Average retail gasoline prices in the Savannah metro area have risen 9.2 cents a gallon in the past week to $2.09 a gallon on Sunday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 262 gas outlets in Savannah.

The national average has increased 6.9 cents a gallon in the last week to $2.11 according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.

Prices Sunday in metro Savannah were 23.6 cents a gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 19.2 cents a gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 13.7 cents a gallon during the last month and stands 33.0 cents lower than this day one year ago.

According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices per gallon on April 18 in Savannah have ranged widely over the last five years:

• $2.33 in 2015,

• $3.63 in 2014,

• $3.37 in 2013,

• $3.85 in 2012 and

• $3.74 in 2011.

Areas in the Savannah region and their current gas price climate:

• Jacksonville — $2 a gallon, up 2.6 cents from last week’s $1.97.

• Augusta — $1.96 a gallon, up 6.3 cents from last week’s $1.90.

• South Carolina — $1.89 a gallon, up 7.3 cents from last week’s $1.81.

“Gasoline prices increased last week in 49 of 50 states, thanks to a sudden jump in the price of crude oil tied to speculation of a change or freeze in oil output at this weekend’s meeting in Doha, Qatar,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy. “At the conclusion of the talks over the weekend, no decision was made — not at all a surprise given the recent disagreements between major players Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The lack of a clear vision to cut or even freeze crude oil production will likely lead to a sharp sell off in oil markets to start the week as global oil production continues to outpace demand, DeHaan said.

“While typically we’re used to seeing gasoline prices racing higher in the spring, the direct impact of this weekend’s meeting could cause gasoline prices this week to reverse temporarily as oil markets react,” he said.

JCB announced Monday its manufacturing apprenticeship program is accepting applications for the 2016 program and will host the JCB Manufacturing Apprenticeship Fair on April 28.

The program will be held at JCB’s campus, 2000 Bamford Blvd. in Pooler, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will offer applicants an inside look at JCB, what to expect if chosen, a guide through the application process and first-round interviews for those who meet program qualifications.

The program allows apprentices to enroll in classes at Savannah Technical Institute and gain practical work time at JCB in all areas of manufacturing, including but not limited to electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing operations.

JCB will provide a two-year employment contract to apprentices who successfully complete the program, and they will receive associate’s degrees in their areas. For applicants who are chosen, JCB will fund education and practical training for the duration of the apprenticeship program.

Tonya Poole, JCB’s vice president of human resources, said the company has been pleased with the success of the progream over the last four years.

“This program allows JCB to continually invest in the students and employees who are the future of our company,” Poole said. “Going through this program benefits the students as they learn a trade and have guaranteed employment after graduation and benefits JCB as we have a qualified and trained employee who’s already proven themselves and their dedication to JCB.”

Requirements for the 2016 JCB Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program:

• At least 18 years of age or older.

• High School Diploma/GED.

• Legally permitted to work in the United States.

• Drug free-

• 5-plus year commitment to JCB (apprenticeship program three years, followed by two-year employment contract).

• Provide resume, school transcripts (minimum GPA 2.5), cover letter.

• Successfully gain admittance into Savannah Tech and pass COMPASS.

• Access to reliable transportation.

• Attend classes at an off-site campus.

Anyone interested in attending the apprenticeship fair should send a resume, official school transcript and a cover letter detailing their interest in the program and specific career path to jcbnaresumes@jcb.com by Friday, April 22.

For more information, call 912-447-2000 and ask to speak with Human Resources. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Look out, HBO. Last year, Netflix produced more original programming than cable’s premium-network leader, according to numbers from both companies. The Internet video service isn’t slowing down either, even if means risking subscribers with price increases needed to help pay for more exclusive TV shows and movies.

Since its push into exclusive shows kicked off in earnest with the 2013 debut of “House of Cards,” Netflix has hit the fast-forward button. Last year, it put out 450 hours of original programming, compared to 401 from Time Warner’s HBO. This year, both companies say they expect to release roughly 600 hours of original material.

HBO, of course, is the network Netflix CEO Reed Hastings set out to emulate when his service began charting a course away from streaming TV reruns and previously released movies. Ted Sarandos, the company’s head of programming, famously told GQ back in 2013 that Netflix’s goal was “to become HBO faster than HBO can become us.”

Netflix is aiming to put itself into “an entirely different and supreme league” from its rivals, says Tom Numan, a former TV network and studio executive who now lectures at UCLA’s graduate school of theater, film and television. In effect, he says, the company is aiming to become the first global network for original shows and movies.

Amazon.com, Hulu and other services are scrambling to catch up with their own moves into original programming. Its own original slate is only a quarter the size of Netflix’s, but Amazon.com can boast that its shows won more Emmy awards last year than its rival.

Netflix is counting on a vast library of original programming to help keep subscribers on board as it meets new competition. Amazon, for instance, just started offering its streaming-video service for $9 a month ; previously, you had to sign up for the company’s $100-a-year Prime service, which includes free shipping from its e-commerce site and other goodies.

Amazon is undercutting Netflix’s $10 monthly price for its most popular video-streaming plan, as is Hulu, which charges $8. HBO charges $15 per month for a video-streaming service it launched last year to compete against Netflix.

Netflix will test the loyalty its long-time subscribers next month when it hikes their prices 25 percent, following a two-year freeze that kept rates at $8 per month. The increase will hit 17 million to 22 million U.S. subscribers, based on analyst estimates.

