CDC shooting anniversary; Trump proposes Head Start changes; Football Fridays - Georgia Today

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[00:04]
Peter Biello
Welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On Today's episode, a January 6 rioter from Georgia is now facing new charges. The Trump administration looks to change the Head Start program and colleagues remember David Rose, the DeKalb county police officer who died at the CDC shooting one year ago.
[00:24]
Elise Wells
I think he would be proud of his sacrifice. I think that he would do it all over again. I don't think he would have any regrets.
[00:32]
Peter Biello
Today is Friday, August 7th. I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today. Tomorrow will mark one year since a gunman targeted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta. GPB Sophie Gratis has more from the CDC where today Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Attended a private memorial.
[00:55]
Sophie Gratas
Secretary Kennedy visited the CDC indicator to participate in a private ceremony honoring 33 year old DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, who was killed during the shooting on August 8 last year. Current staff were also in attendance as friends, family and colleagues filed out. Public information officer with the Police Department Elise Wells, described being at the site a year later as surreal, but said the day was more about gratitude.
[01:24]
Elise Wells
I think he would be proud. I think he would be proud of his sacrifice. I think that he would do it all over again. I don't think he would have any regrets.
[01:34]
Sophie Gratas
The road leading into campus has been renamed after Rose, and a plaque in his honor now stands there as well. For GPB News, I'm Sophie Gratas in Atlanta.
[01:43]
Peter Biello
The Trump administration is moving ahead with its efforts to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The move comes two months after the US Supreme Court allowed her to retain her job while she fights her firing over mortgage fraud allegations that she has denied. The justices in June ruled that Cook, who is a Georgia native, could remain in her post while she challenges the firing in court. But their opinion also said that Trump could try again to fire Cook, provided she's given proper notice and a chance to contest the termination. This week, the White House told Cook they were doing just that. A January 6th rioter from Savannah is facing disorderly conduct and other charges stemming from an incident at a bar. Dominic Box was arrested outside of the bar on July 30. A police report says he threw punches at security guards when he was forced to leave. He had allegedly been yelling racial slurs at patrons and employees. He's also allegedly damaged a police vehicle by banging his head on it. He's scheduled to appear in Court on August 19th. Box was one of George's more high profile January 6th cases. He was convicted of felony disorder and other charges related to the attack on the Capitol. He was awaiting sentencing when Trump returned to office and issued a mass pardon for all January 6th defendants, including the most violent offenders. Months after one of the state's most devastating wildfires, displaced families continue navigating how to get food and shelter. The fire that started in April in southeast Georgia's Brantley county destroyed 110 homes. Dawn Dean runs Brantley County Family Connection, which is managing donations and getting help to those in need.
[03:14]
Dawn Dean
We still do have families that are staying out of town with relatives. We do have RVs and campers still being delivered for those. But as far as I know to date, everybody that was sleeping in their vehicles or in tents has now received at least some sort of temporary shelter.
[03:32]
Peter Biello
This week, the organization received an $85,000 grant from the Georgia Forestry Foundation. Leaders of Georgia's federally funded Head Start Early Childhood education centers are making sense of planned rule changes. The Trump administration Yesterday published a 200 page proposed regulatory rollback. Head Start serves about 23,000 children at 350 Georgia locations. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more.
[04:04]
Grant Blankenship
The federal Department of Health and Human Services aims to save $2.2 billion over five years, in part by ending federal guidelines for maximum Head Start class size, which would double the permitted student to teacher ratio in Georgia, by ending bilingual education and by cutting administrative rules, which they hope would mean fewer office jobs. Juanita Yancy is executive director of the Georgia Head Start Association. She says it's important to remember for these are just proposals does not change
[04:31]
Dawn Dean
how programs operate today. It doesn't reduce federal funding and it doesn't close classrooms. So programs remain open, services are continuing and families need to continue to enroll.
[04:43]
Grant Blankenship
Public comment on the Head Start rule changes is open until October 6th. For GPB news, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.
[04:50]
Peter Biello
Federal forecasters say there's now a 75% chance for below normal storm activity during this year's Atlantic hurricane season. The national oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's prediction yesterday is up significantly from the agency's previous forecast of 55%. Forecasters say the outlook is influenced primarily by El Nino conditions that are getting stronger every month. Since the season's start in June, there have been two named tropical storms in the Atlantic. NOAA now predicts seven to 13 named storms by the season's end in November. That's down one from the previous forecast. Forecasters warn that even below normal seasons and storms below hurricane strength can cause major damage and life threatening flooding. A vertical farming company is shutting down its operation in metro Atlanta's Clayton county. Ohio based 80 Acres Farms announced its nationwide closure on Tuesday. The company supplied thousands of retail locations with indoor grown produce but said it couldn't secure capital to continue. The Georgia location employed 110 people. A legislative committee looking into new voting systems for 2028 met for the first time today. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.
[06:02]
Sarah Kallis
