Before you ask, yes, there will be fireworks over the Savannah River on New Year's Eve. Anyone planning to be on River Street Saturday evening should try looking into the sky at 11:59 p.m. The ‘works are going to be hard to miss.

The first things I noticed about Chuck Sereika were his eyes – dark blue, distant, and sunken, set back as if they were determined to put distance between Chuck Sereika and the rest of the world. When he looked at you, it wasn’t as if his eyes were focused on you. They were looking right through you, at someone, something else.

There’s a big celebration going on in Savannah March 17. Perhaps you’ve heard something about it?

ONE OF THE faulty stereotypes about Savannah is that it’s insular and not open to outsiders.

Savannah is full of people helping other people, often for little credit or personal gain. Three years ago, one such project, Weddings for Warriors, launched in Savannah. This all–volunteer effort matches local photographers and venues to provide free wedding and vow renewal ceremonies for active duty military personnel, including Guard and Reserve. “The project was conceived as a way of saying a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to active duty military personnel in Savannah and the Lowcountry,” ...

IT'S ABOUT a strict pecking order and complex rules of social standing. It’s about betrayal, envy and subtle mutual acrimony.  It’s about interesting and unusual accents.

WITH ALL THE back-and-forth over harbor deepening and other jobs issues, I’d actually say if you want to be bullish on a local product, art is your hot stock.

As longtime readers know, one of my hobbies is collecting Nigerian scam emails. This week, as is my annual habit, I’d like to share my pick for best Nigerian scam of 2011.

There are a few things that a certain faction of Savannah holds sacred: Wild–caught shrimp, St. Patrick’s Day and the absolute faith that the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) is our collective economic salvation.

If happiness in your shopping cart equals a tub of dark chocolate–covered edamame beans, a box of truffle–infused risotto, a cluster of organic sunflowers and a case of Two Buck Chuck, then you know Joe.

I try hard to brand myself as a tough lady, a woman of valor, a working mama who feeds backyard chickens in high–heeled boots.

In my first installation as Savannah’s self–appointed anti–society columnist four months ago, I promised to cover every fancy party I could, as long as everyone was invited.

Last year, as I was stumbling around the first days of January with wrapping paper still stuck to my head and digging Chanukah candle wax out of the carpet with a butter knife, I made a promise.

WHICH CITY OFFICIAL has done the most to make Savannah safer and more accommodating to bicyclists? I used to joke that Gen. James Oglethorpe deserved this distinction, despite the fact that he died more than a century before the arrival of machines we would recognize today as bicycles.

SAVANNAH EXPERIENCED really chilly temperatures recently and that, for many, was a barrier to bicycling in our city.

As I watched her approach the stop sign, I had a feeling she wasn't going to stop. She was talking on her phone and looking for cars approaching from her left.

DID SOMEONE YOU know start riding a bike to work or class or using a bicycle to run errands this year? If so, this list provides some gift suggestions to keep that person riding on through the new year and beyond.

ULSTER COUNTY, NY — The historical marker at the intersection of Bruynswick and Hoagerburgh roads informs passers–by that Gertruyd Bruyn’s 1682 purchase of the land “from the Indians contains the earliest use of the name Sawankonck (Shawangunk).”

Ogeechee incident rallied communities Editor, I just wanted to thank you and your staff at Connect Savannah for including the Ogeechee River fish kill in your Top 11 of 2011. It was a tragic and unfortunate incident on the beloved Ogeechee, but more than anything I think it rallied communities and citizens to stand up for themselves and the river. We still have work to do in 2012 (at least) to ensure the river is ...

Editor, The state of Georgia through our General Assembly and Governor is asking the voters of all Georgia counties to vote on a transportation 1% sales tax called a TSPLOST in July 2012. This 1% sales tax is in addition to other 1% sales taxes counties already have in place. This would be called the TSPLOST (Transportation Special Projects Local Option Sales Tax). Most counties have a 1% ELOST, a 1% SPLOST, and a 1% ...

Bottoms up! Editor, I do not always agree with your opinions but I always find them well thought out and interesting. However, I find myself in total agreement with your Editor’s Note regarding the recent city–wide elections (“It’s all over but the drinking”). The realistic presentation of the politics and demographics of the city and the feelings of frustration by a sizable minority of citizens (like me) that nothing is really going to change was in a strange ...

Editor, Thank you for Jessica Lebos’ informative article this week on the ballot measures that will be up for voter consideration next month. Regarding the authorization to renew ESPLOST — the 1 percent sales tax earmarked for capital improvements to our schools — there are a couple additional points that voters really need to know. First, because Chatham County is where lots of tourists, plus lots of folks from the surrounding areas, like to go ...

