Georgia Today: DeKalb Jail Escape Update; Atlanta Housing Fraud Case; New Opioid Research & Risks

Summary

Georgia Today: DeKalb Jail Escape Update; Atlanta Housing Fraud Case; New Opioid Research & Risks

Podcast: Georgia Today (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
Host: Peter Biello
Date: December 23, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of Georgia Today provides updates and insights into three major news stories in Georgia: the recapture of three inmates who escaped from the DeKalb County Jail, a senior Atlanta Housing Authority executive charged with fraud, and new UGA research linking opioid use to increased infection risk. Additional reports cover appointments to the Georgia State Election Board, a disability discrimination settlement, astronomical research in Georgia, the sale of a historic Savannah landmark, and holiday safety reminders.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. DeKalb County Jail Escape Recapture

Segment Start: 00:32

• Incident: Three escaped inmates from DeKalb County Jail were captured after fleeing to Miami.
• Recapture: U.S. Marshals assisted in locating and arresting the men, who were considered armed and dangerous, but no civilian injuries have been reported.
• Security Issues: Sheriff Melody Maddox cited “aging infrastructure” as a factor in the escape, implying a need for funding to improve security.
  • No disclosure on how the escape was executed.

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2. Atlanta Housing Authority Fraud Case

Segment Start: 00:59

• Accused: Tracy Denise Jones, senior vice president at Atlanta Housing Authority.
• Charges: Engaging in schemes to fraudulently collect Section 8 housing payments, pandemic relief fund fraud, and mortgage fraud.
• Scheme Details: Jones allegedly used shell companies and an alias to hide her receipt of Section 8 payments for her rental property, in violation of rules prohibiting staff from collecting such payments personally.
• Status: Jones was arraigned last week; she is not currently listed on the Housing Authority’s website and the organization did not respond to GPB’s request for comment.
• Agency Involvement: HUD Office of Inspector General is leading the investigation.

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3. New Opioid Research & Risks

Segment Start: 01:56

• Research: University of Georgia study finds that the use of opioid pain medication increases the risk of developing C. Diff infection in hospitalized patients.
  • C. Diff: A highly infectious bacterium causing nausea and diarrhea.
• Particularly At Risk: Patients with compromised immune systems, including the elderly and those with renal or liver disease.
• Expert Commentary:
  • Pooja Goplay, PhD Candidate:

    “Clinicians need to be aware that the risk might be higher in such patients and need to consider that factor when prescribing opioids and also monitor patients on opioids for any signs and symptoms of C. Diff.” (02:28)

  • Call for More Study: Goplay notes further research is needed to fully understand these risks.

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4. State and Local Government & Legal Updates

• State Election Board Appointment (Segment Start: 02:51)

  • Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones appoints Sally Grubbs to the State Election Board; described as a strong supporter of election integrity, aligned with top GOP figures.
  • Quote – GOP Chair Josh McCune:

    "Grubbs has a strong record of leadership and deep commitment to election integrity."

• Chatham County Board of Elections

  • Brooke Schreiner appointed as the new supervisor, taking over in February 2026.

• Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Settlement (Segment Start: 03:53)

  • First Franklin Financial Corporation to pay $750,000 and update its accommodation policies after the EEOC found they denied reasonable accommodations and, in at least one case, fired an employee for requesting medical leave.

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5. Science & Astronomy

Segment Start: 04:42

• Astronomical Discovery:
  • Georgia State’s CHARA Telescope Array captured real-time images of two stellar explosions (novae) — a first in astronomy.
  • Detail from CHARA Director Gail Shaffer:

    “The second one that we called that year, it was a very slow, evolving nova. For that one. It took about 50 days before, like the outer layers kind of exploded outward.” (05:07)

  • These observations will help better understand star life cycles.

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6. Savannah Cotton Exchange Building for Sale

Segment Start: 05:30

• Historic Landmark: The Savannah Cotton Exchange, built in 1886 and a key site in the global cotton trade, is up for sale for the first time in roughly 150 years.
• Uses: The $10 million property could become an event facility, restaurant, or luxury apartments.
• Memorable Moment:
  • Ann Bozzi, Engel & Volkers, on the ambiance:

    “You walk into the foyer and then you go into the trading floor and the energy is still there.” (05:57)

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7. Holiday Travel & Safety Reminders

Segment Start: 06:29

• Message from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety:
  • Captain Maurice Raines urges Georgians not to drink and drive during the holidays.
  • Memorable Quote:

    “No one has to drink and drive. No one has to make that selfish, unnecessary choice on getting on our roadways.” (06:45 – Orlando Montoya)

  • Over 360 arrests for impaired driving were made last holiday season.

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8. Media & Arts

• HOT 97 Launches Atlanta News Show (Segment Start: 07:29)
  • Hot 97 News Atlanta debuts in January as a daily one-hour live program focusing on metro Atlanta news, music, and entertainment, hosted by Lana Harris and Rondell Smith.

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9. Sports

• NBA Highlight: The Atlanta Hawks face the Chicago Bulls, who are looking to extend a three-game win streak. Previous matchup was the season’s highest-scoring NBA game (152-150 Bulls).

