Wedding venue in Blue Ridge, GA for couples in Albany, GA

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - A local nonprofit looking to combat world hunger and spread the gospel is opening a new production facility in Albany.

“Peanut Better is a nonprofit organization that I had a vision for after many medical mission trips. I was seeing so many kids that were malnourished,” said Dr. Alan Medley, CEO & Founder of Peanut Better. “It’s fortified peanut butter, and so you can think of it as peanut butter that has higher calories, a higher protein content, and it’s fortified with vitamins and minerals.”

It only takes about a spatula filled of ‘Peanut Better’ to feed a malnourished child. With this new production facility opening up in Albany, they’re going to be able to spread ‘Peanut Better’ to more children around the world.

Right now productions are currently overseas in rural Kenya. Steve Nix is the Production Manager for Peanut Better Albany. He says that moving the production operations here will greatly enhance their production capabilities.

“By producing here, it’ll be hands on. We’re in a more safe, secure environment and we’ve got better control over the product that’s being produced. And we can produce more of it here,” said Steve Nix. “We can get more into a mass production type situation here, controlling what we’re producing and prepping it properly for export out of the country. It’s all a matter of again the hands-on control.”

They hope the facility will be open in roughly six weeks.

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Copyright 2025 WALB. All rights reserved.

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - Albany residents are taking their concerns about high utility bills to the Georgia Capitol.

Tuesday, Feb. 18 is also known as “Lobby Day,” and a group of women known as “9 to 5 Georgia” are pushing for Senate Bill 94 to be passed.

Senate Bill 91 would reinstate the Consumer Utility Council. The council was responsible for advocating on behalf of utility-paying customers to the state’s Public Service Commission which sets rates for utilities in the state of Georgia.

The push for the bill comes after several Albany residents came to WALB with concerns about high bills. Some have even shown us bills that have skyrocketed to the thousands.

Just last Thursday, Feb. 13, one Albany resident addressed the city of Albany at a Utility Board meeting to ask for transparency.

“The key points here are extremely high water bills for residents that are suffering economically,” said Gwen Bridges, an Albany resident. “Doing these estimated bills is not feasible.”

Another Albany resident, Diana Brown, says “We are fighting constantly about high utilities.”

“Your light bill being the same rate as your rent is not normal. It’s not something that happens in other cities and other areas. Having this big of a monopoly on how you get power in your home, which is something you need to survive, is not normal. And so, if we continue to document, documentation leads to legislation” said Miranda Mathis, Albany community organizer.

During Lobby Day, the group was able to share documentation with state leaders hoping it would inspire them to support the passing of the bill.

Albany officials say they have been experiencing challenges with installing a new meter system that may be contributing to high utility bills. If anyone believes they’ve received an overcharged utility bill, they’re encouraged to contact the city of Albany Utilities Department at (229) 883-8330.

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To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2025 WALB. All rights reserved.

ALBANY – Shortly after a year filled with powerful hurricanes, a near drought period and earning the title of the world’s warmest year on record ended, southwest Georgia was blanketed in snow.

Pam Knox, director of the University of Georgia’s weather network, said the weather event was unusual but not unprecedented.

“If you look at the temperature pattern across the globe, we are sitting under a massive spot of extremely cold air that’s coming from the Arctic,” she said. “Everywhere else on the globe is much warmer than usual, but we’re under this one small area that happens to be affecting us.”

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Parts of southwest Georgia saw as many as 9 inches of snow accumulate Tuesday leading into the early hours of Wednesday as a historic snow storm hit the southern U.S.. Schools closed, counties enforced curfews and law enforcement officials warned Georgians to stay off the road because of icy conditions. Some farmers braced for the storm.

Knox said luckily there is not a lot growing currently.

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“In some respects, it’s a good thing because usually in a La Nina winter, we’re drier than normal,” she said. “This is bringing much-needed moisture into the area that will be useful once we go into the growing season in about April.”

La Nina causes the jet stream to move north and weaken over the eastern Pacific. This means warmer and drier conditions in the South and wetter and colder ones in the North and Canada. This year’s La Nina has been very weak and didn’t appear officially until early January, Knox said.

Knox said the extreme colds also could kill off insect pests and plant diseases, meaning less chemicals needed to fight them off during the growing season.

Still, she said blueberry farmers, especially those in north Florida, as well as citrus farmers will be the most impacted by the snow storm.

Tyler Adams, a farmer who grows blueberries in Edison, said he saw about 7 inches of snow on his land. He said the timing of this snow storm means his blueberry crop was saved. As far as stages of bloom go, Adams said he had a few plants in Stage 3, which are more susceptible to freeze.

“Those were going to be the blueberries that didn’t make it no matter what,” he said. “It wouldn’t have been something that I wanted to run freeze protection on. We just kind of hunkered down.”

Had this storm come three weeks to a month later, Adams said, it would be a different story.

“I think all of us would be in bloom or … getting really close to being in bloom,” he said.

