Unemployment Up 95% Over Year

The Georgia Department of Labor says 88,756 laid-off workers filed first-time claims for state unemployment insurance benefits in June, an increase of 94.8 percent from June of 2008. The areas with the highest percentage of increase in claims from June 2008 to June 2009 were Rome up 181.0 percent, Gainesville up 172.8 percent, and Athens up 163.2 percent. The areas with the smallest increase in claims were Dalton up 48.5 percent, Albany up 66.3 percent and Savannah up 68.7 percent. State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said rising unemployment continues to plague local economies throughout North Georgia. Most of the state initial claims were filed by laid-off workers in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, construction, and administrative and support services.

(Associated Press)

Unemployment Claims Jump Big Over Year's Time

New numbers this morning from the state Labor Department show 96,306 laid-off workers filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits in March. It represents an increase of 126-percent from the same month a year ago.

The metro area with the highest jump in claims was Gainesville, followed by Rome and Brunswick.

Claims filed came from laid-off workers in manufacturing, trade, construction, as well as administrative and support services.

New Reservoir Moves Forward

Officials report progress in Washington on obtaining a federal permit for a proposed 805-acre reservoir in north Hall County. The county bought 805 acres of the 7,000-acre Glade Woodland Farms property in Northeast Hall seven years ago with plans for a reservoir. The design called for using Lake Lanier as a conduit to transport the water to Gainesville's water intakes. Undersecretary of the Army John Paul Woodley met Tuesday with Georgia officials working on the project for years. Woodley says he and his staff agreed with the request to move ahead with the project. The county can apply for a Corps of Engineers permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

(Associated Press)

Old Hall County jail to house illegal immigrants

Wardens uncuffing a group of Latin American detainees before they are sent back to their countries of origin, at the Stewart Co. Detention Center, Nov, 2007. (Dave Bender/file)

The old Hall County Detention Center in Gainesville has been empty for more than a year. But that's about to change.

County officials are leasing it to Corrections Corp. of America (CCA). It will be renamed the North Georgia Detention Center.

CCA spokeswoman Louise Grant expects the firm will be doing construction and renovation work on the jail in January.

The 20-year lease with the private prison firm could bring more than 100 new jobs to the area and bring the county about $2 million in annual revenues.

Federal immigration detainees in blue and orange jumpsuits at the Stewart Co. Detention Center, a facility run by the same firm, Corrections Corporation of America, that will administer the facility in in Hall Co. (Dave Bender/file)

CCA will house federal immigration detainees.

The future of the 489-bed jail has been in doubt since the sheriff's office moved its inmates into a new $52 million jail in November 2007.

(AP)

Information from: The Times, http://www.gainesvilletimes.com

Sharp rise in state unemployed for September

State Labor officials say there were 56,652 first-time claims for unemployment filed in September. The numbers represent a sharp increase of 76-percent over September of last year. The highest percentage spike in claims was reported in Gainesville, Dalton and Rome. Layoffs are across-the-board, but especially seen in manufacturing, construction, and the trade and services sectors.

Labor officials say as the state is in the midst of a challenging economic environment, the department is doing everything it can to help those out of work.

Crux of tri-state water war focus of public meetings

The crux of the tri-state water dispute between Florida, Georgia and Alabama is the topic of five public meetings scheduled for next month.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will discuss how it operates the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee Flint River basin.

Lake Lanier residents and Georgia lawmakers have long criticized the Corps for continuing to operate the lake by a manual last updated 50 years ago.

Georgia meetings will be held in LaGrange, Marietta and Gainesville.

Fed money to help public housing computer access

Over $400,000 in federal grant money is on the way to a pair of public housing authorities in Georgia--its aim is to help get better computer and internet access to those residents. Carrollton’s housing authority will get $150,000--an authority in Gainesville $300,000. The funding is part of the federal Public Housing Neighborhood Network Program. The money on the way to Georgia is part of more than 10-million dollars in grants distributed across the country.

Corrections centers to close

The state Department of Corrections says it will close diversion centers at Gainesville, Macon and Waycross. Corrections Commissioner James Donald says the closings are needed to accomplish a 3.5 percent budget cut Gov. Sonny Perdue ordered. The centers are for low-risk felons. They are designed to house adult felons for 90 to 120 days while they work paying jobs in the community to pay fines. Donald says employees will be offered other jobs within the Corrections Department.

State education officials consider charter applications

The state’s Board of Education meets today to discuss whether to grant charter school status to four Georgia school districts. The Board is considering applications from Decatur city, Chattahoochee County, Gainesville city and Marietta city school districts. The full Board will vote on the issue tomorrow.

Utilities raise rates as conservation cuts profits

Utility rates are spiking as water companies work to make up lost revenue from this year's drought. The revenue drop is due largely to people using less water in an effort to conserve. In Gainesville north of Atlanta, the utility system's debt is set to rise 12.5 % and revenue is down 7.2 %. Atlanta is aiming to raise rates 27.5%.

New medical school a possibility

Georgia could get another medical school. Brenau University in Gainesville has hired a consulting firm to do a feasibility study on the idea. Georgia has four medical schools now – the Medical College of Georgia, Mercer, Emory and Morehouse. They get 1,100 applications a year but can only accept a fourth of that.