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SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stopped in Savannah Thursday for a conference for local government leaders.

While there, he spoke with WTOC about several Trump administration policies and their impact on Georgia, including the proposed end of protected status of Afghan Christian refugees, as well as voter registration requirements.

This week, Raffensperger penned a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the potential persecution Afghan Christian refugees could face if they are returned to Afghanistan.

Raffensperger is asking the Trump Administration to take 90 days to review their decision to revoke the parole status of the refugees, and consider offering them Temporary Protected Status.

“Many of these people also worked with the U.S. military while we were over there. So, they would have been in double jeopardy. Working with the U.S. military and also being Christians. So as a Christian, I felt compelled that I had to reach out and say I think we need to revisit this, put a pause on that, take a 90-day window. At the end of the day, we need to do something so they can live a safe life,” said Raffensperger.

Raffensperger says assisting refugees does not fall under the purview of his office, but felt the need to speak up on the matter.

The Georgia Secretary of State also talked with WTOC about President Donald Trump’s executive order regarding voter registration. Last month, the White House issued a sweeping executive action that would require documentary proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.

When asked about these policies, Raffensperger says Georgia voters will notice little difference.

Raffensperger says the federal model is similar to what’s already in place in Georgia. He says the state is already Real ID compliant, which he says simplifies the voter registration process.

”From a practical standpoint, if you don’t have a Real ID, then you’re not getting on an airplane after about May 7th or May 10th. So, the states need to have already worked on that. We’ve been doing that for nearly 15 years now. We’ve made sure that we accept eight different forms of identification, not just drivers license. We’ve gone through the scrutiny of the federal court system and been upheld,” said Raffensperger.

He says his office has conducted two citizenship audits of Georgia’s voter roll in 2024. In that, he found 20 non-citizens have voted out of the state’s more than 8 million registered voters.

Copyright 2025 WTOC. All rights reserved.

[This story has been updated with additional comment from the Diocese of Savannah.]

Savannahians who wish to honor the late Pope Francis with a worship service will have a chance this week.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah is holding a "special diocesan Mass" for Pope Francis on April 22 at Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, according to the diocese. The Mass will start at 6 p.m.

Francis's death was announced Monday by Cardinal Kevin Farrell from Casa Santa Marta where Francis lived at the Vatican, according to reporting from USA Today.

"He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalized," said Farrell in the announcement. "With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love the One and Triune God."

Tuesday's Mass in Savannah is open to all, and the Diocese of Savannah invites all priests to concelebrate, according to its website. Daniel Firmin, Vicar General of the Diocese, will be the main celebrant at Tuesday's Mass, according to a Diocese of Savannah spokesperson.

Most Rev. Stephen D. Parkes, Bishop of Savannah, is out of town this week.

The Vatican has announced Francis's body will be placed in a coffin on Monday at 8 p.m. local time, and will be transferred to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday "so that the faithful may pray before his mortal remains," according to reporting by USA Today.

The Diocese of Savannah's website announcing the Mass for Pope Francis currently shows a picture of Parkes shaking Francis's hand.

The pontificate of Pope Francis was marked by his love for the poor and marginalized, and his encouragement to reach out to those on the periphery," said Parkes in a statement release by the Diocese of Savannah. "Within the Church, he will be especially remembered for his call to missionary discipleship, which emphasizes evangelization and the spreading of the Good News, and for his desire for greater synodality, which embraces a commitment to communion, participation, and mission."

Evan Lasseter is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@gannett.com.

Do you remember dropping off your “dry clean only” clothes at Rogers Laundry on the corner of Paulsen and Anderson streets? Did you find Rogers’ receipts or coat hangers covered with Rogers Laundry paper when you were cleaning out your parents’ or grandparents’ homes?

If you have photographs, matchbooks, stories about or anything related to Rogers Laundry, Liz Massey would love to hear from you. Massey and her team have been working hard for two years to revamp the old Rogers Laundry building at the corner of Paulsen and Anderson streets and transform it into The Laundry Diner. The establishment will serve breakfast all day, lunch, dinner and late-night eats and a few grocery items , in addition to Two Tides Brewing Co. beer.

