Brunswick now top port for automobiles, heavy equipment
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (WSAV) — The Brunswick Port is now the nation's top port for automobiles and heavy equipment, officials announced during the State of the Port Wednesday.
The port handled more than two million tons of roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) cargo, Georgia Ports Authority CEO and President Griff Lynch said. This included handling over 900,000 units of automobiles and heavy equipment, marking a record year for the port.
Autos are up a little more than 13% and heavy equipment is up 160%, the Georgia Port Authority (GPA) said.
The GPA also said that more than 90% of the autos moved by rail at Colonel's Island were U.S. made exports.
Officials said that the port's capacity will be increased even further with a state and federal funding allowing from them to add new railyard and other improvements.
Lynch also said we should expect larger ships to be on the way in the next two to three years.
Roundabouts added as Highway 280 expansion enters final stages
Issues regarding the failure to perform dredging operation at the Brunswick Harbor was also discussed during the address.
'To date, the federal funding and procurement process has fallen short for both the annual maintenance dredging and the harbor modification project,' The Port's press release said.' It is imperative the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers identifies a workable solution for these projects of national significance.'
U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock released a statement Wednesday asking for answers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
'The Corps' failure to execute a basic mission with ample funding provided by Congress raises serious concerns about the Corps' ability to effectively execute such projects in future years,' the Senators wrote.
The dredging is necessary for more growth at the port, officials said.
'The Port of Brunswick is vital to Georgia's economic growth and is poised to become the Nation's busiest automotive port in the near future,' the joint release said. 'The sustained success and future expansion of port operations relies on timely and effective dredging of the harbor.'
The State of the Port was held at the Jekyll Island Convention Center by the City of Brunswick.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Journalist: Liverpool's ‘Third and Final' Bid for Florian Wirtz ‘to be Accepted'
Liverpool Close in on Florian Wirtz as Transfer Talks Reach Final Phase Liverpool appear to be on the brink of landing one of Europe's most exciting young talents. Florian Wirtz, the creative force behind Bayer Leverkusen's Bundesliga-winning season, is edging closer to Anfield after what appears to be an intense period of negotiations. David Lynch, speaking to Dave Davis on Anfield Index's Media Matters podcast, offered a confident and detailed insight into where the deal currently stands. Advertisement The Reds have reportedly submitted a third bid in the region of £113 million, a figure which Lynch claims could potentially become an English transfer record. Despite earlier bids being rejected, the mood remains overwhelmingly positive within the club's hierarchy. 'I'd be amazed if Florian Wirtz doesn't become a Liverpool player,' Lynch stated. 'And it could even be an English transfer record.' Confidence Grows as Final Details Take Shape Much has been made in the media about the urgency or perceived delays surrounding the Wirtz transfer, but Lynch was quick to allay any fears that the deal is stalling. Advertisement 'I can't get my head around the panic over this deal,' he said. 'It's progressing at decent speed for a deal at this price.' He clarified that the hold-up is down to minor details being ironed out, something not unusual at this level of investment. With the window about to open and personal terms expected to be a formality, Liverpool's meticulous approach should soon be rewarded. 'There's huge confidence on both sides that this will be done and the next bid will be accepted.' The feeling from Lynch is that Liverpool know precisely what figure will seal the deal, and the final offer is expected to meet that threshold. Advertisement 'I would be shocked if this third and final bid isn't accepted because Liverpool know exactly where they need to place it for it to be accepted.' Timing is Key as Medical Plans Set Despite external noise about deadlines and registration, Lynch played down any suggestion that Liverpool are working under pressure. In fact, he hinted that the club have a clearly defined schedule that includes a planned medical later this week. 'We've spoke about that first deadline being tomorrow but that doesn't matter to Liverpool,' he said. 'They don't need to get it done before that.' 'They can have him complete his medical on Wednesday and then as soon as the window opens again, he will sign for Liverpool.' Advertisement The timing of the announcement could be carefully staged to maximise visibility, particularly following Liverpool's title-winning campaign under Arne Slot. The club is in a strong position, and the capture of Wirtz would be a statement of intent that the new era at Anfield is not just about transition, but domination. Slot's System Could Be Perfect for Wirtz From a tactical perspective, Wirtz fits the mould of a modern Liverpool signing. His ability to play between the lines, create, press, and contribute goals makes him an ideal candidate to operate in Arne Slot's aggressive and fluid system. Having already lifted the Premier League trophy in his debut season, Slot appears to be building on success with the sort of elite talent that can extend Liverpool's dominance. Wirtz's potential arrival shows that the club are not resting on their laurels, and are willing to invest heavily in youth with world-class potential. If the deal is finalised in the coming days, as expected, Liverpool fans can look forward to a frontline enriched by one of Europe's brightest attacking midfielders.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Missouri Republicans throw transgender kids into line of fire on abortion debate
