“The Interview” opens Christmas day in Savannah and Pooler

Honestly, I haven’t really followed the whole mess with The Interview very closely, but Sony’s film will be released on Christmas day in both Savannah and Pooler. Here’s the full list of Georgia theaters that will screen the film via…

NYT covers lawsuit challenging Savannah tour guide requirements; city council revises ordinance but leaves controversial exam in place

I’ve written several times here and in my City Talk columns — see here and here — about the federal lawsuits filed against cities with tour guide licensing requirements that include written tests, physical exams, and other bureaucratic hurdles. Coincidentally,…

The Economist takes note of the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home in Savannah

From a recent article about historic house museums in The Economist, Keeping up appearances; When federal money runs out, ingenuity is called for: “It’s tremendous work to keep these places looking nice,” says Toby Aldridge, the resident guide at the…

U.S. economy added 321,000 jobs in November; 2014 is one of best years for job growth since 1990s

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 321,000 in November, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.8 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains were widespread, led by growth in…

Savannah’s tour guide test really will be put to the test by new lawsuit

UPDATE: Check out a fascinating piece from the AP: High Court Asked to Rule on Tour-Guide Licensing From that piece: On the heels of conflicting rulings from two appellate courts, a Virginia-based group wants the U.S. Supreme Court to decide…

Election day predictions for Georgia . . .

Regular readers know that I’m a poll watcher. And there has been plenty of polling of the big Georgia races over the last few weeks. The weight of that polling has suggested — consistently suggested — that Republicans will have…

Number of early voters — and black voters — surges in Georgia

According to the United States Elections Project, 774,690 Georgians voted early in 2010. As of yesterday (Nov. 1), 934,485 Georgians had voted early in 2014. That’s a remarkable increase. But how many of those early voters would have voted on…

A few thoughts on public discourse and groupthink in Savannah

Last Tuesday in my City Talk column, I launched an aggressive criticism of the proposed funding mechanism for Savannah Serves, a new ambassadorial, beautification, public safety initiative that would add a fee/surcharge/tax of 25 cents to every sales tax eligible…

NYT Travel section checks out what’s doing in Savannah – in 1986

I wish I could say I found the article linked below because I was searching for some background for a City Talk column in the Savannah Morning News or for a detailed blog post here. But I ran across this…

On Savannah’s Broughton Street: Ben Carter vs. Who????

I’ve been writing about Broughton Street changes in my City Talk columns for over 14 years, and I have a slightly different take on the recent moves by developer Ben Carter, who now controls about three dozen retail properties in…

Savannah’s Victorian District chosen one of 2014’s great neighborhoods by the American Planning Association

Savannah’s Victorian District is among 10 neighborhoods recently chosen by the American Planning Association’s for recognition in its Great Places series. Other neighborhoods on the list are in Oakland; Denver; Washington, D.C.; Dorchester, Mass.; Jackson, Miss.; St. Louis; Albany, N.Y.; Richmond,…

Another solid employment report: U.S. economy added 248,000 jobs in August, unemployment drops below 6 percent

From the BLS: Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 248,000 in September, and the unemployment rate declined to 5.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment increased in professional and business services, retail trade, and health care.…