Sunday Solutions — April 28, 2024
Good morning! What do shrimp, early voting, new laws, police misconduct and garden gnomes all have in common? They’re all here! Enjoy your weekend reads and your day.
NEWS: GOVERNING
Signing day on the coast
On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp came to Glynn County to sign four bills related to or sponsored by the legislative delegations along the coast. HB 1041 increased the bonding authority of the Savannah-Georgia Convention Center Authority and HB 1341 designated the white shrimp as the official state crustacean. As careful readers know, the state’s shrimp industry is limping along with competition from foreign imports. The day capped a busy week for the governor’s signing pens. New laws expand parental leave time for state workers, criminalizes living in someone else’s property without permission, allows for private-school vouchers for students in low performing schools, and aids in slowing human trafficking.
INVESTIGATIVE
Despite judge’s order, many arrests never reviewed
If you haven’t had time to read through The Current’s 4-story investigative series, “Fast-tracking Injustice,” today could be a good day for it. The series, published last week, looks at what happened to cases that stemmed from arrests by the now-defunct special police task force, Glynn-Brunswick Narcotics Enforcement Team, aka GBNET. A judge ordered review for hundreds of cases spanning a two-year period worked on by five GBNET officers and three confidential informants. However, most of the defendants were never told their arrests could’ve been tainted. Here’s the link to the series page so you can get started. The work shows how intertwined the police investigations, prosecutor and courtroom work is and how the credibility of each piece and person can affect faith in the systems we all depend on.
EXPLAINER
Let the votes begin
Advance voting for the May 21 partisan primary and nonpartisan election starts Monday morning. It’s an open primary, so you’ll need to pick a partisan ballot (or not) for that; and nonpartisan races are open to all. It’s important to vote in this election because many races only appear on this ballot – judges, some school boards, and partisan competition where there’s no opposition from the other party. Want to sort it out? Go to our handy election guide for answers on process, places and times in your county. If you have more questions, send them our way at staff@thecurrentga.org. And, watch for our candidate interviews coming over the next week or so.
Also, today: Candidate meet & greet, Savannah Branch NAACP Political Action Committee Mass Meeting, 4 p.m. Pentecostal Miracle Deliverance Center, 4712 Bull St., Savannah. Invited candidates are nonpartisan candidates for the May 21 election whose seats are contested: Judgeships for Superior Court, Magistrate Court, and Probate Court, as well as Chief Magistrate Court and Chatham County Board of Education Districts 1, 3, and 7.
Monday night forum: The two Democrats vying for Chatham County district attorney will participate in a forum at 6:30 p.m. Coastal Georgia Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. Sponsored by League of Women Voters of Coastal Georgia. More info here
Puzzled? Try the quiz.
Every Sunday, you have the opportunity to show off your news knowledge with a few short questions related to stories we published in recent weeks. So far, Peaches is shining through, with SG Mark not far behind.
Leaderboard for week:
First Place (10/10): Peaches, Shots, Laurie
Second Place (7/10): SG Mark, Mikey
Third Place (6/10): Nigel, BC
Overall Leaderboard:
First Place – Peaches
Second Place – SG Mark
Third Place – Sandy B, BBC, Sandy B, EMF33
Want your chance to overtake Peaches and SG Mark? Leave a first name or nickname so we can keep track of your score.
Click here to test your skills.
NEWS
From the week
- Mail processing delays disrupting newspapers, threatening elections: If you’ve had problems getting or sending mail in a timely fashion, you aren’t alone. A new processing center for part of the region is why. From Capitol Beat.
- Liberty County Commission takes over sheriff’s school zone speeding fines account: School zone cameras have brought in more than $1 million. The Current’s Robin Kemp reports the county wants the contract after the sheriff fends off questions about how he’s used the funds.
- Peaceful protests continue at Emory as tensions over Gaza embroil college campuses: State police moved in on Friday as protesters now question whether college fosters freedom of speech. From Georgia Recorder.
