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☆ Wally Gator: Emotional support alligator is missing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Sydney Bishop | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Emotional support animals registrations in the United States reached 115,832 last year, by an industry group’s count. But in the eyes of reptile rescuer Joie Henney, there’s only one:“Wally Gator” – his “gentle” certified emotional support alligator. The department “routinely” gets calls about “nuisance alligators,” she said, and refers callers to a permitted alligator agent trapper, per its protocols. Wally is often shown letting others pet and hold him, with Henney telling CNN in 2022, “He doesn’t show anger. We never could understand why.”Emotional support alligator, Wally, wanders in 2022 around Love Park in Philadelphia.

Persons: Joie Henney, Wally Gator ”, Wally, “, Melissa Cummings, ”, Cummings, Henney, Halle Sivalingam Henney, don’t, “ He’s, ” Henney, ” Cummings, Wally hasn’t, ” CNN’s Ben Morse, Zoe Sottile, Sara Smart Organizations: CNN, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources, Henney, Halle, State, Philadelphia Phillies, Citizens Bank, US Department of Transportation, Phillies Locations: United, Pennsylvania, Brunswick, Georgia, Love, Philadelphia, Florida

☆ Pet Alligator Is Mistakenly Released Into the Wild, Owner Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Victor Mather | More About Victor Mather | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WallyGator, the emotional support alligator who enjoyed a moment of fame last year when he was denied admittance to a Major League Baseball game, is back in the news. Wally’s owner, Joie Henney, said on social media that the alligator had been taken early in the morning of April 21 from a pen where he was being kept in Brunswick, Ga.Mr. Henney said on Monday that he had learned that Wally was taken by a person who had then dropped him in someone else’s yard, possibly to scare them. When the alligator was discovered, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources was called, and brought in a trapper, who caught and released the animal into a swamp where about 20 other alligators lived, Mr. Henney said. Mr. Henney, of Jonestown, Pa., said the trapper had told him that the chances of finding the alligator now were “slim to none,” but Mr. Henney was holding out hope and said he planned to search for WallyGator.

Persons: He’s, Joie Henney, Henney, Wally Organizations: Major League Baseball, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Locations: Brunswick, Jonestown, Pa

☆ 'Chrisley Knows Best' star Todd Chrisley ordered to pay former Georgia revenue investigator $755,000 after defamation lawsuit loss, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Eve Crosbie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

His defamatory statements on social media and his podcast have cost him over $750,000. The "Chrisley Knows Best" star was incarcerated in 2022 on bank fraud and tax evasion charges. The 54-year-old Atlanta-based businessman and television personality, best known for appearing on the USA Network reality show "Chrisley Knows Best," has been ordered to pay $755,000 to a former Georgia Department of Revenue investigator for making defamatory statements against her. Todd previously starred in "Chrisley Knows Best" alongside family members, including wife Julie Chrisley. AdvertisementTodd Chrisley, Harvey Hughes, and Julie Chrisley in one of the last aired episodes of "Chrisley Knows Best."

Persons: Todd Chrisley, Chrisley, —, Amy Doherty, Heinze, Doherty, Todd, Julie Chrisley, Tommy Garcia, Leesa Guarnotta, Harvey Hughes Organizations: Department of Revenue, Service, USA Network, Georgia Department of, Los Angeles Times, People, Chrisley, Pensacola, USA, Getty, Georgia Department of Revenue, Georgia Department, Revenue's, Special Investigations, Business Locations: Atlanta, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky

☆ How Georgia became America's green-manufacturing capital
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Howey, now 30, grew up in northwestern Georgia near Dalton, a small city known as the "carpet capital of the world." SolarCycle, which reclaims old solar panels to make new ones, in February announced plans for a glass factory. The law authorized big tax credits for companies making renewable-energy technologies, including solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles, in the US. According to S&P Global, the US imported more than two-thirds of its solar panels from Southeast Asia last year. When he sees solar panels atop the chargers, he feels pride in his job.

