For families with small tots, diapers are a necessity but they’re not cheap. Babies can sometimes need up to 12 diapers a day at a cost that can exceed $100 a month. One in three families struggles to pay for their diapers and some must choose between diapers and food. To address the problem, Sheltering Arms, Georgia’s largest nonprofit early education provider, has put out the call for diaper donations to help the state’s most vulnerable families. The organization’s Embrace Early Diaper Drive continues through Aug. 30 and urges Georgia residents to contribute in three ways: Hosting a drive at

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao spoke at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce 2019 Congressional Luncheon Aug. 13. Chao spoke about modifying over-regulation without compromising safety or the environment and promised big infrastructure projects to come, promoting the Savannah Harbor Extension Project and calling Georgia’s ports a “critical multimodal access point to global markets.” She also touted non-traditional transportation such as re-useable rockets and drones capable of carrying passengers. “Washington could learn a lot from Georgia,” Sen. David Perdue said at the event, about the state’s tax structure and regulatory environment that actually works. He also announced $189 million in

Gainesville-based Pro-GeneX and Pro-GeneX Laboratories are working to make a dent in the opioid addiction crisis by offering a tool – for physicians and patients – that will help gauge a person’s propensity for addiction before the prescription is ever written. Pro-GeneX is already making its mark in pharmacogenomics, which is a relatively new field that addresses how genes affect a person’s response to drugs. The company works with physicians who want analyses of patients’ DNA to develop individualized treatment and medication plans. In a collaborative effort with PharMerica, which provides pharmacy management services for skilled nursing and long-term care

The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) Foundation recently received a $45,000 donation from West Point-based Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) to support students in the state’s technical colleges. A portion of the donation will be applied to TCSG’s Last Mile Fund, which provides support to students who would otherwise not be able to continue their education because of financial barriers. In addition, part of the donation will fund the Georgia Occupational Award for Leadership (GOAL) program, which recognizes college students’ outstanding personal achievements and excellence in technical education. One student from each of Georgia’s 22 technical colleges is selected

University of North Georgia (UNG) is the site of cutting-edge research into using drones to map terrain. Professor Emeritus JB Sharma of UNG’s department of physics assembled a team of faculty, staff and students to produce a detailed digital elevation model of the university’s Gainesville campus. The project resulted in a book that will highlight industry best practices in using small drones for map work. Sharma edited the book, Applications of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Best Practices and Case Studies, and collaborated with students and faculty to write one of its chapters. Drone technology leaders from Georgia Tech, the University