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The ADVANCE, February 24,2021/Page 10A (Site Ah ua tree
Georgia a top-10 exporting
state for the first time
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
Georgia was ranked
among the nation’s 10 top
exporting states last year
for the first time, Gov.
Brian Kemp announced
Monday
Georgia businesses
exported $38.8 billion in
goods in 2020, reaching
215 countries and ter
ritories and suffering the
lowest rate of export con
traction among the top-10
states, despite the eco
nomic effects of the coro-
navirus pandemic.
“Over the last year,
hardworking Georgians
showed their tenacity
and their determination
to transform obstacles
into opportunities,” Gov.
Brian Kemp said. “These
numbers are yet another
example of their strength.”
Georgia’s total trade
last year reached $137.7
billion, spanning 221
countries and territories.
The state’s top five
export markets were
Canada, Germany, China,
Mexico and Singapore.
Several export markets
experienced significant
growth, with exports to
Germany increasing near
ly 50%, followed by China
and Hong Kong at 45%
and 41%, respectively.
Increased exports to
China reflect purchases
made under a trade agree
ment the U.S. and China
signed in January 2020.
The return of market ac
cess for U.S. poultry
proved a huge benefit to
Georgia producers.
About two-thirds of
Georgia trade involves
the 12 strategic markets
where the state maintains
representation: Brazil,
Canada, Chile, China, Co
lombia, Europe, Israel, Ja
pan, Korea, Mexico, Peru,
and the United Kingdom.
“Georgia’s network of
international representa
tives around the world
provides our state’s busi
nesses with a unique re
source,” said Pat Wilson,
commissioner of the
Georgia Department of
Economic Development.
“Particularly during
2020 — when needs, sup
ply chains, and conditions
were changing rapidly —
our international offices
provided timely informa
tion that proved to be an
incredible asset for our
state’s growers, manufac
turers, and business com
munity as a whole.”
About 90% of Georgia
merchandise exports are
manufactured goods, and
the state’s manufacturing
exports have grown by
more than 30% over the
last 10 years.
Aerospace products,
the state’s second-largest
manufacturing industry,
remain the state’s No. 1
export, totaling $9.98 bil
lion in 2020. Aerospace
exports to Hong Kong
surged more than 140%
last year, while Germany
remains the top customer
for these products.
TCC
continued from page 2A
the plant has since been
deemed safe to continue
operation. New manage
ment at the plant is intent
on maintaining high stan
dards for operations, Smith
explained.
Smith is available for
the Commission to contact
him at any time with ques
tions about operations at
the plant. He is also avail
able to speak at civic clubs
and public gatherings so
citizens can gain more
understanding of nuclear
plant safety.
Chamber of Com
merce and Development
Authority Director Mi
chele Johnson invited the
Commission to attend
three school related ribbon
cuttings. The new Toombs
CountyBoard ofEducation
building on Bulldog Road
Open House was held on
Store
continued from page 1A
In addition to its long
standing heritage of low
prices, Food Lion also of
fers the MVP loyalty pro
gram, its award-winning
Shop & Earn monthly re
wards offers, weekly pro
motions, hot sales, and ev
eryday low prices.
“My team and I are ex
cited to continue to serve
the great city of Vidalia as
the new Food Lion team,”
said Candace LaNasa, store
manager of the new Food
Lion. “We are here with a
new name, new uniforms,
and new lower prices, but
an expanded assortment
and the same friendly faces
you have been able to de
pend on in years past. We’re
excited to welcome neigh
bors to their new Food
Lion and look forward to
serving our community.”
Customers can choose
from an extensive prod
uct assortment, including
in-store fresh cut fruit and
vegetables, “grab-and-go”
meal options to help make
any meal easier, delicious
hand-battered fried chicken
and 100% USDA Choice
fresh beef.
The store also offers a
Friday, February 19th. A
highlight of this event was
the coffee bar featuring the
Lyons Primary School Au
tism Class. Johnson spoke
highly of how well this
class serves coffee at com
munity events. Donations
at the coffee bar will help
the class pay for commu
nity activities.
The Chamber will also
support a double ribbon
cutting at Montgomery
County Schools on Mon
day, March 1 at 1:45 p.m.,
first at Brogden’s Brick
Boosters at Brogden Field,
and then at Curtis Ryals
Track & Field at William
Mayes Dobbins Athletic
Complex, both on Dob
bins Street in Mount Ver
non.
