Five soldiers shot at Fort Stewart; Michael Thurmond announces governor run

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast Summary

Episode: Five soldiers shot at Fort Stewart; Michael Thurmond announces governor run
Host: Peter Biello
Release Date: August 6, 2025

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Shooting Incident at Fort Stewart Army Base

The episode opens with a distressing report from Fort Stewart, Georgia’s largest Army installation east of the Mississippi River, home to the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. Early morning on August 6th, an Army Sergeant, Cornelius Radford, opened fire at the base, injuring five soldiers. The incident led to a brief lockdown, but all injured servicemen are reported to be in stable condition and expected to recover. Fort Stewart authorities responded swiftly, apprehending the shooter within an hour of the incident.

Republican Congressman Buddy Carter, representing Georgia's First District where Fort Stewart is located, addressed the community's concerns:

“Fort Stewart is a very tight knit community. We were just out there last week for the change of command and anytime anything like this happens, it impacts the whole community and it impacts our constituents and outside of the base as well.”
— Buddy Carter [01:06]

The motive behind the shooting remains unclear as the investigation continues. The Army has withheld the names of the victims pending notification of their next of kin.

Michael Thurmond Announces Candidacy for Governor

Former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond has officially announced his bid for the Governor of Georgia in the 2026 elections. In his statement, Thurmond emphasized his campaign focus on critical state issues:

“I want to focus on the cost of living, preserving access to health care and ending divisiveness.”
— Michael Thurmond [01:20]

Thurmond joins a diverse Democratic field, including Atlanta State Senator Jason Estevez and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. On the Republican side, contenders currently include State Attorney General Chris Carr and Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones. The open race follows the ineligibility of incumbent Governor Brian Kemp, a two-term Republican, to run again.

Delayed Federal Education Grants Approved

After a delay caused by a review from the Trump administration in June, the Georgia State Board of Education has approved the distribution of previously withheld federal education grants. These funds are crucial for various educational programs, including English language acquisition, support for student mobility, academic enrichment, and teacher quality improvement. Deputy Superintendent Sean Owens highlighted the urgency of releasing these funds:

“Ready and available and very anxious to get these funds to the districts as quickly as possible.”
— Brianna Schermerhorn [03:31]

Sean Owens elaborated on the grant process:

“The grants are typically distributed in early July, ahead of the start of the school year, but were placed under review by the Trump administration in June. Now all have been released to the states.”
— Sean Owens [03:36]

Pierce County Library Board Controversy

The podcast delves into the contentious situation at the Pierce County Library in Blackshear, southeast Georgia. Following the June dismissal of longtime library manager LaVonna Moore for including a book with a transgender character in a display, the library board has been embroiled in controversy. Recent developments include the appointment of two new library board members by the Pierce County Board of Commissioners. However, this move has sparked debate over the consideration of the new members' views on the LGBTQ community.

Brianna Schermerhorn, the mother of Mason Schermerhorn who was tragically killed in last year's school shooting at Appalachia High School, voiced her frustration:

“As a grieving parent, the Board of Commissioners decision feels utterly disrespectful and tone deaf. Let me ask you, do we treat fire trucks this way? Do we tell this Board of Education to foot the bill when a fire breaks out in a school? No, because fire safety is community responsibility and so is school safety.”
— Brianna Schermerhorn [02:42]

County commissioners have yet to respond to Schermerhorn's comments. Meanwhile, Pierce County Manager Rafael Maddox stated that the appointments were made without regard to the new members' positions on LGBTQ issues.

Economic Support for Laid-Off Workers at Georgia Pacific Mill

The U.S. Department of Labor has allocated nearly $2 million to support employment and training services for over 500 workers affected by the recent closure of the Georgia Pacific paper mill in Early County, southwest Georgia. The funds will be administered by the Technical College System of Georgia, aiming to facilitate retraining and job placement for the laid-off employees.

Columbus Airport Runway Renovation

Travelers at Columbus Airport may experience delays as the facility temporarily suspends commercial flights to undergo a $24 million runway renovation slated to take approximately 100 days. During this period, passengers will need to utilize nearby airports, including the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Columbus Airport, which typically handles only three daily Delta Air Lines flights, is undergoing these improvements to enhance its infrastructure and service capacity.

