Candidates prepare for runoffs; Fulton jail makes changes; Sea turtles disappearing

Summary

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Georgia Today Podcast – May 27, 2026

Host: Peter Biello (GPB News)

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode centers on the political climate in Georgia ahead of the June 16 primary runoff elections, public safety reforms at the Fulton County Jail, growing environmental and climate justice concerns, and a field report on both Andersonville National Cemetery and the plight of Georgia’s sea turtle population. The episode also features reflections on recent notable deaths in civil rights and sports, and forthcoming sports and cultural events in Georgia.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. Political Parties Ramp Up for Runoff Elections

Timestamps: 00:36–01:45

• Both major parties in Georgia are preparing for the June 16 runoff elections.
• Republican Party Focus:
  • Chairman Josh McCune emphasized ongoing voter engagement via texting campaigns.
  • Two key races (gubernatorial, Senate) will be decided in the runoff.
• Democratic Party Focus:
  • Chairman Charlie Bailey notes Democrats are shifting attention to the November general election.
  • Volunteers are already involved in voter outreach beyond the runoff.
• Both parties expect reduced turnout for the runoffs but are optimistic about enthusiasm for the general election.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “We definitely want our people to vote. We want them engaged in the process and we'll be looking to do that again ahead of the runoff election.” – Charlie Bailey, Democratic Party Chairman (01:09)
  • “They are engaged in massive infighting for the next three weeks.” – Charlie Bailey, contrasting Democratic unity with Republican dynamics (01:25)

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2. Fulton County Jail Shifts Intake Policy

Timestamps: 01:45–02:34

• Starting July 1, Fulton County Jail will stop accepting most misdemeanor arrestees due to overcrowding and deteriorating conditions.
• Exceptions for domestic violence, sexual assault, and aggravated misdemeanors.
• Decision made as part of ongoing federal oversight and a consent decree.
• Community meetings are planned before implementation.

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3. Environmental Advocacy and Record-Setting Heat

Timestamps: 02:34–03:19

• Activism:
  • Poder Latinx and other environmental justice advocates rallied outside Atlanta City Hall to demand stronger policy action on urban heat and better protections for vulnerable neighborhoods.
  • Black and Latino communities with sparse tree canopies face greater risks from heat.
• Data:
  • April–June 2025 marked as the second-hottest on record for Georgia.
• Policy Plea:
  • State Rep. Jasmine Clark encourages policymakers to prioritize tree planting, carbon reduction, and pollution control.
• Notable Quote:
  • “Be intentional in understanding the importance of preserving the tree canopy, planting new trees, reducing carbon emissions and other pollutants and supporting environmental justice work.” – State Rep. Jasmine Clark (02:55)

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4. Legal and Local Developments

Timestamps: 03:19–05:16

• Clean Water Act Lawsuit:
  • Chattahoochee Riverkeeper sues an apartment complex developer in Columbus for stormwater violations.
• Data Center Controversy in Maysville:
  • Information session canceled due to absence of city representatives; some residents express concern over lack of public notice about a 250,000-square-foot data center.
  • A separate citizen feedback session is scheduled.
• Andersonville National Cemetery:
  • Introduction to Kevin Fry’s volunteer work documenting graves and connecting families with records.

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5. Andersonville National Cemetery: Lives Remembered

Timestamps: 05:16–11:28

• Interview with Kevin Fry (Historian/Volunteer):
  • Fry photographed over 14,000 headstones, ensuring memory and access to burial information for families.
  • Fry’s motivation: honoring the dead and giving them a memory beyond their headstone.
  • Memorable Quotes:
    • “We’re only here for a short time and for so many of us, a headstone is all that’s left behind… To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” – Kevin Fry (05:46)
  • Discusses emotional stories, such as three Tuttle brothers who suffered at Andersonville during the Civil War—one survived, two died, with a mysterious dove statue marking one grave.
    • “There were two brothers. Excuse me, three brothers with the last name of Tuttle… There’s a stone dove on top of Lewis Tuttle’s grave… They don’t know why it’s there.” – Kevin Fry (08:16)
  • Fry’s ongoing role connecting people via a Facebook group.
  • “It’s a place where I think everybody should come, if you can. Part of why I do what I do is to thank those who are here… I just want to make sure there’s some sort of a record.” – Kevin Fry (10:42)

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6. Sea Turtle Populations & Climate Change Threats

Timestamps: 11:28–13:33

• Research Discovery:
  • Georgia’s female loggerhead turtles are stable, but males may be vanishing due to rising sand temperatures producing predominantly females.
• New Fieldwork:
  • University of Georgia scientists, led by Brian Shamblin, are now sampling nests to estimate male contribution to reproduction.
• Global Concern:
  • “From Australia to Florida, studies have shown that 99% of hatchlings are female.” – Gillian Magtoto (12:46)
  • “There basically are no male hatchlings being produced anymore... in a lot of areas, but we really don't know.” – Brian Shamblin, UGA researcher (12:54)
• Action Plan:
  • DNA testing of sperm in eggs is underway to identify male parentage.