Original programming doesn’t come cheap. The Los Gatos, California, company ended last year with $10.9 billion committed to Internet streaming rights, nearly doubling from $5.6 billion at the end of 2012. Netflix hasn’t disclosed how much of that spending has gone toward original series and exclusive movies, but the percentage has been steadily increasing.

The cost of licensing and overseas expansion has whittled Netflix’s profit margins. In its first-quarter results, released late Monday, the company said it earned $28 million, or 6 cents per share, on revenue of nearly $2 billion. Investors, though, are far more focused the company’s subscriber growth.

So far, the company has delivered. Netflix picked up an additional 6.74 million customers in the first quarter to boost its worldwide audience to 81.5 million subscribers — up from 33 million before the first season of “House of Cards.” Such gains helped propel Netflix’s share price, which has more than quadrupled since then, creating about $36 billion in shareholder wealth.

But the stock price dropped more than 10 percent in extended trading late Monday after the company predicted it would only add 500,000 U.S. subscribers in the second quarter. The conservative forecast reflected the anticipated loss of some longtime subscribers due to the price increase.

There’s a worrisome history here. In 2011, subscribers fled when Netflix split off its DVD-by-mail operation from its burgeoning streaming business, a shift that hiked prices as much as 60 percent for some subscribers.

Netflix lost 3 percent of its U.S. subscribers at the time. A similar reaction to next month’s price increase might cost it 510,000 to 660,000 subscribers in the second quarter.

Analysts think a repeat is unlikely. “I don’t think you are going to see a lot of people bailing out and running for the exits,” said Rosenblatt Securities analyst Martin Pyykkonen — largely because Netflix now has so many shows you can’t find anywhere else.

That original programming appears to be a major draw for many subscribers. In a recent online survey of 2,500 U.S. adults conducted by Morgan Stanley, 45 percent cited it as a reason to subscribe to Netflix.

HBO, however, still has a huge advantage over Netflix in terms of prestige. Last year, HBO won 43 Emmys, more than any other TV network, while Netflix’s original programs garnered just four — one less than Amazon.com.

Emily McCarthy, a Savannah-based lifestyle designer and branding stylist who has built her online business for more than a decade, has opened a new store at 2428 Abercorn St.

The brick-front store is called Emily McCarthy & Co.

“It’s a dream come true to see our virtual shop become a reality and really be immersed in the small-business scene of Savannah,” McCarthy said. “We hope to truly be the one stop where you know you’ll find the perfect gift for anyone — from hostesses, brides, recent grads or best friends.”

The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

For more information, go to www.emilymccarthy.com.

ATLANTA — Trends in economics, consumer behavior, merchandising and regulation are bringing big changes to Georgia, according to experts Tuesday at the Georgia Logistics Summit, as well as some policy challenges.

A steadily growing domestic economy and an emerging middle class abroad means customers for Georgia-made goods, notes Tom Cunningham, economist with the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

“What we do is export high-value-added products. As the rest of the world’s income grows, the consumers are shifting to high-value-added products,” he said.

At the same time, U.S. consumers are increasingly shifting toward e-commerce. That’s prompting retailers to develop distribution centers closer to urban areas to shorten delivery times as more companies promise same-day delivery and free shipping, said Curtis Spencer, president of the IMS Worldwide consulting firm.

The Georgia General Assembly changed policy this year by passing House Bill 935, which exempts the inventory of e-commerce warehouses from local property tax. It is awaiting Gov. Nathan Deal’s signature to become law.

“It will definitely make us competitive over other states,” said Jannine Miller, director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics, which is hosting this week’s conference.

Chris Carr, commissioner of Economic Development, said e-commerce is a targeted segment of the logistics industry.

“If you look as far as the eye can see, e-commerce is critically important,” he said. “We want to be a place companies want to locate and give them every reason to be here. That will help us do that.”

Yet, companies are still building conventional distribution centers to supply their stores. More than 60 of them are seeking 1 million square feet in facilities across the country.

“I think Effingham County is about to see a boom with the distribution centers. The distribution center rate is about a 3-4 percent vacancy rate around Savannah right now,” Miller said.

Creating challenges for the logistics industry are new federal regulations requiring truckers to log their hours behind the wheel electronically, which some observers fear will shrink some capacity and create freight delays.

Also, the U.S. Customs Service just instituted new online tracking of imports that is resulting in added penalties and fines, according to Rhett Willis, president of Savannah-based DJ Powers Co., one of the country’s largest freight brokers.

“It has given us five years of headaches and a lot of gray hair,” he said.

Another challenge is the trucker shortage, which grew by 10,000 last year, and the average driver’s age of 58, Curtis said.

Georgia has addressed the trucker shortage by offering free training at technical colleges.

Labor contracts on the West Coast have halved the price differential for Asian imports between the two coasts, making the all-water routes to Savannah and Brunswick more competitive, Curtis said.

“Hurray for Georgia ports because this is going to raise the boat,” he said.

And overall, the state has tried to accommodate the shipping industry by adding $1 billion yearly to road improvements as a result of last year’s transportation-funding bill. And it’s been a leader in taking advantage of a new federal highway bill that targets freight corridors.

“Between funding the expansion of the Port of Savannah and the world-leading airport in Atlanta, Georgia has recognized that logistics is very important to the state, and we want the industry to know that we know that,” Carr said.

This year, for the first time, I had to the opportunity to attend One Spark (www.onespark.com) just down the road in Jacksonville.

