Jasper County Board members have approved the design for a new county courthouse in Newton The courthouse design committee approved the design at their meeting earlier in the day on April 17 then the full Board gave the design its approval that evening The new Courthouse will be built on the site of the current facility The Board also reviewed plans for the Newton Power Station Federal guidelines require the plant and other coal-fired units to be closed by October 2028 the plant will need to cease 0perations in 2027 Board members heard from Sheriff Brandon Francis about adding a K9 unit to the sheriff’s department next year Francis said it has been about four years since the City of Newton had a K9 and it’s been 15 to 20 years since Jasper County has had a dog Jasper County Public Defender Lindsay Savage resigned from her position in April Chief Judge Martin Siemer appointed Clay County Assistant State’s Attorney Cole Hildebrand to replace Savage as Public Defender View Full Calendar A developer agreement between Effingham County and Greenland Developers for Goshen Road Apartments is up for vote at Tuesday night’s commissioner's meeting The new housing development would consist of 400 units on 36 acres The area on and near Goshen Road has become a hot spot for developers as the 2-lane road has been approved for hundreds of homes Residents within the county have utilized the roadway as a shortcut to escape traffic congestion on Highway 21 as homebuilders began keying in on the area More: CEO of development authority in Effingham County talks industrial growth the county has recommended not moving forward with the agreement until it attains ownership of Goshen Commercial Park Road Effingham County resident Jilliane Banks said adding an additional 400 apartments in that area could add even more commuter traffic “[There have been] a lot of issues with traffic,” said Banks “If students end up going to South Effingham High School that would cause further traffic issues because sometimes it takes 45 minutes to go eight miles.” Although county commissioners voted 4-0 in March to deny the rezoning of 221 acres for a 377-unit subdivision on Goshen Road 231 residential units have already been approved Effingham County Chairman Damon Rahn said that he believes the development poses a risk for flooding and traffic concerns “People use Goshen to get to Hodgeville to get to Highway 30 which is wall-to-wall apartments and houses,” said Banks The board will also vote on a site plan for a 19-acre warehouse on Old Augusta Road would be 251,000 square feet and is located in a special flood hazard area The property is currently zoned for industrial use and is two miles from Chimney Road a cherished water source that has become a point of controversy between developers and residents The tributary provides drinking water for Savannah and Effingham County Water advocates have long feared the potential for pollution runoff into the watershed The board will also vote on the rezoning of 33 acres from agriculture to industrial on Old Augusta Road the property would be used to stage vehicles from the Georgia Port Authority Several bids for road improvements are also up for vote Tuesday night The board will vote on a task proposal to realign Rahn Station Road to Little McCall Road and construction of a roundabout along McCall Road the project will cost $208,756 and will be funded through Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Staff will also recommend a bid for $4 million worth of repaving projects for 18.6 miles across 26 roads including Rahn Station Road and Chimney Road Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com Effingham High School athletic physicals have been scheduled for Monday This is for all area student/athletes looking to participate in school athletics during the 2025-26 school year This does not include incoming sixth and ninth-graders They are required to get a regular physical from their health care provider Cash payment is preferred or make checks payable to cash A parent or guardian will need to fill out the required IHSA/IESA form and bring completed form with you May 19 Contact your school’s athletic department for paperwork View Full Calendar formerly a long-term resident of Effingham he had four siblings:  Arlene Pals (husband Rick)  Bob had a very close relationship with his siblings and their spouses Bob’s 30-year career with Amoco Chemicals sent him overseas for nearly 19 years as VP of Finance for their international joint ventures He spent 7 years in Spain and 12 years in Taiwan  He set the commodity world price for paraxylene in the production of polyester fiber he was retained by Mitsui Japan and became known as the American Shogun He and his family traveled extensively throughout the world  He was a true American patriot and was never without a flag pin on his shirt He was preceded in death by his sister-in-law Cookie known as ‘Ryan’s Crossing,’ was erected in dedication to Ryan and is known as ‘Ryan’s Crossing.’ Bob and Karen celebrated 60 wonderful years of marriage last June  Their 50th wedding anniversary party was held at their home in Steamboat Springs and was attended by many friends and relatives from Effingham and worldwide A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:30 am Saturday Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Effingham with burial in St A luncheon will be held at 1:30 pm at Wheat Penny in Effingham please send donations to the Leukemia Society (https://givenow.lls.org/give/342076) or the Effingham County Humane Society- IL (https://effinghamcountyhumanesociety.org/donate/) carefully wrapped her manicured fingers around a baby chick Holding it at a distance for a moment she lifted it to her face and gently rubbed her chin over its head Georgia first lady Marty Kemp grinned ear to ear as she held a chick of her own This lighthearted moment was just one of the classroom visits made by Loeffler and Governor Brian Kemp during a tour of the Effingham County College and Career Academy on Friday More: HMGMA Grand Opening: Officials announce 60% increase to annual production at new metaplant The large tour group moved between computer labs which just celebrated the grand opening of its Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) plan in neighboring Bryan County “This is really impressive," Loeffler said following the tour this is a model institution to have work-based learning happening where you can literally walk through the halls and see hands on Governor Brian Kemp echoed the former Senator’s sentiments “This is exactly why Georgia is so successful,” Kemp said “We have a lot of new jobs coming to this part of the state and I made big promises to people like Hyundai and the over a dozen suppliers that came along with that plan to supply that plant that we would produce the graduates and the workforce that they need to run their factories and to do their business.” TEUTOPOLIS — Teutopolis edged out to a 2-1 opening inning lead and went on for an 8-5 victory over Effingham St Anthony in the Cross Creek Softball Classic Friday in a game heard on 979XFM The Wooden Shoes had a five-run third and tacked on a final run in the sixth behind a 10-hit attack The Bulldogs tied in the second and moved into a 4-2 lead in the top of the third But the Shoes rallied with a five-run bottom of the frame triple and an RBI for the winners while Jersey Gaddis had a single and double Malea Helmink added two singles and an RBI while Olivia Wermert had a single and three RBI Chloe Hoene and Kayleigh Zerrusen added a single and an RBI each Alyssa Tipton went the distance on the mound for the win The Bulldogs were led in hitting by Ella Johnson with two singles and two RBI and Adysen Rios with two singles and an RBI Jackie Vonderheide added a single and an RBI Anthony                 112    010    0    —     5-   7-1 Teutopolis                   205    001    x    —    8-10-0 Effingham tallied single runs in the second and third and went on for a 5-1 victory in the opening game of an Apollo Conference doubleheader Friday The Hearts finished with 12 hits led by Mya Harvey with three singles Keagyn Koenig two singles and an RBI and Sidney Donaldson two singles Natalie Armstrong finished with a single and an RBI She did not give up a walk and struck out 10 the Trojans took a 2-0 opening inning lead EHS tied in the top of the second but Charleston came back to move ahead 4-2 in the bottom of the frame The Hearts tied again in the top of the third but once again Charleston moved ahead 5-4 in the bottom of the third Effingham then tied in the top of the fifth but here came Charleston again to move ahead 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth the Hearts rallied with three runs in the top of the seventh to move ahead for the win Alyssa Martin led the hitting attack this time around with two singles Donaldson a double and two RBI and Althoff and Maci Hayes with a single and an RBI each Althoff again picked up the win on the mound Armstrong started the game and went 2.2 innings Althoff came on to finish out with 4.1 innings Effingham                 011    030    0    —    5-12-0 Charleston                000    001    0    —    1- 5-1 Effingham               022    110    3    —    9-14-0 Charleston              221    101    0    —    7-15-0 the travel industry drove over $243 million in visitor spending which is a 3.4% increase from the previous year It has also employed over 1,600 residents and generated over $7.1 million in local tax receipts in Effingham County in 2023 Visit Effingham is celebrating the power of travel by inviting travelers and residents to experience National Travel and Tourism Week with us Follow along on social media as we celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week by highlighting adventure in our own backyard We invite you to visit us in-person at our tourism office Pick up a free