The committee is tasked with assessing the state's needs when it comes to voting systems and gathering testimony from experts and the public. They will hear from voting system vendors about what options are available but will not select the new system. Representative Victor Anderson is the co chair.
[06:18]
John Nelson
I feel very confident that we'll have a good cross section and have representation and presentation from those who are going to be affected.
[06:26]
Sarah Kallis
Five Republicans and one Democrat sit on the committee, which will meet four times this fall. The new system will need to be approved through legislation passed in the 2027 legislative session and take effect in 2028 in time for the presidential preference primary. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis.
[06:43]
Peter Biello
The McIntosh County Commission voted yesterday to approve an ordinance limiting house size on Sapelo Island. The current GA reports For three years, residents have been fighting county efforts to allow for larger houses. In 2023, the county passed a zoning ordinance that more than doubled the limit to 3,000 square feet. Voters retracted that ordinance earlier this year in a referendum, residents argued allowing larger homes would push out the island's Gullah Geechee community, who are descendants of enslaved West Africans. The ordinance that passed yesterday limits houses to 1,550 square feet of so called under roof space, with an additional 400 square feet allowed for a porch and it also includes a height limit of 32ft. No one spoke in favor of the ordinance at a recent public hearing. Objections included concerns over loopholes and the pace of the ordinance changes. Commissioners said it had held multiple sessions on the matter in the last six months. An electrical components maker plans to build a new manufacturing site in northeast Georgia's Jackson County. Siemens Corporation said today the $185 million facility will create 1400 jobs over three years. The the German company currently employs about 1700 people at two manufacturing sites and six offices in Georgia.
[07:55]
Hannah Gooden
The fatal shooting of a teenager at a protest in Seattle has gone unsolved for six years.
[08:00]
John Nelson
This is open in your face. How are there no answers?
[08:04]
Hannah Gooden
Our investigation has uncovered new evidence and
[08:07]
Sarah Kallis
witnesses who say they've never talked to police.
[08:09]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
Did police ever call you?
[08:11]
Hannah Gooden
Not once. Listen to Wiki US Safe, a new True Crime series on the Embedded podcast from npr.
[08:25]
Peter Biello
GPB is about to embark on its 30th season covering high school football in Georgia. And with me now to discuss the upcoming season are the co hosts of the GPB Football Fridays in Georgia podcast, John Nelson and Hannah Gooden. Welcome to both of you.
[08:38]
Hannah Gooden
Thank you.
[08:38]
John Nelson
Thank you for having us double coverage by Biello today. I'm looking forward to this.
[08:42]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
This is going to be fun because it's going to be a fun season. And to talk about with both of you, the experts, starting with study problem, I'm treating you both as experts here because I am just now learning about power rankings and what those mean to players in the schools. Might be some math. Yeah. John, what do you think?
[09:00]
John Nelson
Yeah, there's math. And thankful to the GHSA for having this, the math posted on they're looking to have the mathematics posted on power rankings every Monday at some point.
[09:12]
Hannah Gooden
So let me give a bird's eye view. If you don't even know football, the power rankings are being implemented because normally if you win your region, you get to go to the state championship. Well, they want the best 32 teams competing through the playoffs. They want you, you know, the first round, second round, third round, you go to the championship. So it's just a better way, I guess, to look at the math to see who advances rather than just the region winners. Right, John?
[09:43]
John Nelson
Yes. Sounds good. I'll take that.
[09:45]
Hannah Gooden
Sounds good to me. Sounds good to me.
[09:47]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
And important to teams, too, if they want to make sure that, you know, the best possible teams go on to the later rounds of the playoffs.
[09:53]
Hannah Gooden
And it was successful with the smaller classifications last year, and so now they're bringing it across the board.
[09:59]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
Well, you recently spoke with the head of the GHSA, the governing body for these football games, Dr. Tim Scott, about reclassification itself. What is that, John, and why is that important?
[10:08]
John Nelson
Well, what it does is you set up however many separate divisions of championship chasing that you have, and now we are back to just instead of having two separate divisions in the smallest classification, the schools that are around the state and the, you know, the smaller towns, smaller counties and so on, they are now no longer divided into one classification, two divisions. It is back to how it has been in decades past, to where smallest and then you look at enrollment and you set a barrier. Then the next one, you set another barrier and then that's the next class. So now we're back to Single A through 7A. So you have eight separate championships with the private but you have seven classifications instead of six and two divisions, same number of championships. It's just now worded differently.
[10:56]
Hannah Gooden
And they do this every couple of years. So every couple of years that come around, they look at reclassification and decide what needs to be changed.
[11:03]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
So it's what factors may change that would require a new look at reclassification.
[11:08]
Hannah Gooden
So student body, I think that's like
[11:10]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
a school gets bigger, it might need to be in a bigger class or
[11:12]
Hannah Gooden
if they have magnet programs that are implemented where more students outside of the area are coming to that school for some sort of reason.
[11:20]
John Nelson
Literally, it is looking at all of this growth in and around the state of Georgia and going, okay, so your enrollment is X. Therefore you get to be a new school in this classification, and then you're added to the 424 other schools that are a part of the GHSA. You told me there'd be no math here.
