Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Monday evening, Savannah-Chatham School Board Superintendent Jolene Byrne posted on her Facebook page that school will be canceled for safety reasons Aug. 21 due to the total eclipse that afternoon during a heavy transportation period.
"The solar eclipse presents a unique safety hazard during what it typically a very busy time on the road for parents and bus drivers," Byrne wrote.
The cancellation for students is apparently still the case. But because new School Superintendent Ann Levett reportedly considered Byrne's announcement to be premature, Byrne deactivated her entire Facebook page in response.
"She took her page down to avoid any conflicts," says a source close to the situation.
An email from Levett to staff obtained by Connect Savannah Tuesday morning confirmed that school will be canceled Aug. 21.
It says in part, "The information is correct. Aug. 21 will be a NO SCHOOL day for students and a work day for staff... More details will be provided to everyone — employees, families, and the public — this afternoon."
At about 11:45 a.m., Connect received an email from the school system making the official announcement, chalking the cancellation up to "inclement weather."
In the email, Superintendent Levett said, “Student safety remains our guiding factor as we consider all conditions surrounding this event. After reviewing various options and carefully weighing the pros and cons of each, it has been determined that school closure for students is the most responsible option. We also recognize the historical significance of this event for our country. The days leading up to the eclipse will present wonderful learning activities for our students which will also feature safety information regarding the dangers of looking at the sun during this occurrence.”
In her Facebook post, Byrne also said, "We also know that many parents want to experience this remarkable event with their children, and school attendance on that day is projected to be low."
Byrne went on to write, "A half-day was considered, but the logistics of getting children home in time proved to be impractical."
A make-up day will not be required, according to the school district. All staff will be required to report to work as normal.
"The solar eclipse presents a unique safety hazard during what it typically a very busy time on the road for parents and bus drivers," Byrne wrote.
The cancellation for students is apparently still the case. But because new School Superintendent Ann Levett reportedly considered Byrne's announcement to be premature, Byrne deactivated her entire Facebook page in response.
"She took her page down to avoid any conflicts," says a source close to the situation.
An email from Levett to staff obtained by Connect Savannah Tuesday morning confirmed that school will be canceled Aug. 21.
It says in part, "The information is correct. Aug. 21 will be a NO SCHOOL day for students and a work day for staff... More details will be provided to everyone — employees, families, and the public — this afternoon."
At about 11:45 a.m., Connect received an email from the school system making the official announcement, chalking the cancellation up to "inclement weather."
In the email, Superintendent Levett said, “Student safety remains our guiding factor as we consider all conditions surrounding this event. After reviewing various options and carefully weighing the pros and cons of each, it has been determined that school closure for students is the most responsible option. We also recognize the historical significance of this event for our country. The days leading up to the eclipse will present wonderful learning activities for our students which will also feature safety information regarding the dangers of looking at the sun during this occurrence.”
In her Facebook post, Byrne also said, "We also know that many parents want to experience this remarkable event with their children, and school attendance on that day is projected to be low."
Byrne went on to write, "A half-day was considered, but the logistics of getting children home in time proved to be impractical."
A make-up day will not be required, according to the school district. All staff will be required to report to work as normal.
The City of Savannah is seeking to recover more than $37,000 in fines and restitution from a local contractor for fatally damaging a City-owned Live Oak tree, a City spokesperson announces.
"On Thursday, August 3 the City sent a Notice of Violation to Dustcom Limited, Inc. On July 18 Dustcom was tying in a water line for a new restaurant at 12 W. Oglethorpe Ave.," the spokesperson says.
"Construction crews dug a hole in the median without notifying the City and violated the project’s right-of-way permit. The hole was dug too close to the tree and the excavation severely damaged the tree’s root system, including the structural root."
The City issued a stop-work order and assessed the condition of the tree. The City says it also requested a third-party assessment from a private arborist.
"City arborists and the private arborist all concluded that the root system was damaged to such an extent that the tree could not be saved, and recommended removing the tree for public safety reasons," the City says. :The tree is more than 100 years old and stands 47 foot-tall."