Niemerg’s Steakhouse cookie an “adventure pack” – including a clear backpack tourism information for the Effingham area and some fun travel souvenirs Don’t forget to enter to win a “Behind the Scenes Tour” for a Family of 5 from Aikman Wildlife Adventure Effingham Tourism Director Jodi Thoele says “Visit Effingham empowers our city’s economic state by existing as an organization We strategically funnel potential travelers into our city to enhance the economic development of our region National Travel and Tourism Week offers us the perfect opportunity to promote tourism in our area and market our destination as the ideal Midwestern getaway.” Please visit ustravel.org/NTTW to learn more about National Travel and Tourism Week The Charleston High School softball team was swept in an Apollo Conference doubleheader against Effingham at Karch Field on Friday losing game one 5-1 and losing game two 9-7 2-4) bats were quiet in the first game only getting five hits “We didn’t hit the ball like I know we can,” Charleston head coach Allyson O’Dell said A solo homerun in the second by Flaming Hearts’ (12-6 6-2) senior Mya Harvey would put the team on the board Harvey would get her second RBI in the next inning by hitting a single two RBI doubles first by junior Ryley Engel then by junior Natalie Armstong Freshman Keagyn Koenig hit an RBI single to drive in the final run for Effingham “The hitters came in and had good approaches good at bats,” Effingham head coach Jerry Trigg said Charleston got its only run of the game in the fifth inning with an RBI single from senior right fielder Rylee Shrader Flaming Heart senior Saige Althoff pitched a complete game allowing one run and recording 10 strikeouts “I thought she did a really good job of getting ahead of them.”  Cox also pitched a complete game allowing five runs and recording a strikeout Scoring in game two was back and forth with there not being a full inning where a run was not scored In the first inning Cox hit a two run RBI single to put Charleston up early Effingham’s response in the second inning was a sacrifice fly by sophomore Maci Hayes to put them on the board Althoff would hit a groundball in the next at-bat that would score the tying run A leadoff homerun in the bottom of the second inning by freshman Rylee Lewis gave the lead back to the Trojans An RBI single by Harvey extended the lead back to two Effingham tied the game again with two RBI doubles first from senior and EIU commit Sidney Donaldson and then by Harvey to make the score 4-4 The Trojans then had their first single run inning reclaiming the lead with an RBI single by senior Blair Ritchey Effingham tied the game once more in the fourth after an RBI single by Engel Cox hit a sacrifice fly to claim the lead for the Trojans once more junior Alyssa Martin hit an RBI single to once more tie the game for the Flaming Hearts The onslaught of scoring stopped for two half innings until the bottom of the sixth when Cox collected her fourth RBI of the game to put the Trojans up 7-6 In the top of the seventh after getting a runner on base Donaldson would tie the game for the last time for Effingham and three batters later Koenig hit an RBI double to give Effingham its first lead of the game Martin in the next at-bat added an insurance run to make it 9-7 Despite the loss O’Dell was happy that the Trojans bounced back after the first game  “I’m glad they turned the page after that last game,” O’Dell said  Jason Coulombe can be reached at 581-2812 or at jmcoulombe@eiu.edu The student news site of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston SPRINGFIELD – Effingham County District 4 Commissioner Beth Helmly is set to host a town hall at Ebenezer Middle School May 12 beginning at 6:30 p.m Ebenezer Middle School is located at 1100 Ebenezer Rd. The event is an opportunity for citizens to stay informed and share ideas to help make the county a better place to live Scheduled topics for the event include Staffordshire Subdivision the incoming water intake plant and the state of the county Questions from the public can be submitted via email to townhall@effinghamcounty.org A number of private developers' spec-built industrial buildings are under construction in Effingham County According to Brandt Herndon, CEO of the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority eight such structures should be complete by this fall The county’s vacancy rate for new industrial development properties under construction is currently 17.2% He went on to say there are more buildings coming online this year because private developers are attempting to time the properties' availability with the market's demand “The high vacancy is due to the buildings coming online,” said Herndon “There may be one other that will be completed by end of year but it will not change the percentage much Keep in mind that several leases are pending so the vacancy rate will come down significantly Herndon said it would take