Sunday Solutions — Sept. 21, 2025
Good morning! It’s been a newsy week and we’ve got a whole menu for your morning — or whenever you are reading. We’re just glad you are here! Let’s dig in.
NEWS: GOVERNING
The CAT fight that keeps on going
Just when it seemed over, the drama continues. It’s only been a week since the Chatham County Commission lost another court bid to thwart the legislature’s expansion of the Chatham Area Transit Authority’s governing board. Commission Chair Chester Ellis appears to be committed to the fight, however, to overturn the law submitted by the area’s entire legislative delegation. The Current‘s Craig Nelson updates us on a new attempt to attack the plan to include unrepresented municipalities on the panel, thus decreasing the county’s and Ellis’ influence on its policies.
🎉 Congratulations to Julia for knowing that last week’s Spyglass was the weathervane on the Daffin Park Pavilion in Savannah, which dates back to the sailing venue for the 1996 Olympics. We had 6 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: UPDATES
A look at the week
No matter where you were this past week, the news was popping. The Current‘s always watching for how events and information affect Coastal Georgia.
- CDC panel opts against requiring COVID shot prescription, but wants greater emphasis on its risks: Still wondering about whether you need a booster? It’s up to you, according to the experts. Explanation from Georgia Recorder.
- Solar on a Savannah church highlights losses from federal cutbacks: Installing solar for your home or church or business is still possible, but there will be more hurdles. From The Current‘s Mary Landers.
- Policy requiring Georgia college professors to put their class syllabus online begins to take effect: Class materials, reading lists will soon be available outside the university conmmunity. Professors fear they’ll be targeted by those who don’t understand how their classes work. From Georgia Recorder.
- Spanish-language journalist in Georgia now faces imminent deportation: If you rely on journalists for a snapshot of what’s happening, this will resonate. From Georgia Recorder. A letter from his experience in detention. From The Bitter Southerner.
- Election officials press Georgia lawmakers for swift funding action: The legislature told counties to change ballots, equipment and training before the elections but provided no funding or alternatives. Now what? Paper only? From Capitol Beat.
- Q&A: Walthourville, its budget and challenges: Want to know why small cities are facing so much trouble? The Current’s Robin Kemp has pored through budgets and expenses to understand it. She’s written a primer based on questions from readers in Walthourville, but it’s instructional for anyone who wants to understand what small cities are facing. And it can be a guide for questions you ask your county commissioner or city council member — where does your tax money go? How does the city pay the bills? Learning more about the process makes us stronger citizens and smarter voters.
INDICTMENT: WHAT A GRAND JURY SEES
Read the indictment
The Current GA’s reporters read lots of indictments — a formal document submitted to court charging people with crimes. An indictment is only one side of the story, but sometimes it’s quite a story.
Read the fraud indictment against eight people associated with the House of Prayer Christian Church in Walthourville and Robin Kemp’s initial reporting on the charges. The indictment came from a federal grand jury, meaning that this group of citizens, after hearing a prosecutor’s argument, decided there was enough evidence to warrant federal felony charges.
Kemp’s latest story: House of Prayer case prompts strict release conditions
NEWS: COMMUNITY
Speaker: Civil Rights under pressure
Andrea Young, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, brought a warning Saturday to a Glynn County audience, that Trump administration policies would be especially costly for Georgia. Young, the daughter of Civils Rights icon Andrew Young, accused the administration of equating equity and inclusion with discrimination, and said its policies are eroding the US Constitution’s First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech. Young reiterated the power of the vote, calling it ‘coin of the realm.’ Read about the visit from The Current‘s Jabari Gibbs.
SOLUTIONS: FAMILIES
☕ Your second cup: Little things that mean a lot
It’s a largely invisible issue with enormous consequences for the health of parents and children. Studies have found that diaper need is a greater contributor to postpartum depression than food insecurity and housing instability. Half of families with young kids struggle to afford all the diapers they need. A quarter of families miss work as a result, often because they don’t have enough diapers to send with their children to child care. From The 19th News, here’s an inspiring look at how a nonprofit has found a creative solution to a very common problem. Diaper Dollars works with major retail chains to make sure babies are covered as they — and their families — grow stronger.
FROM THE CURRENT
Thank you
On Wednesday, The Current was honored to host a Constitution Day gathering at Ships of the Sea Museum. The nonprofit, nonpartisan group Keep Our Republic brought three retired federal judges to talk about the basics of our democracy: the balance of power across the three branches of government. The conversation, moderated by Georgia First Amendment Foundation’s Richard T. Griffiths, and the questions from the audience was a class in civil discourse about our future and our past as a country.
If you’d like to see or listen to the discussion, WSAV provided a live stream and here’s the link to the recording.
We’d like to thank our other partners for the event, Ships of the Sea Museum, WSAV, The Grey and the League of Women Voters. Two participants won $250 gift cards from The Grey as they signed up for the newsletter or left their business cards: Congratulations to Lawrence Staab and Mary Beth Deiters.
We’d like to thank you all for reading this newsletter and The Current. We hope to see you at our next gathering!
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ACLU director warns of free speech erosion, privacy threats in Georgia
By Jabari Gibbs
The Trump administration has transformed efforts to ensure equal opportunities and resources for all Americans into a form of discrimination, according to civil rights activist Andrea Young, who emphasized the importance of protecting voting rights and freedom of speech in the face of this administration’s assault on these rights.
Chatham County Commission shelves latest bid to reverse CAT overhaul
By Craig Nelson
Critics say removed agenda item was nearly identical to August item that challenged state law and is now part of a lawsuit.
CDC panel opts against requiring COVID shot prescription, but wants greater emphasis on its risks
By Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder
The CDC’s top vaccine advisory committee voted to change COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, emphasizing the risk-benefit of vaccination for individuals at increased risk of severe disease and individual decision-making for those 65 and older, while a proposal to require prescriptions for all individuals seeking the vaccine narrowly failed.
Spanish-language journalist in Georgia now faces imminent deportation
Sam Barnes/Georgia Recorder
Spanish-language journalist Mario Guevara was ordered to be deported by an immigration judge on Friday, despite a pending First Amendment case in federal court, prompting a frenzied effort by his attorneys to stop the deportation.
Election officials press Georgia lawmakers for swift funding action
By Ty Tagami/Capitol Beat News Service
Lawmakers in Georgia are considering a law that would overhaul the way Georgians vote, and election chiefs are urging them to hurry up and provide funding for the change, while a statistician from UC Berkeley has raised concerns about the security of the state’s voting system.
House of Prayer case prompts strict release conditions
By Robin Kemp
The government alleges HOPCC ran fraudulent real estate and education schemes that siphoned over $23 million in veterans’ benefits into leaders’ pockets. The court had ordered attorneys for both sides “not [to] file their exhibit list and/or witness list on the record.”
Raffensperger, who defied Trump in 2020, enters race for Georgia governor
By Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State, has launched his campaign for Governor, pledging to follow the law and Constitution, and promising to work with Trump and Congress to bring jobs back to Georgia, while facing stiff competition from other Republican candidates.
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