December 2018 Features

  • Gallup: The Most Generous Countries in the World

    December 21, 2018

    The United States is often considered the most generous country in the world. Why? Because Americans donate a lot of money. Its people, its foundations and its companies donated roughly $410 billion in 2017 -- or about 2.1% of its own GDP. In fact, the amount Americans donated was more than the entire GDP of all but about 40 countries in the world.

  • Georgia Sets Jobs Record in November

    December 20, 2018

    Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said today that Georgia set a new record in November for total jobs as the state’s unemployment rate continued to fall. Georgia, Butler noted, has added nearly 100,000 jobs over the past year. Its unemployment rate has fallen to the lowest rate since January 2001. Labor force and employed residents are also up over the past 12 months.

  • Georgia Lawmakers Explore Legislative Agenda at 2018 Biennial Institute

    December 20, 2018

    More than 200 members of the Georgia General Assembly attended policy presentations at the 31st Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators, coordinated by the Institute of Government to help lawmakers prepare for the next legislative cycle.

  • Aflac Incorporated Further Strengthens its Relationship with Japan Post Holdings

    December 19, 2018

    Aflac Incorporated announced today that it has further strengthened its longstanding distribution and business relationship with Japan Post Holdings Co., Ltd. (Japan Post Holdings). In conjunction with today's announced agreement, Japan Post Holdings plans to purchase approximately 7% of Aflac Incorporated's outstanding common shares through a trust.

  • President & CEO of United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley Retiring after 30 Years

    December 19, 2018

    After thirty years in the United Way system, United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley’s President & CEO Scott Ferguson will be retiring in August 2019.

  • New County Commissioners Launch Careers at Institute Training Conference

    December 19, 2018

    Nearly 140 newly elected county commissioners gained critical knowledge of government operations and management during a four-day training session coordinated by the Institute of Government in partnership with ACCG, Georgia’s County Association.

  • UPS: Number of Packages Returned Expected to Peak Before Christmas, Reflecting E-Commerce Shift

    December 19, 2018

    National Returns Day is expected to occur prior to Christmas, reflecting just how deeply e-commerce is reshaping the retail universe, according to UPS. Consumers who got a jump on online shopping in the days before Black Friday are expected to begin returning more than 1 million packages each day in December, jumpstarting the holiday returns season earlier than ever.

  • Colony Bankcorp to Acquire LaGrange, Georgia-Based LBC Bancshares, Inc.

    December 18, 2018

    Colony Bankcorp, Inc., the holding company for Colony Bank, a Georgia state-chartered bank, today announced the signing of an Agreement and Plan of Merger with LBC Bancshares, Inc., parent company of Calumet Bank, a Georgia state-chartered bank, under which Colony has agreed to acquire 100% of the common stock of LBC in a combined stock-and-cash transaction valued at approximately $34.1 million.

  • Is Christmas too Commercial? Well, That’s the Reason it Became Popular.

    December 18, 2018

    It’s that time of the year again when some people will argue about the meaning of Christmas, others will be guilted into gift-giving and some will claim commercialization has ruined the holiday altogether. But then there’s Dr. Ruth McClelland-Nugent, a pop culture scholar, who says the root of these external and internal conflicts actually lies in the creation of our modern celebration of Christmas.

  • The Chattahoochee Valley Better Way Foundation Announces Name Change & New Partnership With CAN Community Health

    December 17, 2018

    The Chattahoochee Valley Better Way Foundation Executive Director, Jeremy Hobbs, announced this week that they had changed their name to "The Debra Smith Wellness Center, Inc."

  • Georgia Power Continues to Make Progress on Ash Pond Closures

    December 14, 2018

    Georgia Power announced the latest progress on its plan to safely close all 29 ash ponds at 11 active and retired coal-fired power plant sites across the state. The company is in the process of completely excavating 19 ash ponds located adjacent to lakes or rivers with the remaining 10 being closed in place using advanced engineering methods and closure technologies.

