Statesboro Brief

06/15/2026

Happy Monday, Statesboro! 💙

This week's edition of the Statesboro Brief is in your inbox, and it's a big one. The community has some real decisions to make: there's a county commission runoff and the city budget vote on Tuesday, the county budget vote Thursday, and a town hall tonight where you can help shape who becomes our next police chief.

We've also got happy news, a new schools superintendent, a full slate of Juneteenth celebrations this weekend, summer fun at the library and Splash in the Boro, and a loving look back at one of the Boro's oldest treasures, Vandy's Bar-B-Q.

And we want to hear from you! This week's poll asks: what are your big summer plans this year? Make sure you cim

You'll find the poll right inside this week's newsletter, just scroll down, tap your answer, and you're done. It takes two seconds and we'll share the results in an upcoming edition. We want to hear from YOU!

📬 Read the full edition and take the poll (link in comments)

Forward it to a neighbor or anyone who just moved to town. Not subscribed? It's free, every Monday. See you in your inbox!

Edition #36 | Monday, June 15, 2026

06/08/2026

Edition 35 is LIVE! 🦅

This week in Statesboro and Bulloch County:

📰 City Manager Charles Penny announces retirement — a major leadership transition is underway
🏛️ City Council passes new data center rules in a 3-1 vote
🎵 The Tams headline Downtown Live THIS Thursday — get there early
🗳️ Early voting is OPEN through Friday for the June 16 runoff
🌮 Restaurant Spotlight: Del Sur Taqueria and Cantina on the Blue Mile
🌤️ Heat is building — temps pushing 93°F by Thursday

Plus local news briefs, library summer programs, Georgia Southern updates, sports, and everything else happening this week.

https://statesborobrief.beehiiv.com/p/statesboro-brief-edition-35-city-manager-retires-data-center-ordinance-approved-downtown-live-this-w

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Discover Statesboro's pivotal week: City Manager Penny's retirement announced, data center ordinance approved, Downtown Live concert, and June 16 runoff voting updates!

06/01/2026

Happy Monday, Statesboro! ☀️

Edition 34 of the Statesboro Brief just dropped, and this week's news cycle did not hold back.

Here's what we're covering this week:

📋 The city's proposed FY27 budget includes a 3.835-mill property tax increase — a public hearing is TOMORROW, June 2, at City Hall. This is your chance to weigh in before the June 16 vote.

🚨 Statesboro Police arrested a man on kidnapping, stalking, and three counts of arson after a woman was forced into a vehicle on South Main Street last week.

🚁 Statesboro High School is one of just four Georgia schools selected for a state-funded drone active-shooter pilot program launching this fall.

📦 Bulloch County is planning to close 10 of its 22 trash collection centers starting January 2027 — find out which ones.

🦅 Georgia Southern received nearly $40M in state funding, including money for the state's first College of Optometry right here in Statesboro.

🍺 This week's Restaurant Spotlight: Eagle Creek Brewing Company — Statesboro's original craft brewery and a downtown staple since 2013.

Read the full edition and subscribe to get it in your inbox every Monday morning — free, always.

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Discover Statesboro's pivotal week: city budget debate heats up with tax proposal, kidnapping arrest made, Statesboro High selected for drone safety pilot, and summer updates!

05/20/2026

If you have not made the pilgrimage to 441 South Main Street yet, consider this 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.

That commitment is specific, not vague. $1 from every retail bag is donated to a safe house. Each shop hosts two fundraisers a year. 3 percent of profits go to ending human trafficking. The shop sources green beans directly from farmers like Leticia Lopez and Harry Hutchens of Finca Terrerito in Honduras, and in 2024 opened a separate 1,600-square-foot roastery, training center, and podcast studio next door, upgrading to a Loring S35 Kestrel that more than doubled production capacity.

What to order: the house brew, a vanilla latte or cortado, the iced mocha, or for breakfast the biscuit, shrimp and grits, or French toast. Pastries are made in-house. The 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 interior combines a black-and-white palette with wood, plants, and a farm-to-cup mural by head roaster Michaela Brown and barista Bentley Hendrix.

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 to 7 PM, Saturday 7 AM to 5 PM. Sunday closed.

