Connect with us

Georgia

Over $820 million invested into Georgia Main Streets in 2024

Published

on

Over 0 million invested into Georgia Main Streets in 2024


WALB is working to produce a video for this story. In the meantime, we encourage you to watch our livestream.

GEORGIA (WALB) – Georgia’s Main Street Programs are thriving, state officials say. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) says the state’s Main Street Programs generated $824 million in combined private and public investments in 2024.

New statistics from 2024 show programs across the state created:

  • 3,658 new jobs
  • 667 new businesses
  • Supported the building of 1,861 new housing units
  • 556 public improvement projects
  • 931 commercial rehabilitation projects

“These results are a testament to the power of local leadership and the value of sustained investment in our downtowns. Behind each new business or building improvement is a community working hard to create a more vibrant and resilient future.”

According to DCA, these community investments enhanced the useability of downtowns, creating spaces for nearly 17,000 promotional events. Those events brought 8.9 million attendees to downtown areas increasing visibility and traffic for small businesses.

Advertisement

In total, 91 cities from across the state participate in the DCA Main Street Program. In South Georgia, several cities directly benefit from the program including,

  • Tifton
  • Thomasville
  • Moultrie
  • Adel
  • Albany
  • Americus
  • Cairo
  • Cordele
  • Douglas
  • Hahira
  • Pelham
  • Sylvester
  • Valdosta
  • Nashville

Tifton, Thomasville and Moultrie are ranked as being exceptional main streets.

To learn more about how to register for the DCA main street program click here.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Advertisement





Source link

Georgia

Travel and Leisure listed unique experiences in each state, including GA

Published

on

Travel and Leisure listed unique experiences in each state, including GA


play

It can be hard to find a truly unique experience for your next vacation. That’s where Travel + Leisure comes in.

Back in May, members of the publication’s team created a list in celebration of America’s 250th Fourth of July, highlighting a unique experience in each state “from hidden gems to iconic highlights and editor-approved favorites.”

Advertisement

Find vacation discounts with Groupon

Most unique experience in Georgia

The Georgia spot highlighted was the World of Quercus. Here’s what writer Lydia Mansel said about it:

“The 3,800-acre property, dotted with pecan groves and cabins, isn’t your run-of-the-mill retreat. Guests are encouraged to roam the land by golf cart or on foot, visit the biodynamic vegetable garden, fish the Flint River, and connect with the ranch’s horses. Owned by Chiara Visconti di Modrone and her husband Angelos Pervanas, Quercus is a place where relaxation comes in many forms—and you can design your experience to fit your pace and preferences.”

Where is Quercus?

Quercus is in Gay at 208 Caldwell St. It’s about 30 miles east of LaGrange and over 50 miles south of Atlanta.

How much is Quercus per night?

The Sylva, Ember, and Cypress cabins are $2,700 per night. The Naya cabin is $4,500 per night.

Advertisement

Unique experiences in the South

  • Alabama: Freedom Monument Sculpture Park
  • Florida: Greater Florida Everglades
  • Georgia: Quercus
  • Kentucky: Kentucky African American Heritage Trail
  • Louisiana: New Orleans Museum of Art
  • Missouri: Anheuser-Busch Brewery

  • Mississippi: Vikin’s Mississippi Delta Explorer
  • North Carolina: Good Hot Fish
  • South Carolina: Casual Crabbing with Tia
  • Tennessee: Blackberry Farm
  • Virginia: Chincoteague Island
  • West Virginia: New River Gorge National Park

Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.



Source link

Continue Reading

Georgia

Co-owner of Yurezz Home Center in Greeneville arrested in Georgia

Published

on

Co-owner of Yurezz Home Center in Greeneville arrested in Georgia


The co-owner of Yurezz Home Center in Greeneville has been arrested in Georgia, according to a report obtained by News 5.

Earlier this week, News 5 told you about the dealership in Greeneville that abruptly shut down last month.

This has left homeowners with partially built homes and employees without jobs.

It is not yet clear why Richard Altman was taken into custody.

Advertisement

This is a developing story.



Source link

Continue Reading

Georgia

Georgia Supreme Court upholds convictions of men in deadly shooting during gas station carjacking

Published

on

Georgia Supreme Court upholds convictions of men in deadly shooting during gas station carjacking


Two men found guilty of murdering a man while he was pumping air into his tires at a Georgia gas station will remain in prison, the Georgia Supreme Court has ruled.

Miles Chatezal Collins and Josiah Hughley, Jr. had appealed to the state’s highest court after they were found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, violating Georgia’s Street Gang, Terrorism and Prevention Act, and hijacking a motor vehicle, among other charges in 2025.

The men’s charges stem from a shooting on July 10, 2022, at a QuickTrip gas station in Peachtree Corners. According to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, 30-year-old Bradley Lamar Coleman had stopped at the gas station to fill up his tires when Collins, Hughley, and a third man pulled up beside him and tried to steal his Dodge Charger.

When Coleman tried to stop the men, officials say they shot him and fled the scene.

Advertisement

Authorities say the three men were members of the Blood gang and had tried to steal the car to increase their status.

While their first trial ended in a mistrial due to a comment by the prosecution, a jury found Collins, Hughley, and their co-defendant, David Jarrad Booker, guilty of more than a dozen charges in 2025. They were each sentenced to life plus 145 years in prison.

In Collins and Hughley’s appeal to the state Supreme Court, they argued that there was insufficient evidence to support some of the charges and that the judge in the case improperly admitted certain evidence and committed errors in instructing the jurors.

The justices’ rulings disagreed, finding that their attorneys failed to object to the supposed errors and that the two men’s claims were insufficient.

The judges also found that a claim by Hughley that his counsel failed him by not asserting that a statement made to law enforcement should have been suppressed. With those findings, the Supreme Court chose not to overrule the case, letting the convictions and sentences stand.

Advertisement

“We are grateful for this affirmation from the Georgia Supreme Court,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “Thanks to the incredible work of our team of trial and appellate prosecutors, and all of the staff that assisted with defending these convictions, two dangerous criminals will remain in prison.”

Booker’s appeal remains pending.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending