Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Good Morning! In the news today: Fighting the Highway 82 wildfire; President Trump’s choice for Coastal Georgia’s congressional seat faces withering questions from GOP rivals; and one Democratic congressional candidate tells rivals Coastal Georgia isn’t California. Finally, we note some things for your radar. Questions, comments, or story ideas? You can reach me at craig.thecurrent@gmail.com.
NEWS: PUBLIC SAFETY
‘Nothing but charred pine forests’
As of this writing on Monday evening, the progress of efforts to extinguish the Highway 82 wildfire that raged across Brantley County and spreading into parts of Ware and Glynn was unclear.
By early Monday, only 6% of the Highway 82 wildfire had been contained, according to The Current’s Justin Taylor, citing statements issued by Brantley County officials.
By then, the fires had consumed some 22,615 acres, reported Taylor, who traveled to the fire zone Monday and is monitoring efforts to contain the blazes.
“You can drive for 30 minutes and see nothing but charred pine forests,” Taylor said. “Clusters of family homes were burned to the ground.”
While Sunday’s rain showers slowed the wildfires’ advance, there were fears Monday that fires could flare again, he said.
More than 400 personnel were fighting the fires, with the aid of eight aircraft and 40 firefighting vehicles deployed from around the region, including nearby Florida.
The Southern Area Incident Management Team, composed of experts in handling logistics, finance, safety and public information when a natural disaster occurs, is now directing the response to the wildfire. American Red Cross personnel also arrived in the area Monday to aid local religious organizations and other groups providing help.
Check The Current for the latest developments. For updates, click here. For a photo essay click here. For how to help, click here. To read how evacuees escaped the blazes in Brantley County, click here.
NEWS: POLITICS
Tough questions
In his first face-to-face debate with his Republican rivals, President Trump’s choice to become Coastal Georgia’s next congressman on Sunday faced withering questions about his qualifications.
As early voting for primary elections gets underway, Jim Kingston, the 35-year-old son of longtime U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, has amassed a massive campaign war chest and a lengthy list of endorsements since announcing his bid 10 months ago to follow in his father’s footsteps to the U.S. Congress.
Those donations and endorsements have made Kingston the presumptive frontrunner in the race, though whether — and by how much — is far from certain, since no independent polling has been conducted in the race.
But the five other candidates for GOP nomination — Pat Farrell, Brian Montgomery, Krista Penn, Kandiss Taylor, Eugene Yu — were anything but cowed during the debate hosted by Georgia Public Broadcasting as part of the Atlanta Press Club’s Loudermilk-Young Debate Series, The Current’s Craig Nelson reports.
NEWS: POLITICS
‘Not California’
Coastal Georgia Democrats have struggled long and hard to reverse their election woes in congressional elections in Coastal Georgia.
No Democrat has won Georgia’s 1st District Congressional seat since 1990, and the party has lost the past four contests by an average of 18.6% of the vote.
At a televised debate in Atlanta on Sunday, one of the eight Democrats in this year’s open race to succeed Earl “Buddy” Carter offered a bold prescription to his fellow Democratic candidates: Start sounding like you live in south Georgia, not California, The Current’s Craig Nelson reports.
Want to watch the debates for yourself? Click here.
NEWS: UPDATES
4 things for your radar
- Data centers: “A businessman based in Jacksonville, Fla. is seeking to rezone nearly 700 acres of Camden County land along Interstate 95 for a proposed industrial park which would allow data centers,” The Current’s Maggie Lee reports.
- Hand-marked paper ballots?: The State Election Board moves to address Georgia’s election system crisis.
- Saving our wetlands: “Wetlands on Trial: A Lunch Hour Deep Dive,” a Zoom briefing sponsored by the Glynn Environmental Coalition, from noon-1 p.m. today. Register here.
- State school superintendent’s race: GeorgiaCan, the Georgia Center for Opportunity, and the Chatham Education Alliance sponsor a candidate forum from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. April 29 at the Georgia Coastal Center, 305 Fahm St., in Savannah. GOP candidates for state school superintendent Nelva Lee, Fred Longgrear, Mesha Mainor, Randell Trammell and Democratic candidates Anton Anthony, Lydia Powell, and Otha Thornton have confirmed their attendance. No word on whether incumbent superintendent Richard Woods will attend. Also participating in the forum: Savannah-Chatham County School Board chair candidates Dionne Hoskins-Brown and incumbent Roger Moss.
We want to meet your friends! If you like this newsletter be sure to share it.
Wildfire updates
Updates from fires, officials, road closures, and other pertinent info about South Georgia wildfires.
1st District Democrats spar over labels, outreach strategy
Democratic candidates for Georgia’s 1st District Congressional seat debated on how to reverse the party’s election woes in the district, with one candidate suggesting that progressive labels and policies should be avoided in favor of a more conservative approach.
As early voting starts, GOP Senate hopefuls make appeals to Georgia voters, spar with each other
Five Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia debated each other, focusing on their qualifications and attacking each other’s records, while also discussing the issue of abortion.
Kingston challenged in first face-to-face candidate debate
GOP Congressional candidates spar during Sunday debate, take on Kingston following Trump endorsement.
Major road closures in effect for Brantley, Wayne and Glynn evacuation
Counties include Brantley, Wayne, and Glynn, as well as some state highway routes.
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.