Savannah Morning News
Georgia nights are not cooling down
This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WABE and Grist , a nonprofit environmental media organization. Much of Georgia is enduring sweltering heat this week, with heat advisories across the southern part of the state and an...
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Social media shaping kids’ career dreams
A second grader in Norway drew a YouTube logo when my colleagues and I asked what they wanted to be when they grow up. When we asked why, the child explained that YouTubers are famous and make lots of money. When we asked second graders in Wisconsin...
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Daufuskie Island chef earns James Beard honor
When Sallie Ann Robinson took the stage at the Art Institute of Chicago to accept the James Beard Foundation’s Book Awards Hall of Fame (formerly the Cookbooks Hall of Fame) honor last month, she shook her head and took a deep breath from the podium....
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Congress aims to fix FEMA
For millions of Americans who experience a destructive flood, wildfire or other disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency represents hope. But as the nation moves through hurricane season and watches a strengthening El Niño that could...
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Heat waves turn homes dangerous for all ages
Most people know that heat waves can be dangerous. What they may not realize is that the heat indoors can be much worse than outdoors. When the power goes out and air conditioning stops, a house starts to function like a greenhouse. Heat enters...
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New system to simplify applying for passports
Getting and renewing a passport might get just a little bit easier, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. On July 2, Rubio said the State Department is developing a more streamlined system that would allow Americans to more easily take and...
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VINTAGE REVIVAL
Savannah is known for many things — Forrest Gump, Spanish moss, horse carriage tours and haunted cobblestone streets, to name a few. But as the city continues to grow, an influx of trendy college students and tourists has sparked a renewed sense of...
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From Savannah to the World Cup
Long before he became a Savannah police officer, Cpl. Carlos Escobedo found a sense of identity on the soccer field. As a first-generation Mexican American, he said the sport has always been deeply woven into his culture. When Escobedo learned Atlanta...
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Program gives struggling artists $1,000 a month
Though artificial intelligence is making it easier than ever to produce images, music and text, the technology is also making it harder for the people who have traditionally produced this work to earn a living. A photographer who once was commissioned...
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Ribbon cut on latest phase of Tide to Town network
For years Savannah’s John Bennett made the “terrifying” trek across the 52nd Street bridge over Truman Parkway on his bike to work at Savannah State University. h Along the winding road to the bridge the shoulders were narrow. It wasn’t a pleasant...
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USA TODAY CROSSWORD
EDITED Amie Walker BY Bill Conner ACROSS 1 5 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 23 24 25 27 28 32 34 36 37 40 42 43 46 47 50 51 53 55 60 61 62 63 “I’ll ___” (“Nah, I’m good”) Delete Event for a swimmer or runner Tweak a draft Starter courses at some...
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Nelly’s Grocery and Wine brings fresh food to city
Though the white and burgundy shelves at Nelly’s Grocery and Wine are currently bare, Chanel and Stanton Parker hope to turn the space into a place of discovery for Savannahians by the end of July. Transplants from Kansas City, Missouri, Chanel said...
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City breaks ground on new community center
The property at 218 Windsor Road in Savannah has always been a haven for recreation, from scores of splashes at a community pool in the 1960s to the chorus of wheels on pavement at the former Woody’s Skate Park roughly a decade ago. h But since the...
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SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY
The 56 steps, cut from pink granite, ascend to a neoclassical temple that seems plucked from ancient Greece and deposited on a Kentucky hilltop. One for each year of President Abraham Lincoln’s life. h If the first eight steps, rising amid the site’s...
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Native nations weigh America’s birthday
HALIFAX, NC – Marty Richardson descended into the wooded grove, weaving through a crowd of onlookers attending a local America 250 celebration. When Richardson began to speak, the crowd went silent. The Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe, he told them,...
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THE MEANING OF REVOLUTION
Like Americans today, the people living in the United States in 1826 were preparing to celebrate a milestone for their country. July Fourth of that year marked the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As what was known as the “Jubilee”...
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New wedding venue coming to historic site
Sacred vows and wedding bells may soon ring out from a property along one of Savannah’s crown jewels. Savannah City Council approved rezoning of 912 Drayton St. to allow for an event space along Forsyth Park, paving the way for prominent Savannah-area...
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Supreme Court upholds transgender athlete ban
WASHINGTON – States can ban transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams, the Supreme Court ruled June 30 in addressing a major cultural and political flash point before adjourning for the summer. The decision is another setback...
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Savannah Pride shines at 9th annual Stonewall party
AT TOP: Blair Williams performs as the opening act of the “So You Think You Can Drag” competition during the Stonewall Party Hosted by Savannah Pride Center on June 27 at Starland Yard, with host by Chi Chi Bonet Sherrington. A contestant participates...
