Hello, Statesboro!
Happy Monday and welcome to Edition 32. With Georgia Southern's graduates packed and gone, the energy in town shifts squarely back to year-round residents this week. And there is plenty going on. The City of Statesboro just rolled out a proposed budget with a significant one-year property tax increase, the Georgia Southern Foundation has announced an ambitious new hotel and conference center off Fair Road, Bulloch County's three public high schools all graduate this week, and the May 19 primary lands tomorrow. Splash in the Boro shifts to seven-day-a-week operation on Saturday, and Memorial Day is right around the corner.
Let us get into it.
📰 TOP NEWS
City of Statesboro Proposes 3.835 Mill Property Tax Increase to Cover Fire Department
In a budget work session last Tuesday, May 12, City Manager Charles Penny presented a proposed FY2027 budget that includes a 3.835 mill increase to the city's property tax rate, raising it from the current 8.625 mills. For a homeowner with a $250,000 home, that translates to roughly $376 in additional annual property taxes. Penny told council it was "the hardest budget I've ever worked with," and tied the increase directly to the dissolution of the former Bulloch County fire service district, which previously sent the city about $2.755 million per year, plus the expiration of a federal SAFER grant covering 12 firefighter salaries. The increase is projected to be temporary; revenue from the new Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST), approved by Bulloch voters in November 2025, is expected to begin in July 2027 and allow the city to roll the millage back to roughly its current level. The proposed FY27 budget totals $110.87 million across all funds. A public hearing is scheduled for June 2, with adoption tentatively set for June 16.
Georgia Southern Foundation Announces Hotel and Conference Center off Fair Road
The Georgia Southern University Foundation announced on Monday, May 11 that it has purchased a significant parcel adjacent to Beautiful Eagle Creek to develop a full-service hotel, conference facilities, alumni condos, and related amenities at the corner of South Main, Tillman Road, and Fair Road. The land was previously owned by the University System of Georgia. Foundation President Trip Addison told Grice Connect, "This is an exciting opportunity for Georgia Southern and our community. Our goal is to create a destination that complements the University, supports continued growth in Statesboro, and respects the history and natural beauty of the property." Addison told WSAV the project aims to address a chronic shortage of hotel rooms near campus on game weekends and at graduation, and that the Foundation plans to stabilize the banks of Eagle Creek and extend the Herty Pines Nature Preserve trail to connect downtown to the heart of campus. Project timeline, developer, and hotel brand have not yet been announced.
Bulloch County Board of Education Approves Tentative FY27 Budget Ahead of Final School Week
At its Thursday, May 14 regular session, the Bulloch County Board of Education approved a tentative FY27 budget, paving the way for the required public advertisement on May 21 and final adoption on June 11. The board also approved a $988,800 bid for approximately 1,600 Acer Chromebooks for the coming school year, reviewed a revised bullying policy (tabled for further action), and approved the tentative 2027-2028 school calendar. Board member Donna Clifton issued a public plea for nutrition workers, warning that without more staff, the district will be forced to reduce its summer meal program from five sites to three: "I also want to plead for the lunchroom staff, to please come out. If we don't get some more nutrition workers, we'll go down to three sites that feed children this summer instead of five." Southeast Bulloch Middle Principal Todd Veland recognized 222 student participants in the 40th annual Nan Rushing Write Off, and Nevils Elementary Principal Rob Lindsey thanked the board for approving six new modular classroom units for next year.
Eagle Baseball Season Ends at Southern Miss; Eagles Miss Sun Belt Tournament
Georgia Southern's 2026 baseball season ended Saturday, May 16 in Hattiesburg, where the Eagles were swept in three games by the eventual Sun Belt regular-season champion Southern Miss Golden Eagles. The series losses included a 14-3 run-rule defeat Thursday and a 10-1 loss Friday. Georgia Southern finished the year 16-39 overall and 7-22 in Sun Belt play, missing the 10-team conference tournament for the season. The Sun Belt Championship, hosted by Troy University, begins Tuesday, May 19 at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama, with the title game scheduled for Sunday, May 24.
