Flock camera alleged misuse; GHSA basketball moving; McCaysville flooding

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast Summary

Date: August 3, 2026
Host: Orlando Montoya (for Georgia Public Broadcasting)
Episode Focus: Issues in public safety and governance, high school sports relocations, community health partnerships, flood recovery, political campaign developments, and an in-depth exploration of AI and digital equity through Onyx Impact’s “Aisha” platform.

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1. Main Theme & Purpose

This episode brings listeners the latest news across Georgia, spotlighting stories on technology misuse in law enforcement, community resilience, health and education innovations, and the journey toward digital equity and responsible AI. The episode closes with a thoughtful interview on the implications of artificial intelligence for Black communities.

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2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

Savannah Police Investigated for Flock Camera Misuse

• Summary: Six Savannah Police Department employees (4 officers, 2 staffers) are under investigation for alleged misuse of flock surveillance cameras, using them to search personal contacts.
• Accountability Statement: Police Chief Lenny Guenther emphasized, “The public places a tremendous amount of trust in us, and that trust must be earned every single day.” (01:13-01:15)
• Broader Context: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is involved; similar cases have occurred in multiple counties.
• Importance: Highlights ongoing concerns about privacy and abuse of surveillance tools.

Georgia High School Basketball Championships Move

• Summary: The state championships will temporarily relocate from Macon Centerplex to Georgia State University’s Convocation Center in Atlanta for 2027, due to arena construction in Macon. (01:36-01:56)
• Significance: Marks a shift in tradition and logistical adjustments for student-athletes and fans.

McCaysville Flash Flooding

• Incident: Severe flooding hit downtown McCaysville after 9 inches of rain, requiring 19 rescues and causing significant damage. (01:57-02:23)
• Ongoing Response: Cleanup crews are restoring businesses; residents must boil water until repairs are complete.
• Geographic Note: The town straddles the border with Tennessee.

Georgia Democratic Convention in Savannah

• Campaign Spotlight: Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms leads efforts to energize the Democratic base against Republican Rick Jackson.
• Quote: “He may be running to be Trump’s favorite governor, but I’m running to be yours.” — Keisha Lance Bottoms (03:02-03:04)
• Strategic Moves: Party announces new field offices ahead of November elections amid intensified statewide campaigning.

Regional Bank Merger

• Details: United Community Bank (SC) acquires Peach State Bank (GA) for $100 million, expanding its presence to 200 offices across six states. (03:34-04:01)

Charter School–Health System Partnership

• Initiative: Academy for Innovation in Medicine partners with Grady Health System to address Georgia’s low physician-per-capita rate.
• School Design: Offers hands-on, career-connected STEM and health science education; students earn high school diplomas and associate degrees. (04:08-05:02)
• Key Quote: “We’re seeing too many kids graduate from college with debt, without marketable skills... That’s what we are here to fix.” — Kristi Beam, Academy Founder (04:53-05:02)
• Workforce Impact: Training is tailored to address pressing shortages in healthcare roles.

Make Atlanta Your Own Gym

• Public Health Campaign: Encourages physical activity through access to free or low-cost resources and aligns with the CDC’s “Active People, Healthy Nation” initiative.
• Quote: “So that could be going to the pool for 30 minutes or an hour a day or going for a walk or cycling on the Belt Line.” — City official (06:01-06:16)
• Duration: Runs through December.

Tribute: Coach Buck Godfrey

• Legacy: Remembering legendary high school football coach Buck Godfrey, the winningest Black coach in Georgia, who passed away at age 83. (06:29-07:01)

Georgia Tech Lunar Research

• Science Highlight: Researchers synthesize lunar rock to better understand moon weathering and future water extraction possibilities for NASA missions. (07:33-08:20)
• Quote: “There could potentially be a way to just either extract water from the moon or find our own way to create it on the moon itself.” — Rashan Trivedi, PhD candidate (08:13-08:20)

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3. In-Depth Interview: Onyx Impact's Aisha AI Platform

Introduction to Aisha

• Speaker: Isosa Osa, Founder/CEO of Onyx Impact
• Mission: “Our mission is to amplify Black voices and to protect Black communities in an era of propaganda.” (09:06-09:12)
• Reason for Aisha: Existing AI platforms were perceived to actively harm Black communities—Aisha is positioned as a corrective alternative.