Editor, One city council candidate's residency is in question, which threatens to remove him from what some could characterize as a tightly contested race. According to the City of Savannah's website, one of the qualifying requirements is to be a resident for a specified period of time. Also required is the submission of certain financial data. If requirements aren't met then a candidate should be disqualified. Because of the residency issue, I wanted to research ...

The Southern Environmental Law Center has filed a challenge to the South Carolina permit that clears the way for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge 38 miles of the Savannah River shipping channel to a depth of 48 feet, calling into the question the apparent “horse–trading” that allowed the approval to happen.

Wind energy tends to generate excitement among the environmentally conscious and business–minded alike: It’s renewable, pollution–free and there’s plenty of it to sell. It seems awfully simple.

We’re all lucky to enjoy Savannah while it’s on dry land. Throughout earth’s history, this entire region’s been underwater much longer than it’s been above it.

There’s enough misinformation circulating about the proposed Savannah harbor deepening project to make a Greek bank loan look solid by comparison.

Editor’s Note — There have been a lot of developments in the past few weeks regarding the planned (and still controversial) deepening of the Savannah River. To get you up to speed we present this special report by Dan McCue, veteran reporter on coastal environmental and economic issues.

Governments are supposed to fulfill the basic needs of their citizens. Ours doesn’t pretend to try.

What, the election is this Tuesday, Nov. 8 and you haven’t picked your mayoral favorite yet?

Much attention has been given to Savannah’s mayoral and city council races, but there’s more on the ballot than just people. Here’s a brief overview of the measures up for your vote in Chatham County Nov. 8:

Everyone has their issues. For the people who attended last Tuesday’s Alderman At–Large forum, those issues focused on transportation and sustainability, both big buzzwords for Savannahians concerned about safe bike and walking routes and energy efficiency. “Transportation and development are very closely linked,” said Savannah Bicycle Campaign chairman Drew Wade in his opening remarks. “Where we build is closely related to how we travel.” Several member of the local Sierra Club chapter took seats for ...

Savannah’s mayoral candidates covered much political ground at a forum at the Visitor’s Center Sept. 20, revealing some of the positions they’ll stake out in order to differentiate themselves from the rest of the crowded field.

Capital punishment in Georgia is facing a serious problem — not necessarily on moral grounds, but on practical ones.

In a city with a reputation for celebrating the intersection between odd personalities and true crime drama, last week’s evidentiary hearings for Troy Davis did not disappoint.

At a press conference last week, Interim Police Chief Willie Lovett revealed a sizeable decrease in crime in Savannah during 2009. And as an aside, he also seemed to be making the case that he should no longer be just an interim chief.

A new program in the County's Juvenile Court system could provide young people with mental health issues a better option than probation.

11/13/06 - Berkow officially has first day as the Chief of Police for the SCMPD 11/15/06 - Berkow makes his first public appearance at a Wilshire Area Neighborhood Association Meeting. Nearly 100 people show up to ask questions and express concerns. 12/19/06 - A sworn deposition made public by a California court during a lawsuit for alleged sexual discrimination reveals Berkow had an extra-marital affair while serving as the Deputy Chief of the L.A.P.D. Every ...

Sunny skies, glassy waters, a gentle offshore breeze — the conditions couldn’t have been more perfect for a Saturday morning on the water.

Anyone who spends much time in downtown Savannah will eventually run into some of the many Girl Scout troops visiting the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, as well as the nearby Andrew Low House where she headquartered the Girl Scouts of America later in life.

1. City Manager debacle gets even worse In hindsight, it didn't have to happen this way. The results probably would have been the same with or without the controversy. That's what makes our number one story of 2011 -- such a big story that it also made our 2010 list -- so maddening and strangely compelling. After the 2010 departures of former City Manager Michael Brown and former Assistant City Manager Chris Morrell, Rochelle Small-Toney ...

AS THE HORDES prepare to flood the malls and big box stores with their credit cards for Black Friday, some smart folks checked off their holiday shopping lists early.

The Department of Homeland Security held a public meeting in Savannah last Tuesday, much to the surprise of almost everyone.

Welcome to Savannah, incoming freshies! Along with your astounding tuition bill, you probably received a student handbook designed to inform you about your new school—and leave you completely unprepared for life in one of the South’s most weird and wonderful cities. Allow us to fill in some gaps:

Imagine a day when the ride from Savannah to Atlanta no longer requires baking in your car on I–16 for four–plus hours.

Some kids know exactly what they want to be when they grow up: Doctor, lawyer, teacher — all clear educational paths that lead to surefire careers.