[11:34]
Hannah Gooden
Bla and if the new school opens and all the other students that were going to the feeder schools around it are now going to this new school, now all those schools will be in a lower classification instead of the two mega schools.
[11:45]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
I see. Well, what about flag football? Flag football's been growing in the state for quite some time.
[11:48]
John Nelson
I will toss and defer to Hannah for this.
[11:50]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
Okay, Hannah, what do you. What do you think about flag football?
[11:52]
Hannah Gooden
It's the fastest growing sport in the state, if not the country. And There are now 321 schools in Georgia that have a flag football team, which is outstanding. We were having these conversations, what, just five years ago when these programs were started, and now we're at 321. There was only one classification. Now there's five class. It is so popular that they now have their own championship day, which is such a great idea. So all five divisions will compete December 8th on their own day in the bins. They get to be on the big stage, just like the boys. The boys will be 15th and 16th, and it is just so fun. I've talked to so many flag football coaches and players, and the opportunity for these student athletes to have a new sport and a new athlete and be successful in it is. Is just amazing.
[12:40]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
Well, that's fantastic. There's one last thing to talk about, and that is something that's not really coming online until 2027, but it's a character development program that is sort of in the works right now. What can you tell us about that, John?
[12:51]
Dawn Dean
It's just.
[12:51]
John Nelson
It's really cool where the Georgia High School association is reminding the schools and the student athletes and students across the board about what it means to be a good steward. And I'm looking forward to this. And the conversation that we had, it reminded me of the Champions of Character program that the NAIA has, the national association of Intercollegiate Athletics, I believe that's the acronym. And what they do is the NAI actually has an award for student athletes who present themselves with all of these positive attributes in the community. And so now you're seeing this kind of thing rubbing off on the GHSA in this kind of an idea. So I'm looking forward to seeing how it reminds all of us about what's good about being a student athlete and not just going out there and looking at a scoreboard, wins and losses and championships and all this kind of stuff. It's about reminding us about being there with others, about teamwork and lifting each other up in these kinds of situations. I'm looking forward to seeing how it's implemented and seeing where it goes.
[13:50]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
One more thing before I let both of you out of the studio is, you know, this is a significant year for GPB. It's the 30th year, 30th season covering high school football in Georgia. John, you've been doing it for longer than that.
[14:01]
John Nelson
Thanks for the reminder, Peter.
[14:03]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
Well, I mean, the expertise, like we talked about at the beginning of this conversation. And Hannah, you've been on it for
[14:07]
Peter Biello
a decade or so.
[14:08]
Hannah Gooden
Yeah, about 10 years. So a third of it, John, has been on for all of it.
[14:14]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
What does this milestone mean to you?
[14:16]
John Nelson
Wow. It means that I had a lot more hair when we started, first and foremost. And I'm sure that there's going to be a lot of scary videos that are going to be brought up, especially around Halloween, maybe with me with long hair, looking like Johnny Cash and just, you know, colorful ties and everything. And it's been really cool for us, being that steward for the state, to remind everyone about where. Doesn't matter where you are. You could be Fitzgerald, you could be Cairo, you could be Blakely, you could be Kingsland, you could be Gibson. You could be, you know, you could be in Augusta, Columbus, up in the mountains, up in Hiawassee, or, you know, uplift Fort Oglethorpe. For all of us, it means something. High school athletics mean something on a daily basis.
[14:59]
Hannah Gooden
You can argue that high school is the most important level of football. I mean, it's the NFL. Players come from somewhere, and we love telling their stories. We love being able to expose these young men to their next step in life. One of our favorite segments is make that Kid an Offer, where we make a plea to college coaches. Hey, look at, look at this athlete. He's incredible. She's incredible. Come and give him a second chance, him or her a second chance or a second look before making your final decisions. And that segment has made a difference. We have helped people move on to the next level. And then hopefully, ultimately, NFL is the goal. But high school football is where character is built, where your talent is built, where the person who you're going to become is built. And it's the coaches doing that. It's, you know, their hard work as a person and families, obviously. And so it is just so fun seeing these young men go on and into bigger and better things.
[15:59]
Peter Biello
Well, it's going to be an interesting season. I look forward to tuning into your coverage. Hannah Gooden and John Nelson, co host of the Football Fridays in Georgia podcast on gpb. The first episode of the new season drops next week. Thanks to both of you for speaking
[16:10]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
with me about it.
[16:11]
John Nelson
Anytime, my friend.
[16:12]
Hannah Gooden
Thanks for having us.
[16:14]
Peter Biello
And you can watch live coverage on GPB television weekly on Friday nights or online@gpb.org Sports starting in late August and continuing through the championships in November. That is it for this edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, go to gpb.org news and don't forget to subscribe to this podcast. Be back in your feed on Monday. If you have feedback, send it to us by email. That's the best way to reach us. The address is Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thank you again for listening and have a great weekend.

