Received last night into the Rogue109 Command Center, comes this story from the Tifton Gazette. (Be sure to also read this part of the story, as well).
For the first time in years, Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) money is not increasing in Tifton; indeed, the opposite is happening. In addition, revenue known as pro-rata, which [...]

Not good.
Georgia’s largest health insurer sent an estimated 202,000 benefits letters containing personal and health information to the wrong addresses last week, in a privacy breach that also raised concerns about potential identity theft.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia said Monday that the erroneous mailings were primarily Explanation of Benefits (EOB) letters, which include [...]

With Volkswagen’s announcement of building a $1 billion assembly plant by 2011 in Chattanooga, Northwest Georgia is scrambling to entice the company to consider it as a possible location for any of its anticipated supply facilities.
Jeff Mullis, director of the Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority, is all giggly about the potential. Full story and [...]

Good grief.
Former Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Executive Secretary Cindy Smith was arrested on July 11. Smith has been charged with one count of theft by taking and four counts of forgery.
On May 13, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department was contacted to conduct an investigation due to an allegation of misappropriation of funds from the [...]

So says some knowledgeable people.

SpaceyG is evidently in good company!
Metro Atlanta residents hold a pessimistic view of the U.S. economy, with over half (58%) rating current economic conditions nationally as ‘poor’ and another 33% saying ‘fair.’ At the same time, only 33% say that the economy of the greater metro Atlanta area is ‘poor’, with 45% giving it a [...]

The Georgia Ports Authority today unanimously approved the acquisition of 1,518 acres of land on the Savannah River for the planned Jasper Ocean Terminal.
The South Carolina State Ports Authority Board is set to consider a similar resolution at its regular meeting in Charleston tomorrow.
The port authorities in Georgia and South Carolina will share ownership of [...]

From the Georgia Public Policy Foundation:
Then there’s nuclear power. The industry is governed by an enormously expensive and dense regulatory and security framework designed to safeguard the general public. Since the 1978 accident at Three Mile Island and the 2001 terrorist attacks, regulations and licensing have grown increasingly stringent. Despite the advances in safety and [...]

UPDATE!!!! According to Creative Loafing’s Scott Henry, the Atlanta City Council has just passed a slasher of an amended 2009 budget! One that will eliminate the need to raise taxes. Wow! Watch CL’s Fresh Loaf blog throughout the day for up-to-the-minute news. Duck, flying pigs overhead! 
While the City of Atlanta prepares to up our property [...]

Could it be Drive ‘Ole Dixie Down, Part Deux? Arianna Huffington has moved on Chicago’s local readership. If that is the case, you can bet she’s got Atlanta in her scope too. If so, all local bloggers, citizen journalists, small publishers and small papers, indie and alt media of any kind, will be swallowed-up whole. [...]

In a climate like this, you’ve got to make yourself look worthwhile.
Powell Goldstein has trimmed staff and associates in response to the economic squeeze affecting many Atlanta law firms.
“As a result of the overall economy and its effect on law firms, we have reduced our staff by a few people in each administrative department across [...]

Coastal oysters are now off limits.

Oyster harvesting on Georgia’s coast is off limits for three months to protect people eating the shellfish from bacteria sometimes found in warm summer waters.

Back to Red Lobster with ya.

Looks like no major damage to the dining area though.
BTW, has Paula Deen gotten over exposed lately? She’s every freaking place now.

Plant Hatch shutdown because of a software glitch.

Here’s the news.

State Sens. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) and Ross Tolleson (R-Perry) and state Reps. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs), Larry O’Neal (R-Warner Robins) and Jay Shaw (D-Valdosta) were each recognized with the Georgia Chamber’s highest honor for their exceptional efforts to promote the chamber’s 2008 legislative agenda.