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7. Notable Deaths & Sports Updates

Timestamps: 13:33–14:55

• Passings:
  • Clarence Jones (Age 95):
    • Civil rights attorney, advisor and speech writer to MLK Jr., key to “I Have a Dream” speech, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024.
  • Bob Horner (Age 68):
    • Former Atlanta Braves third baseman, team's first draftee to skip minor leagues, first Braves player to hit four homers in a game.
• Sports & Events:
  • Spain’s national soccer team will open a fan cultural hub in Atlanta during World Cup matches.
  • Augusta announces return of the Lynx professional hockey team, to begin play in 2027-28.

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On the importance of remembrance:
  • “A man dies once his name is no longer spoken… To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” – Kevin Fry (05:46)
• On serving the community through documentation:
  • “I just want to make sure there’s some sort of a record. It speaks to me just to keep the memory of those alive.” – Kevin Fry (10:42)
• On climate solutions:
  • “Be intentional in understanding the importance of preserving the tree canopy, planting new trees, reducing carbon emissions and other pollutants and supporting environmental justice work.” – State Rep. Jasmine Clark (02:55)
• On party campaign focus:
  • “We definitely want our people to vote. We want them engaged in the process...” – Charlie Bailey, Democratic Party Chairman (01:09)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• 00:36: Runoff election strategies from both parties
• 01:45: Major policy shift in Fulton County Jail intake
• 02:34: Environmental justice advocates rally for heat protections
• 05:16–11:28: Immersive interview and tour at Andersonville National Cemetery
• 12:12: Concerns over male sea turtle disappearance in Georgia
• 13:33: Obituaries for Clarence Jones and Bob Horner; local sports and cultural updates

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Tone & Style

The episode expertly balances straightforward reporting with compelling human stories—especially in the solution-oriented climate coverage and the emotional reflections among the historic graves of Andersonville. Peter Biello’s calm yet inquisitive style encourages listener engagement, while interviews and firsthand accounts, such as Kevin Fry’s, add depth and resonance.

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This summary provides a comprehensive snapshot of the episode’s diverse content and is especially valuable for listeners seeking context on Georgia’s political scene, environmental justice efforts, local history, and emerging climate science.

Transcript

[Peter Biello]

Welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, the major political parties try to drum up enthusiasm ahead of next month's runoffs. The Fulton County Jail will stop accepting most misdemeanor arrestees. And as the summer warms up, environmental justice advocates want better heat protections.

[State Representative Jasmine Clark]

Be intentional in understanding the importance of preserving the tree canopy, planting new trees, reducing carbon emissions and other pollutants and supporting environmental justice work.

[Peter Biello]

Today is Wednesday, May 27th. I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today. Georgia Republicans and Democrats are gearing up for a June 16 primary election runoff to determine the ballot for November's general elections. GPB Sarah Kalis reports.

[Sarah Kalis]

Georgia Republican party chairman Josh McCune says the Republican Party will continue to engage voters through a texting campaign started during the primary. The Republican gubernatorial and Senate races will be on the runoff ballot.

[Charlie Bailey]

We definitely want our people to vote. We want them engaged in the process and we'll be looking to do that again ahead of the runoff election, georgia

[Sarah Kalis]

Democratic Party Chairman Charlie Bailey says while they have candidates in the runoff, their focus is now on the general election and volunteers are already talking to voters

[Charlie Bailey]

about November, where we are unified and determined at the top of the ticket. They are engaged in massive infighting for the next three weeks.

[Sarah Kalis]

Both parties say they expect lower turnout for the runoff but are hopeful about voter enthusiasm headed into the general election. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallas.

[Peter Biello]

The Fulton County Jail will stop accepting most misdemeanor arrestees starting July 1. Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labatt says the move comes as county leaders continue dealing with overcrowding and worsening conditions at the Rice Street Jail. The facility remains under federal oversight efforts tied to a consent decree. Exceptions will include domestic violence, sexual assault and some aggravated misdemeanor cases. Officials say they'll hold community meetings before the new policy takes effect. Environmental justice advocates spoke outside Atlanta City hall today to demand stronger heat safety protections as temperatures rise and summer approaches. GPB's Amanda Andrews has more Organizers with

[Amanda Andrews]

Poder Latinx are raising the alarm about black and Latino neighborhoods facing more dangerously hot days. Urban areas with less tree canopy and more pavement face greater health risks and energy costs. State Representative Jasmine Clark says elected officials on all levels need to consider climate change when making policy decisions, be intentional

[State Representative Jasmine Clark]

in understanding the importance of preserving the tree canopy, planting new trees, reducing carbon emissions and other pollutants and supporting environmental justice work.

