AC repair inStatesboro, GA

More than four years after Lime brand scooters first appeared on Statesboro’s streets and sidewalks, the city’s elected officials are proposing to regulate rental scooters and rental bikes, but not prohibit them.

That either an outright ban or regulations were possible emerged during two recent mayor and council work sessions that included reports from the planning consultant firm TSW about the ongoing creation of a unified development code, or UDC, for Statesboro. This regulatory rewrite was launched mainly to update Statesboro’s zoning, subdivision and sign ordinances.

After Caleb P. Racicot, a principal planner with TSW, reported April 18 that Statesboro is one of only a few Georgia cities where rental scooters are present and that some cities have banned them outright, several council members said they would oppose a ban. But those same council members, particularly District 2’s Paulette Chavers, District 3’s Venus Mack and District 5’s Shari Barr, said they believe some regulation is needed.

“I’m thinking the concern is we want students to still be able to ride, or anybody who needs a less expensive way to get around, but how can we regulate it to make it safer and less hazardous … and the use of the scooters so that they’re not left all over,” Barr said.

Racicot reported back during the Tuesday afternoon, May 16, work session, where drafting the UDC was again one of several topics, with “shareable mobility devices,” now listed as a special subtopic.

“You may recall at our last work session we had proposed just getting rid of (rental electric scooters) in the city, and several council members had concerns about that, so what we wanted to do was to really put out several options for the council and mayor’s consideration,” Racicot said.

Four ‘options’

His slideshow, which included rental bicycles as well as scooters as potential objects of the city government’s actions, gave these four options:

1. Allow them everywhere, without standards.

2. Allow them everywhere, with some standards.

3. Prohibit them everywhere.

4. Allow them in some places, with standards.

Racicot noted that Option 1 would a “do nothing” approach, keeping things as they are.

“Now, I know I’m not supposed to have an opinion, but I think that whatever you do you should adopt some sort of standards to protect the city from some of the liability associated with these devices,” he said after mentioning Option 2.

Again noting that “there are very few places in Georgia that actually allow these,” Racicot said he had looked at the ordinances of some cities that regulate rental scooters and bikes.

The regulations commonly include a licensing requirement, with the rental companies obtaining a permit from the city for their scooters or bikes to operate on city right of ways. Another common requirement is for the companies to carry liability insurance, which he said would help protect the city.

Fees, limits on the number of scooters, and restrictions on where they can be stored or parked are elements of some of the ordinances. Operational standards can include reporting requirements, such as companies having to periodically file a report on all accidents. The ordinances typically include a termination clause so that the city can cancel a rental company’s license, he said.

Chavers said she referred Option 2, still allowing the scooters to operate anywhere in Statesboro, but with some standards.

Mack at first said she was interested in Option 2 or Option 4, with Option 4 meaning restricting the area where the scooters can be used.

“I do understand what everybody is saying, we do not want to see these scooters downtown, just laying around,” she said. “That’s not a good look for the city. It’s not a good look on campus, either. But I do understand that these students do not have a way to get around. Some of these kids don’t have cars, they don’t have licenses. … So I’m definitely against taking them all the way away.”

But increasing Georgia Southern University students’ access to and interest in downtown Statesboro has been a goal of the city’s leaders. So, after the District 4 council member, John Riggs, said he would “love to see a hundred of them on these scooters coming downtown,” Mack agreed that she was really for Option 2, and did not want to restrict the scooters’ area of travel.

That riders – often students – leave the electric scooters at businesses and in the middle of sidewalks has been a topic of comments at City Hall since soon after the machines first arrived in town.

“The problem with those scooters is there’s no docking station, so they just dump them wherever. It’s almost like rental litter. …,” the District 1 member, Phil Boyum, said during the April work session. “You don’t do that with rental cars, you know. You don’t see Enterprise (saying), ‘Just park it wherever.’”

Safety concerns

The officials also referred to safety concerns, but no data on the number of accidents involving the scooters was reported during the recent work sessions.

