Commercial Truck Insurance in Rome, GA

The report highlights the top areas for air quality around the country, as well as most improved.

ROME, Ga. — Roughly a decade ago, according to a new report on air quality improvements around the country, Rome, Georgia would have "good air days" only about 13.5% of the time. Over the course of a year, that would work out to fewer than 50 days.

Ten years later by 2022, the report says, more than 90% of days in Rome were "good air days" - almost 330 days.

That improvement isn't just remarkable, according to the air quality trends report published by Consumer Affairs. It's better than anywhere else in America.

The report highlights the top areas for air quality around the country - with cities in Washington, Hawaii and Idaho rounding out the best of the best. Longview, Washington, for instance sees "good air quality" days on more than than 99.5% of its days.

Rome can't quite compare to that, but it's come a long way.

Credit: SeanPavonePhoto / stock.adobe.com

"The Rome metropolitan area covers about 510 square miles and includes the Appalachian Mountain foothills northwest of Atlanta. Between 2012 and 2022, its bad air score decreased by about 89%, from 0.866 to 0.097. Among the 25 most-improved metros, it had the third-highest percentage of good air days in 2022 (90.25%)," the report notes.

The percent change in good air days from 2012 to 2022 in Rome was 76.83% - by comparison, second-place Lafayette-West Lafayette, Indiana's change was 51.92%.

According to Consumer Affairs, the report examined air quality index data for cities and metro areas from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2012-2022. Using this data, they developed a "bad air score" using the number of days falling within an air quality index value with the following multipliers:

"The sum is then divided by the total number of days in the year with a registered AQI value to get the bad air score. The higher the bad air score is, the worse the air quality is. Only metro areas with a minimum of 180 days of reported AQI data in a year were included in the analysis," the report states.

Consumer Affairs offered the following example for its methodology:

Bad air score for El Centro, California in 2022

Microsoft is planning a new data center campus outside Rome, Georgia.

The Rome Floyd County Development Authority (RFCDA) announced the $1 billion campus outside the city, in Floyd County, also reported by various local news outlets,

The campus, known as ‘Project Firecracker,’ will be on a 347-acre property on Huffaker Road, east of Fouche Gap Road.

Microsoft didn't share the campus specifications but wants it to go live in 2027-2028.

Microsoft is buying the land for $40,000 per acre, suggesting a purchase price of around $13.9 million. The company has been granted a 12-year tax abatement.

The county’s development authority reportedly began working with the property owner, Floyd County 118 LLC, in 2021 to rezone the property as Heavy Industrial.

Rome is in northeast Georgia, close to the state border with Alabama, and around 70 miles from the state's existing data center hub in Atlanta.

“This is a tremendous economic opportunity for our community that will have positive impacts for decades to come,” said Jimmy Byars, RFCDA chair.

“Rome and Floyd County’s industrial zoning and strong infrastructure led to our decision to locate our data center campus there. Today’s announcement is just the start of our mutual collaboration and Microsoft’s long term-term commitment to the local community,” added Microsoft’s director of community engagement, Paul Englis.

In 2021, Microsoft announced plans for a cloud region in Georgia known as East US 3.

The company is developing sites on the outskirts of Atlanta, in East Point and Palmetto in Fulton County, and Douglasville, Douglas County.

In April 2021 Microsoft bought 125 acres in East Point, with records showing the company plans to build a 250,000 sq ft (23,000 sq m) data center on the plot.

A recent Microsoft Community post suggests two buildings (ATL06 and ATL07) and an on-site substation are being developed; the company had previously planned three buildings (including ATL08).

Microsoft is also building another 250,000 sq ft data center development in Palmetto.

The company also bought 93 acres in nearby Douglasville, Douglas County for the third zone of the region.

CHICAGO (Sept. 5, 2023) - U.S. Soccer, in partnership with Integrated Dreams, has launched the ADAPTandTHRIVE Leadership Course to empower individuals to become advocates for inclusion and change within their soccer communities. The first-of-its-kind course in the United States will begin with week-long, in-person workshops from Dec. 3-10, 2023, in Rome, Ga.

By providing training in leadership skills, diversity awareness, and inclusive practices, the ADAPTandTHRIVE Leadership Course will equip participants with the tools to drive positive transformations and be catalysts for change in their respective soccer communities.

The inaugural course in December will entail leadership training on various topics related to soccer in the United States. At the conclusion of the week, participants will return to their communities, and with the help of mentors, spend the next six months implementing a project that will elevate disability soccer. At the conclusion of this practical phase, candidates will gather in person and present their experience in front of an expert panel.

Application for the ADAPTandTHRIVE Leadership Course is open now through October 15, 2023. To apply, interested applicants should visit https://integrated-dreams.org/adaptandthrive.

One of the long-term goals for the ADAPTandTHRIVE Leadership Course is to also provide a runway to ensure U.S. Soccer has access to a more inclusive workforce across the board and in growing access for disability soccer programs nationwide. The program will ultimately be part of the Federation's legacy as the U.S. builds toward hosting a myriad of major soccer competitions through the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Leadership Course is one of six current initiatives that are part of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s ADAPTandTHRIVE Program. They include:

Integrated Dreams is a non-profit Association based in Lisbon, Portugal, working for the inclusion of disabled people in the sports industry. Our Mission: to increase the representation of disabled people in the sports World. Our Vision: a sports world as a place where all people reach their fullest potential. Inclusion, development, and education remain our core values.

The ADAPTandTHRIVE program is a first-of-its-kind combination of soccer-based initiatives (currently six initiatives are part of the ADAPTandTTHRIVE Program) which aim to impact the disability community.