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Jamaican guilty of child cruelty deported
A man who was convicted of first-degree child cruelty in Chatham County was apprehended by Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) in New Orleans and deported, according to a social media post made by law enforcement. Daymonia Ramsay, who is said by...
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HEARTWOOD’S NEXT BIG BEAT
At nearly every turn in Heartwood, the steady thunk of hammers, workers on rooftops and work trucks hauling in supplies can be seen and heard throughout. The development, which is poised to have 10,000 homes, accompanying commercial space and other...
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President Trump blames Iran for attack on ship
DUBAI – President Donald Trump blamed Iran on June 26 for an attack on a ship near Oman which he said had violated their ceasefire, after Tehran insisted it would control the Strait of Hormuz and warned Gulf states not to side with Washington. The...
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USA TODAY CROSSWORD
EDITED Amie Walker BY Bill Conner HIGH AND DRY ACROSS 1 7 10 13 14 15 16 17 19 21 22 25 26 27 28 30 31 32 35 36 38 40 42 43 44 46 47 50 51 52 53 55 57 61 The moon has eight Tiny troublemaker Spanish for “that” Convincing, like...
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LOWER CRIME RATES AT RISK
The United States is experiencing one of the steepest declines in violent crime in modern history, including a murder rate at its lowest point in more than a century. Homicides across 35 major American cities fell 21% in 2025, amounting to 922 fewer...
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City seeks input on MLK Corridor Initiative
Savannah Alderwoman Bernetta Lanier used to love her late mother’s stories about West Broad Street, now Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Her mother would recall the excitement for Friday night to roll around, going to see men in their zoot suits and...
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USA TODAY CROSSWORD
EDITED Amanda Rafkin BY Zhouqin Burnikel ACROSS 1 6 10 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 23 25 27 28 30 31 34 36 38 39 42 43 44 45 46 47 49 50 53 55 57 59 60 65 66 Helps with a scam, say Belted out a tune Sound devices that might be cranked to...
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Scenic trips to celebrate America’s 250th birthday
America is turning 250, but some of its greatest treasures don’t sit behind museum glass. The awe-inspiring scenes that take your breath away and remind you of the beauty of our nation are hidden along winding roads, tucked into mountain valleys,...
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TRAINING TOMORROW
First-year students at the Medical College of Georgia’s Savannah campus filed into a class each week this year and faced more than just your run-of-themill science lecture. In MCG’s casebased learning class, students worked with real patients. During...
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Obama Center opens while Trump looms
Remember hope and change? The sun-splashed, star-studded dedication of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on June 18 was designed to echo the sense of excitement and possibility that surrounded former President Barack Obama’s election in 2008 − a...
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New wine bar brings flavor to Richmond Hill
There was never a dull moment in Nichola Lester’s household coming up. Her mother frequently held gatherings at their home in the Bahamas and Lester saw how meaningful those parties were to her neighbors and friends. Now, she is bringing her love of...
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Free clinics test myths about health care access
To address the social and economic barriers some Coastal Georgians face to accessing healthcare, a local nonprofit has begun offering free services screening vulnerable populations for potentially life-threatening conditions. “Typically, there’s a...
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Savannah residents to shape future public art
One of Savannah’s most beloved public art projects is Brian MacGregor’s “Magnolia Mural,” a sprawling peachcolored magnolia leaf painted at the intersections of Cynthia Street and Delano Street in Cloverdale. The project was commissioned through a...
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Two rich rivals, one GOP ticket in Georgia showdown
ATLANTA — Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and entrepreneur Rick Jackson have a few things in common. Both are wealthy, but one is wealthier. Both say they are aligned with President Donald Trump, though Trump has endorsed only one of them. Both are Republicans...
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‘Increasing access to essential services’
Union Mission officially opened the Emmaus House Resource Center on Friday, unveiling a renovated downtown facility designed to serve more than 200 individuals daily through housing assistance, medical care, meals, job readiness programs and other...
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MELODY MAINSTAY
Even in the middle of an average Thursday afternoon, the crashing roll of sticks across a drum kit can be heard from the front of Portman’s Music Superstore along with an underlying current of chatter from employees and customers. h In the back,...
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Views are split on White House UFC event
was 2001, and mixed martial arts fighting was on the ropes. Banned in 36 states, booted from cable operators, derided as “human cockfighting” – it was such an outcast sport that it traded hands for $2 million. A song. The new owners of Ultimate...
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25 million people lost Medicaid after pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people covered by Medicaid rose month after month – an unusual pattern for the government’s insurance program for people with low incomes and disabilities. Why? A policy of continuous coverage during the...
