Sunday Solutions — Aug. 3, 2025
Good morning! It’s back-to-school week for most Coastal Georgia families, and we’re on that news bus today. It’s also bringing updates on what your elected and appointed state officials are doing, plus a fresh look at the restoration of our favorite mermen and swans. Enjoy!
NEWS: EDUCATION
Cell phone ban in schools: One year later
Last school year, Liberty County public schools took a step ahead of others and banned student use of cell phones. As of the last legislative session, that’s now a state law set to be completely implemented in 2026. Some counties, like Glynn, will implement the ban this year. The Current’s Domonique King went to Hinesville to learn how the move went and the challenges a ban presented. District parents, students and teachers describe the hurdles — some expected and some not — to making the ban work for all.
NEWS: PUBLIC SAFETY
Midway revives fire department
In a hard-earned win last week, the City of Midway was able to restore its own fire protection to its citizens. After its fire department lost certification earlier this year over lack of firefighters and gear for them, poor firehouse conditions, and nearly unusable trucks, the city had to re-earn its certification from nearly scratch over the past months. The Current’s Robin Kemp has reported on the quagmire since last year, and her story this week gives an inside look at the work required for Midway to dig out and regain fire certification.
SOLUTIONS: EDUCATION
Trade programs surge amid rising college costs
High school grads are finding skills at low cost followed by jobs through public and private partnerships that help satisfy the growing workforce needs in Coastal Georgia. From childcare certifications to growing skills in aviation, electrical and plumbing fields, enrollment in trade programs is increasing quickly. The Current’s Tyler Davis talked to students who are finding new options and a chance for steady work quickly through dual-enrollment programs in 7 area counties. Read what students, mentors and hiring managers say about the programs that offer solutions for the area’s economic resilience.
🎉 Congratulations to Jim for knowing that last week’s Spyglass was the old Georgia Girl drive-in on US 17 in Woodbine. We had 8 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.
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NEWS: UPDATES
State panels, lawmakers at work
- Georgia State Election Board continues raising eyebrows with recent moves: Panel cuts power of impartial chair, restricts discounts on rides to polls. From WABE
- House committee assesses economic impact of proposed casinos: New interest in legal gambling arrives with new plan for speedway complex outside Atlanta. From Capitol Beat.
- Georgia elections agency initiates voter roll scrub, audits PSC runoff count: Secretary of State’s office starts to notify more than 200,000 voters that they could lose right to vote. From Capitol Beat.
- Georgia Power seeks to certify new energy projects: The state Public Service Commission will hold hearings on the utility’s requests. From Capitol Beat.
- Georgia lawmakers dig into medical cannabis, hemp laws after push for changes stalled: House and Senate committees are taking on product regulation and medical use. From Georgia Recorder.
FEATURE: HISTORY
☕ Your second cup: Icon gets some TLC
For anyone who’s visited Savannah or just looked at pictures from far, far away, there’s little doubt you’ve seen the fountain in Forsyth Park. The city’s is giving the well-loved icon some spa time at a metal restoration shop in Alabama. Benjamin Payne from GPB News took a ride to see how the mermen, swans and other pieces are faring. It turns out that there’s a lot of detail we’ve been missing under those 40+ coats of paint. Here’s Payne’s report with pictures of the beloved fountain as it gets some TLC.
And in another note, there’s one less journalist bringing news from Coastal Georgia. The fountain story is Payne’s final one for GPB News as he leaves the statewide network’s Savannah bureau empty. We wish him well on his next adventure.
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One year later: How the Liberty County schools’ phone ban is working
By Domonique King
A year after its cell phone ban, Liberty County School Systems’ parents, students, and staff have mixed reviews on its efficacy.
Midway Fire Department regains certification after council vote
By Robin Kemp
The City of Midway has had its fire department certification reinstated by the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council, allowing the city to provide fire services within the city limits.
Georgia high schoolers shift from college to trade school, jobs
By Tyler Davis
Coastal Georgia high schools begin to offer life skills courses as more students follow a nationwide trend of choosing trade careers over college post graduation.
Inside the iron repair shop where Savannah’s beloved Forsyth Park fountain is getting a makeover
By Benjamin Payne/GPB News
The Forsyth Park fountain in Savannah, Georgia, built in 1858, is being painstakingly restored by Robinson Iron in Alexander City, Alabama, after being dismantled and transported there in June.
Georgia State Election Board continues raising eyebrows with recent moves
By Sam Gringlas/WABE News
For most of its life, the Georgia State Election Board has been a sleepy bureaucratic body little-known outside the State Capitol, charged with making rules to help carry out Georgia election law. This story also appeared in WABE That changed last year, when an emboldened Republican majority passed a slew of last-minute rule changes that […]
House committee assesses economic impact of proposed casinos
By Dave Williams/Capitol Beat
Georgia lawmakers have resumed their debate over legalizing gambling in the state, with a focus on casino gambling, and consideration of how to allocate tax revenue from gambling to offset federal spending cuts and fund health care and education programs.
Georgia elections agency initiates voter roll scrub, audits PSC runoff count
By Ty Tagami/Capitol Beat News Service
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is initiating a four-year process to remove nearly 218,951 inactive voters from the rolls, and has also confirmed the results of a hand count of the recent Democratic primary runoff for the Georgia Public Service Commission.
Georgia Power seeks to certify new energy projects
By Dave Williams/Capitol Beat
Georgia Power has requested certification from state energy regulators for 9,900 megawatts of new energy resources, including power-purchase agreements, natural gas generation, battery energy storage systems, and solar projects.
Georgia lawmakers dig into medical cannabis, hemp laws after push for changes stalled
By Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder
The House study committee on cannabis consumption held its first meeting to examine medical studies and compare Georgia’s marijuana laws to other states, while the Senate committee will tackle the issue of regulating recreational products like THC-infused drinks.
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