Food banks struggle; Grady gets new ER; Coca-Cola turns 140

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast – May 8, 2026

Episode Theme:
This episode of "Georgia Today" delivers a concise roundup of notable news and stories from across Georgia. Key topics include the struggles and resilience of food banks amid rising demand, Grady Health System’s latest emergency facility, the 140th anniversary of Coca-Cola, positive developments for wildlife, and upcoming community events.

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Key Stories and Insights

1. U.S. Soccer National Training Center Unveiled (01:04–01:40)

• Story: The brand-new Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center has opened in Fayetteville, GA.
• Details:
  • 200-acre facility with 13 grass fields and indoor training options.
  • Will be home base for US men’s, women’s, youth, and extended programs.
  • Philanthropist Arthur Blank underscored soccer's power to impact youth.
• Notable Quote:
  • “The facility is a facility, but it's the hearts and the minds and the spirits of the young folks…being processed and have an opportunity to live their dreams.”
    — Arthur Blank (01:27)

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2. Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins (01:51–02:45)

• Story: Georgia’s loggerhead turtle nesting season kicks off with early nests reported on St. Catharines and Cumberland Islands.
• Insights:
  • The population has grown ~4% annually since the early '90s.
  • Two of the last four years surpassed the federal recovery goal (2,800 nests).
  • Marks encouraging progress for the federally protected species.

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3. Congressman Responds to Calls for Reduced Political Division (02:45–03:25)

• Story: US Representative Rich McCormick’s town hall in Alpharetta discussed divisiveness in politics.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Constituent John McKenna: “Doctor, can you please offer a prescription to defuse the rhetoric.” (02:51)
  • Rep. McCormick: “This is one of the things that breaks my heart about politics. We can't have a discussion and people are so busy trying to win an argument instead of trying to win a friend.” (03:00)
• Context: Increased security at the event, reflecting past contentiousness.

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4. Grady Health Expands Emergency Care (03:25–03:45)

• Story: Grady South Emergency Department opens soon in South Fulton County.
• Details:
  • 24/7 facility staffed by board-certified professionals.
  • Expands access to emergency care in under-served areas.
  • Onsite imaging, lab services, and pharmacy.

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5. Food Bank Struggles and Resilience in South Georgia (03:45–07:42)

• Story: Turner County’s Shepherd’s Pantry grapples with high demand and fluctuating donations, sometimes reducing distribution frequency.
• Scene Details:
  • Volunteers hurriedly pack and distribute food boxes (bread, chicken, cereal, pasta, “cuties”).
  • Diane Saylor (Pantry Leader):
    • “Let's get the potato chips in the boxes and let's get the line moving.” (04:47)
    • “We are independent. We are not backed by any church nor do we receive any government funding. So our funding just got low and we just could not keep up.” (05:10)
    • “I know where all these people are coming from and how hard it is in life. And we all need somebody to pick us up now and then. And that's what I'm here for, to help pick anybody up that needs a pickup.” (07:25)
  • Eliza McCall (Second Harvest food bank):
    • “It's been a long time since we have had a good normal average day when we weren't dealing with a pandemic or three hurricanes or wildfires. Now government shutdown, it's just kind of been one thing after another.” (05:44)
• Personal Impact:
  • Willie Washington: Caring for grandkids, feeling pressure from price increases.
  • Mary and James Johnson: On fixed incomes, dealing with costly medical travel (06:47).
• Tone: Practical, empathetic vignettes highlight community needs and volunteer dedication.

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6. Coca-Cola Turns 140: From Atlanta Soda Fountain to Global Icon (08:33–09:23)

• Story: May 8 marks 140 years since Coca-Cola’s first glass was poured.
• History & Growth:
  • Invented in 1886 by John Pemberton at Jacobs Pharmacy, Atlanta.
  • Rapid nationwide spread: “You had to go stagecoach. But suddenly this little company... becomes a nationwide force.” — Ted Ryan (08:53)
  • By 1950, Coca-Cola’s marketing and distinctive taste made it globally recognized.
• Notable Quote:
  • “Coca Cola is a truly global company, to the point that Time magazine actually put the Coca Cola Company on its cover, signifying that it was the first company that was global.” — Ted Ryan (09:11)
• Current Status: Sold in 200+ countries worldwide.

