Sunday Solutions — Aug. 25, 2024
Good morning! We’ve got some news today — a candidate visit, water and movement in a lawsuit. We’ll start quickly, because we know you are ready to enjoy this sub-90° day.
NEWS: POLITICS
Vice President sets Savannah stop
Democratic candidate for president Kamala Harris will stop in Coastal Georgia Thursday for a rally, according to a Saturday announcement by the campaign. An earlier visit to Savannah was postponed by the arrival and later flooding from Tropical Storm Debby. The stop will be part of a bus tour across southern Georgia with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. However, if you were looking to hear from Walz, he’ll be leaving the tour before the Savannah stop on Thursday. Details about the rally will be announced in a few days.
NEWS: COMMUNITY
‘Weeping Time’ suit nears ruling
After three years of an ongoing legal battle, the bid to stop a planned development near the site of one of the nation’s largest auctions of enslaved people may soon get a decision.
Since 2021, the Weeping Time Coalition has been engaged in a lawsuit with the City of Savannah and its housing authority over the site off Augusta Avenue. The lawsuit was a response to plans from The Salvation Army to develop the land into a homeless shelter. The land is adjacent to the former location of the Ten Broeck Race Course, where the auction, now known as the Weeping Time, occurred March 2-3, 1859. 436 men, women and children were sold there to satisfy the plantation owners’ gambling debts.
On Friday afternoon, Chatham County Superior Court Judge Lisa Goldwire Colbert denied the plaintiff’s motions to add a party to the suit and to delay and add additional time. Attorneys expect a final decision next week. The Current’s reporting fellows Brianna Leonard and Gillian Goodman were in court Friday afternoon to hear the arguments.
NEWS: ENVIRONMENT
Hyundai water usage gets new review
In June, the Ogeechee Riverkeeper said it planned to sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the permitting for the Hyundai Metaplant in north Bryan County. Late Friday, the Army Corps announced it would review the permits based on new information.
In a letter to the Savannah Harbor-Interstate 16 Corridor Joint Development Authority and the state Department of Economic Development, the Corps cited the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s four draft permits for groundwater withdrawal in Bulloch County for more than 6.6 million gallons per day for the Hyundai site and associated development. The Corps asked for more information on the plant’s needs and said its earlier approvals were based on information provided by the state and authority that indicated no permits would be required.
The riverkeeper, in its letter of intent to sue, argued the Corps had not taken into account the impact of the plant project on area water supplies. In a statement Saturday, the riverkeeper said the re-evaluation “confirms that the human and environmental impacts from supplying water to the Megasite were not considered in the initial permitting decision…” and blamed poor information from the state and JDA.
The JDA and the state on Saturday said they’d provide requested information, saying “Our plan will provide water for HMGMA while protecting and preserving the local environment, and we remain committed to doing this the right way.” The Current’s environment reporter Mary Landers has been researching the plant’s potential water use and will have an update this week.
Are you keeping up?
Let’s see how you’re doing. 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.
Leaderboard Aug. 18
First Place (10/10): Shots, SG Mark
Second Place (8/10): Shots
Third Place (7/10): Pete, Laurie
Overall Leaderboard:
First Place: SG Mark, Shots
Second Place: EMF33
Third Place: Laurie
Make sure you compete every week and leave your nickname below for a chance to win an exclusive prize from The Current!
NEWS: COASTAL GEORGIA
From the week
- Walthourville citizens invited to comment on sanitation companies: In an effort to keep the city solvent, Walthourville may cut garbage service to its citizens. Officials are considering two bids for contractors to pick up the trash. Liberty County reporter Robin Kemp looks at the options.
- Woman ensnared by discredited Glynn drug unit seeks new trial: The Current‘s recent 15-month investigation reported on a giant load of criminal cases affected by police misconduct in Glynn County that never got a review. Now, at least one case stuck in the files may get a new trial. The Current’s public safety reporter Jake Shore explains what’s next for Mindy Lynn Johnson.
- Glynn commission hears case for housing for working men, expresses doubts for neighborhood: In a presentation to the Glynn County Commission, community leaders introduced a $10 million fund to help raise money for housing for the working poor on Blythe Island. Commissioners sent them back to get more neighborhood support. Glynn County reporter Jabari Gibbs was at the meeting.
EXPLAINER: HEALTH CARE COSTS
☕ Your second cup: Emergency or urgent? Does it matter?
As clinics pop up conveniently closer to new housing developments or busy thoroughfares, some patients are learning to pay closer attention to facility names. Instead of going to a hospital emergency room for an upset stomach, you might choose a convenient urgent care center near the neighborhood. Before you get sick, learn more about care centers close by and what the words Urgent and Emergency mean when it comes to billing and insurance coverage. Here’s a story from KFF Health News to explain why it matters so much.
A NEW FACE
This week we welcome Gillian Goodman to The Current. She’s a fall reporting fellow and recent graduate from Columbia School of Journalism who’ll be helping us report on Coastal Georgia amid the 2024 elections.
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‘Weeping Time’ suit over homeless shelter location nears ruling
By Brianna Leonard and Gillian Goodman
Legal arguments differ on whether site for Salvation Army shelter is part of location of large sale of enslaved humans.
Officials race to meet Hyundai’s water needs
By Mary Landers
Local governments make water agreements to meet Hyundai’s schedule, while farmers still have questions about their wells.
Woman ensnared by discredited Glynn drug unit seeks new trial
By Jake Shore
Lawyers for a Glynn County woman are asking for a new trial after an investigation by The Current revealed her drug conviction and many others were never reviewed despite evidence concerns over GBNET drug unit actions and use of discredited confidential informants.
Glynn commission hears case for housing for working men, expresses doubts for neighborhood
By Jabari Gibbs
Community leaders introduced a new fund to raise money for housing for the working poor, veterans and vulnerable women and their children.
It’s called an urgent care emergency center — but which is it?
By Renuka Rayasam/KFF Health News
Urgent care centers are a more familiar option for many patients. Research shows that, on average, urgent care visits can be about 10 times cheaper than a low-acuity — or less severe — visit to an ER.
Walthourville citizens invited to comment on sanitation companies
By Robin Kemp
Walthourville officials work to trim budget and outstanding debt for using Liberty County landfill by considering private waste service.
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