Thursday, February 20, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1970, a half-century after the law went into effect with the support of other states, Georgia ratified the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote.

The longtime owner of Alpharetta’s ice rink acknowledges mixed feelings over his plan to turn the building into pickleball courts. Read the story below and then share your thoughts by replying to this email.

We’re sponsored today by the nonprofit World Concern, offering an opportunity to help children in need in Somalia.

Where Georgia Ranks on Grocery Prices

Georgia ranks 30th in the nation for the share of household income spent on groceries, indicating a “moderate financial burden,” a study found.

The study revealed that groceries account for the largest share of household income in Mississippi and West Virginia. The states where groceries demand the smallest share of income are New Jersey and Maryland.

Nationally, “grocery prices have soared over the past few years”—rising more than 25% since 2019, according to the USDA—and incomes haven’t kept up, the study’s authors noted.

The study includes tips on how to save on groceries no matter where you live.

Loeffler Confirmed as SBA Administrator

The U.S. Senate voted 52-46 on Tuesday to confirm Kelly Loeffler to lead the Small Business Administration, the second of President Trump’s cabinet-level positions with Georgia ties.

“Kelly Loeffler knows there’s nothing small about small business,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, stated in a post that also aired his floor speech in support of her selection.

The Atlanta businesswoman, who served for a short time in the U.S. Senate in 2020 and 2021, joins former Georgia congressman and new Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins as confirmed cabinet members.

Raised on a family farm in Illinois and the first of her family to graduate from college, Loeffler said she plans to leverage her background and business success to champion America’s entrepreneurs.

Pickleball Replacing Ice Rink

The owner of an ice skating rink in Alpharetta has submitted plans to the city to convert the building into courts for pickleball, which continues to gain popularity across Georgia and the nation.

John Bardis, owner of The Cooler, said the decision was a difficult one. “We’ve been at this 27 years, so we now have fathers and mothers who grew up playing here or grew up skating here,” he said.

The new plans call for 18 indoor pickleball courts.

Nationally, pickleball ranks as the nation’s fastest-growing sport, and courts are a booming business. A leading pickleball group said that 4,000 multicourt sites were added last year, bringing the total number of sites nationwide to 15,910.

In January, the state’s largest amateur pickleball tournament took place at Rhythm and Rally in Macon, drawing 1,200 players from 21 states.

Flying together with our sponsor

Somalia is facing a devastating combination of natural disasters, global conflicts, widespread poverty, and disease outbreaks. East Africa has just endured its worst drought in 40 years, leaving tens of millions without access to clean water, wiping out millions of livestock, and destroying crops. With domestic food production crippled, Somalia has relied heavily on imports—90% of its wheat coming from Russia and Ukraine—until those shipments stopped.

Now, two in five children in Somalia suffer from acute malnutrition, and cholera is spreading in some regions. The food crisis, compounded by global humanitarian aid being redirected to Europe and the Middle East, has created a perfect storm, leading to a sharp rise in child malnutrition.

Be Doers

We’re asking the Flyover Community to join us in partnering with World Concern to help get emergency nutrition packs (a peanut paste fortified with nutrients), water, and hygiene products to those with the most need.

➤ Columbus: An apartment complex fire displaced about 20 residents Tuesday night, all of whom evacuated unharmed. The cause remains under investigation. (More)

➤ North Georgia: Light snow fell across the region—generally north of a line from Gainesville to Carrollton—while other parts of the state received rain. (See Photos)

➤ Atlanta: Robert Murphy, former head of the DEA’s Atlanta division, stated that stopping Mexican drug cartels is his top priority as the agency’s new No. 2 administrator in Washington, D.C. (More)

➤ Savannah: A woman sued Coastal Fertility Specialists after the clinic implanted the wrong embryo. After giving birth, she gave the newborn to the couple whose fertilized egg she carried. (More)

➤ Marietta: An investigation found that a nursing home failed to do an overnight check and also delayed its call to police about a missing 89-year-old resident, whose body was found at a nearby park. (More)

➤ Cobb County: Georgia Log Cabin Republicans threatened legal action after a local Pride Festival rejected the conservative gay and lesbian group’s application to participate. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Hawks return from the NBA All-Star break to face Orlando tonight. The Hawks are three games out of a guaranteed playoff spot. (More)

➤ No. 8 Georgia baseball’s closer Brian Curley went viral for sticking his tongue out at a Kennesaw State baserunner before delivering the final pitch of the game. (Watch Video)

➤ The Georgia High School Association released brackets for the 2025 basketball state playoffs. (More)

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➤ Two hurricane-related tax relief bills, largely aimed at helping farmers and timberland owners, continue to advance in the state House and Senate. (More)

➤ A timeshare property canceled a $6,000 bill sent to a former member from Georgia after discovering that the sales of her and 17 others’ shares were never reported to the company by the buyers. (More)

➤ Tybee Oyster Co.’s floating oyster farm—a first for Georgia—reported strong growth, as well as the launch of a school program focused on the environmental benefits of oyster farming. (More)

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➤ 11 Things Smart Americans Are Wasting Money On. You’re smart about saving money, like shopping clearance racks, limiting eating out, and choosing affordable streaming services. However, there are still some cost-cutting tips you might not know yet. Once you discover these, you can quickly find extra cash in your pocket. (Click To Read More)

Flying together with our sponsor

Somalia faces a crisis from natural disasters, conflict, poverty, and disease. The worst drought in 40 years devastated crops and livestock, while food imports from Russia and Ukraine halted. Two in five Somali children now suffer from acute malnutrition. Join us in partnering with World Concern to get emergency nutrition packs & clean water to children. $12 feeds a child for a month.

➤ The Children’s Museum of Pooler must relocate by April 26 after the owner of its building decided to lease the site to another tenant. (More)

➤ Calling on Georgians to “Think Pink,” organizers released the schedule for this year’s International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, set for March 21-30. (See Schedule)

➤ Beyonce added a record fourth date to her “Cowboy Carter” tour stop at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with the additional show set for July 14. (Details)

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