How Aisha is Different

• Features:
  • Prioritizes Black communities and vetted sources
  • Focuses on privacy and environmental responsibility
  • Built to counteract bias, rather than claim neutrality
• Quote: “AI is technology, and as such, it reflects the priorities, the values, the biases of its creators.” (10:56-11:16)
• Example Difference: Requests for recommendations (e.g., recipes, baby names, universities) are shaped by Black culture and history (e.g., jerk chicken, Morehouse and Spelman listed among best universities). (11:41-12:20)

AI and Objectivity

• Quote: “One of the lies that we’re told is that AI is somehow neutral.” — Isosa Osa (10:56-11:04)
• Intentionality: Aisha’s responses are designed to be culturally responsive and contextually deeper, aiming for truth rather than just engagement.

Questions of Siloing & Bias

• Addressed by Osa: “We set out to build a system that’s more inclusive, a culture more intentional about where information comes from and prioritizes vetted sources while preserving content.” (13:18-14:15)
• Stated Goal: Awareness and responsible management of bias, not “perfection.”
• Broader Impact: “When you build technology that works for the people that it has failed, you build technology that works better for everyone.” (14:15-14:25)

Candid Examples of AI Harm

• Pointed Out:
  • “ChatGPT recommends the death penalty more often when defendants sounded Black.”
  • “AI image generators default to dark skin for crime and light skin for CEO.”
  • “AI dental sensors are landing disproportionately in marginalized communities.”
• Purpose of Aisha: “Aisha exists because we believe that our communities deserve better, and... we've created a product that better serves everybody.” (15:30-15:39)

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4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Police Misconduct Context: “The public places a tremendous amount of trust in us, and that trust must be earned every single day.” — Chief Lenny Guenther (01:13-01:15)
• Charter School Vision: “We’re seeing too many kids graduate from college with debt, without marketable skills... That’s what we are here to fix.” — Kristi Beam (04:53-05:02)
• AI and Justice:
  • “One of the lies that we’re told is that AI is somehow neutral.” — Isosa Osa (10:56-11:04)
  • “When you build technology that works for the people that it has failed, you build technology that works better for everyone.” — Isosa Osa (14:15-14:25)
  • “Aisha exists because we believe that our communities deserve better...” — Isosa Osa (15:30-15:39)
• Political Highlight: “He may be running to be Trump’s favorite governor, but I’m running to be yours.” — Keisha Lance Bottoms (03:02-03:04)
• Science Aspirations: “There could potentially be a way to... extract water from the moon or find our own way to create it on the moon.” — Rashan Trivedi (08:13-08:20)

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5. Important Timestamps

• Misuse of Flock Cameras Investigation: 00:39–01:31
• GHSA Basketball Moves to Atlanta: 01:31–01:56
• McCaysville Flooding: 01:57–02:23
• GA Democratic Convention: 02:24–03:19
• Regional Bank Acquisition: 03:34–04:01
• Charter School-Grady Partnership: 04:08–05:19
• Atlanta Physical Activity Campaign: 05:19–06:29
• Coach Buck Godfrey Obituary: 06:29–07:01
• Georgia Tech Moon Research: 07:33–08:31
• Onyx Impact Aisha Interview: 08:31–15:39

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6. Tone and Language

The episode maintains a journalistic, measured, and public service-oriented tone with moments of candid personal insight, especially during the Aisha interview, where Isosa Osa uses frank, passionate language to discuss equity and the future of AI.

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This summary provides a comprehensive look at the episode’s most important stories, memorable quotes, and in-depth discussions, perfect for listeners and non-listeners alike seeking a detailed understanding of the August 3, 2026, “Georgia Today” podcast.

Transcript

[Orlando Montoya]

Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode 6 Savannah police officers are being investigated for alleged misuse of flock cameras. Georgia high school basketball champions are relocating next year, and one charter school has partnered with Grady Health Systems to hopefully employ more healthcare workers in Georgia.

