The Oglethorpe Echo
Union Point will receive $2.7 million in federal and state grants to build a Firefly Trail trailhead downtown and connect it to the end of the trail near Carlton Street.
Eighty percent of the funds will come from the Federal Highway Administration’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), while the remaining 20% will be covered by GDOT’s Transportation Trust Fund, according to a release from Firefly Trail Inc.
“With this grant, the completion of every inch of the Firefly Trail within Greene County is in sight, and that feels great,” said Mary Cook, president of Firefly Trail Inc. “All the supporters of the Firefly Trail owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the mayor and city council, Rep. Trey Rhodes, Trail Development Coordinator John Kissane, and the folks at GDOT and the Federal Highway Administration for making this dream a reality.”
The award expands a 5.8-mile project completed by Greene County in 2023 that bridged North Rhodes Street and connected to a 0.7-mile trail segment built earlier by Union Point.
When the connection to Union Point’s business district is finished, Greene County residents and visitors will be able to use non-motorized modes of transportation from downtown Union Point to the Oglethorpe County line.
Unemployment rate fell to 3.5% in April
ATLANTA — Georgia’s unemployment rate fell slightly in April to 3.5%, seven-tenths below the national jobless rate, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday.
“After holding steady at 3.6% for nearly a year — and recent job growth —– we’re proving once again that Georgia’s business-friendly environment and competitive workforce deliver results,” Georgia Commissioner of Labor Barbara Rivera Holmes said.
The number of jobs in Georgia increased by 4,900 in May to an all-time high of 4.99 million. The job sectors with the most gains included health care and social assistance, which gained 4,000 jobs; administration and support services, which posted an increase of 2,400 jobs; and accommodation and food services, which grew by 1,900 jobs.
Wholesale trade jobs declined over the month by 1,600 jobs, while the ranks of construction workers decreased by 1,400 jobs.
The state’s labor force fell by 4,111 last month to nearly 5.4 million, as did the number of employed Georgians, which dropped by 1,386 to almost 5.2 million.
Unemployment declined by 2,725 to 189,026. The number of first-time jobless claims also was down by 1,901 in May to 19,135.