📋 LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
Leadership Bulloch Class of 2026 Unveils New Statesboro Food Bank Pavilion
The Leadership Bulloch Class of 2026 cut the ribbon last week on a covered outdoor pavilion at the Statesboro Food Bank, the culmination of a year of fundraising and labor by the class. Chamber Chair John Roach, Hyundai Metaplant Chief Administrative Officer Brent Stubbs, Hawk Construction's Zach Hawk, and Watts Up Electric all contributed. Stubbs noted that Hyundai Metaplant America employs 185 Bulloch County residents, the second-highest county share of HMGMA's 1,232-person workforce (behind only Chatham County), making local partnerships an important part of the company's community involvement.
Georgia Southern Lands at #33 on Forbes' Best Employers for Company Culture
Forbes named Georgia Southern #33 on its 2026 list of America's Best Employers for Company Culture, the second year of the list and the first time the University has been recognized. The Forbes-Statista list is based on a survey of more than 217,000 U.S. employees at companies with at least 1,000 employees. Of 600 companies ranked, Georgia Southern was second among education-industry employers behind Columbia University (#10). The University was also recognized as one of America's Best Large Employers (#171), America's Best Employers by State (#58 in Georgia), and among Forbes' America's Top Colleges 2026 (#243 in Research Universities, #100 in the South).
Brooklet Names Lonnie Adamson as City Manager Finalist
Brooklet has named Lonnie Adamson the finalist for its open City Manager position, advancing the small city's recovery from earlier financial and operational turmoil.
Great American Cleanup Brings Volunteers to McTell Trail
Keep Statesboro-Bulloch Beautiful's Timeka Shannon and Mayor Jonathan McCollar greeted volunteers at City Hall on Saturday, May 9 for the local leg of the Great American Cleanup, the Keep America Beautiful campaign aimed at removing 25 billion pieces of litter from the national landscape by July 4, 2026. Crews fanned out to the McTell Trail, Sugar Hill, Quail Run, and other locations, hauling out everything from food wrappers to a discarded bicycle.
Statesboro High Named to 2026 AP Honor Schools List
State School Superintendent Richard Woods named Georgia's 2026 AP Honor Schools last week, with Statesboro High School making the cut, reflecting continued growth in Advanced Placement coursework participation and performance.
📅 THIS WEEK'S EVENTS (May 18-24, 2026)
Monday, May 18
📚 Book Binding Class | 4:00 PM | Statesboro Regional Library | Ages 14+ | FREE | (912) 764-1341
🏛️ Keep Statesboro-Bulloch Beautiful Advisory Board | 12:00 PM | City Hall Council Chambers, 50 E. Main Street | Open to public
Tuesday, May 19
🗳️ General Primary and Nonpartisan Election Day | 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM | All 16 Bulloch County precincts | Photo ID required | Find your polling place at mvp.sos.ga.gov
🚒 Bulloch County Touch a Truck | 3:00-7:00 PM | Bulloch County Ag Arena, 44 Arena Blvd | FREE Climb aboard fire trucks, patrol cars, EMS rigs, public works equipment, and more. Food trucks on site. The single best free family event of the week.
🏛️ City of Statesboro Council Work Session | 3:30 PM | Council Chambers, City Hall
🏛️ Bulloch County Planning and Zoning Commission | 5:30 PM | Board of Commissioners Room, North Main Annex
🏛️ City of Statesboro Mayor and Council | 5:30 PM | Council Chambers, City Hall
🏘️ Tuesday Social | 3:30 PM | Bethany Community Commons, Gesmon Neville Lane | FREE | Haley McNure, (912) 225-7204
📚 Graphic Novel Book Club | 4:30 PM | Statesboro Regional Library | Ages 6-11 | FREE
Wednesday, May 20
🎓 Statesboro High School Graduation | 7:30 PM | Womack Field, Statesboro High School | Livestream via WSAV News 3
📚 Bulloch County Library Board Meeting | 4:00 PM | Statesboro Regional Library
🏘️ Hearing Life of Statesboro Presentation | 3:00 PM | Bethany Community Commons, Gesmon Neville Lane | FREE
Thursday, May 21
🎓 Portal Middle/High School Graduation | 7:30 PM | Portal Athletic Complex, Portal | Livestream via WSAV News 3
🏘️ Bingo | 3:30 PM | Bethany Community Commons, Gesmon Neville Lane | FREE
📚 Teen Craft Activity | 4:30 PM | Statesboro Regional Library | Ages 12-18 | FREE
Friday, May 22
🎓 Southeast Bulloch High School Graduation | 7:30 PM | Fred Shaver Field, Brooklet | Livestream via WSAV News 3
🎒 Last Day of School for Bulloch County Schools
🇺🇸 Wreath Placement at Veterans Memorials | 10:00-11:00 AM | Triangle Park (Vietnam Memorial), City Hall (WWI Memorial), and All Wars Memorial at Judicial Annex, 20 Siebald St. | Hosted by American Legion Post 90
🏘️ Music Group | 2:00 PM | Bethany Community Commons, Gesmon Neville Lane | FREE
Saturday, May 23
🌽 Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market | 9:00 AM-12:30 PM | 222 S. Main Street | Local produce, prepared food vendors, artisans, live music | FREE
🏊 Splash in the Boro Shifts to Seven-Day Summer Operation | Daily | 1388 Highway 24 East | Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10 AM-6 PM; Thursday and Saturday 10 AM-8 PM; Sunday noon-6 PM | Tickets $20 Bulloch residents, $30 general admission. Luetta Moore Pool also shifts to seven-day operation.
