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Georgia’s pecan harvest was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Farmers are on the brink. | CNN Business

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Georgia’s pecan harvest was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Farmers are on the brink. | CNN Business




CNN
 — 

Taylor Moses was awake all night when Hurricane Helene landed on her pecan farm in Georgia.

Moses said she and her husband, Arren, knew the hurricane would take a toll on their 800 acres of pecan trees. Yet the devastation this September was astounding. The hurricane destroyed the entirety of their pecan-producing trees.

“It was just a complete loss,” Moses said. “We knew at that time that everything was gone. That was heartbreaking to know that you’ve put in many years of work and it’s just all gone overnight.”

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Georgia is the top producer of pecans in the US, according to the Department of Agriculture. The pecan harvest season begins in September — just in time for the holidays, when Americans delight in pecan pie.

When Hurricane Helene crossed into Georgia on September 26, however, the storm’s path destroyed about 36 million pounds of pecans, or one third of the state’s annual crop, according to UGA, decimating an agricultural industry that was already reeling after years of tariffs, increased labor and production costs and low consumer prices.

Hurricane Helene affected at least 48,000 acres of pecan trees, according to UGA. The overall economic impact of Hurricane Helene on Georgia’s entire agriculture industry is estimated at $6.46 billion, according to UGA.

The hurricane’s destruction is a direct blow for farmers who put years of labor into their crops. Pecan trees can take a decade to bear nuts that can turn a profit, and Moses said she and her husband will be out of production for years.

Hurricane Helene devastated farmers because it destroyed large nut-producing trees, some as old as 100 years old, according to Lenny Wells, a professor of horticulture at UGA who has been a pecan specialist for over 20 years.

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Initial estimates show that about 70% of Georgia’s pecan trees aged 50 years and older were completely lost in the hurricane, according to Wells.

Hurricane Helene was also crippling for farmers in Georgia because it hit just six years after Hurricane Michael, Wells said. The 2018 hurricane caused more than $2 billion in overall damage to Georgia’s agricultural industry, according to UGA.

“I thought that Hurricane Michael would be the worst storm I would possibly see in my career as far as its effect on pecans, but this one I think is going to be worse than that,” Wells said.

Pecan trees are a long and arduous investment for farmers because it can take years before they begin producing nuts, Tyler Harper, Georgia’s Commissioner of Agriculture, told CNN.

Harper said that some pecan farmers incurred generational financial losses, losing decades-old trees. “It takes a long time to recover from that and be able to get back that investment,” he said.

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Chris Harrell, a chief executive at Southern Roots Nuts Company, a wholesale pecan supplier based in Georgia, told CNN that pecan farmers were already in a tight spot due to increased costs, and the impact from the hurricane just made it worse.

Harrell is part of a co-operative with 16 farmers in Georgia, and he said the effects of Hurricane Helene have been demoralizing. “Five of those farmers lost their entire crop as well as a good percentage of their trees,” he said.

Moses said the damage from Hurricane Helene means she and her husband “will not harvest a single pecan” this season.

Harrell said the Southern Roots co-operative is unsure if they have enough supply to meet demand, and they are projecting short-term price increases due to the depleted pecan crop.

Greg Fonsah, a professor of economics at UGA, told CNN that Hurricane Helene’s impact on the pecan harvest could create a shortage.

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Outside of Georgia, there are other pecan-producing states like New Mexico that can supplement consumer demand, according to Brad Rubin, a sector manager at Wells Fargo’s Agri-Food Institute.

Nonetheless, unless long-term pecan supply recovers to meet demand, prices could increase. “I don’t expect large swings near-term, but demand next year or in subsequent years could push prices up,” Rubin said.

Some companies that rely on pecans have already baked in prices the holiday season, according to Laura Shenkar, the chief executive of PKN, a pecan-based milk company. Yet Shenkar said she anticipates price increases in the future as farmers take stock of what crop remains.

“Pecans are very important in things like butter pecan ice cream and your pie,” Shenkar said, noting consumers might see eventual price increases due to the depleted crop.

In Georgia, pecan farmers face a long road to recovery.

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At the Moses pecan farm, Taylor Moses said she and her husband have had long, emotional conversations about whether to replant their pecan trees. She said they had hoped to pass trees on to their son, who is three years old.

In the meantime, she said they plan to diversify their farm and incorporate other crops that they can grow on a shorter timeline.

While some farmers might have crop insurance for this year, Wells said, the financial and emotional impact from losing entire trees is another matter.

“They face so many challenges that are out of their control,” Wells said. “And this one certainly is a big one. This is one of the biggest challenges most of them will face in their lifetime.”

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Georgia

Portillo's to open first Georgia location in Kennesaw

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Portillo's to open first Georgia location in Kennesaw


A hot dog arranged at a Portillo’s restaurant in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. CREDIT: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Portillo’s, a fast-casual chain known for its Chicago-style street food, is bringing its iconic menu to Georgia with a new location in Kennesaw.

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The restaurant will be located at Town Center at Cobb, a 1.2 million-square-foot shopping mall on Barrett Parkway. The 6,250-square-foot space will include seating for more than 125 guests inside, an outdoor patio for about 40, and the brand’s signature double drive-thru lanes. Additional features will include grab-and-go retail options, pick-up shelves, and a self-serve beverage area.

The Kennesaw restaurant is set to open in 2025. The menu will include signature items such as Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, char-grilled burgers, and the chain’s famous chocolate cake.