This marked the fourth year of One Spark, which exploded onto the entrepreneurial scene in 2013, attracting more than 130,000 attendees as well as national media attention from sources like Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.

Why the hubbub? One Spark is the world’s first crowdfunding festival. Its mission of “connecting ideas and the resources they need” is a perpetual struggle for entrepreneurs. It is this issue that crowdfunding, and One Spark, aim to solve.

Crowdfunding is “the practice of soliciting financial contributions from a large number of people especially from the online community.”

Platforms such as Kickstarter, established in 2009, Indiegogo, established in 2007, and GoFundMe, established in 2010 — as well as hundreds of others — serve as the medium to connect the “crowds” with the “creators.” One Spark brought these online worlds to life, providing $250,000 of funding in 2013 for which the 406 participating creator projects vied.

Like many startups, One Spark has pivoted a bit since its start. For one thing, it’s shorter with the creator showcase fitting into one day rather than several. For another, it was smaller, with an estimated 70,000 participating in Spark Walk which showcased 63 entrepreneurs and business startups.

Finally, it concluded with the addition of the One Spark Conference — where I spent my time — advertised as “a day for entrepreneurs and everyone who supports innovation in northeast Florida.”

As a first time attendee at One Spark, I thought my time well spent as I learned from the team that put the first 3D printer in space, met engaged entrepreneurs, and had the chance to learn more about Savannah’s neighbor to the south.

Made in Space, in particular, is up to some pretty exciting stuff. According to Space Daily, their 3D printer technology “means objects can actually be manufactured in space, meaning the need to launch components from Earth would be much reduced, making space exploration much cheaper and more efficient.”

I will certainly keep an eye on them and hope to be at One Spark 2017 as well.

With a regional metropolitan population nearing 1.5 million, Jacksonville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is healthy and growing in the right direction.

So there should be good opportunities for Savannah’s local entrepreneurs to make connections down there as well. The Creative Coast, after all, doesn’t need to stop at the state borders to our north or our south.

Think about it. What if Amazon had decided to be Seattle’s delivery service rather than “earth’s most customer-centric company?” There’s no harm in thinking big and taking advantage of opportunities beyond our own backyard.

Many local entrepreneurs fully recognize this. A quick look on Kickstarter reveals more than 10 Savannah-based projects actively seeking funding and there’s another handful on Indiegogo as well.

In 2015 we saw a trio of successful Savannah crowdfunding projects: Paprika Southern and the Bicycle Wrap Skirt achieved full funding on Kickstarter, and Aetho, based out of our very own Creators’ Foundry, received 206 percent of the funding they sought on Indiegogo, for a total of a cool $142,962.

Engaging with local entrepreneurs by exploring, and perhaps supporting, their projects is a great way to see what the creative economy is bringing to the table. Attending something like One Spark is a great way to keep tabs on regional and global entrepreneurship trends. Both steps are fun and helpful, too.

That’s a win-win for everyone.

Emily McLeod Sulkes is the programs manager for The Creative Coast, a not-for-profit organization that promotes the creative and entrepreneurial community within the region. McLeod can be reached at 912-447-8457 or emily@thecreativecoast.org.

The city of Savannah plans to move forward this year with the development of a tourism management plan to try to balance the needs of residents and industry interests.

The city’s 2016 budget includes $20,000 to hire a consultant to facilitate the creation of a plan, while officials also pursue local and national funding support.

Visit Savannah has committed $5,000 toward the effort and has made a request to secure $10,000 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, $5,000 from the Historic Savannah Foundation, $1,500 from the Tourism Leadership Council and $5,000 from the Downtown Neighborhood Association, according to city officials.

Officials at the Tourism Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday discussed the merits of paying almost $50,000 for a consultant to develop the plan.

“We felt it was best to have a neutral person facilitate that in the community,” Bridget Lidy, director of Savannah’s Tourism Management and Ambassadorship department, told the city-appointed board.

But Michael Owens, president and CEO of the Tourism Leadership Council, questioned whether the scope of the study being considered was too limited. More may need to be spent to fund a broader examination of tourism-related issues, considering the size and complexities of the industry, Owens said.

“It just seems to me we are piecemealing it in,” he said. “Let’s start off on the right foot and let that guide the way.”

Eric Meyerhoff, a retired architect, said the idea of hiring a consultant seemed strange to him because an outside agency would probably end up learning more about the city than they could teach.

“I think Savannah as a whole keeps hiring consulting companies to no avail,” Meyerhoff said.

Another board member, David Jones, said a consultant would be able to spend more time developing the plan than city staffers.

More discussion regarding the scope of the plan will occur over the next month, and the city hopes to hire a consultant in the late summer or early fall, Lidy said.

After garnering public feedback as part of the process, city officials hope to have results of the consultant’s work presented in the second quarter of 2017, she said.

Moses Jackson Advancement Center to host job fair

The Moses Jackson Advancement Center, 1410-B Richards St., will host a job fair from 10 a.m. to noon Friday with several local employers participating.

To register, go to www.savannahga.gov/mjacjobfair. For more information, call 912-525-2166.

Fundraising goal set for Leukemia, Lymphoma Society

Enmarket will sell paper icons in its 64 retail stores in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina from April 27 to May 31 to support of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk with a goal of raising $100,000. The walk will take place Oct. 14 in Forsyth Park.