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7. Arts, Sports & Community Updates (09:23–End)

• Fox Theatre Grants: $1 million to preserve De Soto Theatre (Rome) & Thomasville Municipal Auditorium.
• Atlanta Braves: On a strong streak; details of rotation and injuries.
• Atlanta Dream & Atlanta United: Season openers and upcoming matches.
• Festival Round-up: Several local festivals highlighted—Acworth’s “Smoke on the Lake,” Dalton Civiton Music Festival, Ellijay Music Festival, and many more across Georgia.

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Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• “We all need somebody to pick us up now and then. And that's what I'm here for, to help pick anybody up that needs a pickup.” — Diane Saylor, Shepherd’s Pantry (07:25)
• “It's been a long time since we have had a good normal average day... It's just kind of been one thing after another.” — Eliza McCall, Second Harvest (05:44)
• “We can't have a discussion and people are so busy trying to win an argument instead of trying to win a friend.” — Rep. Rich McCormick (03:00)
• “Coca Cola is a truly global company...the first company that was global.” — Ted Ryan (09:11)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• U.S. Soccer Center: 01:04–01:40
• Loggerhead Turtles: 01:51–02:45
• Town Hall & Division: 02:45–03:25
• Grady ER Opening: 03:25–03:45
• Food Bank Struggles: 03:45–07:42
• Coca-Cola Anniversary: 08:33–09:23
• Community Updates & Festivals: 09:23–end

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This episode delivers a human-centered, fact-rich picture of Georgia’s current events, with an empathetic focus on community needs, local pride, and the state’s evolving story.

Transcript

[Sarah Kalis]

GPB belongs to Georgia and you are the center of everything we do. Become a GPB sustainer today or increase your monthly gift to fortify our work enriching Georgians of all ages. Visit gpb.org to donate today and thanks.

[Peter Biello]

Welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom on today's episode. Loggerhead sea turtle nesting season in Georgia has begun. A food bank in South Georgia rolls with the ebb and flow of community support and Atlanta based Coca Cola was created on this day way back in 1886.

[Ted Ryan]

That was the year the transcontinental railway was finished. The world was a different place. You had to go stagecoach. But suddenly this little company from Atlanta, Georgia becomes a nationwide force.

[Peter Biello]

Today is Friday, May 8th. I'm Peter Biello and this is George Georgia is now the headquarters for U.S. soccer leaders and athletes gathered yesterday for a ribbon cutting at the National Training Facility. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports.

[Amanda Andrews]

The Arthur M. Blank U.S. soccer National Training center in Fayetteville will be the home for Team USA development, including the men, women, youth and extended programs. The 200 acre facility includes 13 grass soccer fields, two turf fields, two sand fields and several options for indoor play. Philanthropist Arthur Blank says he supported this project because he's seen the impact soccer has on youth.

[Peter Biello]

The facility is a facility, but it's the hearts and the minds and the spirits of the young folks and younger being going on in age a little bit, being processed and have an opportunity to live their dreams.

[Amanda Andrews]

U.S. soccer staff will move in May 18, and the men's national team will start training there this month ahead of the World Cup. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

[Peter Biello]

Georgia's nesting season for loggerhead sea turtles is on, with nests confirmed on St. Catharines and Cumberland Islands on Tuesday. Georgia Sea Turtle Program coordinator Mark Dodd says the turtle's annual return to lay eggs on beaches along the Southeast usually starts around the first of May. Nest counts vary season to season, but the loggerhead population has been increasing by about 4% annually since the early 1990s. Two of the last four summers have exceeded the recovery goal of 2,800 nests a year. That's the target set in the National Mar Marine Fisheries Service U.S. fish and Wildlife Service recovery plan for the federally protected turtles. US Representative Rich McCormick answered constituent questions at a town hall in Alpharetta yesterday. GPB's Sarah Kalis reports.

