Author: Linda M. Erbele

July 8, 2025 Athens Banner-Herald The Hi-Lo Trail from Athens to Savannah remains a vision, but much still to be done Wayne Ford reports, recently, the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail organization gained the land it needs for a 4-mile section in…

July 7, 2025 GlobalAtlanta.com Pullback on Korean Battery Recycling Plant Could Portend More Trouble for Georgia’s Clean Energy Sector Trevor Williams reports that a South Korean electric battery recycler is the latest clean-energy firm pulling back on investment plans for Georgia amid flagging…

July 3, 2025 Capitol Beat News Atlanta to get Shriners children’s medical research facility Ty Tagami reports that Shriners Children’s will establish a new pediatric medical research facility near Georgia Tech, bringing jobs and significant investment, the health-care nonprofit announced…

July 2, 2025 Capitol Beat News PSC approves Georgia Power rate freeze Dave Williams reports that state energy regulators Tuesday unanimously approved Georgia Power’s plan to freeze customer rates for the next three years. Under an agreement the Atlanta-based utility…

July 1, 2025 Macon Telegraph Train derails in Fort Valley area amid a flash flood. What we know Carly Lenhardt reports, a Norfolk Southern train traveling through the Fort Valley area was derailed Saturday during a flash flood, officials say.…

June 30, 2025 WABE Hearings over Georgia Power energy plan, rate freeze get contentious Emily Jones reports that the Georgia Public Service Commission will make two major decisions next month, on a proposal to temporarily freeze Georgia Power’s rates and on the…

June 27, 2025 Capitol Beat News PSC hears Georgia Power rate freeze plan Dave Williams reports that executives representing Georgia Power and the state’s energy regulating agency Thursday defended the utility’s plan to freeze rates against accusations that the temporary…

une 26, 2025 The Brunswick News New rail capacity at Brunswick port to come online this month Staff reports that the first phase of a new rail facility at the Port of Brunswick is slated to begin operations by the…

June 25, 2025 Georgia.gov Gov. Kemp Announces $26.5M for Local Transportation Projects Staff reports, Gov. Kemp and the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) Board of Directors on Tuesday announced the approval of a record $26.5 million in Georgia Transportation…

June 24, 2025 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Georgia Power merges hydrogen, natural gas for cleaner energy. Why it matters Kala Hunter reports, the energy research community is cheering after Georgia Power completed the largest ever test of blending hydrogen and natural gas…

June 23, 2025 WABE Conservation land deal stops Okefenokee mining plan Marisa Mecke reports, after six years, the controversial plan to mine next to Georgia’s beloved Okefenokee Swamp has been halted. The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit organization specializing in the acquisition…

June 19, 2025 Capitol Beat News Georgia unemployment rate declines slightly Dave Williams reports that Georgia’s unemployment rate fell slightly in April to 3.5%, seven-tenths below the national jobless rate, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday. “After holding steady…

June 19, 2025 Georgia.gov Gov. Kemp Announces Latest Workforce Housing Grant Awards Staff reports that Gov. Kemp announced on Wednesday the latest round of grant awards for the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative, totaling $6.5 million in infrastructure development and supporting…

June 18, 2025 Macon Telegraph, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Election Day in Georgia: See results for Public Service Commission primary races Margaret Walker reports that incumbent Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols convincingly won his primary election Tuesday night, setting himself up to…

June 17, 2025 WSB Radio Georgia joins new nationwide effort to fight against human trafficking Bill Caiaccio reports that Georgia has joined other states around the nation in a new effort to fight against human trafficking. The Georgia Businesses Against Trafficking…

June 16, 2025 GlobalAtlanta.com Belgian Pharma Giant With Atlanta Base to Invest Billions in U.S. Factory Trevor Williams reports that a Belgian pharmaceutical company with its American base in Atlanta is teasing a transformative factory for biologics in the United States. UCB, which unveiled a jazzed-up…