Persons: Robert Howey, Howey, he'd, Qcells, Catherine Boudreau, Joe Biden, Biden, Bob Keefe, Keefe, Gedia, Pat Wilson, Wilson, Brian Kemp, Benz, Dalton, Kemp, Heidi Popham, Popham, Donald Trump, Scott Moskowitz, Sen, Jon Ossoff of, Moskowitz, it's, Carl Campbell, Campbell, —, Whitfield, Jevin Jensen, Jensen, He's Organizations: US Navy, Business, Qcells, South, Hanwha, SK, Hyundai, Georgia Department of Economic, Gov, Porsche, Mercedes, SK On's, Financial Times, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, Treasury Department, P Global, Microsoft, Development Authority, Shaw Industries, Mohawk Industries, EV Locations: Georgia, Dalton, Japan, Cartersville, South Korea, Malaysia, North Carolina, China, Georgia , North Carolina, South Carolina, Savannah, Atlanta, Cartersville , Georgia, Germany, Commerce , Georgia, Southeast Asia, Korea, Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Washington, BloombergNEF, Vietnam, Whitfield County, ., Whitfield, Calhoun

ATLANTA (AP) — A judge denied bond on Sunday for a man charged with murder in the death of a Georgia state trooper during a vehicular pursuit. Trooper Jimmy Cenescar died after his cruiser left Interstate 85 on Jan. 28 and struck an embankment in the north Atlanta suburb of Suwanee. The Georgia Department of Public Safety said Cenescar was trying to stop a motorcycle for a traffic violation before it fled, prompting the trooper to give chase. The Department announced on Friday that authorities arrested Gerson Ayala Rodriguez and charged him with felony murder, first-degree homicide, felony fleeing and attempting to elude and reckless driving. Cenescar had worked for the Department of Public Safety since January 2023 and had graduated from trooper school in September.

Persons: —, Jimmy Cenescar, Cenescar, Gerson Ayala Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Rodriguez “, Cenescar swerved, Brian Kemp, ” Organizations: ATLANTA, The Georgia Department of Public Safety, The, Atlanta Office, Public, WXIA, Georgia Gov, Department of Public Safety Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Suwanee

ATLANTA (AP) — With a runup in home values sparking higher property taxes for many Georgia homeowners, there is a groundswell among state lawmakers in this election year to provide relief. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesIn Texas, voters in November approved a plan cutting property taxes by $18 billion. Pennsylvania is using lottery proceeds to cut property taxes and subsidize rent for seniors and people with disabilities. That owner would have paid more except for a $950 million property tax rebate championed by Gov. More than $2 billion in property value in Columbus is shielded from taxation by homestead exemptions which don't allow for any rise in value.

Persons: Jon Burns, Newington, ”, Jared Walczak, Chuck Hufstetler, Bill, I’ve, Hufstetler, Burt Jones, It's, Atlanta Sen, Jason Esteves, Esteves, Burns, Shaw Blackmon, Kathleen, That's, Suzanne Widenhouse, Brian Kemp, Widenhouse, ” Widenhouse Organizations: ATLANTA, Georgia's, Republican, Tax Foundation, Democratic, Finance, Rome Republican, Associated Press, Georgia Department, Revenue, Georgia counties, Association of, of Georgia, Gov, Atlanta Locations: Georgia, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, California, Muscogee County, Columbus

☆ Rivian to raise nearly $15 bln in debt for EV plant in Georgia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Rivian name and logo are shown on one of their new electric SUV vehicles in San Diego, U.S., December 16, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsNov 13 (Reuters) - Rivian Automotive (RIVN.O) plans to raise nearly $15 billion in debt to help build an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Georgia, the EV maker said on Monday. The company has agreed to pay a minimum of nearly $300 million in property tax payments through 2047. Rivian had said in 2021 that it plans to set up the Georgia plant and had said at the time that it would be commissioned by 2024. The new plant will employ more than 7,500 people and eventually build 400,000 vehicles a year.

Persons: Mike Blake, Morgan, Newton, Rivian, Anirudh, Rashmi Organizations: REUTERS, Rivian, Georgia Department of Economic, Joint Development Authority of, Thomson Locations: San Diego , U.S, Georgia, Joint Development Authority of Jasper, Walton, Bengaluru

Such recruitment-based adoptions are the most difficult to carry out, social workers say. Gonzaga, who worked with his wife Heather Setrakian at eharmony and then on the Family-Match algorithm, referred questions to Ramirez. Social workers say Family-Match works like this: Adults seeking to adopt submit survey responses via the algorithm’s online platform, and foster parents or social workers input each child’s information. Adoption-Share is part of a small cadre of organizations that say their algorithms can help social workers place children with foster or adoptive families. “It’s wasted time for social workers and wasted emotional experiences for children.”___Contact AP’s global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/