However, the tragic death of Tormenta FC 2 soccer player Carter David Payne, 20, was noted during the April session by City Manager Charles Penny. Payne, from Phoenix, Arizona, had been out with friends to a bar and a restaurant and was riding a Lime scooter along or across Fair Road in Statesboro when he was struck by an unidentified motor vehicle shortly before 1:30 a.m. on July 9, 2022. The hit-and-run remains unsolved.

Mayor Jonathan McCollar said he also favors regulation but would not want to see the scooters banned. Some people are riding them to work, he said, reporting that he saw one parked at the UPS center, which is near Ogeechee Tech’s campus and more than four miles from Georgia Southern’s.

“But we’ve got to have some standards,” McCollar said.

Students with disabilities have expressed concerns about dropped scooters being an obstacle on sidewalks, he noted.

The mayor said he liked the permitting or licensing and insurance requirement aspects of a potential ordinance and that other details would have to be figured out.

Council members suggested using another locality’s ordinance as a model and making changes specifically for Statesboro.

Racicot recommended looking at regulations adopted by the Atlanta suburb of Brookhaven and by the city of Atlanta, with Brookhaven’s rules, he said, being more straightforward and Atlanta’s more complicated. Athens-Clarke County, home of the University of Georgia, wouldn’t be a model, since its council enacted a ban on the rental scooters in 2020.

Lime’s website currently lists Statesboro as the only Georgia city with the company’s scooter service. Another company, Bird Global, operates electric rental scooters in Atlanta, especially in the Georgia Tech and Georgia State University areas.

If developed further as part of the unified development code, the scooter and bike regulations could be presented with the rest of the UDC draft at public information meetings slated for June 13 and July 10. A tentative timeline suggests the council could hold a first reading vote on the UDC July 18, followed by final adoption Aug. 1.

STATESBORO - While the team has been on campus working out most of the summer, the official start to the 2023 Georgia Southern football season was signified Wednesday morning as the squad took the field at Allen E. Paulson Stadium for the start of preseason camp.

The team went through a spirited two-hour practice in helmets and jerseys after starting the day with an early breakfast at Bishop Fieldhouse, position meetings and a brief walk-through. The rest of the day consisted of lunch, a lift, a team meeting, practice review, dinner, installation meetings and finally a snack before breaking for the evening. The team will repeat this schedule for the next three days before having Sunday off.

Head coach Clay Helton was pleased with the up-tempo practice and praised the team for how it handled the heat on a warm summer Statesboro morning.

A few notes from the day and the start of camp: • The official start-of-camp roster was released on Monday and it features 129 players. A new, one-time rule by the NCAA allows 120 to report to camp and practice while the rest can begin their acclimation period once classes start. With the Eagles having open practices, the players not working out as part of the 120-man roster are allowed to be in attendance and watch practice to help keep them up to speed and ready to go when they can hit the field next week. Georgia Southern begins its fall term in a week, on Monday, Aug. 14.

• The practice mean the official debut of the new turf at Paulson Stadium. The old turf was replaced this summer and the team had been holding individual workouts on it, but today was the first official team practice on the new turf.

• A lot of new faces were on the field for the first time. The Eagle roster features 97 returning players and 32 newcomers since the spring. Georgia Southern returns a total of 10 starters, seven offense and three on defense, and 36 letterwinners.

• Facial hair must be in as several Eagles ported sweet Upper Lipholstery on Wednesday. Tight end Ethan Dirrim and long snapper Jackson Wheeler looked like they were straight out of Top Gun with their mustaches and Australian punter Alex Smith went with a fu Manchu mustache that would make Bull Hurley proud. Smith said it's gotten rave reviews from everyone but his girlfriend.

• Georgia Southern added 54 players—26 transfers and 28 true freshmen—since the end of the 2022 season. Of the 26 transfers, 15 are FBS transfers. The Eagles added a total of 11 first-year transfers with previous Power Five experience at Georgia, Kansas State, Kentucky, Illinois, Nebraska, Pitt, Syracuse, Texas A&M and Washington.

