Georgia Trend Daily – April 15, 2024
April 15, 2024 Capitol Beat News
State tax revenues drop by double digits
Dave Williams reports that Georgia tax collections continued their downward slide last month, declining by 12.6% compared to March of last year, the state Department of Revenue reported Friday. Year-to-date tax receipts were more encouraging, with revenues down a slight 0.5% compared to the first nine months of the last fiscal year.
April 15, 2024 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
A Mark of Pride
Tom Oder reports, while grocery shopping, you may have seen – or even sought out – anything from peaches and peanuts to jams and jellies and more that bear the Georgia Grown label. And if you stay to watch the credits after a movie, you’ve likely noticed a big peach logo if the film was shot in Georgia. Now there’s a third label to call attention to Georgia’s thriving and diversified economy: Georgia Made.
April 15, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Child care a financial burden, says Atlanta Fed
Michael E. Kanell reports, it’s not a niche issue: more than half the American workforce are parents and 34% of working parents in Georgia have young children. That means that upwards of 1.8 million people in the state each day confront the often-competing demands of workplace and child care, the need to earn a living and the need to find — or provide — safe supervision for their kids.
April 15, 2024 GPB
Jackson rail line gets latest tech in Norfolk Southern’s efforts to improve safety
Sofi Gratas reports that the Jackson rail line, between Atlanta and Macon, is the latest place outside of Ohio to get new technology that’s part of a nationwide safety project out of Norfolk Southern.The technology was built in partnership with Georgia Tech’s Research Institute.
April 15, 2024 Albany Herald
Albany nonprofit receives Aetna funds to support health literacy
Staff reports that Aetna Better Health of Georgia, a CVS Health company, announced that Aetna has provided $505,000 in donations to 17 community-based organizations across the state to promote health literacy and economic development in Georgia, including a Dougherty County nonprofit. The donations will help fund programs that provide access to a broad range of health services, as well as support work force initiatives in the state.
April 15, 2024 Macon Telegraph
This solar company is generating clean energy in GA… and herding sheep at the same time
Kala Hunter reports that on Friday, solar developers, state leaders, and shepherds came together at the 68 MW Houston Solar project in central Georgia to celebrate the opening of the company’s very own 26,000 square foot lambing barn. The Nashville-based solar company, Silicon Ranch, owns and operates 20 solar projects in Georgia, powering a quarter of a million homes from 1,500 MW of clean solar energy.
April 15, 2024 Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia First Hospital to Use Newly Approved Atrial Fibrillation Treatment is in Gwinnett
Curt Yeomans reports that Northside Hospital recently became the first hospital system in Georgia to use a new atrial fibrillation treatment system that was approved by federal regulators earlier this year — and they did it in Gwinnett County. Doctors and nurses from Northside’s Heart Institute used the FARAPULSE pulsed field ablation system, which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in January, on a patient at Northside Hospital Gwinnett on Monday. Hospital officials reported that the procedure was a success.
April 15, 2024 Rough Draft Atlanta
Alexis Chase takes over as new executive director of nonprofit Georgia Organics
Claire S. Richie reports that Georgia Organics, a nonprofit that supports organic farmers and local food systems, bids farewell to President & CEO Alice Rolls after her remarkable two-decade tenure and welcomes Alexis Chase, a leader with 18 years of nonprofit experience, as the new executive director. Under Rolls’ leadership, Georgia Organics grew annual conference attendees tenfold, launched Georgia’s first farm-to-school program, seeded the Atlanta Local Food Initiative, and more.
April 15, 2024 Capitol Beat News
Fossil fuels key issue as PSC decides Georgia Power capacity expansion
Dave Williams reports that opponents of a request by Georgia Power for a significant increase in electrical generating capacity raised a number of objections to the proposal during several rounds of hearings before state energy regulators. But their complaints boil down to two issues: who’s going to pay to build that additional capacity and whether Georgia Power should increase its reliance on fossil fuels at a time it could invest more aggressively in renewable energy.
April 15, 2024 Savannah Morning News
Three elections bills that could transform voting in Georgia awaiting governor’s signature
Maya Homan reports that election legislation took center stage during the 2024 legislative session, as pivotal races for local, statewide and national offices grows ever closer in Georgia. While a bill governing the use of artificial intelligence notably failed to clear the legislature before Sine Die, several other bills have already been sent to Gov. Brian Kemp to be signed into law.
April 15, 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The double life of Georgia’s ‘meming’ Congressman
Tia Mitchell reports that the second floor of Collins Trucking’s headquarters is dedicated to the man who gave the multimillion dollar company its name, Michael “Mac” Collins, who served in the U.S. House from 1993 to 2005. It is a shrine to a “Blue Dog” Democrat-turned-Republican who held positions on the powerful Ways and Means and Intelligence committees in an era much different than the Congress of today.
