Monkeypox vaccine to be available for some in Savannah area amid concerns of increased diagnoses
Chatham County, which includes the Savannah area of Georgia, received its first shipment of Jynneos, a vaccine for the prevention of the monkeypox disease, last week and will begin distributing the vaccine to specific populations on Monday.
3 more bodies found after Georgia boat crash; man charged
Searchers recovered the bodies of three missing boaters Sunday after two vessels collided on a Georgia river, bringing the crash's death toll to five people. One of the surviving boaters was charged with boating under the influence. Two people were found dead shortly after the Saturday collision on the Wilmington River near Savannah, authorities said.
news.yahoo.comHyundai announces $5.5B electric vehicle plant in Georgia
Hyundai Motor Group confirmed Friday the company will spend $5.5 billion on a huge electric vehicle plant near Savannah that will employ thousands — a deal Georgia’s governor called the largest economic development project in the state’s history.
Residents clear storm debris as more severe weather looms
Following violent storms blamed for killing at least three people, Southerners cleared fallen trees from roadways and began cleaning up debris from homes and buildings smashed by suspected tornadoes as forecasters warned more violent weather was likely on the way.
Ships are sitting offshore containing items that we desperately need -- what can be done?
If you’re in the Jacksonville, Florida area, you’ve likely seen the logjam of container ships sitting idly offshore. The vessels are packed with items destined for store shelves -- and they’re things business owners and consumers desperately need delivered.
More US troops deploy overseas in wake of Ukraine invasion
U.S. soldiers continued to deploy Friday to Europe, joining thousands already sent overseas to support NATO allies amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. About 130 soldiers from the 87th Division Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Division Sustainment Brigade, lined up with rucksacks inside a terminal at Hunter Airfield in Savannah before marching outside and boarding their chartered flight. Republican U.S. Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter, of Pooler, Georgia, was among those in attendance.
news.yahoo.com'Very hectic': US troops rush to Europe amid war in Ukraine
They had barely a week to prepare — getting medical screenings, making sure bills would be paid, arranging for relatives to care for children and pets — before marching with rucksacks and rifles onto a plane bound for Germany. “It’s been very hectic and stressful, but overall it’s worked out,” Army Staff Sgt. Ricora Jackson said Wednesday as she waited with dozens of fellow soldiers to board a chartered flight at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah.
news.yahoo.com"Black, White, and The Grey": A Savannah restaurant and race
Built in what was once a segregated bus terminal in Savannah, Ga., The Grey is a destination restaurant that defies preconceived notions about Southern cooking. It also offers its partners, restaurateur and entrepreneur Johno Morisano and James Beard Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey, a setting for conversations about race, which grew into a book: "Black, White, and The Grey: The Story of an Unexpected Friendship and a Beloved Restaurant." They sat down with correspondent Martha Teichner to discuss their quietly provocative endeavors.
news.yahoo.comEndangered whale gives birth while entangled in fishing rope
Scientists spotted an endangered right whale dragging a length of fishing rope caught in its mouth as it swam with a newborn calf off the Georgia coast, a rare confirmation of a birth by an entangled whale that experts determined they can't safely attempt to help. The baby whale appeared healthy and uninjured when an aerial survey team spotted it Thursday alongside its ensnared mother near Cumberland Island, Georgia, said Clay George, a wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. It was the second newborn right whale confirmed in the Atlantic waters of the Southeastern U.S. during the species' calving season that typically runs from December through March.
news.yahoo.comCouple celebrating 50th anniversary died in train derailment
Don Varnadoe spent months watching videos about train trips on his office computer in preparation for a special cross-country vacation to celebrate his and Margie Varnadoe's 50th wedding anniversary. “He had called the office and said how excited they were," said Robert Kozlowski, managing broker at Coldwell Banker Access Realty in the port city of Brunswick. A day later, the couple died when an Amtrak train they were on derailed in rural Montana.
news.yahoo.comCrew member's bad maths likely sank cargo ship, report finds
A top officer's errors in calculating the stability of a cargo ship loaded with nearly 4,200 automobiles likely caused the giant vessel to overturn along the Georgia coast, U.S. investigators said in a report Tuesday. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board issued a 57-page report on the capsizing of the South Korean freighter Golden Ray, which is still being removed in pieces from the water off St. Simons Island two years later. The NTSB reported the combined losses totaled more than $204 million.
news.yahoo.comEx-prosecutor charged in Ahmaud Arbery case booked at jail
The former prosecutor charged with misconduct for her handling of the Ahmaud Arbery case was booked at a Georgia jail Wednesday and released. Former Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson turned herself in Wednesday morning at the Glynn County jail, county Undersheriff Ron Corbett said. Jail records show she was released on her own recognizance, meaning she did not have to pay a cash bond.
news.yahoo.comGov. Kemp goes after COVID restrictions amid virus surge Georgia
Georgia's Republican governor issued an executive order Thursday that bans cities from requiring businesses to enforce local restrictions aimed at curbing the coronavirus pandemic, but what impact, if any, the measure would have on new mask requirements in Atlanta, Savannah and other cities was not clear.
