AC repair inStatesboro, GA

SAVANNAH — A company's plan to mine minerals just outside the Okefenokee Swamp and its federally protected wildlife refuge moved a big step closer Thursday to approval by Georgia regulators, who have spent years evaluating the project that opponents say could permanently harm an ecological treasure.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division released a draft plan Thursday for how Twin Pines Minerals would operate its proposed mine and mitigate potential impacts to the swamp. The move triggered a 60-day period for public comments before the agency can approve a final plan, which is required for the project to qualify for a mining permit.

Since 2019, Twin Pines of Birmingham, Alabama, has been seeking government permits to mine titanium dioxide less than 3 miles from the southeastern boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the largest U.S. refuge east of the Mississippi River.

Federal scientists have warned that mining near the Okefenokee's bowl-like rim could damage the swamp's ability to hold water. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland recently declared the proposed mine poses an "unacceptable risk" to the fragile ecosystem at the Georgia-Florida line.

Twin Pines has insisted it can mine without harming the swamp, and Georgia regulators echoed a key point of the company's assurances Thursday. In a summary of the draft plan, the state agency said its own analysis has "concluded that water level in the swamp will be minimally impacted."

The role of Georgia regulators is critical because the federal government, which normally weighs environmental permits in tandem with state agencies, has relinquished oversight of the Twin Pines project.

Twin Pines President Steve Ingle said the Georgia agency's decision to let the project advance to the next stage was an "important milestone."

"This is a great opportunity for people to learn the truth about what our operations will and will not do, and the absurdity of allegations that our shallow mining-to-land-reclamation process will `drain the swamp' or harm it in any way," Ingle said in a statement.

Opponents promised an impassioned fight during the two-month comment period.

Josh Marks, an Atlanta environmental attorney who has been a leading critic of the Twin Pines plan, said the company can't be trusted to operate responsibly "next to Georgia's greatest natural treasure."

"Twin Pines Minerals' dangerous proposal to strip mine along the hydrologic boundary of the Okefenokee would be a massive threat to the swamp's integrity even if TPM was a flawless, experienced operator," Marks said.

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge covers nearly 630 square miles (1,630 square kilometers) in southeast Georgia and is home to alligators, bald eagles and other protected species. The swamp's wildlife, cypress forests and flooded prairies draw roughly 600,000 visitors each year, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the refuge.

In February 2019, the Fish and Wildlife Service wrote that the proposed mine could pose "substantial risks" to the swamp, including its ability to hold water. Some impacts, it said, "may not be able to be reversed, repaired, or mitigated for."

C. Rhett Jackson, a hydrology professor at the University of Georgia, recently warned state regulators in a written analysis that mining pits Twin Pines plans to dig would siphon off enough groundwater to triple the frequency and duration of severe droughts in the swamp's southeast corner.

"Such an increase in drought frequency will have substantial effects on swamp ecology, wildfire frequency, and boating access for tourism, management, and scientific purposes," Jackson said Thursday, calling the draft mining plan "deeply flawed."

The Army Corps of Engineers was in the process of reviewing a federal permit for Twin Pines when the agency declared in 2020 that it no longer had authority over the project because of regulatory rollbacks under President Donald Trump.

Despite efforts by President Joe Biden to restore federal oversight, the Army Corps entered an agreement with Twin Pines last year to maintain its hands-off position. Conservation groups have filed suit over that deal.

In releasing the draft plan Thursday, the state Environmental Protection Division noted that Twin Pines still faces an additional draft and comment period for a surface mining permit if its mining plan gets approved. The company also has permit applications still pending for air and groundwater withdrawal permits related to the same mining project.

Paramedicine Technology Program Director Chris Page was named recently the Ogeechee Technical College 2023 Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction recipient at the annual Spring Faculty & Staff Meeting and Awards Ceremony held Jan. 24 in the Jack Hill Building.

The Rick Perkins Award is an annual, statewide competition that honors the Technical College System of Georgia’s most outstanding instructors. Started in 1991, the honor recognizes technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through service, innovation, and leadership in their field.

“I never thought 10 years ago that I’d get to experience a moment like this,” Page said. “We have an incredible group of faculty here at Ogeechee Tech and I’m honored to join a long list of amazing instructors who have gone on to represent OTC as the Rick Perkins Award winner.”

Page’s dedication to creative instruction was a common thread expressed by his nominators, one of whom wrote, “He has been very creative with the space in our building, taking advantage of empty labs and offices to create simulation rooms, giving his students real-life situations to practice with mannequins. In these times where health care professionals are extremely difficult to find, he has grown his program and has had students excel in the field.”

