Families suing Apalachee officials; More Helene relief; Blackface at HS volleyball

Summary

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)

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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.

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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.

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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]).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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]).

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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]).

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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])

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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.

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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.

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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]).

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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])

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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

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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.

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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.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, families of victims of last year's fatal shooting at Apalachee High School plan to sue police and school officials. FEMA has approved another infusion of Hurricane Helene recovery dollars. And a high school in Fayette county is under attack after a group of people entered a volleyball game with their faces and bodies painted black.

[B]

There needs to be more action.

[A]

There needs to be policy change.

[B]

Change.

[A]

Those individuals should have never been allowed into the facility with blackface. On Today is Tuesday, September 23rd. I'm Chase McGee and this is Georgia Today. Families of victims of last year's fatal shooting at Apalachee High School plan to sue police and school officials. Attorneys for the families of students Mason Schermer Horn, who was killed in the attack, and Taylor Jones, who was seriously injured in it, outlined their legal arguments in a notice sent to various parties and seen by gpb. They accused Jackson and Barrow county authorities of willful indifference and reckless disregard to what they call a, quote, preventable massacre. The Schermer Horn family is demanding $25 million and the Jones family is demanding $15 million to settle their claims. The Jackson county manager and Barrow county sheriff declined to comment on the pending litigation. The shooting on September 4, 2024, killed four people and injured nine. Lawsuits from other victims families are likely. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved another infusion of Hurricane Helene recovery dollars. The agency said On Monday about $49 million will go to more than 100 state, local and private projects, including several that repaired rural electric grids. Two Georgia gas stations are being fined for overcharging people for fuel during the state of emergency related to last year's Hurricane Helene. The state attorney general's office says that Smile Grocery in Augusta will pay a $10,000 fine. And Fast Break 2 in Vidalia will pay about $7,000 to settle claims of price gouging. A high school in metro Atlanta's Fayette county is under fire after a group of people entered a volleyball game with their faces and bodies painted black. Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs is demanding school officials act to correct the racially charged incident.

[B]

There needs to be more action.

[A]

There needs to be policy change. Those individuals should have never been allowed into the facility with blackface on. Fayette County School Superintendent Jonathan Patterson apologized for the incident. He says the district will provide sensitivity training to staff as well as guidance on how to respond, including policy changes to ensure something similar won't happen again. No students from the school were involved in the event. Detained Georgia journalist Mario Guevara is expressing resignation to his expected deportation and pride in his work as he marks 100 days in immigration detention. Guevara released a statement on his status on Monday, saying he expects to be deported, and his son Oscar spoke to reporters on Tuesday. I will continue to fight for my father, for his freedom and the freedom.

[C]

Of all those who hold a mirror.

[A]

To power for asking the hard questions, for telling the stories some people would rather keep hidden. A judge ordered his deportation last week. Press freedom groups have denounced his detention, calling it punishment for his reporting. His attorneys say they filed an emergency motion to stop his deportation to El Salvador, which they say could happen any day. Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins visited his home state of Georgia on Monday to address those attending a military influencers conference. GPB Sarah Kalis reports. Collins spoke about the importance of reaching veterans on social media at the conference in Atlanta. He said his office has a dedicated team prepared to respond to former members of the armed forces complaints and requests on his official social media. The person who handles that, she said, you don't know it, but on your account you got a goodbye letter from a veteran who is going to take their own life, she said. We saw it. We reached out that that veteran is alive. If I don't do anything else, it's worth the whole time I've been there. Collins, who has held his position since.

[B]

February, came under fire earlier this year.

[A]

For proposing staff reductions at the VA. Collins said the organization has reduced its workforce by 30,000, but all were voluntary retirements. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis in Atlanta.

[B]

It's rare to find a podcast that can actually change your life, but when the show's called Life Kit, that's kind.

[A]

Of the whole point.

[B]

I'm Marielle Segarra. Three times a week on the Life Kit podcast, we guide you through a topic we could all use help with, from personal development to healthy living to managing your dinero with takeaways so you can start living what you learn right away. Escucha El Lifekit podcast from NPR Georgia's.

[A]

Democratic U.S. senators are asking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to provide more information on recent deaths in immigration detention centers, including the conditions of detainees. In a letter to Noem shared with NPR, Senators John Ossoff and Raphael Warnock said 15 people died in ICE detention facilities in the first six months of this year, the highest rate in any similar period in the public record. Ossoff told NPR's Jimena Bestillo the administration is not committed to humane treatment of detainees. Regardless of our views on immigration policy, I believe that the overwhelming majority of the American people do not want detainees to face abuse and mistreatment and neglect.

