New research by Turner College economist Frank Mixon and Spencer Eli Kagan of the University of California – Berkeley examining surfers' responses to the decision by California governmental authorities to close multiple access ramps connected to the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) for months after containment of the 2025 Pacific Palisades fires, which resulted in the loss of access to some of southern California’s high-quality surf breaks, is now set for publication in a 2027 issue of the American Journal of Economics and Sociology . As indicated in our 27-March-2026 post about this study , Mixon and Kagan point out that in response to beach closures, many Los Angeles area surfers migrated to open breaks, thus increasing congestion at these surf breaks. The added congestion caused by the migration tested the social norms that traditionally govern surf break utilization. Thus, as Mixon and Kagan argue, the migration of surfers in response to the California wildfires serves as somewhat ...
Columbus State University contributed over $322 million to the regional economy in fiscal year 2025, marking nearly a 7% rise from the previous year, as detailed in a new economic impact report by Jeffrey Humphreys, Director of the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. “As a leading state university in Georgia, we are dedicated to helping make the Chattahoochee Valley a thriving and economically prosperous community,” stated Stuart Rayfield, President of CSU. “Our students and their success are central to this mission. As they study, graduate and make their homes in the area, they drive local innovation and prosperity.” CSU’s FY25 economic impact of $321.9 million sets a new high for the university and contributes to the University System of Georgia’s record $25.1 billion annual economic impact — an 8.9% rise compared to last year. The university's influence on its seven-county West Georgia service area — Chattahoochee, Harris, M...