- Georgia Power plan to leave coal ash in groundwater could be upended by new EPA rule: Previous agreements to leave ash ponds in place may be in question. From Georgia Recorder.
- Georgia political campaigns start to deploy AI but humans still needed to press the flesh: Candidates work to use artificial intelligence tools to get their message out, but can it do all the work? One candidate in Camden County is trying to find out.
- Broadband ‘nutrition’ labels are coming – here’s what you need to know: New rule says everyone should have clear idea of what we pay for when it comes to internet service. From Fierce network.
NEWS: EDITOR’S CHOICE
☕ Your second cup: Front yards, gnomes and community
Adding little libraries, gnome and fairy gardens or flower-filled containers where neighbors can enjoy them may be the key to a more connected neighborhood. A new study indicates that the first step to a more content and lively neighborhood may be right outside the front door. Researchers studied 1,000 front yards to discover that a resident’s sense of place can be reinforced by how welcoming the space seems. They found that 3 of 4 new neighborhood contacts are made from the front yard. So, here’s your assignment for the day: Go hang out in the front yard or front steps, pot some flowers and greet your neighbors. Here’s the story from The Conversation to explain why.
Enjoy.
NEWS FROM THE CURRENT
We’re growing
It’s official. We’re adding a second Report for America (RFA) corps member to our ranks. Jabari Gibbs, a recent grad of Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong campus and 2023 summer intern, will join The Current full time as an accountability reporter in Glynn County. The position is funded by donations from supporters there, as well as RFA. Jabari and his work are examples of why our internship program is so important toward growing the pipeline for journalists serving Coastal Georgia. And, we’ll have 5 more summer staffers coming soon. Click here to support their work this summer.
We want to meet your friends! If you like this newsletter, be sure to share it. If you have suggestions for us, email us here: staff@thecurrentga.org
A series: Fast-tracking injustice
By Caitlin Philippo and Additional reporting by Jake Shore, Maggie Lee and Margaret Coker/The Current
Yet a 15-month investigation by The Current shows that the lists of cases that may have been compromised by police wrongdoing have been forgotten. Hundreds of defendants were never informed about their opportunity for legal relief.
Your vote: Guide to 2024 elections in Coastal Georgia
By The Current
Find nonpartisan election reporting, tools that you can use to conduct your own research and practical links to make sure your vote counts.
Meet the candidates: Scheduled public appearances, forums
By The Current
This a live list, updated as information becomes available for Coastal Georgia.
Mail processing delays disrupting newspapers, threatening elections
By Dave Williams/Capitol Beat
A recent survey found that since the Palmetto regional center opened, only 36% of inbound mail is being delivered on time.
Liberty County Commission takes over sheriff’s school zone speeding fines account
By Robin Kemp
Law regarding the fund limits use for “local law enforcement or public safety initiatives.”
Peaceful protests continue at Emory as tensions over Gaza embroil college campuses
By Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder, Chaya Tong/Georgia Recorder, and Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
Hundreds held a rally on Emory’s campus under a high police presence.
Georgia Power plan to leave coal ash in groundwater could be upended by new EPA rule
By Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder
The new emissions standards will force existing coal plants to cut their carbon emissions by 90% by 2032 if they intend to keep running past 2039.
‘Georgia needs you’: Amid doctor shortage, Savannah med school workshop aims to inspire rural teens
By Benjamin Payne/GPB News
Launched in 2016 to help Georgia address its rural physician shortage, MUSM’s teen workshop ushers aspiring doctors through a series of hands-on activity stations.
Georgia political campaigns start to deploy AI but humans still needed to press the flesh
By Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
AI has been embraced in the business, computing and marketing worlds, but this year’s election is the first to see campaigns latching on to the new technology
Happier, more connected neighborhoods start right in the front yard
By Conrad Kickert and Kelly Gregg/University at Buffalo
Elements that facilitate socializing – a garden chair, a porch, a bench – strongly boosted residents’ sense of place in every dimension and scale, whether it was their view of their home, their street or their neighborhood.
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