Summary6 min read

Georgia Today Podcast Summary
Episode Date: August 7, 2026
Host: Peter Biello, GPB News

Episode Overview

This episode of "Georgia Today" covers a range of timely topics for listeners in Georgia, including the anniversary of the tragic CDC shooting, rule changes proposed by the Trump administration affecting the Head Start program, updates on local crime and weather forecasts, and in-depth coverage of the upcoming high school football season with special guests from GPB’s "Football Fridays in Georgia" podcast. The episode balances somber reflection with forward-looking community reporting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

CDC Shooting Anniversary & Officer David Rose Memorial

[00:32 – 01:43]

Tomorrow marks one year since the CDC shooting that killed DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended a private memorial at the CDC.
- Memorable Quote:
  “I think he would be proud of his sacrifice. I think that he would do it all over again. I don't think he would have any regrets.”
  — Elise Wells, DeKalb County Police PIO [00:23 & 01:23]
The road to campus has been renamed after Officer Rose, and a plaque honors his memory.

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook Situation

[01:43 – 02:13]

Trump administration renews efforts to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook amid ongoing legal challenges.
Cook is fighting dismissal over mortgage fraud allegations, which she denies.
The Supreme Court allowed her to stay pending appeal, but Trump can try again with proper process.

January 6th Defendant Update

[02:13 – 03:01]

Dominic Box, a high-profile January 6 participant from Savannah, faces new local charges related to bar disorder, alleged hate speech, and property damage.
He was pardoned by Trump after his conviction for Capitol attack crimes but is now in further legal trouble.
Scheduled court appearance: August 19th.

Aftermath of Brantley County Wildfires

[03:01 – 03:31]

Families displaced by the spring wildfire continue to receive support and temporary shelter.
- Memorable Quote:
  “We still do have families that are staying out of town with relatives … as far as I know to date, everybody that was sleeping in their vehicles or in tents has now received at least some sort of temporary shelter.”
  — Dawn Dean, Brantley County Family Connection [03:13]
Recent $85,000 grant from Georgia Forestry Foundation aids ongoing recovery efforts.

Head Start Changes Proposed by Trump Administration

[03:31 – 04:49]

The Trump administration proposes changes to Head Start:
- End guidelines for maximum class size (would double student/teacher ratios)
- End bilingual education requirements
- Cut administrative rules (potential office job losses)
- Savings estimated at $2.2 billion over 5 years
Juanita Yancy, GA Head Start Association, stresses no immediate effect on operations or funding:
- Memorable Quote:
  “Programs remain open, services are continuing and families need to continue to enroll.”
  — Juanita Yancy [04:31]
Public comment open through October 6th.

NOAA Hurricane Forecast Update

[04:49 – 05:29]

NOAA increases likelihood of a below-normal hurricane season to 75% (up from 55%), influenced by strengthening El Niño conditions.
Still important to remain alert as lesser storms can still cause significant damage.

80 Acres Farms Nationwide Closure

[05:29 – 05:38]

Ohio-based vertical farming company shuts down, impacting 110 jobs in metro Atlanta’s Clayton County.

Georgia Voting Systems Committee

[06:01 – 06:43]

Legislative committee begins review of new voting systems for 2028.
Tasked with hearing expert/public testimony, not with making immediate selections.
Committee includes five Republicans, one Democrat; system would need legislative approval by 2027.