The paper icons will cost $1 and will be displayed on surfaces inside the stores.

Enmarket also will have Full-Service Fridays when its managers will be pumping gas, wiping windows and handing out coupons to try to get donations:

• April 29: Abercorn, 14000 Abercorn St. in Savannah

• May 6: 221 Bobby Jones Expressway in Augusta

• May 13: 2461 Charleston Highway in Aiken

• May 20: 3098 Watson Blvd in Warner Robins

• May 27: 6188 Highway 21 South in Rincon

For more information, go to www.lightthenight.org/ga or call 912-436-3280.

Down Syndrome Society’s event to feature actor

David DeSanctis, the lead actor in “Where Hope Grows,” will join the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) for its 7th annual Night of Champions at 6 p.m. May 12 at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa.

The event celebrates disabled adults, including these with Down syndrome, and recognizes local businesses that employ them.

Celebrity chef Jamie Deen will return as host. Tickets will be $40 each or $400 for a table of 10.

DeSanctis also will appear at a screening of “Where Hope Grows” at 7 p.m. May 11 at the Savannah Arts Academy, 500 Washington Ave.

For more information, go to www.nightofchampions.org.

Construction materials firm schedules grand opening

Vulcan Materials Company, which produces construction aggregates, will have a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new facility April 29.

“The Savannah Sales Yard will be rail served and we have strategically selected and developed this location as it will allow Vulcan to supply aggregate to one of the fastest growing markets in the Southeast,” said Bart Boyd, Vulcan’s Georgia vice president and general manager. “This state of the art facility will be the 25th location for Vulcan in Georgia.”

The event will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 53 Sonny Perdue Dr. in Garden City.

For more information, go to www.vulcanmaterials.com.

ATLANTA — Gov. Nathan Deal said Wednesday he’s been assured federal funding will be adequate to keep the deepening of the Savannah River on schedule even though it’s less than he wanted.

He also announced a new study finding that state funds will reduce congestion delays on highways statewide.

The governor’s comments came as he spoke at the Georgia Logistics Summit, an annual conference drawing 1,700 attendees from the shipping industry.

Earlier this year, Deal had complained that the Obama administration wasn’t asking Congress for enough money for the deepening of the river shipping channel. He said anything less than $90 million would result in delays.

The administration called for $42 million in funding in next year’s federal budget, and congressional budget-writing committees are using that amount in their discussions so far.

Deal told the logistics executives Wednesday that his phone call a day earlier with the general from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in charge of the project included assurances the funding would be adequate.

“As the general pointed out to me yesterday, the $40 million is twice what we got last year,” he said.

Contracts are being let as planned, and none will need to be extended, according to what the general told Deal.

Deal said he also hopes to get money from a federal account allocated to the Corps for harbor improvements but not designated to a particular port.

“We’re not only shovel-ready, we’re dredge-ready, and we’re actually dredging,” he said, alluding to the projects that got priority for federal stimulus funds during the recession. “I feel pretty good that we would be a very high-priority for additional funding from the federal government through that harbor-improvement fund.”

The state has already put $266 million into the deepening to hurry work along.

Highway improvements

The state has also committed to $14 billion in new funding for highway improvements over the next 10 years, and that money will have an impact on the entire statewide road network, according to a new study Deal unveiled Wednesday.

A study by the consulting firm Cambridge Systematics calculated the estimated reduction in congestion from 11 interstate highway projects. For instance, building two, truck-only lanes along 45 miles of Interstate 75 north of Macon will eliminate 40 percent of the backups on that stretch of road. They’ll be the only significant, non-toll, truck-only lanes in any state, he said, and will enhance safety as well as traffic flow.

Widening Interstate 16 in the 12 miles from Interstate 516 to Interstate 95 will shrink delays by 32 percent, according to the study.

“These results are a testament to the positive impact this investment will have on Georgians in the near future and in the long term. This report confirms what we’ve been saying all along — that these projects will move the needle when it comes to driver and freight mobility,” Deal said.

The highway improvements and added maintenance come from a hike in the gasoline tax and a new $5 a night hotel tax passed last year.

“We believe that the cost of doing nothing would have been too great,” he said.

Georgia Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said the study shows the 11 Interstate projects together will result in a total 5 percent improvement in traffic flow across the entire statewide road network.

“They will bring significant improvements to the citizens of Georgia through the innovation of the design/build/finance model while ensuring our existing infrastructure is maintained in a state of good repair,” he said.

Savannah is no stranger to the big screen, but with some of the best state and local production incentives in the country, the film industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years and there’s no sign of its slowing down.

“Savannah has always attracted movies... Production has always loved our location and city,” Beth Nelson, interim Film Services director for the city of Savannah, said Wednesday during the Savannah Downtown Business Association’s monthly luncheon at the Charles H. Morris Center.

Nelson was on hand to share the benefits available to businesses and residents when they partner with production companies, which range from location fees to property upgrades such as painting or repairs.

“And sometimes just having your home, something you’re proud of, captured on film can just go a long way for your family,” she said.

A new website, filmSavannah.org, is also helping connect those with goods and services to Hollywood. The site allows residents and businesses to register their services or homes to let production companies know what resources are available.

“They can see your business before they ever get to town,” she said of the website’s listings. From a rundown shack to a grand mansion, Nelson said production companies need it all, and it’s Savannah’s diverse community and environment that keeps Hollywood calling.

