April 2020 Features

  • M&R Marketing Group: 5 Ways to Come Out of COVID-19 Stronger

    April 30, 2020

    The COVID-19 pandemic has done the impossible – it has forced the world to slow down and just be. After the first couple weeks of shock and adapting schedules, businesses quickly began shifting their focus. Many started asking, “How can we use this time to evaluate, improve, and innovate?” Most likely, your target market has shifted, your hours have changed, or your team has been furloughed or transitioned to remote work – life is different now and it’s important to use this shift to your advantage.

  • Georgia Department of Education Awards $21M in Digital Learning Grants

    April 30, 2020

    The Georgia Department of Education is awarding digital learning grants totaling $21,578,236 to 55 school districts. The grants are intended to help districts shore up their digital/distance learning infrastructure in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Georgia Chamber CEO Chris Clark: Free Enterprise Responds

    April 30, 2020

    Over the last few weeks, the power of free enterprise has been on full display as companies around the world have shifted, planned, reprogrammed and adjusted to protect employees and customers across a very different economic landscape.

  • Georgia Power Launches Learning Power Mobile App

    April 29, 2020

    While parents, teachers and students alike are managing new ways of learning during school closures and "stay-at-home" orders, the Georgia Power Learning Power app includes interactive lessons for students, offering fun, educational activities with real-world applications of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), energy and energy efficiency content.

  • Georgia Chamber Mobilizes Resiliency and Recovery Initiative

    April 29, 2020

    The Georgia Chamber announces the formation of its Resiliency and Recovery Task Force led by top businesses from across Georgia. The task force is leading the charge for economic recovery in the state, leveraging partners in the private and public sector to develop strategies, provide insights and bolster growth and sustainability of the New Georgia Economy (NGE), post COVID-19.

  • NewTown Macon Named Quarterfinalist for America’s Main Streets Contest in Celebration of Small Business During COVID-19 Crisis

    April 28, 2020

    The national small business movement, Independent We Stand, announces the quarterfinalists, including NewTown Macon, in the 2020 “America’s Main Streets” contest.

  • Anthem Foundation Directs $200,000+ to Address Food Insecurity in Georgia Resulting from COVID-19 Pandemic

    April 28, 2020

    The Anthem Foundation is directing more than $200,000 to several organizations in Georgia on the frontlines in the fight against food insecurity as Georgians continue struggle with the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

  • Goodwill Job Connection Filling the Talent Gap for Employers with Qualified Job Seekers

    April 27, 2020

    The weekly release of unemployment statistics on Thursday by the U.S Department of Labor included a note that the 2.8 percent rise in unemployment from the previous week marks the highest level of the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate since the seasonally adjusted series was created.

  • GMSDC Announces Fund to Support Minority Businesses Impacted by COVID-19

    April 27, 2020

    The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, Georgia’s leading small business development and supplier diversity advocacy organization, has established a Disaster Relief Certification Fund.

  • Macon Volunteer Clinic Celebrates National Volunteer Appreciation Week

    April 24, 2020

    The Macon Volunteer Clinic provides free primary medical and dental care, as well as non-narcotic prescription medication assistance, to uninsured, working adults who live in Macon-Bibb County and whose income is at or less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

  • Employer Filed Claims Dominate Record-Setting Claims Numbers

    April 24, 2020

    Last week, the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) processed 247,003 initial claims with employer filed claims accounting for 94%. In the past month, GDOL has processed 1,090,536 claims, more than the combined total for the previous three years. Unemployment initial claims throughout the United States decreased 810,000 last week to 4.4 million.

  • No Date Set for Georgia Lawmakers to Return to Session

    April 24, 2020

    When announcing his plans Monday to begin the transition phase of reopening the state, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp made some reference to the FY21 State Budget which has been on hold since Georgia lawmakers went on break because of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, neither Kemp, Lt Governor Geoff Duncan nor House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) made any reference to a return date.

  • Corsica Technologies: How Hackers are Using Coronavirus to Compromise Your Computer

    April 24, 2020

    Given the rapidly evolving story around the COVID-19 pandemic, countless Americans are actively searching for information. Hackers have taken notice and are wasting no time trying to take advantage in a number of ways.