Sapelo Island House Size Limits Ordinance

[06:43 – 07:54]

McIntosh County approves 1,550 sq. ft. house size cap (plus 400 sq. ft. porch) and 32 ft. height limit for Sapelo Island.
Measure aims to protect the Gullah Geechee community from displacement.

Siemens Expansion in Georgia

[07:54]

Siemens to build new $185 million manufacturing site in Jackson County, creating 1,400 jobs over three years.

Segment: Football Fridays & High School Football Preview

[08:24 – 15:58]

Guests: John Nelson and Hannah Gooden, co-hosts of "Football Fridays in Georgia"

Power Rankings Introduction:
- New across-the-board system ranks 32 best teams statewide for playoffs, not just region winners; brings more fairness and competition.
- [09:12]
  “So it's just a better way, I guess, to look at the math to see who advances rather than just the region winners.”
  — Hannah Gooden
GHSA Reclassification:
- Reorganization to reflect changes in enrollment, introduces new divisions, aiming for fairness.
- Shift back to a single division for smallest schools.
- [10:08]
  “You set up however many separate divisions of championship chasing that you have … and then you look at enrollment and you set a barrier.”
  — John Nelson
Growth of Flag Football:
- Fastest-growing sport in Georgia; now 321 schools participate, up from just a handful five years ago.
- Five divisions, own Championship Day on December 8th at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
- [11:52]
  “It's the fastest growing sport in the state, if not the country … They get to be on the big stage, just like the boys.”
  — Hannah Gooden
Character Development Program:
- New GHSA initiative (coming 2027) to promote sportsmanship and positive values, modeled after NAIA programs.
- [12:51]
  “It's about reminding us about being there with others, about teamwork and lifting each other up in these kinds of situations.”
  — John Nelson
30th Anniversary of GPB High School Football Coverage:
- [14:15]
  “It means that I had a lot more hair when we started, first and foremost. … It's been really cool for us, being that steward for the state, to remind everyone about where. Doesn't matter where you are … high school athletics mean something on a daily basis.”
  — John Nelson
- [14:59]
  “You can argue that high school is the most important level of football … we're able to expose these young men to their next step in life.”
  — Hannah Gooden
- Segment “Make That Kid an Offer” has helped local athletes get college attention.

Notable Quotes

Elise Wells:
“I think he would be proud of his sacrifice. … I don't think he would have any regrets.” [00:23, 01:23]
Dawn Dean:
“Everybody that was sleeping in their vehicles or in tents has now received at least some sort of temporary shelter.” [03:13]
Juanita Yancy:
“Programs remain open, services are continuing and families need to continue to enroll.” [04:31]
John Nelson:
“It means that I had a lot more hair when we started … high school athletics mean something on a daily basis.” [14:15]
Hannah Gooden:
“High school is the most important level of football … we love telling their stories.” [14:59]

Important Timestamps

[00:32] CDC Shooting Anniversary
[03:31] Head Start Changes
[04:49] Hurricane Season Forecast
[06:01] Voting Systems Committee
[06:43] Sapelo Island Zoning
[08:24] Football Fridays Segment Starts
[09:12] Power Rankings Explained
[11:02] Reclassification Factors
[11:52] Flag Football Growth
[12:50] Character Development in Sports
[14:15] 30th GPB Football Anniversary Reflections

Episode Tone

Balanced between respectful commemoration (CDC shooting segment), civic reporting, and an upbeat, enthusiastic tone in the latter half with high school football coverage.

For more on these stories, visit gpb.org/news. Live football coverage begins late August on GPB TV and online.