🦅 GEORGIA SOUTHERN UPDATES
Foundation Hotel Project a Headline Story Across Coastal Empire
The May 11 announcement of the Foundation's mixed-use hotel, conference, and alumni-condo development on the Fair Road/Tillman Road parcel (covered above in Top News) is shaping up to be one of the most consequential campus-adjacent development stories in years. The site will tie into the Blue Mile and extend the Herty Pines trail into the heart of campus. Watch for additional announcements on developer partner and timeline in the months ahead.
Forbes Recognition Caps a Strong Spring
Following last week's record graduation, the Forbes #33 Best Employer for Company Culture ranking, and the unveiling of the Steverson Family Baseball Facility, Georgia Southern closes the spring semester with significant momentum. President Kyle Marrero noted in his May 6 message to faculty and staff that FY27 state-funded items include $4.2 million for East Georgia Campus HVAC renovations, $1 million for a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar position, and $5.5 million to establish a literacy center created through House Bill 1193.
Maymester and Summer Sessions Underway
Georgia Southern's Maymester runs through the end of May, with Summer 1 traditional session classes beginning in early June. The campus is quieter, but the academic year does not fully pause.
🏈 SPORTS AND CAMPUS EVENTS
Eagle Baseball Season Concludes; Eagles Out of Tournament
As reported above, the Eagles finished 16-39 (7-22 SBC) after a three-game sweep at the hands of regular-season champion Southern Miss, and did not qualify for the 10-team Sun Belt Tournament. Coach Rodney Hennon and the program now turn their attention to the offseason, summer-ball assignments for returning players, and recruiting.
Heather Macy Adds to Women's Basketball Staff
New Eagle Women's Basketball head coach Heather Macy has been steadily building out her 2026-27 coaching staff over the past two weeks, a process Grice Connect has been tracking. With both the men's and women's basketball programs in transition, look for additional staff announcements through the early summer.
🍽️ RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT
Three Tree Coffee Roasters: Specialty Coffee with a Mission, Right on the Blue Mile
If you have not yet made a pilgrimage to 441 South Main Street, this is your nudge. Three Tree Coffee Roasters is the closest thing Statesboro has to a third-wave specialty coffee shop with a national reputation, and it is right here on the Blue Mile.
Co-founders Philip Klayman, Anna Klayman, and Kimberly Daly opened Three Tree in 2014 with a mission they call "the three Es": Empower Our Farmers, End Human Trafficking, and Engage Our Community. The shop's published Giving Statement spells out the commitment clearly: $1 from every retail bag is donated to a safe house, each shop hosts two fundraisers a year, and 3 percent of profits go to ending human trafficking. Three Tree sources green beans directly from farmers like Leticia Lopez and Harry Hutchens of Finca Terrerito in Honduras. In 2024, the company opened a separate 1,600-square-foot roastery, training center, and podcast studio next door, upgrading to a Loring S35 Kestrel that roasts up to 35 kilograms (77 pounds) per batch, more than doubling production capacity. The shop also produces the "Coffee &" podcast.
