Foreign Investors Must Report U.S. Agricultural Land Holdings

The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) requires foreign investors who buy, sell or hold an interest in U.S. agricultural land to report their holdings and transactions to the USDA. Foreign investors must file AFIDA Report Form FSA-153 with the FSA county office in county where the land is located.

According to the CFR Title 7 Part 781, any foreign person who holds an interest in U.S. agricultural land is required to report their holdings no later than 90 days after the date of the transaction.

“Failure to file a report or filing a late or inaccurate report can result in a penalty with fines up to 25 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land,” said Tripp.

Foreign investors should report holdings of agricultural land totaling 10 acres or more used for farming, ranching or timber production, including leaseholds of 10 years. AFIDA reports are also required when there are changes in land use, such us agricultural to nonagricultural use. Foreign investors must also file a report when there is a change in the status of ownership.

The information from the AFIDA reports is used to prepare an annual report to the President and Congress on the effect of foreign land holdings on family farms and rural communities in the United States.

Assistance in completing the FSA-153 report may be obtained from the local county FSA office. For more information regarding AFIDA or FSA programs, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit farmers.gov.

Georgia Tax Revenues Down

The State of Georgia’s net tax collections in March totaled $2.34 billion, for a decrease of $338.7 million or 12.6 percent compared to FY 2023, when net tax collections approached a total of $2.68 billion for the month.

Year-to-date, net tax revenue totaled $23.49 billion, for a decrease of $115.6 million or 0.5 percent from the same nine-month period in FY 2023, a period during which the state’s motor fuel excise tax was suspended. Net of motor fuel tax changes, revenues for the nine months ended March 31 were down 4.3 percent from this time a year ago.

The changes within the following tax categories help to further explain March’s overall net tax revenue decrease:

Individual Income Tax: Individual Income Tax collections totaled $998.3 million, for a decrease of $191.2 million or 16.1 percent compared to last year, when Individual Tax collections totaled nearly $1.19 billion. This is in part attributable to the planned reduction in income tax rates effective January 1, 2024.

The following notable components within Individual Income Tax combine for the net decrease:

• Individual Income Tax refunds issued (net of voided checks) were down $79.3 million or 11.1 percent
• Individual Withholding payments were down by $228.2 million or 13.7 percent from the previous year
• Individual Income Tax Return payments declined by $28.4 million or 23 percent from March 2023
• All other Individual Tax categories, including Estimated payments, were down a combined $13.9 million

Sales and Use Tax: Gross Sales and Use Tax collections totaled $1.42 billion for the month, which was an increase of $77.5 million or 5.8 percent compared to March 2023. Net Sales and Use Tax decreased by $29.7 million or 4.5 percent compared to last year, when net sales tax totaled $660.4 million. The adjusted Sales Tax distribution to local governments totaled $730.8 million, for an increase of $62.3 million or 9.3 percent, while Sales Tax refunds increased by $44.9 million or 284.7 percent compared to FY 2023.

Corporate Income Tax: Corporate Income Tax collections for March totaled $356.7 million, for a decrease of roughly $141 million or 28.3 percent compared to FY 2023.

The following notable components within Corporate Income Tax make up the net decrease:

• Corporate Income Tax refunds issued (net of voided checks) were up $41.6 million or 88 percent over FY 2023
• Corporate Income Tax Estimated payments decreased by $62.9 million or 91.8 percent from the previous year
• All other Corporate Tax types, including Corporate Return payments, were down a combined $36.5 million

Motor Fuel Taxes: Motor Fuel Tax collections increased by $21.2 million or 13.5 percent over last year.

Motor Vehicle – Tag & Title Fees: Motor Vehicle Tag & Title Fees decreased by $4.8 million or 13.5 percent for the month, while Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) collections increased by $5.3 million or 8.3 percent over last year.

Villa Ricca Man Dies While In Custody In Dodge County Jail

At the request of the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, GBI agents are investigating an inmate death in Eastman, GA. 

On April 15, 2024, at about 10:25 p.m., the GBI was requested by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office in reference to an unresponsive inmate, Ronald Shaw, age 36, of Villa Rica, GA.  Shaw was discovered in an inmate cell unresponsive at about 9:50 p.m. by jail staff. Shaw was taken to the Dodge County Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Shaw will be taken to the GBI Crime Lab where a medical examiner will perform an autopsy.

This investigation is active and ongoing.