June 13, 2025 Georgia Recorder Hundreds of CDC workers are reinstated but majority of fired public health staffers left in limbo Jill Nolin reports that fired workers of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and their supporters are…

June 12, 2025 Capitol Beat News Regents confirm new leader for University of West Georgia Ty Tagami reports that the University System of Georgia Board of Regents held a final vote Wednesday to confirm Christopher “Mike” Johnson as president of…

June 11, 2025 Capitol Beat News New area code coming to southeastern Georgia Dave Williams reports that Georgia will be getting an 11th area code soon, with the new 565 area code being added as an overlay to the existing…

June 10,  2025 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer 1,700 people urge regulators to prevent powering Georgia data centers with coal Kala Hunter reports, over the past 18 years, coal power in Georgia has seen a precipitous decline. Between 2007 and 2013, coal power…

June 9,  2025 Capitol Beat News Kemp visiting Canada to discuss future of trade relations amid tariff uncertainties Dave Williams reports that Gov. Brian Kemp will lead a three-day trade mission to Canada amid an atmosphere of uncertainty prompted by…

June 6, 2025 Newnan Times-Herald Severe storms possible across Georgia this weekend Staff reports that a multi-day threat of severe weather is forecast across Georgia beginning late Friday and continuing through Sunday, with the greatest risk expected Saturay afternoon and…

June 5, 2025 Augusta Chronicle Saharan dust will collide with Canada wildfire smoke this week over Georgia. What to expect Vanessa Countryman reports that a mix of smoke and dust is blanketing parts of Georgia this week, as wildfire smoke in Canada and a…

June 4, 2025 Augusta Chronicle Fortune 500's biggest corporations in US includes 17 in Georgia. How much are they worth? Miguel Legoas reports that Georgia is home to some major companies, and according to Fortune, that includes some of the…

June 3, 2025 Marietta Daily Journal Cupid Highlights Economic Growth, Transit and Stormwater Needs in State of the County Address Isabelle Manders reports that Lisa Cupid, chair of the Cobb Board of Commissioners, touched on healthcare access, education, transportation and…

June 2, 2025 Saporta Report Lights, camera, taxes: Georgia looks to maintain production powerhouse status as Kemp signs new tax break into law Mark Lannaman reports that Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 475 (HB 475) earlier this month, ushering in…

May 29, 2025 WABE Georgia policymakers see major data center boom as an opportunity and a challenge Rahul Bali reports, as the data center industry has expanded in Georgia, there has been a shift from officials welcoming new data centers…

May 28, 2025 WSB Radio $14.5M in reimbursements given to Georgia, several states for meat, poultry inspection programs Miles Montgomery reports that the United States Department of Agriculture announced multi-million dollars in reimbursements for meat and poultry inspection programs to…

May 27, 2025 Georgia Recorder With PSC hearings pending, critics pan Georgia Power’s plans to increase use of fossil fuels Stanley Dunlap reports that the Georgia Public Service Commission is set to hold a second round of hearings on Georgia…

May 23, 2025 Athens Banner-Herald Georgians 'be prepared': NOAA predicts above-normal Atlantic hurricane season for 2025 Miguel Legoas reports that some Georgians are still haunted by the destruction of Hurricane Helene. But it wasn't the first storm and it won't be the…

May 22, 2025 Georgia Recorder Governor plugs proposed Georgia Power rate freeze agreement ahead of looming PSC member elections Stanley Dunlap reports that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and state regulators hailed on Wednesday Georgia Power’s tentative agreement to freeze base…

May 21, 2025 WSB Radio Home Depot says it doesn't expect to boost prices because of tariffs Michelle Chapman reports that Home Depot doesn't expect to raise prices because of tariffs, saying it has spent years diversifying the sources for the…

May 20, 2025 Capitol Beat News Georgia Power offers to freeze customer rates Dave Williams reports that Georgia Power will not seek to raise base rates for the next three years under a proposed agreement the Atlanta-based utility announced Monday.…

