Hello, Statesboro!
This is the last quiet week of the year, and it does not feel quiet at all. Teachers are in the building, open house is Thursday, and a week from today the buses run again. Football practice started this morning across the state.
Meanwhile the eastern end of the county spent the weekend watching smoke. A fire off Buie Driggers Road near Brooklet grew to nearly 390 acres, pulled crews from twelve counties, and put horses on trailers. And in the same seven days, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend banning data centers here while Effingham County, right next door, packed a room to argue about a $20 billion one.
Let's get into it.
📰 TOP NEWS
Wildfire East of Brooklet Reaches 389 Acres, 75 Percent Contained
The biggest story in Bulloch County this week did not happen in a meeting room. It happened in the woods off Buie Driggers Road, east of Brooklet, where a fire crews had been working since midweek escaped again Friday afternoon and ran.
As of 8 p.m. Sunday, the Georgia Forestry Commission listed the fire at 389.90 acres and 75 percent contained. Crews from twelve counties worked it alongside Forestry, with seven tractors, seven engines, and helicopters on the job. The Forestry Commission reported that five to fifteen homes were threatened at the peak.
Nobody had to be ordered out, but plenty of people left on their own. Bulloch County VOAD and Bulloch Strong helped Brooklet Community Church open its doors Friday as a shelter for families who chose to evacuate voluntarily; it closed once officials determined residents could safely go home. The Bulloch County Agricultural Complex took in 46 horses trailered out of the fire area, which is the kind of detail that tells you how close this got to people's yards.
"Everything held overnight, so that was a positive sign," David Brown, the Georgia Forestry Commission's Region 4 manager, told WTOC on Saturday.
Crews spent Sunday chasing hotspots and strengthening the firebreaks around the burn area, and fire operations were set to resume at 7 a.m. today.
The cause is not settled. The Forestry Commission has pointed to lightning in the area as the likely source, and WTOC reported Sunday that the official cause remains undetermined with investigators due out today. Two standing asks from the agencies working it: stay off the burn area with drones, which ground the helicopters, and hold off on any outdoor burning until we get real rain.
Planning and Zoning Votes 5-1 to Recommend Banning Data Centers. Commissioners Decide Aug. 4.
The item this newsletter flagged last week came to a vote Tuesday night, and it passed.
The Bulloch County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend adopting the zoning text amendment that defines a data center and then declines to list it anywhere in the county's use chart. The practical effect is a ban: data centers would be prohibited in General Business, Light Manufacturing, and Heavy Manufacturing zones, and the amendment also strips out the county's cryptocurrency mining definitions and rules entirely.
County Attorney Jeff Akins explained the mechanism in one sentence: "The way the Zoning Ordinance works, if a use is not listed as a permitted or conditional use or an accessory use, then it's basically not allowed."
The lone no vote came from Patrick Mock, who had been appointed to the board that same morning. County commissioners voted 3-1 at their 8:30 a.m. meeting to seat Mock for the remainder of a term running through Dec. 31, 2027, replacing Ryne Brannen. Commissioner Newkirk was the no vote on the appointment.
Not everyone wants the county to move this fast. During public comment at the commission meeting, resident Frank Davis asked commissioners to defer a total ban until Dec. 31, 2026, and use the time to weigh the benefits against the drawbacks.
That is now the elected commissioners' call. The amendment goes to the Board of Commissioners for a hearing and possible adoption at their 5:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the North Main Annex. The county's data center moratorium runs through Dec. 31, 2026 either way.
One County Over, Effingham Packed a Room Over a $20 Billion OpenAI Campus
The timing here is hard to ignore. In the same week Bulloch moved to write data centers out of its code, OpenAI confirmed plans for one of the largest projects this part of Georgia has ever seen, in the county next door.
