Georgia Today Podcast Summary

Episode: Families suing Apalachee officials; More Helene relief; Blackface at HS volleyball
Date: September 23, 2025
Host: Chase McGee (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

Episode Overview

This episode covers several major news stories affecting Georgia: lawsuits against school and law enforcement officials after a fatal shooting at Apalachee High School, new federal aid for Hurricane Helene recovery, controversy over a blackface incident at a Fayette County high school volleyball game, updates on detained journalist Mario Guevara, and a literary spotlight on Colleen Oakley’s new novel. The show maintains Georgia Today’s hallmark tone of factual, concise, and locally-grounded reporting with moments of in-depth interviews and community voices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lawsuits after Fatal Apalachee High School Shooting

• Background:
  Families of the victims of the September 4, 2024, shooting at Apalachee High School have filed intentions to sue police and school officials, citing “willful indifference and reckless disregard” for a “preventable massacre” ([00:33]).
• Litigation Details:
  • The Schermer Horn family (student killed) seeks $25 million.
  • The Jones family (student seriously injured) seeks $15 million.
  • Other victim families expected to join with additional lawsuits.
  • Authorities (Jackson County manager, Barrow County sheriff) declined comment.
• Impact:
  The shooting killed 4 and injured 9.

2. Hurricane Helene Recovery Funds and Price Gouging

• FEMA Funding:
  • $49 million approved for over 100 state, local, and private Helene recovery projects, notably to repair rural electric grids ([01:17]).
• Price Gouging Penalties:
  • Two Georgia gas stations fined for emergency-period overpricing:
    • Smile Grocery (Augusta): $10,000.
    • Fast Break 2 (Vidalia): $7,000 ([01:44]).

3. Blackface Incident at Fayette County Volleyball Game

• Incident:
  A group (not associated with the school) attended a game with faces and bodies painted black, sparking a statewide outcry ([01:58]).
• NAACP Response:
  Gerald Griggs, Georgia NAACP President, demanded accountability and changes:

  "There needs to be more action. There needs to be policy change. Those individuals should have never been allowed into the facility with blackface on.”
  — Gerald Griggs ([02:34])

• District Response:
  • Superintendent Jonathan Patterson apologized and announced staff training and new responsive policies.
  • Confirmed no enrolled students were involved in the incident.

4. Detained Journalist Mario Guevara

• Background:
  • 100 days in immigration detention, facing deportation to El Salvador ([02:55]).
  • Expressed both resignation and pride in his journalism ([03:00]).
• Family and Legal Response:
  • Son Oscar:

    “I will continue to fight for my father, for his freedom and the freedom of all those who hold a mirror to power for asking the hard questions, for telling the stories some people would rather keep hidden.” ([03:23])

  • Attorneys filed an emergency motion to halt deportation, which could happen imminently.
• Press Freedom Groups:
  Characterize his detention as retribution for journalistic work.

5. VA Secretary Doug Collins Addresses Veterans

• Visit & Statements:
  Collins addressed military influencers in Atlanta, stressing the importance of responding to veterans on social media ([04:07]).
• Memorable Anecdote:
  • A staff member averted a veteran’s suicide after seeing a “goodbye letter” on social media:

    “If I don’t do anything else, it’s worth the whole time I’ve been there.” — Doug Collins ([04:33])

• Workforce Update:
  VA workforce reduced by 30,000, all voluntary retirements.

6. Immigration Detention Deaths – Senators’ Inquiry

• Senators’ Letter:
  • U.S. Senators Ossoff and Warnock demand DHS answer for 15 ICE detainee deaths in six months—the highest such period on record ([05:15]).
  • Ossoff states:

    “I believe that the overwhelming majority of the American people do not want detainees to face abuse and mistreatment and neglect while in U.S. custody.” ([05:59])

• DHS Response:
  • Department largely denies allegations of inhumane treatment.

7. Vaccines Update

• Georgia Dept. of Public Health:
  • COVID-19 vaccines delayed pending official CDC guidance, after ACIP vote.
  • Fall campaigns presently offer only flu shots ([06:18]).

8. Major Rail Union Backs Norfolk Southern–Union Pacific Merger

• Union Support:
  • SMART TD agreement protects thousands of existing jobs amidst the proposed $85 billion rail merger ([06:48]).

9. Author Colleen Oakley’s New Novel: “Jane and Dan at the End of the World”

Segment Host: Orlando Montoya ([07:03])

Book Overview

• A comedic, emotional caper placing a long-married couple at the center of a restaurant hostage event during their 19th anniversary.
• Satirizes heist and midlife crisis genres.

