TODAY’S FEATURED STORY
Savannah spends $489K on ShotSpotter but doesn’t keep data on effectiveness
Herring preps for battle with Rep. Carter. Will Black voters back him?
‘It’s not a religious service’: Are prayers after football games harmless?
Let’s get there together.
Subscribe to our newsletters, delivered three times weekly to your inbox.
georgia
Federal court requests new briefs in Georgia abortion law case
Georgia Power looks to raise rates 12% by 2025
Kemp’s endorsement from anti-LGBTQ organization prompts backlash
REFERENCE POINTS
Georgia U.S. House District 1 Watch: Buddy Carter
Follow key votes, funding sources, speeches, social media, legislation
Georgia U.S. Senate Watch: Ossoff, Warnock
Follow key votes, funding sources, speeches, social media, legislation
Your news: Choose wisely
Quizzes, videos, discussion points to help us all make decisions based on facts, not fiction.
Support our publication
Your donation today supports in-depth journalism for Coastal Georgia.
ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE
Savannah to build new interpretive nature trail as part of proposed Wetlands Preserve Park
The Savannah City Council has approved funds for the development of an interpretive nature trail just west of downtown.
Federal trial starts claiming Black voters disenfranchised by Georgia PSC elections
Attorneys for the plaintiffs Monday laid out plans to prove that the state’s systemic racial dilution violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black Georgians represent more than 30% of the voting age population, yet have not had a candidate they overwhelmingly support elected in the last decade.
State suspends permit applications for titanium mine near Okefenokee Swamp
Georgia EPD will assess permits and review process for applications in the future. Twin Pines Minerals has said it will reapply for permits to mine.
Georgia Power hit with second lawsuit over Plant Vogtle
Oglethorpe Power freezes its costs to complete Plant Vogtle
Georgia Power to retire some coal units this year but backs off battery storage
Could less parking mean more housing? Some say yes.
ELECTIONS
U.S. House members warned about disinformation in upcoming campaigns
Redistricting left 2 PSC candidates out of their districts. One got to keep her candidacy, one didn’t.
Quick look: Coastal Georgia runoff races of note
Investigation finds improper FEC filing by Joyce Griggs, ahead of Democratic runoff for GA-1
Georgia’s high-dollar election campaigns now waged in your social media feeds
DeKalb County vote system problems spark challenges in Chatham
Kemp taps retired U.S. judge to chair State Elections Board
Raffensperger testifies before grand jury probe of 2020 Trump election meddling
PUBLIC HEALTH
Georgia COVID-19 daily statistics
Kemp OKs expanded Medicare coverage for new moms, rejects it for HIV
Georgia’s rural hospitals are holding on. But communities where they’ve closed face a brutal reality
politics
Your County Officials, Services
Want to give cheers or a complaints or a suggestion? Want to attend council or commission meetings, or just find out about garbage services or complain about potholes? Click on your county to get started.
DATA
Follow News Through Data with 538
Fivethirtyeight.com is a website that tells stories and news through statistical analysis using reliable, credible data to do it. Click here each day for new stories in politics, science, economics and more.
GOVERNING
Find Out What’s on the Agenda
Click here to see this week’s lineup of what’s being proposed and what’s up for discussion on various committees, boards and councils that represent you.
EDUCATION
Georgia will report less education data for the third year in a row
Missing support: Students, psychologists say existing mental health resources aren’t enough
Georgia teacher task force finds burnout from pandemic fatigue, micromanagement
White parents rallied to chase a Black educator out of town. Then, they followed her to the next one.
Cash pours in for Savannah-Chatham school board races
Georgia school teachers rework lesson plans to comply with culture war laws
6 takeaways from 20 polls on race discussions in classrooms
Georgia college students learn hard economics lessons as cost of living rises
Spaceport Camden leader continues job hunt in Florida
Camden leader was a finalist for a Florida job for the second time this year
Mining company sues Army Corps over project near Okefenokee
Mining company sues Corps of Engineers over Okefenokee permitting setback saying that agency made new policy in consulting with Native Americans about the project.
The Tide: Runoff debates set June 6
Statewide runoff Democratic candidates for three offices will participate in live debates.
The Tide: Presentation shows segregated history of Savannah facilities, parks
Documents show racial segregation was codified as park benches were ordered moved to stop Black people from enjoying them in parks to planning documents that show facilities…
Tybee bans beach smoking
Tybee Island passed an ordinance to ban smoking on its beaches, crosswalks and pier effective June 1, 2022.
The Tide: Camden leader job hunts in Florida without spaceport on his resume
The Tide: Taxes and the .001%
Prosecution, defense rest in Arbery hate-crimes trial
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Mass shootings leave behind collective despair, anguish and trauma at many societal levels
In addition to those who experience direct loss, such events also take a toll on others, including those who witnessed the shooting, first responders, people who were nearby and…
Katrina survivors were told they could use grant money to rebuild. Now they’re being sued for it.
After Hurricane Katrina, struggling homeowners said, they were told not to worry about the fine print when they received grants to elevate their homes. Now the state is going…
Historic report on Federal Indian Boarding Schools finds two in Georgia, 400 nationwide
Federal Indian boarding school system had 2 Georgia sites where children were taken from families and attempted to assimilate them through education, punishment. Many never returned home.
Hottest year since ’84: who benefited in 4 charts
Measuring by net worth, it’s likely that the vast majority of Americans are better off than they were in 2020 – or even before the COVID-19 pandemic – meaning…
Working together
FROM THE CURRENT
Some Georgia tax credit scholarships go to anti-LGBT schools
Websites of 100 SSO scholarship schools in Georgia and found 15 with explicitly anti-gay policies. Many others assert religious stances but do not specifically mention homosexuality.
Red flags about Savannah’s concrete industry reveals wrongdoing
Ten years ago a Savannah whistleblower alerted federal authorities to a cartel costing Georgia taxpayers millions of dollars. This month, U.S. attorneys won their first admission of guilt.
Scholarship Tax Credit Program: $600M with little oversight
With no data or complaint process to guide, Georgia’s School Scholarship Organizations have shifted more than $600 million from state coffers to scholarships at private schools around the state – including more than 40 in the Savannah area.
Brunswick residents living next to a Superfund site worry about cleanup 40 years later
Brunswick is surrounded by toxic industrial sites that threaten humans, fish and waterways. Residents want more accountability.
Robberies keep violent crime top of mind for many Savannahians
American cities are suffering a gun-fueled crime wave, and Savannah is no different. Violent crime is at a 10-year high, according to Savannah Police Department statistics.
‘It seemed like our lives didn’t matter.’
Generations of Black residents in Brunswick and Glynn County moved away to find opportunity and equality. A Better Glynn wants to improve things at home instead.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTERS
Two notes each week bring you timely, in-depth environment notes and a roundup of news and ideas to help make our communities stronger.