AC repair inSavannah, GA

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — We are in for a treat early Friday morning because the Micro Beaver Blood Moon turns red as a partial *almost full* lunar eclipse occurs. Not only will the moon be covered by 99% of Earth’s shadow (like I said almost full lunar eclipse), it will be the longest partial eclipse in a stretch of 1,000 years.

The next time a partial eclipse will last this long will be on Feb. 8, 2669 — 648 years from now! You won’t want to miss it!

Let’s start off by breaking down the name of Micro Beaver Full Moon.

MICRO: Moons are given the name micro when we have a full moon during the moon’s apogee – the farthest point away from Earth in its orbit.

BEAVER: November’s full moon name comes from beavers getting ready to take shelter for winter and hunters setting up beaver traps to get warm fur for the winter.

BLOOD: This comes from the shade of red the moon will turn during a lunar eclipse. Once the earth moves in front of the sun, the moon will turn a dark, dusty red color. Even with this partial (99%) lunar eclipse, expect the moon to get a shade of red.

MOON: It’s the moon.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes in between the sun and the moon. The moon travels behind Earth’s shadow, blocking out the sunlight from the moon. While the moon passes behind Earth all the time, it has to be in a certain position that is lined up with its orbital tilt for this to happen; otherwise, this would happen more frequently.

As Earth begins to cast a shadow on the moon, the moon begins to darken. Once the shadow completely covers the moon, the moon will appear a deep red color. This red glow comes from the scattering effect of sunlight through the earth’s atmosphere and the only remaining sunlight comes from the outer edges of Earth. However, if you were on the moon, you would see a golden glow around Earth.

This eclipse will last one hour longer than the eclipse that occurred in May due to the position of the moon in its orbit. As this eclipse is occurring, the moon will be about 40 hours away from reaching its apogee. The farther away the moon is, the slower it takes to travel through Earth’s shadow.

The eclipse this Friday lasts for 6 hours and 2-5 minutes (depending on where you are located). The last time an eclipse lasting this long occurred was in Feb. 18, 1440, and the next one won’t occur until 2669. That is an over 1000 year span from the last longest eclipse to the next one.

For those of us in the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry, we have an amazing opportunity Friday morning to see the entire eclipse from start to finish. The worst part will be getting up very early and losing some sleep!

Even with this prime viewing opportunity, you will still want to find an unobstructed view looking towards the west. The moon will be traveling from the southwest all the way to the northwest. The moon will start off high in the sky and slowly travel closer to the horizon by the time the eclipse is over.

Sunrise Friday morning is at 6:57 am.

The lunar eclipse tomorrow will be the first out of many eclipses (both lunar and solar) we get to enjoy through 2024. While this one is the longest through the next 600 years, we get to enjoy two total and completely viewable lunar eclipses next year!

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The 11th annual Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow was held Thursday at the Georgia Tech Savannah Campus highlighting the use of clean and alternative fuels for logistics and transportation.

Panels of experts from manufacturers, utilities and users talked about the types of fuels that are alternatives to traditional fossil fuels.

An advancement that is currently gaining momentum is plug-in electric vehicles. Many major auto manufacturers have been working to make more of their lineups electric.

There are still shortcomings to completely switching to all-electric vehicles. First, charging stations are not widely available in many parts of the country, including in Georgia. Second, proper electric infrastructure to support charging stations is not everywhere.

Lastly, the range of driving relative to how long it takes is not on par yet to replace every need for private people or industry. Those issues are now starting to change quickly.

Federal incentives in the way of funding, tax breaks and rebates are becoming available for upgrading the electric infrastructure that supports additional electric vehicle charging stations. Rebates are available for individual homeowners and builders who install charging stations in their garages.

With the limitations of charging and driving range, electrified vehicles are not practical for every application but are perfect for daily commuters and for local transportation and logistic sectors that have a limited range and vehicles that return to a depot daily.

Georgia-based Blue Bird Corporation is developing and manufacturing plug-in electric school buses that can drive up to 100 miles on one charge and can fully charge in less than 8 hours. For most school bus routes, this provides plenty of range.

Blue Bird Corporation also says fully electric school buses are safer for students and foster better learning since students are not exposed to the exhaust of traditional diesel fuel.

There are applications that are not conducive to limited driving ranges. This is when other alternative fuels become very useful and effective.

Compressed natural gas (CNG), liquified natural gas (LNG) and propane are being used as an almost direct replacement for diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles. These fuels are not considered to be zero-emissions but are nearly zero.

