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Residents in need of assistance urged to sign up with County Hurricane Registry
Published: Jun 13, 2023, 4:25 PM
Special to the Effingham Herald
SPRINGFIELD – The Effingham County Hurricane Registry is undoubtedly missing names that need to be on it.
The Hurricane Registry is a list maintained by the health departments in the eight Georgia counties of the Coastal Health District. The list includes residents with certain health conditions who may need transportation or medical assistance and have no resources such as family members, neighbors, or friends to help them evacuate if a hurricane is threatening.
“I’ve only have six people on our list right now,” said Cindy Grovenstein, nurse manager at the Effingham County Health Department, during the Effingham Family Connection meeting at the Effingham Health System Administrative Complex on June 8.
The time to apply for the registry is when no storms are approaching. Applications stop being accepted 72 hours prior to the arrival of tropical force winds.
Hurricane season is June 1-Nov. 30 but the registry is open all year long.
“It is important if you know someone who needs such assistance to get on the list early,” Grovenstein said.
Anyone who lives in a nursing home or personal care facility isn't eligible and most follow their institution’s emergency plan.
Those on the registry without special medical needs will be kept at one of the state’s technical colleges during a hurricane, Grovenstein said. The Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth will be used to house residents who depend on special services and equipment, she added.
Registrants with functional or access needs may include children or adults with physical, sensory or intellectual disabilities who need assistance with the activities of daily living, such as: eating, taking medications, dressing, bathing, communicating, mobility issues, and using the toilet.
Grovenstein mentioned that some folks scoff at the possibility of Effingham County having to evacuate because of a storm. She noted, however, that it happened in 1999 with Hurricane Floyd, which triggered a call for 2.6 million people in five states to leave their homes.
To apply for the hurricane registry, residents should call toll-free, 1-833-CHD-REGISTER (1-833-243-7344). A representative will take some basic information and then the Effingham County Health Department will follow up to complete the process.
The Effingham County Health Department is located at 802 Ga. Hwy. 119 South, Springfield. For more information, call 912-754-6484.
Live Oak Public Libraries attorney Wade Herring addresses Effingham County commissioners during Tuesday’s nearly two-hour hearing on both the removal of Library Board Chair Erica Biezenbos and the county’s decision to split from Live Oak, as a capacity crowd of supporters fills the room. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)
Paul Kasko
Updated: Oct 8, 2025, 2:55 PM
Published: Oct 8, 2025, 3:46 AM
SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — After a rowdy, more than two-hour public hearing Tuesday night, Effingham County commissioners voted unanimously to end the county’s more than 80-year partnership with the Live Oak Public Libraries system and to remove Library Board Chair Erica Biezenbos.
Commissioners plan to establish a new, county library system.
The audience — made up almost entirely of Live Oak supporters — erupted in boos as commissioners cast their votes, finalizing a decision that will fundamentally reshape the future of local library services. No member of the public spoke in favor of ending the partnership.
The vote ends Effingham’s decades-long affiliation with the Savannah-based regional library system, which oversees branches in Rincon and Springfield. The split will not take effect until June 30, 2026.
“It’s a nine-month process,” County Manager Tim Callanan said after the meeting.
Financial review and county rationale
The decision followed months of review into the county’s financial and administrative relationship with Live Oak. The county recently completed a detailed review, led by retired school librarian and media specialist Nate Ball and retired CPA Wesley Corbitt. Their analysis found that Effingham’s library funding is significantly higher than comparable counties, largely because of administrative overhead. County officials said the change will allow Effingham to reduce administrative costs, gain greater local control, and reinvest savings into staff, programs, and facilities.
“This is about finances,” commission chairman Damon Rahn said.
Critics warned that leaving Live Oak could cost the county access to a large portion of its physical collection and specialized programs, including literacy resources, early childhood initiatives, and partnerships with Savannah-area museums.
More than a dozen Live Oak supporters challenged the accuracy of Ball’s and Corbitt’s audit and expressed concern about potential censorship. They urged commissioners to postpone the vote until a full financial and transition plan could be presented to the public.
“You need to take a minute and give the community time to process,” one supporter said. Commenters also expressed concern about the impact on low-income residents, seniors, and other members of the community who regularly rely on the library.
Live Oak supporters also accused commissioners of back-room dealing, claiming that Ball — a former grade school media specialist hired under a consulting contract approved in December 2024 — was promised the library director position with a proposed salary of $120,000.
The public hearing grew heated at times, with residents frustrated over both the process and the potential impact on the county’s two library branches. At one point, Rahn had to warn audience member Ivy Gibbins to stop interrupting or she would be removed.
Ball’s and Corbitt’s audit indicated the county could save up to $373,000 annually by operating its own system. Consultants assured commissioners that core statewide resources — including PINES (the statewide library lending network) and GALILEO (Georgia’s virtual library system) — would remain available under any new arrangement.
Erica Biezenbos answers questions from the county’s attorney, Edward Newberry, during Tuesday’s hearing on her removal as Effingham County Library Board Chair. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)
Commissioners pledge reinvestment
County commissioners promised that the libraries would not close and that, according to the agreement with Live Oak, resources and staff would remain available in each branch. They emphasized that the $373,000 in projected savings would be reinvested into library operations.
“We want to reinvest in our board and libraries,” Commissioner Roger Burdette said. Burdette, who in 2023 expressed concerns about LGBTQ-themed materials in Effingham libraries, sought to address fears that he intended to censor library content.
“Why would I wait more than a year,” he said, “if that was my plan?”
He added: “No one wants to get rid of library services.”
Commissioner Jamie DeLoach said, “I want to keep Effingham dollars in Effingham County. Reinvest the money in our services and people.”
Commissioner Beth Helmly praised the passion of Live Oak supporters. “We can make a good library system ourselves. Many of you say we can’t do it without Live Oak. I say we can,” she said.
The commission also voted unanimously to remove Biezenbos as library board chair and replace her with Sherry Duff, citing repeated procedural and oversight failures.
Attorney Wade Herring, who represented Biezenbos and Live Oak during the hearing, argued that commissioners could not remove Biezenbos without due process. The county’s lawyer, Edward Newberry, said the county’s bylaws give commissioners the legal authority to remove her.
New allegations surface ahead of vote
On Monday, the day before the public hearing, a new letter alleged that top county officials orchestrated a plan to separate the libraries without proper legal authority or public transparency. The claims added to the debate surrounding the county’s long-standing partnership with Live Oak and fueled criticism from supporters of the regional system.
If you missed Tuesday’s meeting, you can watch the full proceedings on the county’s YouTube channel.
