Savannah Morning News
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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SMILES AHEAD
Officials, including Governor Brian Kemp, Augusta University President Russel Keen and Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero officially break ground for the Dental College of Georgia Savannah on April 29 at the Georgia Southern University Armstrong...
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‘Level of uncertainty’
A year after President Donald Trump rolled out sweeping tariffs under what he called “Liberation Day,” Savannah residents and business owners say the economic effects are still unfolding, often in ways that are subtle and cumulative. The policy,...
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‘WE’RE STILL MAKING HISTORY’
The Savannah River is no stranger to big boats, known for the towering container ships that can draw rows of onlookers at the waterfront. But now River Street revelers may see more often a different type of big boat seeking sanctuary on the Savannah...
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‘It’s absolutely gorgeous’
In an effort to preserve the dwindling greenspace in the City of Pooler, 35 acres of wetlands and woodlands off Old Pine Barren Road has been purchased using the Pooler Tree Fund, the city announced Friday. Residents of Pooler have long lamented what...
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Architects consider challenges, design of historic districts
A panel of prominent Savannah architects was recently asked what the central tension is when designing buildings in the city’s downtown historic district. Neil Dawson, principal at LS3P Associates, described a tug of war. On one end is the...
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ENDURING MYSTERY
PAs the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, a passage of time that has allowed its founding fathers to reach venerated status, one of Georgia’s three signers of the Declaration of Independence remains a man of obscurity. Perhaps...
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Chemours petitioned to protect Okefenokee
ATLANTA — People who want to protect the Okefenokee delivered a petition with 26,000 signatures Wednesday to a company they fear might mine near the swamp, asking for a permanent pledge not to. Last year, conservationists assembled about $60 million...
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Hyundai to build first “midsize truck”
Hyundai Motor Company is building its first sports utility vehicle and will manufacture the new midsize truck in the United States. Hyundai’s new Boulder Concept debuted at the 2026 New York International Auto Show April 1. Although the location has...
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‘It’s a victory for the neighborhood’
The formerly closed in front porch at 917 Wexler St. now pops with mint and pink stone across the lower third of its front façade. The cinderblocks above don that faint green in a new exterior that matches the home’s historic features. The home is the...
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Latino vote shifting away from Trump, GOP
In the 2024 election, President Donald Trump dramatically improved his performance among nearly all groups of voters from four years earlier. Trump’s growth among Hispanic voters was especially notable, increasing by more than 10 points from 2020 to...
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Crush Reloaded faces challenges
While the Crush Reloaded Festival struggled to draw spring breakers within the festival site’s parameters, Orange Crush, the beach party, continued to thrive, much like it did last year with an estimated 30,000 in attendance. Festival organizer and CEO...
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SSU honors new president through investiture ceremony
Jermaine Whirl was seated with Savannah Mayor Van Johnson for an event at Georgia Southern University about two years ago when he first declared it to the mayor. “Mayor, I want to be president of Savannah State,” Johnson recalled Whirl, who was then...
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LOSING SAND
Fewer loggerhead sea turtles may be choosing to nest at Tybee Island beginning this May. h The island has experienced a 60% loss in sand since the last beach renourishment funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2020, said Tybee Island Mayor...
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Snow drought presents climate stress test
Across much of the Western United States, winter 2026 was the year the snow never came. Many ski resorts got by with snowmaking but shut down their winter operations early. Fire officials and water supply managers are worried about summer. Where I...
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Students, staff build Habitat home for family
Students and staff from Savannah State University (SSU) spent the day building a home, and community, during a volunteer build with Habitat for Humanity on Wednesday. Beginning around 8:30 a.m., more than 40 volunteers gathered throughout the day to...
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El Cheapo gas station leaks fuel into sewers
After a weekend of heavy rains last October saturated Savannah in nearly two and a half inches in 24 hours, the Chatham County Public Works Department encountered dark patches in a small stream. Fuel residues floated on water and were stuck to...
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Deadly yellow fever epidemic revisited
Beef tea, a hot foot bath, and a tablespoon of good brandy were among a list of recommended home treatments for yellow fever, printed in an 1876 column for the Savannah Morning News. Thankfully, we are past the 19th- and 20th-century remedies, and...
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SEEING THE SITES
Seeing was believing for Savannah City Council on Thursday morning. A majority of its members traded the walls of city hall for the walls of a Chatham Area Transit bus for its workshop, riding across Savannah on a housing tour designed to show types...
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USA TODAY CROSSWORD
EDITED Amanda Rafkin BY Kareem Ayas PARTING SHOT ACROSS 1 5 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 23 24 25 28 29 33 35 37 38 42 43 44 47 48 51 52 54 56 61 German Mrs. Many tarboosh wearers Bit of a fit Competes in an election, maybe “___ (Remix)” (Pop...
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SILENT STONES
Long before the United States declared independence from King George III, generations of Savannahians were laid to rest at Colonial Park Cemetery — a burial ground that witnessed the colonial era, the Revolution, epidemics and the city’s early growth....
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Report: Inflation surged in wake of Iran war
Prices for the goods and services Americans use the most spiked higher in March as the war with Iran unfolded. The Labor Department on April 10 confirmed that its Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation, was 3.3% higher in March than a year ago....
