FIFA fan fest extended hours; Savannah State player detained; Albany data centers

Summary

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Georgia Today Podcast: July 8, 2026

Host: Orlando Montoya, Georgia Public Broadcasting
Episode Theme: In-depth reporting on current news across Georgia, focusing today on the ongoing extension of the FIFA World Cup Fan Festival in Atlanta, the detention of a Savannah State baseball player by ICE, public opposition to data centers in Albany, and additional notable stories impacting the state.

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Main Stories and Key Discussion Points

1. Savannah State Baseball Player Detained by ICE

• Overview:
  Johan Sandoval, a Dominican Republic native and second baseman for Savannah State University's baseball team, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday after playing in a summer baseball league in Albany.
• Key Facts:
  • Sandoval arrived in the U.S. in 2021 for college and baseball.
  • His family is seeking answers and fundraising for legal fees via GoFundMe.
  • ICE has not responded to GPB inquiries about the case.
• Host Commentary:
  “His family says they’re trying to determine why he was detained and have launched a GoFundMe to help pay legal expenses. ICE has not responded to GPB’s questions about Sandoval’s case.” – Orlando Montoya [00:38]

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2. Public Backlash Against Data Centers in Albany

• Overview:
  The city of Albany is holding informational sessions about the potential arrival of data centers and their impact, especially regarding water and power usage.
• Event Coverage:
  Albany City Manager Terrell Jacobs highlighted possible benefits of data centers, mentioning the city’s surplus electrical capacity. Despite this, local feedback was overwhelmingly negative.
• Community Concerns:
  • Detractors, like local Baptist Minister John Kemsey, voiced alarm over shared natural resources:

    “It isn’t just affecting Albany, it's going to affect all surrounding counties. We all share the same aquifer. We all share somewhat of the same power grid. This is about life.” – John Kemsey [00:27, 02:03]

• Upcoming Events:
  Next data center forum is scheduled for July 9th at Albany’s National Mary Akers Middle School.
• Regulatory Development:
  State utility regulators have initiated an investigation into who bears the financial burden for major power upgrades linked to data centers—highlighting concerns about costs being shifted from industrial clients to residential customers.
  • “The probe will focus on whether power hungry industrial customers are shifting some costs to residential customers.” – Orlando Montoya [02:24]

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3. Okefenokee Swamp Conservation Success

• Overview:
  Land previously targeted by a mining company near the Okefenokee Swamp is now protected and will be accessible to the public.
• Key Details:
  • The Conservation Fund raised $60 million to halt mining plans and is transferring land to state and federal government for public recreation and habitat management.
  • Stacey Funderberg, Conservation Fund:

    "Our goal was always to make sure that it ended up in public ownership so that it can be accessible to the public. That is a really great outcome both in terms of recreational access and habitat management." [03:25]

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4. Savannah Implements Stormwater Utility Fee

• Overview:
  Savannah will introduce a stormwater fee on water bills in September to fund needed infrastructure upgrades due to persistent flooding.
• Key Insights:
  • Most households to pay under $5 monthly.
  • Savannah joins 70+ Georgia communities with such a fee.
  • Mayor Van Johnson explained the rationale:

    "Our residents have told us they want really more aggressive work in the stormwater space. Council approved it and now we’re ready to move on it." [04:13]

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5. Sapelo Island Gullah Geechee Rezoning Halted (For Now)

• Overview:
  McIntosh County postpones controversial rezoning plans in Hog Hummock, a historic Gullah Geechee community.
• Community Concerns:
  Residents fear rezoning will lead to "McMansions," increased taxes, and displacement of longstanding families.
  • Miriam Gutman, Southern Poverty Law Center:

    “A lot of folks...are worried that allowing larger homes will encourage folks with a lot of money, with developers, to come build very large homes that are out of the character and the history of the community…So people are scared about losing their land that means so much to them, losing their community that has been so tight knit for so long…” [05:59]

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6. FIFA Fan Festival & Decatur Watchfest Extended

• Atlanta FIFA Fan Festival:
  • Hours at Centennial Olympic Park extended for the final two days due to massive attendance—almost half a million fans over 16 days.
  • Limited GA tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday evening remain; most other ticketed events, including a Ludacris concert, are sold out.
• Decatur Watchfest:
  • 140,000+ attendees for screenings and concerts; only the Indigo Girls finale is ticketed (and sold out).