[C]

While in U.S. custody.

[A]

The Department of Homeland Security largely refutes claims of inhumane conditions. Georgia's Department of Public Health says vaccines for COVID 19 won't be available at their clinics until the standing director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention releases official guidance for their shot, based on what the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices, or acip, voted on last week. The group approved the shots for seniors and adults and kids at least 6 months old only after they talked to their provider about the risks and benefits. Upcoming fall vaccine drives into DeKalb county, across coastal Georgia and in Middle Georgia county health departments are only offering flu shots. The nation's largest railroad union will support the merger of Atlanta based Norfolk Southern and Nebraska based Union Pacific. The Union Smart TD said on Monday they've reached an agreement with Union Pacific that will protect thousands of workers jobs after the proposed $85 billion acquisition.

[C]

I'm Orlando Montoya. Crime heists and hostage plots have inspired writers for as long as people have been writing. Now a new novel by a Georgia writer takes a humorous, witty and emotionally wrenching take on the genre. Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley spins a fast moving and insightful tale about a couple in a midlife crisis who sit down for an anniversary dinner with more than just expensive plates coming out of the kitchen. Oakley lives in Atlanta and joins me now. Welcome to gpb.

[B]

Thank you, thank you for having me.

[C]

Colleen. I don't think I've ever read a heist story quite like this. It starts with Jane and Dan, a middle aged couple celebrating their 19 years of marriage eating an appetizer at a Michelin starred cliffside restaurant on California's coast called La Fin du Monde, meaning the end of the world and take it from there. Briefly, what happens?

[B]

Sure, yeah. So Jane and Dan have been married for 19 years and Jane is not quite certain they're going to make it to 20. They go out for this anniversary dinner as you said, and before they can make it to the second course, an underground eco terrorist group bursts into the restaurant and takes everybody in the restaurant hostage. And my tagline that I like to give is if Jane and Dan can survive this, maybe they can make it through anything, even marriage.

[C]

Now the hostage takers want to steal money from a tech billionaire so they can save the planet. But these are some pretty inept and bungling criminals who are aided in part by some pretty inept and bungling law enforcement officials. It's not very realistic, but it's hilarious. What was the inspiration for the crime in this story?

[B]

You know, I had to do a lot of research because cryptocurrency and heists are not really my bag. I didn't know a lot about them, which made it very fun to write. So I took a lot of inspiration from people in my life who do know a lot about cryptocurrency and financial crimes. And I interviewed quite a few FBI agents and police enforcement officials just to know that I was getting like the baseline right. Even as I made it satirical and, and kind of over the top funny. I wanted to make sure that I was getting the base of things correct.

[C]

Now our two main characters, Jane and Dan, they come into the restaurant with some pretty heavy issues concerning their marriage and their own self identities after 19 years in marriage. But now when they become hostages, those issues start to come flying out in extremely spot on observations. Again, not very realistic, but hilarious. Why did you set their potential breakup in a terrorist takeover of a restaurant?

[B]

I don't know if you're married, we haven't chatted about that. But I've been married for 18 years now. And while marriage is wonderful and beautiful and lovely, sometimes when you've been married for a long time, it can feel like you've been taken hostage and there's no escape. And so I was really playing with that metaphor for that kind of midlife and marriage and all of the mundanity that can come along with it.

[C]

Well, that particular point about the 19 year anniversary and the 20 year anniversary really hit me hard because I actually broke up with my long term partner on our 20th anniversary.

[B]

Oh my goodness.

[C]

We didn't even get the dinner. So that one comes off personally.

[B]

Yeah, I can see that. And yes, and Dan can't ever remember if they've been married 19 or 20 years, which I think can often happen in long term relationships.

[C]

As I mentioned, the story moves very fast and by its end we find out whether the restaurant blows up and everyone dies and whether Jane and Dan's marriage survives. But along the way we get some witty dialogue. Can I mention a few lines and have you explain?

[B]

Please.

[C]

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.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, don't you find that many things that you think are gonna be great, these wonderful experiences, and you have these high hopes and they never quite pan out the way you hope they will.

[C]

Oh, yeah. And the New Year's Eve part struck me. Well, it's like you always go to the New Year's Eve party thinking, oh, I'm gonna have a great time. And it's like, no, this is awful.