The City of Savannah intends to pursue collection of its losses, in accordance with the Savannah Landscape and Tree Protection Ordinance, as follows:
Fine for violation of the terms of conditional right-of-way permit – $500.00
Cost for arboricultural consultant—$1,700
Cost to remove tree – $6,800
Appraised value of 42” Like Oak tree –$27,671.78
Cost to replace tree with 3” caliper Live Oak –$500.00
The damaged tree is reportedly scheduled for removal in the next 7-10 business days.
"On Thursday, August 3 the City sent a Notice of Violation to Dustcom Limited, Inc. On July 18 Dustcom was tying in a water line for a new restaurant at 12 W. Oglethorpe Ave.," the spokesperson says.
"Construction crews dug a hole in the median without notifying the City and violated the project’s right-of-way permit. The hole was dug too close to the tree and the excavation severely damaged the tree’s root system, including the structural root."
The City issued a stop-work order and assessed the condition of the tree. The City says it also requested a third-party assessment from a private arborist.
"City arborists and the private arborist all concluded that the root system was damaged to such an extent that the tree could not be saved, and recommended removing the tree for public safety reasons," the City says. :The tree is more than 100 years old and stands 47 foot-tall."
The City of Savannah intends to pursue collection of its losses, in accordance with the Savannah Landscape and Tree Protection Ordinance, as follows:
Fine for violation of the terms of conditional right-of-way permit – $500.00
Cost for arboricultural consultant—$1,700
Cost to remove tree – $6,800
Appraised value of 42” Like Oak tree –$27,671.78
Cost to replace tree with 3” caliper Live Oak –$500.00
The damaged tree is reportedly scheduled for removal in the next 7-10 business days.
The Savannah Bananas lost to Martinsville Monday night, but a win by the Gastonia Grizzlies over a rival propelled the Bananas into the #2 seed in the Coastal Plain League Playoffs for the second straight year.
Game One is tonight against the High Point-Thomasville HiToms at t 7 p.m. at Grayson Stadium. Get tix here.
The Bananas captured the CPL championship last season, their first in existence. This season they broke the CPL record for attendance.
Game One is tonight against the High Point-Thomasville HiToms at t 7 p.m. at Grayson Stadium. Get tix here.
The Bananas captured the CPL championship last season, their first in existence. This season they broke the CPL record for attendance.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Telfair Museums announced today it has received a grant of $250,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to continue its ongoing preservation and new reinterpretation of the Owens-Thomas House, one of three Telfair Museum sites.
"Telfair is one of only twelve museums nationwide to receive NEH funding this year," a museum spokesperson says.
A National Historic Landmark, the Owens-Thomas House also has one of the oldest intact urban slave quarters in the South. Designed by British architect William Jay and completed in 1819, the museum highlights one of the finest examples of English Regency architecture in the country.
“This significant grant award from the NEH will help ensure that Owens-Thomas House will be appropriately preserved and enjoyed by residents and visitors to Savannah for decades to come,” said Lisa Grove, Telfair Museums Director/CEO.
“Most importantly, we want to ensure that we accurately tell the stories of all people who lived there. The museum’s dedicated staff has spent years researching the lives of the enslaved men, women, and children who lived and worked in these spaces to tell a more complete history of the antebellum South and the early African American experience.”
For the past decade, restoration work has focused on conserving the interior of the Owens-Thomas House original slave quarters building. The strategic focus now, the museum says, is reinterpreting the main house basement and slave quarters spaces.
The planned implementation work will include capital and historic preservation activities necessary to steward the buildings into their third century, as well as the creation of new educational exhibits designed to provide an expanded visit experience.
Key components of the upcoming implementation phase of the project include:
Reinterpreted Slave Quarters
The museum’s plan to reinterpret this space—recognized as one of the best preserved urban slave quarters in the South—will bring new awareness to this important piece of history. Visitor experience in the space will be enhanced through installations that draw upon the award-winning scholarship from the Slavery and Freedom in Savannah project and feature recorded excerpts of slave narratives that will give a representative voice to the people who inhabited the Owens-Thomas House Slave Quarters.