Key Quotes & Discussion

• On heist inspiration:

  “…I took a lot of inspiration from people in my life who do know a lot about cryptocurrency and financial crimes. … Even as I made it satirical and … over the top funny, I wanted to make sure that I was getting the base of things correct.”
  — Colleen Oakley ([08:55])

• On marriage metaphor:

  “…sometimes when you’ve been married for a long time, it can feel like you’ve been taken hostage and there’s no escape. …I was really playing with that metaphor…”
  — Colleen Oakley ([10:05])

• On relatable romantic literature:

  “We have a lot of literature… about that beginning, butterfly stage of relationships. …But … what do you have left and what’s important or special about it…?”
  — Colleen Oakley ([13:19])

Notable Moments

• Orlando Montoya shares a personal anecdote about breaking up on his 20th anniversary ([10:33]).
• Discussion of witty lines from the novel, including:

  “Dan is old enough to know things won’t pan out like you imagine and leave you disappointed. Like the first time you have sex every New Year’s Eve or when you try to change the oil in the car for yourself.” ([11:21])

10. Georgia Reeds Day & Literacy Push

• Initiative:
  Celebrated statewide with events, including NFL player Malcolm Mitchell sharing how reading changed his life:

  “When kids are not reading on grade level, by third grade they’re likely to drop out of school, struggle to find sustainable employment, and face housing and food insecurity.” ([14:53])

• State Support:
  • $18 million approved for new literacy coaches.
  • Nearly a third of Georgia’s third graders below grade level.

11. UGA Study: Buying Flowers & Well-being

• Study Results:
  • Pandemic-era flower purchases linked to improved mood and lower stress ([15:38]).
  • UGA Prof. Julie Campbell highlights cultural differences:

    “…in Europe people buy [flowers] because it’s a Tuesday … here we kind of do it more for occasion.” ([16:07])

• Economic Angle:
  Supports local flower farmers.

12. Sports: Charlie Morton Rejoins Braves

• MLB veteran Charlie Morton signs with Braves after brief stint with Detroit Tigers, possibly signaling an end-of-career return ([16:47]).

Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Gerald Griggs, NAACP:

  “There needs to be more action. There needs to be policy change. Those individuals should have never been allowed into the facility with blackface on.”
  — ([02:34])

• Mario Guevara’s Son:

  “…for his freedom and the freedom of all those who hold a mirror to power for asking the hard questions, for telling the stories some people would rather keep hidden.”
  — ([03:25])

• Doug Collins, VA Secretary:

  “If I don’t do anything else, it’s worth the whole time I’ve been there.”
  — ([04:34])

• Malcolm Mitchell (Georgia Reads Day):

  “When kids are not reading on grade level, by third grade they’re likely to drop out of school… I know what it’s like because I face those challenges. But once I discovered the power of reading, everything changed.”
  — ([14:53])

• Colleen Oakley (on comedy as metaphor for marriage):

  “…when you’ve been married for a long time, it can feel like you’ve been taken hostage and there’s no escape.”
  — ([10:05])

Notable Segments & Timestamps

• [00:33] — Apalachee High School shooting lawsuits
• [01:17] — FEMA Hurricane Helene funds, price gouging fines
• [01:58] — Fayette County blackface incident
• [02:55] — Journalist Mario Guevara deportation update
• [04:07] — VA Secretary Doug Collins’ Atlanta visit
• [05:15] — Senators Ossoff & Warnock on immigration detention deaths
• [06:18] — Georgia vaccine availability
• [06:48] — Major rail merger & union jobs
• [07:03] — Interview: Colleen Oakley on “Jane and Dan at the End of the World”
• [14:44] — Georgia Reads Day, Malcolm Mitchell literacy push
• [15:38] — UGA study on effects of buying flowers
• [16:47] — Charlie Morton signs with Braves

Overall Tone & Style

Georgia Today consistently blends hard news with community-focused stories and literary or cultural segments. The episode’s tone is factual and urgent where appropriate (lawsuits, civil rights controversies), empathetic (journalist detention, veteran suicide prevention), and engagingly conversational in the book interview segment. Community voices and local context anchor the discussion.

This summary covers the main news and interviews from the September 23, 2025, episode of Georgia Today, highlighting key issues, community responses, and engaging moments for Georgian listeners and those following regional developments.