The Faculty/Staff Meeting and Awards Ceremony, hosted by OTC President Lori Durden, is an opportunity for college faculty and staff to come together and celebrate the victories and achievements of the past year — among those is the Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction.

“Chris’s success in the classroom stems from his ability to transfer his real-world experience as an EMT and firefighter into realistic and engaging health care scenarios in the classroom,” Durden said. “Not only are our EMTs and paramedics being well trained, but they have been prepared to provide the absolute best care to members of our community in times of need.”

Page, holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Georgia Southern University, and a Masters of Public Administration from Valdosta State University. He holds 16 professional certifications and has served as a firefighter for the Statesboro Fire Department, as an EMT-Paramedic for the Emanuel County EMS, and currently serves in those same capacities for Bulloch County EMS and the Bulloch County Fire Department.

Following OTC’s nomination, Page will interview in the regional competition in Tifton on February 21. If selected as one of three finalists from the region he will move on to compete for the state title the week of April 24-26 in Atlanta.

Other faculty and staff honored during the ceremony include:

• Kristie Sanders — Leadership Award

• Amanda White — Support Staff of the Year Award

• Justin Goodman — Diamond Award

• Jennifer Oglesby — Adjunct Instructor of the Year Award

Savannah Morning News

In response to the recently published news and opinion pieces marking the five-year anniversary of the Georgia Southern and Armstrong merger, it appears that the worst fears of the Savannah and Armstrong communities were well founded. As columnist Adam Van Brimmer noted, all the results were foreseeable, but with the right forward-looking strategy, this need not be the final chapter.

It is far beyond my pay grade to know what that strategy should be. But I offer this suggestion which should be a vital element in any overall plan: The destruction of the athletic programs on the Savannah campus was a terrible mistake. The college experience and lifestyle thrives when there is a sense of school spirit and pride which rallying around athletic competition fosters.

Falling enrollment, half-empty dorms:Georgia Southern Armstrong five years after the merger

At the very least, from the beginning it should have been made clear that intercollegiate competition would remain on the Savannah campus. Continuing separate basketball and baseball programs might well have been impossible. But bringing these two sports teams to play regularly on the Savannah campus would have preserved that sense of excitement and pride that enriches the college experience.

If I’m not mistaken, the Armstrong basketball arena has a larger seating capacity than the Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro. Playing a reasonable number, say 25%, of Georgia Southern home games on the Armstrong campus would be a good start. The facility is excellent, so no significant expenditures would result other than travel costs.

Regents and leadership have already made it clear that forcing students to commute 60 miles for other reasons is no big deal, or at least a small price to pay for a superior education. That being the case, the same concept must, in fairness, be applied to co-locating Georgia Southern athletic events in order to deliver the full college experience to students at the Armstrong campus.

I am not commenting on the baseball program in the interest of space, but it is equally deserving of similar treatment.

Lamar W. Davis, Jr., Savannah

By ANGYE MORRISON

amorrison@discoveringbulloch.com

Fifteen-year-old Thurgood Johnson is a sophomore at Bulloch Academy where he plays soccer. He’s into video games, loves to read, and says he likes to tinker with stuff when he has spare time. He’s also into drawing what he calls “little doodles.”

But what the local community may know him for is his participation in the Behold, Here Cometh the Dreamer program, held each year in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his legacy. The event focuses on a keynote speaker, and shines a spotlight on local talent as well.

Johnson, who is the son of Francys and Meca Williams-Johnson has participated in the program since its inception, making him 7 years old when he first took the stage as part of Behold’s lineup.

“I have this faint and vague memory of my mom convincing me to do it, because she said if I do it, she would give me a new Legos set,” he says, smiling.

Most of what he’s done in Behold have been recitations: he’s performed MLK’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, and one of Obama’s as well. Johnson says he’s also read some things. His mother picks some options for him each year, and he chooses from those.

Mical Whitaker, who created the Behold program, says he first took notice of Johnson when he directed a drama camp at the Averitt Center for the Arts. Johnson was about 5 or 6 at the time, he said, and Whitaker says he noticed a “spark in Thurgood that you don’t see in everyone.”

Whitaker said that during that first Behold program, Johnson was noticed by the planned speaker for the second program, who requested that Johnson be included when she returned.

“He’s just such a good example of a teenager knowing the power and majesty of the arts,” Whitaker said of Johnson.

Johnson’s parents have been supporters of the Behold program from the beginning, sponsoring it as well as participating. Meca Williams-Johnson says that support is important.

“We don’t want to lose that rich resource we have,” she said. “So we want to support it as much as possible. It takes the community to keep it running, so we try to be involved in ways that we think will fit in our schedule, so that we can get the family involved.”

