Statesboro
area map & facts The City of Statesboro is a progressive community providing an exceptional quality of life to its residents and offering Southern charm and hospitality to its visitors. Statesboro has a growing economy facilitated by a strong industrial base, a growing university and a regional medical center. This regional economic hub is 15 miles from I-16 and offers many educational and vocational opportunities that provide a competitive advantage for a strong workforce. Education: Bulloch County has three institutions of higher learning: Georgia Southern University, East Georgia State College and Ogeechee Technical College. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools, GSU offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the doctoral level in 117 majors in its eight colleges. Ogeechee Tech offers 112 programs of study including 33 diploma programs and 60 certificate programs as well as 19 associate degrees. East Georgia State College, based in Swainsboro, has a Statesboro campus on U.S. 301 South. East Georgia offers 21 programs of study and online degrees in general studies, psychology and sociology along with a bachelor’s degree in biology. Bulloch County has 15 district-run public schools, three private schools and one charter school. These schools educate the area’s approximately 10,000 students. Health Care: As the home of East Georgia Regional Medical Center, Statesboro is a regional healthcare leader. With more than 750 employees and 75 physicians representing a wide range of specialties, EGRMC is a JCAHO-accredited 150-bed hospital. East Georgia offers a 24-hour physician-staffed emergency department, a Level II neonatal center, outpatient services including same-day surgery and ambulatory care, a pain center, a cardiac catheterization lab and state-of-the-art diagnostic procedures including MRI and CT. Recreation: Recreational opportunities are plentiful. The Willie McTell Trail is a linear park that provides a pedestrian walk and bicycle path from the GSU campus to downtown Statesboro. The first phase of the S&S Greenway, connecting Gentilly Road to Pretoria Rushing Road, was completed in spring 2012. It is a 2.7-mile trail for bicycles and pedestrians. The entire greenway will connect Statesboro and Brooklet when it is finished. Also located in Statesboro is a family-fun
water park and aquatics center, Splash in the Boro. Nineteen hotels, motels and bed & breakfast inns with 816 rooms are in the greater Statesboro area. Culture: Statesboro’s residents and visitors alike enjoy cultural and performing arts in the Averitt Center for the Arts on East Main Street. The restoration of the Old Bank of Statesboro, originally built in 1911, as a venue for community arts, activities and performances has played a key role in the revitalization of downtown. The Averitt Center, home of the Emma Kelly Theater, is operated by the Statesboro Arts Council and is a vibrant centerpiece in the city’s historic downtown. Two stateof-the arts performing venues, the Performing Arts Center and the Center for Art & Theatre, are located on the Georgia Southern University campus. Transportation: Statesboro is served by Ogeechee Railway Company and numerous common freight carriers. The city and Bulloch County jointly own the Statesboro Municipal Airport, just outside the city limits on U.S. 301 North. Statesboro is 45 minutes from Savannah International Airport, which is served by seven major airlines. Statesboro is about 50 miles from the Savannah ports, while Bulloch County is roughly equidistant from the ports of Charleston, S.C., Beaufort, S.C., Brunswick, Ga., and Jacksonville, Fla., giving several options on ports and sailing frequency. Media: Seven local radio stations serve Statesboro: WVGS-FM (91.9), WHKN-FM (94.9), WPMX-FM (102.9), WZBX-FM (106.5), WMCD-FM (107.3), WPTB-AM (850) and WWNS-AM (1240), and one daily newspaper, the Statesboro Herald. Four television stations in Savannah also regularly cover Statesboro: WSAV (NBC), WTOC (CBS), WJCL (ABC) and WTGS (Fox). Several Savannah-area radio stations also can be heard in Statesboro. Government: The city operates under the council-manager form of government. The mayor is elected at large while the five council members are elected by district. All elections are nonpartisan and the terms are for four years, with half of the members elected every two years. The City Council appoints the city manager to head the administrative functions of city government. Services provided by the city are general government, judicial, public safety and public works.
Bulloch County Guide 2014 • 5