New Education Gallery (Main House Basement)
This new education gallery will feature digital projections of enslaved workers, replica artifacts that can be touched and used, a discovery cabinet, a new exhibit devoted to “Slavery in Context,” a preservation/restoration exhibition, a General Lafayette documentary, and a voice panel with recorded readings of documents written by people associated with the Owens-Thomas House, among many other exhibits. This innovative gallery will give all visitors a richer, more tangible experience of the home and its history.
Orientation Gallery (Carriage House)
Telfair plans to convert the conserved Carriage House into a state-of-the-art Visitor Orientation Gallery where visitors will begin their tours. This Orientation Gallery will introduce visitors to relevant themes and ideas that they will experience on their tour and will feature unique installations such as an interactive touchscreen map of historic Savannah, a series of family trees of the home’s former residents, and an immersive spiral column of the names of the 340-enslaved people owned by the Owens family.
Shannon Browning-Mullis, Telfair’s Curator of History and Decorative Arts concludes, “We will never move beyond the problems facing our community and nation, like economic inequality, mass incarceration, and police brutality, until we understand the roots of inequality in America. At the Owens-Thomas House, we hope an honest and specific investigation of the institution of slavery and the people who lived within it, both free and enslaved, will help us toward that understanding.”
"Telfair is one of only twelve museums nationwide to receive NEH funding this year," a museum spokesperson says.
A National Historic Landmark, the Owens-Thomas House also has one of the oldest intact urban slave quarters in the South. Designed by British architect William Jay and completed in 1819, the museum highlights one of the finest examples of English Regency architecture in the country.
“This significant grant award from the NEH will help ensure that Owens-Thomas House will be appropriately preserved and enjoyed by residents and visitors to Savannah for decades to come,” said Lisa Grove, Telfair Museums Director/CEO.
“Most importantly, we want to ensure that we accurately tell the stories of all people who lived there. The museum’s dedicated staff has spent years researching the lives of the enslaved men, women, and children who lived and worked in these spaces to tell a more complete history of the antebellum South and the early African American experience.”
For the past decade, restoration work has focused on conserving the interior of the Owens-Thomas House original slave quarters building. The strategic focus now, the museum says, is reinterpreting the main house basement and slave quarters spaces.
The planned implementation work will include capital and historic preservation activities necessary to steward the buildings into their third century, as well as the creation of new educational exhibits designed to provide an expanded visit experience.
Key components of the upcoming implementation phase of the project include:
Reinterpreted Slave Quarters
The museum’s plan to reinterpret this space—recognized as one of the best preserved urban slave quarters in the South—will bring new awareness to this important piece of history. Visitor experience in the space will be enhanced through installations that draw upon the award-winning scholarship from the Slavery and Freedom in Savannah project and feature recorded excerpts of slave narratives that will give a representative voice to the people who inhabited the Owens-Thomas House Slave Quarters.
New Education Gallery (Main House Basement)
This new education gallery will feature digital projections of enslaved workers, replica artifacts that can be touched and used, a discovery cabinet, a new exhibit devoted to “Slavery in Context,” a preservation/restoration exhibition, a General Lafayette documentary, and a voice panel with recorded readings of documents written by people associated with the Owens-Thomas House, among many other exhibits. This innovative gallery will give all visitors a richer, more tangible experience of the home and its history.
Orientation Gallery (Carriage House)
Telfair plans to convert the conserved Carriage House into a state-of-the-art Visitor Orientation Gallery where visitors will begin their tours. This Orientation Gallery will introduce visitors to relevant themes and ideas that they will experience on their tour and will feature unique installations such as an interactive touchscreen map of historic Savannah, a series of family trees of the home’s former residents, and an immersive spiral column of the names of the 340-enslaved people owned by the Owens family.
Shannon Browning-Mullis, Telfair’s Curator of History and Decorative Arts concludes, “We will never move beyond the problems facing our community and nation, like economic inequality, mass incarceration, and police brutality, until we understand the roots of inequality in America. At the Owens-Thomas House, we hope an honest and specific investigation of the institution of slavery and the people who lived within it, both free and enslaved, will help us toward that understanding.”