This is the kind of story we cover every Monday in the Statesboro Brief, our free weekly newsletter for everything happening in Statesboro and Bulloch County.

Subscribe free at statesborobrief.beehiiv.com

05/18/2026

Your Monday morning briefing is here, Statesboro. ☕

Edition 32 of the Statesboro Brief is live and this one has some things you really need to know about.

The city just proposed raising your property taxes by 3.835 mills to cover a gap in fire department funding. It may be temporary, but that's real money. We break down exactly what it means and what happens next.

Also this week: the Georgia Southern Foundation announced plans for a new hotel and conference center near campus, one of the most significant development stories we've covered. Plus, it's graduation week for ALL THREE of Bulloch County's public high schools. If you've got a graduate in the family, this one's for you.

And in our restaurant spotlight, we finally give Three Tree Coffee Roasters the recognition they deserve. Specialty coffee, a mission you can feel good about, and one of the best spots in town to slow down for an hour.

Read Edition 32 here 👇
https://statesborobrief.beehiiv.com/p/statesboro-brief-edition-32-property-tax-showdown-new-gsu-hotel-project-school-year-wraps-up-and-thr

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Discover Statesboro's May highlights: property tax showdown, new GSU hotel project, high school graduations, primary election, and Three Tree Coffee spotlight in this week's essential update!

05/07/2026

If you have not made it to Huey's on Main Street yet, this is your sign.

Tom Scarborough spent decades managing Huey's on River Street in Savannah before bringing the concept to the town where he raised his family. His daughters Casey Pope and River Green run it with him, making this a true family restaurant in every sense. It opened in February 2025 at 232 S. Main St. and has quickly become one of the Blue Mile's most talked-about additions.

The interior sets the tone immediately: hand-painted murals by Casey, a full bar pouring Bourbon Street cocktails, and the kind of kitchen that takes its gumbo seriously. The menu runs through scratch Cajun and Creole dishes including jambalaya, shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, crawfish etouffee, blackened catfish, and po'boys built on bread shipped in from Louisiana.

The must-order is the beignets, dusted with powdered sugar and finished with your choice of raspberry, chocolate, caramel, praline, or bourbon vanilla drizzle. If you only order one thing, make it these.

Huey's is open Monday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. for dinner. It is a natural stop before or after the Farmers Market on Saturday morning, and the kind of place that makes out-of-town graduation guests feel like they found something special.

Reservations are recommended for Mother's Day weekend.

This is the kind of story we cover every Monday in the Statesboro Brief, our free weekly newsletter for everything happening in Statesboro and Bulloch County.

Subscribe free at statesborobrief.beehiiv.com



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05/04/2026

A long time ago, in a Boro not so far away... 🌟

Edition #30 of the Statesboro Brief has arrived. And like any good Jedi, we come bearing knowledge. Because around here, an informed community is a powerful one.

Here's what's in this week's edition:

📰 The Bulloch County Commission holds critical public hearings TOMORROW on the twin 90-day moratoriums covering data centers and residential rezonings. This one matters.

🎓 Spring Commencement is one week away. 4,400 Georgia Southern graduates across four ceremonies starting May 11.

🥎 Eagles Softball heads to Lafayette for the Sun Belt Tournament. Game 1 is Wednesday at 5 PM on ESPN+.

⚾ Eagle Baseball closes out its home schedule with four games at J.I. Clements this week.

🗳️ Saturday, May 9 is the FINAL Saturday of early voting for the May 19 primary. The absentee ballot deadline is this Friday.

🍖 The Statesboro Food Bank's "Mom's Day Off" smoked meat fundraiser is Saturday. Brisket, ribs, and more for a great cause.

🌊 Splash in the Boro is open with major new upgrades.

🍽️ Restaurant Spotlight: Huey's on Main Street. Cajun, Creole, and beignets right downtown.

May the Fourth be with you, Statesboro. Now go read your newsletter. 🦅

👇 Link below. Share it like the Rebellion depends on it.

🔗 https://statesborobrief.beehiiv.com/p/statesboro-brief-edition-30-bulloch-county-moratorium-hearings-commencement-week-begins-eagles-softb

Discover Statesboro's May highlights: Bulloch County moratorium hearings, spring commencement week begins, Eagles softball heads to Sun Belt Tournament, and Mother's Day weekend events!