  "Organizers say the festival at Centennial Olympic Park has welcomed nearly a half million fans in 16 days of operation.” – Orlando Montoya [06:43]

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7. Other Noteworthy Updates

• Life Sciences Leadership:
  • The Rowan Convergence Center in Gwinnett County seeks a new CEO with its president stepping down ahead of the research park’s completion.
• Aviation Record:
  • Gulfstream Aerospace’s G800 sets a new distance and speed record: Melbourne, Australia to Moline, Illinois in under 17 hours.
• Invasive Species Alert:
  • Georgians urged to watch for and report spotted lanternflies to protect crops.
• Baseball Promotion:
  • Former Columbus Clingstones pitcher Owen Murphy called up to the Atlanta Braves; set for a major league debut.

  “The former first round draft pick becomes the sixth player in the Clingstones two year history to reach the majors with the Braves.” [09:06]

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Memorable Quotes

• On Data Centers and Resource Use:
  "This is about life." – John Kemsey, Baptist Minister [00:27, 02:03]
• On Conservation:
  "Our goal was always to make sure that it ended up in public ownership..." – Stacey Funderberg, Conservation Fund [03:25]
• On Community Concerns:
  "People are scared about losing their land that means so much to them, losing their community that has been so tight knit..." – Miriam Gutman, Southern Poverty Law Center [05:59]
• On Local Government Efforts:
  "Our residents have told us they want really more aggressive work in the stormwater space." – Mayor Van Johnson [04:13]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Savannah State Player Detained: [00:38]
• Albany Data Centers & Public Opposition: [01:36 – 02:14]
• Okefenokee Land Conservation: [03:07 – 03:36]
• Savannah’s Stormwater Fee: [03:47 – 04:23]
• Sapelo Island Rezoning Issue: [05:59 – 06:43]
• FIFA Fan Fest / Decatur Watchfest: [06:43]
• Aviation Record (Gulfstream): [06:43 – 08:42]
• Owen Murphy to Braves: [09:06]

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This summary captures the key news stories and voices from the July 8, 2026 episode of Georgia Today, offering a clear snapshot of the events and issues making headlines across Georgia.

Transcript

[A]

Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom on today's episode for its final two days, hours are being extended for Atlanta's FIFA World Cup Fan Festival. A Savannah State baseball player is currently being detained by ICE and the city of Albany faces questions about data centers.

[B]

It isn't just affecting Albany, it's going to affect all surrounding counties. We all share the same aquifer. We all share somewhat of the same power grid. This is about life.

[A]

Today is Wednesday, July 8th. I'm Orlando Montoya and this is Georgia Today. A Savannah State University baseball player is reportedly being held by U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement. Johan Sandoval, a second baseman for the Tigers, was detained Friday after playing in a summer baseball league in Albany. Sandoval, who is from the Dominican Republic, came to the United States in 2021 to attend college and play baseball. His family says they're trying to determine why he was detained and have launched a GoFundMe to help pay legal expenses. ICE has not responded to GPB's questions about Sandoval's case. Southwest Georgia residents turned out Tuesday for the first in a series of four informational sessions hosted by the city of Albany about data centers. GPB's Grant Blankenship reports.

[C]

Albany City Manager Terrell Jacobs led the session, mostly focused on perceived positives should a data center take interest in the city. So far, none has, despite Jacobs claim that Albany's city owned electrical utility has more power to sell than it has customers. During the open mic Q and A, almost all who spoke said they completely oppose data centers, including Baptist Minister John Kemsey, who worries about data centers using the Floridan aquifer relied on by farms and home wells.

[B]

It isn't just affecting Albany, it's going to affect all surrounding counties. We all share the same aquifer. We all share somewhat of the same power grid. This is about life.

[C]

The next session is July 9th at Albany's National Mary Akers Middle School. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Albany.

[A]

Meanwhile, Georgia utility regulators have approved an investigation into who exactly is paying for the massive cost of upgrades needed to power data centers. The state Public Service Commission signed off on the study yesterday. It's part of an agreement that PSC staff reached with Georgia Power in May to lower costs for residential customers. The probe will focus on whether power hungry industrial customers are shifting some costs to residential customers. Last year, advocates successfully fought to save a stretch of land at the eastern edge of the Okefenokee swamp from a mining company. Now that land is opening up to the public. GPB's Gillian Magtoto has more.

[D]

The nonprofit the Conservation Fund $60 million to prevent 8,000 acres from being used for minerals mining. Now it's selling half of the land back to the state and the other half to the federal government as an extension of the existing refuge. Stacey Funderberg of the Conservation Fund our

[E]

goal was always to make sure that it ended up in public ownership so that it can be accessible to the public. That is a really great outcome both in terms of recreational access and habitat management.