What to order: the house brew, a vanilla latte or cortado, the iced mocha, or in the morning, the biscuit, shrimp and grits, or French toast off the breakfast menu. Pastries are made in-house and the dedicated "Greenhouse" seating area (a 2024 expansion) is one of the best spots in town to study, take a meeting, or pass an hour with a friend. The space combines a black-and-white palette with wood, plants, and a mural by head roaster Michaela Brown and barista Bentley Hendrix tracing the journey of coffee from farm to cup.
Three Tree also runs two coffee carts and supplies wholesale beans to about 20 customers, plus weddings and events through the Coffee Trolley. The 4.8-star rating on Joe Coffee and 86 percent recommendation from 514 Facebook reviewers are well-earned.
Hours: Monday through Friday 7 AM-7 PM | Saturday 7 AM-5 PM | Sunday closed.
Address: 441 S. Main Street, Suite 1A | (912) 681-8733
🌤️ WEATHER ADVISORY
Summer Heat Has Arrived
It is officially feeling like summer in Statesboro this week. Highs will be in the high 80s and low 90s through the week, with overnight lows in the mid 60s. Hydration, sunscreen, and shade are your friends for outdoor graduations Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings, and for the Touch a Truck event Tuesday afternoon. Long-range forecasts from AccuWeather suggest a brief cooldown around May 23-24 with highs in the low 80s before temperatures climb back into the upper 80s and 90s for Memorial Day weekend.
Estimated conditions:
Day | High | Low | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Mon, May 18 | 88°F | 64°F | Partly sunny |
Tue, May 19 | 87°F | 65°F | Sunny, breezy |
Wed, May 20 | 85°F | 65°F | Mostly sunny |
Thu, May 21 | 84°F | 64°F | Partly sunny, chance of late storm |
Fri, May 22 | 86°F | 65°F | Mostly sunny |
Sat, May 23 | 82°F | 61°F | Pleasant, partly sunny |
Sun, May 24 | 83°F | 62°F | Sunny, lower humidity |
Forecasts based on AccuWeather monthly outlook for Statesboro and subject to change. Check the latest at weather.gov
👀 LOOKING AHEAD (May 25-31)
Monday, May 25 | Memorial Day Observance Annual ceremony hosted by American Legion Dexter Allen Post 90 at the Averitt Center for the Arts, Emma Kelly Theater, 33 East Main Street. Coffee and doughnuts at 10:30 AM; formal program at 11 AM. Lunch follows at the Legion building, 100 Rucker Lane. The 2026 keynote speaker had not been announced at our publication time. City and county offices closed.
Monday, May 25 | Splash in the Boro and Luetta Moore Pool Full Memorial Day weekend operations in effect; both facilities are now on the seven-day summer schedule.
Thursday, May 28 | Downtown Live: Y2K Kids | 7:00 PM | East Main Street at the Bulloch County Courthouse | Food trucks at 6:00 PM | FREE Penultimate concert in the Downtown Live 2026 series.
Thursday, May 28 | Bulloch County Board of Education Work Session | 6:30 PM | Central Office, 150 Williams Road
Saturday, May 30 | Statesboro Fire Department Smoke Alarm Blitz Rescheduled from May 2. Firefighters and American Red Cross volunteers will canvass neighborhoods near W. Jones Ave. Ext., Maple Street, Success Street, Solomon Circle, Denmark Street, and Presidents Circle. Info: (912) 764-3473.
Saturday, May 30 | Main Street Farmers Market | 9:00 AM-12:30 PM | 222 S. Main Street
Coming Soon | Library Summer Reading Program The Statesboro Regional Library typically launches its summer reading program in late May or early June. Watch strl.info for the official 2026 kickoff date.
June 2 | Public Hearing on Statesboro FY27 Budget and Proposed 3.835 Mill Property Tax Increase | City Council Chambers
June 11 | Bulloch County Board of Education Final FY27 Budget Adoption
June 16 | Statesboro FY27 Budget Adoption (Tentative)
June 16 | Potential Primary Runoff Election Day
✉️ THANKS FOR READING
That is Edition 32 in the books. A heads up for next week: we will have results from the May 19 primary and from each of the three high school graduations, plus full Memorial Day coverage. If you have a senior walking the stage Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, congratulations from all of us. They made it.
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See you next Monday!