• After having Shai Werts start 46 of 51 games at quarterback from 2017-2020, the Eagles had five different quarterbacks start over the 25 games played in 2021 and 2022. Of the six quarterbacks on this year's roster, only Colton FitzGerald had seen action for Georgia Southern heading into this year, and that was for four snaps late in last year's season-opening win over Morgan State. The other five on the roster—Beau Allen, Davis Brin, David Dallas, JC French and Coby Walton—all enter the year having never taken a snap as an Eagle. Only Virgina and Colorado have less FBS game experience at their school.

• Georgia Southern is one of four current FBS teams (there are 133 this year) that has never had a 1,000-yard receiver in a season. Khaleb Hood set the Georgia Southern school record last year, but came up just short of the milestone and finished with 925 yards. The other three schools never to have a 1,000-yard receiver are: Army, Navy and USF.

• Georgia Southern's 2022 offense had the biggest improvement in the FBS from 2021 in multiple categories: completions per game (+17.0), passing attempts per game (+23.8), passing yards per game (+178.2) and quarterback sacked percentage (-8.34).

• The Eagles have nine players on the roster born in the 1990s. Offensive lineman Brian Miller, who is 24 years old and recently celebrated his fifth wedding anniversary, is the oldest on the team and is entering his seventh season of eligibility. Georgia Southern also features a 23-year-old true freshman punter in Alex Smith, who hails from Australia.

• Here's a breakdown of the classifications: Seventh-Year Seniors (1); Sixth-Year Seniors (11); Fifth-Year Seniors (2); Redshirt Seniors (17); Seniors (6); Redshirt Juniors (19); Juniors (2); Redshirt Sophomores (15); Sophomores (8); Redshirt Freshmen (21); Freshmen (27)

• Here's a breakdown of the positions: Quarterbacks (6); Running Backs (9); Wide Receivers (21); Tight Ends (8); Offensive Line (18); Defensive Line (20); Linebackers (12); Defensive Backs (25); Punters (3); Kickers (3); Long Snappers (4)

• Here's a breakdown of home states: Georgia (83); Florida (16); South Carolina (7); North Carolina (7); Texas (3); California (2); Tennessee (2); Alabama (1); Kentucky (1); Louisiana (1); Missouri (1); Nebraska (1); New York (1); Ohio (1); Pennsylvania (1); Australia (1)

Below is the practice schedule for the remained of preseason for fans who wish to attend.

Georgia Southern Preseason Football Schedule Date (Time, Location)

Thurs., Aug. 3: 10 AM (Paulson) Fri., Aug. 4: 10 AM (Paulson) Sat., Aug. 5: 10 AM (Paulson)

Sun., Aug. 6: OFF Mon., Aug. 7: 10 AM (Paulson) Tues., Aug. 8: 10 AM (Eagle Creek; full pads) Wed., Aug. 9: 10 AM (Paulson) Thurs., Aug. 10: 10 AM (Paulson) Fri., Aug. 11: OFF Sat., Aug. 12: 5:30 PM (Scrimmage #1; Paulson)

Sun., Aug. 13: OFF Mon., Aug. 14: OFF (First day of classes) Tues., Aug. 15: 9:50 AM (Paulson) Wed., Aug. 16: 4:20 PM (Eagle Creek) Thurs., Aug. 17: 9:50 AM (Paulson) Fri., Aug. 18: 4:20 PM (Paulson) Sat., Aug. 19: 10 AM (Scrimmage #2; Paulson) ... Time could change

The Fan Fest and Lil' Eagles Clinic will take place on Aug. 12 around the first scrimmage. The Women's Clinic will take place on Aug. 13.

While practices are open to the public and media, we ask you help us keep a competitive advantage by not posting videos and detailed information (including injuries) from practice on social media.