“Savannah has everything you can think of. We can look like southeast Asia, Europe, the jungle anything they want except skyscrapers and mountains,” Nelson said.

Production companies also need smaller services from garbage removal to caterers and medical care, but the most sought after asset are parking lots.

“They all have trucks they need to park, and downtown it’s limited, so if you’ve got a parking lot it’s extremely valuable,” she said. “... It really expands the businesses. When they come here, they live here for three months, so they need everything.”

And while filming has numerous benefits, Nelson urged the businesses and residents to remain realistic with their expectations and take pride in knowing that they’re also supporting the local community.

“Productions pay a fair price, but they don’t have an unlimited supply of money, no matter what the budget is,” she said.

In 2015, major productions such as The Do Over and Magic Mike XXL helped contributed upwards of $59 million to the local economy, and statewide the impact was about $6 billion. To keep that local momentum going, Nelson said, she hopes to see a sound stage built to provide space for sets, one of the only things the area is lacking.

“This is something we need. We’ve got the great locations and they can go out and shoot on location, but they always want to build a set and to do that they need space,” she said.

Production companies have given back to the community in other ways, too, Nelson said. Over the years companies have donated to local charities, contributed to the Lucas Theater restoration project and built a deck for the local VFW post.

“There are so many more things that are done and often times behind the scenes,” she said.

“... They’ve done a lot over the last few years. There’s a huge, long list of what productions do for our community besides just employing people.”

ON the web

For more information on how you can get involved with the Savannah Film Office, go to www.filmsavannah.org.

ATLANTA — The Georgia Ports Authority may develop facilities in neighboring states, outgoing chief Curtis Foltz said Wednesday.

Foltz, the executive director for the last seven years, told 1,700 trucking and shipping executives attending the Georgia Logistics Summit that his agency has identified six regions as candidates for so-called inland ports. If no one else develops them, the Ports Authority will take the lead.

Those are rail yards where containers of freight are transferred between trains and tractor-trailer trucks.

The authority has been involved in the development of two inland ports in recent years, one in Cordele that is already operating and one in Chatsworth where construction is just beginning.

Discussions are underway with third and fourth locations, he said. One would be in the Augusta area where a major shipper, a railroad and city officials are looking for a site and designs to minimize congestion on local roads. He offered no timeline for development.

Another could be out of state.

“Cordele was much more successful than we thought. Cordele kind of woke up every county in Georgia now wanting one of these,” he said. “It doesn’t work that way.”

Locations are based on commercial demand, rail service and local economic-development potential. Reducing truck traffic is the key consideration in each.

“As the supply chain jerks, you’ll see us reach out farther,” he said. “To me, it makes this network of inland facilities more important. … We don’t see ourselves limited in building these in Georgia. We truly see it extending beyond Georgia if it makes sense for the port of Georgia.”

Jannine Miller, director of the state’s Center of Innovation for Logistics, said freight transport demands don’t follow state boundaries anyway and that having inland ports beyond Georgia’s borders could tap additional shipping customers for the port.

“Inland ports can create that access into the Midwest, even more so with the Panama Canal expansion and the (Savannah River) deepening,” she said.

Each of the inland ports will be designed to reflect the local market and geography.

Potential sites are in East Tennessee and Alabama. The Ports Authority has been approached about developing a site in Florida, but Foltz said that may not have enough potential.

Overall, going beyond the state line isn’t the goal.

“That’s not a priority of ours, but all I tell people is we’re not limited by it,” he said.

As a state authority rather than an agency of state government, the Ports Authority is essentially a business owned by the state. It can own property, charge for its services and operate anywhere like any other business.

“Where we’re looking at sites along the borders of Georgia, if it makes sense to move it 30 miles, 50 miles and that happens to be across the border in another state but it’s going to positively attract economic development to the region, that’s what we do,” Foltz said.

He also said there is significant interest in developing additional warehouse space closer to the Port of Savannah. He said he’s seen more commercial real estate activity in the last eight months than in the last 12 years.

One industry report shows 60 companies nationwide are seeking 1 million square feet of warehouse space each this year.

SCAD partners with Comcast on 'campus of the future'

Comcast has announced the launch of Xfinity On Campus, a service that lets students who live on campus at the Savannah College of Art and Design watch live TV and On Demand content on their IP-enabled devices, including laptops, tablets and smartphones.

The service, which is included with room and board for students living in SCAD residences, is now available anywhere on campus.

Students who are off campus can use their university credentials to authenticate and access online programming that’s part of their subscription via TV Everywhere websites and apps such as WatchESPN and FXNOW.

“We are thrilled to bring Xfinity On Campus to the Savannah College of Art and Design,” said Kerry McKelvey, vice president of sales and marketing for Comcast. “The millennial consumer increasingly enjoys their live content on the go, and at their convenience, so today’s announcement will be a welcome addition to the student experience.”

United WebWorks launches website for Landings Association

United WebWorks, a web development and Internet marketing provider, recently launched a new website for The Landings Association.

The company said the new website was created to give users a modern, functional site, eliminating unresponsive features in the existing site, while creating ease-of-use for all community members and the ability to use the site across all technology platforms.

The website includes a unified log-in, a responsive and contemporary design and a community calendar that can handle independent groups within the community.

“When we decided to build a new website from scratch, to replace our old website, we wanted to get the new website as close to perfect as possible,” said Karl Stephens, chief administrative officer and finance director at The Landings Association.