The innovative, multi-pronged approach hits on youth empowerment, leadership, awareness raising and opportunity creation. These creative elements set the program apart and position it as a trailblazer in promotion inclusivity within the soccer community.

Founded in 1913, the U.S. Soccer Federation has been the official governing body of the sport in the United States for more than 100 years. During that time, the sport has grown tremendously at all levels. As U.S. Soccer looks toward the future, its mission is to make soccer the preeminent sport in the United States. With a long-term and strategic approach, U.S. Soccer aims to accomplish its mission by supporting its members to increase participation at the youth and adult levels, develop world-class players, coaches, and referees to consistently win at the highest levels on the international stage, and serve the fans by engaging with them in deeper and more meaningful ways. For more information, visit ussoccer.com.

Extra Special People, Inc. (ESP), was overwhelmed with the unanimous support of the Floyd County Board of Commissioners who approved the File SUP24-01-04 special use permit for an Extra Special People campus located at 1818 Kingston Highway, Rome, GA. This marks the beginning of an extraordinary journey for the organization and the local community.

ESP Rome began with Gaines and Amy Dempsey and their hearts for their daughter Cade, and her friends to experience what over 900 individuals with disabilities in Northeast Georgia experience everyday: the magic of Extra Special People. What began with their employment program, Java Joy, has grown to after-school programming at Rome First United Methodist Church, and one then two weeks of summer camp at Georgia Highlands College. As programs have grown, so has the need for permanent space. ESP camp was bursting at the scenes with a waitlist.

It wasn’t until Cordell, a Rome ESP participant and Joyrista, shared his dream, that the organization got to work. Cordell visited the Berry campus for the first time for a Java Joy event and upon arriving and seeing the beautiful castle-like buildings and students his age enjoying life among them, he said, “ESP needs our own castle!” Not long after that, ESP went under contract with 1818 Kingston Rd. in Rome Georgia to begin building the dream.

ESP Rome has a long journey ahead of them and will need the community to join the journey. The site in Athens pictured hosts 20,000 sq. ft of program space, a ballfield and a universally accessible playground open to the public where all kids can play together. The organization has a dream that the same type of vision can become reality in Rome.

“As we embark on this dream, we invite you to join us every step of the way. Today’s approval is just the first milestone in a series of exciting steps along the way. Our vision for the property at 1818 Kingston Highway is not only ambitious but also deeply aligned with the needs and aspirations of our community in Rome, GA,” says Laura Hope Whitaker, CEO of ESP.

“We are committed to keeping our community informed and involved. We are so thankful for the unanimous support we have seen thus far. It proves that a dream like this is needed in Rome, Ga. Together, we can make a significant impact to make our beloved community even better.” Hollye Smith, ESP Rome Chairwoman.

To ensure you don’t miss out on any updates or milestones, the organization has a dedicated newsletter at https://bit.ly/esp-romes-journey as the go-to source for all the latest news, progress reports, and opportunities to get involved with ESP Rome’s journey.

Tourism professionals from across the state gathered in Rome, Georgia, on March 3-4, 2024, for the 33rd Annual Winter Chautauqua tourism conference. The conference was presented by the Northwest Georgia Travel Association and hosted by the Georgia’s Rome Office of Tourism. The event brought together industry leaders and tourism professionals for two days of networking, education, and dynamic discussions.

The conference, held at Berry College Krannert Center, provided a platform for professionals to delve into the latest trends, strategies, and innovations shaping the tourism landscape. Attendees were treated to an array of insightful sessions, featuring engaging speakers and thought-provoking discussions.

Keynote speakers Lauretta Hannon and Garrett Nudd captivated the audience with their expertise and unique perspectives on the power of storytelling. Hannon is the Executive Director of the Georgia Northwestern Technical College Foundation and Nudd is the Associate Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy of AdventHealth Georgia Market and President of the AdventHealth Georgia Foundation. Hannon, a renowned author and speaker, shared her insights on usinghuman connections to tell the stories not written in books to connect with visitors, while Nudd,an accomplished photographer and seasoned marketing professional, delved into the importance of how the stories we tell shape the stories others create.

The conference also featured breakout sessions throughout the day on Monday; topics included food tourism, public relation strategies, G4 analytics, social media marketing and agritourism. Local presenters, Julie Smith, Rome-Floyd County Transportation Planner and Aundi Lesley, Director of Downtown Development were invited to speak at the conference. Smith presented on the power of partnerships in trail development and Lesley presented on leveraging data-driven studies to inform impactful policy changes. These sessions provided invaluable opportunities for attendees to gain practical knowledge and connect with peers in the field.

Amanda Dyson-Thornton, Executive Director for the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus shared an update on 2024 legislative priorities in working with policy makers to promote and support tourism. Jay Markwalter, Statewide Tourism Director shared how the Georgia Department of Economic Development continues to partner statewide to drive continued growth and economic impact of tourism in Georgia.

In addition to the enriching conference program, participants enjoyed a delightful Sunday evening historic trolley tour of downtown Rome, a visit to the Rome Area History Center, and dinner at the host hotel, Fairfield Inn and Suites.

Organizers were thrilled to bring Winter Chautauqua to Rome, creating a vibrant space for tourism professionals to collaborate and gain fresh insights. The event successfully blended education, networking, and cultural experiences, reflecting the commitment of Georgia’s Rome Office of Tourism to fostering growth and excellence in the tourism industry.

For more information on upcoming events in Georgia’s Rome, visit RomeGeorgia.org.