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USA TODAY CROSSWORD
EDITED Amanda Rafkin BY Stella Zawistowski ACROSS 1 5 9 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 29 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 44 45 46 47 51 54 57 58 60 62 “Say that again?!” Lots An epic novel may have several of them Make at work State with the...
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Tybee Island finishes water, sewer project
When it comes to infrastructure improvements, Tybee Island’s sewer project on Pulaski Street was the number one solution to a number two problem, Mayor Brian West said on Wednesday morning, June 3. The City of Tybee Island has had a history of...
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Tybee Island seeks to protect ownerless land
The nearly seven acres between the Captain’s View subdivision and the Lighthouse Point Beach Club Condominiums on Tybee Island, are what 30-year resident Ric Hogan calls “no man’s land.” For nearly 30 years, the homeowners associations have taken it...
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Forecast for D-Day changed history
To go or not to go? June 2026 marks 82 years since Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s chief meteorologist, Group Capt. James Martin Stagg, made one of the most important weather forecasts of all time. Defying his colleagues, he advised the general to...
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AI partners could upend human relationships
When the movie “Her” debuted in 2013, its plot felt like science fiction. The protagonist, Theodore, is a jaded man with no vigor for life. He comes alive after talking daily with his artificial intelligence chatbot, Samantha, with whom he eventually...
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Plant celebrates launch of Kia Sportage Hybrid
Hyundai Motor Company announced Tuesday that it plans to manufacture the Kia Sportage Hybrid for the first time in the U.S. at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America. The vehicle is currently produced in South Korea. “This is an exciting moment for all...
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Therapy providers say changes threaten access
For 6-year-old Keyton Brazil, therapy is more than a weekly appointment. The Pooler child, who was diagnosed with autism in 2022, attends speech and occupational therapy sessions twice a week at Chatterbox Pediatric Therapy. After months of treatment,...
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Ads for GLP-1 drugs flooding the internet
If you watched the Super Bowl in 2026, you likely saw Serena Williams share her weight-loss journey on GLP-1 medications in a commercial. h Like millions of others around the country, if you’ve ever considered taking one of these drugs, you probably...
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SPRINGFIELD BRACES FOR EXPANSION
Wrap around porches, quiet streets and the walkability of the downtown district is what keeps the small-town charm in Springfield. On North Laurel Street, the town’s hub, residents can easily walk to Ulmer Park, grab their favorite latte at Paddles or...
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‘THEY SIMPLY CANNOT FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING’
The number of people living unsheltered across Chatham County has dropped sharply over the last three years, according to new data, but local leaders say the local homelessness crisis is increasingly shifting indoors rather than disappearing. This...
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Potential Iran deal puts President Trump in a bind
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump finds himself in a bind as he seeks to end the war against Iran: He is under pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and get U.S. gasoline prices down but at the same time faces a potential backlash from Iran hawks...
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U.S. and Iranian forces trade strikes
DUBAI – Iran targeted a U.S. air base in Kuwait on May 28 after the United States struck what Washington described as an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz and President Donald Trump rejected a reported compromise deal with Tehran. The...
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Rural hospitals close in increasing numbers
Some Pennsylvania hospitals are being pushed beyond the brink of closure. Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park closed in April 2025, Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland closed in May 2025, and Heritage Valley Kennedy Hospital, formerly the Ohio Valley...
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Horse carriage operators challenge heat laws
The City of Savannah’s ordinance regulating what temperatures horse drawn carriage tours can operate under is now being challenged in court. The city’s horse carriage tour operators filed on May 18 in Chatham County Superior Court for declaratory...
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THE LIMITS OF LOCKDOWNS
There have been 63 school shootings – meaning any time there is gunfire on a school campus – so far in 2026. h They happen so often that preparing for one has become normal. Students as young as 4 years old routinely practice for the possibility of a...
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Ribbon-cutting marks opening of new apartments
NOVO New Hampstead, a new apartment complex, held a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday in Bloomingdale. It’s one of the newest housing developments near Little Neck Road, an area rapidly expanding with new housing. Here is what to know. What are the...
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UNSETTLED
As darkness descended on a sleepy residential neighborhood in the shadow of what was International Paper’s Port Wentworth mill, the plant at 1 Bonnybridge Road seemed to awaken. Bright white lights and the sounds of whooshing steam intermittently...
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Universities still hold Native remains, artifacts
Many universities and museums in the United States have long held Native American burial artifacts, other sacred objects and even human remains. Most of these collections were acquired in the late 19th and 20th centuries. They came from grave...
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Firefighters patrol one of the busiest ports
When Savannah firefighters pulled a woman from the Savannah River last week, the rescue itself lasted only moments. What the public did not see was the years of preparation behind it. The rescue has drawn fresh attention to the specialized Marine...