A Missouri family stands by their doormat at a home they are soon to leave — inspired to move bills that seek limiting medical care and other rights for their transgender son (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Republicans in the Missouri legislature want everyone to know that they are very concerned about protecting children. Not so much the 130 children and teenagers who die from gunfire in an average year. Those deaths, about two-thirds of which are homicides, are unfortunate collateral damage in the race to make firearms ever more accessible in Missouri. And not the untold number of children who go hungry and without medical care because the state can't figure out how to fix its broken-down application processes for SNAP and Medicaid. Those kids are on their own. The children of keen interest to Missouri Republicans are the very small number who may, as teenagers, seek medical treatment to deal with strong feelings that they are meant to be another gender than the one they were assigned at birth. These are children who, with the consent of their parents, may try to slow down changes in their bodies with puberty-blocking medications, or use hormones consistent with the gender they identify with. A very small number may opt for gender-affirming surgery. We're not talking about a lot of kids here. Less than 1% of the state's population is estimated to be transgender, and that percentage holds true for teenagers. Missouri Republicans, however, are fixated on them. They spend hours in committee meetings and floor debates professing concern for their health — while at the same time obsessing over what bathrooms they can use at school and the prospect that someone assigned male at birth might show up on a girls' softball roster. Most recently, Republicans awarded transgender children a starring role in a piece of legislation that's destined to make Missouri meaner and angrier than we currently find it. That would be their attempt to overthrow the will of voters and reinstate an abortion ban. HJR 73, the resolution that caused the 2025 legislative session to dissolve into chaos last month, asks voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would outlaw abortion except in a few circumstances. It would also, as its proposed ballot language states, 'protect children from gender transition' by banning the use of puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries. Missouri already has a law that outlaws gender-affirming health care for minors through 2027, when the statute would have to be renewed. The unnecessary ballot provision is a cynical ploy to lure social-issues voters who might otherwise support abortion rights. 'The legislature chooses to use the word 'protect,' but that's not the word that the community of trans and queer folks and parents of trans kids would use,' said Katy Erker-Lynch, the executive director of PROMO, an advocacy group for LGBTQ citizens in Missouri. Neither would many of us. Responsible adults don't drag vulnerable teenagers into an incendiary debate, expose them to intense public scrutiny and deprive them of health care that a consensus of medical groups agree can lower risks of suicide. But, to state the obvious, this isn't about the kids. This is about power and deception. A majority of Missouri voters support abortion rights. They made that clear in November when they approved Constitutional Amendment 3, which enshrined the right to abortion in the state. Legislative Republicans can't let that stand, but they also know they're crosswise with the will of the people. And so they are throwing transgender children into the line of fire. 'It is cruel, but it is the only chance they have at overturning the right to abortion,' said state Sen. Patty Lewis, a Democratic from Kansas City. Missouri politicians have long sought to use transgender people, and youth especially, to further their careers. The state's senior U.S. senator, Josh Hawley, has launched numerous attacks on transgender health care. The current attorney general, Andrew Bailey, is in an ongoing fight to obtain sensitive health care records from clinics in the state that provide gender-affirming care to minors. As this year's legislative session approached, PROMO tracked at least a dozen bills targeting transgender people, most centered on curbing their health care. Many were linked to attacks on abortion rights, using the contentious rationale that the U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision hands states the authority not only to regulate abortion but transgender health care as well. 'Threats to abortion care and trans health care are interconnected,' Erker-Lynch said. 'They're very strategic and intentional.' In a survey last year of Missouri youth who identify as LGBTQ, conducted by The Trevor Project, a research and advocacy group, 92% said recent politics harmed their well being and 61% said they or their parents had thought about leaving the state for that reason. Among people who identified as transgender and nonbinary, 67% wanted to leave. That's a lot of people who don't seem to feel protected. And the survey predated HJR 73. 'If our legislators really seek to protect children,' Erker-Lynch said, 'they can look at the way they're encouraging bullying, the way that they're encouraging discrimination, the way they're refusing access to care.' They should, but they won't. Not with their desperate effort to ban abortion in the balance. The transgender health care provision in Republicans' proposed constitutional amendment is being called 'ballot candy' — a sweetener for voters who are swayed by social issues. Too much candy is bad for childrens' health. And so are the Missouri Republicans who callously placed transgender kids in the midst of their deceptive effort to ban abortion.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Race heats up to replace Connolly on powerful Oversight panel