Johnson reported
that contractors for Robin
Buildings are completing
punch lists at the com
pany’s new complex at
Toombs Corporate Cen
ter. Equipment installation
variety of Food Lion’s Na
ture’s Promise-brand beef,
pork, poultry, milk, eggs,
bottled water, cereal, coffee
and other items. Nature’s
Promise is Food Lion’s af
fordable brand of whole
some and organic products
made with no artificial fla
vors, preservatives or syn
thetic colors.
Additionally, neigh
bors can find a wide variety
of great local offerings, such
as a variety of fresh produce
from Norman Farms locat
ed in Norman Park, fresh
pork and chicken products
from Lee Corporation in
Alma and Hardy Farms
Peanuts from Hawkinsville.
To help introduce
neighbors to the new store,
welcome gifts were provid
ed to firefighters at Vidalia
City Fire Department Sta
tion 2, Vidalia Fire Depart
ment, Toombs County Fire
Department and Lyons
Fire Department; faculty
and staff at J.D. Dickerson
Primary and Elementary
Schools and Sally D. Mead
ows Elementary School;
and staff at Vidalia City
Hall.
In another commit
ment to the community,
through Food Lion Feeds
- the retailer’s hunger-re
lief initiative - the retailer
and transitioning of storage
building production to the
new site will occur over the
next few months.
In other business, the
Commission approved:
• Appointment of Mrs.
Billie Jean Davis to the
Toombs County Library
Board through December
2023.
• Considered a request
to close Niederriter Road.
The only impact of clos
ing this road will be on
EMS service. The resident
will maintain the route
for emergency access. The
Commission approved ac
tivating the road closure so
that public notice can be
rendered before approval
of final closure.
• Approved emergency
repair of Old River Road,
to prevent further deterio
ration, by McLendon En
terprises for $25,650, paid
from the Roads Depart
ment operating budget.
donated $1,500 to God’s
Storehouse, a partner agen
cy of America's Second
Harvest of Coastal Geor
gia. The feeding agency will
also regularly receive food
from the new store to dis
tribute to neighbors in need
through Food Lion Feeds’
industry-leading food res
cue program, which has
helped Food Lion donate
the equivalent of nearly 750
million meals since 2014.
Food Lion has committed
to donate 1 billion more
meals by 2025.
For more information
on Food Lion Feeds’ ef
forts to fight hunger in the
towns and cities Food Lion
serves, visit foodlion.com/
feeds.
Food Lion, based in
Salisbury, N.C., since 1957,
has more than 1,000 stores
in 10 Southeastern and
Mid-Atlantic states and
employs more than 77,000
associates. By leveraging
its longstanding heritage
of low prices and conve
nient locations, Food Lion
is working to own the easi
est full shop grocery expe
rience in the Southeast,
anchored by a strong com
mitment to affordability,
freshness, and the commu
nities it serves.
ask Kf *
Mto Magnolia
Letters have been edited for length and clarity.
Dear Ms. Magnolia,
I’m a 22-year-old graduate of STC
here in Vidalia, with my first full-time
job and about to rent my first house. I
don’t make enough money to rent the
house on my own, so / plan to have a
housemate who pays half the rent and
utilities.
My problem is that / have seen some
of the problems people have with house
mates. I have several friends that might
be interested, but what ground rules
should we set up to make sure we start
out right?
Unsure
Dear Unsure,
You should research this topic
thoroughly before you make a deci
sion to have a housemate. You will
need to discuss your responsibilities
with the landlord, and each house
mate must sign the rental agreement
to be legally responsible for the entire
duration of the lease. If a housemate
doesn’t pay their share of the rent,
the other must keep paying the rent
in full or face eviction. Your landlord
can terminate the entire tenancy even
if just one housemate causes problems
such as not paying the rent, damaging
the rental unit, bringing in a pet, al
lowing long-term guests to stay, mak
ing too much noise, etc.
You should prepare a Housemate
Agreement in writing concerning
sharing utility expenses, houseclean
ing duties, overuse of hot water, emp
tying the trash, cutting the grass,
acceptable noise levels, visitors or
overnight guests invited to the house,
etc.
Adapting to living together often
puts a strain on a relationship and
sometimes ends longtime friendships.
Unless you are very sure of your
housemate, you might consider rent
ing a less expensive apartment alone.
If you have a question for Ms. Magnolia, please mail it to P.O. Box 669, Vidalia, GA
30475, or e-mail to msmagnoliaadvance@yahoo.com.
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