[Amanda Andrews]

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division recognized April, May and June of 2025 as the second hottest on record for that three month period. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

[Peter Biello]

The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper has filed a federal lawsuit against the owner and developer of an apartment complex in Columbus. The lawsuit filed last week against the complex aspire at Old Guard and its Alabama based developer alleges ongoing violations of the Clean Water Act. It says the companies failed to follow regulations intended to protect waterways from muddy stormwaters during construction. Messages were left yesterday for the named defendants and the Columbus government. The Northeast Georgia city of Maysville has canceled a meeting that would have served as an information session for a planned data center. The Maysville City Council says the meeting that had been scheduled for June 1 is canceled because most city representatives aren't available to attend. In a statement, the city also says it's not authorized to hold more public hearings for projects that have been approved. The City Council Appro permits for two data center buildings in January 2025 to be built by Northern Data Group, totaling a quarter million square feet. Several residents expressed concerns about the data center at a meeting last week and complained of a lack of notice to the city's residents before it was approved. City representatives have not responded to GPB's request for an interview. While next week's meeting on the data center is canceled, a session scheduled for tomorrow at the city's Fire department will provide concerned citizens a chance to speak. During the American Civil War, nearly 13,000 Union soldiers died and were buried in Andersonville Prison in Georgia Sumter County. Today. The former prison is now the home of Andersonville National Cemetery, where veterans of every American war except the War of 1812 are buried. Kevin Fry worked as a volunteer there for 16 years. During that time he photographed and cataloged on findagrave.com thousands of graves, and he now runs an active Facebook community where he connects relatives of the deceased to records of their service and burial. Recently, I met with Frey at Andersonville National Cemetery to talk about his work.

Kevin Frye, thank you so much for meeting me here at Andersonville National Cemetery.

[Kevin Fry]

It's my pleasure to meet you here and try to share the story. That's what my life's goal is.

[Peter Biello]

You took the time to photograph More than 14,000 headstones here, 13,000 of which were people who died at Andersonville Prison during the Civil War. Tell me about that effort. What was it like for you to do those one by one?

[Kevin Fry]

Just obsession, you know. We're only here for a short time and for so many of us, a headstone is all that's left behind. There's two quotes that really push me to do what I do that I like to refer to. One of them is a man dies once his name is no longer spoken, and then the one is on the back of the Wisconsin monument here. To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die. And that's. That's just been with me looking around here. You've got 20,000 headstones, and it's a sea of stones, but each one has a story.

[Peter Biello]

I'm wondering if in the course of your photographing and learning about each of these headstones, a story stands out to you.

[Kevin Fry]

Over here in the trench graves of the prisoner graves, there's several sets of brothers here. There's one set of three brothers. Certain ones like that connect with me. I have two brothers. I lost one two years ago.

[Peter Biello]

Sorry for your loss.

[Kevin Fry]

Thank you. But I. I often put my. Try to put myself into their situation and visualize what they went through and whatnot. I. I can't imagine being here with both of my brothers and just standing by with nothing that I could do to help save. And then, you know, two of them, as in cases of some of the pairs, and the other three to have them perish.

[Peter Biello]

The trench graves, you say, are off to our right from where we're standing.

[Kevin Fry]

We can walk over to where we'll see a good section of this over here by this tree in the distance. It's a short walk. You'll see that all these are the headstones are side by side, and they're not symbolic. These are where the burial trenches were done, and they were placed shoulder to shoulder. Trying to grasp this, you can see the newer stones off in the distance, but you can see where this row ends all the way to the front. This is just 5,500 of those that died here. And throughout the rest of the cemetery, there's five other sections which contain about 7,000 graves.

[Peter Biello]

On Facebook, you run a group where people who have connections to people who are buried here are seeking information. And I'm wondering if you could tell us a story about someone looking for information that you were able to help.