To prepare for a worrisome freeze event and protect his crops from freezing, the farmer uses a large pump to spray water over his field through sprinklers, delivering 135 gallons of water per minute per acre. As the water freezes, it forms a layer of clear ice around the plants, providing insulation. The freezing process releases a small amount of heat, keeping the temperature of the plants at around 33°F, just above freezing. If the ice stops forming — due to power failure or pump issues — the plants could freeze and be destroyed.

Adams said a frost-damaged blueberry crop looks like nothing for the first couple of days and then transforms into a wilting plant. The frost damages the plant’s vascular system, which moves water and nutrients. Eventually, he said it would almost look like the plant had gone through a drought.

“It’s just kind of a crazy phenomenon,” he said. “I can just guarantee in a month, there’s going to be a freeze come through, and I will have to run the pump.”

Adams said weather events like these present challenges.

“As a farmer, you try to just do everything you can to mitigate these types of circumstances,” he said. “But in the end, it’s going to be kind of what nature wants, and we’re at its mercy.”

As far as citrus goes, Mary Sutton, a UGA citrus extension specialist, said farmers won’t be able to tell the full extent of damage to their trees until a couple of weeks from now.

Citrus trees, especially young ones, are susceptible to freeze. A December 2022 freeze in Georgia significantly reduced the state’s 2023 citrus production. Georgia’s acreage dropped from 3,262 to 3,032 at the time.

Sutton said there was a lot of warm weather leading up to the December 2022 freeze, meaning trees weren’t acclimated to the cold weather. This year, she said there’s been enough colder temperatures that the trees were a bit more hardy facing this week’s snow storm.

“Farmers weren’t too worried about the temperatures,” she said. “They were nervous about the snow. Citrus doesn’t see snow very often, so everybody just wasn’t sure what to do with it. Honestly, we don’t really know what to expect the long-term damage to be because of the snow.”

One positive, Sutton said, is that this was the best time for a freeze to happen because most citrus trees are in a dormant state where most farmers have gotten all the fruit off their trees and new blooms haven’t sprouted.

Freeze damage can lead to leaf and wood injury and dried-out, hollow fruit. To prepare for a freeze, citrus farmers may modify their irrigation systems to raise up the water, wetting the entire trunk and lower limbs. Well water is warmer and therefore creates a protective layer. Maintaining a healthy tree throughout the year with good nutrition and irrigation practices set trees up to be “at their best.”

Farmers also can put trunk covers to protect the trunk and reduce damage.

“As long as there’s some of that woody trunk tissue left, usually the trees can bounce back even if they’ve lost their entire canopy,” Sutton said.

She said as farmers assess damage, they’ll look at the number of leaves that are left and check on younger branches that emerged last summer or fall.

“That would be what’s supporting this next season of growth,” she said.

But, they’ll also look at cracks and splits along trunks and structural branches.

“That damage will be what affects it in the future,” she said. “If we have another hurricane or another freeze in the future, those weakened spots will be more likely to get damaged again.”

Sutton said it’s important for farmers assessing damage to refrain from pruning out dead wood.

“You should wait until the spring because if you start pruning, you’re making open wounds,” she said. “If we have another freeze like this, you’ve now made susceptible tissue.”

Knox said it’s possible the region gets hit with a freeze or snow event in the spring. She said some of the bigger snows in Georgia occurred in February and March, including the blizzard of 1993, which stretched across the state.

“Whether or not it happens this year, it’s really hard to predict because it’s a weather event,” she said.

Knox said scientists are studying whether a warming climate will make the Earth more susceptible to extreme weather events.

“There’s some speculation that as we get warmer, we’re going to get these events more often because the polar vortex … is going to become less stable,” she said.

Sutton said each extreme weather event is a new lesson.

“It helps us learn what to do for the next time,” she said.

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Lucille Lannigan

Lucille Lannigan began working for The Albany Herald as a Report for America corps member in July 2023. At The Herald, she focuses on underreported issues impacting southwest Georgian communities that have been economically hard hit in the last decade, highlighting problems and solutions. She’s a Floridian and graduated from the University of Florida’s journalism college in 2023, where she wrote and served as metro editor for the student-run newspaper, The Independent Florida Alligator. Her work has been recognized by the Hearst Journalism Awards, the Online News Association and the Society of Environmental Journalists.

Read Lucille’s stories.

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The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) voted today to name Dr. Robert Scott as the sole finalist for president of Albany State University (ASU).

Dr. Scott currently serves as president of research and development at The Kraft Heinz Co., where he has worked since 2021 and is responsible for a $120 million operating budget to drive innovation, organizational effectiveness and lead transformational initiatives within the company. Prior to his work at Kraft Heinz, Dr. Scott was a divisional vice president at Abbott Nutrition and vice president at The Coca-Cola Co. Previously, he was a biology professor at Norfolk State University and an associate dean at Boston College and at Spelman College.

