News Feed

On Monday, February 18, at around 7:45 PM, a missing male was reported in the water on a body board with a wetsuit. Initial Fire and Police units responded to the reported location and began a land-based search with multiple units scanning the water for the reported subject with handheld thermal cameras and binoculars.

The search was suspended from the land at approximately 12:30 AM. The Coast Guard assumed the water based operations from Coast Guard Tybee, and boat and helicopter operations continued throughout the night.

As of Tuesday morning, February 19, the Coast Guard is active with multiple boats and air support operating in rough conditions. We resumed land-based beach, crossover, and accessible beach points inspections and will continue throughout the day.

For the second year, the Savannah Tree Foundation says it is partnering with all nine local municipalities within Chatham County to plant new trees for Arbor Day.

As part of their Georgia Arbor Day celebrations, the Savannah Tree Foundation is ensuring that each town continues to focus on the value of trees with plantings across the County.

Tree plantings will include:
Friday, Feb. 15 at 9:00 am Garden City Senior Center (78 Varnedoe Ave)
Friday, Feb. 15 at 1:00 pm Port Wentworth’s Houlihan Landing
Saturday, Feb. 16 at 9:00 am Thunderbolt’s Nellie Johnson Park (3232 Cedar St)
Saturday, Feb. 16 at 11:30 am Tybee Island Dog Park (off Fort Ave)
Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 1:00 pm Vernonburg on Dancy Ave
Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 2:30 pm Founders Planting honoring STF founders Lynda Beam & Suzie Williams
Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 9:00 am Chatham County’s Mother Mathilda Beasley Park
Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 1:00 pm City of Savannah at Hudson Hill Park (2227 Hudson St)

In addition to these public plantings, Georgia Power donated Sawtooth Oak and Redbud seedlings for the public to adopt for planting in their own yards, the Foundation says. The seedlings will be made available at each tree planting.

Six live oaks will also be planted on White Bluff Road in honor of Lynda Beam and Suzie Williams, who in partnership with Page Hungerpiller founded the Savannah Tree Foundation in 1982.

The official Georgia Arbor Day is the third Friday of February each year. Arbor Day is a day for communities and individuals to take action to protect and plant trees for the health of our communities.

 

This morning, Savannah City Alderman Van R. Johnson announced he will run for Mayor in this year's election.

He broke the news on WRUU 107.5 FM community radio on "Savannah Lexicon," with Dave Messner sitting in for host Wayne Waters.

"I'm in it for the long run. It's my intention to run for Mayor of Savannah," said Johnson near the end of a nearly hour-long interview which ran the gamut from affordable housing to managing tourism to poverty in Savannah, and of course the controversial Fire Fee, which Johnson opposed.

"It's been one of those things where I've tried to talk myself out of it," Johnson said of his impending run, citing his spiritual effort to look for "confirmation."

"We've been talking, we've been praying, we've been going around in the community saying, what type of leadership do we want? And ultimately for us, Savannah's worth fighting for... you can't necessarily want to be part of the fight and play safe," Johnson said.

"I don't have to be the smartest person in the room, but I can be the convener. I can be the one to shine the light on the least of these, and I can help Savannah become all that I know Savannah can be."

Other announced mayoral candidates include Regina Thomas, a former Georgia House and Senate member, who announced her run last month. Incumbent Mayor Eddie DeLoach hasn't officially announced a run for reelection. 

Daniel Krauthammer, the keynote speaker for the Savannah Book Festival, has postponed his Feb. 15 appearance at the Lucas Theatre.

In his place, Chris Stirewalt, Fox News' politics editor, will deliver the address.

“We were very sad to hear that Daniel Krauthammer would not be able to deliver our Keynote Address as scheduled,” said SBF Board President Beau Anders. “We truly appreciate Chris Stirewalt’s willingness to step in and present the Keynote Address on Friday.”

Stirewalt was scheduled to appear in Festival Saturday to talk about his book, "Every Man a King: A Short, Colorful History of American Populists."

The SBF is working with Krauthammer to schedule a replacement date.

Visit savannahbookfestival.org for more information as it becomes available. 

