The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA

Local News

October 1, 2008

Small business centers merged

Budget cuts have led to the merger of the University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Centers in Dalton and Rome.

“Tuesday was the last day of operations for the Georgia Highlands College office, and as of this morning, the operations are consolidated and will be up here in Dalton,” Georgia SBDC area director Peter Matthews said Wednesday.

“Instead of eight counties served out of Dalton, we now have 12 counties (including Whitfield and Murray). We’ve taken on Bartow, Floyd, Gordon and Chattooga counties,” he added.

Matthews said the two offices formerly had six staffers serving 14 counties. The combined office will have three people serving 12 counties. Polk and Paulding counties, which were served by the Rome office, were moved into a different service area.

“The people who actually speak with us will not see a whole lot of difference. There will be some longer times waiting to be able to get assistance,” he said. “The community leaders, the organizations we work with, are probably going to be the ones who see it the most.”

Melanie Suggs, executive director of the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority, says the merger will affect local entrepreneurs.

“We at least are somewhat relieved that they are going to be based here,” she said. “But anytime you cut assistance for small businesses that hurts our local entrepreneurs.”

The Georgia SBDC Network provides low cost training and free consulting services, including assistance with business plan development, market analysis and marketing strategies, financial analysis, compliance and legal issues, and preparation of loan submissions for individuals who want to start their own businesses or expand an existing one.

Matthews says the Dalton office, at Dalton State College, assists more than 200 business owners a year. It can be reached at (706) 272-2700.

Local News
  • nhms recycling assembly1.jpg New Hope Middle awarded recycling cart

    Recycling Ben, mascot for the Target Recycling program, presented the seventh-grade class at New Hope Middle School an award for having the highest recycling rate during the second quarter of the 2009-2010 school year.

    March 17, 2010 1 Photo

  • Brochu: ‘They came to me and recruited me’

    Whitfield County Schools Superintendent Katie Brochu didn’t apply to become superintendent of a South Carolina school district — she was recruited there, she said.

    March 17, 2010

  • mc baseball field.jpg Murray high schools reach field use agreement

    John Raley is not happy North Murray High School is being charged $200 per baseball game to play at Appalachian Community Bank Stadium, Murray County High School’s home field.

    March 17, 2010 1 Photo

  • David Akins2.jpg Dalton native earns Seabee honor

    Cynthia Pendley said she and her family were “shocked” when her brother, David Akins, came home and told them he had enlisted in the Navy at age 19.

    March 17, 2010 1 Photo

  • Name not released by Whitfield school system

    The Whitfield County Board of Education is scheduled to hold a public hearing Thursday under the Georgia Fair Dismissal Act.

    March 17, 2010

  • Residents wary of scams

    Dalton Police cited two men on Wednesday for trying to sell magazine subscriptions for troops deployed overseas without a city license.

    March 17, 2010

  • Dawn seeks to change guilty plea

    A personal care home manager who was sentenced to prison for stealing drugs from senior residents has asked for a hearing to change his plea to not guilty.

    March 17, 2010

  • Stephens says voters are concerned about future

    Voters are very concerned “and even a little bit scared” about where the United States is going as a country, says former Georgia Senate Majority Leader Bill Stephens.

    March 17, 2010

  • DPD looks for “hot” wheels

    The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating and identifying a thief who stole a set of Ballistic-brand wheels worth $3,000 from the bed of the owner’s truck on March 3.

    March 17, 2010

  • Habitat groundbreaking Saturday

    The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 1791 Carter Drive on Saturday at 9 a.m. to launch the building of a home for the Edgar Gutierrez family. The George R. Johnson Foundation is sponsor for the building of this house.

    March 17, 2010

Community Calendar

Loading…
Events by eviesays.com

AP Video