Miss Chattooga Pageant Coming In May

Judge Says Insurance Companies Must Pay Darlington Sex Abuse Victims

A judge has ruled that several insurance companies must pay out over $345 million in settlements to victims of sexual abuse at the hands of a Darlington School staff member that happened decades ago.  The ongoing case has seen Darlington pay the victims, but lawyers for the plaintiffs also sought damages from insurance companies of the private school in Floyd County.  This week, a judge ruled that the plaintiffs may seek damages from the insurance companies.  Lawyers for one insurance company tried to argue that sexual abuse does not constitute “bodily harm”.  Judge Adele Grubbs issued a summary judgement and said that sexual abuse most definitely is considered “bodily harm”.  It is likely that the insurance companies will now file an appeal.

Compiled Reports

University System Of Georgia Approves 2024-2025 Tuition Rates

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) voted Tuesday to approve tuition rates for the 2024-25 academic year at USG’s 26 public colleges and universities. Systemwide, in-state undergraduate tuition will increase by 2.5%, and out-of-state tuition will increase by 5%. A new, third level of tuition for out-of-country students will also be established at 2% more than the rate for out-of-state students.

This comes as the Board kept tuition flat at all but one USG institution for six of the past eight years. Escalating costs for people, goods and services, increased competition from the private sector for talent and overall inflation have all contributed to growing pressure on institutional budgets, resulting in Tuesday’s decision.

USG’s strong commitment to keeping college affordable for students in Georgia has meant average tuition increases for an undergraduate, in-state Georgia student over the past eight years have been less than 1%, well below the rate of inflation.

Two years ago, thanks to the support of Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly, the board was able to eliminate a mandatory Special Institutional Fee that students had been charged systemwide since 2009. The fee had been established during the Great Recession to provide financial support to maintain high-quality academic programs and operations during the reductions in state funding.

Coming at the same time as tuition was held flat, the fee’s elimination reduced college costs starting with the 2022-23 academic year and saved students anywhere between $340 to $1,088 for the year, depending on the institution they attended.

“Maintaining affordability is one of the highest priorities of the university system and the Board of Regents,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “We are a good deal for Georgians, and we have worked to protect that value particularly for our Georgia undergraduates as we balance affordability with institutional sustainability and academic quality. Our institutions face increasing costs to operate, and we must sustain their momentum as some of the best in the nation at helping students succeed on campus and in the workforce.”

Among the 16 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states, Georgia is the third lowest in average undergraduate tuition and required fees compared to its public peers, according to national data from the College Board. College Board data also ranks USG as the sixth lowest in average tuition and fees compared to its peers across the nation, making USG institutions an excellent value for Georgia students and families.

Middle Georgia State University, the only institution to raise tuition during the last academic year, will also be finishing the last of a three-year plan to align its undergraduate tuition with other universities in the same academic sector.

The board today additionally approved changes to the mandatory fee structure at 20 of USG’s 26 institutions to address the significant growth in the number of students taking classes via fully online course delivery.

The approved structure means fully online students will be charged an online learning fee equivalent to their institution’s technology fee, as well as 50% of their institution’s mandatory fees.

This change provides more consistency to the institutional fees for all students. Mandatory fees support and enhance campus programming and student-focused activities, technology and athletic programs – all critical components to the college experience.

Student affordability remains a priority of the Board and USG. Similar to many Georgia families, institutions are experiencing rising costs of goods and services to include escalating costs for technology, software, food, utilities and insurance. Labor costs are also escalating. Additionally, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in FY21, the university system sustained a budget reduction of $230 million.

Tuition rates for each institution may be found here.

Wiring Stolen Out Of Vacant House

The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office was called to a Back Berryton Road address last week after the owner of a house reported damage.  Upon arrival, the responding deputy spoke with the owner who said he had purchased the vacant house in a tax lien sale.  The deputy noted that sheet rock had been cut and wiring pulled from the walls.  Also, there were four windows missing from the house which had been empty for some time.  The owner of the house said he would be installing security cameras and requested a report of the incident.

Arrest Report - Wednesday - April 17, 2024

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Wednesday, April 17, 2024:

Facebook Marketplace Scam Reported To Police

A Summerville man reported a scam to police on April 12th.  According to a report released this week, Jacob Bankston came to the Summerville Police Department and said that a female using the name “Gloria Vanessa Simon” had used Facebook marketplace to scam him out of $1,000.  Bankston said that the seller requested a $500 deposit through Apple pay as a down payment on a vehicle.  Bankston sent the money and then received a message from the scammer saying that the payment had been canceled due to a delay in accepting the funds.  Bankston then sent another $500 to a friend of his to forward to the seller.  It turns out, the seller received both payments and then blocked both Bankston and his friend on Facebook.  The incident was turned over to an investigator with the Summerville Police Department.