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Warehouses approved despite residents’ concerns
Monday night, residents packed into Pooler City Hall, leaving standing room only, for the public hearings of proposed developments. Those included a zoning map amendment to allow for three warehouses near Tom Triplett Park, and a 303-home multifamily...
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Massive tire mound slated for removal
There is a type of tower hidden on Savannah’s Hutchinson Island, and not one of steel or architectural grandeur. It’s one of round rubber. A mound of tires taller than a typical man. It’s what those curious to find obscure urban attractions have...
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Council continues conversations on Memorial Park, STVRs
In addition to reviewing the safety plans for the spring break event now labeled as “Crush Reloaded” on April 18, the City of Tybee Island staff provided updates on two initiatives at a recent workshop: short-term vacation rentals and Memorial Park...
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Police debut upgraded 156-year-old headquarters
The Savannah Police Department (SPD) unveiled its newly renovated headquarters on 201 Habersham St. in the national historic landmark district Thursday morning. The 156 year old building is thought to be one of the oldest continually operating police...
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CANAL THREAT
Paths near the back of Tom Triplett Park lead to a dirt trail shrouded in pines, where the sounds of cars are lost to chirping of birds and rustling of leaves. Tiny frogs hop across feet, and large white waterbirds perch on tree trunks submerged in a...
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New graduates finding challenge in job market
In 2025, new college graduates wanted remote, high-paying jobs that aligned with their values. In 2026, they just want a job. With 89% worrying artificial intelligence could replace entry-level roles – up from 64% last year – 67% of graduates now say...
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Tybee Island, Rep. Carter get $5M for fire station
More funding has been secured for the construction of a new fire station on Tybee Island, the city and Rep. Buddy Carter announced Wednesday morning. Rep. Carter, who is currently running for Senate, sponsored the funding request for a $5 million...
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Oyster farmers hope to see more harvest hours
When Laura Solomon, with co-owner and husband Perry Solomon, opened Tybee Oyster Company in 2022, they spent the summer flipping oysters in floating cages about five miles off of Tybee Island, to prevent the overgrowth of barnacles and algae on their...
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Quirky party celebrates O’Connor’s 101st birthday
The winning Flannery O’Connor look-alike gets the privilege of blowing out the candles on the birthday cake during the Flannery O’Connor birthday celebration on March 29 at Lafayette Square. Flannery O’Connor look-a-likes compete during the celebration...
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Over 2,500 attend ‘No Kings’ protest
Beneath the Spanish moss in Emmet Park on Saturday afternoon, more than 2,500 people gathered for the third “No Kings” protest, listening to speakers encourage civic engagement and expound on the importance of voting before marching through downtown...
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Privatizing space brings COMPLICATIONS
Private companies are no longer peripheral participants in U.S. space activities. They provide key services, including launching and deploying satellites, transporting cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station, and even sending landers to...
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Savannah kids’ art to float at Lincoln Memorial
A few days before Memorial Health Dwaine & Cynthia Willett Children’s Hospital of Savannah celebrates its fifth birthday in its building, patients of the hospital gathered on the second floor to help America celebrate its 250th. Representatives with...
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‘Trump slump’ hit U.S. tourism in 2025
With an upcoming FIFA World Cup being staged across the nation, 2026 was supposed to be a bumper year for tourism to the United States, driven in part by hordes of arriving soccer fans. And yet, the U.S. tourism industry is worried. While the rest of...
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Residents raise support as demolition awaits approval
As the Housing Authority of Savannah’s demolition application for Yamacraw Village awaits response from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the public housing community’s official residents’ council is continuing to raise awareness...
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New mobile grocery store MoGro launches
Inside a small trailer, rows of canned food, pantry staples and paper products are organized along either wall. A bit further, refrigerators hold fresh produce, frozen meats, microwavable dinners and a checkout station where debit cards, credit cards...
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Tide to Town trail is almost complete
The City of Savannah plans to cut the ribbon on its latest portion of the Tide to Town trail in June, but you wouldn’t know it if you visited the trail on any day the sun is shining. That’s because the trail is already in use by bikers and runners...
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City crews clean up less trash this year
Armed with shovels and grabbers, about 200 City of Savannah workers took to the front lines for St. Patty’s Day parade trash pickup. The city estimates solid waste crews picked up nearly 90 tons of trash from Monday to Wednesday surrounding St....
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Spring arrives in Georgia
Spring has sprung! Georgia and the rest of the northern hemisphere are waving goodbye to winter woes. But for many plants, the first blooms of spring have already arrived, earlier than usual. Take the yellow jessamine, for instance. The bright...
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RESIDENCY BOOST
Doctors build a vast network during their residencies. They develop relationships with patients, build community connections that can strengthen their service and deepen their professional networks with other medical professionals, said MCG Savannah...
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Troops deployed to Middle East region
Despite President Donald Trump’s promises of the war with Iran ending soon and broad domestic disapproval of further involvement, the United States is sending more troops to the region, a defense official said. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit,...
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OIL SITES HIT AS IRAN WAR ESCALATES
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth wants billions more from Congress to fund the war with Iran as gas prices hit $3.90 a gallon nationwide and global oil prices surged amid the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The national average price per gallon...
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