Actor/director John Cusack will appear at the Johnny Mercer Theatre for a live conversation and audience Q&A on Wednesday, May 15, 7:30 p.m., along with a screening of his breakthrough film, 'Say Anything.'

Ticket presale at www.savannahcivic.com will run from Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. until Thursday Feb. 14 at 10 p.m. with the password: CUSACK.

Tix go on sale to the general public on Friday Feb. 15 at 10 a.m.

Cusack will share stories from his career, answer audience questions, and "give a behind-the-scenes look into his breakout role as Lloyd Dobler, following a screening of the iconic 1989 film Say Anything," event organizer The Backlot Project says.

A limited number of VIP seats will be available at this show. VIP tix  include a post-show photo op with Cusack.

Julianna Baggott, critically acclaimed fiction writer, poet and essayist, is coming to Savannah for Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong Visiting Writers Series. Baggott will give a reading at Savannah Coffee Roasters on March 7 at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

City of Savannah Mayor Eddie DeLoach will join the Park & Tree Commission and the City of Savannah Greenscapes Division in the annual Arbor Day Celebration and Tree Planting Ceremony at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 15.

The ceremony will take place at The Stem Academy at Bartlett Middle School, 207 East Montgomery Cross Road.

The Arbor Foundations requirements for being recognized as a Tree City include holding National Arbor Day. The City will be receiving this distinction for the 34th year.

Chatham County Police are searching for a suspect wanted in connection with a shooting that happened at a residence this morning.

Detectives are searching for 28-year-old Josef Craig Odum.

"Odum is accused of shooting a husband and wife at a home in the 100 block of Gunpowder Drive around 9:00 this morning. Police say Odum knew the victims, and believe the shooting was the result of an ongoing disagreement," [police report.

Anyone with information regarding Odum’s whereabouts should call 911.

When police arrived at the scene, "they found a male victim with multiple gunshot wounds and a female victim with superficial wounds. Both were transported to the hospital," police say.

Police believed the suspect was inside a residence on Gunpowder Drive. After being unable to make contact or confirm whether the suspect was inside, Chatham County Police asked for the assistance of the Savannah Police Department SWAT team and Hostage Negotiation Team.

"After a thorough search of the house, it was determined that the suspect was not inside the residence. The Chatham County Mosquito Control helicopter also searched the area by air," police say.

While police do not believe Odum poses a danger to the public at large, the Board of Education Police Department was notified and schools in the area were put on lockdown as a precaution.

Chatham Area Transit's first online survey for its Let’s Go! Designing Better Transit Together initiative is still available now through February 10, 2019.

CAT says this survey focuses on the tradeoffs that must be considered when planning a bus system, such as “Which do you prefer – a shorter walk to the bus stop or a shorter wait for the bus?”

All members of the community are encouraged to participate by completing the five-minute survey on desktop or mobile, which may be accessed in English and Spanish at www.catchacat.org under News & Updates.

Survey participants can register for a chance to win one of two monthly CAT bus passes or one of two $25 gift cards from Kroger.

The survey also is available at the following public locations:

CAT Central, 900 East Gwinnett Street, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Joe Rivers Murray Intermodal Transfer Center, 610 W. Oglethorpe, Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

To assist the community with becoming familiar and engaged with the project, CAT has established a project-specific website at letsgo.catchacat.org that provides information on the initiative, data and project documents, upcoming events, and a sign up for project email updates.

The project is anticipated to conclude at the end of 2019.

SAVANNAH, GA (February 1, 2019) — City of Savannah Mayor Eddie DeLoach will officially launch the fourth annual Summer 500 Program at 3:45 p.m. on Monday, February 4.

Savannah-Chatham Public Schools superintendent Dr. Ann Levett, Mayor Pro Tem Carol Bell, business leaders and past program participates will join the Mayor’s announcement.

In its fourth year, the Summer 500 Program has provided jobs, soft-skills training, education and life skills to area high school students. It’s a major public-private partnership between local, private, public, and non-profit agencies which employ students throughout the City.

Savannah City Hall Council Chambers, 2nd Floor.