Author: Linda M. Erbele

Nov. 25, 2024 Albany Herald Hurricanes, high input costs and low sales prices put Georgia pecan farmers in precarious position Lucille Lannigan reports that it’s been an arduous year for Georgia pecan growers. Back-to-back hurricanes hit the eastern part of…

Nov. 22, 2024 Georgia.org Irving Tissue to Expand, Invest $600 Million Staff reports that Gov. Kemp on Thursday announced that Irving Tissue will add at least 100 new jobs as part of a nearly $600 million expansion at its Macon…

Nov. 21, 2024 Capitol Beat News Kemp to chair Republican Governors Association Dave Williams reports that Gov. Brian Kemp has been elected chairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA) for 2025. The election of Kemp and Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte…

Nov. 20, 2024 Georgia Recorder Planned central Georgia national park gains momentum with few days left before Congress adjourns Jill Nolin reports, a proposal to turn a prehistoric American Indian site in central Georgia into the state’s first national park…

Nov. 19, 2024 Savannah Morning News Will the Okefenokee Swamp get bigger? U.S. Fish & Wildlife could expand acreage Miguel Legoas reports, one of Georgia's biggest natural spaces could get even bigger in the near future. U.S. Fish and Wildlife…

Nov. 18, 2024 State Affairs Gov. Kemp calls on state agencies to be fiscally restrained amid record $16.5B surplus Tammy Joyner reports that Gov. Brian Kemp asked the state’s 51 government agencies for continued fiscal restraint when drafting their amended…

Nov. 15, 2024 Capitol Beat News Georgia jobless rate holds steady Dave Williams reports that Georgia’s unemployment rate was 3.6% last month for the third month in a row, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday. The state’s labor force…

  Nov. 14, 2024 Georgia.gov Gov. Kemp: Automated Warehouse Services Company GreenBox Systems to Invest $144 Million in Butts County Staff reports that Gov. Kemp on Wednesday announced that GreenBox Systems LLC (GreenBox), an innovative company that provides automated warehouse…

Nov. 13, 2024 Capitol Beat News Ga. University System Sets Enrollment Record Dave Williams reports, Dave Williams reports that University System of Georgia has hit an all-time high for student enrollment this fall. Nearly 365,000 students are enrolled at the…

Nov. 12, 2024 GPB Georgia Power, local leaders celebrate state’s first battery plant opening. Take a look Kala Hunter reports that Thursday’s celebration to bring batteries into Georgia’s energy mix was a highly-anticipated milestone for Georgia Power. A new 65…

Nov. 11, 2024 Georgia.gov October Tax Revenues Down 3.4% Staff reports that the State of Georgia’s net tax collections during the month of October totaled $2.53 billion, for a decrease of $89.7 million, or 3.4 percent, compared to FY 2024…

Nov. 8, 2024 Valdosta Daily Times Flash floods sweep through Valdosta, prompting school closures and transportation warnings Caison Kirkland reports, heavy rains triggered flash flooding across Valdosta and surrounding areas early Thursday morning, leading to school closures and disrupted travel…

Nov. 7, 2024 GlobalAtlanta.com Taiwan Government Donates $200K to Hurricane Relief in Georgia, More to Other Southern States Trevor Williams reports, the Taiwanese government has given $200,000 to relief efforts aiming to help those affected by Hurricane Helene in Georgia,…

Nov. 6, 2024 GPB Trump clinches a key victory in swing state Georgia Stephen Fowler reports, former President Donald Trump has won Georgia and its 16 electoral votes, according to a race call by the Associated Press, striking a blow…

Nov. 5, 2024 Rough Draft Atlanta $1.4 million in grant funding awarded to Georgia arts organizations Staff reports that the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), part of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, announced that it has awarded over…

Nov. 4, 2024 Georgia.gov Gov. Kemp Announces New Disaster Relief Measure for Georgia Farmers Staff reports, Gov. Kemp on Friday announced the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission (GSFIC) has unanimously approved a proposal redirecting $100 million to the Georgia…