She encourages her eldest son to participate because she says it will help him, both now and in the future. She laughs as she says she doesn’t remember offering Legos, but she adds that his participation in Behold isn’t an option.

“It’s really important in his development, that he understands challenge and know that anything is possible if you put your best effort forward,” she said. “Once you master that challenge, you’ll have a history of it, so when you approach something else that’s new, you won’t be so fearful.”

Ressie Fuller, who works with Whitaker on the Behold program, has also taken notice of Johnson.

“It has been a delight working with Thurgood, because as with his parents, you never get a complaint from him. If you ask him to do something, he does it,” she said. “It’s almost as if he’s glad to do it. He’s so sharp, so tuned in to things. He kind of keeps you on your toes. You don’t feel as if you’re talking to a teenager when you talk to him.”

Fuller says that Johnson’s participation in Behold is important, because seeing a young person be involved is an encouragement to everyone.

“He helps us to see the value, and how we can all use the arts to transform ourselves and transform our community,” she said.

For Johnson, Behold is just one of the things he does. He says he has enjoyed playing soccer, which he began around the first grade. Being on a team has taught him communication skills, and helped him learn anger management and how to deal with people you might not care for. He says he’s not planning to play in college.

“I like to think I’m good, but I’m not that good,” he says, laughing. “I’m a soccer player for the fun of it.”

Johnson is considering Morehouse or the University of Georgia for college, and is looking at becoming a defense attorney. He wants to carry on his father’s work.

“Seeing him come here every day and seeing how my dad works tirelessly to keep this place running. I’m not going to let all of his hard work go to waste,” he said.

His mom says she and her husband are very proud of their son, and think that it’s great he’s considering becoming a lawyer.

But she also encourages him to explore all of his interests and the world around him, so that he can figure out where he can best be a great support to the community and his family.

“I want him to pursue whatever it is that he thinks he would be great at, as well as support other people,” she said.

Williams-Johnson describes her son as “hilarious; really funny.” She says he loves to joke, and he’s kind, sweet, a good conversationalist and communicator, and a great big brother to his younger brother, Langston. She also loves that he loves to read.

“I’m in awe of him with that,” she said.

Johnson says his friends describe him as sometimes quiet and reserved, and sometimes very social. He says he’s very good at AP world history, English and science, but he doesn’t enjoy math or Spanish. Not being a big math or physics person, he says, is one factor that will keep him from his earliest dream.

“From the earliest that I could remember I would really want to be the first man on Mars,” he said. “But I looked it up, and turns out, by the time they reach Mars, I’m not going to be in the age category to go, since astronauts are usually 35 to 50. It’s probably going to happen in the next 10 years.”

So Johnson will, he says, study law and carry on his father’s legacy. Being a defense attorney appeals to him, he says, because he wants to save people from jail.

“I believe that most people that you’re sending to jail don’t need to go, and if they do need to go, the sentences should be lighter. I would think I’m just saving people from overzealous punishment,” he said.

As for his future, both parents are excited for what it can and will be for their son.

“We’re excited for the future ahead. He’s growing and learning, and takes on new challenges,” Williams-Johnson said.

13H AGO

Three PGA TOUR University players won individual titles and led their teams to victories last week. A week after losing a playoff to teammate Fred Biondi (Ranked 3rd) at the Sea Best Invitational, Florida’s Ricky Castillo (Ranked 16th) parred the first extra hole to win the VyStar Credit Union Gators Invitational. Three Gators finished in the top 10, with Yuxin Lin (Ranked 20th) finishing fourth and Biondi tying for sixth, as Florida finished 18 strokes ahead of Georgia Southern.

Vanderbilt sophomore Gordon Sargent captured his fourth career title at The Hayt and led the Commodores to a 16-stroke victory over North Florida. The reigning NCAA Champion is No. 3 in WAGR, and he is one of the leading players in PGA TOUR University Accelerated – Sargent currently has 10 Accelerated points, and he would earn PGA TOUR membership if he reaches 20 points before the end of his third year of eligibility.

At the Battle at Briar’s Creek, Mark Power (Ranked 86th) posted his second career victory and led the Demon Deacons to a nine-stroke victory. Kentucky’s Alex Goff (Ranked 140th) finished second, his third career top-five finish.

• The Golf Club at Briar's Creek | Johns Island, South Carolina

• Ocean Course at Hokuala | Lihue, Kaua‘i, Hawaii

In partnership with the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), PGA TOUR University ranks collegiate players based on their average performance in NCAA Division-I men’s team competitions, official PGA TOUR tournaments and select DP World Tour events. The Ranking Period for the Class of 2023 began Week 23/2021 and concludes May 29, 2023, following the final round of stroke play at the NCAA D-I Men’s National Championship.