Pet care and adoption fair set for Islands Towne Center

TailsSpin pet food stores will host a pet care and adoption fair May 7 at Islands Towne Center on Whitemarsh Island to benefit local pet rescue agencies and Islands High School.

The fair will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and services available will include low-cost pet vaccinations and heartworm testing provided by Dr. Beth Martin, low-cost pet micro-chipping, pet nail clipping and dog washes.

All of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Islands High School Veterinary Science program and the participating local pet rescue agencies. More than 30 vendors are expected, including groomers, veterinarians, trainers, pet food manufacturers and others.

A number of local area pet rescue agencies are scheduled to appear with pets available for adoption.

New property transfers in Chatham, Bryan and Effingham counties have been added to our database.

Search here by buyer, seller, address, city, zip or month of sale.

All data are public records and are obtained from each county or municipality, unless otherwise sourced. Information fields may vary. 

SAN FRANCISCO — In a sign that Microsoft is still finding its way in the post-PC era, the tech giant reported a surprise drop in quarterly sales and profit.

Wall Street was expecting the company to show positive results from a series of changes that CEO Satya Nadella has been making in Microsoft’s business. Instead, revenue for the January-March quarter fell 6 percent to $20.5 billion, while profit plunged 25 percent to $3.76 billion.

The results came in a week when other industry stalwarts reported their own struggles with major changes in the way people use technology. IBM marked its 16th consecutive quarter of revenue decline, as commercial customers abandon the once-standard model of buying programs to install on their own computers, and instead use more software online. Intel meanwhile said it’s cutting 12,000 jobs, because fewer people are buying PCs that run on its processors.

But many analysts were expecting Microsoft to do better. While sales of personal computers have been sliding for the last four years, Nadella has been working to make Microsoft less dependent on revenue from its flagship Windows operating system, used mostly on PCs.

Microsoft said its revenue from Windows software licenses declined 2 percent in the March quarter, after adjusting for currency fluctuations. That’s better than the overall drop in PC shipments, which analysts at the Gartner research firm estimated at nearly 10 percent.

But revenue from business software and Internet-based services, known as cloud computing, didn’t grow as much as many analysts expected.

Microsoft said it earned 47 cents a share for the fiscal third quarter, or 62 cents after adjusting for one-time charges. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting adjusted earnings of 64 cents a share and revenue of $22.1 billion.

Microsoft shares were down more than 5 percent in after-hours trading, after closing Thursday at $55.78.

SAN FRANCISCO — The owners of nearly half a million polluting Volkswagens in the U.S. will have the option of selling them back to the company or getting them repaired at VW’s expense, under a deal announced Thursday by a federal judge.

The tentative agreement outlined by Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, however, left many questions unanswered, among them: How much can car owners expect in a buyback? Will they be compensated for any reduced gas mileage and performance resulting from a repair? And how soon could the program start?

Breyer, who is presiding over a tangle of litigation created by the VW emissions cheating scandal, said the deal will include “substantial compensation” for owners. But he did not elaborate and warned attorneys in the case not to talk about the continuing negotiations, saying that could cause confusion among customers.

A person who was briefed on the matter but asked not to be identified because the deal had not been made public said Wednesday that Volkswagen would spend just over $1 billion to compensate owners. Elizabeth Cabraser, the lead attorney for hundreds of Volkswagen owners, disputed that figure Thursday but did not offer an estimate of her own.

Details of the agreement are expected to come out over the next couple of months. Breyer set a June 21 deadline for attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department and for Volkswagen owners to file additional paperwork about the agreement.

After that, owners will get the chance to comment before Breyer signs off on any deal.

The scandal erupted in September when it was learned that the German automaker had fitted many of its cars with software to fool emissions tests and had put dirty vehicles on the road. Car owners and the Justice Department sued.

“Although it is too soon to tell whether VW owners will be satisfied, and there are still other liabilities that must be addressed, this is the beginning of the end of the story,” said Michael Steel, an attorney in San Francisco who has advised car manufacturers.

Volkswagen owner Peggy Schaeffer, a North Carolina librarian with a diesel 2010 Jetta SportWagen, said she wanted VW to fix her car when she first heard about the scandal. But the more she hears about potential fixes, the more she prefers the idea of a buyback.

Experts say fixing older-model diesels will be complicated and costly and will probably cut their performance and fuel mileage — two main reasons customers bought them. Breyer did not say how the vehicles would be repaired — whether, for example, it would involve a software fix or new hardware.

Don Marron, a banker and self-described Volkswagen enthusiast from Allentown, Pennsylvania, who owns a diesel 2012 Jetta SportWagen, said he wants VW to offer him about $5,000 in compensation beyond the cost of any repair.

“If the fix turns it into a dog, or it gets 5 to 10 miles per gallon less than it did already, I’m not interested,” he said.

Volkswagen said in a statement after the hearing that the agreement is “an important step on the road to making things right.” The automaker said it “intends to compensate its customers fully and to remediate any impact on the environment from excess diesel emissions.”

The deal affects the owners of about 482,000 Volkswagens with 2-liter, four-cylinder diesel engines, most of them VW Jetta, Golf and Passat models dating to the 2009 model year.

No agreement has been reached yet on Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche diesel vehicles with 3-liter, six-cylinder engines — an additional 90,000 or so vehicles.

Breyer said the agreement will include a fund to deal with the effects of the pollution, and Volkswagen will be required to commit other money to promote green automotive technology.