[Sarah Kalis]

Several constituents, like John McKenna, who identifies as a Democrat, raise concerns about political division.

[Peter Biello]

Doctor, can you please offer a prescription to defuse the rhetoric.

[Sarah Kalis]

McCormick said division concerns him also.

[Peter Biello]

This is one of the things that breaks my heart about politics. We can't have a discussion and people are so busy trying to win an argument instead of trying to win a friend.

[Sarah Kalis]

The town hall had increased security but was tame compared to McCormick's viral 2025 town hall, where he faced hundreds of angry constituents. This time, the crowd was smaller, but he did see some pushback from both sides of the aisle about his answers to questions about immigration. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis and

[Peter Biello]

Alpharetta Grady Health System is planning a ribbon cutting celebration Monday next week to mark the opening of its new freestanding emergency department. The Grady South Emergency Department will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and fully staffed by board certified physicians, nurses and other clinicians. Grady says it will significantly expand access to emergency healthcare in south Fulton County. The facility features imaging and laboratory services, a pharmacy and staff support areas. A food pantry in South Georgia's Turner county has returned to distributing boxes of food on a weekly basis. Increased demand and a drop in donations forced Shepherd's Pantry in the city of Ashburn to temporarily drop to an every other Thursday schedule. Recently, I checked in with the volunteers who run the food pantry and those who rely on it to see how they've weathered the ebb and flow of community support. Thursday mornings are game day for Shepherd's Pantry. That's when trucks drop off pallets of food outside what used to be a middle school on Gilmore Street. Volunteers waste no time slicing through the plastic wrap so they can get to sorting the goods. In a few hours, the Shepherd's Pantry Thursday distribution will begin. Diane Saylor, the leader of this operation, surveys the line of people in cars stretched around the block. Then she turns to her team.

[Diane Saylor]

Let's get the potato chips in the boxes and let's get the line moving.

[Peter Biello]

In the shade of a Metal awning are 150 boxes. Each one is stuffed with bread, frozen chicken, cereal, pasta and the day's special cuties. The smell of citrus fills the air. This distribution day marks the return of a routine. The previous week, there wasn't enough food for a drive thru pickup.

[Diane Saylor]

See, we are independent. We are not backed by any church nor do we receive any government funding. So our funding just got low and we just could not keep up.

[Peter Biello]

As a result, March and April saw every other week distributions like this one. Shepherd's Pantry gets food from Second Harvest of South Georgia, the largest rural food bank in the state. It covers 26 South Georgia counties. Eliza McCall with Second Harvest says even on a good day, south Georgia has the highest rate of food insecurity in the state.

[Sarah Kalis]

And it's been a long time since we have had a good normal average day when we weren't dealing with a pandemic or three hurricanes or wildfires. Now government shutdown, it's just kind of been one thing after another.

[Peter Biello]

Add in high gas prices, which burdens both Second Harvest and the people who rely on it, and you've got a whole system feeling the squeeze. Back At Shepherd's Pantry, 67 year old Willie Washington waits his turn. He's close to the front of the line. He's got five grandkids to help feed. And he says the cost of everything seems to be rising. Gas ain't cheap no more. It's getting higher and higher. And with their food and stuff, it's a good thing we got this bank in Ashburn in Turner County. Really? Yeah. It's helped out of here. Farther down the line are Mary and James Johnson. They came 15 miles from the city of Pitts. James used to be a truck driver, but he's disabled now and on dialysis which requires hundred mile round trips to Albany three times a week. Mary says they borrow money to afford that travel.

[Amanda Andrews]

My husband and I, he gets Social Security, I get ssi. And what we get pays the bills that we have to pay and what little bit we got, what little bit we have left over might get us maybe a couple of groceries other than that.