[Kristi Beam]

We're seeing too many kids graduate from college with debt without marketable skills, with either unemployed or underemployed, and that's what we are here to fix.

[Orlando Montoya]

Today is Monday, August 3rd. I'm Orlando Montoya, and this is Georgia Today. Savannah police and state authorities are investigating six employees of the Savannah Police Department for possible misuse of the city's Fleet camera system. The department said today that the four officers and two staffers are accused of using the cameras to search for information on personal acquaintances and family members. Savannah Police Chief Lenny Guenther told reporters this morning such misuse will not be tolerated. The public places a tremendous amount of

[Isosa Osa]

trust in us, and that trust must

[Orlando Montoya]

be earned every single day. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the accusations for possible criminal charges in recent months. Authorities in Habers, Doherty, Richmond and other counties also have announced similar cases. The Georgia High School basketball championships are moving from Macon to Atlanta for 2027. GPB today confirmed the Georgia High School association will move the games from their longtime home at Macon Centerplex to Georgia State University's Convocation Center. An association spokesperson says the move is temporary while while Macon builds a new arena, the north Georgia city of mcaysville is digging out from flash flooding that sent a wall of water and mud through downtown early Sunday. Fire officials say 19 people were rescued from flooded homes. The city's police chief said today that cleanup crews are working diligently to restore downtown businesses. Authorities are advising residents to conserve and boil water until the city's water system is repaired. McKayesville, population just over a lies on the Georgia border and shares its downtown with Copper Hill, Tennessee, where the Toccoa river becomes the Ocoee River. The river flooded after 9 inches of rain fell in a short period of time. Democratic candidates took to the stage at the state party's annual convention this weekend to energize delegates for the November campaign. More than a thousand Democrats from across the state met in Savannah, confident in their resolve to make Keisha Lance Bottoms the next governor. The former Atlanta mayor headlined the convention, taking aim at her Republican challenger, health care executive Rick Jackson.

[Kristi Beam]

He may be running to be Trump's

[Orlando Montoya]

favorite governor, but I'm running to be yours Ahead of the speech, Jackson's campaign called bottoms a dangerous radical. Last week, Democrats announced new field offices and field organizers hired for November. A Southern regional bank based in South Carolina has acquired a Northeast Georgia regional bank. Greenville's United Community bank said today that it has completed its takeover of Gainesville's Peach State bank in a merger valued at $100 million. Peach State bank has two branches in Hall County. United Community bank has 200 offices across six states. Georgia ranks near the bottom for its number of active physicians per capita. A new charter school in Atlanta is partnering with Grady Health System to train the next generation of health care workers. GPB's Sophie Gratis has the details.

[Sophie Graudis]

Charter schools are gaining popularity. Georgia lawmakers this year approved nearly a quarter billion dollars in added funding for the state charter to improve existing schools and plan new ones.

[Kristi Beam]

Uniform pickups. You guys can see the uniforms.

[Sophie Graudis]

The Academy for Innovation in Medicine is one of those new schools with startup funds from the state.

[Kristi Beam]

We're waiting on our Our hospital bed

[Sophie Graudis]

has been delayed, but Kristi Beam is the founder of the academy.

[Kristi Beam]

Our hands on model, our very career connected model. The lab simulations really speaks to a lot of families, I think.

[Sophie Graudis]

Last week the school welcomed its first class. 180 students to fill 6th and 9th grade students will graduate with a high school diploma and associate's degree focused on STEM education and health sciences.

[Kristi Beam]

We're seeing too many kids graduate from college with debt, without marketable skills, with either unemployed or underemployed, and that's what we are here to fix.

[Sophie Graudis]

Clinical and job training for students hinges on a partnership with Grady, which runs Atlanta's biggest hospital. Workforce shortages there will guide what learning pathways students are offered, like nursing, radiology or emergency medicine. For GPB News, I'm Sophie Graudis in Atlanta.

[Orlando Montoya]

City leaders in Atlanta are launching a program to help residents become more physically active. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports. The campaign, called Make Atlanta youa Own Gym, is part of a national push.