Monroe County Blocks Data Center Development

In a significant local decision, Monroe County residents successfully opposed the repurposing of 900 acres of forested land for a new data center. Community members, valuing the rural character and environmental integrity of the area, rallied against the development. Republican Congressman Buddy Carter highlighted the community's stance:

“Last night, hundreds of people wearing red 'say no to rezoning' T-shirts filled the county fine arts building to tell the Monroe County Commission where they stood on the data center plan for unincorporated Bowling.”
— Buddy Carter [05:36]

Brianna Schermerhorn added her personal perspective:

“We bought our homes for peace and quiet. During heavy rains, our creek swells, sometimes overflow.”
— Brianna Schermerhorn [05:48]

Monroe County Chairman Alan Gibbs affirmed his commitment to maintaining the county's rural nature:

“I don't want to fundamentally change how we do things in this county over money. Monroe county already has another data center under construction.”
— Buddy Carter [06:13]

The county commission's unanimous decision reflects the community’s dedication to preserving their environment over economic incentives from data center investments.

Historic Milestone in Major League Baseball

In a groundbreaking moment for gender equality in sports, Major League Baseball (MLB) will feature its first female on-field umpire. Jen Powell, a 48-year-old from New Jersey, made history by officiating during a doubleheader between the Braves and Marlins at Truist Park. Powell served as home plate umpire on Sunday after working the bases on Saturday. This milestone comes 28 years after the NBA broke the gender barrier for officials and a decade after similar advancements in the NFL.

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This episode of Georgia Today provides comprehensive coverage of significant local and state events, ranging from military incidents and political campaigns to educational funding and community-driven decisions. By presenting diverse perspectives and firsthand accounts, the podcast offers listeners a nuanced understanding of the issues shaping Georgia today.

Transcript

[Peter Biello]

Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, five soldiers were injured in a shooting at Georgia's Fort Stewart Army Base. Former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurman announces a run for governor and delayed federal education grants are now on the way.

[Brianna Schermerhorn]

Very anxious to get these funds to the districts as quickly as possible.

[Peter Biello]

Today is Wednesday, August 6th. I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today. Officials say an army sergeant opened fire at Fort Stewart this morning, shooting five soldiers and prompting a brief lockdown at the sprawling base in southeast Georgia. The army says all are in stable condition and are expected to recover. Fort Stewart says law enforcement responded to reports of a possible shooter just before 11 o' clock this morning and the shooter was apprehended less than an hour later. Republican Congressman Buddy Carter represents Georgia's First District where Fort Stewart is located.

[Buddy Carter]

Fort Stewart is a very tight knit community. We were just out there last week for the change of command and anytime anything like this happens, it impacts the whole community and it impacts our constituents and outside of the base as well.

[Peter Biello]

Army officials say the shooter is Army Sergeant Cornelius Radford. Fort Stewart is the largest army post east of the Mississippi River. It's home to thousands of soldiers assigned to the Army's 3rd Infantry Division and their family members members. The army says it will not release the names of the victims until next of kin are notified and it will not speculate on motive as the investigation is ongoing. Democrat Michael Thurmond is running for governor of Georgia in 2026. In a statement today, Thurmond said he wants to focus on the cost of living, preserving access to health care and ending divisiveness. He joins a Democratic field that includes Atlanta State Senator Jason Estevez and and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Thurmond was elected twice as CEO of metro Atlanta's DeKalb county and three times statewide as Georgia labor commissioner. The Republican candidates so far include State Attorney General Chris Carr and lieutenant Governor Burt Jones. The governor's race is wide open next year since Two term Republican governor Brian Kemp can't run again. The mother of a 14 year old who died in the deadly school shooting in Barrow county last year is speaking out about a decision on funding for school resource officers. Brianna Schermerhorn's son, Mason Schermerhorn, was killed last year in the attack at Appalachia High School. County commissioners say they can't afford to pay for the officers and shifted those costs to the school board, a decision Schermerhorn blasted at a commission meeting last night.

