Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025
Good morning!
Christmas and catfish, trees and trout, as Gru from Despicable Me once said, “That’s what I’m talking about.” Let your kids craft you something special for Christmas in Glynn County this weekend, or drop them off with the grandparents while you enjoy mojitos for a cause. Feed your brain as much as your belly and get insight into next years legislative agenda before heading to Liberty County for some good eats or a history lesson. There is so much to do in Coastal Georgia before the holidays, so let’s all take advantage.
Let us know how we’re doing or send a suggestion to staff@thecurrentga.org
CHATHAM COUNTY
Lighting of the Holiday Tree: Savannah State University will open the holiday season at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, in front of historic Hill Hall on the SSU campus, 3219 College St. The community will gather to hear remarks from President Jermaine Whirl and enjoy cookies, apple cider, and hot chocolate. Parking will be available around Alexis Circle.
Green Meldrim House Parlor Presentation: Roger Durham, author, historian and retired director of the U.S. Army Heritage Museum, will present The Needle and The Haystack: Fort McAllister and the American Civil War at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, located at 327 Bull St. The event is free to the public. Reserved seating is required, so make sure to call (912)-233-3845, and email info@GreenMeldrimHouse.org for more information.
Mint to Give: Enjoy a mojito and fundraise for Blessings in a Bookbag, a local nonprofit organization that gives kids food over the weekend when school is not open. Come together 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at Mint To Be Mojito Bar & Bites, 12 W. State St. For more information, call 912-298-6468.
Barks & Bourbon: Bring a donation item for the Humane Society for Greater Savannah and receive a free drink from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, at The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, 1 Resort Drive. 15% of all additional beverage sales will be donated to the Humane Society. Leashed pets are welcome and pet adoptions will be available. Donation item requests can be found here.
Bilingual Tummy Time Class: From 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Savannah Speech and Hearing Center, 5414 Skidaway Road. Free bilingual tummy time workshop for families with babies 1 to 4 months old. The session will teach safe positioning, strengthening, and fun ways to support your baby’s development. Register for a spot using this link.
Clase bilingüe de Tummy Time: Acompáñanos 9:30–10:00 AM este jueves 20 de noviembre, at the Savannah Speech and Hearing Center, 5414 Skidaway Road. Un taller gratuito y bilingüe de tummy time para familias con bebés de 1 a 4 meses. Traducción proporcionada by The Grow Initiative GA. Reserva tu lugar: https://speechandhearingsav.org/.
Free meals for SNAP recipients: If you or your family has been affected by the loss of SNAP benefits, Origins Coffee Bar is providing free meals, no questions asked. Place your order and let the cashier know it’s a SNAP meal, and 100% of your total will be covered. Origins Coffee Bar will be providing free meals until all SNAP benefits are restored or until their establishment can’t provide free meals anymore. If you’d like to help feed your neighbors, you can add funds to an in-store gift card or donate digitally via Venmo.
CAMDEN COUNTY
Kingsland Catfish Festival: From 5:30 p.m. to 8p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, and from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, in downtown Kingsland. Visit the street party and festival with live music, a parade, and over 200 vendors. Click here for more information.
BRYAN COUNTY
Used Book Sale: The Richmond Hill Friends of the Library used book sale is from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Richmond Hill Library, 9607 Ford Ave. All proceeds will benefit the library. Click here for more information on items and prices.
Tree Farm: From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at The Clinic, 18433 Hwy 144, Richmond Hill. There will be Fraser firs, white oak garland, and wreaths. The Clinic donates 10% of all tree sales to to provide gifts for the Children’s Hospital during the holidays.
Tree Lighting and Winter Market: Hosted by the City of Richmond Hill and Richmond Hill Farmers Market, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at J.F. Gregory Park. The event is free to the community. There will be live entertainment, food trucks, pictures with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Click here for more information.
