🌱 Local Restaurant Recognized Worldwide + Dr. Reddick Makes History

Good morning, everybody! It's Friday in Savannah and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening in the community.

But first, today's weather:

Sunshine and patchy clouds. High: 57 Low: 32.

📢 I'm looking for business owners and marketers in Savannah who want to build awareness, connect with customers and increase sales.

I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

Here are the top four stories today in Savannah:

1. A staple on River Street, the Olympia Café, was recognized by TripAdvisor as a "top 10 percent restaurant in the world." The Greek restaurant recently celebrated its 32-year anniversary, and its owner Vasilis Varlagas could not be more thrilled, "this was the best gift for us." Savannah Mayor Van Johnson also recognized this accomplishment saying, "good things happen to good people, and I am just so excited for them that they have a worldwide designation, and I'm hoping more people come to support them." (WJCL News Savannah)
2. On Thursday night, the Savannah Center for Blind and Low Vision held the "Dining in the Dark" event, where a sumptuous three-course meal was served in complete darkness; the center serves 29 counties throughout Southeast Georgia and more than 475 people each year. As the center continues to grow, it can offer more services to children and adults, promoting dignity and independence for those who are blind or experience low vision. (WJCL News Savannah)
3. Chatham Area Transit will expand its Dot shuttle into west Savannah neighborhoods, such as Cloverdale and the Historic Carver Village. Executive Director Faye DiMassimo re-evaluated the system and has installed temporary service modifications adding new routes to be re-evaluated in a few months, intending to increase transit accessibility in areas like west Savannah. With these neighborhood investments now, DiMassimo hopes this is a step in the right direction in paying attention to all communities and working to improve all areas. (Subscription: Savannah Morning News)
4. Public health in Coastal Georgia has a new leader – Dr. Bonzo Reddick was named the new health director of the eight-county district, becoming the first African American to hold the position. Reddick served the Coastal area in community health for the last five years at J.C. Lewis Primary Health Care Center in Savannah, served on the Health Equity Council for the Georgia Department of Public Health, and assisted on medical advisory committees during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. (WSAV-TV)

From our sponsor:

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Today in Savannah:

• All About Tides At Skidaway Island State Park (2:00 PM)
• Adult Relaxation At W. W. Law Library (2:30 PM)
• Donnie Baker At VFW Post 660 (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The SCAD Ad Club will have creative specialist and guest speaker Faten Almukhtar talking about her experiences as a SCAD grad working for TikTok. You can join the discussion at 8:00 p.m. on Jan. 31 at the Adler Fishbowl or virtually. (SCAD Ad Club via Instagram)
• The Savannah Music Festival will return on Apr. 5 with Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas performing classic Bluegrass and contemporary country! (Savannah Music Festival via Instagram)
• Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. You can join the Savannah Jewish Educational Alliance in honoring survivors of the Holocaust and remembering those who are unable to be here today, for more information please view the link here. (Savannah Jewish Educational Alliance via Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today! I'll see you around.

— 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.