About Morris Bank – A proud Season Presenting Sponsor of Georgia Southern Football, Morris Bank is a community bank rooted in Middle and South Georgia with branches in Dublin, Gordon, Gray, Houston County, and Bulloch County, and a Mortgage Services center in Milledgeville. In an ever-changing banking environment, Morris Bank still takes a common-sense approach and leverages practical financial solutions. Decisions have been made locally since 1954, and the Morris Bank team is ready to make banking easy for you. To learn what it means to Bank Blue or to find out more about our Code Blue philosophy, visit www.morris.bank. Member FDIC.

Soar to Six Join us in our “Soar to Six” campaign and help us build the Eagles' nest by aiding one of Georgia Southern University's nearly 400 student-athletes in their pursuit of excellence in competition, in the classroom and in life. The Soar to Six campaign will raise our number of donors to the Erk Russell Fund to over 6,000. For as little as $60 a year or $5 a month, you can join the Erk Russell Fund, which benefits scholarships for all 17 athletics programs. Join today and help us “Soar to Six!”

Statesboro High and Portal High shift to block schedules; pandemic recovery still an issue

Students arrived on the 15 campuses of the Bulloch County Schools district Tuesday morning for the start of the 2023-24 term with no major problems reported. Answers to “What’s new this year?” include a return to 90-minute block scheduling at Statesboro High and Portal High, and about 186 new personnel throughout the system.

Principal Jennifer Wade certainly isn’t one of those newcomers. Now starting her eighth year as principal at Mill Creek Elementary School, she was a teacher there for 13 years beginning in 2001 and worked at the school district’s central office for three years before returning to MCES in the lead administrative role.

“Our theme this year is ‘Constructing a Brighter Future,’ because we are resetting and rebuilding, and we have several new teachers and we have two new (assistant principals) that are new to the building but are veterans A.P.’s, and we have new curriculum with math,” Wade said. “There’s just a lot that’s going on.”

What’s new in the math curriculum is a set of statewide math standards developed over several years and being fully implemented this year. Her new assistant principals are Scott Chapman, Ed.D., previously principal of William James Middle School, and Tammy Francis, previously an assistant principal at Statesboro High.

And yes, “resetting and rebuilding” is a reference to continuing efforts to catch students up after gaps in learning left by the COVID-19 pandemic, even though the original school shutdown and its aftermath of half-virtual home schooling is now two to three years in the past.

“We still have students coming from home school, and last year we had eight of our students who were in first or second grade who had never been in school before, and so we’re still trying to catch up and get them to where they need to be,” Wade said, “and it’s not just them, it’s students who were virtual and students who came back and then went back virtual. There are so many students on so many different levels.”

So the “Constructing a Brighter Future” theme reflects an effort to build a solid foundation for all, she said. She added school improvement specialists for English-language arts and math to the MCES faculty last year to assist teachers. The school also has two MTSS or “multi-tiered system of supports” coordinators, one for grades K-2 and another for grades 3-5, who serve as intervention teachers and as coaches for teachers helping get students back on grade level.

Interviewed about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Wade reported that her school, which has about 580 students in prekindergarten through fifth grade, had a “perfect” first morning arrival time. After 7:50 a.m., class was officially in session.

“Perfect! We had music going, parents walking their children to the classroom, not too much crying — from the parents,” she said. “I mean, it was great. I couldn’t ask for a better start.”

Block scheduling

Superintendent of Schools Charles Wilson had visited Mill Creek and also Sallie Zetterower Elementary School before reaching Statesboro High School, where he gave media interviews at 9:30 a.m. He visited seven schools during the day.

Asked, “What’s new?” he noted that Statesboro High and also the high school grades at Portal Middle High now have block schedules, with four 90-minute class blocks instead of seven shorter periods each day. Full-credit classes can then be completed in a single semester instead of lasting all year. Teachers teach three classes each day and then have one block for planning.

That is nothing new at Southeast Bulloch High School, which was already using block scheduling, but now all three high schools have this type of plan. All three previously used block scheduling several years ago but went to shorter classes partly because of financial and staffing shortfalls that are no longer an issue, he said. Southeast Bulloch had returned to a block schedule after only one year.