Project Camellia is a 1,400-acre campus in the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub in Effingham County, a $20 billion investment that would contract 3.2 gigawatts of electricity from Georgia Power over four years and include a proposed $320 million surface water treatment plant. OpenAI says it would employ 400 people at the start and grow past 1,000, with thousands of construction jobs in the skilled trades along the way. The company says the cooling system is closed-loop and that day-to-day water use would be comparable to an office building.
More than 500 people came inside for the company's open house Thursday evening at the Effingham County College and Career Academy in Rincon. Hundreds more protested outside. Residents raised the short notice, just over 24 hours for a meeting of that size, along with schools near the site and what 3.2 gigawatts does to everyone else's power bill.
"It just feels very, 'We're going to slide this by as quietly as possible,'" resident Chris Barber said.
OpenAI's chief policy officer, Chris Lehane, framed the visit as the start of a longer conversation: "We have to earn the trust, we have to earn the right to build this." Effingham County Manager Tim Callanan was more direct about the upside: "This project has the potential to change the financial future of Effingham County in ways that will benefit our citizens for generations."
Nothing about Project Camellia is Bulloch County's decision. But Effingham shares a line on the map with us, so it is close enough that the power grid, the construction labor market, and the traffic on I-16 are all shared. It is also the clearest picture yet of the thing our commissioners are voting on next Tuesday.
📋 LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
Feed the Boro Served Its Four Millionth Meal Saturday
It happened. Saturday morning at Statesboro High School on Coach Lee Hill Boulevard, Feed the Boro handed out groceries to more than 1,000 families and crossed four million meals served.
Leona Gerald was recognized as the four-millionth-meal recipient and received the $250 Food Lion gift card. The morning ran on a patriotic theme for the country's 250th anniversary, and the milestone landed a little over a year after the three millionth meal went out in May 2025.
Volunteer slots, donations, and sponsorships for the next monthly drop all run through feedtheboro.com.
School Board Proposes a Full Millage Rollback
The Bulloch County Board of Education voted 5-0 on July 23 to tentatively adopt a millage rate of 10.125 for fiscal year 2027, down from the current 10.4. That is a full rollback, meaning it offsets the inflation in assessed property values rather than quietly collecting more on the same rate.
For a $300,000 home, the district projects an annual decrease of about $32.45. For a $275,000 non-homestead property, about $30.25. School revenue still rises, to a projected $42.6 million from $39.3 million, because of new construction and property improvements rather than a higher rate.
"Any amount of savings for our taxpayers is welcome," Superintendent Torian White said.
A rollback does not require a public hearing, but comments are taken at the regular meeting. The final adoption vote is set for Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m.
East Georgia Regional and Cigna Reach a Deal, Effective Aug. 1
East Georgia Regional Medical Center and Cigna signed a multi-year agreement that keeps EGRMC and its employed physicians in-network for Cigna members. It takes effect Aug. 1.
If you postponed an appointment or a procedure while the two sides were negotiating, call your provider and get it back on the calendar.
"This new agreement helps patients access the health care services they need close to home," EGRMC Chief Executive Officer Stephen Pennington said.
Commissioners Also Bought a Fire Engine and Amended the Bryan County Sewer Deal
Tuesday's 8:30 a.m. commission meeting ran short two members, with Ray Mosley and Toby Conner absent, and moved a long consent agenda 4-0. On it: an E-One fire engine from Fireline for $721,495, fire reporting and management software for $36,280.54, a roof replacement on the GA Audits Building for $17,950 from Hurricane Helene damage, and road acceptance resolutions for the Burkfield, Enclave, Evelyn Oaks, and Latitude 32 subdivisions.
In new business, commissioners approved a first amendment to the water and sewer agreement with Bryan County by a 3-1 vote, extending the sewer capacity purchase deadline to 12 months from when the facility is operating and clarifying who repairs water main breaks. Commissioner Newkirk was the no vote.