Persons: –, Thea Ramirez, Ramirez, ” Ramirez, “ There’s, ”, Bonni Goodwin, “, Gian Gonzaga, Gonzaga, Heather Setrakian, Setrakian, Kristen Berry, ” Berry, Melania Trump, Virginia’s, Terry McAuliffe, Traci Jones, ” Jones, Virginia, Kylie Winton, Scott Stevens, Stevens, ” Jenn Petion, Petion, ” Petion, Fort, Bree Bofill, ” Bofill, Bofill, Ramirez didn’t, Ramirez wouldn’t, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Biden, Connie, didn’t, We’ve, “ It’s Organizations: Associated Press, AP, University of Oklahoma, American Enterprise Institute, Democrat, ”, Virginia Department of Social Services, Georgia Department of Human Services, FamiliesFirst, Family, Family Support, Fort Myers, Children’s Network of Southwest, Miami, Care, Winton, AS GUINEA, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, Tennessee, Biden White, Science, Technology, Brown University, U.S . Health, Human Services Department, Florida Department of Health, Health Locations: Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Brunswick , Georgia, eharmony, Pensacola, Jacksonville, Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, Virginia , Georgia, New York City , Delaware, Missouri, Investigative@ap.org

Brian Kemp's new health plan for low-income adults has enrolled only 1,343 people through the end of September about three months after launching, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The Georgia Department of Community Health has projected up to 100,000 people could eventually benefit from Georgia Pathways to Coverage. But the nation’s only Medicaid program that makes recipients meet a work requirement is off to a very slow start. In addition to imposing a work requirement, Pathways limits coverage to able-bodied adults earning up to 100% of the poverty line — $14,580 for a single person or $30,000 for a family of four. State officials and supporters of Pathways say the work requirement will also help transition Medicaid recipients to better, private health insurance, and argue that working, studying or volunteering leads to improved health.

Persons: Brian Kemp's, ”, ” Laura Colbert, Biden, Barack, Kemp Organizations: ATLANTA, —, — Georgia Gov, Atlanta, Georgia Department of Community Health, of Community Health Locations: — Georgia, Georgia, Carolina

ATLANTA (AP) — The state of Georgia will start paying for gender-affirming health care for state employees, public school teachers and former employees covered by a state health insurance plan, settling another in a string of lawsuits against Georgia agencies aiming to force them to pay for gender-confirmation surgery and other procedures. The December lawsuit argued the insurance plan illegally discriminated by refusing to pay for gender-affirming care. But Brown said Thursday's settlement requires the health plan to pay for care deemed medically necessary for spouses and dependents as well as employees. That means the health plan could be required to pay for care for minors outside the state even though it's prohibited in Georgia. “The plan can’t treat the care any differently from other care that’s not available in the state,” Brown said.

Persons: “, ” David Brown, Micha Rich, Benjamin Johnson, Brown, it's, ” Brown, John Doe, ” Rich, Jeff Amy Organizations: ATLANTA, State, of Community Health, Civil, University, Georgia, University of Georgia, Department of Community Health, Circuit, Appeals, Georgia Department, School District, Family, Children Services, U.S, Opportunity Commission Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Clayton County, Houston, Houston County, U.S, Bibb, Macon ., Paulding County, North Carolina, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Iowa, Florida, Arizona

Lynch said his agency is seeking congressional authorization to study another round of deepening for the Savannah River shipping channel. The Army Corps of Engineers last year finished deepening the waterway by 5 feet (1.5 meters), a $973 million project that took 25 years to study and execute. And it’s not just for the Georgia Ports Authority. Buddy Carter, a Republican whose district includes Savannah's port, said they support studying another harbor expansion. “This port affects every county in Georgia,” said Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, a Republican who attended the speech.

Persons: Griff Lynch, Lynch, We’ve, They're, Eugene Talmage, “, Sen, Raphael Warnock, Buddy Carter, ”, Jon Burns, Chris DeScherer, ” DeScherer Organizations: Georgia Ports Authority, Army Corps, Engineers, U.S ., Port, Georgia Department of Transportation, Army Corps of Engineers, Water Resources, Democrat, U.S . Rep, Republican, Southern Environmental Law, Wildlife Locations: SAVANNAH, Ga, Port, Savannah, U.S, Georgia, “ State, India, Thailand, Vietnam, U.S . East Coast, Panama, East Coast, Suez, Savannah's

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia soon will become the first state in the nation to offer medical marijuana products at independent pharmacies, state officials said. It will likely take a few weeks before medical marijuana is available in pharmacies. Medical marijuana is only available to Georgians with approval from a physician to treat severe illnesses including seizures, terminal cancers, Parkinson’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder. Low THC oil can contain no more than 5% THC, the compound that gives users a high. The Georgia Department of Public Health recently disclosed it had miscounted and inflated the number of registered medical marijuana patients.