Having all the high schools on a similar schedule, with longer classes, fits with planning for a “Career Academy Concept” across the district, Wilson said. Especially for career-path courses that would attract fewer students at any one school, the idea is to offer some different courses at each of the high schools and provide transportation for students to take courses at the other schools for a portion of the day. This does not involve any plan for a separate career academy campus, he emphasized.

“With the needs that we have about our Career Academy Concept across this district in terms of all of our schools being delivery points — a larger program, so to speak — we’re going to need that scheduling flexibility, so it’s really planning ahead and positioning ourselves, and it also does give students more opportunities,” Wilson said.

At Statesboro High School, which has more than 1,700 students, the change in scheduling requires many individual adjustments.

“We’re getting used to it — everybody’s getting used to it right now — but I think it’s going to be great for us, and I’m very pleased that the district went to this schedule,” said SHS Principal Keith Wright, now starting his third year leading the largest school in the district. Before that, he spent two years as principal of Langston Chapel Elementary School after two years as an assistant principal at Langston Chapel Middle.

“The advantage I see as far as the block versus seven is, kids are focusing now on just four classes a semester versus having to focus on seven classes,” he said. “So that’s a huge advantage I see for our students as well as our teachers. With the longer classes, a teacher is able to do enrichment as well as remediation.”

Two new principals

Among the 15 schools, only two have new principals this year, the two middle schools in the Statesboro zone.

John McAfee, Ed.D., is new as principal at William James Middle School, but he has returned to the Bulloch County Schools after spending an earlier part of his career here.

Prior to becoming an administrator, McAfee was a teacher for eight years at Screven County High School. He then became special education coordinator at Southeast Bulloch High School from 2011 to 2014.

He also served four years as an assistant principal in Screven County and two years as an assistant principal at Langston Chapel Elementary School. He was principal of Jefferson County High School in Louisville for three years before being hired for the WJMS job, and so has 20 years total experience as an educator.

Meanwhile, Willie Robinson, Ed.D., is the new principal of Langston Chapel Middle School. He was most recently principal of Allendale-Fairfax Middle School in Fairfax, South Carolina, for three years after being promoted from assistant principal. He had also served as an assistant principal at both Murphey Middle School and Sego Middle School in Augusta.

Both new principals had been described by Wilson as having experience with “turn-around schools.” Both have been on the job here since around July 1, getting ready for the school year.

That year was already off to a great start at Langston Chapel Middle School last Thursday evening, July 27, when the school welcomed parents and students to its open house and Robinson spoke to the parents of sixth-graders during their orientation, he said.

“We had a humongous crowd, and I asked people who had been here at Langston, ‘Is this normal?’ and they said ‘no.’ So we had a lot of parents who came out for open house and we just had something very special for them when they came,” Robinson said Tuesday. “Our building says that we are excited to have parents in the building, and so does our attitude.”

Employees and students

The 186 newly hired Bulloch County Schools employees of all job descriptions make up approximately 9% of the school system’s total of about 2,100 employees. Roughly half of that total are classroom teachers, said the school district’s Public Relations Director Hayley Greene.

Bulloch County Schools held a teacher induction kickoff event for teachers new to the system July 18 and another for those brand-new to teaching July 19. But the induction programs last through the year with monthly sessions, Greene said. A day-long orientation for all 186 new hires was held July 20 in the Statesboro High auditorium.

Tuesday, a preliminary attendance count showed 10,691 students present at the schools. But the Bulloch County Schools had more than 11,100 students enrolled as of June, and attendance is likely to top that this fall, with an official enrollment report not due until October, Greene noted.

FORT STEWART – Starting this fall, Fort Stewart soldiers and family members can pursue master’s degrees literally at their front door.

Fort Stewart garrison commander Col. Manny Ramirez and Georgia Southern University president Dr. Kyle Marrero signed a memorandum of agreement Monday morning, enabling GSU to provide six graduate-level programs at Fort Stewart’s Paul R. Smith Education Center.

Programs available will be master’s degrees in business administration, health administration, information technology, and professional communication and leadership, along with graduate certificates in cybercrime and professional communication and leadership.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Col. Manny Ramirez.