04/28/2026

Edition 29 just hit inboxes! Here is what you need to know this week in Statesboro and Bulloch County:

🔥 A statewide burn ban is in effect after devastating South Georgia wildfires. No outdoor burning until further notice.

🗳️ Early voting for the May 19 primary opens TODAY at the Bulloch County North Main Annex. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through May 15.

🚒 Statesboro Fire Department earned an ISO Class 1 rating, putting it in the top 1.4% of fire departments in the entire country.

🎶 Downtown Live is back Thursday night with 70's Kids on East Main Street. Food trucks at 6, music at 7. Free admission.

🍔 This week's Restaurant Spotlight: The Slider Joint by The Painted Chef is bringing smash sliders and late-night hours to the old Vandy's building downtown.

🦅 Eagles softball walked off with a Senior Day series win, the East Georgia Campus unveils its Golden Eagles NAIA brand today, and baseball hosts No. 7 Coastal Carolina this weekend.

Plus: the Longest Table community meal on Saturday, the Farmers Market, library programs, and everything else happening this week.

Not subscribed yet? It is free and lands in your inbox every Monday morning. Link in comments.

https://statesborobrief.beehiiv.com/p/statesboro-brief-edition-29-early-voting-opens-today-statewide-burn-ban-in-effect-fire-department-ea

Discover Statesboro's April highlights: early voting opens today, statewide burn ban in effect, Fire Department earns elite ISO Class 1 rating, and community events this week!

04/20/2026

📰 Edition 28 of the Statesboro Brief is LIVE!

This week is one of the biggest of the spring, and we have you covered:

🏞️ Whitesville Park reopens Tuesday after a DECADE closed
🗳️ Today is the LAST day to register to vote for the May 19 primary
🤠 The 15th Annual Kiwanis Rodeo rides into town Thursday-Saturday
🔥 City Council tackles the $2.7M fire funding gap Tuesday
🦅 Georgia Southern's East Georgia Campus joins the NAIA
🍽️ Restaurant Spotlight: Flacos House Bar & Grill
📅 Plus your full events calendar, weather forecast, Eagles sports recap, and more

Read the full edition at the link in bio or subscribe for free at statesborobrief.beehiiv.com so you never miss a Monday.

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https://statesborobrief.beehiiv.com/p/statesboro-brief-edition-28-whitesville-park-reopens-tuesday-voter-registration-deadline-today-kiwan

Discover Statesboro's biggest spring week: Whitesville Park's long-awaited reopening, voter registration deadline today, Kiwanis Rodeo, and essential community updates you won't want to miss!

04/16/2026

Big news for downtown Statesboro, and a story we think you'll want to know about.

Travis Phillips, better known around town as "Shug the Painted Chef," is putting the finishing touches on a new restaurant called The Slider Joint at 22 West Vine Street. If that address sounds familiar, it should. He's taken over the former Vandy's Bar-B-Q building.

The concept came out of a simple observation. Shug noticed what a lot of us have been saying for years: downtown Statesboro doesn't have enough late-night food options. Once the dinner rush ends, your choices thin out fast. The Slider Joint is designed to fix that, with quick and affordable slider meals served until midnight, Monday through Saturday. Breakfast may be coming down the road.

Here's the detail we love most. The menu will include a BBQ slider named after Vandy's, a tribute to the building's legacy and to the generations of Statesboro families who ate there. Because you don't erase history. You honor it.

If you've been around Statesboro for any length of time, you probably already know Shug. He's run The Painted Chef catering operation for years and is a fixture at community events. His wife Jackie owns The Flowergirl just a few doors down. A true downtown family.

The Slider Joint hasn't announced an official opening date yet, but it sounds close. Keep an eye on The Painted Chef's pages for the announcement.

This is the kind of story we cover every Monday in the Statesboro Brief, our free weekly newsletter for everything happening in Statesboro and Bulloch County. News, events, Georgia Southern updates, and the food scene, delivered straight to your inbox.

Subscribe free at statesborobrief.beehiiv.com.