Georgia Trend Daily – June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025 WSB Radio

Bill Caiaccio reports that Georgia has joined other states around the nation in a new effort to fight against human trafficking. The Georgia Businesses Against Trafficking Initiative focuses on raising awareness through training and collaboration with businesses statewide.

June 17, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

Brian Robinson writes, the political ad begins with a female swimmer at the starting block, poised for a race. Next to her is a young man in a women’s swimsuit. As he crouches into position, the male swimmer turns to the camera and smiles knowingly.

June 17, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Zachary Hansen reports, Clayton County agency has granted what is likely to be tens of millions of dollars in property tax savings to a fast-growing data center developer, but declined to make public the deal’s specifics. The Development Authority of Clayton County on Thursday approved an incentive package to a subsidiary of TA Realty for a $959 million data center project along East Tanners Church Road.

June 17, 2025 Capitol Beat News

Dave Williams reports that Georgia Power and Mitsubishi Power have successfully completed a second trial blending hydrogen and natural gas fuels at Plant McDonough-Atkinson in Smyrna, the two companies announced Monday. The demonstration project is the first to validate a blend of 50% hydrogen fuel and the largest test of this kind in the world to date.

June 17, 2025 Marietta Daily Journal

Isabelle Manders reports, to address the growing demands of artificial intelligence and other online services, the Marietta City Council unanimously approved a data center on Bells Ferry Road, just off Interstate 75. The council voted 7-0 to allow Atlanta-based MMM Acquisitions to build a data center campus, featuring two buildings — approximately 347,200 square feet in total — and a four-acre substation, on the 31-acre site at 1751 Bells Ferry Road.

June 17, 2025 Augusta Chronicle

Joe Hotchkiss reports that an Augusta factory that helps give distinctive red colors to high-tech coatings and plastics is expanding near Augusta Regional Airport. OXERRA has broken ground on a 120,000-square-foot warehouse at 1895 Doug Barnard Pkwy. as a regional distribution center for a growing customer base, the company announced June 16.

June 17, 2025 Rome News-Tribune

Adam Carey reports, a recent study by researchers from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health has alarmed some residents about the presence of “forever chemicals” ingested by Floyd and Gordon county residents through the water supply. The study was conducted in response to concerns from residents and involved collecting blood samples from 177 adults in these communities.

June 17, 2025 Cartersville Daily Tribune

David Herron reports that Adairsville City Council held a first reading for a text amendment related to data centers and technology uses during its meeting June 12. “The Vanderbilt Land Co. proposed a text amendment to allow data centers and related technology uses in the Industrial-General (I-G) district by right, on a tract of land with a minimum of 75 acres,” Adairsville Community Development Director Caity McKee said.

June 17, 2025 Macon Telegraph

Margaret Walker and Kala Hunter report that the U.S. Department of the Interior reversed the decision to terminate the lease for the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Water Science Center in Norcross, Georgia, according to a release from Senator Ossoff’s office on Friday. The reversal comes after sustained efforts by Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock to keep the facility open.

June 17, 2025 WABE

Sam Gringlas reports, former Georgia Republican Gov. Nathan Deal drew national attention in 2016 when he vetoed a religious liberty bill that opponents argued would result in discrimination against LGBTQ people. But over roughly the next decade, supporters did not give up. When a similar measure passed again this spring, Gov. Brian Kemp promptly signed it into law with far less outcry.

June 17, 2025 Georgia Recorder

Stanley Dunlap reports, Clayton County father of three Arterio Clements said he felt sticker shock after receiving a $400 electric bill while also paying more for other expenses such as homeowner’s insurance. The 46-year-old Riverdale resident voted Friday for Robert Jones, a former utility executive in California in the Democratic primary for the Georgia Public Service Commission.

June 17, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

David Wickert reports, Georgia lawmakers will study the costs of numerous changes to pension plans for teachers, police and other state employees, including legislators themselves. The House Retirement Committee on Monday agreed to authorize actuarial studies of the costs of eight bills affecting the pensions of various state employees.