[Brianna Schermerhorn]

As a grieving parent, the Board of Commissioners decision feels utterly disrespectful and tone deaf. Let me ask you, do we treat fire trucks this way? Do we tell this Board of Education to foot the bill when a fire breaks out in a school? No, because fire safety is community responsibility and so is school safety.

[Peter Biello]

Commissioners did not respond to her comments. The state Board of Education approved the distribution of some delayed federal education grants at a meeting today. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.

[Sean Owens]

The board authorized the state school superintendent to release the funds to local districts. The money will pay for programs for English language acquisition, support for students who move districts, academic enrichment and teacher quality improvement, deputy Superintendent Sean Owens says.

[Brianna Schermerhorn]

Ready and available and very anxious to get these funds to the districts as quickly as possible.

[Sean Owens]

The grants are typically distributed in early July, ahead of the start of the school year, but were placed under review by the Trump administration in June. Now all have been released to the states. For GPB news, I'm Sarah Kallas.

[Peter Biello]

The Pierce County Board of Commissioners voted yesterday to seat two new members of the Pierce County Library Board. The library in the southeast Georgia city of Blackshear has been the subject of controversy since the June firing of longtime library manager LaVonna Moore for including a book in a library display that included a transgender character. The library board could call for Moore to be reinstated as library manager, though they have not yet had an opportunity to do so. The last library meeting in July was canceled for lack of a quorum. The next meeting has not yet been scheduled. Pierce County Manager Rafael Maddox says he did not consider the newly appointed members views on the LGBTQ community when deciding whether to recommend their appointments. The U.S. department of labor has awarded nearly $2 million to support employment and training services for people affected by layoffs at the Georgia Pacific paper mill in southwest Georgia's Early County. The mill closed down at the end of last month, affecting more than 500 workers. The support will be administered by the Technical College System of Georgia. If you were hoping to catch a flight out of the Columbus airport, you might be waiting a while. The Columbus airport has suspended commercial flights while it undergoes a Runway renovation. Airport officials broke ground on the $24 million project yesterday. It's expected to take about 100 days to complete. In the meantime, Columbus Air travelers will have to fly out of nearby airports, including Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, though Columbus Airport typically serves only three flights daily through Delta Air Lines. Residents of Middle Georgia's Monroe county successfully fought an effort to repurpose 900 acres of forested land for a data center. GPB's Grant Blankenship reports on the decision.

[Buddy Carter]

Last night, hundreds of people wearing red say no to rezoning T shirts filled the county fine arts building to tell the Monroe County Commission where they stood on the data center plan for unincorporated bowling.

[Brianna Schermerhorn]

We bought our homes for peace and quiet. During heavy rains, our creek swells, sometimes overflow.

[Buddy Carter]

We say, this is my great grandmother's house. It was my childhood and my future. Landowners who wanted the data center had their say, too. But after hearing both sides all in favor, the commission was a unanimous no. Monroe County Chairman Alan Gibbs says his vote was part of his promise to keep the county rural.

[Peter Biello]

Data centers bring a lot of money into the county.

[Buddy Carter]

I don't want to fundamentally change how we do things in this county over money. Monroe county already has another data center under construction. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship. And for seif.

[NPR Consider This Host]

These days there's so much news it can be hard to keep up with what it all means for you, your family and your community. The Consider this podcast from NPR features our award winning journalism. Six days a week we bring you a deep dive on a news story and provide the context and analysis that helps you make sense of the news. We get behind the headlines. We get to the truth. Listen to the Consider this podcast from npr.

[Peter Biello]

For the first time in Major League Baseball history, one of the umpires on the field will be a woman at Truest park this weekend. Jen Powell worked the bases during the doubleheader between the Braves and Marlins on Saturday and and serve as home plate umpire on Sunday. Powell, a 48 year old from New Jersey, worked spring training games last year and this year. MLB's move comes 28 years after the gender barrier for officials was broken in the NBA and 10 years after it ended in the NFL. And that's a wrap on the podcast today, but be sure to check gpp.org news for updates and keep following all these stories tomorrow on the podcast. It'll drop in your feed automatically if you subscribe to and remember to send us feedback or story ideas if you have them. The email address is Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.