Latest news with #Cartersville
Washington Post
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Washington Post
A Georgia town that solidly backed Trump could fall victim to his tax bill's green energy cuts
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — When two South Korean companies announced a multibillion-dollar investment to build solar panel and electric battery factories in northwest Georgia, federal subsidies helped close a deal to diversify the local economy. The factories promised thousands of new jobs, transforming the manufacturing base in Cartersville, once a cotton mill town before an Anheuser-Busch brewery arrived in the 1990s and a tire plant in 2006.
Associated Press
30-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
A Georgia town that solidly backed Trump could fall victim to his tax bill's green energy cuts
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. (AP) — When two South Korean companies announced a multibillion-dollar investment to build solar panel and electric battery factories in northwest Georgia, federal subsidies helped close a deal to diversify the local economy. The factories promised thousands of new jobs, transforming the manufacturing base in Cartersville, once a cotton mill town before an Anheuser-Busch brewery arrived in the 1990s and a tire plant in 2006. But now Republicans in Congress want to gut the subsidies for projects across the country in a tax cut bill likely days from final passage. President Donald Trump's signature legislation could harm Cartersville despite it being in overwhelmingly Republican Bartow County, which backed Trump with 75% of the vote all three times he appeared on the ballot. Both companies say they're continuing their buildout plans. But Steve Taylor, a Republican who is Bartow County's lone elected commissioner, says ending the tax credits would be 'a little concerning.' 'Those companies came and it gave us a completely different type of industry and manufacturing for our community,' Taylor said. By some measures, no state may have more to lose than Georgia from such cuts in Trump's ' Big Beautiful Bill .' Top Georgia Republicans have been mostly silent, while Georgia's two Democratic U.S. senators are staunchly opposed. 'A vote for this bill is a vote against Georgia's economy and a vote that will put so much of what we've worked so hard to achieve at risk' U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff told The Associated Press. And few towns have more to lose than Cartersville, the Bartow County seat about 35 miles (55 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta. As the county transforms from rural to suburban, leaders foresee an economic boost from the $5 billion battery factory that Hyundai Motor Group and SK On are building, as well as the $2.3 billion solar panel plant belonging to Qcells, a unit of Hanwha Solutions. Both plants pledge to pay workers an average of $53,000 a year. Clean energy projects are taking off in Georgia Georgia's huge inrush of clean energy projects had already begun before 2022, when then-President Joe Biden signed his signature climate law , the Inflation Reduction Act. But if anything, that rush accelerated . The 33 additional projects announced by the end of 2024 were the most nationwide, according to E2 , an environmental business group. Exact figures differ, but projects in Georgia top $20 billion, pledging more than 25,000 jobs. Buyers of Qcells solar panels get a 40% federal tax credit, including a 10% bonus for domestic content, which would go away under the bill. Qcells itself would still get production tax credits for panels it started producing last year in Cartersville. The bill would also tax companies that buy panels or components from some foreign countries including China. That could help Qcells, but wouldn't aid domestic producers as much as the domestic content bonus. When the 1,900-job plant is complete, it will take refined polysilicon, cast it into ingots and then thinly slice ingots into the wafers that become solar cells. Qcells says controlling its own supply chain will let it work more efficiently. Those additional steps would earn the company additional tax credits. Scott Moskowitz, vice president of market strategy and industry affairs for Qcells, said the company built its first American factory up the road in Dalton during the first Trump administration in response to Trump's protectionist trade policy. Moskowitz argues that a quick curtailment of federal subsidies undercuts Trump's goal of bolstering domestic manufacturing, pushing buyers back to Chinese-controlled producers. Some local Republicans are expressing alarm, with 16 GOP state legislators imploring Congress in a June 17 letter to preserve tax breaks for solar panels. 'We urge you not to weaken the tax credits, as doing so would only harm the manufacturing renaissance in Georgia while creating opportunities for Chinese companies to take over the solar industry,' wrote the Georgia lawmakers, led by Republican state Rep. Matthew Gambill of Cartersville. Some argue it's unfair for Congress to pull the rug out after companies relied on the promise of federal support to invest huge sums. 