Nov. 1, 2024 Georgia.org Gov. Kemp: SOLARCYCLE Accelerates Plans for Polk County Operation Staff reports that Gov. Kemp on Thursday announced that SOLARCYCLE, an advanced technology-based solar recycling company, will accelerate its expansion into Polk County to meet increasing demand…

Oct. 31, 2024 WABE Georgia awarded over $60 million in railroad grant funding Kendall Murry reports that Georgia will receive $65 million for three rail improvement projects as part of $2.4 billion national grant funding in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the…

Oct. 30, 2024 Valdosta Daily Times FEMA continues support for Georgians one month after Hurricane Helene Staff reports, to date, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $171 million in federal disaster assistance to more than 155,000 Georgia…

Oct. 29, 2024 The Brunswick News Ports Authority gets $26.5M for new rail yard at Colonel's Island Hank Rowland reports that the Federal Railroad Administration has awarded the Georgia Ports Authority $26.5 million for construction of a new rail yard…

Oct. 28, 2024 Capitol Beat News State to roll out Georgia Access health insurance exchange Dave Williams reports that for more than a decade, Georgians have been able to sign up for health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act…

Oct. 25, 2024 Georgia.gov TMC Transformers to Bring 110 Jobs, New Manufacturing Facility To Burke County Staff reports that Gov. Kemp on Thursday announced that TMC Transformers USA Inc. (TMC), an international dry-type transformers manufacturer for a wide range of…

Oct. 24, 2024 Georgia.gov Gov. Kemp: New AIG Office Hub to Create 600 Metro Atlanta Jobs Staff reports that Gov. Kemp on Wednesday announced that American International Group, Inc. (AIG), a leading global insurance company, will establish a new innovation…

Oct. 23, 2024 Capitol Beat News Kemp announces another $1B tax rebate Dave Williams reports, for the second time in three years, Gov. Brian Kemp is giving Georgians a tax rebate worth more than $1 billion. Kemp said Tuesday he…

Oct. 22, 2024 Georgia.gov New Study Highlights Georgia’s Nonprofit Arts, Culture Impact Staff reports that the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s strategic arts arm, Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) announces that Georgia’s nonprofit arts and culture sector delivers a…

Oct. 21, 2024 The Current ‘Catastrophic failure’ of gangway led to 7 deaths on Sapelo Mary Landers and Robin Kemp report, a “catastrophic” structural failure caused the collapse of an 80-foot gangway at the Sapelo Island ferry dock that sent…

Oct. 18, 2024 Capitol Beat News Georgia unemployment held steady in September Dave Williams reports, Georgia continued to set employment records last month even as the state’s unemployment rate held steady. The Peach State’s jobless rate stood at 3.6% in…

Oct. 17, 2024 WABE USDA announces estimated $207.7 million in relief assistance to Georgia farmers Kendall Murray reports, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering relief assistance to Georgia farmers who are still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene,…

Oct. 15, 2024 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer These Columbus companies rank best in state, says Forbes. Did your employer make the list? Sundi Rose reports, Forbes Magazine compiled a list of best places to work in the U.S. and Georgia was represented…

Oct. 14, 2024 Capitol Beat News State tax revenues decline in September Dave Williams reports that Georgia tax collections fell by 2.8% last month, resuming a downward pattern that has taken hold for much of this year, the state Department…

Oct. 11, 2024 Capitol Beat News Helene damage to Georgia farms estimated at $6.46 billion Dave Williams reports that Hurricane Helene caused at least $6.46 billion in losses to Georgia farmers, according to preliminary estimates released Thursday by the University…

Oct. 10, 2024 Savannah Morning News Gov. Brian Kemp visits CEMA, provides update on Hurricane Milton ahead of landfall in Florida Evan Lasseter reports, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp visited the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) Wednesday afternoon and provided an…

