The Current GA

ATLANTA – The impact of International Paper’s decision to close two pulp and paper mills in Coastal Georgia at the end of this month will spread far beyond those workers directly affected, state Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper said Wednesday. “This is more than 1,100 jobs,” Harper told members of the Georgia House Rural Development Committee meeting on the campus of South Georgia State College in Douglas.

A federal judge has rejected a challenge to absentee ballot restrictions implemented under a controversial measure passed in 2021, delivering a blow to one of the last ongoing lawsuits against the sweeping election law. The law, passed as Senate Bill 202, included new provisions that prevented voter registration organizations from distributing pre-filled absentee ballot applications to voters or blank applications to any resident who had already requested an absentee ballot — as happened in 2020.

A Glynn County Superior Court judge has ordered mediation between Brunswick-area District Attorney Keith Higgins and Glynn County–the latest development in the yearlong conflict sparked by budget shortfalls and fueled by interpersonal resentment.

A transgender sheriff’s deputy seeking gender-affirming medical care through a county-operated health plan in central Georgia was handed a loss by a federal court Tuesday. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a trial court’s decision in favor of Houston County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Anna Lange and sent the case back to the lower court.

Good morning! This week coastal Georgia is set to celebrate local wins and making history. If you’re feeling in the giving mood, there are plenty of fundraising events to attend, as well. Be sure to double check your calendars and book an appointment for your updated flu shot vaccine.

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WABE and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. While any election brings ads, events, door-knocking and other efforts to remind people to get to the polls, this year campaign workers involved in the state Public Service Commission races have another hurdle: education.

State School Superintendent Richard Woods said his emphasis on student safety, teaching character, and the introduction of personal finance courses during his decade in office had served to improve student outcomes. “I ask you to continue to invest as I have delivered on every promise,” Woods told more than two dozen people at a Golden Isles Republican Women luncheon.

STATESBORO – With the notable exception of its two U.S. senators, Georgia’s Democrats have had little political clout for years. Republicans have controlled the governor’s office and both houses of the state legislature. Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris by 2.2% of the vote in the state in last year’s presidential election.

When Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced two years ago that South Korean car company Hyundai was going to build an electric vehicle plant near Savannah, he celebrated the nearly $8 billion deal that promised to bring more than 8,000 well-paying jobs for hard-working Georgians.

Groundbreaking for the Hyundai Metaplant site in October 2022, bringing 8,500 direct jobs to the area, and a variety of associated businesses. While cars are flowing from the plant, the region is now working to keep up with the growth it brought. Here are stories from The Current GA‘s archives. Explainer: What Hyundai companies are part of the Savannah-area car plant?