[Peter Biello]

Mary Johnson shrugs. A volunteer calls the first car forward. A little after 11 drivers pull up slowly pop their trunks, unlock their back doors and volunteers drop in the goods. Families with children drive up a little farther for a box with extra sweets. Pantry founder Diane Saylor watches car after car drive off.

[Diane Saylor]

I know where all these people are coming from and how hard it is in life. And we all need somebody to pick us up now and then. And that's what I'm here for, to help pick anybody up that needs a pickup.

[Peter Biello]

And then Saylor's attention will turn to next week because she says the need is always here. Come here.

[NPR Host]

You know, Every day on Up First, NPR's Golden Globe nominated morning news podcast, we bring you three essential stories. the heart of of each story are questions. What really happened? What really mattered? What happens next? At npr we stand for your right to be curious and to follow the facts. Follow up first wherever you get your podcasts and start your day knowing what matters and why.

[Peter Biello]

Today marks 140 years since the first glass of Coca Cola was served in downtown Atlanta. Coca Cola debuted May 8, 1886 at Jacobs Pharmacy in Atlanta, where inventor John Pemberton mixed the syrup with carbonated water. In a previous interview with gpb, company archivist Ted Ryan said the Atlanta brand quickly spread across the country.

[Ted Ryan]

The world was a different place. You had to go stagecoach. But suddenly this little company from Atlanta, Georgia becomes a nationwide force.

[Peter Biello]

What began as a local soda fountain drink grew into one of the most recognizable products in the world, Ryan said. Coke's distinctive taste in marketing turned it into a worldwide phenomenon by 1950.

[Ted Ryan]

Coca Cola is a truly global company, to the point that Time magazine actually put the Coca Cola Company on its cover, signifying that it was the first company that was global.

[Peter Biello]

Today, Coca Cola products are sold in more than 200 countries around the world. The Fox Theatre is investing $1 million to help preserve two historic Georgia performance spaces through its philanthropic program Fox Gives. The Atlanta Theatre is awarding half million dollar grants to the De Soto Theatre in Rome and the Thomasville Municipal Auditorium in Thomasville. The funding will support renovations and safety upgrades at both venues. The Atlanta Braves face the Dodgers in Los Angeles tonight for the first of a three game series. Chris Sale is expected to get the start for the Braves, who are currently playing without Ronald Acuna Jr. He's on the injured list with a hamstring injury. The Braves face the defending World Series champion Dodgers while being in possession of the best record in baseball. And while Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is in the middle of a hitting slump, the Braves are not scheduled to face Ohtani on the mound this series. And that's where Ohtani has been outperforming nearly every other pitcher in the majors. Spencer Strider, who is still attempting a return to his former self after long stints on the injured list, is expected to get the start tomorrow. In other sports, the Atlanta Dreams start their season on the road tomorrow against the Minnesota Lynx. They'll host the Las Vegas Aces for their home opener on Sunday, May 17, and Atlanta United hosts the LA Galaxy tomorrow. Festival season in Georgia is a wonderful time to explore the state. Whether you're learning new things about your neighborhood or discovering a whole new community you've never visited, here is a short and admittedly incomplete list of festivals happening around Georgia this weekend. Acworth is hosting its 16th annual Smoke on the Lake Barbecue Festival. There's the Dalton Civiton Music Festival and the Ellijay Music Festival. Columbus hosts the Crossroads Folk Art festival. There's the 50th annual Glenville Sweet Onion Festival, the Pavo Peacock Day Festival, and the Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival. Winterville will host its Marigold Festival. And in the city of Atlanta, you'll find the Sweet Auburn Springfest. And that's it for this edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, visit gpb.org news and remember to subscribe to this podcast, because we'll be back at you on Monday afternoon. And your feedback is welcome by email. That's the best way to reach us. Email georgia todaypb.org we hope you have a great Mother's Day weekend. I'm Peter Biello. We'll be back with you on Monday. Sam.