Q: A recent AJC article mentioned that Georgia's growth engines in the past were housing and in-migration of workers and retirees. What, besides the moderate weather, are the incentives that bring retirees to this state?
—Joann Awada, Atlanta
A: There are many reasons why Georgia attracts retirees, including reasonable land costs, low cost of living and year-round access to recreation and outdoor activities, such as golf, Alison Tyrer, director of communications for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, told Q&A on the News in an email. "We have no specific financial incentives, but the great, yet affordable quality of life here is a major selling point when we recruit companies, and we think it applies just as much to individuals, when they are considering where to put down roots," she said. Tyrer said there are "anecdotal reports" of retirees moving to Georgia from Florida for various reasons, including that they're tired of hurricanes, they want four full seasons, they want easier national and international access (through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport), and they want a lower cost of living. Tyrer said that in the past few years, several Georgia cities such as Athens, Gainesville, Peachtree City and St. Marys have been named as top places to retire by national publications.
Q: What happened to Jimmy Baron, Yvonne Monet and Christopher “Crash” Clark on 92.9 Dave FM?
—Debra Pennington, Snellville
A: Baron and Monet were fired in November, but Monet was re-hired as a part-time fill-in at the station. Clark is now doing traffic for V-103, but not at 92.9 Dave FM.
Andy Johnston wrote this column; Rodney Ho contributed. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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