  • Fortune CEO Alan Murray Joined by Frank Blake as CEO Forum Shifts Online May 5th

    April 23, 2020

    Fortune CEO Alan Murray will be the featured guest at goBeyondProfit’s CEO Forum planned for May 5, in dialogue with retired The Home Depot CEO and Chairman Frank Blake. The event, previously scheduled as a breakfast gathering, will now be held as an encrypted Zoom video at 11 a.m.

  • PSC Sets Rules on How EMCs Will Offer Rural Broadband

    April 23, 2020

    The Georgia Public Service Commission has released a final order directing Electric Membership Cooperatives that want to provide broadband Internet service in rural parts of the state to develop a cost allocation manual. The PSC must approve that manual before the EMC can start to provide Internet service.

  • Gov. Kemp and Georgia Dept. of Labor Address Unemployment Options

    April 23, 2020

    In response to the Governor’s decision Monday to initiate a gradual return to work, the Georgia Department of Labor and Governor Kemp are partnering to make sure Georgians understand their unemployment options.

  • M&R Marketing Group: 9 Ways to Create Company Culture Remotely

    April 22, 2020

    Remote work has soared over the last 2 months as most businesses have transitioned their teams to at-home work for health reasons related to COVID-19. For many businesses, this is their first experience having a full-team working remotely full-time. Prior to COVID, just over 20% of our team worked the majority of their hours remotely, but now all 19 of us are working remotely.

  • Chick-fil-A Announces Multi-Million Dollar COVID-19 Community Relief Effort

    April 22, 2020

    Chick-fil-A, Inc. announced a relief effort dedicated to helping local franchisees continue their support of those impacted by COVID-19 in the communities they serve.

  • Georgia Power Recognized Nationally as a Utility That is "Easiest to Do Business With"

    April 22, 2020

    For the second year in a row, residential customers rated Georgia Power as a utility that's "Easiest to Do Business With" according to a study by industry-leading analysts in the energy sector. The company was ranked among top utilities based on company reputation and outreach, communication, and customer and field service satisfaction.

  • Discovery, Inc. Announces Winner of HGTV Dream Home 2020 on Hilton Head Island, SC

    April 21, 2020

    HGTV, a member of the Discovery, Inc. family of brands, announced the winner of the HGTV Dream Home 2020 on Hilton Head Island, SC, is Susan O’Gorman of Perry, GA.

  • Kia Motors Begins Producing Face Shields at US Plant

    April 21, 2020

    In response to a nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kia Motors today announced that production of face shields has begun at its manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia. Initial donations of medical use face shields assembled at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) will be made in Georgia, Alabama, New York and California.

  • Governor Kemp Updates Georgians on COVID-19, Begins Reopening Economy

    April 21, 2020

    Governor Brian P. Kemp provided the following update on COVID-19 in Georgia. Governor Kemp was joined by Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, Speaker David Ralston, Georgia National Guard Adjutant General Tom Carden, Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey, and GEMA/HS Director Homer Bryson, and announced Phase I for the prudent reopening of the state’s economy which continues to prioritize the health and safety of Georgia citizens.

  • AG Carr & Partners Kick Off 9th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy

    April 21, 2020

    The 9th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy is a two-week virtual fundraising drive fueled by Georgia’s legal community.

  • TriNet & The Harris Poll Reveal Pulse Survey Results on State of Small & Medium-Size Business During COVID-19

    April 21, 2020

    To better understand broad COVID-19 sentiment, beyond its own small and medium size business (SMB) customers, TriNet, a leading provider of comprehensive human resources, teamed with The Harris Poll on three industry-wide pulse surveys on the topic of cash flow and liquidity.

  • Georgia Public Policy Foundation: Build the Foundation for a Sound Ongoing COVID-19 Response

    April 20, 2020

    State and local government budgets, businesses, families and individuals continue to reel from the effects of the novel coronavirus. The biggest factor is the unknown. The longer the crisis continues, the dimmer the future appears to many, and the bigger the hole they must dig out of.