a household name like Amazon or Home Depot to fill large warehouses like the 1.2 million square foot unit being built in the Coastal Trade Center industrial growth in the coming years will be “slow and steady.” The market and the landscape of the county has forced developers to rethink the size and location of where they build “The market is dictating smaller buildings and when you think about the land characteristics it's hard to find a big enough contiguous tract of land to build these big buildings I think it's a combination of both demand and the limitations of what the typography will allow.” the development authority is looking for a specific type of client one that is not a “smokestack” or a heavy user of water and sewer “I don't think we're going to see another Gulfstream or JCB [a heavy machinery company],” said Herndon I think all of the development authorities are looking for those mid-size companies to come in I think we'll have to wait and see exactly how Hyundai grows There are still opportunities for companies to come in without disrupting the labor force I think they can come in and get the employees that they need she was the daughter of Otto and Mary (Harbert) Garrett Her life was a testament to the power of love Mary’s journey began in the heart of Illinois where she grew up surrounded by the warmth of a close-knit family She made history as part of the first graduating class of 1951 after the merger of Stewardson and Strasburg High Schools Mary married Richard William “Dickie Bill” Renshaw their marriage was a beautiful partnership that spanned an incredible 71 years during which they built a legacy of love and commitment Mary’s life was characterized by her unwavering dedication to her family and Richard (Kathryn) Renshaw of Cumberland She was a guiding light in the lives of her seven grandchildren Mary was a longtime member of the Beecher City Church of Christ Her faith was an integral part of her life and she lived it out through her actions and kindness towards others Mary’s interests and hobbies were as diverse as they were passionate was found in the time she spent with her family from attending her grandchildren’s sporting events to embracing the company of neighborhood children and she loved nothing more than being surrounded by the laughter and love of her family Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m Memorials may be made to the family for memorial to be determined at a later time and may be mailed to 302 W Brummerstedt Funeral Home in Stewardson is assisting the family Family and friends are invited to light a candle or share a story at www.lockartgreenfuneralhome.com Wednesday marks a special day for animal lovers is a resolution adopted by the Georgia House and Senate "Community philosophy and commitment to saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved." The day of recognition for the resolution is April 30 the Effingham County Animal Shelter is observing the day by waiving pet adoption fees the agreement was passed with strong bipartisanship According to Animal Shelter Director Lorna Shelton 24 dogs and one rabbit adopted so far this year One of the issues Shelton pointed out was that some may adopt without counting the cost or responsibility it takes to care for a pet which can lead to those animals being surrendered again "Part of it may be the economy and sometimes it is irresponsible people - they get a pet on a whim and then they realize they don’t want the animal after a year or so," said Shelton "We have a [pet] food pantry for Effingham County residents It's meant to give you a boost to get you on your feet." The day also coincides with National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day bringing even more attention to the need for anyone looking for a furry friend to head to their nearest animal shelter and adopt a dog or cat 20,100 dogs and cats were unnecessarily killed in the state in 2024 Services provided by the shelter include surrenders adoptions and the trap/neuter and return program Shelton said the shelter has spayed and neutered 3,200 cats since March of 2018 "Some animals end up being needlessly euthanized so we started this program where we can take these cats we give them vaccination for rabies and then we put them back in the same area that they were born and raised in and so they can live their life in the neighborhood that they're accustomed to and they're not euthanized." Shelton said today is significant because it is a reminder that it takes more than just the shelter to ensure the safety and well-being of animals "Hopefully this will really make people stand up and take notice," said Shelton "Animals are still dying in shelters and across the county It's not fair to the animals and not fair to the staff and workers who take care of the animals and have to euthanize them The Effingham County Animal Shelter will be open Wednesday from 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.