The race to become the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee is heating up — and getting crowded. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) this week threw her hat into the ring to replace the late-Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who died last month of esophageal cancer, making her the fourth member of the committee — and the second member of the Congressional Black Caucus — to vie for the seat. She joins Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), who all announced their bids last week. Not only is the list unusually long for such a race, but it features two veteran septuagenarians and two congressional newcomers who are decades younger — setting the stage for another tense debate over the seniority system Democrats have favored for generations, but has come under increasing scrutiny in an era when the party's popularity is well underwater. 'It's usually two, every now and then three [candidates]. I'd have to go back a while to remember four horses trying to get out of the gate at the same time,' Mfume acknowledged. 'We've got some bright young members, some very distinguished and wise older members, and I think there's got to be a melding of those age groups and those thoughts and those priorities,' he continued. 'Because at the end of the day, we'll all either win together or we'll lose together.' At 76 years old, Mfume is the oldest candidate in the race, but not the most senior on the committee. That distinction goes to Lynch, 70, who has served as the interim ranking member since Connolly stepped back from the role in April. The elder statesmen are citing their long experience as an asset, while also vowing to tap the unique strengths of the newer members of the committee, who tend to have a better finger on the pulse of digital outreach and social media. 'I fully appreciate that the effectiveness of our Committee in presenting the truth to the American people is dependent on our ability to maximize and elevate the diversity of talent within our Democratic membership,' Lynch, a former ironworker and union leader, wrote recently to his fellow Democrats. Mfume, a former head of the NAACP, agreed, saying Democrats can't be effective without a united approach. 'It's important for the new ranking member to gather all the Democrats together on that committee, close the door and figure out what the agenda is going forward as a team,' he said. But the younger challengers see the Oversight vacancy as a rare opportunity to reimagine the Democratic brand and revive the party's image with new faces and fresh ideas. 'For me, it's about, how do we excite the base?' said Crockett, 44. 'And to be perfectly honest — while I can't put a poll in the field fast enough and get some answers — I can tell you that, tangentially, looking at the entire field, I am the type of member that potentially will inject a little bit of that energy that we're missing right now for our base. And I think that we have to take that into consideration.' Democratic leaders are well aware of the generational tensions, and are making clear their intent to stand aside and allow the process to play itself out ahead of a vote of the full caucus, which is scheduled for June 24. 'As we've said before, seniority and length of tenure is always a factor, but it is one of many factors that members consider,' Rep. Pete Aguilar (Calif.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, told reporters this week. 'Our job is to just make sure that it's done in a fair way.' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), a prominent member of the CBC, downplayed the notion that the race — which features two CBC members in Mfume and Crockett — might lead to bad blood within the group. He noted that he had defeated former Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who had once headed the CBC, for the Caucus chair position in 2018, and she remains 'a great friend and colleague.' 'Leadership, of course, remains aggressively neutral,' Jeffries added. 'We don't put our thumb on the scale.' With subpoena power and broad jurisdiction over virtually every facet of the federal government, the Oversight Committee ranks among Capitol Hill's most potent panels, making the ranking member spot a highly coveted position for ambitious lawmakers seeking a new level of national prominence. That's especially the case for the minority Democrats this year, when they're scrambling for an effective strategy to combat the norm-smashing actions of President Trump, who has used the early months of his second administration to dismantle many of the federal institutions the Democrats hold dear. Connolly, 75, in seeking the spot after last November's elections, had run into the same questions about age, image and passing the torch that are being raised now. He dismissed those concerns, citing a track-record of fierce advocacy for democratic traditions and the federal workers Trump has sought to purge. And he easily won the closed-ballot contest despite facing a formidable challenger in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), 35, an icon of the left with a huge national following. Ocasio-Cortez has since left the Oversight Committee, jumping to the powerful Energy and Commerce panel in January, and declined a bid to replace Connolly. Garcia, 47, was among the Oversight members who had waited to learn Ocasio-Cortez's intentions before announcing his own. With her out of the race, he quickly jumped in, touting his experience as the former mayor of Long Beach and his position in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He's also vowing to help the party disseminate its message more effectively with modern-age tools. 'Democrats are the party of working families — but we must meet people where they are,' he wrote in his pitch to colleagues. 'Traditional media isn't enough — to drive real policy wins, we must break through the noise, capture public attention, and energize people to act.' Crockett delivered a similar pitch, stressing the need for Democrats to highlight wins and make information accessible to voters. But she also noted the role is more than just communications. 'At the end of the day, I am a trial lawyer,' she said, noting her years as a public defender and her familiarity in 'dealing with criminals.' At the mention of the word, her mind turned to Trump. 'To be perfectly honest, there's probably only one person that the president does not want to head up Oversight, and I can tell you that it's me,' Crockett said. 'That alone should actually — hopefully — get my colleagues to say that's probably the one that we want, because I am the one that he's afraid of.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
