Tag Archives: Atlanta

Lowndes County Bird Supper, Atlanta, GA 2019-02-13

Annually Lowndes County and its cities including Valdosta feed quail to state legislators at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot in Atlanta: this is the Bird Supper.

Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter, Valdosta Mayor John Gayle, Inside
Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter, Valdosta Mayor John Gayle

Valdosta describes the Bird Supper: Continue reading

Larry Hanson retiring as Valdosta City Manager

Congratulations, Larry Hanson.

Valdosta, PR, 1 November 2017, City Manager Larry Hanson Retires From Valdosta with Exceptional 42-Year Career: Hanson has been named the Georgia Municipal Association Executive Director

Larry Hanson will retire from the City of Valdosta, effective Dec. 8 after 42 years of public service, 22 of which he served as the Valdosta City Manager. Hanson will assume his new role as the Georgia Municipal Association Executive Director, where he will oversee the advocacy, training and various programs for more than 500 Georgia cities.

Hanson is the 10th and longest-serving city manager for the City of Valdosta, where he oversees Continue reading

Videos: Going to Georgia Logistics Summit and retreating @ VLCIA 2015-03-17

300x225 CBJ with plaque, in CJB and Hunt Industries received plaques @ VLDA 2015-03-17, by John S. Quarterman, 17 March 2015 CJB and Hunt Industries received plaques with copies of Valdosta Daily Times articles about them. Their meeting tonight is cancelled; their next meeting is 19 May 2015, according to their website.

Their retreat was April 10th after the Georgia Logistics Summit March 31st – April 1st. The Summit is in Atlanta, according to its own website. If they said during their regular March meeting where their retreat was to be, I didn’t catch it. Here’s the agenda with links to the LAKE videos and a couple of still pictures.

Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Tuesday, March 17, 2015 5:30 p.m.
Development Authority Conference Room
103 Roosevelt Drive
Monthly Meeting Agenda
Continue reading

Sabal Trail front page Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Now that Atlanta has finally taken notice there’s even more reason to repel these pipeline invaders. 300x434 Page A1, in Sabal Trail front page Atlanta Journal-Constitution, by John S. Quarterman, 3 April 2015 There’s still time to submit an amicus brief for the court case in Leesburg, Georgia. And time to file an ecomment or an out-of-time motion to intervene against Sabal Trail. Or against Elba Island LNG or against Transco and Atlanta Gas Light’s Dalton Expansion Project. Or to oppose Kinder Morgan’s southeast Georgia Palmetto oil pipeline at the Georgia Department of Transportation or GA-EDP. Both those state agencies have to provide permits for Sabal Trail to get the Georgia emininent domain it demands in Leesburg, so they are relevant to Sabal Trail, as well, as is your opinion and those of all local elected governments in Georgia.

Dan Chapman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3 April 2015, Pipeline project fuels fight on state’s future,

Regardless of route, Sabal Trail opponents fear pipeline construction could create sinkholes Continue reading

Going to Georgia Logistics Summit and retreating @ VLCIA 2015-03-17

They’re going to retreat April 10th after going to the Georgia Logistics Summit March 31st – April 1st. The Summit is in Atlanta, according to its own website. VLDA’s agenda doesn’t say where their retreat will be. Maybe they’ll say at their usual meeting this evening at their usual location. Here’s their agenda.

Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Tuesday, March 17, 2015 5:30 p.m.
Development Authority Conference Room
103 Roosevelt Drive
Monthly Meeting Agenda
Continue reading

Georgia Power can’t get a schedule from its own contractors for Vogtle nuclear project

After two years of no integrated project schedule (IPS), Georgia Power tried to get the the elected Public Service Commissioners to tell it how to enforce a contract for Plant Vogtle that Georgia Power brought to them. This video clip ends with formerly staunch pro-nuclear Commissioner H. Doug Everett saying any company that did that probably would be imprudent. And Everett also said:

We haven’t seen any results.