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Kingston wins GOP House primary race
Jim Kingston will be the Republican nominee for Georgia’s U.S. House District 1, receiving 52% of the vote in a crowded field, according to unofficial results. Kingston, son of former seat holder Jack Kingston, carved an outright win despite a deep...
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Guardrails for growth
Diane Brannen had a clear message for Savannah City Council at its most recent meeting: the elected officials will be seeing a lot less of community groups from the city’s western outskirts. The reason was because council unanimously approved greater...
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GA gas tax suspended for holiday weekend
ATLANTA — Georgians and people visiting or just passing through the state will get a 33-cent per gallon break at the gas pump while traveling for Memorial Day. Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday used his authority under state law to declare a state of...
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RISING COSTS
Americans’ concerns about being able to afford electricity and home heating fuel have been elevated since the beginning of the Iran war. But recently released nationwide data shows that even before the war began, these concerns were widespread,...
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Savannah skaters fight for a permanent home
The sun is still high in the sky at 7 p.m. Thursday evening, when cars start rolling into Lake Mayer. They turn right at the tennis courts, continuing past where the gravel parking lot fades into grass to park by the skating rink. Last May, after 25...
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Centurylong effort aims to keep nations White
Whiteness appears to be an official immigration credential in the eyes of the United States government. The Trump administration in late 2025 slashed the annual cap on refugee admissions to 7,500 for budget year 2026, down from the 125,000 cap set in...
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Ceremony remembers officers killed on duty
Law enforcement officers, elected leaders and community members gathered Wednesday morning for an annual Police Week memorial service honoring officers who died in the line of duty and recognizing the sacrifices made by those who continue to serve. h...
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‘Escape real life, play dress up and get girly’
After spending 17 years in the craft brewery business, Julia Botha left her corporate job to take on a new adventure – the fashion industry. Just four week ago, she opened her boutique, Love Hazel, in Richmond Hill. The store is located on Ford Avenue...
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‘We’re going to have balance’
Roughly one year ago the City of Savannah instituted a pilot limiting the hours and areas of downtown Savannah walking tours could operate. This was the latest step in an ongoing discussion in Savannah about how the city can best balance tourism with...
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Demographic dynamics upending the world
Government-shaking protests in Bangladesh, Iran, Nepal and Sri Lanka – to name a few – have all in recent years been linked to what demographers call a “youth bulge.” Meanwhile, the economic slowdown in China and ballooning public debt in the United...
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A rarh glimpsh into a rhpurposhd nuclhar sith
A physicist, lawyer, and three heads of nuclear watchdog organizations walked into the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) on Apr. 21 in Aiken, S.C. around 4 p.m., when construction workers were beginning to file out. While it was...
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Uncertainty remains in labor market
U.S. employers added 115,000 jobs in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated May 8, fueling some cautious optimism about hiring even as high oil prices tied to the Iran war and rising AI adoption pose risks to the labor market. The April...
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Charting his own path
It’s been nearly 1,000 years since King Henry IV stood barefoot in the Italian snow to beg forgiveness after clashes with Pope Gregory VII, and over two centuries since Napoleon imprisoned Pope Pius VII in France. Now, a battle is underway between a...
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Port of Brunswick No. 1 again for autos
The Georgia Ports Authority’s Port of Brunswick hails as the nation’s busiest auto port for the second year in a row, GPA announced in a press release Monday. The Port of Brunswick moved 779,000 units of autos in 2025, outpacing the number two Port of...
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Hegseth says ships sailed through strait
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on May 5 said two U.S. commercial ships and two Navy destroyers sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, embarrassing Iranians who claimed the key waterway was closed and demonstrating it is safe to pass while a blockade of...
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Gulfstream invests $5M in GA education
In a show of continued investment into the Savannah region, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation announced a $5 million investment in Georgia education Friday morning, part of an ongoing yearly commitment in education from the aircraft manufacturer. “Each...
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Microplastics could be overestimated
It seems like every day a new study finds tiny plastic particles called microplastics where they should not be: in our bodies and our food, water and air. h Yet finding and identifying microplastics is extremely challenging, especially given their...
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Neighborhood drives affordable housing
TOP: Long time Feiler Park resident Betty Jones stands in front of her childhood home, which is right next door to her current residence. Savannah City Council is revitalizing a rare development model to grow affordable housing in the city, this time...
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Iran submits latest proposal to end war
President Donald Trump showed no signs of trying to obtain congressional approval for the war in Iran despite reaching the 60-day deadline to do so, and a maritime blockade remained in effect as Tehran sent its latest proposal to end the conflict to...
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