Loading summary

Transcript62 lines

[00:04]
Peter Biello
Welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On Today's episode, a January 6 rioter from Georgia is now facing new charges. The Trump administration looks to change the Head Start program and colleagues remember David Rose, the DeKalb county police officer who died at the CDC shooting one year ago.
[00:24]
Elise Wells
I think he would be proud of his sacrifice. I think that he would do it all over again. I don't think he would have any regrets.
[00:32]
Peter Biello
Today is Friday, August 7th. I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today. Tomorrow will mark one year since a gunman targeted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta. GPB Sophie Gratis has more from the CDC where today Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Attended a private memorial.
[00:55]
Sophie Gratas
Secretary Kennedy visited the CDC indicator to participate in a private ceremony honoring 33 year old DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, who was killed during the shooting on August 8 last year. Current staff were also in attendance as friends, family and colleagues filed out. Public information officer with the Police Department Elise Wells, described being at the site a year later as surreal, but said the day was more about gratitude.
[01:24]
Elise Wells
I think he would be proud. I think he would be proud of his sacrifice. I think that he would do it all over again. I don't think he would have any regrets.
[01:34]
Sophie Gratas
The road leading into campus has been renamed after Rose, and a plaque in his honor now stands there as well. For GPB News, I'm Sophie Gratas in Atlanta.
[01:43]
Peter Biello
The Trump administration is moving ahead with its efforts to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The move comes two months after the US Supreme Court allowed her to retain her job while she fights her firing over mortgage fraud allegations that she has denied. The justices in June ruled that Cook, who is a Georgia native, could remain in her post while she challenges the firing in court. But their opinion also said that Trump could try again to fire Cook, provided she's given proper notice and a chance to contest the termination. This week, the White House told Cook they were doing just that. A January 6th rioter from Savannah is facing disorderly conduct and other charges stemming from an incident at a bar. Dominic Box was arrested outside of the bar on July 30. A police report says he threw punches at security guards when he was forced to leave. He had allegedly been yelling racial slurs at patrons and employees. He's also allegedly damaged a police vehicle by banging his head on it. He's scheduled to appear in Court on August 19th. Box was one of George's more high profile January 6th cases. He was convicted of felony disorder and other charges related to the attack on the Capitol. He was awaiting sentencing when Trump returned to office and issued a mass pardon for all January 6th defendants, including the most violent offenders. Months after one of the state's most devastating wildfires, displaced families continue navigating how to get food and shelter. The fire that started in April in southeast Georgia's Brantley county destroyed 110 homes. Dawn Dean runs Brantley County Family Connection, which is managing donations and getting help to those in need.
[03:14]
Dawn Dean
We still do have families that are staying out of town with relatives. We do have RVs and campers still being delivered for those. But as far as I know to date, everybody that was sleeping in their vehicles or in tents has now received at least some sort of temporary shelter.
[03:32]
Peter Biello
This week, the organization received an $85,000 grant from the Georgia Forestry Foundation. Leaders of Georgia's federally funded Head Start Early Childhood education centers are making sense of planned rule changes. The Trump administration Yesterday published a 200 page proposed regulatory rollback. Head Start serves about 23,000 children at 350 Georgia locations. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more.
[04:04]
Grant Blankenship
The federal Department of Health and Human Services aims to save $2.2 billion over five years, in part by ending federal guidelines for maximum Head Start class size, which would double the permitted student to teacher ratio in Georgia, by ending bilingual education and by cutting administrative rules, which they hope would mean fewer office jobs. Juanita Yancy is executive director of the Georgia Head Start Association. She says it's important to remember for these are just proposals does not change
[04:31]
Dawn Dean
how programs operate today. It doesn't reduce federal funding and it doesn't close classrooms. So programs remain open, services are continuing and families need to continue to enroll.
[04:43]
Grant Blankenship
Public comment on the Head Start rule changes is open until October 6th. For GPB news, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.
[04:50]
Peter Biello
Federal forecasters say there's now a 75% chance for below normal storm activity during this year's Atlantic hurricane season. The national oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's prediction yesterday is up significantly from the agency's previous forecast of 55%. Forecasters say the outlook is influenced primarily by El Nino conditions that are getting stronger every month. Since the season's start in June, there have been two named tropical storms in the Atlantic. NOAA now predicts seven to 13 named storms by the season's end in November. That's down one from the previous forecast. Forecasters warn that even below normal seasons and storms below hurricane strength can cause major damage and life threatening flooding. A vertical farming company is shutting down its operation in metro Atlanta's Clayton county. Ohio based 80 Acres Farms announced its nationwide closure on Tuesday. The company supplied thousands of retail locations with indoor grown produce but said it couldn't secure capital to continue. The Georgia location employed 110 people. A legislative committee looking into new voting systems for 2028 met for the first time today. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.
[06:02]
Sarah Kallis
