Around Town: Three Area Residents Have a Real Vote on Biden's Future.

Since just after 9 p.m. Thursday, as a hoarse Joe Biden spoke in the first debate with Donald Trump, some began issuing code red alarms on whether the president had the energy to serve another four-year term.

You wouldn’t need a poll to assess the assessment among Rome/Floyd County voters. Trump carried 69% to 70% of the vote in the last two presidential elections here and more of the same is forecast for Nov. 5 no matter who’s on the Democratic side.

But three people in our community have a real vote on who that Democrat will be, now that the primaries are over.

As both a superdelegate and a member of the Democratic National Committee, Rome’s Wendy Davis will be in Chicago Aug. 19-22 where Biden is expected to be the nominee.

Also selected as a District 14 delegate is Meg Franklin of Rome, an artist and finance manager. Joining them, courtesy of an election by fellow Democrats, is Vinny Olsziewski of Rome, a 40-year advocate of disability rights.

Davis has watched the headlines since Thursday night, including a stunning chorus of “Step down, Joe” stunting — err, editorials — by some newspapers with both national and regional audiences.

She’s undeterred — even if she was hired in recent weeks to serve as women and rural engagement manager for the Democrats Coordinated Campaign in Georgia.

Likewise holding steadfast is Olsziewski, who adds: “The debate did not change how I feel about the president one bit. He had my 100% support on Wednesday and still had my 100% support on Friday. What’s important is what he has done — create good paying jobs, lower the cost of prescription drugs including insulin, and invest in rebuilding our infrastructure. A substantial amount of that investment coming here to Northwest Georgia.”

He went on to compare Biden’s record to Trump, adding, “To me, the choice was clear before the debate and it only got clearer after the debate.”

Trump is the presumptive candidate before the GOP convention in Milwaukee in under two weeks.

Biden, Trump or players to be named later, there’s a lot to watch in the four months to election day

With interest

As the second half of the year begins, two updates from Rome-area financial institutions:

Calhoun opens: Coosa Valley Credit Union’s♦ latest office, at 375 S. Industrial Blvd., is now open. The hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 6 p.m. on Friday and the drive-in lanes opening at 8:30 a.m. each weekday. The ribbon-cutting for the new Fort Oglethorpe office was held last month.

Dallas branch rising quickly: The newest office of First National Community Bank♦ , just off Ga. 278 are you enter Dallas from the north, is quickly coming together. Look for a mid to late August opening if current plans hold.

Jobs jolt

We heard more than a few questions in recent weeks about the latest reports from the Georgia Department of Labor. At issue: The surge in new jobs.

♦ For Rome/Floyd County, the May 2023 to May 2024 jump was 3,400 jobs, to a total of 47,700.

♦ For the region, which spreads beyond the Floyd/Bartow/Gordon/Polk borders, the jump was 12,958 jobs. Again, May vs. May.

♦ Even odder: The unemployment rate ticked up slightly in most area counties in May compared to the same month a year earlier and from April of this year.

The region is seeing an influx of new jobs with 5,500 more due as the SK On/Hyundi battery plant underway on U.S. 411 west of Cartersville and Qcells plant continue to come on line. We’re already seeing “second- and third-tier” jobs from both by way of suppliers and such.

But we admit to likewise pausing a few minutes when the labor reports came in.

Peaks & Valleys

The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia

A five-ring peak to local Olympian Brody Malone: He’s qualified for his second Olympics as a member of the U.S. men’s gymnastics team. From his bio: “After just missing the podium to take fourth place on the horizontal bar in Tokyo, Malone will be looking to... take his first piece on Olympic hardware... he has six national all-around titles, with the most recent being from the 2024 U.S. Gymnastics Championships... The victory came after he had multiple surgeries on his right leg less than two years prior... “ Malone, a Trion High grad, has ties to Cartersville and Rockmart as well.

Valley to another election concern: Ageism. Many paused Thursday when Donald Trump talked about “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs” as race is an issue in the ‘24 presidential election. But most ignored another issue: ageism. Joe Biden’s performance was bad (see Obama and Bush) with too many editorials calling for a presumed aged-out Biden to step aside. Is age an issue, with an 81-year-old incumbent and 78-year-old challenger? Sure. But should it be? We live in an era with a very prolific Pope Francis who is 87; a much-sought-out businessman Warren Buffett is 93; everything expert Martha Stewart is 82; robust former Gov. Nathan Deal is 81; and the late senior federal court Judge Harold L. Murphy served until his death at age 95. We agree with a wise lobbyist who once told us when flying, “I look for some gray on the pilot’s temple.” Old folks rock!