Sunday Solutions — Oct. 6, 2024
Good morning! First things first: Tomorrow is the last day to register to vote. If you are registered, check your registration status at this link now. …. OK, now that you’ve done that, let’s talk Hyundai’s first car, news updates, storm recovery, data and food prices. Get your fork ready for this meaty lineup.
NEWS: GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
First car from Hyundai
And just like that, 24 months after the groundbreaking, an electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 rolled off the assembly line Thursday at the Hyundai Metaplant in north Bryan County. It was met with a quiet ceremony for employees, but it puts in motion billions in taxpayer credits invested in the promises of jobs and higher wages for the area. Here’s a look at the momentous event and some context on what expedited timeline has meant.
NEWS: WEATHER
Hurricanes and resilience
Fall arrived and brought trouble in the form of Hurricane Helene, Coastal Georgia’s second nasty tropical storm this year. As of Saturday, Georgia Power and the state’s Electric Membership Cooperatives were still battling thousands of line breaks and downed trees with crews borrowed from across the country. While we’ve been cleaning up and waiting on basic services, others are looking to see what we can learn from it all. This story from Governing.com looks at actions cities and states can take to prepare for the next storms as climate change continues to fuel disastrous weather events. Want to see what Georgia state officials are discussing? You’re in luck: The Joint Senate and House Disaster Mitigation and Resilience committees are meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Savannah in the Chatham County Court House, 124 Bull St. Can’t go? It will be livestreamed at this link.
PODCAST: ELECTIONS
Listen up! Number 3 is here, and it’s our meatiest yet.
This week’s podcast dives into details of hand counting ballots, voter purges and challenges, and how those statewide measures are playing at the local level (Hint: not well). Hear from national experts, local election boards, and change makers from both sides of the aisle on why these last minute measures matter. Democratic and Republican lawsuits, a voting rights activist with her own vote challenged — it’s all here.
NEWS: UPDATES
Reads from the week
- Exclusive body camera footage shows Savannah officer killing of Saudi Lee: Former Savannah Police officer Ernest Ferguson gets a bond hearing Tuesday on criminal charges for shooting Saudi Lee in 2022. Lee’s family is suing the City of Savannah and Ferguson in civil court. Read reporter Jake Shore’s account of the bodycam video.
- Georgia faces numerous crises, but Board of Public Health hasn’t met since May: Toxic air spreading from a fire outside Atlanta, the messy aftermath of Hurricane Helene and a new covid surge isn’t enough to bring together the panel that governs the state’s $800 million Department of Public Health. From Rebecca Grapevine at Healthbeat.
- Judge rules Georgia’s restrictive abortion law unconstitutional: In a 26-page ruling, a superior court judge halted Georgia’s 6-week abortion ban law. The previous law, allowing abortions up until roughly 20-22 weeks, resumed. The judge said Georgia’s constitution protects the power of a woman to control what happens to her own body. From WABE News.
Winner, winner?
Every Sunday, you can test your news knowledge with a few short questions related to stories we published in recent weeks. Below you’ll find our leaderboard with the top scores from the previous week, and the overall leaderboard, which tracks scores over time.
We will continue to track scores and update the leaderboard each week.
Leaderboard Sept. 22, 2024
First Place (10/10): Kaspar, SG Mark, Shots
Second Place (8/10): SadieT., EMF33, Randy, Meaghan
Third Place (7/10): Laurie J., Laurie, Mikey, BBC
Overall Leaderboard:
First Place: SG Mark, Shots
Second Place: EMF33
Third Place: Laurie, BBC
Compete every week and leave your nickname for a chance to win an exclusive prize from The Current.
EXPLAINER: FOOD AND CLIMATE
☕ Your second cup: Local catch, food prices
We have two stories on your thoughtful reading menu today from Civil Eats, a nonprofit independent investigative journalism site dedicated to what we eat and how it gets to our table. These stories are particularly relevant to our conversations in Coastal Georgia: how community-supported local fisheries fit into the climate conversation, and a thorough, easy-to-read breakdown on why grocery prices are higher — it’s not one thing.
Enjoy. 🍴
NOTE: This week we say a heartfelt good-bye to social media editor Julia Capizzi. She’s leaving for a new adventure closer to her home in Washington, D.C., after working tirelessly to serve our social media readers. We welcome back two familiar faces: 2023 summer staffer Sarah Harwell and former University of Georgia Digital Native intern, Audrey Hamm.
We want to meet your friends! If you like this newsletter be sure to share it. And, if someone shared this with you, click here to sign up for regular delivery!
Hyundai Metaplant announces assembly of first electric vehicle
By Margaret Coker
Since construction began in January 2023, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) and 6 other affiliate plants have risen quickly, with a cost in workplace injuries.
Coastal emergency managers take stock of Helene’s damage
By Mary Landers
Despite multiple tornado warnings during the storm, there was no confirmed tornado touchdown in Chatham County.
Listen up! Podcasts from The Current
By The Current
Welcome to Coastal Navigator, a hometown harbor for Coastal Georgia’s local independent politics. This series digs into how democracy works, so we can all explore the impact of our votes and the importance of civic engagement at the local level. Local experts and voices, bringing the big political topics down to size. One episode, once […]
Exclusive body camera footage shows Savannah officer killing of Saudi Lee
By Jake Shore
Body camera footage shows Savannah Police Department Officer Ernest Ferguson’s encounter with Saudi Lee, where Ferguson shot Lee four times in the back in Carver Village in June 2022. A Chatham County grand jury indicted Ferguson last week.
Georgia faces numerous crises, but Board of Public Health hasn’t met since May
By Rebecca Grapevine/Healthbeat
The nine-member board, which oversees and sets general policy for the Georgia Department of Public Health, has met just three times this year, most recently in May, canceling seven meetings including October’s.
Judge rules Georgia’s restrictive abortion law unconstitutional
By Sam Gringlas/WABE News
In ruling, McBurney says heart isn’t fully formed and can’t be used as a guide at 6 weeks.
Glynn elections official says new counting rules fail to address problem
By Jabari Gibbs
Channell, who has been working in Georgia elections since 2017, said new rules will make voting harder — and perhaps even less secure.
Chatham district attorney candidates throw barbs over effectiveness
By Jake Shore
Chatham County district attorney does not track basic prosecutor statistic. Vacuum of reliable information made it impossible for voters to find objective information to weigh candidates in the race.
Federal probe finds deplorable conditions inside Georgia prisons
By Dave Williams/Capitol Beat
Georgia prison system fails to protect inmates from violence, violating constitutional rights, federal probe finds in report.
Your vote: Guide to 2024 elections
By The Current
Find nonpartisan election reporting, tools that you can use to conduct your own research and practical links to get your vote counted.
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