Good afternoon, Statesboro!
It's an exciting week in the Boro as Georgia Southern locks in a bowl game matchup, Christmas festivities continue, and finals week brings the semester to a close. Let's dive into what's happening in our community.
🏈 Eagles heading to Birmingham Bowl
Georgia Southern officially has its postseason destination. The Eagles will face rival Appalachian State in the JLab Birmingham Bowl on Monday, December 29 at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.
This marks the Eagles' fourth consecutive bowl appearance under head coach Clay Helton and their eighth overall. The matchup carries extra significance—it's the first neutral-site meeting in the 93-year history of the Georgia Southern-App State rivalry, with the Mountaineers leading the all-time series 22-18-1. The Eagles won their regular season meeting 25-23 in Boone on November 6.
"This will be an exciting matchup against App State and should make for a great college football game," Helton said. "Playing in the postseason is special for our players and staff."
App State earned their bowl bid after seven 5-7 teams declined invitations, including Auburn, Florida State, and Baylor. Ticket information will be available soon at GSEagles.com.
Camden Brown capped off a historic season by being named Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year after becoming the first player in program history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards. Brown's 14 touchdown catches led all of FBS. In total, 12 Eagles earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors.
🏛️ City Council greenlights Kroger development
The December 2 City Council meeting brought good news for shoppers. Council approved two major rezoning requests clearing the way for a proposed Kroger grocery store on approximately 28 acres at Cypress Lake Road and Veterans Memorial Parkway. The rezoning from residential to mixed-use passed after initially being tabled in November for further review.
Council also approved several other measures, including a new ordinance allowing neighborhoods to collectively fund private street upgrades, the first major update to the city's purchasing policies since 2011, and annexation of nearly 99 acres on Lakeview Road.
At the county level, the Bulloch County Commission approved a $615,000 contract to build a connector road between Earl Dabbs Drive and US 301 South for access to the OTC ISIR Training Center. Commissioners also voted unanimously to expand the Board of Elections from three to five members, with new terms beginning January 1, 2027.
🎖️ Chamber earns national recognition
The Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce received prestigious 4-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on December 6. This recognition reflects the organization's commitment to excellence and impact on the local business community—placing it among an elite group of chambers nationwide.
In other business news, Elevate with Ogeechee Health recently opened, bringing a new women's wellness and medical aesthetics facility to Statesboro. Thomas & Hutton also expanded their local presence with new staff additions.
🎄 Christmas in the Boro rescheduled to this Friday
Weather pushed back downtown's biggest holiday celebration, but "Christmas Around the World" is now set for Friday, December 12 from 5:30-8 p.m. on East Main Street.
The evening features the annual Christmas Parade starting at 5:30 p.m., visits with Santa at the Averitt Center, live performances on the Community Stage, and a new highlight—an International Food Court across from City Hall where guests can sample global dishes and vote for their favorites. The City of Statesboro will provide free chili dogs.
Don't miss the "Christmas Around the World" passport experience where you can visit 24 themed country stops and collect stamps for your holiday "world tour." The Brownies will perform holiday concerts every 20 minutes in the Emma Kelly Theater, and downtown merchants are competing in the Holiday Window Contest (1st Place: $500).
TMT Farms Christmas Lights continues nightly through December 27, offering over two miles of dazzling displays from dusk until 1 a.m. This year's display features former Guido Gardens decorations from Metter and a 35-foot Christmas tree from Tanger Outlets. The display is dedicated in memory of Deborah Thompson. Donations of non-perishable food, new unwrapped toys, pet food, or cash are welcomed—no admission charge required.
🏀 Georgia Southern basketball rolling
Men's Basketball improved to 6-5 with a road win at Gardner-Webb (88-84) on Saturday. The highlight of recent weeks came December 3 when Spudd Webb exploded for a career-high 32 points on 13-of-14 shooting—setting a program record for single-game field goal percentage (.928). The Eagles host Georgia State on December 17 in their Sun Belt Conference opener.
Women's Basketball carries a four-game win streak into today's home matchup against Furman at 2 p.m. The team's NET ranking of 109 is the highest in program history since the NCAA began the metric. Senior Destiny Garrett recently passed the 1,500-career point milestone.