Oct. 9, 2024 Georgia.gov Kemp declares emergency with massive Hurricane Milton headed for Florida Dave Williams reports that Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency Tuesday for 38 Georgia counties likely to be affected by Hurricane Milton, a massive…

Oct. 8, 2024 Augusta Chronicle Hundreds of complaints allege price gouging in Georgia as hurricane order is set to expire Matthew Dolan reports, there have been alarming, but largely unsubstantiated reports on social media and beyond about widespread price gouging…

Oct. 7, 2024 Augusta Chronicle, Detroit Free Press Profit on the ground: How Hurricane Helene is still robbing Georgia farmers Matthew Dolan reports, walk a cotton field these days and puffs of the white material − soaked by rain and…

Oct. 4, 2024 Georgia Recorder Kemp says state’s Helene death toll now 33 as Biden tours storm’s south Georgia devastation Stanley Dunlap reports that the number of confirmed deaths caused by the swath of destruction Helene left in Georgia has…

Oct. 3, 2024 Savannah Morning News Biden to visit Georgia, Florida on Thursday to tour Helene damage, White House says Katie Landeck reports that President Joe Biden is coming to Georgia and Florida on Thursday, the White House announced Wednesday.…

Oct. 2, 2024 WSB TV, WSB Radio Gov. Kemp suspends gas tax following Hurricane Helene Staff reports that Gov. Brian Kemp has issued an executive order suspending the state’s gas tax following Hurricane Helene. In the order, it says that…

Oct. 1, 2024 WSB Radio, WSB TV Rockdale County chemical plant fire: New shelter-in-place warning issued for gas cloud banking down Staff reports that Rockdale County is asking residents once again to shelter-in-place due to a plume banking down in…

Sept. 30, 2024 WSB Radio, WSB TV Rockdale County Chemical Fire: I-20 closed, 17,000 in evacuation zone, residents to shelter in place Staff reports that evacuations remain underway after a fire broke out at a Rockdale County chemical plant. Local…

Sept. 27, 2024 Georgia Recorder Georgia’s state officials, farmers brace for damage from fury of Hurricane Helene Jill Nolin, Ross Williams and Stanley Dunlap report, what remains of Hurricane Helene is expected to leave Georgia by midday Friday, likely leaving…

Sept. 26, 2024 Georgia Recorder State officials warn Hurricane Helene threatens impacts across all 159 Georgia counties Jill Nolin reports, a hurricane warning has been issued as far inland as Macon as Hurricane Helene threatens the entire state of Georgia,…

Sept. 25, 2024 WSB Radio Tropical Storm Helene: Gov. Brian Kemp issues State of Emergency Staff reports that the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency discussed how the state is preparing for Tropical Storm Helene. GEMA Director Chris Stallings…

Sept. 24, 2024 Savannah Morning News Expected tropical cyclone could impact Georgia, SC coasts late this week, forecasters say John Deem reports, a potential tropical weather system is expected to form as it passes through the Gulf of Mexico in…

Sept. 23, 2024 Georgia.gov Gov. Kemp Announces Brunswick and Chatham County Rural Workforce Housing Grant Awards Staff reports that Gov. Kemp on Friday announced the fifth round of grant awards for the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative, totaling more than $4.8…

Sept. 20, 2024 Capitol Beat News Georgia unemployment increases for fourth straight month Dave Williams reports that Georgia’s unemployment rate rose in August for the fourth month in a row, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday. The state’s jobless…

Sept. 19, 2024 11 Alive Interest rate cut signals hope, opportunity for metro Atlanta families, economist says Joe Ripley reports, the Federal Reserve’s move to lower its standard interest rate by half a percentage point caught Tom Smith, an economics…

Sept. 18, 2024 Georgia.gov Gov. Kemp: Georgia Breaks Tourism Records for Second Straight Year Staff reports that Gov. Kemp on Tuesday joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) in announcing that the state broke tourism records for the second…