CNG, LNG and propane emit very little particular matter in the exhaust and have a low carbon content. This means that they do not contribute to greenhouse emissions as much as traditional fossil fuels.

CNG, LNG and propane are not only clean-burning but are also more economical than fossil fuels. Twenty-three percent of the cost of these fuels is for the raw material. The other 77% is tied to processing and distribution costs.

For gasoline and diesel fuel, over 50% of the cost is for the raw material, making price spikes more noticeable. This means that if the cost of natural gas or propane increases dramatically, users will not notice it as much.

Currently, the price per gallon of liquid natural gas is about $2.20 compared to over $3.00 a gallon for diesel fuel.

In Georgia, natural gas and propane are becoming easier and more cost-effective for users to switch. Thanks to Atlanta Gas Light, I-95 from Jacksonville to Savannah has been designated as a natural gas corridor because of its availability.

In December 2022, a new kind of truck stop will be opening on Highway 21 in Port Wentworth.

This is a truck stop of the future. It will focus on alternative fuels, such as natural gas, propane, and charging stations for electric vehicles. Traditional gasoline and diesel fuel will also be available.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - It’s a project many years in the making with even more urgency lately.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Friday for the Mason Mega Rail at the Savannah Ports. A project that started in 2017.

The Mason Mega Rail Terminal includes 18 tracks total. The expansion immediately increases intermodal capacity to and from the Port of Savannah by more than 30 percent.

Port leaders were joined by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp during the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“The 85-acre well yard is the largest of its kind for a port terminal in North America. It will allow the Port of Savannah to build and receive six 10,000 foot long trains at the same time. In other words, there’s nothing else like this in United States. This means an immediate 30 percent increase in capacity,” Gov. Kemp said.

The timing of the mega rail project is supposed to help alleviate some of the unprecedented port congestion. That backup is also affecting truck drivers locally.

A month ago, WTOC saw first-hand how many ships were anchored at sea waiting to unload at the Port of Savannah. On that day, there were 24 ships anchored - almost all of them container ships. Some had been waiting for days.

Master Pilot Trey Thompson, with Savannah Bar Pilots, has been in the business 30 years, and explained last month how the backlog at the ports has slowed business for the bar pilots.

“From our end, we’ve slowed down because they’re taking longer at the dock to unload. They’re bigger ships carrying more containers, so they take longer to unload and load. So, we’ve slowed down in actually moving ships back and forth,” Thompson said.

Thompson went on to say the most ships he’s seen anchored at sea is 38 ships. That happened about six weeks ago. This week the number of ships anchored at sea dropped to as few as 14, said Griff Lynch, Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director.

But as of Friday, Nov. 1, there were 27 ships anchored at sea, according to marinetraffic.com.

Some perspective to what we’re seeing right now: Under normal trade conditions, the master bar pilot says there would only be one or two ships waiting at sea.

There is another project in the works to help make that happen and alleviate the supply chain problems.

The port is working to establish eight pop-up container yards in locations in Georgia and North Carolina. That will allow the Port of Savannah to move containers from here to those strategic locations and create more space at the port, then offload the ships waiting at sea.

It’s a project that the port has been working on for the past six months.

Some of which will be paid for using $8 million in reallocated funds authorized by the Biden Administration.

“So, instead of a truck driver having to travel 220 miles one way and 220 miles another way. This new facility will be 35 to 40, 50 miles from their facility. This is a big win,” Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch said.

Three pop-up sites are expected to open within the next few weeks. The rest by the end of the year.

Lynch said the ports asked the White House to be able to use $24 million toward this project but is appreciative of the $8 million that will go toward it.

Once those pop-up locations are open, the port expects it to help reduce the number of ships anchored at sea waiting to offload containers at the port.

Earl Williams gets paid to move cargo, but says a lot of the time, he just sits and waits at the port of Savannah.

“I prefer not to have to even go in the port because the majority of my day will be spent in the port getting nothing done,” Williams said.

But on days like today Williams starts there, with no control over the first few hours of his shift.

“My experience at the Port of Savannah there’s no in and out, there’s no in and out. You’re at the mercy of the port. You go in, and you get it when you get it,” he said.

He says it affects different aspects of his job, like where he can bring the container.

“Merchandise has to be going 10 hours away from here, you spend three or four hours at the port most of your driving time is wasted sitting around the port,” Williams said.

The wait is also keeping drivers from making money.