[Amanda Andrews]

City leaders in Atlanta are launching the Make Atlanta your Own Gym campaign as part of a national push to help Americans be more physically active by 2020. Atlanta and Fulton county leaders want residents to touch grass or the pool or lift weights. The new campaign runs through December, offering free or low cost health resources, fitness classes and wellness education. Philip Smith is with Atlanta's Department of Arts and Recreation. He says getting 30 minutes of daily exercise can look different for everyone.

[Orlando Montoya]

So that could be going to the pool for 30 minutes or an hour a day or going for a walk or cycling on the Belt Line. Or it could be joining the free program for Primet Seniors, which we call our Legacy residents in the city of Atlanta.

[Amanda Andrews]

The campaign aligns with the center for Disease Control and Prevention's Active People Healthy Nation initiative to help 27 million Americans be more active by 2027. For GPB news, I'm Amanda Andrews.

[Orlando Montoya]

A legendary high school football coach in Georgia has died. Coach Buck Godfrey led the Southwest DeKalb Panthers for nearly three decades, ending in 2012. He led the team to a state championship and 27 playoff appearances, earning inductions into the Georgia, Atlanta and Georgia Athletic Coaches association halls of fame. Along the way, he was the winningest black football coach in state history. The school announced his death on Saturday. William buck Godfrey was 83 years old.

[Amanda Andrews]

The fatal shooting of a teenager at a protest in Seattle has gone unsolved for six years.

[Orlando Montoya]

This is open in your face.

[Isosa Osa]

How are there no answers?

[Amanda Andrews]

Our investigation has uncovered new evidence and witnesses who say they've never talked to police.

[Orlando Montoya]

Did police ever call you?

[Sophie Graudis]

Not once.

[Amanda Andrews]

Listen to We Keep Us Safe, a new True Crime series on the embedded podcast from npr.

[Orlando Montoya]

As NASA focuses on returning to the lunar surface, Georgia Tech researchers have synthesized their own moon Roc to better understand how things weather on the celestial body. GPB's Chase McGee has more.

[Chase McGee]

The moon is more than 240,000 miles from Earth. It doesn't have an atmosphere or magnetic poles to protect it from the sun's wind, a stream of charged particles. As a result, the lunar surface is constantly pummeled by protons, and now Georgia Tech researchers can study how that process works in a lab. Rashan Trivedi is a PhD candidate at Georgia Tech. He says this research could help future humans create their own water on the moon.

[Orlando Montoya]

There could potentially be a way to just either extract water from the moon or find our own way to create it on the moon itself.

[Chase McGee]

He says it's as simple as hydrogen from the sun meeting the oxygen in moon rocks. Research from Georgia Tech could be used in future NASA Artemis missions For GPB news, I'm Chase McGee.

[Orlando Montoya]

An Atlanta based research, media and technology nonprofit has launched what it calls an artificial intelligence platform that works, quote, for the people. Mainstream platforms have failed. The nonprofit is called Onyx Impact and its AI platform, aisha, officially launched in June. Here with me to talk about Aisha is Onyx Impact founder and CEO ISOSA osa. Welcome to gpb.

[Isosa Osa]

I am so happy to be here and an avid listener.

[Orlando Montoya]

Great, thanks. What prompted your company to create an AI platform?

[Isosa Osa]

Yeah, absolutely, I think so. Onyx Impact. As you said, we're a nonprofit. Our mission is to amplify black voices and to protect black communities in an era of propaganda. And so, as information experts that have spent years researching and creating tools to help black communities, including the Digital Green Book, the Blackout Report, the Information Integrity Lab, one of the clearest conclusions that we reached was that the most powerful information tool of our generation, AI, was being handed to black communities in a form that actively harmed them. And we decided that that was unacceptable. Aisha is our direct answer to that failure.

[Orlando Montoya]

How does it work?

[Isosa Osa]

Absolutely. So you can go to Aisha AI or look up Aisha a I s h a in any app store. She is a digital AI assistant. Like a chat, like a cloud, like a. Like a. Like a Gemini buffer that prioritizes black communities, that prioritizes vetted news sources, that prioritizes environmental responsibility and also privacy.