In the process of working on the project, Massey has made many friends in the midtown neighborhood, many of whom have shared memories of Rogers and the people who worked at the longtime dry cleaning plant. Curious passersby often stop to chat about the building or the nearby Dooner Mattress Co.

Massey welcomes the conversations and has made friends with many neighbors.

“We’ve heard some good stories and collected great information,” said Massey, who also owns Two Tides Brewing Co., Float Coffee and Smol Bar with her husband, James.

On Instagram and Facebook Massey has posted photos of a vintage Rogers matchbook, that lists 12 branches and washaterias and a cardboard-like square designed to fit in a man’s coat pocket. In between dealing with the city of Savannah on acquiring permits and addressing the business’ parking needs, while overseeing work on the building, Massey ventured over to the Georgia Historical Society to search files for photos of the building and its workers.

She hasn’t found any photos but certainly wants to and is asking longtime Savannahians who may have had relatives who worked at Rogers to share pictures of their grandmothers, etc.

Kudos to Massey for her dedication to this particular midtown neighborhood. In the 2½ years since work started on The Laundry Diner, she has overcome numerous challenges―a fire, flood and red tape―that might have discouraged a lesser dedicated individual. But, even after a handful of setbacks, Massey is finally seeing the end of the tunnel and may open in late April or early May.

To say she is anxious to open the doors of the diner is an understatement. Recently, she posted this comment on The Laundry Diner Facebook page: “We are SO ready to be a part of the neighborhood and your lives.”

Many memories of Rogers have arrived via word-of-mouth and he said/she said, Massey pointed out. She has discovered that in the four decades that Rogers was operating on Paulsen and Anderson that it “was a kind of a hub for people who lived in this neighborhood and walked to work and passed by every day.”

Back in the day, residents often lived, worked and shopped in the same area, she said. It was also like that decades ago in the Starland District, now home to Two Tides.

“People walked or biked to businesses in their neighborhood,” she said.

If you have any photos, merchandise or marketing items from Rogers, drop by 1401 Paulsen St., email Massey at hello@the laundrydiner.com or call her at (512) 940-6001.

Georgia Tech adds another player out of the transfer portal as the window closed last night. The Georgia Tech women’s basketball account announced the addition of Savannah Samuel to the Flats.

Samuel is an experienced guard who last played for Boston College. She’s made stops at Oregon State and West Virginia before she played her senior season for the Lady Eagles.

During her senior season with Boston College, she appeared in 28 games and averaged a career-high 19 minutes per game. She was a great depth piece off the bench, averaging 6.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game (both career highs). Samuel also hit double figures in eight games and hit a career high in points against the Central Connecticut Blue Devils and Villanova Wildcats

She brings an experienced guard to the Lady Yellow Jackets after so many departures this past season. She is a piece that head coach Karen Blair can throw in who can run the offense and set the team up to get in the right play and not have a dropoff. She also has really good size with her 6’1 frame. She returns home where it all started for her.

Here is what Coach Blair had to say about the addition of Samuel to the team, per Georgia Tech Athletics.

“We are so excited to welcome Savannah back home for her last season,” said Blair. “She is bringing a lot of experience to our backcourt. I love that Savannah can score with the ball in her hands and is also very effective off-ball in screening action. Our fans are going to love her energy and the passion she plays with.”

She played her high school basketball for a prominent program here in the peach state in St. Francis, which is known for producing high-end girls basketball talent. In her final season, she led St. Francis to the state title game and was named 1A Georgia Private School Player of the Year after averaging 22 points per game. She also made the Atlanta Tip-Off first team during her junior season. Samuel was a four-star recruit in high school and one of the top prospects.

Samuel joins fellow signees Jada Crawshaw (Long Beach State), Brianna Turnage (Florida State) and Leyre Urdiain (Zaragoza, Spain). A thing to note here is that coach Blair has landed two players from ACC schools in filling out the 2025-2026 roster. Although the transfer portal is closed with player entry, the Yellow Jackets could be aggressive and still add more players to the roster.

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