Meth Found At Area Gas Station & Dollar General Store

A convenience store attendant called the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday after finding suspected narcotics at the store.  On Monday, employees at an area Dollar General found suspected methamphetamine inside the store.

A deputy responded to the Trion Discount Food Mart – locally known as the “Shell in the Hole” – around 2:30 AM on Sunday morning. The store employee gave the deputy a small piece of pink, tied-up plastic with suspected methamphetamine inside that was found on the premises.  The deputy took the suspected drugs and placed it in an evidence locker at the sheriff’s office to be destroyed.

In a separate incident on Monday, deputies were called to the Dollar General Store in Lyerly after store management found a latex glove with suspected methamphetamine inside.  The manager and staff showed the responding deputy store surveillance, but it was inconclusive as to who might have dropped the meth-filled glove near the front checkout area of the store.

Woman Accused Of Kicking & Cussing At Police

A fifty-three-year-old Summerville woman was arrested earlier this month after Summerville Police served a warrant and the woman became belligerent towards the arresting officers.  According to a report released this week, police found Lisa Sizemore at a convenience store on Highland Avenue and attempted to serve an outstanding warrant.  Police said that Sizemore told them several times that she had to use the restroom in an attempt to get away from the officers.  When officers attempted to place Sizemore in cuffs, she allegedly kicked one of the officers and continued to resist even after being placed in the patrol car.  Police say that Sizemore was yelling and cussing at them all the way to the Chattooga County Jail.  Sizemore was charged with obstruction of law enforcement.  During the arrest, Sizemore was found to be in possession of suspected drugs and was additionally charged with possession of methamphetamine.

Georgia Senator Blasts USPS

Georgia’s Senator Jon Ossoff is not happy with the United States Postal Service.  Ossoff says that there is no excuse for the extreme delays that have been plaguing the mail service since the opening of a new regional operations center in Georgia. 

Ossoff grilled the head of the postal service in a U.S. Senate hearing this week saying that only around 36% of inbound mail is being delivered on time in Georgia.  He told Postmaster General Louis DeJoy  “I’ve got constituents with prescriptions that aren’t being delivered. I’ve got constituents who can’t pay their rent or mortgages. I’ve got businesses that aren’t able to ship products or receive supplies. You are failing abysmally to fulfill your core mission in my state.”

DeJoy says that the mail service will improve but the USPS needs time to complete the transition to new regional centers.  DeJoy said that those issues should be worked out by mid-summer.

But that wasn’t good enough for Senator Ossoff, who told the Postmaster General, “You’ve got weeks, not months to fix this. If you don’t fix it, I don’t think you’re fit for the job.”

Compiled Sources

Disc Golf Tournament Coming To Trion Next Month

Prodigy Disk is hosting their third-annual disc golf tournament at Trion Recreation Center on Saturday, May 4, 2024.   The event is a C-Tier, 2-round shot gun start.  Trophies will be awarded for the top three per division.  Activities will begin that morning with a player check-in starting at 7:40 AM and the tournament gets underway at 9 AM.  Lunch will be available at the Trion Recreation Center.  You can find out more about the event HERE

GHC Announces New Bachelors Degree In Organizational Leadership

Georgia Highlands College (GHC) will offer an online Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership starting this fall, the ninth bachelor’s degree program option at the college.

The program, offered in partnership with University System of Georgia (USG) eMajor, can be completed fully online.

Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sarah Coakley says the program would be a good fit for self-motivated, independent learners interested in a leadership role within the public, private, or nonprofit sector.

“The broad reach of the bachelor’s in organizational leadership creates maximum job opportunities for program graduates,” Coakley said. “Graduates could work as city managers, heads of public departments or agencies, heads of nonprofit organizations, or office managers in a number of businesses.”

It’s also an excellent degree choice for those seeking to grow an existing career.

“This degree program is perfect for working adults, military members and transfer students as the program is fully online and consists of 8-week courses,” Program Coordinator Alan Nichols said. “Also, with the degree program being fully online, working adults can fit courses around their busy work and life schedules.”

He added, “The convenience of the degree for working adults cannot be understated.”

The program hosts four concentrations: Public Service, Social Justice, Office Administration and Technology, and Healthcare Administration.

The bachelor’s in organizational leadership provides current students an additional opportunity to continue their academic journey at GHC while meeting the needs of a diverse workforce and expanding economic development throughout the region and neighboring states.

