From STAFF REPORTS
THOMASVILLE –Governor Sonny Perdue and members of the OneGeorgia Authority Board met this past week at Southwest Georgia Technical College and approved grants and loans from the OneGeorgia Authority’s portfolio of financing programs.
Among the recipients are City of Cordele which will use the money for road improvements and City of Vienna who will be making sewer improvements.
In Cordele, equity loan funds totaling $500,000 will be used to assist with road widening improvements along Frontage Road and Kelly Road to State Route 300 in order to open up the area to commercial development opportunities and encourage tourism to the area by accommodating the heavy traffic from I-75 and SR 300.
Proposed road improvements are expected to increase the number of customers willing and/or able to access businesses along Frontage Road. Businesses to benefit from the road widening improvements are McDonald’s, Flash Foods, Papa’s Southern Meats and Eats, Back Woods Outdoors and Shelby’s Market Place.
These companies and the developer have provided a firm letter of commitment that assures the creation of 68 jobs and the provision of $7,960,648 in private investment.
In Vienna, the $500,000 in grant funds will be used for sewer infrastructure improvements to benefit the Tyson Poultry Plant.
Tyson Foods, the city’s largest employer, processes chickens and has the contract for the Wendy’s food chain in the Southeast. Due to the large amount of waste material associated with chicken processing, the wastewater conveyance system often gets backed up and spills into the environment which has resulted in a Consent Order from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
If the backups last more than a day, plant production ceases. This could jeopardize Tyson’s contract with Wendy’s which could mean the direct loss of 600 jobs for the region.
In addition, closure of the plant would affect hatchery employees, poultry farmers, poultry wranglers, feed processors, truck drivers and employees of other related industries in the area.
The OneGeorgia Authority was created utilizing 1/3 of the state’s tobacco settlement to assist the state’s most economically challenged areas.
The OneGeorgia Authority is expected to receive about $1.6 billion over the 25-year term of the settlement. From the Authority’s inception to-date, OneGeorgia has made 458 awards totaling $251 million leveraged against a total project investment of $5 billion, a return on investment of 20:1.
These grants have impacted 132 economically-depressed counties, and either created or retained more than 45,000 jobs.
Local news
Cordele, Vienna awarded hefty OneGeorgia grants
- Local news
-
-
Business steady at inland port
Containers were being unloaded Tuesday from train cars parked at Cordele Intermodal Services on 13th Ave. E. Those containers will be transported to their destinations by truck.
-
Cordele police report a quiet Monday
City police officers logged an unusually quiet Monday, listing only two arrests on the daily press release provided news media members.
-
TV book changing to Sunday
Cordele Dispatch and Americus Times-Recorder readers will not find a TV book in their Thursday paper this week.
-
Ground broken Monday
-
Cordelean faces felony, traffic charges filed after chase
A 43-year-old local man has been charged with multiple offenses stemming from weekend incidents involving authorities in Crisp and Dooly Counties.
-
Fees set in Wilcox
Meeting in special session Thursday, Wilcox commissioners set qualifying fees for the 2012 election of constitutional officers in the county.
-
Tyson named business of the year
VIENNA — Tyson Foods of Vienna was honored as the Dooly County Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year during the organization’s annual dinner and meeting Thursday night.
-
Council seeks answers
BYROMVILLE — Not only members of the general public, but city officials here are having problems getting information about the town's financial status.
-
Suspected drug distributor arrested
CORDELE — Execution of a search warrant at 620 15th Ave. E. Thursday afternoon has led to the arrest of a 57-year-old resident for drug violations.
-
Teen Maze returning
For the third time in the last four years, Teen Maze is returning to Crisp County High School this spring.
- More Local news Headlines
-
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Raw Video: Giants Celebrate Another Super Bowl
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Greek Leaders Seek Deal As Bankruptcy Looms
Bernanke: Recovery Depends on Consumer Spending
Staff Removed at LA School During Abuse Probe
Eastwood in Super Bowl Ad 'Compassionate'
Stranded Fishermen Rescued From Bay of Green Bay
Analyst: Outside Troops Won't Intervene in Syria
Police: Father Planned Deadly Fire for Some Time
US, UK Pressure on Syria; More Homs Violence
Raw Video: Mass Killer Wants Medal, Freedom
Court Strips Contador of Tour De France Title
Runaway Goat Leads Police on Wild Chase
And the Winner for Best Super Bowl Ad Is...
Romney Latest Poll to Join Let-me-explain Club