The committee is tasked with assessing the state's needs when it comes to voting systems and gathering testimony from experts and the public. They will hear from voting system vendors about what options are available but will not select the new system. Representative Victor Anderson is the co chair.
[06:18]
John Nelson
I feel very confident that we'll have a good cross section and have representation and presentation from those who are going to be affected.
[06:26]
Sarah Kallis
Five Republicans and one Democrat sit on the committee, which will meet four times this fall. The new system will need to be approved through legislation passed in the 2027 legislative session and take effect in 2028 in time for the presidential preference primary. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis.
[06:43]
Peter Biello
The McIntosh County Commission voted yesterday to approve an ordinance limiting house size on Sapelo Island. The current GA reports For three years, residents have been fighting county efforts to allow for larger houses. In 2023, the county passed a zoning ordinance that more than doubled the limit to 3,000 square feet. Voters retracted that ordinance earlier this year in a referendum, residents argued allowing larger homes would push out the island's Gullah Geechee community, who are descendants of enslaved West Africans. The ordinance that passed yesterday limits houses to 1,550 square feet of so called under roof space, with an additional 400 square feet allowed for a porch and it also includes a height limit of 32ft. No one spoke in favor of the ordinance at a recent public hearing. Objections included concerns over loopholes and the pace of the ordinance changes. Commissioners said it had held multiple sessions on the matter in the last six months. An electrical components maker plans to build a new manufacturing site in northeast Georgia's Jackson County. Siemens Corporation said today the $185 million facility will create 1400 jobs over three years. The the German company currently employs about 1700 people at two manufacturing sites and six offices in Georgia.
[07:55]
Hannah Gooden
The fatal shooting of a teenager at a protest in Seattle has gone unsolved for six years.
[08:00]
John Nelson
This is open in your face. How are there no answers?
[08:04]
Hannah Gooden
Our investigation has uncovered new evidence and
[08:07]
Sarah Kallis
witnesses who say they've never talked to police.
[08:09]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
Did police ever call you?
[08:11]
Hannah Gooden
Not once. Listen to Wiki US Safe, a new True Crime series on the Embedded podcast from npr.
[08:25]
Peter Biello
GPB is about to embark on its 30th season covering high school football in Georgia. And with me now to discuss the upcoming season are the co hosts of the GPB Football Fridays in Georgia podcast, John Nelson and Hannah Gooden. Welcome to both of you.
[08:38]
Hannah Gooden
Thank you.
[08:38]
John Nelson
Thank you for having us double coverage by Biello today. I'm looking forward to this.
[08:42]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
This is going to be fun because it's going to be a fun season. And to talk about with both of you, the experts, starting with study problem, I'm treating you both as experts here because I am just now learning about power rankings and what those mean to players in the schools. Might be some math. Yeah. John, what do you think?
[09:00]
John Nelson
Yeah, there's math. And thankful to the GHSA for having this, the math posted on they're looking to have the mathematics posted on power rankings every Monday at some point.
[09:12]
Hannah Gooden
So let me give a bird's eye view. If you don't even know football, the power rankings are being implemented because normally if you win your region, you get to go to the state championship. Well, they want the best 32 teams competing through the playoffs. They want you, you know, the first round, second round, third round, you go to the championship. So it's just a better way, I guess, to look at the math to see who advances rather than just the region winners. Right, John?
[09:43]
John Nelson
Yes. Sounds good. I'll take that.
[09:45]
Hannah Gooden
Sounds good to me. Sounds good to me.
[09:47]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
And important to teams, too, if they want to make sure that, you know, the best possible teams go on to the later rounds of the playoffs.
[09:53]
Hannah Gooden
And it was successful with the smaller classifications last year, and so now they're bringing it across the board.
[09:59]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
Well, you recently spoke with the head of the GHSA, the governing body for these football games, Dr. Tim Scott, about reclassification itself. What is that, John, and why is that important?
[10:08]
John Nelson
Well, what it does is you set up however many separate divisions of championship chasing that you have, and now we are back to just instead of having two separate divisions in the smallest classification, the schools that are around the state and the, you know, the smaller towns, smaller counties and so on, they are now no longer divided into one classification, two divisions. It is back to how it has been in decades past, to where smallest and then you look at enrollment and you set a barrier. Then the next one, you set another barrier and then that's the next class. So now we're back to Single A through 7A. So you have eight separate championships with the private but you have seven classifications instead of six and two divisions, same number of championships. It's just now worded differently.
[10:56]
Hannah Gooden
And they do this every couple of years. So every couple of years that come around, they look at reclassification and decide what needs to be changed.
[11:03]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
So it's what factors may change that would require a new look at reclassification.
[11:08]
Hannah Gooden
So student body, I think that's like
[11:10]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
a school gets bigger, it might need to be in a bigger class or
[11:12]
Hannah Gooden
if they have magnet programs that are implemented where more students outside of the area are coming to that school for some sort of reason.
[11:20]
John Nelson
Literally, it is looking at all of this growth in and around the state of Georgia and going, okay, so your enrollment is X. Therefore you get to be a new school in this classification, and then you're added to the 424 other schools that are a part of the GHSA. You told me there'd be no math here.
