Friday, December 13, 2024

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 2007, Major League Baseball issued the Mitchell Report on alleged steroid use in the game. Several players from the Atlanta Braves were among the 85 interviewed or investigated.

Georgians are finding more reasons to be merry this holiday season, with confidence in the election system up, charitable giving on the rise, and the Georgia Bulldogs college football team home to this year’s Butkus Award winner. Check out the details below.

We have a new sponsor today, Energous, offering an investment opportunity in wireless power technology.

School Voucher Qualifications Include More Students

Under newly released rules from the oversight authority for Georgia’s new school voucher program, significantly more K-12 students than expected will qualify for $6,500 vouchers to cover private school tuition or home-schooling expenses.

One analysis found that as many as 400,000 students are eligible—nearly 20 times more than the 22,000 voucher slots budgeted. Final selection will prioritize families based on income guidelines and, if necessary, a lottery system.

The rules extend eligibility to students in a low-performing school’s enrollment boundary, even if they don’t attend the school.

Some lawmakers reacted with calls for the state Legislature to revisit the eligibility criteria.

Poll: Georgians Confident With Voting Process

A University of Georgia poll revealed that confidence in Georgia’s election system is much higher following this year’s election than after the 2020 contest.

About 92% of voters surveyed said they trusted this year’s election process, up from 78% four years ago.

Georgia election supervisors cheered the results, noting that voters reported short wait times, helpful election workers, and a higher level of trust in the results.

The survey found that 98% of Republicans—the group most critical of the 2020 election process—said they trusted the 2024 vote, compared to just 60% four years ago.

Bumpy Holiday Package Deliveries

FedEx apologized for delivery delays in Austell and vowed to send more help as residents’ frustration grows over missing packages.

Meanwhile, an Amazon delivery center in Atlanta has drawn the ire of its neighbors. Drivers have been using neighborhood streets instead of a road built specifically for Amazon’s trucks.

These complaints follow last week’s criticism of the U.S. Postal Service by U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and others for slow delivery rates.

In our own poll this week, 60% of respondents reported experiencing slow mail delivery.

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This Wireless Innovation Is Working to Solve a $300B Problem

Retailers lose $300B annually due to poor inventory management. That’s just one of many large-scale problems that can be solved by Energous’ wireless power solutions.

You read that correctly: wireless power. Think Wi-Fi, but for power supply. This company is working to make power cords obsolete, and you can invest as they do it.

What they’re creating has the potential to send shockwaves through the world economy—a world where battery-free devices are always connected and real-time data is always accessible. That’s why it’s so crucial to retail, supply chain, and logistics operations. Data is the oil that keeps these companies running smoothly. And thanks to Energous’ wireless power network transmitters, they could get a 24/7 flow of data without depending as much on batteries or cords.

Energous has already landed a contract with a Fortune 10 multinational retailer to supply their wireless power solutions. The contract opens them up to 4,700 retail locations across the U.S.

We believe this is just the beginning.

Become a shareholder in Energous as they work to scale the “IoT Innovation of the Year” nationwide.

➤ Statewide: Georgian generosity was on full display on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3, with donations to the GAgives.org nonprofit umbrella group up 13% from a year ago. (More)

➤ Brunswick: Former prosecutor Jackie Johnson, in her first court appearance on charges of hindering police, denied meddling in the Ahmaud Arbery case, her attorney said.(More)

➤ State: U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) pledged to give “good-faith consideration” to President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks. (More)

➤ Athens: The University of Georgia extended the suspension of the Students for Justice in Palestine campus group over its violent protest earlier this year. (More)

➤ Statewide: Eleven road resurfacing projects and a bridge over a rail line on U.S. Highway 41 are among transportation upgrades to receive state funding. (More)

➤ Fulton County: The sheriff’s department promised to send funds to a security company that pulled its guards from the local jail over lack of payment. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Hawks upended the New York Knicks on Wednesday and can advance to the the NBA Cup championship with a win Saturday against Milwaukee. (More)

➤ Jalon Walker of Georgia won college football’s Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker. (More)

➤ Georgia’s 2025 college football schedule includes home games against Alabama, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Texas, along with a Nov. 29 matchup in Atlanta against Georgia Tech. (SEC Team Schedules)

➤ Georgia Southern’s third straight bowl game pits the Eagles against Sam Houston in the ESPN2-televised New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 19. (Details)

➤ The Atlanta Falcons placed rookie running back Jase McClellan on injured reserve, likely ending his season. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW

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➤ Find the perfect stocking stuffers with The Flyover! Peeps™ are a revolutionary new way to get spotless lenses. They clean perfectly every time and are trusted by leading Optometrists worldwide. Keep your glasses crystal clear; no cloth required! (See It Here)

➤ Georgia ranks No. 4 among places most in need of tort reform to address unfair rulings and excessive damage awards against businesses, according to the American Tort Reform Association’s “Judicial Hellholes” report. (More)

➤ Gas prices dropped a bit in parts of the state this week, with South Georgia motorists paying as low as $2.73 per gallon. (More)

➤ Georgian Kelly Loeffler called small businesses the “beating heart of our economy” and said she is “deeply honored” to be nominated to lead the U.S. Small Business Administration. (Full Quote)

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This IoT Tech Makes Power Cords Obsolete. The ultimate Internet of Things won’t need cords or batteries. Trackers and sensors will charge through the air, like connecting to Wi-Fi—and it’s all thanks to Energous’ patented wireless power technology. Already recognized as the “IoT Innovation of the Year,” Energous is targeting $650B in markets with its groundbreaking technology. And you can invest now in a company working to revolutionize power. Learn how to become an Energous shareholder today.

This is a paid advertisement for Energous’ Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.energous.com for additional information on the company and the risk factors of the offering.

➤ The Harlem Globetrotters are set to bring their basketball wizardry and family fun to Statesboro, Columbus, and Savannah this weekend, early stops on a new world tour. (Georgia Tour Dates)

➤ Houston Springs, a retirement community in Perry, is planning to host their annual Christmas parade of lighted and decorated golf carts tonight at 5:30 p.m. (More)

➤ The Dallas Women’s Club civic group celebrated the start of renovations on its 103-year-old clubhouse. Once a downtown hub, the historic building is now in need of repair. (More)

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