Persons: ”, Gary Long, they’ve, Mindy Leech, Lee, Brian Kemp, “ We’re, Jonathan Marquess, Marquess, Andrew Turnage Organizations: ATLANTA, —, Georgia, of Pharmacy, Botanical Sciences, The Atlanta, “, Pharmacy, Georgia General Assembly, Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Pharmacy Association, CVS, Walgreens, Medical Cannabis Commission Locations: — Georgia, Newnan, Georgia, Atlanta

GLENNVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia prison guard died Sunday after he was attacked by an inmate, state officials said. Correctional officer Robert Clark, 42, died at a hospital after an inmate assaulted him with a homemade weapon at Smith State Prison in rural Glennville, the Georgia Department of Corrections said in a news release. “We will support them as they navigate this tragedy over the coming days, weeks and months.”Clark had begun working as a state corrections officer six months ago, the agency said. The second inmate tried to help the officer and was also wounded. Political Cartoons View All 1190 ImagesThe Department of Corrections identified the inmate who attacked the two men as Layton Lester and said he is facing charges in Clark's death and the assault on the second inmate.

Persons: Robert Clark, Clark’s, Tyrone Oliver, ” Clark, Clark, Layton Lester, Lester Organizations: Georgia Department of Corrections, GDC, of Corrections Locations: Georgia, Glennville, Tift County

☆ Getting paid Wednesdays instead of Fridays makes me feel like I earn more—money experts explain why
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

And because my previous bank paid me on Friday, I was, in fact, getting paid two days earlier than I would have if I hadn't switched banks. Even though I'm still only getting paid once every two weeks, I feel less financially strained. So, why does getting paid on Friday prompt higher spending? "Hypothetically [getting paid on Friday] can lead to the thought: 'I get paid and then my money disappears quickly,'" she says. Regardless of why, I know getting paid Wednesdays makes me feel less like I'm living paycheck to paycheck.

Persons: Wells, I'm, Filipe Correia, Lynton, Hal Hershfield, Hershfield, Correia, I'd Organizations: University of Georgia, University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management, CNBC Locations: Wells Fargo, Los

☆ An Invasive Hornet Species Is Spotted in the U.S. for the First Time
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Rebecca Carballo | More About Rebecca Carballo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An invasive hornet species was spotted this month in the United States for the first time, and state officials in Georgia, fearing it could harm the agriculture industry, said they were working with federal officials and academic experts to eradicate it. A beekeeper in Savannah, Ga., discovered an unusual insect on his property and reported it to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the University of Georgia to confirm that it was a yellow-legged hornet. Native to tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia, the yellow-legged hornet could threaten the state’s honey production, native pollinators and agriculture industry, the state’s Agriculture Department said in a statement on Tuesday. The species’ appearance is troubling because the hornet preys on honeybees, said Chuck Bargeron, director of the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia.

Persons: Chuck Bargeron Organizations: Georgia Department of Agriculture, U.S . Department of Agriculture’s, Plant Health, Service, University of Georgia, state’s Agriculture Department, Center Locations: United States, Georgia, Savannah , Ga, Southeast Asia

☆ Biden's clean energy factory jobs may elude U.S. union workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Right to work laws allow employees to work in union-represented workplaces and be covered by collective bargaining agreements without joining a union or paying dues. American products, he vowed, would be made with union labor. Union labor. Many of the jobs created will be union jobs, the official added. "It's not a favorable environment, but we can still organize," Samantha Smith, senior adviser for clean energy jobs at the AFL-CIO, said in an interview.

☆ Federal authorities say an inmate in Georgia's most secure prison impersonated a billionaire movie mogul and stole at least $11 million: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Arthur Lee Cofield impersonated a movie mogul stole to steal at least $11 million, per a report. He impersonated Sidney Kimmel using contraband cell phones, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The 31-year-old reportedly committed the crime while being held in Georgia's most secure prison. Kimmel, 94, is the chairman and CEO of the production company Sidney Kimmel Entertainment. He then chartered a private plane to transport the coins to Atlanta and bought a mansion in Buckhead, Georgia worth $4.4 million.

