March 2020 Features

• Dan and Kathelen Amos Contribute $1M to Piedmont Columbus Regional to Aid in COVID-19 Response

  March 31, 2020

  Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital has received a $1 million gift from Dan and Kathelen Amos to renovate the 5th floor of the facility formerly named Doctor’s Hospital, which is located on the Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown campus and is not currently in use.

• Timely New Research Provides Business Insights into Georgians’ Societal Mindset, Guides Decision-making About Corporate Citizenship

  March 31, 2020

  Today goBeyondProfit released its second annual Corporate Generosity Research Report which unveils the strong mindset present as Georgia entered COVID-19 upheaval and provides insights to guide business leaders’ decision-making.

• DCA Launches New Resources for Georgians to Access High-Speed Internet

  March 31, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) launched a new website to inform Georgians about ways to connect to high-speed internet throughout the state.

• Gov. Kemp Names Appointments to Supreme Court of Georgia, Georgia Court of Appeals

  March 30, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced his selection of Judge Carla Wong McMillian to serve on the Supreme Court of Georgia and Judges Verda M. Colvin and John A. "Trea" Pipkin III to serve on the Georgia Court of Appeals.

• All Georgia Voters will have the Chance to Vote by Absentee Ballot in May Primary

  March 30, 2020

  Georgia’s 6.9 million active voters can expect to receive mail from the Secretary of State’s office in the upcoming weeks. It will be an application for absentee voting in the upcoming May 19 Primary.

• Gov. Kemp, DCH, DBHDD, GHA Submit Emergency Waivers to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

  March 30, 2020

  Governor Kemp and the Department of Community Health (DCH) submitted a request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for an 1135 Medicaid waiver. Concurrently, the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) submitted a request to CMS for a 1135 Medicare waiver.

• Georgia Dept. of Labor Extend Unemployment Benefits for Georgians

  March 27, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp and the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) addressed the unprecedented demand for economic relief for Georgians as witnessed in the recent unemployment claims numbers released this morning by the US Department of Labor. This morning, Governor Kemp signed an Executive Order allowing GDOL Commissioner Mark Butler to issue two new emergency rules.

• Georgia Chamber Provides Business Guidance During COVID-19

  March 26, 2020

  The Georgia Chamber is providing business guidance regarding state and local ordinances. Recommendations include up-to-date information based upon regulations as of March 25, 2020 at noon.

• Corsica Technologies: How Does A Rise in Remote Workers Effect Cyber Security?

  March 26, 2020

  Businesses around the world are proving their resilience during the current state of pandemic brought on by Coronavirus or COVID-19 by embracing remote work. Traditional commuters are now connecting remotely to their office networks and using video conferencing at an increasing rate. This sudden change is proving to be a challenge for broadband Internet providers worldwide by increasing traffic and straining their systems like never before.

• Aflac Signs Agreement to Acquire Group Benefits Business

  March 25, 2020

  Aflac Incorporated announced that its insurance subsidiaries American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (Aflac of Columbus) and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York (Aflac of New York) have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Zurich North America's U.S. Corporate Life and Pensions (Group Benefits) business, which consists of group life, disability and absence management products.

• Gov. Kemp Calls on Georgia Businesses to Aid with Critical Health Care Needs

  March 25, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp called on all Georgia businesses who are able to help the state provide, produce, distribute, or store critical health care items needed to fight the spread of COVID-19.

• AG Chris Carr Partners with Business Community to Combat Price Gouging and Scams

  March 25, 2020

  Attorney General Chris Carr is stepping up the fight to rid the marketplace of price gougers and scammers by partnering with members of the Georgia and national business communities.

• Business Leaders Call for Infrastructure Investment to Jump Start the COVID-19 Economy

  March 25, 2020

  The Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) calls for policymakers and businesses to work together to put an emphasis on infrastructure spending now in order to kick start the US economy in the face of the COVID-19 related downturn.

• Georgia Ports Authority: Port of Savannah up 17% in Volume in February

  March 24, 2020

  The Port of Savannah achieved its busiest February ever last month, handling 364,405 twenty-foot equivalent container units, an increase of 17 percent over the same month last year. Although March volumes are expected to dip due to the impact of COVID-19 compared to last March, all terminals remain open for business.

• Habitat for Humanity CEO: For Some, “Shelter in Place” is a Different Kind of Crisis

  March 24, 2020

  Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford discussed the economic ripple effects of COVID-19. "With each passing day, we all find ourselves trying to adapt to the measures required to combat the spread of COVID-19. In countries and cultures all around the world, “stay at home” is the message of the moment. “Shelter in place.”

• Gov. Kemp Names Coronavirus Task Force Committees

  March 23, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced the members of the Governor's four Coronavirus Task Force Committees: the Economic Impact Committee, Primary Care Provider Committee, Emergency Preparedness Committee, and Committee for the Homeless and Displaced.

• AT&T Creates $10M Fund to Support Parents, Teachers and Students Throughout COVID-19 School Closures

  March 23, 2020

  AT&T is creating a Distance Learning and Family Connections Fund to give parents, students and teachers tools they need for at-home learning. The fund also will provide resources to maintain meaningful connections and bonding opportunities for those isolated from family and friends.

• Tips for Working from Home with Kids

  March 20, 2020

  With the closure of schools and child care programs in addition to some employers encouraging workers to telecommute, parents across Georgia and the nation are coping with a new and odd day-to-day reality: working from home while trying to take care of their kids.

• Sentaors Perdue, Loeffler Urge Action To Support Small Businesses During Coronavirus Pandemic

  March 20, 2020

  As former business leaders, U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) are working to ensure small businesses have the flexibility and certainty they need to protect their employees and serve their customers during the coronavirus pandemic.

• Gov. Kemp, Georgia Dept. of Labor Focus on Assisting Workers Affected by COVID-19

  March 19, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp and the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) addressed an increase in the number of partial claims filed as a result of businesses reducing work hours or temporarily closing their doors in light of recent developments regarding COVID-19.

• Georgia Receives SBA Statewide Disaster Declaration, Applications for Small Business Emergency Loans Now Open

  March 19, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Georgia has received an official statewide disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). This declaration will provide assistance in the form of SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans to impacted small businesses in all 159 counties in Georgia.

• Dublin Mayor Phil Best: Leadership in a Time of Crisis

  March 18, 2020

  The common good. Those three words have served as the guiding light for elected officials since the founding of our nation. The Covid-19 virus has caused us to take a hard look at what those three words mean for each of our communities. The fact is that hard, potentially contentious decision-making lies ahead for many of us.

• Special Report: Analysis of COVID-19’s Impact on Economy & Government

  March 18, 2020

  Anyone who is not taking the world’s battle against the COVID-19 virus seriously needs to start doing so immediately. Not only avoiding crowds and not shaking hands, but also attempting to avoid unnecessary exposure in places like restaurants, stores, gyms or other places that we normally visit.

• Georgia Film Office Launches New Website, Celebrates Record-breaking Results at State Capitol

  March 12, 2020

  The Georgia Film Office, a division of the Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), yesterday celebrated with legislators and industry partners the positive impact and record-breaking year the film industry had in the state at the annual Film Day at the Capitol. Georgia is one of the top film production centers in the world, and the industry posted a record $2.9 billion in direct investment during the last fiscal year.

• U.S. Entrepreneurship Levels Continue On An Upward Trend

  March 11, 2020

  Indicating strong health of entrepreneurship, both entrepreneurial activity and established business ownership in the United States have trended upward over the past 19 years, according to the 2019–2020 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Global Report, released March 3rd at the GEM Annual Meeting.