May 19, 2025 Savannah Morning News 'Not feasible': Coastal Housing Study says Bryan County lacks affordable housing Latrice Williams reports that Georgia Tech has completed its four-county study of Coastal Georgia’s housing stock. Bulloch, Bryan, Chatham and Effingham County each face their own challenges but they…

May 16, 2025 GPB Visitors to Georgia's artificial reef contributed $8.2M to coastal economy in 2023, study says Devon Zwald reports, in late 2023, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources placed two retired MARTA rail cars in 60 feet of…

May 15, 2025 Macon Telegraph Middle Georgia farmers welcome peach season. See where they come from Lucinda Warnke reports, it’s been a busy spring at Lane Southern Orchards. In Fort Valley, the 11,000 acre farm has spent the past several…

May 14, 2025 WABE Morehouse names 1992 alum Dr. F. DuBois Bowman as the school's new president Kendall Murry reports that after a nationwide search, Morehouse College announced Tuesday that a fellow “Morehouse Man” will serve as its 13th president. Public…

May 13, 2025 Georgia.gov Kemp: April Net Tax Revenues Down 5.8%; Adjusted YTD Down 0.6% Staff reports that the State of Georgia’s net tax collections in April approached $3.73 billion, for a decrease of $230.4 million, or 5.8%, compared to…

May 12, 2025 Capitol Beat News State eyeing Atlanta-to-Savannah passenger rail line Dave Williams reports that by the middle of the next decade, Georgians may be able to travel between Atlanta and Savannah by high-speed rail, avoiding traffic and expensive…

May 9, 2025 Georgia.gov Gov. Kemp Signs Legislation Delivering Hurricane Helene Relief and Supporting Georgia Agriculture and Forestry Staff reports that Gov. Kemp joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Georgia Forestry Commission Director Johnny Sabo, constitutional…

May 8, 2025 Capitol Beat News Work begins on Georgia Power battery storage systems Dave Williams reports that construction is underway on battery energy storage systems (BESS) at four locations across the state, Georgia Power officials announced Wednesday. The state…

May 7, 2025 GlobalAtlanta.com South African Software Firm Sees Atlanta as Hub for Future U.S. Growth Trevor Williams reports, when Adrian Erasmus started flying to the U.S. from Cape Town for business, he inevitably found himself coming through Atlanta. The new nonstop flight, launched in late 2022 after…

May 6, 2025 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Georgia Power wants ‘mind boggling’ amounts of energy. Where will it come from? Kala Hunter and Margaret Walker report that weeks before public interveners are due to testify over Georgia Power’s energy plan, experts and…

May 5, 2025 Augusta Chronicle Big care package: This Augusta hospital plans $150 million in improvements Joe Hotchkiss reports that Doctors Hospital will be the Augusta area's newest medical facility to become a teaching hospital to help overcome Georgia's continuing…

May 2, 2025 Georgia.gov Gov. Kemp Signs Bills Improving Healthcare and Supporting Coastal Communities Staff reports that Gov. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Speaker Jon Burns, constitutional officers, members of the Georgia General Assembly, and local leaders, signed…

May 1, 2025 GlobalAtlanta.com Georgia Chamber CEO: Companies Need Time to Adjust to Trump’s New Trade Reality Trevor Williams reports, along the railroads and highways of Georgia and the broader U.S., shipping containers and tractor-trailers are moving, overflowing with goods as a result…

April 30, 2025 WSB Radio UPS to cut 20,000 jobs, close some facilities as it reduces amount of Amazon shipments it handles Michelle Chapman reports that UPS is looking to slash about 20,000 jobs and close more than 70 facilities…

April 29, 2025 Georgia.gov Gov. Kemp Signs Bills Strengthening Georgia Workforce Development Staff reports that Gov. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) leadership, and members of the Georgia General Assembly signed legislation strengthening…