[D]

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will complete its portion of the land transfer early next. For GBV News, I'm Jillian Magtoto.

[A]

Savannah officials are preparing residents for a new fee that they'll be paying on their water bills. The city will start charging residents a stormwater utility fee starting in September. The goal is to pay for millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades to address long standing and future flooding issues in the coastal city. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said yesterday residents will start seeing notices in their bills about the fee.

[F]

Our residents have told us they want really more aggressive work in the stormwater space. Council approved it and now we're ready to move on it.

[A]

City officials say most residents will pay less than $5 a month. More than 70 communities across Georgia already use a stormwater utility fee. University of Georgia researchers say Georgians should be on the lookout for spotted lanternflies as the invasive insect continues to spread. The pest was first detected in Georgia last year and has so far been found only in the Atlanta area. But researchers expect the population to grow in coming years, posing a potential threat to grapes, peaches and other fruit crops. If you spot one, experts recommend taking a photo, killing the insect and reporting the sighting to the Georgia Invasive Species Task Force. Officials in southeast Georgia's McIntosh county are setting aside plans to rezone one of the South's last Gullah Geechee communities founded by freed slaves. For now, the county's planning commissioners yesterday heeded the advice of their attorney, who urged them to start the process over and residents who have long opposed the plan for Sapelo Island. The county has been trying for years to allow larger homes in the island's hog hummock community, an effort that has led to lawsuits, a citizen led referendum and a Georgia Supreme Court decision. Residents fear the rezoning will lead to more development and higher taxes, threatening their ability to remain in one of the nation's most historically and culturally unique black communities. Miriam Gutman represented the Southern Poverty Law center at the meeting.

[G]

A lot of folks who live on the island whose families have been there for up to seven generations are worried that allowing larger homes will encourage folks with a lot of money with developers to come build very large homes that are out of the character and the history of the community that will result in higher property taxes that folks on a fixed income can't afford. So people are scared about losing their land that means so much to them, losing their community that has been so tight knit for so long and in just losing the feel of the of the land with different people moving their building, as some alleged McMansions, it just wouldn't be the same place.

[A]

She says county officials will have to come back with another proposal since a total ban on all new buildings has been in effect since the referendum in January. Atlanta's FIFA World Cup Fan Festival is extending its hours for its final two days. Organizers say the festival at Centennial Olympic park has welcomed nearly a half million fans in 16 days of operation. A limited number of general admission tickets will be released on Friday for the last two evening celebrations next week week on Tuesday and Wednesday. General admission tickets for the rest of the days, including a concert by hometown icon Ludacris, is sold out. Meanwhile, a neighboring DeKalb County Decatur Watchfest says its attendance has far exceeded expectations. 140,000 visitors have come to Decatur Square for matches and concerts over the past month. Remaining events there do not require a ticket except the sold out Finale concert featuring Decatur's very own Indigo Girls in Georgia. Business News A planned Life sciences research park in metro Atlanta's Wynnette county is looking for a new leader. The Rowan Convergence center said yesterday its first president and CEO, Mason Ailstock, is stepping down after joining the organization six years ago. The center, currently under construction, is expected to bring together innovators in a range of fields advancing science and jobs. And Gulfstream Aerospace says it has completed the farthest fastest flight in business aviation history. The Savannah based manufacturer said last week that its long range aircraft, the G800, flew from Melbourne, Australia to Moline, Illinois, covering more than 8,000 miles in nearly 17 hours. That tops a record set by another Gulfstream aircraft in 2019.

[H]

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[A]

In Georgia Sports A former Columbus Clingstones pitcher is headed to the major leagues. The Atlanta Braves have called up right hander Owen Murphy, who's expected to make his major league debut later this week. Murphy opened the season as the Clingstones opening day starter before earning a promotion to Triple A Gwinnett. The former first round draft pick becomes the sixth player in the Clingstones two year history to reach the majors with the Braves. And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. I'll invite you to visit gpb.orgnews that webpage has all our reporters coverage of the day's news from gpb. If you haven't yet hit subscribe on this podcast, please take a moment do that now to help you and help us by staying current with us in in your podcast feed. If you have feedback, send that to us at Georgia [e-mail] I'm Orlando Montoya and we'll be back again tomorrow with another edition of Georgia Today.