Defense wants 'no press' for part of Arbery jury selection
Defense attorneys for men charged in the slaying of Ahmaud Arbery are asking a Georgia judge to keep reporters out of the courtroom when lawyers question potential jurors to determine if they have biases in the widely publicized case. Greg McMichael and Travis McMichael, a white father and son, are charged with murder in the February 2020 killing of Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was chased and shot after the McMichaels spotted him running in their neighborhood outside the coastal port city of Brunswick. A neighbor who joined the pursuit, William “Roddie” Bryan, was also charged with murder.
news.yahoo.comTropical storm sparks tornado warnings in trek up East Coast
Severe weather from Tropical Storm Elsa spurred tornado warnings in Delaware and New Jersey early Friday as the system moved over the mid-Atlantic states and into the northeastern United States. Overnight in coastal New Jersey, a 78 mph (126 kph) wind gust was recorded in Ludlam Bay, and a 71 mph (114 kph) gust was recorded in Beach Haven — both appeared to be “associated with nearby tornadoes,” the National Hurricane Center said in a 5 a.m. update.
news.yahoo.comTropical storm pounds East Coast after killing 1 in Florida
Tropical Storm Elsa carved a destructive and soaking path up the East Coast after killing at least one person in Florida and spinning up a tornado at a Georgia Navy base that flipped recreational vehicles upside-down and blew one of them into a lake. Elsa's winds weakened to 40 mph (65 kph), but it was dropping torrential rains over the Carolinas as it made its way through South Carolina early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest update. Elsa was expected to move over North Carolina later in the day, pass near the eastern mid-Atlantic states by Thursday night and move near or over the northeastern United States on Friday.
news.yahoo.comCrews prepare to resume shipwreck demolition delayed by fire
Salvage crews on the Georgia coast are preparing to resume demolition of an overturned cargo ship after work halted nearly two weeks ago when a large fire engulfed the shipwreck. The towering crane being used to saw the South Korean freighter Golden Ray into large chunks has been moved back into position straddling the wreck after the crane passed an inspection following the fire, Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Himes said Wednesday. The salvage team is waiting for engineers assessing fire damage to the shipwreck to declare that demolition can safely continue.
news.yahoo.comAgency: Oxygen injectors pass 2nd test in Georgia harbor
A federal agency said Tuesday that machines designed to inject extra oxygen for fish to breathe in the Savannah harbor passed a second round of tests that were required as part of the $973 million deepening of the shipping channel to the Port of Savannah. The Army Corps of Engineers released a 172-page report that concluded testing last summer found the injection machines successfully offset a small loss of dissolved oxygen in the water as the river gets deepened to make room for larger cargo ships. The Army Corps spent $100 million to build a pair of stations on the Savannah River equipped with large machines that suck in water, swirl it with oxygen pulled from the air and inject the mixture back into the river that’s home to blue crabs, striped bass and endangered shortnose sturgeon.
news.yahoo.comFeds seek end to dredging limits that protect sea turtles
And it’s personal to us.”Thousands of sea turtles that nest each spring and summer share their coastal habitat with busy seaports in all four states. Army Corps officials say they can eliminate seasonal dredging limits without putting sea turtles in greater peril. Giant loggerhead sea turtles, protected as a federally threatened species, nest during the spring and summer months on beaches from North Carolina to Florida. Smaller numbers of endangered green and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles lay eggs in the region as well. The state agency notes warmer waters in the summer attract sea turtles in far greater numbers than during winter.
Savannah expects St. Patrick’s crowds, possible virus surge
Revelers prepare to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in one of Savannah's historic squares in 2019. SAVANNAH, Ga. – The South’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parade is canceled, as is the boozy riverside festival that accompanies it. Likewise, Savannah City Hall withheld a permit for the sprawling St. Patrick’s festival that’s typically a magnet for beer-fueled revelry along the city’s riverfront promenade of bars and souvenir shops. “We take safety very seriously and will encourage attendees to comply with all City of Savannah requirements and CDC guidelines.”Savannah’s mayor says police will be enforcing a citywide mask mandate among St. Patrick’s crowds, with violators facing possible $500 fines. City Hall hasn’t been alone in pushing for increased caution during St. Patrick’s Day events.