📅 THIS WEEK'S EVENTS (July 27 to August 2, 2026)
Bulloch County Schools Open House
Thursday, July 30 | Elementary 4 to 6 p.m., middle and high 5 to 7 p.m. | All district campuses | FREE
The one date to put on the fridge. Meet the teacher, find the classroom, and get the paperwork done before Monday instead of in the car line. If you have a rising 7th or 11th grader, this is also your last comfortable window to sort out the immunization record.
Statesboro Regional Library: The Last Pre-School-Year Week
124 S. Main Street | All week | FREE | 912-764-1341
Baby Time: Tue., July 28, 10 a.m., ages 0-24 months
Toddler Time: Wed., July 29, 10:30 a.m., ages 2-5
Genealogy Program, "Revolutionary Records": Thu., July 30, 3 p.m., ages 18+
Family Dinosaur D&D Adventure: Fri., July 31, 1 p.m., all ages
Computer Class: Sat., Aug. 1, 2 p.m., ages 18+
Call ahead to confirm times.
Splash in the Boro: Last Week of Daily Hours
Through Saturday, Aug. 1 | Mill Creek Regional Park, 1388 GA-24 East | Admission varies | 912-489-3000
This is it for seven-day operation. Monday through Wednesday and Friday run 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Saturday go to 8 p.m., and Sunday is noon to 6 p.m. Starting Aug. 2 the park is weekends only through Sept. 6.
If your kids have been asking all summer, this is the week.
Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market
Saturday, Aug. 1 | 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | The Market at Visit Statesboro, 222 S. Main Street | FREE admission
Produce, meats, eggs, baked goods, handmade items, coffee, and live music. Early August is still peak tomato and peach territory, so go early and bring cash.
Teacher Pre-Planning Wraps Friday
Monday, July 27 through Friday, July 31 | All district campuses
Staff pre-planning and in-service run through the end of the week. If you need to reach a school office, this is the week they are actually in the building.
🦅 GEORGIA SOUTHERN UPDATES
Fifty Incoming Freshmen Spent Their Last Free Week Volunteering
Georgia Southern's BUILD program, short for Building Undergraduate Involvement in Leadership Development, put 50 incoming first-year students and 8 student leaders to work across Statesboro from July 20 to 24. Four work days, 12 nonprofit sites, service projects from 9 a.m. to noon each morning, then debriefs and community engagement in the afternoons.
The list of places they worked reads like a map of who does the heavy lifting in this town: the Statesboro Food Bank, a Christian ministry thrift shop, senior living facilities, Mattie Lively Elementary School, the Bulloch County Agricultural Complex, United Way of Southeast Georgia, the Georgia Southern Campus Community Garden, and the Statesboro Family YMCA.
"I love volunteering and I thought I was just going to be volunteering, but actually watching them feel like they are making an impact, that's been so awesome," student leader Carter Ellington said.
Program director Rachel Duvall put it plainly: "By last night they were hugging, dancing, having a party. It's just nice to see them come out of their shells."
Campus stays quiet for another two weeks. Move-in Day is Friday, Aug. 14, and fall classes start Wednesday, Aug. 19. Traffic on Fair Road changes accordingly.
🏈 SPORTS & CAMPUS EVENTS
High School Football Practice Started This Morning
Today is the first legal practice date for Georgia high school football, for GHSA, GIAA, and GAPPS programs alike. First GHSA games are Aug. 21, with the Corky Kell and Dave Hunter Classic running Aug. 12 to 21 at sites around the state including Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Which means the early workouts and the sound of pads carrying off the practice field are back. Three weeks from Friday, we have a season.
Seven Eagles Named Preseason All-Sun Belt
Georgia Southern placed seven players on the Preseason All-Sun Belt team, voted by league coaches and selected media.
First team: fifth-year defensive lineman MJ Stroud and sixth-year defensive back Chance Gamble. Second team: fifth-year receiver Josh Dallas, fourth-year defensive lineman Anthony Bynum, fifth-year linebacker Brandon Tyson, second-year kicker Tripp Bryant, and fourth-year punter Alex Smith.