Savannah isn't known as much of a sports town. But for those willing to go beyond stereotype and get out from in front of the tube, there are a number of fun sports options which deliver an often–surprisingly good level of competition and excitement.

We hope you enjoy this year's edition of our annual College Student Guide. It's our way of welcoming new students to town as well as helping not-so-new students to get back into the groove of a typically busy Savannah fall season.

Now that the new year is in full swing, the impetus for many runners in 2012 is to emerge from the fog of holiday overindulgence with a new body, a new lease on life, and just maybe, a slimmer waist line.

It has to be said there’s a lot of excellence at St. Joseph’s–Candler and Memorial Health; I know because my patients benefit from that excellence every day.

There is a swell building in world of medicine, particularly the field of cancer treatment. What was once considered "alternative medicine" - using nutritional and herbal supplements as a way of maintaining a more holistic approach to health - is fighting for a place at the table in the ongoing discussion of how to best treat cancer patients.

Last week the Affordable Healthcare for America Act won a narrow vote in the House of Representatives, 220-215. But as critics and supporters alike continue to sift through the bill, which is nearly 2,000 pages long, questions remain about the impact it will have, and whether the reforms will actually increase access to healthcare in the United States.

Under-budget and highly effective aren't two words commonly used in discussions about healthcare these days, but they're apt descriptors of the City of Savannah's healthcare system.

Come March, this city will be awash in color when hundreds of thousands of azalea blossoms burst open along the streets and squares.

Ah, there’s nothing like the smell of burnt rubber in the morning. Along with the squealing sound of hard–working brakes, the aroma of taxed tires was in the air over the racetrack on Hutchinson Island last week as the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department put 10 new vehicles through the paces. The SCMPD is considering these Chevy Caprice Police Patrol Vehicles (PPVs) to replace its fleet of beloved Ford Crown Victorias, which have served as ...

You’d think it wouldn’t be easy to make a ginormous popcorn box disappear. Eight feet high with red stripes louder than a pair of Christmas pajamas, the box stood outside the Lucas Theatre for a little over a week last month. Tourists posed for photos in front of it, locals enjoyed the festive addition. Then suddenly, it was gone. The colossal wooden container was designed and built by the Lucas staff to help promote the ...

Bingo may be the hallmark hobby of blue–haired old ladies, but some of Broughton Street’s swankiest shops have given it a chic makeover this holiday season.

For the last 112 weeks, I’ve written about local and state government, community groups, the arts, a dash of literature and a sprinkling of music. It’s been an honor and a pleasure.

There’s something about September that gets my attention. Not in a “Yo!  Over here!” waving–its–arms–wildly kind of way. More like a tap on the shoulder, a whisper in the ear. Year after year, the fallish dip in temperature and humidity, only five or six degrees but still noticeable, teams up with the expanding activities calendar to nudge me along a new path, toward a new idea. Those barely perceptible nudges often take me on journeys ...

It’s a simple idea. One night a month, open the doors of Muse Arts Warehouse from 5–10 p.m., for anyone who wants to play a set of recorded music, or listen to sets spun with great aforethought (or occasionally none at all) by a dozen or so different DJ’s.

Hartford Gongaware went back to elementary school last fall. He got a fifth grade pen pal named Christopher, he read some new books, and he and Christopher traded letters online about the books they read.

Two Thursdays ago, with butterflies in my stomach, I drove to an office in Market Walk on Hodgson Memorial Drive. I sat down at a table and completed one of those "fill in the bubble" forms, as if I were taking a test. Less than an hour later, I was on my way home, upbeat and relieved. It was an "A+" afternoon, with "A+" standing for my blood type, "A-positive."

I rarely think about Fort Pulaski at all, and when I do, my catalog of information reads something like this: a destination on the way to Tybee, and a good place to take an out of town guest.

Two men are in custody following a search warrant and seizure of a large amount of crystal methamphetamine conducted by the Chatham–Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT).

Police are seaching for the owners of 69 dogs found living in filth in a small house on the 300 block of East 33rd Street.

Several armed robberies augured in the new year. On January 4, about 9:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to 11975 Apache Avenue to the Dollar General. Employees told police two armed suspects entered the store and came into the breakroom.

Five people were arrested after a teen party on New Years Eve went awry. Just after 9:30 p.m., an officer observed three young boys running from the side of the AAction Air Conditioning building and jump into a vehicle. The officer conducted a traffic stop and discovered teen boys inside along with one adult driver.

The release of the new Air Jordans on Dec. 23 caused a crime wave nationwide, one which didn’t spare Savannah.