Al Hackle

News and Business Writer at Statesboro Herald

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Articles

New fire district declared for all of Bulloch outside Statesboro

2 weeks ago | statesboroherald.com | Al Hackle

Six weeks before the deadline, Bulloch County commissioners formally abolished the separate Statesboro and Rural Fire Tax Districts and established a new county fire tax district, effective July 1. It will levy a single fire service millage rate to support the Bulloch County Fire Department. But commissioners have yet to decide what that rate will be.
Council approves Herman Rushing Rd. annexation for 198 townhome units

2 weeks ago | statesboroherald.com | Al Hackle

This week City Council, with a 4-1 vote, approved the owner-requested annexation of a 34.5-acre tract on Herman Rushing Road into Statesboro, plus zoning to allow townhouses with approximately 198 units to be built there. The requests came from Blue Water Bulloch LLC for the tract it owns, which is currently vacant, where Herman Rushing Road runs southeast from Burkhalter Road, not far from Cawana Road’s intersection with Burkhalter.
Commissioners greenlight 20-year bonds for jail expansion, hope to repay early

2 weeks ago | statesboroherald.com | Al Hackle

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Rain damage closes part of Country Club Road; repairs may take a year

2 weeks ago | statesboroherald.com | Al Hackle

By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism. Rain damage closes part of Country Club Road; repairs may take a year Like a detour of the detour off Cypress Lake Because of cumulative storm damage, part of Country Club Road has become Bulloch County's latest paved road segment to be closed awaiting repairs.
Bulloch County Fire 2/3 done with 37 firefighter hire; works to add stations

2 weeks ago | statesboroherald.com | Al Hackle

Chief Ben Tapley reports that the Bulloch County Fire Department is roughly two-thirds complete in its drive to hire 37 added firefighters in the current fiscal year — which ends June 30 — more than doubling the number of career firefighters in the county fire service, which previously employed 30. The department has been hosting some training for new-recruit firefighters, and also holding two-week "lateral classes" for already certified firefighters hired laterally from other departments.
County budget pared back some, but chair and CFO say full rollback would cut too deep

3 weeks ago | statesboroherald.com | Al Hackle

Looking again at the Bulloch County government’s tentative fiscal year 2026 budget during a Thursday, May 15 work session, county commissioners and key staff members commented that a full rollback of the millage rate to offset property value inflation would come at too high a cost to county services and personnel.
County’s advisors: Pay-go approach could delay start of jail expansion 9-14 years

3 weeks ago | statesboroherald.com | Al Hackle

Next week the Bulloch County commissioners will consider again whether to borrow $60 million through a bond sale for the jail expansion at an interest cost of $20.8 million to $24.5 million over 12 to 20 years or consider instead take a “pay-go” approach that could delay the start of construction by nine to 14 years. In either case, the funding source would be the 1% Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
City spends $285,000 on automated level-control system for Lake Sal

1 month ago | statesboroherald.com | Al Hackle

The city of Statesboro is purchasing an almost $285,000 solar-powered, automated rainfall monitoring and water release system for Lake Sal, a roughly 14-acre lake in the northwestern part of town, as part of larger planned flood control project for the neighborhood. Owned by the Lake Sal Homeowners Association, the lake is within the loop formed by Northlake Drive and Zetterower Road.
GBI continues investigation into Bulloch County Public Works, two months in

1 month ago | statesboroherald.com | Al Hackle

A probe the GBI launched two months ago into invoices and bidding procedures at the Bulloch County Public Works Department remains “active and ongoing,” a Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesperson said Friday. The investigation began several months along in the county’s emergency expenditures of more than $10 million for debris cleanup after Hurricane Helene and hundreds of thousands more on road repairs since Tropical Storm Debby.
Commissioners look to issue $60M in bonds to finance jail project

1 month ago | statesboroherald.com | Al Hackle

Bulloch County commissioners are poised to act during their 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 6 meeting on either of two resolutions to borrow $60 million through a bond sale to finance an expansion and update of the county jail. Their choice will be between repaying the bonds in 12 years or over the course of 20 years. No details of the options are provided in the proposed resolutions in the commissioners’ agenda folder materials, which were made publicly available Thursday.