As a team, the Eagles were picked fourth in the East Division in the preseason coaches' poll, which is the kind of number a roster with that much fifth and sixth-year experience tends to enjoy proving wrong.
The Eagles open at home Sept. 5 against Charleston Southern, then travel to Clemson on Sept. 12.
🍽️ RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT
Fordham's Farmhouse
23657 U.S. Highway 80 East | 912-489-3307
Out on Highway 80 toward Brooklet, past the point where the subdivisions give up, Fordham's has been serving the same thing since 2004: home cooking, the kind with recipes that came down through a family rather than off a corporate spec sheet.
It is a weekday lunch and dinner place, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Closed Saturday. Sunday is the lunch buffet, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday is the one most people mean when they tell you to go.
Three standing deals worth knowing this time of year: seniors get 10 percent off on Mondays, kids' plates are $5.05 with an adult meal on Tuesdays, and a student ID gets you free sweet tea on Wednesdays. That last one is aimed squarely at the crowd moving back in next month.
🌤️ WEATHER ADVISORY
The heat is not done with us. This is the live National Weather Service forecast for Statesboro as of Monday morning:
Mon, July 27: 95°F, 3% rain. Mostly sunny.
Tue, July 28: 99°F, 1% rain. Sunny, heat index up to 107.
Wed, July 29: 97°F, 43% rain. Showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon.
Thu, July 30: 95°F, 9% rain. Sunny.
Fri, July 31: 95°F, 11% rain. Sunny.
Sat, Aug. 1: 94°F, 33% rain. Mostly sunny, then storms later.
Sun, Aug. 2: 89°F, 67% rain. Showers and thunderstorms.
Tuesday is the one to plan around. A 99 degree high with a heat index near 107 is genuinely dangerous for anyone working outside, and a parked car reaches those numbers and worse within minutes. Check the back seat, every time.
Wednesday's storms and Sunday's 67 percent chance are the only real rain in the picture, and both matter more than usual right now. The ground east of Brooklet needs it, and the Forestry Commission's request to hold off on outdoor burning stands until it comes.
👀 LOOKING AHEAD
Thursday, July 30: Open house at every school.
Elementary 4 to 6 p.m., middle and high 5 to 7 p.m.
Saturday, August 1: Splash in the Boro's last weekday-inclusive day.
Weekends only from Aug. 2 through Sept. 6. Same day, the EGRMC and Cigna agreement takes effect.
Monday, August 3: First day of school.
Classes resume across Bulloch County Schools.
Tuesday, August 4: Commissioners vote on the data center ban.
5:30 p.m., North Main Annex. This is the decision, not another recommendation.
Thursday, August 13: School board's final millage vote.
6:30 p.m., on the proposed 10.125 rollback.
Friday, August 14: Georgia Southern Move-In Day.
Fall classes start Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Saturday, August 15: SHE Women's Expo.
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Venues at Ogeechee Technical College. Free, no registration, about 70 exhibitors. Presented by the Statesboro Herald.
Saturday, September 5: Eagles football home opener.
Georgia Southern hosts Charleston Southern at Paulson Stadium.
School starts a week from today. How ready is your house?
✉️ THANKS FOR READING!
That's Edition 42. A fire that pulled crews from a dozen counties, four million meals, a tax rollback, and two neighboring counties heading in opposite directions on the same question.
Next Monday the buses run and the mornings belong to somebody else again. Use this week accordingly.
If you want to do one useful thing, keep the drones down and the burn barrels cold until we get rain. The people working that fire line east of Brooklet have earned it.
Got a news tip, correction, or just want to say hi? Hit reply, we read every message.
Know someone who'd love the Statesboro Brief? Forward this to a neighbor, a coworker, or anyone who just moved to town. It's the single best way to help us grow, and we'd rather earn new readers from people who already trust us than from an ad. See you next Monday!
Facebook | Instagram