Bikes for Tykes Trout Tournament: Spread the holiday cheer for children and families in need of bikes from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Fort McAllister Marina, 3203 Fort McAllister Road. The entry fee is $100 per boat with completed registration forms and appropriate fees in the club’s possession at the end of the Captain meeting Nov. 21. Click here for the entry form and more information. You may also request a form by emailing frtmcallisterfishclub@gmail.com.
GLYNN COUNTY
Thanksgiving giveaways: Feed My Sheep Food Pantry, 912 Raiders and Ministry to the Unhoused are partnering to give away free turkeys on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 9 a.m., at St. Athanasius Episcopal Church, Parrish Hall, 1321 Albany St. It is first-come, first-served. Greater Works Ministries is also hosting a giveaway at 2 p.m. Nov. 21 in the Big Lots parking lot, 4428 Altama Ave.
Coastal Georgia Grits and Issues: The 12th annual Grits and Issues, put together by the Brunswick Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, will be Friday, Dec. 12, at the Jekyll Island Convention Center. It will feature state representatives Rick Townsend, Buddy DeLoach, Mike Hodges, Steven Sainz, Ron Stephens, and state Sen. Drew Echols. The elected officials will discuss the region’s future and their legislative priorities.
Jolly Makers Market: From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, located at 325 Old Jesup Road. Admission is free. There will be a craft show, food trucks, a kid zone with plenty of craft opportunities, and more. The market is cosponsored by UGA Extension, the 4H Club and Brunswick Artisans. Call 912-437-6651 for questions and more information or email uge3197@uga.edu.
Justin’s Viewfinder
Some photos don’t always make it to the story. In this weekly newsletter, The Current GA highlights photos from staff photojournalist Justin Taylor as a behind-the-lens look at the work put into visuals at our publication. Justin’s Viewfinder will also be featured on our Instagram alongside other news and notes from the coast.
LIBERTY COUNTY
35 Nights of Lights: Kick off the holiday season with 35 Nights of Lights at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, in Hinesville’s Gap Park, 133 S. Main St. It’s a winter wonderland of lights and cool Christmas props, including a giant nutcracker and Hinesville’s vintage fire truck. Bring your phone or camera and invite your friends and family to pose for photos. (Tip: Turn off your flash to capture the holiday lights.)
“Come And Take It”: Fort Morris is where Colonel John McIntosh told the British “Come and take it” during the American Revolution. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov 22, at 2559 Fort Morris Road, Midway, experience re-enactors in 18th century uniforms, colonial demonstrations, musket and cannon drills, period music and a wreath-laying ceremony by the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution. Admission is $5 for adults, and $3.75 for seniors 62+, $3.50 for youth 6-17 years old, $1.50 for kids under 6 years old.
Good Eats Fest: Savor the 912 Good Eats November Festival, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Linda Loop Field, Allenhurst. From GA Hwy. 85, turn on Dunleavie Road, which becomes Tibet Road just past E.B. Cooper. Turn left on Sandy Run (dirt road) and then follow the signs. Lemonade, fried chicken, soul food, seafood, ribs, brisket, pulled pork, turkey legs, and sweet treats. Admission is $10 for adults; kids are free. Vendors are welcome. Call 912-602-0045 or 912-837-9558 for more information.
Waddle in color: The Isle of Wight Turkey Waddle and 5K Color Run welcomes you to race for a cause. Racers line up at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, starting at GA 85, and ending on the east side of I-95. You can register up to race day and costumes are welcome. Chili cookoff follows. No dogs are allowed. $40 entry fee benefits the IOW Community Club.
MCINTOSH COUNTY
Monthly food giveaway: From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, at the Darien Church of Christ, 537 McIntosh Road. Every 4th Wednesday of each month, families under a certain income level are welcome to come to the food giveaway. Email Glen Bowman for more information.
Wish Tree donations: Feeling generous? Choose an item labeled ornament from the Ida Hilton Library wish tree and donate it to the library all holiday season.