Portillo’s will soon be hiring managers and shift leaders for the new location. The company offers competitive pay, benefits, flexible schedules, growth opportunities, and an employee stock purchase plan. Applications are being accepted at portillos.com/careers.

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Fans can stay updated on the restaurant’s opening and sign up for Portillo’s Birthday Club for a free slice of chocolate cake at portillos.com/Kennesaw.

Founded in 1963 in Villa Park, Illinois, Portillo’s has grown to include more than 90 locations in 10 states. Known for its Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, the company also offers catering and nationwide shipping.

For more information, visit portillos.com.

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Tax preparer faces prison time, fine for making fraudulent tax returns in Georgia

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Tax preparer faces prison time, fine for making fraudulent tax returns in Georgia


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A woman from Georgia faces up to 30 years in prison after she recently pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to filing more than $3 million in fraudulent tax returns on behalf of her clients.

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Macon, Ga. reported last week that 33-year-old Jessica Crawford pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aiding in the preparation of false income tax returns.

District Judge Tilman “Tripp” Self has scheduled sentencing for March, but beside the prison term she also faces a fine of $1 million.

Crawford operated Crawford Tax Services on Commerce Boulevard, a business area off Atlanta Highway in Athens.

The FBI reported it was investigating a multi-state unemployment benefit scheme during the pandemic when agents discovered text messages between Crawford and a client, who had created a fake business to fraudulently obtain benefits.

Crawford profited by receiving a percentage of the gains, according to the U.S. Attorney. The criminal investigations division of the IRS joined the investigation and an undercover agent met with Crawford to have tax returns filed, according to the report.

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Crawford asked the agent, posing as a customer, if he did anything on the side and he responded no, but said he did mow his aunt’s grass sometimes.

The report says “Crawford said that was good enough.”

No income or expense amounts were provided, but she created a “Schedule C business” for landscaping on the customer’s federal income return and filed a fictitious loss of $19,373. On the return, federal agents also noted she filed an earned income tax credit, a child tax credit, and a business income deduction, which called for a fraudulent federal income tax return of $12,359.

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As a result, the IRS reported it began a review of 1,261 tax returns filed by Crawford over the tax years of 2020 through 2021.

Those returns show Crawford fraudulently filed tax returns on behalf of clients that resulted in losses to the IRS of more than $3 million, according to the report.

“Jessica Crawford lied and took advantage of funds designed to help those who were truly in need during the pandemic,” FBI Agent Sean Burke of the Atlanta office said in a statement released with the report.

Demetrius Hardeman, the agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigations Office in Atlanta, released a statement that Crawford “was an unscrupulous return preparer who allowed greed to cloud her judgment and neglect her responsibilities to help clients prepared and file a true and correct tax return.”

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Hardeman encouraged people to choose their tax preparer carefully before tax season begins in January.



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Georgia basketball makes defensive statement in home win over Notre Dame

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Georgia basketball makes defensive statement in home win over Notre Dame


ATHENS — The Georgia basketball program continued its strong early run of play, picking up an impressive 69-48 home win over Notre Dame on Tuesday night in Stegeman Coliseum.

The Bulldogs moved to 8-1 on the season and now boast wins over Georgia Tech, St. John’s and Notre Dame. The lone loss on the season for Georgia came against No. 5 Marquette in The Bahamas.

Asa Newell helped push Georgia ahead in the first half, scoring 11 points in the final 6 minutes of the opening half. Newell’s outburst gave Georgia a 34-22 lead heading into halftime. Newell would finish the game with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Georgia quickly built its lead up to 17 points, holding a 41-24 edge early in the second half. Notre Dame used a 15-2 run to trim Georgia’s lead to 4. But Dakota Leffew hit a 3-point to stop the run and give Georgia a 46-39 lead.

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Leffew once again shined as Georgia’s best 3-point marksman, knocking down 4 of his 9 attempts. He finished with 16 points on the night and was the only Bulldog to knock down multiple 3-point attempts.

With 8:14 remaining, Silas Demary Jr. knocked down an open 3-pointer to push Georiga’s lead safely back into double-digits. It was a positive showing for Demary, as he finished with 11 points and 2 assists on the night. Demary provided a strong defensive effort as well for the Bulldogs, as he had a career-high 5 steals on the night.

Tyrin Lawrence had a strong night running the point for Georgia, as he finished with 7 assists on the evening. Georgia held a commanding 19-to-5 edge in assists. Georgia also topped Notre Dame in the turnover department, as the Bulldogs had 5 compared to Notre Dame’s 10.

Newell, Demary and Leffew were the only Bulldogs to reach double figures on Tuesday night. Georgia did shoot only 44 percent from the field, but that bested Notre Dame’s mark of 36 percent.

If Mike White were to have a complaint, it would be that his team settled for too many 3-pointers. The Bulldogs made just 6 of 26 attempts on the night. Georgia shot just 9 free throw attempts on the evening. Yet Notre Dame was an even more anemic 4-of-21 from 3-point range.

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The Bulldogs will get some time off, as they do not return to action until Dec. 14. They will play Grand Canyon in Atlanta in State Farm Arena. Georgia’s next home game will come on Dec. 19 against Buffalo.

Georgia basketball box score, stats for Notre Dame

Georgia basketball box score following the win over Notre Dame. (Screenshot/Dawgnation)



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