COASTAL GEORGIA

Tuesday is Valentine’s Day, and for many, the weather is critical for an evening out and about.

The Georgia Department of Public Health on Wednesday announced the Coastal Health District’s monkeypox vaccination program was expanding.

Five days of early voting in advance of the June 21 runoff primary begins Monday. There are more unsettled races on the Democratic ballot but two Republican legislative seats will be decided in this election.

While Northeast Florida will likely never be in the tropical storm warning area, we are on the powerful, “dirty” side of the storm, which means a greater chance of severe weather.

The Georgia Department of Public Health on Monday received the first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine for administration in Georgia. Shipments of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Coastal Georgia at two public health locations with ultracold freezers required for storage and temperature control of the vaccine. An online portal is now available for scheduling a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Coastal Health District. I ask for continued patience as we move forward with our vaccination effort,” said Dr. Lawton Davis, health director of the Coastal Health District. The Coastal Health District includes Camden and Glynn counties.

Health care workers in Georgia began to receive the coronavirus vaccine on Monday. Brian Kemp’s office said shipments received Monday included 5,850 doses of the Pfizer vaccine for the first in a two-dose series. Shipments of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Coastal Georgia at two public health locations with ultracold freezers required for storage and temperature control of the vaccine. (Sally Silbermann/Coastal Health District)The Pfizer vaccine was just approved by the FDA for emergency use last week. CVS and Walgreens pharmacies in Florida will also receive 60,000 doses to distribute at long-term care facilities, and the state will get 20,000 to administer at care facilities, as well.

ATLANTA – The most competitive election cycle in decades could confirm Georgia as a swing state or leave Republicans still in control. Williams, a state senator and chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, wants to use federal power to provide more subsidized health care and guarantee voting rights. The race in Atlanta’s northern suburbs centers around arguments about health care, abortion, support for police and gun control. Bourdeaux, a public policy professor, says government needs to do more to provide access to health care and solve people’s problems. Pandy pledges a bipartisan little-guy approach, saying his priorities include better access to health care, a higher minimum wage and an end to tariffs.

Jacksonville, FLA. – Today we still saw coastal flooding evening though our northeasterly winds began to relax a bit. Read more about our Fall temperature here...Wednesday starts out crisp and cool and turns warm for a few hours during the afternoon. Wednesday evening will be lovely and cool again, with overnight lows in the mid to upper 60s. Friday marks the end of our cool temperatures for now, we will warm up to 87° with widely scattered showers. The weekend will be warm and wet at times, with afternoon highs in the upper 80s and widespread chances for passing showers and storms.

The state’s primary election twice delayed by the coronavirus pandemic finally happened Tuesday. Raffensperger, minimizing problems that were documented in other counties including Chatham, promised investigations of Fulton’s and DeKalb’s handling of the primary. The Republican speaker of Georgia’s state legislature, meanwhile, called for an investigation of the entire primary process, singling out Fulton County as "particularly” troubling. In Brantley County, incumbent Sheriff Len Davis easily won re-election over fellow Republican Philips Popwell and there is no Democratic challenger. See full results of all the statewide and Southeast Georgia races: Congressional, legislative and statewide races | Brantley County | Camden County | Charlton County | Glynn County | Pierce County | Ware County | Statewide party ballot questions

Georgia Democrats will choose between seven contenders in a U.S. Senate race to challenge incumbent Republican David Perdue on Tuesday. The primary will be the first statewide test of Georgias new voting machines, which combines familiar touchscreen machines with printed-out paper ballots. Whats on the Georgia primary ballot? Although the two must live in District 4, which covers northern and eastern parts of Georgia, the race is on the ballot statewide. Blackman lost to incumbent Republican Lauren Bubba McDonald in 2014, while Noel lost a Democratic primary for the utility regulatory commission in a different district in 2018.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Coastal Georgia, including Glynn County, is under a flood watch until 8 a.m. Monday. As of 6 a.m., the total rainfall hit more than 4.3 inches. On Sunday, the National Weather Service Jacksonville tweeted that the St. Simons Island was seeing record-breaking rain totals. “Sometimes there’s a cold snap and (there’s) not as much rain, usually.”According to the National Weather Service, St. Simons Island hit the highest daily rainfall on record for the month of December. The last daily rainfall record for the month of December was set back in 1997 at 3.27 inches.

Explore GeorgiaJEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. - Coastal Georgia is gearing up for its annual food festival that's dedicated to deciding who cooks the state's best shrimp and grits. Organizers expect more than 45,000 visitors for the Jekyll Island Shrimp & Grits Festival that kicks off next Friday. The festival's main attraction is a Saturday showdown between chefs from eight Georgia restaurants in a contest of shrimp-and-grits recipes. This year's kitchen battle features returning champions from Eagle Creek Brewing Company of Statesboro and Atlanta's West Egg Cafe. The weekend at Jekyll Island also includes a craft brew fest, an artists' market and a kids' zone.