☆ Walmart is laying off 1,500 workers, transforming a warehouse as it tries to compete with Amazon's marketplace
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart is letting go of nearly 1,500 workers at one of its fulfillment centers in the Atlanta area, with the company repurposing the e-commerce facility to support third-party sellers. A Walmart blog post published on Monday said the company will turn the fulfillment center into "a dedicated facility supporting our growing Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) business." The company launched Walmart Fulfillment Services in 2020 to allow third-party-marketplace sellers to ship and store products using the retailer's warehouses. For comparison, Amazon said it has nearly 2 million third-party sellers on its marketplace. Yarbrough said Walmart may convert more fulfillment centers to focus on WFS as the company attracts more third-party sellers to its marketplace.

Find out what your state provides for first-time homebuyers:Programs in the NortheastConnecticutThe Connecticut Housing Finance Authority gives loans for down payment assistance. Programs in the SoutheastAlabamaThe Alabama Housing Finance Association has down payment assistance programs for low-to-moderate income earners, and a tax credit program that can be combined with down payment assistance. If you're buying a home in Louisville, you might qualify for a down payment assistance loan from the local government. WashingtonThe Washington State Housing Finance Commission has several down payment assistance programs that will loan you up to $10,000. The lender is also the one who will approve and process any applications for down payment assistance, closing cost assistance, or tax credits.

Persons: you've, you'll, Massachusetts MassHousing, SONYMA, There's, Kenner, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Louis County, haven't Organizations: Northeast, Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, Housing Development Fund, Housing Authority, Maine MaineHousing, New Hampshire New Hampshire Housing, New, New Hampshire Housing, New Jersey Housing, Mortgage Finance Agency, New York Mortgage Agency, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority, Housing Network of, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Southeast, Alabama Housing Finance Association, Arkansas, Finance Authority, of Columbia, Washington DC, DC Housing Finance Agency, Florida Housing Finance Corporation, Georgia, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, . Kentucky, Kentucky Housing Corporation, Louisiana Housing Corporation, Maryland Department of Housing, Community Development, Baltimore City . Mississippi The Mississippi Home Corporation, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, South Carolina Housing, South, Tennessee Housing, Agency, Virginia Virginia Housing, Virginia Department of Housing, West, West Virginia The West, West Virginia The West Virginia Housing, Fund, Midwest Illinois, Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, Illinois Housing, Authority, Indiana, Indiana Housing, Community Development Authority, Iowa Finance Authority, Kansas Kansas Housing, Housing Development Authority, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Missouri Housing Development Commission, Community Action Agency of St, Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, Ohio Housing Finance Agency, South Dakota Housing Development Authority, Wisconsin Housing, Economic Development Authority, Southwest Arizona The, Southwest Arizona The Arizona Industrial Development Authority, New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, Texas The, Affordable Housing Corporation, Texas Department of Housing, Community Affairs, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, Financial Agency, Southern, Southern California Home, Colorado Housing, Finance, Aurora, Hawaii Housing Finance, Development Corporation . Idaho, Idaho Housing, Finance Association, Montana Montana Housing, Nevada Housing Division, Oregon, Oregon Oregon Housing, Community Services, Utah Housing Corporation . Washington, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Wyoming Community Development Authority, FHA Locations: Northeast Connecticut, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire New Hampshire, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Trenton, New York The State, Pennsylvania, Centre County, Rhode, Housing Network of Rhode Island, Vermont, Southeast Alabama, Arkansas, Washington, Florida, Georgia, Gwinnett County, Kentucky, Louisville, Louisiana, New Orleans, Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore City . Mississippi, North Carolina, Carolina, South Carolina, Lexington, Tennessee, Virginia Virginia, West Virginia, West Virginia The West Virginia, Illinois, Indianapolis, Iowa, Kansas Kansas, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Louis, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Southwest Arizona The Arizona, Mexico, Oklahoma City, Texas, Texas The Texas, West Alaska, Alaska, California, Southern California, Los Angeles County, Orange County . Colorado, Colorado, Aurora, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana Montana, Nevada, Oregon Oregon, Utah, Wyoming

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