Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025
Good morning. We’re hoping you have a safe Thursday after the winter storm that blanketed Coastal Georgia with sleet and snow. In this week’s newsletter, we’ll be looking at some of the safety impacts from the storm.
Plus, we’re reporting from the courtroom in the first day of former Brunswick-area district attorney Jackie Johnson’s trial and examining a new law meant to address choking incidents in child care settings, following the death of toddler in a Brunswick daycare last year.
As always, reach out to staff@thecurrentga.org with questions, comments or story ideas.
NEWS: PUBLIC SAFETY
Winter storm impacts Coastal GA
The impacts of Winter Storm Enzo are still being felt across Coastal Georgia as officials warn of ice re-freezing on roads.
The Georgia Department of Transportation closed the Savannah River Bridge on U.S.17 on Wednesday “until further notice.” Glynn County leaders enforced a curfew on Wednesday night to keep residents off the roads.
Widespread outages were reported in Woodbine and Waverly, while hundreds of households experienced power loss in Brunswick, according to Georgia Power’s outage map.
For county-by-county updates on the storm, check out The Current‘s centralized page:
NEWS: COURTS
Inside the courtroom: Day one of trial
The trial of Jackie Johnson, the former Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney, got underway this week as attorneys began the arduous task of winnowing a jury from the pool of hundreds of Glynn County residents summoned for jury duty.
Tuesday marked the first day Johnson is standing trial on charges of obstruction and violating her oath of office. An indictment says she meddled in the murder investigation of Ahmaud Arbery on behalf of her former employee, Gregory McMichael, and his son, Travis.
The men were convicted of murdering Arbery while the 25-year-old Black man was out for a run in their neighborhood on Feb. 23, 2020. The McMichaels are white.
The first day of jury selection illuminated some of the challenges facing prosecutors and defense lawyers in selecting an open-minded jury where a well-known defendant is on trial. Other issues made apparent include a lack of institutional trust in Glynn County’s criminal justice system and the amount of time that has transpired since Arbery’s death.
NEWS: GOVERNING, GLYNN COUNTY
Bill to prevent choking deaths in state child care
A Glynn County state lawmaker is proposing new legislation to guard against choking incidents at state child care centers following the death of a 16-month old in a Brunswick daycare last year.
State Rep. Rick Townsend, a Brunswick Republican, co-sponsored a bill to mandate CPR training for employees who supervise children within 45 days of beginning work. It also would require centers to have a “portable airway clearance device” to remove a blockage during a choking emergency.
That’s what happened to 16-month old Jamal Bryant, Jr., who died last May after choking on a chunk of watermelon fed to him at a Brunswick daycare.
Read Glynn County reporter Jabari Gibbs’ coverage of the daycare incident from last year and how state officials responded:
Higgins presents plan for district attorney department budget shortfall
Brunswick DA presents plan to make budget, add prosecutor to Glynn County Commission and faces questions over funding use.
‘Good ol’ boy system,’ ‘Witch hunt’: What potential jurors had to say at start of Jackie Johnson trial
Jury selection kicked off in trial of former Brunswick circuit district attorney Jackie Johnson who is accused of using her position to meddle in death investigation of Black jogger in Ahmaud Arbery.
Winter Storm Enzo: County updates
News from Coastal Georgia counties, including warming centers, other assistance, closings
Gallery: Hinesville’s Martin Luther King Day 2025
Photos from Liberty County’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Parade in Hinesville, Georgia, led by Grand Marshal Rev. Henry Frasier, Sr. Numerous local groups, historically Black sororities and fraternities, churches, schools, and Fort Stewart soldiers marched.
How will the Georgia Legislature impose lawsuit award limits?
Proponents of overhauling Georgia’s legal landscape say they aim to create more balance between plaintiffs and defendants in Georgia’s court system, often citing an American Tort Reform Foundation ranking which listed Georgia as one of the top five “judicial hellholes” in the country in 2024.
As Trump declares ‘Energy Emergency,’ environmentalists stress worsening ‘Climate Emergency’
Several of the Trump’s “Day One” executive orders have profound implications for the climate.
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