'I would like to think that from a business perspective that when you have agreements in place that you carry those out to fulfillment,' Cartersville Mayor Matt Santini said. High-ranking Georgia Republicans have been publicly silent Clean energy projects have overwhelmingly located in Republican-held congressional districts, with a report by Atlas Public Policy finding GOP districts host 77% of planned spending. But Republican U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, who lives in Bartow County, praised the cuts when they passed the House in May, saying the bill would 'unleash American energy stifled by the Democrats' Green New scam' and lauding expansion of oil, gas and coal production on federal lands. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp says he's staying out of the debate. 'Our position is that Congress needs to be the one to decide the future of the IRA,' said Kemp spokesperson Garrison Douglas. Kemp loves green energy investments and jobs, and even declared that his goal is to make Georgia the 'electric mobility capital of America.' But Kemp and Ossoff clash over who should get credit for Georgia's green energy boom. Kemp sharply disputes that the Biden-era incentives spurred the flood of investment, saying many industries were already on their way before the Inflation Reduction Act was passed. Unlike his current silence, Kemp vociferously opposed some domestic content requirements that made it hard for Hyundai to access the same tax credits as unionized U.S.-based automakers. 'Just generally speaking, the Inflation Reduction Act picked winners and losers, and we saw that negatively impact our partners,' Douglas said. All nine of Georgia's Republican House members voted to support the bill, including U.S. Rep Buddy Carter, who earlier signed a letter supporting green energy subsidies. Carter, who is seeking the GOP nomination to oppose Ossoff for Senate in 2026, represents a coastal district that includes a $7.6 billion Hyundai plant in Ellabell that started production last year. Hyundai wants to make batteries at what would be a 3,500-employee plant near Cartersville so that Hyundai and Kia buyers can fully take advantage of the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles. Those credits would end six months after the bill is enacted under the current version. The company is publicly sidestepping the current legislative fight. But with American demand for electric vehicles slow to take off , Hyundai now says it will also build gas-electric hybrid vehicles in Ellabell, once projected to make only electric vehicles. 'We remain focused on electrification because we believe it represents a significant long-term opportunity,' Hyundai spokesperson Michael Stewart said in a statement. 'At the same time, our business is driven by consumer demand, which is why we continue to offer a full range of powertrains.' Bartow County leaders say it's in everyone's interest to keep the projects on solid footing and that jobs should outweigh politics. 'I don't know that people are lining up along party lines over this topic,' Santini said. But Ossoff says partisanship is motivating many Georgia Republicans to turn their backs on the state's economic interests. 'For national Republicans right now, loyalty to Trump is more important than anything else, and this is what Trump says he wants,' Ossoff said.
New York Times
05-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
Meet the 4-star recruit who is using NIL to promote adoption: ‘We hit the jackpot with him'
When Bear McWhorter was in the third grade, his mother, Vanessa, and father, Josh, sat him down alongside his sister to discuss an important family matter. The McWhorters had two happy and healthy children and a nice life in Cartersville, Ga., about 40 miles northwest of Atlanta. But the more Vanessa and Josh thought about the future — leaning into their faith for clarity — the more passionate they felt about the possibility of adding to their family. Advertisement How would Bear and Lily feel about the McWhorters fostering, and potentially adopting, children in need? Bear, now 17 and a four-star offensive lineman who is committed to Michigan, was initially in a bit of shock. He'd always been the baby of the family and had never thought about what it might feel like to add another sibling, let alone share his space with a stranger. But he supported his parents' desire to open their home. And in September 2017, right as he was about to head out for football practice, he met 4-year-old Olivia for the first time. 'We ended up getting her and didn't know how long we were going to have her or anything like that,' Bear said, 'and ended up just having her forever. I love her. 