Friday, July 28, 2017
Savannah-Chatham Metro arrested two people "after police responded to a vehicle crash involving a stolen vehicle on Victory Drive this morning," a spokesperson says.
Douglas Wineglass, 19, was charged with theft by receiving stolen property, improper lane usage, leaving the scene of an accident and no license. Sean Boyd, 19, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was charged with obstruction of an officer and party to theft by receiving.
"Officers responded to Victory Drive at Ash Street about 8 a.m. after a blue Toyota Tacoma crashed into a tree. Witnesses provided descriptions of two black males who were seen running from the vehicle following the crash," police say.
"The vehicle had previously been reported stolen from a Lovett Drive home prior to the incident. The vehicle’s owner told police the key had been left in the ignition."
The suspects were located walking in the 100 block of Victory Drive.
Some of their belongings were recovered from the vehicle, police say. The investigation is ongoing.
Douglas Wineglass, 19, was charged with theft by receiving stolen property, improper lane usage, leaving the scene of an accident and no license. Sean Boyd, 19, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was charged with obstruction of an officer and party to theft by receiving.
"Officers responded to Victory Drive at Ash Street about 8 a.m. after a blue Toyota Tacoma crashed into a tree. Witnesses provided descriptions of two black males who were seen running from the vehicle following the crash," police say.
"The vehicle had previously been reported stolen from a Lovett Drive home prior to the incident. The vehicle’s owner told police the key had been left in the ignition."
The suspects were located walking in the 100 block of Victory Drive.
Some of their belongings were recovered from the vehicle, police say. The investigation is ongoing.
Monday, July 24, 2017
Country legends perform at Savannah Civic Center
Willie Nelson & Family will perform at Savannah Civic Center on Friday, October 20. Dwight Yoakam will join.
Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Friday, July 28 via etix.com. Tickets can also be purchased at The Savannah Civic Center box office.
Tags: Willie Nelson & Family , Willie Nelson , Dwight Yoakam
Friday, July 21, 2017
In a long-anticipated move, Savannah City Council today voted unanimously in a special called meeting to end the more than a decade old merger of the city and county police.
The merger will officially dissolve Feb. 1, 2018. It means that unincorporated Chatham County will have to provide and pay for its own police services, whether through a new agency or some enhanced function of the Chatham County Sheriff's Dept.
Alderman Miller said, "The big promise all of us on this Council made was to do something about crime.... the major part of that is having a well-functioning police department."
Alderman Bill Durrence said, "At this point it just doesn't seem like we have any choice' but to vote to end the police merger, citing what he called the "non-responsiveness of County Commission" in numerous meetings on the topic over the last few years.
Durrence added that the challenge of having a "two-tiered police system" in line with what the Chatham County Commission seemed to be calling for proved too much to overcome.
The prime dispute in the merger discussion has been funding: Some County Commissioners say that since the vast bulk of crime is in City limits, County residents are essentially subsidizing crime fighting in less-safe areas.
The merger will officially dissolve Feb. 1, 2018. It means that unincorporated Chatham County will have to provide and pay for its own police services, whether through a new agency or some enhanced function of the Chatham County Sheriff's Dept.
Alderman Miller said, "The big promise all of us on this Council made was to do something about crime.... the major part of that is having a well-functioning police department."
Alderman Bill Durrence said, "At this point it just doesn't seem like we have any choice' but to vote to end the police merger, citing what he called the "non-responsiveness of County Commission" in numerous meetings on the topic over the last few years.
Durrence added that the challenge of having a "two-tiered police system" in line with what the Chatham County Commission seemed to be calling for proved too much to overcome.
The prime dispute in the merger discussion has been funding: Some County Commissioners say that since the vast bulk of crime is in City limits, County residents are essentially subsidizing crime fighting in less-safe areas.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
The Stage on Bay announces three new additions to their late summer/fall concert lineup.
Country legend David Allan Coe performs Wed. Aug. 30.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performs Sat. Oct. 21.
