Local News

In case you missed it (ICYMI) we are beginning 2025 with a weekly look back at a few of the most read stories of the week. This week it included Brooklet's historic sewer project, Georgia Southern Performing Arts Center kicks off 2025 with an exciting lineup of shows, and a Bulloch County family faces the aftermath of a devastating house fire, receiving support from local organizations.

This past week, Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns held a pre-session press conference at the State Capitol to outline his priorities for the 2025 legislative session. See a full video of the press conference.

Beginning on Monday, contractors for the City of Statesboro will conduct 5 to 6 days of sewer smoke testing. If smoke from the testing gets into your home or business, do not be alarmed. Try to locate and repair the area where the smoke is coming from. If this smoke can get in, so can sewer gas and odors. See the article for maps of where testing will occur.

The Georgia Department of Transportation will implement lane closures on Interstate 16 and surrounding interchanges from January 13 to January 18 as part of the 16@95 Improvement Projects, which include widening and bridge work. Motorists should expect delays, reduced speeds, and intermittent closures during both daytime and nighttime hours.

Hopefuls must fill out the required forms before the session.

Food Lion Feeds’ annual Sack to Give Back program tackled food insecurity during the 2024 collegiate football season, teaming up with 35 colleges, including Georgia Southern, to provide the equivalent of 793,000 meals to campus food pantries and local food banks. By donating 1,000 meals for every quarterback sack, this initiative continues to make a meaningful impact across Food Lion’s 10-state footprint.

The Georgia Department of Education is launching new initiatives to combat chronic absenteeism, ensuring students have consistent access to the instruction and opportunities needed for their success. With a current absenteeism rate of 20.7%, these efforts focus on raising awareness, fostering collaboration, and equipping schools to address barriers to attendance.

AgSouth Farm Credit has awarded nearly $200,000 in grants to 43 non-profit organizations through its 2024-2025 Growing Our Communities Grant program. These grants will support projects that promote agriculture and strengthen rural communities across Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Two awardees are from Statesboro.

Keynote speaker Chelsea Weaver pointed out the importance of connecting with today's youth and supporting them unconditionally at the MLK, Jr. prayer breakfast. The Youth Council, together with the Bulloch County NAACP and the Georgia Southern NAACP, hosted a breakfast at the Williams Center on Georgia Southern' s campus.

Click on the picture of the day to get local sports scores, weather and lowest gas prices in town. Check back for updates throughout the day.