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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

A yard sign reading "vote today" sits outside a polling place in Savannah, with a live oak tree and Spanish moss in the background.

Tagged as: 

  • Politics

Savannah-area voters pass 1% sales tax referendum to fund Chatham County public school improvements

The vote secures a projected $705 million in revenue through 2030 for the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

March 19, 2025
|
By:
  • Benjamin Payne
2023 Savannah St. Patrick's Day parade

Tagged as: 

  • Arts & Life

Savannah preps for St. Patrick's Day parade Monday, expecting smaller turnout than 2024 bicentennial

New police surveillance system on tap, but no more "speed court" for weekend bond hearings.

March 14, 2025
|
By:
  • Benjamin Payne
Georgia Sen. Colton Moore (R-Trenton) speaks on the Senate floor on Thursday, March 6, 2025, in support of a bill he introduced which counters a local gun-control ordinance in Savannah.

Tagged as: 

  • Politics

Georgia Senate passes bill targeting Savannah gun ordinance on unlocked vehicle storage

The bill's fate in the House may be troubled, as its chief sponsor was recently banned from that chamber's floor.

March 10, 2025
|
By:
  • Benjamin Payne
The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist was one of several landmarks that Savannah's St. Patrick's Day parade passed by. The parade traditionally begins after the conclusion of the cathedral's morning mass.

Tagged as: 

  • Politics

Savannah to bolster security at St. Patrick's Day parade, citing New Orleans truck attack in January

Police plan to deploy water-filled barricades and conduct sweeps for explosives.

March 05, 2025
|
By:
  • Benjamin Payne
While many museums have their guests exit through the gift shop, patrons of the American Prohibition Museum in Savannah end their journey at a "speakeasy," run by bar manager Nicole Price.

Tagged as: 

  • Business

Mocktails stir change in Savannah's tourism scene amid America's alcohol retreat

Why Savannah's tourism economy may be well-positioned to weather young adults' slow but steady decline in alcohol consumption

March 04, 2025
|
By:
  • Benjamin Payne
  • Load More

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