Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Good morning! It’s election time again, with early voting for the PSC runoff underway now. Get reminders below about who’s running and who’s eligible to vote. We also have an update on the status of Georgia’s bald eagles as they recover from bird flu. Finally, if you’re a weather enthusiast, don’t miss news of the perfect volunteer opportunity for you.
Questions, tips or concerns? Send me a note at mary.landers@thecurrentga.org
NEWS: ELECTIONS
Early voting underway in PSC runoff
Georgia Democrats Keisha Sean Waites and Peter Hubbard are facing off in the District 3 seat on Georgia’s Public Service Commission runoff election, as Amber Roldan of the Georgia Recorder reports. Early voting began Monday and runs through Friday for the July 15 ballot. Both candidates are vying to lower utility bills and address the rising costs of energy. The winner will face Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson in November.
Georgia Conservation Voters and Georgians for Affordable Energy are among the individuals and groups endorsing Hubbard. Waites does not list any endorsements on her campaign website.
Remember, only voters who voted in the Democratic primary or who didn’t vote at all are eligible to vote in the runoff. Because turnout was less that 3% for the June 17 primary, most voters can cast a ballot in the runoff.
The District 3 race will be on the November ballot with the District 2 race between Republican Commissioner Tim Echols and Democratic challenger Alicia M. Johnson.
NEWS: ENVIRONMENT
Bald eagles recovering from flu
Georgia’s bald eagles are having an average nesting year, as Emily Jones of WABE/Grist reports. Along the coast, where eagle densities are highest, the birds seem to be recovering from the outbreak of avian influenza, with about 73% of nests successfully fledging at least one eaglet this year. Inland, the picture isn’t quite so positive. Nest success in southwest Georgia remains below average. But bald eagles are resilient, says Georgia Department of Natural Resources biologist Bob Sargent, and despite the challenges, they have enjoyed a successful recovery from their low point in the 1970s.
FEATURE: ENVIRONMENT
Calling all weather nerds
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRahs) is a volunteer program that recruits weather observers to measure and map precipitation daily, as The Current’s Mary Landers reports. Volunteers spend about five minutes a day logging rainfall measurements through the website or a smartphone app and can also report multi-day totals. The effort pays off for meteorologists trying to piece together the larger picture of rainfall patterns. “What’s really great about the network is it kind of fills in the puzzle pieces of where we don’t have automated sensors already,” said Emily McGraw, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Charleston who helps coordinate CoCoRahs volunteers.
Also noted
- To reward significant hog control efforts and arm individuals with better tools, the Georgia DNR has developed the Hog Down Awards Program. Through this pilot program, DNR will award 20 hog traps (5 traps each quarter) valued at approximately $3,500 to randomly selected participants. See this website for entry requirements and instructions.
- The impact of data centers in Georgia is ‘a mixed bag,’ reports Dave Williams of Capitol Beat. While some regard data as “the new oil,” critics say data centers suck up huge quantities of electricity and water in exchange for an uncertain impact on local tax rolls.
- Georgia’s first sea turtle nest of the season hatched on Jekyll Island on July 2, about two months after the eggs were laid, the Georgia Sea Turtle Cooperative reports.
We want to meet your friends! If you like this newsletter be sure to share it. And, if someone shared this with you, click here to sign up for regular delivery!
Early voting in PSC runoff underway
Keisha Sean Waites and Peter Hubbard are competing for the District 3 seat on Georgia’s Public Service Commission. Waites has prior experience in government, while Hubbard has experience in energy policy.
PSC freezes Georgia Power rates, but bills could still increase
Georgia Power rates will remain the same for the next three years under a deal approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission, though the cost of recovering from Hurricane Helene and fuel costs could still cause bills to increase next year.
Georgia bald eagles rebound as nesting success returns to average levels
Georgia’s bald eagles are having an average nesting year, with 59 successful nests and 83 eaglets on the coast, and 68% success rate in southwest Georgia, showing resilience to avian influenza and storm damage.
Nationwide volunteer program recruits backyard weather observers
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRahs) is a nationwide volunteer program that uses backyard weather observers to measure and map precipitation, filling in the gaps of automated sensors and providing valuable data for meteorologists.
The Current GA is part of The Trust Project.
Read our policies.
Support independent, solutions-based investigative journalism without bias, fear or favor on issues affecting Savannah and Coastal Georgia.
WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM
You must be logged in to post a comment.