to software. The core of the program will take place from Tuesday to Thursday, with the Flanders Investment and Trade, or FIT, office in Atlanta taking the lead on organizing engagements in partnership with the Consulate General of Belgium.
April 17, 2026 The Macon Melody
Authority: For every public dollar invested, industry generates $75
Liz Jarvis Fabian reports, at its recent annual meeting, the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority reflected on recent successes and benchmarks. “And one of the numbers we’ve generated — since 2017 … every dollar of public investment is generating $75 in private investment,” said Executive Director Stephen Adams.
April 17, 2026 Rough Draft Atlanta
Mayor’s office announces ATL Culture House ahead of World Cup
Sarra Sedghi reports that Mayor Andre Dickens and the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs unveiled ATL Culture House during a press conference on April 15 at The CTR, formerly home to CNN in downtown Atlanta. Dickens said the project will serve as a physical and symbolic home for creativity, collaboration, and community for Atlanta during the global soccer event.
April 17, 2026 Tifton Daily Gazette
UGA Tifton to host crop technology conference
Kevin Hall reports that specialty crop growers, researchers and ag tech leaders will gather May 5-6 in Tifton for the Southeastern Specialty Crop Technology Conference and Show. Hosted by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the inaugural event aims to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies in specialty crop production across the Southeastern U.S. Registration is now open; visit https://specialtycroptech.uga.edu to register.
April 17, 2026 The Current
Glynn County rejects data center moratorium despite community pushback
Jabari Gibbs reports that the Glynn County Commission voted Thursday on new zoning ordinances that, deep within the 235-page document, include a controversial new section permitting data centers. The county’s communications director, Brittany Dozier, said that Glynn has not received any proposals for data center development, but the county wants to take a proactive stance in case of future industry interest, amid a once-in-a-generation process to update the regulations governing industrial and residential standards.
April 17, 2026 Marietta Daily Journal
Cobb County official says proposed property tax cap could impact funding to fire services
Lucinda Warnke reports that Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris is expressing concerns that a proposed bill limiting property tax increases could impact funding to the county’s fire services. During a talk at the Northeast Cobb Business Association this week, McMorris said a bill approved by the Georgia Legislature and awaiting Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature could deprive the county of revenue toward fire services.
April 17, 2026 State Affairs
‘Strong finish:’ Lottery revenues on the rebound after recent slide
Beau Evans reports that lottery tickets sales are on the upswing after dipping slightly the past two years. Officials with the Georgia Lottery Corp. revealed Thursday that revenues have topped $4.66 billion since July, marking an increase of $228 million through the same period last fiscal year.
April 17, 2026 GPB
Democratic candidates for governor debate in Atlanta
Sarha Kallis reports that three Democratic candidates running to become Georgia’s next governor participated in a debate hosted by 11Alive news in Atlanta on Wednesday. Candidates participating in the debate mostly agreed on issues related to repealing the state’s abortion ban and expanding Medicaid.
April 17, 2026 WABE
Republicans join Democratic calls for Kemp to veto bill that turns major metro Atlanta races nonpartisan
Rahul Bali reports That some Republicans are joining Democratic calls for Gov. Brian Kemp to veto HB 369, a bill that would make some elections nonpartisan in many major metro Atlanta counties. If enacted, the bill would shift races for district attorneys, county commissioners, tax commissioners and other local offices in Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb and Clayton counties to nonpartisan elections beginning in 2028.
April 17, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Georgia General Assembly adopted bill to expose members to scrutiny for alleged improprieties
Ty Tagami reports, a little amendment to the last bill to pass the Georgia General Assembly this year could cause quite a stir if Gov. Brian Kemp signs it into law. Or the Senate’s tweak to House Bill 1409 could do nothing, except give lawmakers pause about pursuing sex with a staffer.
April 17, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The money race: House incumbents lead in Georgia, with one exception
Tia Mitchell and Isaac Sabetai report, with roughly a month to go until primary day in Georgia, candidates in some of the state’s most competitive congressional races have begun to lap the field in fundraising. While the incumbents in most races have the edge, that is not the case in Georgia’s 13th District, where U.S. Rep. David Scott continues to report paltry fundraising numbers as he seeks a 13th term in office.
