Runoff from a growing number of giant solar farms polluting rivers and streams in rural South Georgia is becoming a major concern, an official with the state Environmental Protection Division (EPD) said Monday. Huge solar farms of up to 1,000 acres are being built on the region’s sandy soil, which is particularly vulnerable to erosion […]| The Georgia Sun
It’s been nearly a year since Hurricane Helene tore through a large swath of South Georgia during the last week of September, killing 37 and causing widespread flooding and power outages. While blocked roads have long been cleared and power restored, Georgia farmers and foresters are still waiting for a full measure of disaster relief to replant […]| The Georgia Sun
Federal law enforcement authorities are defending the detention Thursday of 475 workers at Hyundai’s electric vehicle battery plant west of Savannah – most Korean nationals – amid complaints from the South Korean government and Democrats. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security executed a search warrant on a construction site as part of a monthslong investigation […]| The Georgia Sun
A federal judge has upheld a portion of a controversial 2022 Georgia election law dealing with absentee ballots. In a 50-page ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee declared that the state had a “compelling governmental interest” in restricting the distribution of absentee ballot applications by third-party voting rights activists. He ruled that the state […]| The Georgia Sun
The impact of International Paper’s decision to close two pulp and paper mills in Coastal Georgia at the end of this month will spread far beyond those workers directly affected, state Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper said Wednesday. “This is more than 1,100 jobs,” Harper told members of the Georgia House Rural Development Committee meeting […]| The Georgia Sun
Cuts to Medicaid contained in President Donald Trump’s new budget bill put 37 Georgia nursing homes at risk of closing, according to a study released by Brown University’s School of Public Health. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported that the legislation, which the Republican-controlled Congress passed this month, will slash Medicaid by $1 trillion during […]| The Georgia Sun
The Georgia Ports Authority moved 5.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) during the last fiscal year, an 8.6% increase over fiscal 2024, the agency reported Tuesday. The Port of Savannah accounted for most of that growth, posting its second busiest year on record. “Georgia ports continue to grow U.S. East Coast market share,” said Griff […]| The Georgia Sun
A leading food company will build a plant to produce prepared foods in Northwest Georgia, a $400 million investment expected to create more than 630 jobs when at full capacity, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Thursday. The new Pilgrim’s plant will be located in Walker County, with hiring expected to begin in 2027. “Georgia’s No.-1 industry […]| The Georgia Sun
What if they held an election and no one came? That was nearly the case last month when only about 2.4% of Georgia’s roughly 8.4 million registered voters cast ballots in Republican and Democratic primaries for seats on the state Public Service Commission (PSC), which regulates utilities. The low turnout likely will be even more […]| The Georgia Sun
Gov. Brian Kemp is ordering state agencies to freeze spending at current levels during this fiscal year and fiscal 2027 to protect the state from federal funding cuts in the budget bill — also called the Big Beautiful Bill– Congress passed this month. “While the governor remains committed to meeting the needs of our growing […]| The Georgia Sun
Electric-vehicle manufacturer Rivian will establish a new East Coast headquarters in Atlanta, creating about 500 jobs when completed. Rivian will occupy the top floor and lobby of a building on Auburn Avenue adjacent to the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail. “Georgia is a prime location for any company headquarters,” Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday. “We’re glad […]| The Georgia Sun
Georgia politicians are reacting to President Donald Trump’s weekend decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites mostly along party lines. Republicans have rushed to support the president’s action, while Democrats criticized Trump for ordering the bombing without congressional authorization and warned it could drag the U.S. into a lengthy war. “America can never allow Iran to […]| The Georgia Sun
Recent changes in the adoptions process in Georgia are causing such extensive delays that the state is no longer considered “adoption-friendly,” several adoption lawyers said Wednesday. But the owner of an adoption agency in Coastal Georgia and a birth mother defended Georgia’s process as ensuring that Peach State adoptions are safe. Before November 2023, Georgia […]| The Georgia Sun