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United States
I am currently a journalist covering public safety and the courts for the Savannah Morning News. Writing long-form articles and daily stories, my mission is to be the voice for the voiceless. I have also written for the Indianapolis Star, Arizona Republic and USA Today.
Eight fires and one dust explosion have occurred at the Celadon Plant at 48 Artley Road since it opened in November 2021, endangering employees at the paper processing plant, according to documents obtained through an open records request from the Savannah Fire Department.
Of the 2,606 total fire hydrants in Chatham County, 73 are considered nonfunctional, according to a report presented to the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 11 by Vickers and Phil Koster, chief operating officer for Chatham Emergency Services
The deaths of two inmates at the Chatham County Detention Center within the past week were both drug overdoses, according to multiple Chatham County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) officials who spoke at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Chatham County is considering establishing its own fire department. The Chatham County Commission approved a resolution at its Aug. 25 meeting to develop a transition plan away from the current fire service provider, Chatham Emergency Services (CES) and implement its own fire service.
On Friday morning, the City of Savannah Civil Service Board weighed whether or not they should uphold the firing of former Savannah Police Department (SPD) homicide detective Ashley Wood, whose employment was terminated after an internal investigation revealed she had falsified information in multiple search warrant applications tied to the 2021 murder of Charles Vinson.
Savannah Police has launched an internal investigation into a homicide detective, Ashley Wood.
Despite warnings and fines, Savannah-based Welsh Pawn Shop continues to sell firearms that end up used in crimes.
An uptick in shootings, especially among young men, in recent years has drawn the attention of the U.S. Dept. of Justice, the FBI and the ATF
Most guns used in crimes in Savannah in 2022 were bought legally within the state, according to an internal Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) spreadsheet obtained by the Savannah Morning News.
The District Attorney's Office employs 12 assistant district attorneys to prosecute felony cases, fewer than half of what it needs to ease caseloads.
How much money has Savannah Mayor Van Johnson and Alderwoman and mayoral candidate, Kesha Gibson-Carter, raised? Who are they giving money to?
Of the 40 total cases prosecuted for murder between 2021 and 2022 under Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones, 27 ended in less-than murder convictions, a review by the Savannah Morning News has found. The statistical analysis, more than anything, reveals that the DA's office is pursuing a higher rate of plea deals in murder cases, leading to lesser charges such as voluntary manslaughter, rather than felony murder convictions.
Incomplete and delayed case files, evidentiary problems, lack of communication cited as problems resulting in dismissals and reductions in homicide cases.
Court motion seeks 'meaningful access' and 'right to communicate' with clients awaiting trial, including Simon, who is charged with the murder of her 20-month-old son.
Internal audit shows employee had work computer at home during medical leave.
The communication breakdowns "could have had significant consequences if there had been an active shooter in the building," according to the National Policing Institute.
Sheila Garcia-Wilder, the former chief of schools for the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, has filed a civil lawsuit against the district that claims she was terminated in retaliation for raising concerns that Black male students and special needs students were disproportionately disciplined with suspension and expulsion.
Fourteen people have died at the Chatham County Detention Center since 2016, when Correct Health began providing medical services at the jail.
A former Chatham County assistant district attorney is claiming in a lawsuit filed earlier this month that he was terminated, in part, because of his sexual preference and in retaliation for sending a text message to colleagues about staffing shortages in the DA's office.
Misuse of 911 system, an antiquated dispatch process, an EMS labor shortage and overwhelmed hospital ERs plague the local EMS provider and have stretched emergency response times past 15 minutes.
Wendy Davis only drove Uber 10 hours last week. She used to drive 50 to 60 hours, chatting it up with riders, but ever since her 15-year-old grandson was shot to death, she's driven less, afraid she'll collapse at the wheel.
After a man was shot by the Savannah Police last March outside of a popular Savannah bar, an investigation by the GBI was launched. Now, many months later, the investigation has not been closed, and his family has questions.
Operation Blooming Onion is among the largest criminal prosecutions of labor trafficking of foreign farmworkers. Cogdell Berry Farm hired labor contractors whose Georgia homes were searched, money seized in the investigation. Sen. Russ Goodman, who owns the farm with his father-in-law, said he would investigate the situation.
A 10-month bipartisan investigation by the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations ("PSI"), chaired by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), has revealed the U.S.
The agent testified that bribery was linked to approval of farmworker housing, a key step in bringing seasonal workers in the U.S. Prosecutors say the organization targeted by Blooming Onion subjected workers to degrading living conditions, including housing them in cramped trailers The investigation has led to criminal prosecutions against 28 defendants charged with forced labor conspiracy or other crimes.
A pre-employment background check of the Savannah Police officer who killed a Carver Village man in June failed to note a series of documented incidents at a previous job as a corrections officer, including three use-of-force violations.
Records obtained by the Savannah Morning News show Ferguson was involved in eight use-of-force incidents at Coastal State Prison. In the aftermath of two incidents, Ferguson was found to have violated use-of-force policy and Georgia POST Council orders. One case was forwarded for further investigation.
This article is based upon a review of thousands of pages of public documents — two Chatham County Sheriff’s Officer internal affairs investigations, Correcthealth medical records, two autopsies, jail video footage and photographs, and police reports — that provide insight into the last hours of Lee Michael Creely's life.
Lee Michael Creely, who later died in Chatham County Jail to either a drug overdose or drug withdrawal, was exposed to drugs at a young age. But what made Lee turn to drugs remains unclear. Some family members say his friends got him involved. Some say his parents' divorce affected him. Others say his parents' drug use haunted him.
This article is first in a three-part series examining the life of Lee Michael Creely, who died at the Chatham County Detention Center in September 2020. His death revealed procedural errors by both county jail guards and the privately contracted healthcare company overseeing incarcerated people, many of whom, like Creely, suffer from drug addiction.
Two Georgia labor officials whose jobs involved protecting or advocating for farmworkers have links to one of the largest U.S. human trafficking cases ever prosecuted involving foreign agricultural laborers brought here on seasonal visas.
With at least 200 Afghan refugees moving to Savannah by February, one family tries to make Savannah home.
In the United States, formerly incarcerated people face discrimination when trying to rent or buy housing. In Savannah, that problem is acute.
As the first NBA player to be publicly open about his epilepsy diagnosis, Bobby Jones' career was forever affected, positively and negatively. As someone with an epilepsy diagnosis myself, I believe we can learn from how Bobby handled his diagnosis.
While the likes of Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens and Muhammad Ali received praise, if not recognition, after the fact, Tom Harding’s story remains mostly obscure. Like Robinson, Harding excelled in football, baseball and track. He won eight athletic letters, which no Butler athlete before or since has accomplished. His collegiate career was, well, the stuff of legends. Like Robinson, he also faced racism.