Sunday Solutions — Aug. 9, 2026
Good morning! We’re looking at what happens behind the scenes today when people feel left out of governing processes. Two prime examples rise today: the newly announced data center in Effingham County and the final vote on a contentious zoning ordinance in McIntosh County. In the spirit of a new school year, there are looming changes to Head Start and a new set of state math scores. What else? Water system hacks. Let’s see what’s on tap.
INVESTIGATIVE: GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
Inside the Effingham-OpenAI deal
It’s been less than 3 weeks since Effingham County residents got word they’d be hosting Georgia’s largest data center. It was a turn that few people knew about and fewer understood because some elected and unelected county officials kept the details cloaked from their constituents at the request of tech giant OpenAI. To see how the deal took root and evolved, The Current‘s Margaret Coker, Kelley Lu and Maggie Lee reviewed more than 150 pages of legal agreements, meeting minutes, property-tax data and other records obtained through 12 requests under Georgia’s Open Records law, some of which have yet to be answered. What did they find? A powerful matchmaker, cultivation of the county officials, promises for tax revenue, and a memorandum of understanding that lays out the buildout in 3 phases.
Decoding the OpenAI Memorandum of Understanding
OpenAI, Georgia Power and Effingham County spent nine months gestating the legal agreements that would become public on July 22, with an announcement that the software company would build a $20 billion data center near Rincon. In exchange for that investment and a legally binding promise to hire 400 people, the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority offered OpenAI’s affiliate here a 50% discount on property taxes over 15 years. The buildout is still supposed to bring in about $870 million in property taxes over that time; but it will also forego that amount, too. The 26-page agreement is thick legalese, but we’ve added plain English notes at key parts, which you can read here. Or skip straight to the coverage of nine months of cooking.
NEWS: COMMUNITY
Sapelo district gets new zoning
After a multiyear odyssey of meetings, arguments, lawsuits and votes, The Hog Hammock District of Sapelo Island has new zoning. The ordinance, which limits dwelling sizes to 1,550 square feet under roof, is designed to be enforceable and faithful to the community’s traditional housing. While no one seemed to favor the rules in totality, it was a far cry from the earlier 3,000 square foot version that residents and others believe would’ve threatened the very existence of the last intact Gullah Geechee community of descendants of enslaved people on the coast. Now it’s up to McIntosh County’s Historic Preservation Commission, county code enforcement, and planning and zoning officials to keep this agreement with residents as people seek to build on the island. One issue left on the table include request for renaming the county district to Hogg Hummock, the traditional name embraced by those who live there. Read the story from the final vote from The Current’s Mary Landers, who’s followed the process closely over the years.
NEWS: UPDATES
Head Start, voting machines & peanut butter
Normally one of those headline topics wouldn’t go together, but today they’re all here in the week’s news.
- Trump administration plan to roll back Head Start regulations could impact over 350 Georgia centers: A key piece of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty faces destruction by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. From Georgia Recorder.
- Despite record math gains, half of Georgia students still below proficiency: Georgia Milestones tests show some gains but a lot yet to do. From Capitol Beat.
- Georgia committee confronts tight timeline for election system overhaul: A new legislative panel tasked with coming up with recommendations for new voting equipment that doesn’t use QR codes starts its journey. From Georgia Recorder.
- Good Spread peanut butter a ‘win-win’ for communities in U.S., abroad: We’re posting this one by The Current’s Kelley Lu to encourage you to take a look at a local company that’s worked creatively to overcome economic setbacks and kept its mission to help children intact. There’s also a great video by The Current‘s Sarah Harwell demonstrating how to make a very tasty peanut butter sandwich. Think Elvis.
NEWS: EXPLAINER
☕ Your second cup: Systems and safety
We all depend on — and likely take for granted — the safety of government technology in myriad ways: You want your county, city or utility to have serious security measures. In Georgia, Clayton County reported “unauthorized cyber activity” that may have caused a water system pump station to fail. Facilities in at least 7 states have reported similar incidents in the past two weeks. A researcher at American University tells The Conversation what it takes to “break in” to the systems that we often take for granted.
Anatomy of a secret Coastal Georgia data center deal
By Margaret Coker, Maggie Lee, and Kelley Lu
Georgia Power brokered it. OpenAI and Effingham County officials negotiated in secret. Here’s how they kept the $20 billion data center deal out of the public eye.
McIntosh adopts zoning for Sapelo’s Gullah Geechee neighborhood
By Mary Landers
The McIntosh County Commission voted 3-1 on Thursday to approve a new zoning ordinance for the Gullah Geechee enclave of Hogg Hummock on Sapelo Island, setting limits on house size and height to maintain the community’s traditional character.
Trump administration plan to roll back Head Start regulations could impact over 350 Georgia centers
By Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to roll back over 1,400 regulations for the Head Start early education program to save $2.2 billion and expand access.
Despite record math gains, half of Georgia students still below proficiency
By Ty Tagami/Capitol Beat News Service
Georgia Milestones math scores reached record highs in certain grades following standard updates, though proficiency rates remain low across most subjects as officials prepare to release delayed English Language Arts results in November.
Georgia committee confronts tight timeline for election system overhaul
By Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder
A newly formed committee of lawmakers and election experts met to begin planning Georgia’s transition to a hand-marked paper ballot voting system by 2028.
Good Spread peanut butter a ‘win-win’ for communities in U.S., abroad
By Kelley Lu
After USAID cuts, the Georgia-based nonprofit Mana Nutrition relaunched its Good Spread peanut butter line to subsidize food bank distributions and combat domestic hunger.
Expert says Georgia water system attack highlights critical security deficiencies
By Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
This story also appeared in Georgia Recorder Clayton County authorities say a boil water advisory and low water pressure may have been part of a multistate cyber campaign targeting water infrastructure that could be linked to Iran. Rex Democratic state Rep. Sandra Scott said she’s heard from constituents upset about the incident. “It is critical […]
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