[B]

Yes, yes. You've been drinking since Christmas. You're just kind of partied out. And I learned many years ago that it's just better to stay home, I think.

[C]

And it's cold.

[B]

And it's cold.

[C]

Another one involves the fact that Jane is a novelist and she has written a book, and she believes the terrorists are following the book in this heist. And Dan tells Jane, this can't be like your book because no one's read it.

[B]

Yes, Jane's book was really considered a failure. I mean, I think it sold less than 500 copies. She's not even quite sure that Dan has read it, to be honest. Yeah. And so Dan points that out that nobody's read the book, so why would anybody be following it?

[C]

After all these witty lines, I just have to ask if you've ever considered comedy as a career.

[B]

I like writing my comedy where I can think about it and really work out the jokes and edit it to get it quick and witty. I don't know that I'd be great at standing up in front of a crowd and doing it.

[C]

Maybe a comedy writer for a TV show.

[B]

I'd love that. Do you know anyone? I'd love that.

[C]

And I feel like so many people are in relationships like Jane and Dan's mature, well worn relationships with flaws and frustrations, but also the gift of time. Is there a message for those people in this book?

[B]

You know, I wanted it to be really relatable to people who have been married for a long time. I think we have a lot of literature, certainly popular literature now, that are romance and love stories. They're selling like crazy and for good reason. People love a feel good love story, but they're generally about that beginning, butterfly stage of relationships. And I don't know that we get a lot of literature or at least popular literature about those middle parts of marriages when all of that shine has worn off and then what. What do you have left and what's important or special about it and what's keeping you there? And that's really what I was interrogating partly with the.

[C]

This book, Colleen Oakley's latest book, is Jane and Dan at the End of the World. It's been a pleasure reading it, and thank you for talking with me about it today.

[B]

Thank you so much for having me.

[A]

GPB's Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya talked about Jane and Dan at the End of the World on a recent episode of narrative edge. That's GPB's podcast and YouTube series about books by Georgia writers or about Georgia subjects. Listen to the podcast on your favorite podcast app or watch us on YouTube. Yesterday was Georgia Reads Day, a statewide push to improve literacy. Hundreds of students gathered at the College Football hall of Fame in Atlanta to hear from former Georgia Bulldog and NFL player Malcolm Mitchell, who shared his own story about how books changed his life. When kids are not reading on grade.

[C]

Level, by third grade they're likely to.

[A]

Drop out of school.

[C]

School struggled to find sustainable employment and.

[A]

Face housing and food insecurity.

[C]

Sadly, these challenges stick with families for generations. I know what it's like because I face those challenges.

[A]

But once I discovered the power of reading, everything changed. Mitchell now runs the Share the Magic foundation, where he says improving literacy is the only sustainable way forward. Governor Brian Kemp proclaims September 22nd Georgia Reeds Day. Earlier this year, lawmakers approved $18 million for the Georgia Council of Literacy to fund hundreds of new literacy coaches. State data shows nearly a third of Georgia's third graders read below grade level. During the COVID 19 pandemic, many people turned to fresh flowers as a form of self care. A new study from the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences finds that the decision likely helped during a challenging time. GPB's Ellen Eldredge has more. Of the more than 8,500 people surveyed, those who bought flowers in the past year felt better, improved mood, reduced stress and heightened morale. UGA assistant professor Julie Campbell is the lead author of the study. She says Americans tend to buy flowers for holidays, but in Europe people buy.

[B]

Because it's a Tuesday, because you know it's your flowers died and so you're going to have constantly have flowers and it's part of a cultural kind of thing, whereas here we kind of do it more for occasion.

[A]

Campbell says the psychological benefits were especially strong for those who regularly purchase flowers, and it helps spark growth for local farmers growing them. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldredge. Charlie Morton signed a major league deal with the Braves on Monday, one day after being released by the Detroit Tigers. Morton was drafted by the Braves in 2002, the same draft class as Brian McCann and Jeff Francoer. Many fans will forever remember Morton for recording three outs after his right leg was fractured by a line drive in the second inning of Game 1 of the 2021 World Series. Charlie Morton is expected to retire at the end of the season, but no official announcement has been made. That's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you'd like to learn more about these, visit gpb.org news if you haven't hit subscribe on this podcast. Take a moment right now and keep us current in your podcast feed. Got feedback? We'd love to hear it. Email us@georgia todaypb.org I'm Chase McGee. We'll see you tomorrow.

[B]

Sam.