Volunteers unite: A Friends of Ida Hilton Public Library group is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fundraising, volunteering, and supporting your local library. The group is looking for volunteers to join. Email idahilton@trrl.org or leave your contact information at the central desk at the library.
LONG COUNTY
Christmas parade and detour maps: Provided to the community early so travel plans can be made for December 4th. Click here to see the routes.
EFFINGHAM COUNTY
Print your own Christmas xards: The Effingham Artists Studio is holding their last christmas card class at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at 123 S. Laurel St. Unit 1. Learn to design, carve and print your own custom greeting cards just in time for the holidays. To register for this event, go to effinghamartists.org.
ALONG THE COAST
New Disabled South food assistance: New Disabled South is a disability rights and justice organization operating in 14 Southern states, including Georgia. Due to the government shutdown, SNAP benefits will arive slowly in November. New Disabled South will help fill that gap by providing one-time payments to those affected by the loss of SNAP. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The organization will distribute $100 to eligible individuals and $250 to households with two or more people at the same address. The application link is provided here. The donation link is also available here.
Flu shots available: Health departments in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, and McIntosh counties now offer updated 2025-2026 flu vaccine. Supplies are limited in some locations as vaccine shipments continue to arrive. Call your local health department to confirm availability and schedule an appointment. A yearly flu vaccine is the best way to prevent serious flu-related illness for everyone age 6 months and older. Costs are typically covered by insurance, and health departments accept many health insurance plans, and low-cost options for those without health insurance coverage. Information at coastalhealthdistrict.org/flu.
COVID shots available:The health departments in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, and McIntosh Counties are now offering the Pfizer brand of COVID vaccine without a prescription, the Coastal Health District announced Tuesday.
Cast Net features nuggets from Coastal Georgia that we hope you’ll find interesting, fun or useful. All that said, we’ll need to hear from you to make sure we’re on the right track.
We’re always working to make sure our newsletters are as useful as they can be, and we’ll be experimenting over the next few months in this Thursday space.
Report: 1 in 8 babies in Georgia are born early
By Sofi Gratas/GPB News
The March of Dimes report shows minor improvements in infant and maternal health outcomes, but Georgia receives a failing grade for its pre-term birth rate due to a lack of access to healthcare, and disparities in infant health outcomes persist across the state.
Lawmakers consider paring tax credits and exemptions to offset income tax cuts
By Ty Tagami/Capitol Beat News Service
Georgia lawmakers are considering eliminating the state’s 5.19% income tax, which generates $16 billion in revenue, and offsetting the loss with cuts to $30 billion in tax credits and exemptions.
Critics warn proposal to accelerate construction permitting in Georgia threatens water quality
By Alander Rocha/Georgia Recorder
Rep. Mike Cheokas’ bill to speed up the construction permitting process has been met with opposition from local officials and environmental groups, who argue that it could compromise public safety and lead to increased water pollution from construction runoff.
Shipments slow at Savannah port, but annual traffic shows growth
By Ty Tagami/Capitol Beat News Service
The Port of Savannah experienced an 8.4% decrease in container units handled in October, though traffic is still up 4% for the year, while the Port of Brunswick saw a 5.4% increase in auto and heavy equipment shipments, as the Georgia Ports Authority prepares to open its $127 million rail facility next spring.
Glynn County Police to expand Flock surveillance cameras
By Jabari Gibbs
The Glynn County Police Department has installed license plate readers across the county, which can be shared with other law enforcement agencies, to help fight property crime and locate stolen vehicles, but the technology has raised privacy and civil rights concerns.
Renewable energy is cheaper and healthier – so why isn’t it replacing fossil fuels faster?
By Jay Gulledge, University of Notre Dame; University of Tennessee
Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power are now cheaper than fossil fuels, and switching to renewable energy could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health, but international cooperation is needed to overcome financing challenges in developing countries.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.