[11:34]
Hannah Gooden
Bla and if the new school opens and all the other students that were going to the feeder schools around it are now going to this new school, now all those schools will be in a lower classification instead of the two mega schools.
[11:45]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
I see. Well, what about flag football? Flag football's been growing in the state for quite some time.
[11:48]
John Nelson
I will toss and defer to Hannah for this.
[11:50]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
Okay, Hannah, what do you. What do you think about flag football?
[11:52]
Hannah Gooden
It's the fastest growing sport in the state, if not the country. And There are now 321 schools in Georgia that have a flag football team, which is outstanding. We were having these conversations, what, just five years ago when these programs were started, and now we're at 321. There was only one classification. Now there's five class. It is so popular that they now have their own championship day, which is such a great idea. So all five divisions will compete December 8th on their own day in the bins. They get to be on the big stage, just like the boys. The boys will be 15th and 16th, and it is just so fun. I've talked to so many flag football coaches and players, and the opportunity for these student athletes to have a new sport and a new athlete and be successful in it is. Is just amazing.
[12:40]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
Well, that's fantastic. There's one last thing to talk about, and that is something that's not really coming online until 2027, but it's a character development program that is sort of in the works right now. What can you tell us about that, John?
[12:51]
Dawn Dean
It's just.
[12:51]
John Nelson
It's really cool where the Georgia High School association is reminding the schools and the student athletes and students across the board about what it means to be a good steward. And I'm looking forward to this. And the conversation that we had, it reminded me of the Champions of Character program that the NAIA has, the national association of Intercollegiate Athletics, I believe that's the acronym. And what they do is the NAI actually has an award for student athletes who present themselves with all of these positive attributes in the community. And so now you're seeing this kind of thing rubbing off on the GHSA in this kind of an idea. So I'm looking forward to seeing how it reminds all of us about what's good about being a student athlete and not just going out there and looking at a scoreboard, wins and losses and championships and all this kind of stuff. It's about reminding us about being there with others, about teamwork and lifting each other up in these kinds of situations. I'm looking forward to seeing how it's implemented and seeing where it goes.
[13:50]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
One more thing before I let both of you out of the studio is, you know, this is a significant year for GPB. It's the 30th year, 30th season covering high school football in Georgia. John, you've been doing it for longer than that.
[14:01]
John Nelson
Thanks for the reminder, Peter.
[14:03]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
Well, I mean, the expertise, like we talked about at the beginning of this conversation. And Hannah, you've been on it for
[14:07]
Peter Biello
a decade or so.
[14:08]
Hannah Gooden
Yeah, about 10 years. So a third of it, John, has been on for all of it.
[14:14]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
What does this milestone mean to you?
[14:16]
John Nelson
Wow. It means that I had a lot more hair when we started, first and foremost. And I'm sure that there's going to be a lot of scary videos that are going to be brought up, especially around Halloween, maybe with me with long hair, looking like Johnny Cash and just, you know, colorful ties and everything. And it's been really cool for us, being that steward for the state, to remind everyone about where. Doesn't matter where you are. You could be Fitzgerald, you could be Cairo, you could be Blakely, you could be Kingsland, you could be Gibson. You could be, you know, you could be in Augusta, Columbus, up in the mountains, up in Hiawassee, or, you know, uplift Fort Oglethorpe. For all of us, it means something. High school athletics mean something on a daily basis.
[14:59]
Hannah Gooden
You can argue that high school is the most important level of football. I mean, it's the NFL. Players come from somewhere, and we love telling their stories. We love being able to expose these young men to their next step in life. One of our favorite segments is make that Kid an Offer, where we make a plea to college coaches. Hey, look at, look at this athlete. He's incredible. She's incredible. Come and give him a second chance, him or her a second chance or a second look before making your final decisions. And that segment has made a difference. We have helped people move on to the next level. And then hopefully, ultimately, NFL is the goal. But high school football is where character is built, where your talent is built, where the person who you're going to become is built. And it's the coaches doing that. It's, you know, their hard work as a person and families, obviously. And so it is just so fun seeing these young men go on and into bigger and better things.
[15:59]
Peter Biello
Well, it's going to be an interesting season. I look forward to tuning into your coverage. Hannah Gooden and John Nelson, co host of the Football Fridays in Georgia podcast on gpb. The first episode of the new season drops next week. Thanks to both of you for speaking
[16:10]
Interviewer (Peter Biello)
with me about it.
[16:11]
John Nelson
Anytime, my friend.
[16:12]
Hannah Gooden
Thanks for having us.
[16:14]
Peter Biello
And you can watch live coverage on GPB television weekly on Friday nights or online@gpb.org Sports starting in late August and continuing through the championships in November. That is it for this edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, go to gpb.org news and don't forget to subscribe to this podcast. Be back in your feed on Monday. If you have feedback, send it to us by email. That's the best way to reach us. The address is Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thank you again for listening and have a great weekend.