“Many drivers that aren’t paid by the hour, you’re getting paid by, you know, what you do. If you can’t run in there and run right back out with something in the course of a day, you’re not going to make any money,” Williams said.

Which is obviously important.

“At the end of the day it’s all about money. I don’t get up and get in this truck because I like driving trucks,” Williams said.

At this stop, Williams says he spent over $300 on the gas. He said that almost wipes out his wages for the day. But through it all, he continues driving

Hoping for change to come soon.

Copyright 2021 WTOC. All rights reserved.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Local groups are gearing up for Thanksgiving with food giveaways for neighbors in need.

Organizations are opting for either drive-thru or in-person events to serve delicious, hot meals.

WSAV will be adding to the list as we learn about more local events.

Is your organization hosting a meal giveaway? Email breakingnews@wsav.com with details.

Feed the Hungry

Feed the Hungry organizers say they’re gearing up to serve “hope on a plate” at what’s expected to be one of the largest events they’ve had in years.

The 13th annual Feed the Hungry Thanksgiving Holiday Dinner is set for 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 23, at Memorial Stadium. It will be held outside as a drive-thru event. Health screenings and live entertainment will also be on site.

Ahead of the big event, the organization needs the community’s help with donations to help them feed over 3,000 people. Items needed include:

Donations will be accepted weekdays through Monday, Nov. 22, at the Empowerment Center in Garden City (4704 Augusta Road). Online monetary donations are also being accepted.

Call 912-436-7380 with any questions.

Feed the Hungry will also be hosting a Holiday Dinner on Dec. 23.

Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society

The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS), a support group benefiting those with Down Syndrome, is resuming with its annual Thanksgiving potluck tradition. LDSS members, their families and supporters are invited to share turkey and all the fixings.

Turkey, ham, beverages and paper goods will be provided and participants are asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share.

The dinner will be held at ConneXion Church in Savannah (5411 Skidaway Road) starting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18, one week ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

“We have always looked forward to gathering at this time to reflect on our blessings and enjoy a meal together,” said Candy Bogardus, chairperson for the event. “We are thankful that conditions will allow us to resume this tradition this year.”

To make reservations, call 912-663-8573.

The Anthony M. Lanier II Foundation Turkey & Food Drive

St. James the Less Catholic Church

St. James the Less Catholic Church will be distributing food boxes to those in need on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

This isn’t a Thanksgiving-specific event; the church distributes food boxes every third Saturday of the month in the parking lot of their church at 8412 Whitefield Ave.

Call the St. James Church Food Pantry line at 912-800-9006 to register for the food distribution and for more information.

Antioch Educational Center

The Antioch Educational Center‘s (AEC) Free Thanksgiving Day Dinner is set for Thursday, Nov. 25, from 2 to 5 p.m.

Low-income residents of Jasper County are invited to the drive-thru event at the Mount Carmel Baptist Association (3763 Bees Creek Road in Ridgeland).

Residents can pop their trunks or roll down their windows to get their meals and drinks.

AEC officials say this is the second time they’ve hired caterers to serve holiday meals. They anticipate 600 to 700 guests to take part in the event.

Fight the War Within

Fight the War Within Foundation is hosting its second annual Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 25, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the American Legion in Thunderbolt.

Catered by The Dive Savannah, the meal will consist of the usual Thanksgiving dishes: turkey, dressing, casseroles, cranberry sauce and more.

Meals will be provided free of charge to the community. Leftovers will be distributed to homeless groups following the dinner.

Fight the War Within will also be collecting gifts from their Amazon Wishlists to provide gits for children in low-income housing. Donations raised at the event will benefit The Dive’s mission to provide for veterans living in the Tiny Homes village during the holidays.

Fight the War Within will also be hosting a Christmas Dinner on Dec. 25.

Life United Pentecostal Church of Hinesville

Community food giveaway

Saturday, November 20th from 9:00 a.m. – Noon

1301 Pipkin Road, Hinesville

Organizers plan to distribute nutritional food to over 300 families.

The church has a goal for 2021 is to feed close to 4,000 Liberty county residents in need.

More than 7,000 people in Savannah are on the waiting list for a Housing Choice Voucher, a federal program that subsidizes rent for low-income households (the program formerly known as Section 8).

When the Housing Authority of Savannah last opened the list in 2014, the queue jumped to 12,000 applicants in a week. The Housing Authority keeps the list closed to avoid it from ballooning again, according to HAS Executive Director Earline Davis.

