Standard Candy Company factory closing

The small city of Eastman is known as the "Candy Capital" of Georgia. Now the factory that helped give the city this distinction is closing.
Back in the 1950's the Stuckey family opened its candy factory in Eastman where they manufactured the iconic pecan roll. Years later the Standard Candy Company bought the facility and continued making their own version of the concoction of "fluffy nougat with rich creamy caramel, covered in Georgia pecans."
In April that plant will close and its 250 jobs will move to Nashville. Josh Fenn is with the Eastman-Dodge County Chamber of Commerce. He says the community is losing part of its identity.

"A lot of people know Eastman for being the birthplace of the famous Stuckey's store and convenience store chain that was very dominant in the 50's, 60's, and early 70's and nationwide kind of a forefather to the modern day convenience store."

In 2007 Standard Candy Company expanded their Eastman plant with more than a million dollars in grants and low interest loans from the State of Georgia.

Top ranking for new Middle Georgia College aviation program

The air traffic control program at Middle Georgia College has received a top national ranking from the Federal Aviation Administration. The honor stands number-one among nine newly-approved schools in the FAA’s Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative. The effort is to fill a need for more controllers.

Dr. Julie Massie Clark is the college’s chair of aviation management and business. She says new equipment, and recently-retired controllers as instructors were factors in the top ranking.

"We’ve got equipment that the FAA has admitted is better than theirs…it’s very easy to say that’s what the textbook says, but to take it a step further and say I can give you a real life scenario. We’ve got wonderful equipment and a phenomenal faculty".

Clark says the school is also the only among 23 in the nation to own and operate its own air traffic control tower, which is in Eastman.

Middle Georgia College started its two-year aviation program last year, and just began its four-year program in August.