Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Good morning! We have stories today about dangerous dogs and feral hogs, as well as an update on Sapelo zoning. Rounding out the news is an explainer about the ever-rising cost of homeowner’s insurance in an era of climate disasters.
Questions, tips or concerns? Send me a note at mary.landers@thecurrentga.org
NEWS: COMMUNITY
Dangerous dogs
Liberty County Animal Services can pick up stray animals again after the county and Georgia Department of Agriculture signed a consent agreement Friday, The Current GA‘s Robin Kemp reports. The state banned Animal Services from catching strays on Feb. 10, as part of an investigation into an animal control officer’s use of a crossbow to kill two dogs and mortally wound a third while trying to break up the pack’s attack on one snared dog last October. During the stop order, which ended Friday, the Georgia Coastal Health District logged 25 bite calls in Liberty County.
NEWS: COMMUNITY
Listening on Sapelo
At a listening session on Sapelo Island last week, speakers called for more meaningful input from islanders before McIntosh County finalizes new zoning regulations for the last intact Gullah-Geechee community in Georgia, as The Current GA‘s Mary Landers reports. Several residents and Gullah-Geechee descendants advocated for a return to the 1,400 square foot maximum size and for the county to allow tiny homes in Hogg Hummock. The last of three scheduled listening sessions is at 6 p.m. tonight, March 25, at at the McIntosh County Recreation Department Gymnasium, 402 Pack St., Darien.
NEWS: ENVIRONMENT
Lawmakers target hogs
Georgia lawmakers have passed a budget and bill to use drones to hunt down feral hogs, which have been causing millions of dollars of damage to farmers’ fields, Capitol Beat‘s Ty Tagami reports. Hunters will be also allowed to catch hogs without a hunting or trapping license provided they are killed upon capture.
EXPLAINER: BUSINESS
Is Georgia uninsurable?
In recent years, as the U.S. has suffered a series of damaging climate disasters, experts have warned that the nation is headed toward a homeowner’s insurance crisis, as Emily Jones of WABE/Grist and colleagues around the country report. Rates in Georgia have steadily climbed after a string of natural disasters in the last decade, increasing 24% from 2023-2025. They’re expected to rise another 10% in 2026 according to a new report from the price comparison firm Insurify — one of the largest projected spikes in the country this year.
Also noted
The population of monarch butterflies in Mexico increased 64% this winter, compared with the same period in 2025, offering a glimmer of hope for an insect considered at risk of extinction, The Guardian reports.
The National Park Service is expanding opportunities for volunteers and permitted participants to assist with the management and humane removal of invasive and overabundant species at Cumberland Island National Seashore. Click here for managed hunt information, volunteer opportunities, and feral hog management updates. Note: An investigation into the shooting death of a hunter at a January managed hunt on Cumberland is ongoing.
NOAA’s Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants to serve on its volunteer advisory council. The council ensures public participation in sanctuary management and provides advice to the sanctuary superintendent. Click here for more information.
Earth’s climate is out of balance, and there is no precedent in recorded history for what is happening now. That’s the conclusion of the World Meteorological Organization’s annual climate checkup, as Scientific American reports. Meanwhile, Climate Central reports on last winter’s temperatures, finding Western U.S. states experienced record-breaking warmth driven by climate change while Eastern states experienced near-average or below-average temperatures and extreme cold snaps that are less likely to occur in our warming climate.
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McIntosh commissioners go to Sapelo Island to hear zoning requests
At a listening session on Sapelo Island, speakers called for more meaningful input from islanders before new zoning regulations are finalized for the last intact Gullah Geechee community in Georgia, with many advocating for a return to the 1,400 square foot maximum size and allowing tiny homes.
Are Georgia and other states becoming uninsurable? We have the latest data
Home insurance rates in the US have been rising rapidly due to the increasing damage caused by extreme weather, and are expected to continue to rise in the future as climate change continues to cause more disasters.
Georgia’s budget includes funds for drone-assisted feral hog hunting
Georgia lawmakers have passed a budget and bill to use drones to hunt down feral hogs, which have been causing millions of dollars of damage to farmers’ fields, and to allow people to catch hogs without a hunting or trapping license provided they are killed upon capture.
State imposes fines, more training for Liberty County Animal Control
The incident happened about 12 miles from the vet’s office. That would have meant at least a 30-minute round trip from the scene, plus the time needed to sign for the drugs, before a single dart could have been fired.
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