Sunday Solutions — May 26, 2024

Good morning! We know it’s a holiday weekend, so we’ll keep it short. Here’s a new explainer about one of life’s basics, a wrap of the week and some reading material for your time out. And remember, it’s not just a vacation day: Memorial Day honors those who died to preserve your freedoms to read whatever you want, whenever you want. Dig in.

Q&A EXPLAINER: ENVIRONMENT

Our water: the basics

Over the past year, we’ve gotten a steady flow of questions about water. Coastal Georgia is a water-rich area, but the rapid growth and expansion of manufacturing plants are sparking fears and some confusion around where it comes from and who’s in charge of it. And, over time, we’ve learned the best antidote to fear is knowledge — we’re here for that. The Current’s environment reporter Mary Landers has been collecting questions and getting expert answers for them. She’s compiled it all here in a document we’ll keep updating as you send us more questions. Then, you’ll have a baseline of knowledge to make your own choices and apply to new information over time.

NEWS: ELECTIONS
"I'm a Georgia voter" stickers.
Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current

On to the runoffs….then, November

The Georgia partisan primary and nonpartisan elections are over. If you’re trying to find the messages in the voter turnout, winners and losers, here are some links to catch up and some to help look ahead. As for messages, if you have some ideas, send them to us — we’re curious what you see.

NEWS
A large container ship passes by Savannah’s River Street on its way to the Georgia Ports Container Terminal. The Savannah River Bridge looms in the background. Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current

From the week — and a few reads

new quiz logo

Scores heat up

Summer is here and the quiz’s mid-year score break will be here July 1 — so be sure to get in on the action and a chance for the July prize!

Every Sunday, you can test your news knowledge with a few short questions related to stories The Current published in recent weeks. We track average scores over time, and call out specific score leaders each week. Looks like EMF33 made a run this week!

Leaderboard May 19, 2024:
First Place (8/10): EMF33
Second Place (7/10): Peaches
Third Place (5/10): SG Mark

Overall Leaderboard:
First Place – Peaches
Second Place – SG Mark
Third Place – EMF33

Want your chance to be featured in next week’s leaderboard? Leave a first name or nickname below so we can keep track of your score.

Click here to start your own climb up the leaderboard.

Q&A: EDITOR’S CHOICE
Feral horses are a common sight on Cumberland’s trails. Credit: Mary Landers/The Current

Your second cup: When fiction borrows from fact

Coastal Georgia has millions of stories to tell. Author Stephen Hundley’s new novel pulls in pieces of familiar ones, including the lost Tybee bomb and Cumberland Island’s feral horses. It’s no wonder, since he grew up outside Richmond Hill. His new book, released early this month, is “Bomb Island.” Here’s a Q&A with him from The Daily Yonder to start your summer reading.

Enjoy.

Note: We’ll skip Tuesday’s Soundings newsletter to take a breath from elections and a well-earned day off. Rest easy – it’ll return soon.

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FAQ: How much do you know about your water?

As Hyundai increases demands on water supplies, learn about where the Savannah area gets its water and how the supply is regulated and protected.

Most of Coastal Georgia skipped May primary election

Voter turnout is highest when a future president is on a November ballot and is consistently lower for all other elections.

Georgia Ports Authority says it won’t fund $1B-plus Savannah bridge replacement

CEO Griff Lynch and board Chairman Kent Fountain noted the ports paid $10 million for a feasibility study for the project but that construction of the new crossing and removal of the Talmadge Bridge was “outside their realm.”

Carter says he’s weighing 2026 run against Ossoff

Congressman says he’s considering run after 4 terms in House of Representatives.

Rep. Carter objects to federal ‘propaganda’ regarding mining near the Okefenokee

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-St. Simons) scolded federal wildlife officials for voicing concerns about the effects of proposed mining near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

New software is designed to challenge voter rolls. Developers want it to vet challenges, too.

Creators say program an verify voter rolls, process challenges quickly on a spreadsheet and help the state with verification. However, it doesn’t do basic functions like check death databases.

Doctors urge U.S. Supreme Court to include abortion as stabilizing care under federal law

The letter calls on the justices to decide in favor of the interpretation that the law protects doctors who provide abortions in emergency circumstances.

On feral horses, island polycules, and southern writing

Stephen Hundley is a writer and teacher pursuing a Ph.D in English at Florida State University who grew up outside Richmond Hill in Bryan County.

Savannah Jan. 6 defendant admits involvement in Capitol attack, ahead of scheduled June bench trial

The motion, which was filed jointly with prosecutors, is not technically a plea bargain but rather a request for a “stipulated trial,” in which both sides agree beforehand to certain facts while also preserving the defendant’s right to appeal.

Grand jury indicts two former Savannah police detectives for perjury

Two fired Savannah Police Department officers were indicted by a grand jury this week on charges of lying under oath.

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Susan Catron is managing editor for The Current GA. She is based in Coastal Georgia and has more than two decades of experience in Georgia newspapers. Contact her at susan.catron@thecurrentga.org Susan...