Monday’s signing ceremony ended a push on Fort Stewart’s part that had lasted more than two years, Col. Ramirez said.

“We’ve always believed in investing in our most precious asset, which is our people, and today this partnership is a shining testament to that belief,” he said. “We’re opening doors to advanced education, professional development and a brighter future for all of our soldiers and their family members.”

The classes, which will be held at the Smith Education Center, will begin August 14 with the start of GSU’s fall semester. The programs will be at 25% capacity while the accreditation process is underway, and Dr. Marrero expects all six to be delivered on-site fully next year.

“For us, this is a beginning and a continuation to the future and legacy in the belief in the transformational power of education,” he said.

It also took work on Georgia Southern’s part to come up with eight-week programs with no prerequisites and that also included some hybrid learning.

“We put that curriculum together in three weeks,” Dr. Marrero said.

Dr. Carl Reiber, the Georgia Southern provost and vice president of academic affairs, also said students affiliated with the military are often more disciplined in their approach to academics. A self-declared Army brat – his father was an infantry officer and served with the 1st Infantry Division – Dr. Reiber said he brings a personal perspective to the effort.

“This is an easy partnership,” he said, because military and military-affiliated personnel do well. They come in well organized. This is an easy program to stand up because we know the students are going to be successful.”

The agreement also adds a third college to the Smith Education Center. Col. Ramirez said the partnership will allow soldiers to continue to excel in their military roles and allows them to hone their skills through academic pursuits, without leaving the installation.

“We’re building a comprehensive support structure that nurtures the dreams and aspirations of all our soldiers and their family members,” he said.

COBBTOWN, Ga. — Jeffery Steven “Jeff” Hensley, 65, of Cobbtown, Ga., died Monday evening, July 3, 2023, at Ogeechee Area Hospice, following an extended illness.

Jeff, the son of the late Donald Gene and the late JoeAnn Hensley, was born on May 8, 1958, in Statesboro, Ga.

After graduating from David Emanuel Academy in 1976, Jeff entered East Georgia College and later transferred to Georgia Southern University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in fine arts. After attending GSU, Jeff moved to the historic area of downtown Savannah and was employed with Linderman’s Florist and Decorating Co., Inc. He later moved to Whitemarsh Island, where he was employed with Hester & Zipperer Lawn and Gardening. During his time living in Savannah and hosting locally famous St. Patrick’s Day parties, Jeff’s boundless creativity and design skills captivated the attention of many in Savannah and surrounding areas.

With a desire to be closer to family and home, Jeff moved to Metter, Ga., where he opened, owned and operated The Southerner, a locally distinctive floral, home accessories, and interior design business. During his years of operating The Southerner, Jeff was often asked to share his creative design skills and ever-growing knowledge of gardening with various civic groups and organizations throughout the Metter-Statesboro-Savannah area.

Jeff continued his education in the school of visual arts at Florida State University, where he completed a Master of Fine Arts degree. Anyone who knew him knew of Jeff’s immense devotion to the Florida Seminoles! Upon returning to his home area, he lovingly created the design and architecture of his sister’s beautiful Cobbtown home and grounds and then, following his passion, began teaching art.

With a kind heart, Jeff had a genuine love for helping and teaching others to appreciate art and nature. He especially loved talking about his cats and his great-nephews.

Survivors include his sister/caregiver and brother-in-law, Donna Hensley Fox and Garey Fox of Cobbtown; a nephew, Hensley (Hayley) Jarriel; two great nephews, Elijah Gene and Lincoln Hensley Jarriel, all of Statesboro; an aunt, Hazel Williams of Pulaski; and many cousins who dearly loved him.

A celebration of life gathering of family and friends will be announced and held later in the year.

Memorials may be made to Ogeechee Area Hospice, 200 Donehoo St., Statesboro, GA 30458; or the Humane Society of Statesboro & Bulloch County, 107 N. College St., Statesboro, GA 30458.

Statesboro Herald, July 13, 2023

Sign the Legacy online guestbook at www.statesboroherald.com.