"We do not want to raise false hopes and give people the impression that they will be housed anytime soon," Davis said.

Related reporting:Section 8 housing program keeps people hopeless, homeless and segregated in the South

New federal legislation could expand the Housing Choice program in Georgia by adding nearly 10,000 vouchers, according to a study from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research center in Washington D.C.

About 3,000 people in Chatham County use the vouchers, which subsidize monthly rent payments for low-income, disabled or elderly renters. The Housing Authority issues the vouchers to renters, who find a place to live and enter into a lease agreement with a landlord, just as a non-voucher holder would. The renter pays 30% of their adjusted monthly income, with the Housing Authority (voucher issuer) paying the rest.

While the Section 8 program helps subsidize renters who cannot afford to live in the communities near school, work or family, it's not a big enough program to meet the needs of Chatham County families.

"Housing in Savannah is not affordable to a lot of people," Davis said. "And that's to purchase or to rent. And there must be some way of closing the gap."

Relief might come through a historic federal funding package, the Build Back Better initiative, which is working its way through the U.S. Congress. The $1.75 trillion initiative is one of Pres. Joe Biden's top legislative priorities and will be funded by levying a 15% minimum tax on the profits large corporations report to shareholders plus a 1% surcharge on stock buybacks. In addition, the BBB is working to establish a global minimum tax rate upon which earners of incomes greater than $10 million would be taxed an additional 5%; those making $25 million or more, an additional 3%. The BBB Program has yet to be passed by the House or Senate.

The bill allocates more than $200 billion to address housing-related issues, including home repairs and new affordable housing construction.

The plan comes as living costs across the country outpace wages, leading to a gap in what the average worker earns and what properties are available to own or rent.

"Housing Affordability is a big issue in Georgia, certainly in the Savannah and coastal region," said Rev. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-GA. "And the issue of housing touches on so many other issues like health care, for example. I think there's a sense in which stable housing connects to people's ability to live healthy lives. [It] is an equity issue. It is an issue for the economy."

Warnock is one of the senators championing the BBB Act. He grew up in Kayton-Frazier homes, public housing where renters paid rent based on the same formula Section 8 voucher holders employ.

"When I grew up in public housing, the Section 8 Vouchers also provided a way for people to live in the marketplace where folks are living," Warnock said. "And I think there's a lot of value and a strong argument to make for that."

The BBB Act includes $24 billion to expand the voucher program nationwide, which equals to about 310,000 households, according the the CPBB analysis. The program is aimed at helping people of color, who disproportionately experience extreme poverty. About $7 billion of that pot is aimed at housing families at increased risk of homelessness, according to CPBB.

The BBB Act also includes:

From USA Today:What's actually in the Build Back Better Act?

Using historical funding formulas used by the U.S. Government to allocate money, the CPBB report estimates Georgia will receive 9,700 new vouchers. Savannah's waiting list alone would account for 72% of those vouchers.

But the expansion of the voucher program isn't a catch-all solution.

As housing costs increases in Savannah — average rent prices jumped 11% between July 2020 and 2021, according to real estate data site Rent Café — affordable housing becomes an increasingly rare option for renters.

"Landlords are increasing their rents," Davis explained. "And so it might make that property unaffordable for (voucher holders)."

Because rents are skyrocketing, the inventory left at the lower price range is older, outside of their desired location or substandard quality. The blame, according to Andrew Aurand of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, falls on America's elected leaders.

"One of the reasons why there are substandard housing in public housing is we haven't adequately invested in public housing," said Aurand, who is vice president of research at the housing nonprofit. "I mean, it's more of a political failure, and a failure at the federal level of inadequately funding this housing stock that is really important to extremely low-income renters."

Housing developments:More than 4,000 new rental units coming to Chatham County. That's a conservative estimate.

If passed, the BBB Act would fund the construction of new affordable housing, but local initiatives are already underway to fill that gap. The Housing Savannah Taskforce identified a countywide goal to build 15,000 units of affordable housing a year over the next decade. The plans and machinations of how that goal will be put into action has yet to be revealed.

Warnock, who serves on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, said the government is trying to provide funds for people to buy homes and build equity, as well as provide childcare tax credits to free up monthly expenses for housing needs.

"All of these things help to build wealth, and give people an opportunity, particularly the working poor."

Zoe covers growth and how it impacts communities in the Savannah area. Find her at znicholson@gannett.com, @zoenicholson_ on Twitter, and @zoenicholsonreporter on Instagram.