Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Good morning! With about a month to go before the primaries, a judge heard evidence Monday about where one PSC candidate really lives. Meanwhile, Georgia students are writing to a cookie manufacturer to protect the Okefenokee. In Liberty, a new park honors a long-overlooked African American hero. And McIntosh sets a timeline for its Sapelo zoning.
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ELECTIONS: NEWS
PSC candidate residency questioned
Fitz Johnson, a former Public Service Commissioner, is facing a legal challenge to his residency qualification to run again for the seat he lost in November. A hearing Monday cranked up the scrutiny on Johnson, who owns a $1.3 million house in Cobb County but claims a more modest house in District 3’s Fulton County as his residence for voter registration. Monday’s hearing reveled how he uses the Fulton house, as The Current GA’s Mary Landers reports. The Secretary of State expects to decide before the May 19 primary if Johnson can remain on the ballot.
COMMUNITY: NEWS
Liberty opens Susie King Taylor park
A park opened this week in Liberty County on the site where a 13-year-old Susie King Taylor began her escape from enslavement in 1862, as The Current GA‘s Robin Kemp reports. Educated in secret, Taylor became a battlefield nurse for the Union and later a teacher. With recognition they seek from the National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program, organizers hope to elevate Taylor’s story as well as attract visitors to this and other nearby historic sites.
FEATURE: ENVIRONMENT
Oreo makers asked to protect a swamp
When Twin Pines Minerals backed off its plan to mine near the Okefenokee last year, conservationists breathed a sigh of relief. But mining threats could still reappear along other sections of Trail Ridge, the series of ancient sand dunes that forms a natural dam to the east of the swamp. To keep the Okefenokee protected, a group of Georgia students is urging Oreo manufacturer Mondelez to pledge to never make the iconic white filling with minerals sourced from the Okefenokee area, as The Current GA‘s Mary Landers reports. The students have also targeted Home Depot, Rayonier, Toledo Manufacturing, and Chemours.
COMMUNITY: NEWS
Moratorium extended
The McIntosh County Commission voted Tuesday to extend the zoning moratorium for the Hogg Hummock area of Sapelo Island where Gullah Geechee descendants live and face an increasing risk of gentrification. County Attorney Ad Poppell said it may be possible “by end of summer” to have a new Hogg Hummock zoning ordinance in place, as The Current GA‘s Susan Catron reports.
Also noted
Tybee Island was passed over for a requested $12 million in federal funds to renourish its beach on its usual six-year cycle next winter, as WTOC reports. New Jersey beaches beat out Tybee for a piece of a much diminished federal pot. The five-mile beach has lost 60% of its sand, largely thanks to the presence of the dredged Savannah harbor, which traps sand as the current moves it from north to south. City Manager Bret Bell told The Current that Georgia Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and Coastal Georgia Congressman Buddy Carter have agreed to request $12 million in Congressional earmarks for Tybee in the coming fiscal year. The project is expected to cost $20 million, with the local and state governments making up the difference.
Researchers at the Colorado State University are predicting “somewhat below normal activity” for the 2026 hurricane season with 13 named storms, two of them major. A forecasted El Nino is predicted to increase the wind shear that inhibits hurricane strength. Savannah-based hazards researcher Chuck Watson, of Enki Research, agrees, but notes “even one can ruin your day.”
Bills to regulate data centers and PFAS “forever chemicals” didn’t pass in the legislative session, but Georgia environmentalists saw some boosts, notably in the extension of the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program for 10 years. Georgia Recorder’s Alander Rocha reports.
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Judge to rule on PSC candidate Fitz Johnson’s residency status
Public Service Commissioner Fitz Johnson is facing a challenge to his eligibility to run for the District 3 seat due to his residency, as he was required to live in Fulton, Clayton or DeKalb counties, but mounting evidence points to residence in Cobb County.
Susie King Taylor Freedom Park opens in Midway
Liberty County leaders woo National Park Service to boost local Emancipation, Civil Rights and Revolutionary era historic sites
Georgia students urge Oreo maker, others to protect Okefenokee Swamp
The Georgia Student Swamp Coalition is urging Oreo manufacturer Mondelez and others to pledge to never source titanium dioxide from the Okefenokee area due to the threat this mining poses to the swamp, and to demonstrate corporate responsibility and environmental stewardship.
McIntosh County extends Hogg Hummock zoning moratorium on Sapelo Island
The McIntosh County Commission has extended the zoning moratorium for the Hogg Hammock area of Sapelo Island for another 90 days, while a new ordinance is drafted and vetted.
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