The deal does not address potential fines and penalties, Breyer said.

In the U.S., the company faces as much as $20 billion in fines for Clean Air Act violations alone, though that will probably be negotiated down.

The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency are also weighing potential criminal charges against the company and senior executives.

Nor does the agreement settle lawsuits by state and local governments, which are seeking billions from VW.

In addition, some Volkswagen dealers have sued over financial losses from diesel cars sitting on their lots that can’t legally be sold until the emissions problems are resolved.

___

Krisher reported from Detroit. Associated Press writers Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit, David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and Michael Biesecker in Washington contributed to this report.

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This story has been corrected to show that the deal covers about 480,000 Volkswagen vehicles, not 600,000.

Planning, partnerships and willingness to adapt to change are a few of the things Al Scott, chairman of the Chatham County Commission, has focused on since being elected three years ago.

“Government isn’t good at planning. Trust me. I know... But without planning we’re headed for two things — layoffs and tax increases,” he said Wednesday at the Tourism Leadership Council’s monthly luncheon at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and Spa on Hutchinson Island.

Scott laid out several issues that are driving him to run for re-election as well as several things he’d like to get done in a second term — even though he stressed that he wasn’t at the event to campaign for himself.

Scott will face challenger Tony Center for the chairmanship of the commission in a May 24 primary election.

Speaking on the recently finalized city and county police merger, Scott defended his decision to veto a move last year that would have ended talks between the two governments and said public safety remains one of his priorities.

“Had I not vetoed it, there would have been no further negotiations, not only with the existing administration, but no negotiations with the new administration,” he said. “I felt it was critical that I veto it, and that’s what I did.”

Scott also said a utilization study is underway to determine what the police staffing level should be in unincorporated Chatham and within the city of Savannah.

“As the chairman of the County Commission I would say that you need a lot more officers than 100,” he said referring to the recent announcement that the Savannah-Chatham police department had added 100 new officers, which means the force is fully staffed for the first time in 16 years.

He said it’s important to remember that the police presence is necessary, in part, because of the millions of tourists who visit the city each year as well as those who travel to the area each day for work.

“I say that to emphasize the fact of planning. There was never any planning in place to address the influx of tourists that we enjoyed and benefited from — and because of no planning, it’s here and we haven’t responded,” he said.

“Planning is critical and crucial, and those are the things I want to continue as chairman.”

He also said local government should focus on issues that will enhance the life of average citizens.

“Do we need more restaurants, more green space? Do we need an arena located on Gwinnett Street? What is it that we need?” he said. “Do we need to build something that’s just going to sit there and be a weekend destination? I say not. And so that’s the reason we need to plan.”

Scott also hopes to see the construction of a new Chatham County Courthouse in the future.

“I don’t live to participate in politics, but (public safety) is an important initiative,” he said. 

They say the only two things in life that are certain are death and taxes.

So it’s fitting that National Healthcare Decisions Day follows tax day each year.

Now in its ninth year, National Healthcare Decisions Day, which took place on April 16, encourages young and old to talk about their end-of-life wishes and to put those wishes in writing.

An advance directive for healthcare is a document that outlines what life-prolonging treatments, if any, you desire in case you are unable to speak for yourself. These treatments may include cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, artificial respirators, feeding tubes and intravenous rehydration.

The document also appoints someone you trust as your proxy to speak on your behalf if you are incapacitated. This person will be able to make healthcare decisions based on how well they know you with regard to anything not covered in your advance directive. Further, you can nominate a person to be appointed your legal guardian should a court ever determine you are in need of one.

Advance directives also may address issues including organ donation, whole body donation to medical schools, funeral and burial arrangements.

According to a recent article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, only 26 percent of people have an advance directive for healthcare.

The study found that most people who did not have an advance directive did not know that they existed, which highlights the importance of National Healthcare Decisions Day. The study found that older people or people with a chronic disease were more likely to have an advance directive, which illustrates the tendency for people to consider this option as death approaches.

Another recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that more than 60 percent of individuals aged 18 years and older want their end-of-life wishes to be respected. But only about a third of them had completed advance directives.

The study found that while people had given thought to the question of end-of-life care, a majority had not completed the forms. Similar to the study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, about a quarter of those who did not have an advance directive said they did not know about them. Others felt they were too young or healthy to complete them.

However, as the theme of this year’s National Healthcare Decisions Day points out, “It always seems too early, until it’s too late.” Death or an incapacitating illness is unpredictable and could come at any time.

Finally, we would like to highlight that some people in the American Journal of Public Health study did not have an advance directive because they were concerned about the cost, complexity, or time that might be required to create one. As with many things in life, the cost, complexity and time of not having an advance directive far outweigh the relatively little cost and time of setting one up.

These documents do not expire, but it is recommended that you update them every couple of years for peace of mind. You will want to make sure that the person whom you designated as your proxy is still the best choice and your family will want to know that your directive still reflects your current wishes.

Richard Barid and Michael Smith are co-founders of Savannah-based Smith Barid LLC, which focuses on estate planning, elder law and special needs planning. They can be reached at 912-352-3999 or richard@smithbarid.com or msmith@smithbarid.com.

Jobless rate drops to 5.1 percent in metro Savannah

Metro Savannah’s unemployment rate for March was 5.1 percent, down from 5.3 percent in February, the Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday. The rate in March 2015 was 5.6 percent.

