Sunday Solutions — Dec. 14, 2025
Good morning! The winter cold’s on the way today, so here’s some reading for your indoor time over the next couple of days. Be sure to protect your plants, keep your pets warm and check on neighbors who may need an extra hand. We’ve got everything else covered. Dig in.
NEWS: PUBLIC HEALTH
Who’s paying attention?
If you’re office sounds like ours, the early winter snorts, sneezes and coughs are upon us. We’re not alone. This week we learned that flu and RSV cases are rising even as people debate vaccines and what’s safe. Covid is staying low but public health officials expect a quiet return as we all shop and gather together over the next few weeks. A story from KFF Health News gives us perspective on the rise and the vaccines. While some reporting is available to help you figure out the risks for your holiday gatherings, we are also reminded yet again that Georgia data is pretty basic, at best. If you look on the national collections from the Centers of Disease Control to get some idea of how the state compares to others, you’ll find that Georgia doesn’t even report its flu rates or types. So, it’s on every one of us to pay attention. Wear a mask if you think you or someone around is contagious. Masking is not a statement of anything except this: You care about your safety and that of others.
A useful story from The New York Times: Is It Cold, Flu or Covid? What to Know About Symptoms and Testing.
Return of the measles
Looking just north to South Carolina, we find hundreds of children in quarantine this week as the measles outbreak continues. A chart of 2024 vaccination rates for the MMR — measles-mumps-rubella — shots shows 2 Coastal Georgia counties with some of the lowest rates in Georgia. Bryan has 77.1% rate, and Camden has a 74.7%. Herd immunity would require all to have around 95%, doctors say. One of the hardest hit South Carolina counties has a 90% vaccination rate. The CDC currently reports 10 cases in Georgia. No regular tracking is available from the state Department of Public Health website. The last update was Oct. 1.
Checking employee qualifications
Glynn County’s sheriff is the only one in the state who has hired his own son as second-in-command.
That’s a sheriff’s prerogative, but personnel records are mostly open to public inspection, and The Current GA’s Jabari Gibbs used a key document to report on the atypical work history of Glynn’s No. 2 officer.
NEWS: ENVIRONMENT
PSC considers new Georgia Power request
It was a rocky hearing last week, but Georgia Power and and the state Public Service Commission may have an agreement over a request for increased generating capacity to serve the buildout of new data centers. Opposition came in the form of raucous protests and tough questions from the public. The agreement offered would push residential rates lower as centers come on line, officials said. The PSC, with two members who’ve been recently voted out, is set to vote Dec. 19 on the plan. Read about the meeting, plan and what’s next in this story from Georgia Recorder. Want to watch the hearing and agreement pitch? Here’s a link to do that.
Want to get more info on why data centers demand so much power and what other states are doing when it comes to paying for it? Here’s some research from the University of Florida to explain it all.
🎉 Congratulations to Steve for knowing that last week’s Spyglass was the top of the SCAD Student Center at on Montgomery Street in Savannah, formerly the home of the B’nai B’rith Jacob Synagogue. We had 9 correct answers last week — let’s see how you do this week.
Test how well you spy details in Coastal Georgia. Give us the location of the item in the photo above. Some spots may be easier to identify than others; some will be tougher. We’ll collect correct answers each week and draw for a weekly winner.
CLICK HERE TO GIVE YOUR ANSWER
NEWS: ECONOMY
Economic forecast: Cautious
Two notes this week bring news about Georgia’s economy. The annual prediction by the University of Georgia Selig Center for Economic Growth went live last week, and cautions that national policies will affect the state’s economy. It also placed odds of a recession just shy of 50-50. Economists focused on impacts of the trade war that affect businesses and the state’s vast port system, followed by immigration policies affecting the labor market. At the same time, Georgia Ports Authority announced more growth for the Appalachian Regional Port in northwest Georgia, illustrating the port’s growing effects throughout the state. Here’s a look at the state’s overall forecast from Capitol Beat. The center will release regional economic forecasts over the next two months.
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DATA: TECHNOLOGY
☕ Your second cup:
Last week, Georgia state senators recommended stronger age-verification and parental control of app store activity for younger Georgians. It’s not the first time social media access has been questioned and it won’t be the last. Artificial intelligence and social media can be a frightening combination at any age. Just in time for today’s consideration, Pew Research has new research on “Teens, Social Media and AI Chatbots in 2025.” Here’s a link to the full report. Something to ponder: 64% of teens surveyed use chatbots. What are they talking about? Are they getting advice? Where does that info come from? While this research surveyed 1,458 teens ages 13-17, we all may find some familiar behaviors. Enjoy.
Flu, RSV climb in Georgia as winter virus season starts slowly
By Rebecca Grapevine/Healthbeat
Doctors in Georgia are seeing an increase in flu and RSV cases, and they are urging people to get vaccinated, mask in group settings, and wash their hands frequently to prevent the spread of these diseases.
Glynn County sheriff taps son as undersheriff with $120K salary
By Jabari Gibbs
Sheriff Emmett “Neal” Jump of Glynn County, Georgia, has appointed his son, Robbie Jump undersheriff with a base salary of approximately $120,000 — more than some comparable counties are willing to offer the most highly-credentialed candidates.
Agreement with Georgia Power met with outrage at regulatory hearing
By Alander Rocha/Georgia Recorder
Georgia Power and the Public Service Commission have agreed to a plan to increase energy capacity by 10,000 megawatts, with Georgia Power promising to lower power bills , but environmental organizations are skeptical of the promise and argue that the plan will actually raise power bills.
National economic headwinds blow through Georgia, though job outlook steady for now
By Ty Tagami/Capitol Beat News Service
The University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth predicts a 49% chance of recession in Georgia due to national economic headwinds, with job growth expected to remain subpar and housing costs expected to remain out of reach.
In two-day effort at sea, team partially frees whale of fishing gear off Georgia coast
By Mary Landers
A team from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources disentangled a four-year-old male North Atlantic right whale, nicknamed Division, from commercial fishing gear after two days of exhausting and dangerous work.
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