🌱 Touch A Truck Initiative In Savannah + Literacy Task Force Report

Good morning, everybody. It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Savannah Patch newsletter — here to impart all the most important things happening in town.

Today's newsletter is sponsored Andi DeFelice of Exclusive Buyer's Realty

Buying a home in Savannah? Meet a local real estate agent you can trust.

It’s not easy getting raves these days — let alone dozens of them. But here’s a sampling of what Andi DeFelice’s clients say about working with her.

• “Absolutely the best in Savannah”
• “Superior and exceptional”
• “The best real estate experience we’ve ever had”
• “A complete professional and awesome personality”

What makes Andi and the agents at Exclusive Buyer’s Realty so impressive? For one thing, Andi’s been in real estate in Savannah for 30 years. Her experience is unmatched, and her network of lenders, home inspectors, closing attorneys and others will help any homebuyer get a deal done with ease.

Andi, and the agents of Exclusive Buyer’s Realty, work solely on behalf of buyers, not sellers. That means they are always on your side — and never conflicted — working to get you the best deal possible.

If you want an experienced, trustworthy ally and partner in your journey to the perfect home in Savannah, call Andi today at (912) 656-4614 or visit her here to learn more.

Now, today's weather:

Pleasant with clouds and sun. High: 68 Low: 46.

📈 Interested in reaching our highly engaged readers with targeted messaging that drives proven results for local businesses? I'm looking for business owners and marketers in Savannah who want to build awareness, connect with customers, and increase sales. If that's you, click here to learn more.

Here are the top three stories in Savannah today:

1. On Tuesday, the “Touch a Truck” initiative visited Henderson E. Formey School students to get them comfortable with first responders. Students got the chance to look around an ambulance, a SWAT truck, and a fire truck. Resilient Georgia, the organization behind the event, says they will be inviting first responders and District Attorney’s Office officials back to Henderson Formey School once a week to talk about several different topics. (WTOC)
2. Savannah city is accepting applications to rename Calhoun Square through May 15. Last November, City Council voted to remove the name John C. Calhoun from the square located at Abercorn and East Wayne St after determining his legacy did not reflect Savannah’s values. Calhoun was a former vice president, secretary of war, and supporter of slavery. The council is expected to officially adopt a name in late summer. (WTOC)
3. In efforts to raise literacy rates among students, a literacy task force report was presented to the SCCPSS Board of Education on Mar. 24. The report, presented by the district's literacy task force, makes recommendations on how to improve reading and writing skills for young learners after recent evidence revealed that nearly two-thirds of elementary school students are not reading at grade level. The top recommendations were hiring district-level literacy specialists, dedicating 120 minutes a day to literacy instruction, new textbooks and resources, and a renewed emphasis on teacher training. The formal report will be presented at the school board meeting Apr. 12. Public input is welcome. (Savannah Morning News)

From our sponsor:

Today’s Savannah Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Savannah Patch newsletter possible.

Today in Savannah:

• Women’s Networking Social At The Rail Pub (6:00 PM)
• Philip Dukes & Friends II Purcell, Mozart, Beethoven At Trinity United Methodist Church (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The remains of a Savannah child are set to undergo testing by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation this week. Quinton Simon's mother, Leilani Simon, was arrested and charged with the child's death. She pled not guilty to his murder on Mar. 23. (ABC 4 News)
• The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) is seeking nominations for its 14th annual Night of Champions on Friday, May 12 at 6:00 p.m. The event, which will be located at The Savannah Convention Trade Center, recognizes outstanding employers known for hiring differently-abled people. Champion nominations may be completed online at the link through Mar. 31. (Savannah CEO)
• Healthy Savannah has appointed Margie Watson as its new communications and community clinical linkages manager. Watson’s duties will include promoting and connecting healthy organizations in the community, spreading the word about Healthy Savannah, and more. Learn more about her story at the link! (CarriageTradePR.com)

That's it for today. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new 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.