‘Our hearts have begun to heal’: Savannah Gold’s family thanks those who brought killer to justice
About a month after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Savannah Gold, his Bonefish Grill co-worker, Lee Rodarte was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in prison. AdRodarte kept his back turned to Gold’s family and wiped tears as he listened to Gold’s father talk about her lion’s heart. Her mother, Sharon Gold, said Gold spoke about the impact the number 21 has had on their family. She said 21 was the number Savannah wore in sports, 21 was tattooed on her arm and ’21 is the year her killer goes to prison. “To our family, extended family and community, our hearts have begun to heal because of your love and support,” Daniel Gold said.
Georgia to vaccinate adults over 55, those with conditions
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)ATLANTA – Georgia will expand COVID-19 vaccine criteria starting Monday to everyone 55 and older, plus younger adults who are overweight or have serious health conditions, making more than two-thirds of Georgians who are 16 and older eligible for vaccination. The same data show Georgia has administered the lowest share of doses delivered among states, with more than one-third of doses still awaiting injection. At the rate shots were given in Georgia last week according to state numbers, that’s more than three weeks of supply. That’s where we are,” said Amber Schmidtke, an epidemiologist who writes a daily report about COVID-19 in Georgia. Adults younger than 55 who will qualify include those who have asthma, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease.
Teachers, others now eligible for COVID-19 shots in Georgia are pleased, relieved
BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Georgia teachers and other school and child care employees gained access to the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, per the latest executive order from Gov. Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and parents of children with complex medical conditions are now also able to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Georgia under new guidelines issued last week. Blackstone said his teachers are relieved and excited to sign up for their shots. He said he will wait until his teachers and staff get vaccinated before he gets a shot himself. “In addition to becoming eligible for vaccines through the Health Department, Southeast Georgia Health System, and local retail providers, our employees have been given the opportunity to register for a vaccine clinic next weekend,” Tucker said.
Museums form World War II Heritage Trail across Georgia
SAVANNAH, Ga. – A group of museums and historic sites are working together to promote a Georgia World War II Heritage Trail with stops across the state. The trail officially launched Tuesday and ties together 10 sites connected to Georgia’s history during the war. They include the Currahee Military Museum in Toccoa, where the Army trained its first paratroopers, and the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning outside Columbus. On the coast, there’s the St. Mary’s Submarine Museum near Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, while South Georgia has the World War II Flight Training Museum in Douglas, where Army pilots trained at South Georgia College. The idea for a tourism trail linking Georgia’s World War II sites was launched a few years ago by Scott Loehr, president of the National Museum of the Mighty 8th Air Force near Savannah and Sheri Jones of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, which operates the World War II Home Front Museum on St. Simons Island.
Georgia adds over 2,400 new COVID-19 cases
SAVANNAH, GA - DECEMBER 15: A nurse shows off a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine outside of the Chatham County Health Department on December 15, 2020 in Savannah, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)The Georgia Department of Public Health on Saturday reported 2,422 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19. As of Saturday, a total of 803,349 confirmed cases had been reported by the state Department of Public Health. Ad(Note: There are variations in the day-to-day data reported by the Georgia Department of Public Health. At times, cases and deaths are removed from the overall running total reported by the Department of Public Health.)
Man accused of slapping reporter's bottom on live television is charged with misdemeanor sexual battery
The man accused of slapping a reporter's bottom during a live television report was arrested Friday, Savannah police said. Tommy Callaway, 43, was charged with misdemeanor sexual battery, Bianca Johnson of the Savannah police department confirmed to CBS News. On Tuesday's "CBS This Morning," Bozarjian said Callaway slapped her bottom hard as he ran by her. Bozarjian told "CBS This Morning" that while Callaway's actions were more common several years ago, they're unacceptable. Callaway told "Inside Edition" that he was going to wave at the camera and he got "caught up in the moment."
cbsnews.comAlex Bozarjian, news reporter slapped by runner on live TV: "He took my power"
You could see her shock during her live shot in the video posted on Twitter, which has been viewed more than 11 million times. On Saturday Bozarjian called the man out on Twitter, writing: "To the man who smacked my butt on live TV this morning: You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me. Bozarjian filed a police report Monday, and the man, Tommy Callaway, was banned from future Savannah Sports Council races. In a statement, Callaway's lawyer said: "While we regret the situation, Mr. Callaway did not act with any criminal intentions. Bozarjian said Callaway made contact with Savannah station WSAV-TV and said his intentions were not to hurt her.
cbsnews.comBonnie floods highways, forces rescues in South Carolina
The remains of tropical storm Bonnie are dumping more rain on the mid-Atlantic Monday. It already dropped more than eight inches on parts of South Carolina. David Begnaud reports from Ridgeland near Savannah, Georgia, where flash flooding closed one of America's busiest highways.
cbsnews.comMoving forward while preserving the past
Residents of the historic cities of Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, struggle with preserving their cultural traditions while also embracing change. Lee Cowan shows what it takes to preserve these Southern gems, and how architects today look to the past while also looking forward.
cbsnews.com