'It just ended up being a great thing for our entire family.' Seven years later, the McWhorters are a family of six. They formally adopted Olivia in 2019 and began fostering 4-month-old Lydia in early 2020, before finalizing her adoption in 2022. Olivia is now 12 and the family's best distance runner, hoping to eventually follow in her brother's footsteps and compete collegiately. Lydia is 5 and learning new big-kid words every day. Bear, who committed to Michigan in February over Clemson, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida, told every coach who recruited him over the years about his family's story. And in March 2024 — after years of brainstorming with Josh about how he might be able to use his name, image and likeness for good — he launched a foundation to raise money and awareness for adoption and fostering. The Brother Bear Foundation. Because every child deserves a family. As some may know, I'm the proud big brother of two adopted sisters, and I couldn't imagine life without them. With all the support I've received and the NIL opportunities I've been blessed with, I felt God has given me a platform to serve others. We have taken the first steps to… — ʙᴇᴀʀ ᴍᴄᴡʜᴏʀᴛᴇʀ (@BearMcWhorter) March 11, 2024 'I got two new little sisters,' Bear said. 'And (it) really changed my view on life.' Vanessa McWhorter knew when she and Josh officially signed up to foster in the state of Georgia that reunification between a child and his or her biological family was the ultimate goal. 'But Olivia's story was really hard,' Vanessa said. 'When she came to us — and I won't share much of her story — they kind of knew she most likely was going to need an adoptive home.' Advertisement Olivia, now a thriving, sassy preteen, was born in nearby Rome, Ga., about 15 minutes away from the McWhorters and had already bounced around multiple homes in the foster system before she started kindergarten. On the day she arrived at the McWhorter family home that fall 2017 afternoon, she walked through the doors and called Vanessa 'Mom' right away. Shortly thereafter, the two met Josh for lunch at Chick-fil-A. 'She had never been around bigger men before,' Vanessa said of her husband, a former offensive lineman who played collegiately at Furman. '(She told him) 'You're as big as the sun.'' Bear said hello for the first time before that football practice later that afternoon. The two talked for a few minutes and Bear went on his way — not remembering much else. But Vanessa and Josh paid close attention to how their biological children interacted with Olivia. They were touched by both Bear and Lily's kindness. 'They took her on as a sibling super quick,' Vanessa said. 'They never treated her like she was any different,' Josh followed. In hindsight, Bear acknowledges those first few weeks were an adjustment. Olivia had different life experiences. Bear was shocked when she lashed out or snapped at his parents — something that never would have been tolerated from him or Lily. But even as a fourth grader, the more he learned about her past, the more he understood. 'It's not all her fault,' he remembers thinking. 'Being in a great family, a great home, everything like that, where you're taken care of, I think it's definitely something that all of us take for granted.' About two months into her stay with the McWhorters, Olivia turned 5. As the new kid at school and church, she didn't have many friends to celebrate with. So Bear and Lily jumped right in as built-in best friends when the McWhorter family took her to the local aquarium and commemorated her big day with a 'Frozen'-themed birthday cake. Advertisement In March 2019, the whole family gathered in the courthouse when her adoption became final and Olivia legally became a McWhorter. 'It was awesome,' Bear said. 'It was kind of surreal, adding somebody to the family like that. But it was really, really cool and definitely a very happy day.' If he only knew the McWhorters were just getting started. The McWhorter's agency recommended that the family go 'on hold' for six months after Olivia's adoption became final. The idea is for family members to bond with one another and get accustomed to their new norm before introducing another child into the home. Six months later, the agency called again: 'Are y'all ready to reopen?' Vanessa and Josh agreed to open their home once again, but decided the odds of adoption were slim this time around. They were happy to foster and be a resource for another family thinking about adopting, but their home was a little full. Adding a fourth child wasn't part of their plans. 'Then it was in January, the end of January of 2020, it was right before COVID and I got a call for a 4-month-old little girl, and of course my heart just stopped,' Vanessa said. 'Three hours later, we had a baby.' Bear was confused when Vanessa picked him up from school that day with a baby seat in her car. Because of the quick nature of the call and how fast the situation unfolded, there was no time for the McWhorters to fill the children in on what was happening. Olivia initially thought her parents were surprising their children with a dog. Bear saw the baby. 'Who's this?' he asked. 'And that's how he met Lydia,' Vanessa said. A few weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and the McWhorters' initial plans of serving as short-term caregivers for Lydia changed. With infants among those at the highest risk during the pandemic, Bear remembers how scared his family was about having a newborn in the home amid all of the uncertainty. Throw in the fact that he had almost no experience with newborns — 'I never liked being around babies' — and his whole world shifted. Advertisement 'But it ended up being really, really fun,' Bear said. '(Lydia) has the most personality, and she is the smartest little kid I've ever met. And so just being around her so much, it was really, really cool for me.' While Bear navigated schoolwork and football throughout the pandemic, the now 6-foot-3 1/2, 293-pounder picked up a few new skills, too. He became a pro at changing diapers. He learned how to burp Lydia with ease and was happy to jump right in any time her tiny tummy got the best of her. 