[Kevin Fry]

The one that sticks out to me the most, which we can walk down here if you like. It's not too far across here. There were two brothers. Excuse me, three brothers with the last name of Tuttle. This is one that I think carries the most emotional weight on me. There was David Tuttle, There was Loren Tuttle, and then there was Lewis Tuttle. Loren was shot through the shoulder of Petersburg, and he was sent home unable to Fight. His two brothers were captured outside of Petersburg and brought here in the summer of 1864. Lewis Tuttle died in November of 64. His brother died three weeks later in December. And if we'll turn here, you'll see what the most interesting grave here at Andersonville is. Turn down this road right here. There's a stone dove on top of Lewis Tuttle's grave. Grave number 12196. A lot of people who have read about Andersonville and did research always ask about this one. Why is the dove there? We don't know. The superintendent, who was here at the time that the dove was discovered, used to come back to this part of the cemetery because he liked to drink. And we suspect that's the reason. Excuse me. That he stumbled onto it. He lived here on site, and Lewis was with the 32nd Maine. The closest monument to us is the Monument for Maine. And when the Park Service took over the site in 1970, they did a sample piece of the stone off the dove and compared it to the base of the monument. And they were both quarried from the same quarry in Saco, Maine, which is where these boys were from. And why he was recognized and not his brother, who was down this aisle a little further. That's questionable. I've been contacted by some descendants of these two guys, and they've been able to give me some information, but none of them have information about the dove. They just. They don't know. They don't know why it's there. They don't know who put it there or exactly what it represents.

[Peter Biello]

Is there anything else about this place that you think I should see or that you would like me to know that I didn't ask you about?

You're the expert here.

[Kevin Fry]

That would take hours, really. I don't know. It's a place where I think everybody should come, if you can. Part of why I do what I do is to thank those who are here. So many within these walls died for our country. And then you've got thousands that are buried here that were servicemen and women. I find so often that there's graves here that have never been visited by family. I just want to make sure there's some sort of a record. It speaks to me just to keep the memory of those alive.

[Peter Biello]

Well, Kevin Fry, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with me, showing me around. I appreciate it.

[Kevin Fry]

Thank you. I appreciate the time.

[Peter Biello]

That's Kevin Fry, historian and former volunteer at Andersonville National Cemetery. You can find a link to his [e-mail] as well as his contact information. If you have questions about a service member buried [e-mail]. Sea turtle season is well underway along the Southeast coast, but researchers say many male turtles are disappearing worldwide. Could the same be happening in Georgia? GPB's Gillian Magtoto has more University of

[Gillian Magtoto]

Georgia researchers have been tracking female loggerhead turtles for nearly two decades, and their numbers seem to have stabilized after the state listed them as endangered in 2006. But the picture for males is less obvious.

[Charlie Bailey]

We have a large database of the females, but we just don't have good baseline data on the males at all.

[Gillian Magtoto]

That's UGA senior research scientist Brian Shamlin. He says the nests of many reptiles, like sea turtles, will hatch eggs of just one gender. That's because temperature determines gender. The warmer the sand or soil, the more likely that females will hatch. But as global warming heats up sand, this could be a problem. From Australia to Florida, studies have shown that 99% of hatchlings are female.

[Charlie Bailey]

There basically are no male hatchlings being produced anymore otherwise in a lot of areas, but we really don't know.

[Gillian Magtoto]

Beginning this year, Shamblin's team and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will visit the state's barrier islands to count loggerhead males in Georgia, sampling male sperm trapped in the yolk of an egg from each nest.

[Charlie Bailey]

So we're using those sperm DNA to figure out who all the dads are that are contributing to these nests.

[Gillian Magtoto]

A team from DNR began sampling two weeks ago on Azaba Island. That effort will extend along the coast to the Carolinas. For GPB News, I'm Jillian Magtoto in Savannah.

[Peter Biello]

Civil rights attorney and speech writer Clarence Jones, a close advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And one of the key figures behind King's I have a Dream speech, has died. Jones served as King's personal attorney and helped draft several major speeches. He also helped smuggle King's letter from Birmingham. Jail out of jail In Alabama in 2024, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden. He died Friday in California. Clarence Jones was 95 years old. In Georgia sports, former Atlanta Braves third baseman Bob Horner has died. The power hitter was the team's first draftee to skip the minor leagues and its first player to hit four homers in a game. Braves announced his death yesterday, saying he built a career out of being first. Bob Horner was 68 years old. The Spanish national soccer team has announced a cultural hub to mobilize its fans during the FIFA World Cup. Spain is scheduled to play two matches in Atlanta during soccer's biggest tournament in June. The team said last week that its downtown Casa de Hispana, or House of Spain, will host giant screens, an official store, a trophy display, live music, food and more. And Augusta's new professional hockey team will be known as the Augusta Lynx. The ECHL hockey League unveiled the name and logo yesterday. It revives the name of a previous hockey franchise that played in Augusta for about 10 years, ending in 2008. The new links will begin play in the 2027-2028 season. That's a wrap on the podcast today. Thank you so much for tuning in. Be sure to check gpb.org news for updates to any of the stories you heard today, as well as news stories that our reporters have written. Subscribe to this podcast. We will be there automatically in your podcast feed tomorrow afternoon. Your feedback and your story ideas are welcome, of course. Send the note to us by email. Email the address is Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thank you again for listening. We will see you tomorrow.