“Dr. Scott is an exceptional candidate, a results-driven leader whose vast research, higher education and corporate experience will help strengthen ASU’s impact in the community and across the state,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “He has a unique blend of academic and industry acumen, traits that will nurture Albany State’s vital role as a regional workforce leader while celebrating its importance as a premier HBCU in Georgia.”

Dr. Scott’s higher education leadership has included overseeing curriculum development, securing research funding and mentoring future leaders — all with an eye toward student success.

“Thank you to the board and Chancellor Perdue for the honor of being considered for this critical position at Albany State University,” Dr. Scott said. “As both a first-generation graduate and long-standing advocate for historically Black colleges and universities, I’m deeply committed to advancing Albany State’s mission of fostering educational excellence and serving as a catalyst for economic growth in Southwest Georgia. Our ability to thrive as a university depends on how well we align the needs of our students, industries, government and the broader community. We will seek partnerships and prioritize programs that bring real value to our students, our faculty and the region we serve.”

Dr. Scott previously worked on a wide range of product solutions and led the development of products for Abbott Nutrition. Prior to that, Dr. Scott helped The Coca-Cola Co. deliver consumer-centric product innovations, as well as packaging solutions to support environmental and sustainability goals. Dr. Scott also worked for Procter & Gamble as a senior scientist.

“Dr. Scott’s expertise in research and leadership, along with his academic experience, will be key in advancing Albany State University as a leader in talent development, industry partnerships and an economic engine for the Albany area and Southwest Georgia,” said former Regent Bárbara Rivera Holmes, chair of the Albany State University Presidential Search Committee. “His commitment to student success and to collaboration with faculty, staff, alumni and the community positions him to lead effectively from day one. We are excited to welcome Dr. Scott to Albany, where his leadership will drive economic growth and continue to build the region’s modern, adaptive and globally competitive workforce.”

Dr. Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Norfolk State University and a Ph.D. in biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

ASU is one of three public HBCUs in Georgia. It has a $266 million economic impact on the Albany area, fostering economic development and a strong workforce that attracts and retains large-scale employers to the region.

The university has been led by interim President Lawrence Drake since July 1, 2024. Drake replaced President Marion Ross Fedrick, who now serves as executive vice president and chief of staff to the president of Georgia State University.

The Board will take action on the position at a future board meeting no sooner than five days from naming a finalist.

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ALBANY – The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia voted Monday to name Robert Scott as the sole finalist for president of Albany State University.

Scott currently serves as president of research and development at The Kraft Heinz Co., where he has worked since 2021 and is responsible for a $120 million operating budget to drive innovation, organizational effectiveness and lead transformational initiatives within the company. Prior to his work at Kraft Heinz, Scott was a divisional vice president at Abbott Nutrition and vice president at the Coca-Cola Co. Previously, he was a biology professor at Norfolk State University and an associate dean at Boston College and at Spelman College.

“Dr. Scott is an exceptional candidate, a results-driven leader whose vast research, higher education and corporate experience will help strengthen ASU’s impact in the community and across the state,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “He has a unique blend of academic and industry acumen, traits that will nurture Albany State’s vital role as a regional work force leader while celebrating its importance as a premier HBCU in Georgia.”

Scott’s higher education leadership has included overseeing curriculum development, securing research funding and mentoring future leaders — all with an eye toward student success.

“Thank you to the board and Chancellor Perdue for the honor of being considered for this critical position at Albany State University,” Scott said. “As both a first-generation graduate and long-standing advocate for historically black colleges and universities, I’m deeply committed to advancing Albany State’s mission of fostering educational excellence and serving as a catalyst for economic growth in southwest Georgia.

” Our ability to thrive as a university depends on how well we align the needs of our students, industries, government and the broader community. We will seek partnerships and prioritize programs that bring real value to our students, our faculty and the region we serve.”

Scott previously worked on a wide range of product solutions and led the development of products for Abbott Nutrition. Prior to that, he helped the Coca-Cola Co. deliver consumer-centric product innovations, as well as packaging solutions to support environmental and sustainability goals. Scott also worked for Procter & Gamble as a senior scientist.

“Dr. Scott’s expertise in research and leadership, along with his academic experience, will be key in advancing Albany State University as a leader in talent development, industry partnerships and an economic engine for the Albany area and southwest Georgia,” said former Regent Bárbara Rivera Holmes, chair of the Albany State University Presidential Search Committee. “His commitment to student success and to collaboration with faculty, staff, alumni and the community positions him to lead effectively from Day 1. We are excited to welcome Dr. Scott to Albany, where his leadership will drive economic growth and continue to build the region’s modern, adaptive and globally competitive work force.”

Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Norfolk State University and a Ph.D. in cell biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

ASU is one of three public HBCUs in Georgia. It has a $266 million economic impact on the Albany area, fostering economic development and a strong work force that attracts and retains large-scale employers to the region.

The university has been led by interim President Lawrence Drake since July 1, 2024. Drake replaced President Marion Ross Fedrick, who now serves as executive vice president and chief of staff to the president of Georgia State University.

The board will take action on the position at a future meeting no sooner than five days from naming the finalist.