Georgia funk/rock legends Mother's Finest perform Fri. Nov. 17.
Buy tix and get more info here.
Country legend David Allan Coe performs Wed. Aug. 30.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performs Sat. Oct. 21.
Georgia funk/rock legends Mother's Finest perform Fri. Nov. 17.
Buy tix and get more info here.
Tags: David Allan Coe , Mother's Finest , Big Bad Voodoo Daddy , The Stage on Bay
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
The Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, along with the assistance of the SCMPD SWAT team, executed a “no knock” search warrant as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation at a house on West 42nd Street that was also the scene of a Sept. 2016 homicide.
“CNT initiated an investigation upon receiving several complaints and tips in reference to both narcotics sales and prostitution,” says a CNT spokesperson. “SCMPD SWAT served the warrant without incident, and secured nine subjects that were inside of the residence” at 220 West 42nd Street.
Of the nine subjects detained, CNT reports, four were identified as subjects who were on-scene at a different location last month during the execution of a CNT search warrant.
Two subjects were arrested in connections to the narcotics investigation and one subject had an outstanding warrant. Other parties detained from the home, including four known prostitutes, were interviewed and released.
CNT Agents seized crack cocaine, evidence of Narcotics sales, and U.S. currency from the residence.
Arrestees were:
Eric Latroy Harris was charged with Possession with Intent (Crack Cocaine) and Possession of Drug Related Objects.
Frank Broadwater was charged with Party to a Crime (Distribution of Crack Cocaine), Keeping a Place of Prostitution, and Possession of Drug Related Objects.
Ronald Dunkin was served with an arrest warrant for Theft by Receiving Stolen Property through SCMPD.
“CNT initiated an investigation upon receiving several complaints and tips in reference to both narcotics sales and prostitution,” says a CNT spokesperson. “SCMPD SWAT served the warrant without incident, and secured nine subjects that were inside of the residence” at 220 West 42nd Street.
Of the nine subjects detained, CNT reports, four were identified as subjects who were on-scene at a different location last month during the execution of a CNT search warrant.
Two subjects were arrested in connections to the narcotics investigation and one subject had an outstanding warrant. Other parties detained from the home, including four known prostitutes, were interviewed and released.
CNT Agents seized crack cocaine, evidence of Narcotics sales, and U.S. currency from the residence.
Arrestees were:
Eric Latroy Harris was charged with Possession with Intent (Crack Cocaine) and Possession of Drug Related Objects.
Frank Broadwater was charged with Party to a Crime (Distribution of Crack Cocaine), Keeping a Place of Prostitution, and Possession of Drug Related Objects.
Ronald Dunkin was served with an arrest warrant for Theft by Receiving Stolen Property through SCMPD.
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Indie band Fitz and the Tantrums will headline the 2017 Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Marathon & ½ Marathon on Saturday, November 4, 2017. The band will perform at the finish line festival in Forsyth Park for the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series.
The concert is free and open to the public.
“Fitz and the Tantrums will be an epic race day finale and are guaranteed to make ‘your hands clap’,” said Miyoko Beetem, Event Manager. “With a beautiful finish line festival at Forsyth Park and live entertainment from start to finish, Savannah is a race you don’t want to miss. There is still plenty of time to register and start a training program so lace up those running shoes and join us this fall in Savannah.”
Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah will feature two-days of running with the marathon, half marathon and two-person half marathon relay on Saturday, November 4 at 7:30 am and the Rock ‘n’ Roll 5K and One Mile run on Sunday, November 5 at 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm, respectively. Participants can take the “Remix Challenge” by running any distance Saturday and any distance on Sunday to earn the coveted Remix Challenge medal in addition to each race’s finisher medals.
The marathon, half marathon and two-person half marathon relay will once again start on Bay Street at Bull Street and finish at Forsyth Park. Runners will experience charming town squares, historic buildings and canopies of Spanish moss-covered trees. The 5K and One Mile run will take place at Daffin Park.
For more information about Rock 'n' Roll Savannah or to register for the event, visit RunRocknRoll.com/Savannah.
