Newspaper Page Text
theislanderonline.com
Published by
Permar Publications
ssislander@bellsouth.net
April 29, 2024
Established in 1972
Vol 52 Issue 18
Welcome to Brunswick
Upgrading Downtown - the photo, taken from the back side of the recently installed Mary Ross Park
entrance sign, looks east down Gloucester St. into downtown Brunswick. The sign, commissioned
by the City Commission, was built and installed by'Signs by Joey,’ of Waycross. Molina Construction
built the brick columns and Swindell Construction Co. built the rest of the improvements including
the sidewalk, road, curb and gutter, the storm drain and the brick plaza. The total project cost was
$850,000 and was included in the 2016 SPLOST budget. The sign itself cost $39,000.
Islander Staff Photo - Shierling
Parents file lawsuit over social media information
after St. Simons teen party incident
Unusual Graves
of Georgia:
Southern
Cemetery Series
By Pamela Permar-
Shierling
Learning should be lifelong.
If we keep an open mind, we
can learn from pretty much
anything, and what makes
learning so much fun is the
unusual.
Hence the lead in to this ar
ticle - Unusual Graves of Geor
gia: Volume 1 of the Southern
Cemetery Series.
Jennifer Keene, author of
Unusual Graves, was born in
Blackshear, grew up in Way-
cross and at one time lived on
St. Simons Island.
She graduated from Way-
cross High, received her un
dergraduate degree from
Valdosta State University
and her masters from Florida
State University.
Jennifer is interested, in
fact passionate, about many
things. Saving animals is one
passion of hers; hiking and
camping are two more.
Another passion of Jenni
fer’s is her interest in graves,
especially old graves, as well
as her love of learning.
“I have always been inter
ested in graves,” she said. “I
was fortunate as a child to be
able to travel with my fam
ily and became interested in
roadside attractions, historic
buildings, then graves.”
Cemeteries embody so
much fascinating history,
she said. “There is a miscon
ception that cemeteries are
spooky or haunted (most old
time Islander’s remember
scary midnight trips to Christ
Church Cemetery). But that’s
not true. Many cemeteries are
tied into historic churches.
Cemetery art can be local or
brought in from around the
world.”
“Cemeteries are tied into
communities and can give off
Turn to Page 2
Unusual Graves
The families of two minors
have filed a lawsuit against
several social media platforms
and individuals involved in
spreading what the suit terms
false information stemming
from a teen party last year on
St. Simons Island.
The suit claims defamation,
libel and slander, invasion of
privacy and false light against
the defendants.
Sarah Wray on behalf of
JJW, a minor child; and Stacy
and Michael Gowen on behalf
of LG, also a minor child, filed
the lawsuit last month nam
ing the following people and
companies in the suit:
Matthew Blackstone,
By Pamela Permar-Shierling
Principal of Glynn Academy;
Susan Sterling; William Mat
thew Baskin; Rashica Cobb;
Meta Platforms, Inc.; Snap,
Inc.; Alphabet, Inc.; Tiktok,
Inc.; FITSNews, LLC, Will
Folks; blogger Adrian Harrold
Wood; and 100 John and Jane
Does.
Folks is editor of FITSNews.
The suit demands a jury
trial and asks for $5 million
in compensatory damages
against the corporate defen
dants Meta Platforms, Inc.,
Snap, Inc., Alphabet, Inc., and
Tiktok, Inc. The suit asks that
the jury determine and award
punitive damages.
On behalf of the minor
children the suit asks the
jury determine damages for
their loss of ability to continue
their high school education in
Glynn County as well as dam
ages to the Gowens for loss of
substantial income and dam
age to their businesses.
Social media heated up
last March after an incident
involving an intoxicated 19
year old who was taken to the
hospital by some of the young
people at the party was made
public.
Prior to a complete Glynn
County Police investigation
Turn to Page 5
Lawsuit
County-Wide News - Read County-Wide
Page 3 - Train wreck
Page 4 - On The Ball - Jeff Lane
Page 6 - Twitty Park marks 100 years
Page 8 - Pew
Page 12 - Health Matters - Dr. Diane Bowen
Page 13 - Sisters deliver babies on same day
Page 14 - Obit - Hans Trupp
Page 16- Back Talk
Glyndale Dr.
rezone deferred
By Matthew J. Permar
During their last regular
meeting, (Thursday, April 18)
the Glynn County Board of
Commissioners (BOC) unani
mously deferred an applica
tion to rezone 125 and 127
Glyndale Dr. from OC Office
Commercial to FC Freeway
Commercial.
The request was made by
property owner Josh Kirkland
who is seeking to bring the
zoning into compliance with
the current property use.
According to the Communi
ty Development Dept, staff re
port, the existing development
is non-conforming for the lot
size and setbacks.
Planner II Christopher
Cary said, “This change will
keep the same uses but reduce
the lot and setback require
ments making it conform to
zoning.”
Turn to Page 5
Glyndale Dr.
State Court
Solicitor
candidates
square off
By Pamela Permar-
Shierling
Last Tuesday (April 24) in
cumbent State Court Solicitor
Maria Lugue and challenger
Wrix Mcllvaine squared off
against one another during
a forum hosted by the Glynn
County Republican Party.
Candidates were asked
questions by moderator Kevin
Gough.
One of the first questions
asked was would you support
local legislation to make the
office of solicitor partisan?
Lugue said it was up to the
people. “I don’t object to solici
tor being a partisan position.”
Mcllvaine said, “I think
if the solicitor is a partisan
Turn to Page 4
Court Solicitor
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