🌱 Nonprofit Seeks Community Help + Former Pastor Found Guilty

Hi there, Savannah! I'm here in your inbox per usual to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on in town.

But first, today's weather:

Showers and a heavier t-storm. High: 64 Low: 48.

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Here are the top 3 stories today in Savannah:

1. Malik Jones, a candidate running for the District 3 seat of the Savannah City Council, was charged on Mar. 20 for attempting to retrieve campaign signs from a city code enforcement vehicle. According to a police report, the officer was removing the signs from the road because they were blocking the right-of-way at East Gwinnett Street and Long Avenue. Jones stated that, at that time, he was unaware of the city’s ordinance policies and procedures for putting out signs. He questioned the officer about why she was taking the signs down, and after attempting to take some of them, the code compliance officer drove off. The police report says Jones chased the officer down the street, jumped into the back of the truck, and started throwing signs out the back of the truck. Because these charges are misdemeanors, Jones is still able to run. (WTOC)
2. Healthy Savannah, a nonprofit organization, is attempting to form a food policy committee to help discuss food disparities and ensure healthy food is accessible to everyone in Chatham County. Armand Turner, with Healthy Savannah, is seeking community feedback and encouraging the community to come together so that we can hear each other's concerns. His hopes are that this new community will include restaurant owners, farmers, and even foodies. Community sessions are already being held; the next session will be in Garden City with the aim of recruiting members from across our area for the food policy council. (WTOC)
3. Alfonza McClendon, Sr., a former Savannah pastor, was found guilty of statutory rape and child molestation and will serve time in prison. McClendon, 62, a former pastor of First Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, was sentenced to 25 years in prison, a lifetime of probation, and registration as a sex offender. He was found guilty of molesting two children during his time as a pastor. District Attorney Shalena Jones commended the prosecutors' hard work and the survivors for coming forward in this case. (WSAV)

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Today in and around Savannah:

• Meet The Reptiles At Skidaway Island (2:30 PM)
• Live Music Featuring Tanner Strickland At Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint, Jekyll Island (5:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The final day of the Savannah Music Festival is today, April 8. Dance parties, jazz, and other events are all a part of the celebrations. Come celebrate the season's final weekend! Tickets and the event's line-up can be accessed at savannahmusicfestival.org. (Savannah Music Festival via Facebook)
• The annual Jewels and Jeans: Wine and Wildflowers event, hosted by Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, will take place in two weeks. Barnes Restaurant, Chicken Salad Chick, and River Street are just a few of Savannah’s favorite restaurants that will be present. Tickets can be purchased HERE! (Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia via Facebook)
• Save the date! The Beach Boys will be live in concert on May 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Johnny Mercer Theatre, carrying on the legacy of America’s iconic band. Tickets are available for purchase online. (Savannah Civic Center)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday! See you later for another update.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.