Volleyball wrapped up their season with a 19-9 record after falling to South Alabama in the Sun Belt Tournament quarterfinals. Four Eagles earned All-Sun Belt honors—the most in program history—including First Team selections Reagan Barth (442 kills) and Kirsten Barrett (1,005 assists).
🎓 Finals week and commencement approaching
Georgia Southern students are deep into finals this week, with exams running through December 12. Henderson Library is offering extended hours, including 24-hour access Sunday through Thursday.
Saturday, December 13 at 10 a.m. – Enmarket Arena, Savannah (Speaker: Tim Wilkerson '91, The Home Depot)
Tuesday, December 16 at 2 p.m. – Paulson Stadium, Statesboro (Speaker: Carla Metts '14, NASCAR/The CW)
Wednesday, December 17 at 6 p.m. – Hill Convocation Center, Statesboro (Graduate ceremony)
The university announced record-breaking enrollment for Fall 2025: 29,633 students (a 7.73% increase) including the largest freshman class ever at 5,946 students.
📚 Superintendent search underway
The Bulloch County Board of Education voted unanimously to partner with the Georgia School Boards Association for their superintendent search following Charles Wilson's announced retirement effective March 31, 2026. Applications will close February 22, with a new superintendent expected by April or May.
Eight Bulloch County schools earned recognition as Top Performers in literacy and math, and the district's overall graduation rate rose to 90% with nearly 600 high school students now dual enrolled.
📅 This week in the Boro: December 8-14
Monday, December 8
Tech Help, 10:30 a.m. – Statesboro Regional Library
Genealogy: "Starting Your Tree," 2 p.m. – Statesboro Regional Library
Women's Basketball vs. Furman, 2 p.m. – Hanner Fieldhouse
Alzheimer's Support Group, 4 p.m. – Bethany Community Commons
Tuesday, December 9
Baby Time (ages 0-24 months), 10 a.m. – Statesboro Regional Library
Adult Craft Activity, 11 a.m. – Statesboro Regional Library
Wednesday, December 10
Toddler Time (ages 2-5), 10:30 a.m. – Statesboro Regional Library
Bulloch Retired Educators (BREA) meeting, 11:30 a.m. – Pittman Park UMC
Thursday, December 11
Teen Craft Activity, 4:30 p.m. – Statesboro Regional Library
Edgar Allan Poe Portrayal with Chad Crews, 5:30 p.m. – Statesboro Regional Library
Board of Education Regular Session, 6:30 p.m. – Central Office, Williams Road
Friday, December 12
Cribbage Club, 1:30 p.m. – Statesboro Regional Library
Christmas in the Boro, 5:30-8 p.m. – Downtown Statesboro
Saturday, December 13
Statesboro Stitches (crochet/knitting), 10 a.m. – Statesboro Regional Library
Georgia Southern Commencement, 10 a.m. – Enmarket Arena, Savannah
Toys for the Boys and Girls Charity Ride, registration 9 a.m. at Yamaha Statesboro, benefiting Georgia Sheriff's Youth Home
"A Crooning Christmas with Chris Mitchell & Friends", 7:30 p.m. – Averitt Center Emma Kelly Theater
Sunday, December 14
Blue Christmas Service, 10:30 a.m. – Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Cypress Lake Road
Ongoing
TMT Farms Christmas Lights, nightly dusk-1 a.m. through December 27
💬 Quick hits
Fire Station #3 broke ground on Brannen Street in late October—the city's first new fire station since 2001, funded by SPLOST at $4.8 million
The Food Bank Winter Market launches December 13 offering fresh produce and artisan goods most Saturdays through March
Nutcracker performances captivated audiences at Emma Kelly Theater over the weekend
Statesboro was named the first city in Georgia certified as a "Retail Ready City" by Georgia Power
Have a great week, Statesboro! Stay warm, support local, and we'll see you downtown Friday for Christmas in the Boro.
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The Statesboro Brief is your weekly source for local news, events, and community updates from Statesboro and Bulloch County, Georgia.