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Primary Content

Benjamin Payne

Benjamin Payne
Savannah Reporter
News Reporter

Benjamin is the Savannah-based reporter for GPB, where he covers Coastal Georgia.

Prior to coming to Savannah, he freelanced in Bellingham, Washington, for public media outlets including NPR, Marketplace, and PRX. Previously, Benjamin hosted Morning Edition for WVIK, his hometown NPR member station in Rock Island, Ill. Before that, he served a news internship with NPR member station WBEZ in Chicago.

Benjamin is a graduate of the University of Nevada-Reno's journalism master's program, and earned his undergraduate degree in journalism from Augustana College in Rock Island.

Bottom Content

News Stories by Benjamin Payne

Georgia Southern University's main campus in Statesboro, with two academic buildings in the background and a pond with fountains and tallgrass in the background.

Tagged as: 

  • Education

Georgia's only Ph.D. program in environmental science to launch at Georgia Southern University

A new master's degree will also be offered, with an accelerated option for select undergraduates.

July 10, 2023
|
By:
  • Benjamin Payne
A backhoe is used at a construction site in Savannah, with a construction worker watching from a distance.

Tagged as: 

  • Economy

Building costs to rise in Savannah, as city imposes new construction fees on private projects

Savannah joins over 50 other Georgia municipalities that charge development impact fees.

July 04, 2023
|
By:
  • Benjamin Payne
The Effingham County School District logo is displayed on a clear glass wall inside a building.

Tagged as: 

  • Law

ACLU lawsuit alleges ‘pervasive racial discrimination’ at Georgia school district near Savannah

Black students accuse the Effingham County School District of ignoring acts of racial animosity by white students and staff.

June 26, 2023
|
By:
  • Benjamin Payne
An aerial view of Fort Pulaski National Monument, which sits on Cockspur Island, where the Savannah River meets the Atlantic Ocean. The river's south channel is seen at top.

Tagged as: 

  • Environment

Coastal Georgia's Fort Pulaski seeks public comment on climate resiliency plan, amid sea-level rise

The National Park Service warns that “recent storms and continued sea-level rise have exacerbated the physical decline of some important park facilities.”

June 22, 2023
|
By:
  • Benjamin Payne
Denise Watts speaks at a meeting of the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education on June 15, 2023, shortly after board members voted to hire her as the next superintendent of the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

Tagged as: 

  • Education

Savannah-Chatham school board hires new superintendent from out of state: ‘We're operating on trust’

Without hearing public comment on sole finalist Denise Watts, the school board voted unanimously to hire her.

June 20, 2023
|
By:
  • Benjamin Payne
  • Load More

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