  • Columbus Post Office to be Named After Fort Benning Unit

    December 13, 2018

    U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and David Perdue, R-Ga., and U.S. Representatives Sanford Bishop, D-Ga.-02, and Drew Ferguson, R-Ga.-03, applauded House and Senate passage of their bill to designate a United States Post Office in Columbus, Georgia, as the “Richard W. Williams, Jr., Chapter of the Triple Nickles (555th P.I.A.) Post Office.”

  • Kevin Blair Named Chief Operating Officer of Synovus

    December 13, 2018

    Synovus Financial Corp. announced the appointment of Kevin Blair as senior executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO), effective immediately. Blair previously served as Synovus’ chief financial officer and will remain in this position on an interim basis until a successor is named.

  • District Schools Recognized with Statewide Accountability Awards; Designated as “Beating the Odds”

    December 11, 2018

    The 2018 Single Statewide Accountability System Award (SSAS) Schools Greatest Gains and Highest Performing Award winners were recently announced by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. Two District schools were listed for this achievement. In addition to the SSAS awards, GOSA released the list of schools designated as “Beating the Odds.” Twenty District schools were included in that listing.

  • 2019 LEAD CSU Class Announced

    December 11, 2018

    The 2019 LEAD CSU class has been announced. The university-wide leadership fellowship program has accepted 16 faculty and staff members to participate in monthly sessions through 2019.

  • Juanita Powell Baranco Shares Why She is A Founding Member of goBeyondProfit

    December 11, 2018

    Juanita Powell Baranco talks about why she believes every business leader should join in this commitment to strengthen our communities. ”The minute I heard about it, the minute I understood the goals and aspirations of this organization, I signed on immediately. It did not take long because I absolutely believe that every aspect of our economy, every aspect of our society – education, health, you need that business input. You need the thought processes of business. Your voice is absolutely needed.”

  • Synovus Receives Regulatory Approval for FCB Financial Holdings, Inc. Merger

    December 10, 2018

    Synovus Financial Corp. and FCB Financial Holdings, Inc. jointly announced that Synovus has received regulatory approval from the Federal Reserve Board and the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance to complete the merger with FCB Financial Holdings, Inc., owner of Florida Community Bank, National Association.

  • Technical College System of Georgia Announces Four New College and Career Academies

    December 07, 2018

    The board of the Technical College System of Georgia approved grants totaling $12 million to establish new College and Career Academies in Ben Hill County, Jackson County, Jones County and Sumter County.

  • UGA Forecast: Georgia Economy Still Riding Expansion Wave into 2019

    December 07, 2018

    Georgia’s economic growth will outpace the nation’s for the sixth straight year, according to the latest forecast from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business.

  • Eric Tanenblatt: The George Bush I knew

    December 06, 2018

    George Herbert Walker Bush, whose careful custodianship of the unraveling of the old Soviet Union shaped a safer world for hundreds of millions, was mourned by a grateful nation Wednesday in a state funeral that brought together Republicans and Democrats in an increasingly rare demonstration of civility.

  • #GivingTuesday 2018 Was Another Record Day of Generosity for Georgia

    December 05, 2018

    This November, we asked Georgia to #showyourlove for nonprofits, and our state came together in a record outpouring of generosity and community spirit. Today, we are thrilled to report that our second GAgives on #GivingTuesday campaign netted a grand total of $7.8 million in donations to our state's nonprofits – an increase of 15% from 2017 – including gifts of nearly $3.4 million through GAgives.org, and another $4.4 million across two dozen other donation platforms.

  • Report: Georgia’s Colleges and Universities Generate $16.8B Economic Impact

    December 04, 2018

    In 2017, the University System of Georgia had a $16.8 billion economic impact on the state of Georgia.. The report also found that the USG created 163,754 jobs last year, and 2.2 of those jobs were created for every one USG job in an institution’s home town.

  • First Lady Sandra Deal Completes 1,000th School Visit

    December 03, 2018

    First Lady Sandra Deal was joined by Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs to visit The Academy Child Development Center in Oakwood, marking Mrs. Deal’s 1,000th school visit since Gov. Nathan Deal took office in 2011.