Georgia Power’s representative, I think Rob Trokey, said:

We have agreed haven’t we that the company does not manage this project. They oversee it, they may report to this commission the status of it, but it does not manage this project.

Answer from the Commission:

It doesn’t.

So who does? According to Georgia Power: Continue reading

EPA hearings in AJC: where’s the second step about natural gas?

AJC on the EPA hearings this week: they didn’t print my proposed second step for natural gas, but they did quote Sierra Club on efficiency.

Kristina Torres wrote for the AJC today, EPA brings ‘clean power’ plan to Atlanta. Will it hurt Georgia? Continue reading

Fire engine sinkhole in Atlanta

I wonder if their insurance covered this? TV reporter wonders if sewer lines were affected. What if a methane pipeline had been there, like when Florida Gas Transmission called the 25-acre sinkhole in Louisiana “Force Majeure”, or an act of God, or not their fault? Will your insurance cover sinkholes or broken pipelines?

AP in the AJC 3 March 2014, Atlanta fire engine stuck in sinkhole,

Department spokeswoman Janet Ward told local outlets that the sinkhole on Ashby Grove opened as the truck was driving along the street Monday afternoon. Ward estimates that the hole was about 8 feet long, 6 feet wide and 5 feet deep.

Marcus K. Garner wrote for the AJC yesterday Atlanta firetruck gets stuck in sinkhole,

The cause of the sinkhole is unknown at this time.

Leaking sewer or water line, overpumping, other?

Julie Wolfe reported for 11alive yesterday, Continue reading

Bird Supper this Wednesday in Atlanta

On the county’s front page:

LOWNDES COUNTY BIRD SUPPER—Tickets on sale now!

For more than 50 years, local citizens have met face to face with members of the General Assembly during the Lowndes County Bird Supper. Hosted by Lowndes County and the City of Valdosta on behalf of our community’s local legislative delegation, this year’s Bird Supper promises to be one of the best yet!

The event will be held Wednesday, February 12, 2014, at 5:00 p.m. at the old railroad depot, downtown Atlanta. Tickets are $50.00 and include refreshments and a quail dinner. Attendees will enjoy the music of the Valdosta State University Faculty Jazz Ensemble, while meeting with state officials in a business casual atmosphere.

The Lowndes County Bird Supper is our community’s chance discuss upcoming or pending legislation with lawmakers, with an opportiunity to explain how legislative decisions impact South Georgia. For more information, please contact Lowndes County Clerk, Paige Dukes, at 229-671-2400, For tickets, please contact Event Coordinator, Belinda Lovern, at 229-671-2400 or blovern@lowndescounty.com.

Colter Anstaett wrote for WALB 8 January 2014, Valdosta Mayor looking forward to “Bird Supper” next month, Continue reading

Valdosta MSA does OK in nationwide ranking

Valdosta #51 of 379! Closest MSAs as green on the map are Auburn-Opelika #37, Atlanta #41, Charleston #11, and Nashville, TN at #14.

Highest weighted components are for growth in jobs, wages, and salaries, so apparently there has been some improvement in those areas. Here are the rank components from the PDF report, plus the corresponding scores from www.best-cities.org:

Rank Job Growth Wage Growth Short-Term
Job Growth
High-Tech
GDP
Growth
High-Tech
GDP
LQ
Number of
High-Tech
Industries
Change 2012 2013 2007-12 2011-12 2006-11 2010-11 7/2012- 7/2013 2007-12 2011-12 2012 with LQ≥1 2012
50 101 51 128 33 73 133 84 15 4 76 13
Score 97.36 100.68 102.32 97.65 109.89% 129.20 119.63 0.56 6.0
The five job growth components are weighted 1/7th each, and the four high-tech components are weighted half as much, 1/14th each. The first four scores appear to be relative to 100 for the entire U.S. Where exactly Milliken Institute got their data is not clear, especially for these: Continue reading