By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Incumbent senator faces newcomer
Buddy-Carter
Buddy Carter

 In this year’s race for the District 1 seat in the Georgia Senate, a Republican incumbent is vying for his first full term against a political newcomer backed by the Democratic Party.
Earl “Buddy” Carter, 53, the Republican incumbent, is running for his first full term as the senator for District 1, which includes Bryan and parts of Chatham and Liberty counties. The Pooler resident was elected last year to replace the vacancy left by Eric Johnson.
“Obviously after one year in the senate, I want to continue on and continue to serve the people of the 1st District,” he said.
Carry Smith is campaigning on the Democratic ticket to unseat Carter. A recent graduate of Savannah State University, Smith said she is running to give everyday people a voice in the Senate.
"Honestly, I feel that as a young person, I am inheriting a mess,” the 29-year-old said. “I’m not part of the establishment. I want to make sure the government involves the everyday person.”
Carter, a pharmacist, said that during his time as senator, he helped pass a law that let Bryan County hold meetings in its new administrative complex in South Bryan, and a law that allowed a land owner to donate a tract of land in J.F. Gregory Park instead of making the city of Richmond Hill buy it. 
Carter said spurring economic development will be his top priority if he is elected to a full, two-year term. 
“[I want to] help our state come out of this economic downturn,” he said.
Bryan County is ripe for some economic development, and Carter said he wants to make sure that the county has the right infrastructure in place to attract and handle as many businesses as possible.
Smith moved to Savannah from Dunlap, Tenn., in 2006 to pursue a master’s degree in urban planning. She graduated last year, is currently an adjunct professor at Savannah State University and is also working on obtaining a master’s degree in business administration. 
Smith said her campaign is focused on economic development, education and environmental sustainability. She said that she’d work on investing in education and streamlining budgets and bringing green jobs to the area, such as a company that makes solar panels.
As for Bryan County, Smith said she’d work to bring more industry, shopping centers and big businesses to the area.
“It’s great that we have Pooler and Port Wentworth, but we need something there,” she said. 
Smith said she is qualified to serve as a state senator because she also has a bachelor’s degree in political science and was an intern for the Savannah-Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission. Smith also pointed to growing up in the shadow of her father, Barry Smith, who served as a county commissioner and school board member in her hometown.
“I was raised up in politics,” she said.
Carter pointed to his years of experience that he said makes him qualified to serve a full term as a state senator. He was the mayor of Pooler from 1996 to 2005, and then served in the Georgia House of Representatives until he was elected as a senator last year.
“I think I have the proven ability and experience to serve people of the 1st District,” he said.

 

Sign up for our E-Newsletters
Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program announces grant
Funds earmarked for Share the Road initiatives
Placeholder Image

Grant funding totaling $93,458 has been awarded to the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP) by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The approved funding will be used to increase motorcycle safety awareness and outreach by encouraging all motorists and motorcyclists to Share the Road.

“The need for motorcycle safety programs is greater than ever, and this support from GOHS enables motorcycle safety programs and impaired riding initiatives to reach riders and non-riders alike” said Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “Thank you GOHS for helping (the Department of Driver Services) and GMSP educate and encourage all Georgia drivers to ‘Share the Road.’”

The grant allows DDS to further develop the Motorcycle Safety Outreach Program by continuing to fund a position to promote state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP outreach coordinator researches, coordinates and helps maintain an adequate presence at industry events, local schools and colleges, regional meetings and festivals to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and provide the most current information on motorcycle safety initiatives.

Visitors to a GMSP event display are also encouraged to sign up for regular newsletters which provide additional safety information, as well as review the motorcycle safety message on other social media platforms.

GMSP regulates motorcycle training for new riders, as well as seasoned riders, who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle legally and safely. The program is based on a continuum of learning and therefore offers three entry points to rider education.

Students participating in the Basic Riders Course do not need specialized motorcycle equipment, as the GMSP provides both a motorcycle and a helmet to class participants. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a 90-day license waiver card that exempts them from both the written and on-cycle skills tests needed to obtain a Class M license in the state of Georgia.

Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov for many online services including the convenience of enrolling in a GMSP training class and accessing many licensing services.

Latest Obituaries