The rate declined as employers created 1,200 more jobs, pushing the total to 176,100, up 0.7 percent, from 174,900 in February. Most of the increase came in leisure and hospitality, along with professional and business services and education and health services.

Over the year, Savannah gained 7,100 jobs, a 4.2 percent growth rate, up from 169,000 in March 2015. Most of the job gains came in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, education and health services, trade, transportation and warehousing, and state and local government, along with manufacturing.

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 58, or 8.3 percent, to 755 in March. Most of the increase came in accommodations and food service and retail trade.

New University of Georgia facilities to be dedicated

The University of Georgia will have a dedication ceremony for its newest facilities — the Center for Research and Education at Wormsloe cabins — at 4 p.m. today at Wormsloe, 7601 Skidaway Road.

Two new three-bedroom cabins, measuring roughly 1,450 square feet each, will provide lodging for students and faculty involved in experiential learning programs on site.

“UGA and the Wormsloe Foundation have joined forces to support student and faculty research since 1938,” said Sarah Ross, president of the Wormsloe Foundation and director of the UGA site.

Today’s speakers will include UGA President Jere W. Morehead; Don L. Waters, regent of the University System of Georgia; Daniel J. Nadenicek, dean of the College of Environment and Design; and Ania A. Majewska, a student in the Odum School of Ecology.

Foot and ankle medical group opens new office

Antioch Foot and Ankle Group will open a new office Monday at 3840 Waters Ave. with podiatrist Patrick J. Nunan on hand to serve patients.

Dr. J. Alphonso Dandy, CEO of Antioch Foot & Ankle Group, had an office at the same location when he launched Antioch 10 years ago.

Nunan has more than 30 years of practice experience and is the global clinical adviser for the Special Olympics. He served as the podiatry consultant to all sports teams at Wilmington (Ohio) College for 15 years and is the past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 912-200-3152.i

SouthState reports first-quarter net income up 2.4 percent

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South State Corp., parent company of SouthState Bank, reported Friday that its first-quarter net income improved by $568,000 over the same period a year earlier, a 2.4 percent increase.

Other highlights for the three months that ended March 31 include:

• Operating earnings per diluted common share was $1.04 compared to $1.11 in the fourth quarter of 2015.

• Earnings per share (EPS)–diluted was $1.01 compared to $1.05 in fourth quarter 2015.

• Operating earnings were $25 million compared to $23.9 million in first quarter 2015.

• Dividend paid to common shareholders increased by 21.7 percent, or $0.05 per share, since first quarter 2015.

• Net loan growth during the first quarter of 2016 was $160.2 million or 10.7 percent.

Ameris reports net income of $16.5 million in first quarter

MOULTRIE — Ameris Bancorp (Nasdaq: ABCB) on Friday reported operating net income of $16.5 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, for the first three months of the year, compared with $9.8 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, a year earlier.

“We are very pleased with our operating results and performance ratios that our outstanding bankers produced in the first quarter,” said Edwin W. Hortman, Jr., president and CEO. “Even more encouraging is the positive momentum we see going into the second quarter of 2016 and the rest of the year.”

Hortman said the bank also saw growth in spread income and non-interest income and made progress on its efficiency initiatives.

“Lastly, we completed our acquisition of Jacksonville Bancorp, Inc. late in the first quarter which pushed our total assets to approximately $6.1 billion,” he said.

Colony Bankcorp announces 1Q results

Colony Bankcorp Inc. reported net income available to shareholders of $1,656,000, or $0.20 per diluted share for the first quarter of 2016, compared to $1,253,000, or $0.15 per diluted share for the comparable 2015 period.

The 32.16 percent increase in net income was primarily driven by an increase in net interest income and a reduction in preferred stock dividends, the company said.

Colony also finished building a new facility in Tifton and has begun construction of new facilities in Savannah and Statesboro, said Ed Loomis, president and chief executive officer.

HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — The first State of the Jasper Ocean Terminal Luncheon will be Monday, May 2, at Pinckney Hall in Sun City Hilton Head.

Marty Sauls, president of the Jasper County Chamber of Commerce, said he expects a large turnout as officials from both Georgia and South Carolina will present updated reports, projections and plans for the new Jasper County Ocean Terminal — many for the first time.

The event, which starts at 12:30 p.m., is sponsored by the Jasper Ocean Terminal Joint Venture and will include remarks from Jimmy Allgood, vice chairman of the board of directors of the Georgia Ports Authority, and Doug Marchand, retired executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority and now an executive advisor.

In the works for many years, the ocean terminal became a reality five months ago when a joint venture agreement was signed to develop the new terminal on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River.

It will be jointly owned and operated by the port authorities in Georgia and South Carolina.

A work plan for the 2016 fiscal year was adopted in 2015 by the Jasper Ocean Terminal Board of Directors. The plan includes geotechnical studies and conceptual work on terminal design by Moffatt & Nichol, the project manager, and the year is expected to culminate with a permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the new terminal and channel modification study.

The joint project was established initially under an intergovernmental agreement signed in 2008 by the previous governors of Georgia and South Carolina.

“I’m incredibly excited about this luncheon,” Sauls said. “I believe it will open a lot of eyes in the business community in this region about the opportunities that lie ahead. For many years there was speculation this great project would never become a reality.”

Luncheon seating is expected to be limited.

For reservations, call the Jasper Chamber at 843-726-8126. Cost is $25 for the public and $20 for Jasper County Chamber members. Corporate tables are also available.