'Bless her heart, she spit up every bottle she took. She had awful, awful reflux,' Vanessa said. 'But he's just such a happy-go-lucky kid. He adjusted really, really well, and he had so much fun with her, especially in those baby months.' Lydia provided some lightheartedness for the family, too. 'She's just got an unbelievable personality,' Josh said. 'Even as a baby, there was something different about her, and she's sort of become the center of our family. She was the (pandemic) entertainment. That's for sure.' As Lydia aged from an infant to a toddler and soon was in need of a permanent home, the McWhorters got serious about officially adding her to the family. In 2022, they gathered around the kitchen table to log into a Zoom call and sign some paperwork in front of the judge who virtually presided over Lydia's adoption. Afterward, the family had a small get-together with their loved ones to celebrate their newest daughter and sister, two years in the making. Last month, Vanessa walked into Lydia's bedroom to tuck her youngest daughter in and read her a book, when Bear came in to join. He sat through story time, then stayed back after Vanessa left the room to tell his little sister goodnight. He's constantly quizzing her on math problems or going over writing lessons, even teaching her a few of his and his teammate's favorite potty-humor jokes along the way while she cracks up every time. 'I look at Bear,' Josh said, 'and I just think, 'Man, we hit the jackpot with him.'' The idea for the foundation was born in Josh's truck during the hour-long trip to and from Bear's training sessions in Canton, Ga. With two hours together three nights a week, father and son chatted about many of life's bigger topics. When they started to think about how Bear might be able to use his platform as an emerging national recruit to make some sort of a difference, they kept coming back to adoption. Advertisement 'It was part of our family's story, it was a part of his story. He loved his sisters,' Josh said. 'And he wanted to create a way for other people to be able to experience that same joy.' High school athletes in Georgia are allowed to profit off their name, image and likeness, and through his foundation, Bear sells 'Brother Bear' T-shirts for about $25, with 100 percent of the proceeds going directly toward helping families foster and/or adopt. During his recruitment, several coaches, including South Carolina's Shane Beamer and assistants from LSU and Arkansas, snapped photos with their shirts. The vast majority of the funds raised by The Brother Bear Foundation, for now, are coming from T-shirt sales, but the operation could grow considerably as Bear's profile increases over the next few years. 'We've not gone out and asked for donations,' Josh said, 'even though we're legally able to, until we know exactly where we're going with this and who's doing what.' Later this summer, if all goes according to plan, Bear will meet a baby girl from Ghana whom he helped bring to the States — his $2,000 contribution helping the family with the costs. 'Seeing all the hard work and everything I've done to get to this position in football and (to) have this platform and be able to turn around and use it for something like that, it's really, really cool,' he said. 'I just hope that people realize that they can do it, too. They can open their home.' praise the Lord!if new to my page i was blessed with NIL (big thx to Glenda Mitchell and J Mroczko !) we started the Brother Bear Foundation to help families adopt. today BBF gave $2k to the Gentry's (first fam !) to adopt a baby from Ghana. work hard – bless others. thats the… — ʙᴇᴀʀ ᴍᴄᴡʜᴏʀᴛᴇʀ (@BearMcWhorter) June 10, 2024 Josh, who works in finance, has made it clear that he and Vanessa will take care of the business side of things. It's Bear's job to use his platform to promote the foundation, invest in it himself and perhaps most importantly, do his part on the football field. The latter should be feasible for Bear, who is named after Josh but goes by Bear after Alabama legend Bear Bryant as a nod to his grandfather's extreme Crimson Tide fandom. (Don't worry, Grandpa has since come around on the Wolverines.) Advertisement In the meantime, Bear has one final summer at home, one last football season at Cass High before it's off to Michigan. He plans to soak up every second and take what he has learned from his family with him to Ann Arbor. Playing offensive line for the Wolverines, he said, may not be all that different from his role as brother to Lily, Olivia and Lydia. 'It's a lot of protection and setting everybody straight,' he quipped. 'Opening up your home and your family to just welcome somebody that needs it — I just feel like it doesn't get any better than that.' (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photos courtesy of the McWhorter family)