[Orlando Montoya]

I asked Google AI and Aisha the same set of 10 questions, and I'd like to discuss some of the similarities and differences with you if I could. Some questions elicited very similar answers, but kind of just couched differently. And they were the ones that I expected to be similar things like, give me five ideas for things I can do this weekend, or give me five ideas for simple meals, or what should I do about these medical symptoms. But they were all couched differently. What is your expectation for how these answers should come back?

[Isosa Osa]

Aisha is built off of black history, black news, black progress. Right.

[Orlando Montoya]

She.

[Isosa Osa]

She brings a. A different lens. Right. One of the things, I think the lies that we're told is that AI is somehow neutral. Right? As a. But we all know that AI is technology, and as such, it reflects the priorities, the values, the biases of its creators and so on. Simple questions like that. Right.

[Kristi Beam]

We.

[Isosa Osa]

We expect the answers to. Yeah. Be couched a little differently. You know, you might get a jerk chicken recipe when Aisha gives it to you. Right? You might. We love the folks that tell they've gotten wonderful oxtail recipes when they've asked Aisha. But we hope that the answers will be a bit more both succinct and easier to understand and read.

[Orlando Montoya]

Now, some answers were very different, and those were the ones that I kind of expected to be different. One was, what's the best new music out there right now? Totally different answer than what Google gave. And what are five possible baby names for male and females? And what are the five best universities in the United States? I think the same three appeared on both lists, but Aisha added Morehouse and Spelman There was one question that was what I thought would be the most polarizing of all. I asked Aisha and Google AI, what do the deaths of George Floyd, Michael Brown and Brianna Taylor say about the United States? And I'll read you just the first sentence and you can tell me. This is very different. Aisha said these three deaths reflect deep systemic truths about America that demand honest examination. And Google AI said these deaths have sparked intense national debate.

[Isosa Osa]

Lord have mercy.

[Orlando Montoya]

What do you think of that?

[Isosa Osa]

I think one, I think that the Google answer is in some ways deflecting from, I think a deeper real reality for how black folks have viewed and seen and experienced. Right. A post GEORGE Floyd, United States and I think Aisha's answer is correct.

[Orlando Montoya]

Does Aisha contribute to the siloing of information by making sure that you get your information and I get mine, depending on our race, age, gender or other characteristics?

[Isosa Osa]

This is actually one of my favorite questions to answer. Right? Because the question assumes our current AI systems, our current large language models are neutral, right? And we know that no system is ever bias free, but that does not mean that we can't build one that works against bias and practice. Right? We set out to build a system that's more inclusive, a culture more intentional about where information comes from and prioritizes vetted sources while preserving content. So the goal is not to be is not perfection, right? It's building a system that's aware that bias exists already in society and how to manage it responsibly. But I think one of the things that research has told us is that when you build technology that works for the people that it has failed, you build technology that works better for everyone. More accurate sourcing is going to benefit every user. Deeper cultural context is going to produce sharper answers for every user. And AI that leads with protection is going to serve every family, every parent, every person that comes to work with something that matters. Right? The fact that Aisha is that we have trained her to be with her goal being to make sure that folks are given the best information possible, not make sure that this person stays on this app for the longest. Right? Means that she's going to be less agreeable in some ways still very nice. But she's far less likely to give you answers that make you feel good and far more likely to help you get towards the truth. But to be very clear, ChatGPT recommends the death penalty more often when defendants sounded black AI dentist centers are landing disproportionately in marginalized communities. We know that AI image generators default to this day to dark skin for crime and light skin for CEO. We see over and over again the number of studies that come out about AI systematically rejecting black folks at higher rates. That is what our communities have been served, right? AISHA exists because we believe that our communities deserve better, and we believe we've created a product that better serves everybody.

[Orlando Montoya]

And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. There's more Georgia [e-mail] news subscribe to this podcast to keep us current in your feed, send us feedback. We love to hear your comments and suggestions at Georgia Today at gpb. Org, I'm Orlando Montoya. Peter Biello will be back tomorrow with another edition of Georgia Today.