“The curriculum is interdisciplinary and flexible, and students from a variety of academic backgrounds and pathways can enter the program,” Professor for the School of Social Sciences and Education Teresa Hutchins said. “For students who want to go into public service or work for nonprofit organizations, the bachelor’s in organizational leadership allows them to earn their credentials close to home, and upon graduation, the potential to stay in the community.”

Georgia Highlands College recently expanded its in-state tuition to the entire state of Alabama and assists students transferring from colleges in Alabama. General education courses for the bachelor’s in organizational leadership are $95 per credit hour, while courses in the major are $199 per credit hour.

Visit the GHC Transfer Equivalency System to see how your institution’s credits will transfer to GHC.

Learn more at highlands.edu. Apply now for summer or fall semester at apply.highlands.edu.

Congresswoman Greene Seeks Interns At DC Office

The Office of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is seeking interns for her office in Washington, DC. Applicants should be highly motivated, have excellent communication skills, and have interest in learning more about the legislative process. Start and end dates are flexible. Georgia ties are preferred, but not required. This is a paid position and college credit can be earned.

Interns will work in three different interest tracks:

• Policy: Interns will work closely with the Congresswoman’s legislative team. Tasks include answering phones, assisting with legislative research, processing constituent mail, attending policy briefings, and additional tasks to aid the legislative team.
• Communications: Interns will work closely with the Congresswoman’s communications team. Tasks include answering phones, compiling daily press and broadcast clips, organizing, maintaining, and updating media lists, drafting press releases, assisting with social media, and additional tasks to aid the communications team. Experience with the Adobe Suite is required.
• Administrative: Interns will work closely with the scheduler and staff assistants to complete tasks that are essential for day-to-day office organization. These include answering phones, compiling contact lists, processing constituent mail, leading Capitol tours, completing flag requests, drafting constituent correspondence, and assisting with weekly reports

Apply Here

City Of Summerville Posts Cemetery Rules

On Tuesday, the City of Summerville issued a statement about new rules for the Summerville Cemetery.  Along with the statement, the city made public the rules for the cemetery.  You can see the statement and the complete list of rules below:

Arrest Report - Tuesday - April 16, 2024

Here is the latest arrest report from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office for Tuesday, April 16, 2024:

Summerville City Council Called Meeting This Evening

The Summerville City Council will hold a called meeting coming up this evening at 5:30 PM.  On the agenda for this evening’s meeting is a discussion of the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget and approval of the staff for the special election being held on May 21st to fill the unexpired term of Councilman David Ford who passed away earlier this year.  The public is invited to attend. You can see the complete agenda for the meeting below:

Georgia Gas Prices Continue To Rise

Georgia gas prices increased at the pump compared to a week ago. Georgians are paying an average price of $3.43 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline (subject to change overnight).

Monday’s state average was 10 cents more than a week ago, 17 cents more than a month ago, and 4 cents more than this time last year. It costs drivers an average price of $51.45 to fill a 15-gallon tank of regular gasoline. Georgians are now paying 60 cents more to fill up at the pump compared to a year ago.

“Crude oil prices hovering around $85 per barrel, high demand and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to bump pump prices higher,” said Montrae Waiters, AAA-The Auto Club Group spokeswoman. “Some good news is that Georgians are currently paying 20 cents less than the national average which sits at $3.63. Therefore, AAA continues to encourage drivers to take advantage of the money-saving gas tips listed below.”

Area gas price averages: Chattooga ($3.33), Walker ($3.30), Floyd ($3.35), Gordon ($3.40), DeKalb, AL ($3.18), Cherokee, AL ($3.14)

Trion City Schools Daycare Position Open

Trion City Schools has a position open for a full-time daycare provider.  You can see the requirements and more information below:

Job Description: Contract position for a full-time daycare provider for 6 children between ages 6 weeks and 1 year of age

Hours: Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30 am and 4:00 pm / 190 school days

Requirements:
· CPR certification or willingness to obtain certification
· Daycare experience
· Ability to relate well with children
· Evidence of sufficient judgment to handle crisis situations
· Ability to supervise activities (group and individual) conducive to the growth and development of young children
· Sensitivity to children’s individual needs
· The ability to maintain an orderly environment
· Physical: Employee is regularly required to lift 10 lbs. – 30 lbs.
· Plan and implement a program of activities conducive to the growth and development of young children
· Maintains clean, neat, and organized room; takes responsibility for the upkeep of supplies, materials, and equipment in order to make them effective for children
· Good character and equipped by education, training, and/or experience for working with
infant/toddler

Pay: Based on experience- $13.50 minimum

All employees must pass a background check.

Applications will be accepted at Trion City Schools central office. The position will remain open until filled.