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Notable Quotes

• Pooja Goplay (UGA opioid research):

  "Clinicians need to be aware that the risk might be higher in such patients and need to consider that factor when prescribing opioids..." (02:28)

• Captain Maurice Raines (Holiday Safety):

  “No one has to drink and drive. No one has to make that selfish, unnecessary choice on getting on our roadways.” (06:45)

• Ann Bozzi (Savannah Cotton Exchange):

  “You walk into the foyer and then you go into the trading floor and the energy is still there.” (05:57)

• Gail Shaffer (CHARA Director):

  "The second one ... it took about 50 days before, like the outer layers kind of exploded outward." (05:07)

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Important Timestamps

• DeKalb Jail Escape Recapture: 00:32
• Atlanta Housing Authority Fraud: 00:59
• UGA Opioid Study: 01:56
• State Election Board Appointment: 02:51
• Disability Discrimination Settlement: 03:53
• Astronomy Discovery: 04:42
• Savannah Cotton Exchange for Sale: 05:30
• Holiday Drinking & Driving Warning: 06:29
• Hot 97 News Atlanta Launch: 07:29

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For more details on any story, visit GPB News.

Transcript

[Peter Biello]

Welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, the men who Escaped from the DeKalb County Jail are back in custody. An executive at the Atlanta Housing Authority has been charged with fraudulently collecting Section 8 housing payments and UGA researchers find your pain medication may reduce your body's ability to fight infection.

[Pooja Goplay]

Clinicians need to be aware that the risk might be higher in such patients and need to consider that factor when prescribing opioids.

[Peter Biello]

Today is Tuesday, December 23rd. I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today. Three incarcerated men who escaped DeKalb County Jail yesterday are now back in custody. DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox announced that three men were found with intelligence from the U.S. marshals Service after taking a rideshare car to Miami. The men were reportedly armed and dangerous, but no injuries related to their escape have been reported. Sheriff Maddox did not disclose how the men were able to escape the jail, but alluded to aging infrastructure that the county would need funding to fortify. A senior vice president at the Atlanta Housing Authority has been charged with engaging in a scheme to fraudulently collect Section 8 housing payments. The U.S. attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia says Tracy Denise Jones is also charged with pandemic relief fund fraud and mortgage fraud. Housing Authority staff are generally prohibited from receiving Section 8 payments for their own properties. Jones is accused of using shell companies and a fake name to hide Section 8 payments she received for her rental house. Jones was arraigned last week. This case is being investigated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. Jones is not listed on the Atlanta Housing Authority's website. The organization did not respond to GPB's request for comment. Opioid medication reduces pain, but it may also reduce the body's ability to fight infection. That's according to new research from the University of Georgia. GPB's Ellen Eldredge reports hospitalized people who.

[Ellen Eldredge]

Used opioid medication were more likely to develop C. Diff infection. The highly infectious pathogen causes nausea and diarrhea and spreads quickly. Pooja Goplay is a PhD candidate and study author in UGA's College of Pharmacy. She says most at risk are people with compromised immune systems, such as older adults and people with renal or liver disease.

[Pooja Goplay]

Clinicians need to be aware that the risk might be higher in such patients and need to consider that factor when prescribing opioids and also monitor patients on opioids for any signs and symptoms of.

[Ellen Eldredge]

C. Diff goplay says more study is needed to better understand the relationship between opioids and C. Diff infection. For GPV News, I'm Ellen Eldredge.

[Peter Biello]

Lieutenant governor Burt Jones has appointed Sally Grubbs to serve on the Georgia State Election Board. Grubbs is first vice chair of the Georgia gop. She has frequently aligned herself with President Donald Trump and Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and has campaigned for leadership posts on a platform of preserving election integrity. In a statement, GOP chairman Josh McCune says Grubbs has, quote, a strong record of leadership and a deep commitment to election integrity. The the State Election Board is tasked with ensuring the fairness and legality of state elections. She replaces Rick Jeffries, who has resigned. The Chatham County Board of Elections has a new supervisor. The current reports Brooke Schreiner comes to Chatham from Butts county, where she served as director of elections and registration for five years. Prior to that, she held the same position in Henry county for a decade. She succeeds Billy Wootton, who had been expected to step away from the job before next year's midterm elections. Shriner will officially assume her new post on February 2nd. The Toccoa, Georgia based consumer lender First Franklin Financial Corporation will pay $750,000 to some former employees to settle a disability discrimination suit. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced today that the suit, originating in 2022, alleged First Franklin denied reasonable accommodations to its employees with disabilities and offered no alternative accommodations. In one case, the company allegedly fired a man after he requ a short leave to handle multiple medical conditions contributing to heart attacks. In addition to the monetary relief, First Franklin will update its employment policies and provide training for employees who handle disability accommodation requests. A team of astronomers captured images of two stars exploding with unprecedented clarity using Georgia state university equipment, GPB's Amanda Andrews explains. Their findings were published this month.

[Amanda Andrews]

The images were captured with Georgia State's center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy, or chara, Telescope Array on a mountaintop in California. Scientists combined the images to complete observation of two stellar explosions known as novae, in real time. Previously, scientists could only make educated guesses about what that kind of stellar event would look like. CHARA director Gail Shaffer says they saw variations in how the two stars exploded.

[Gail Shaffer]

The second one that we called that year, it was a very slow, evolving nova. For that one. It took about 50 days before, like the outer layers kind of exploded outward.

[Amanda Andrews]

This study will begin to help scientists answer questions about how stars live, die and affect their surroundings. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

[Peter Biello]

In a Georgia city known for its historic buildings, an iconic structure is up for sale for the first time and in about a century and a half. GPB's Orlando Montoya reports on the Savannah Cotton Exchange.

[Orlando Montoya]

The 1886 Red Brick Building was a center of the global cotton trade for about four decades. Its facade includes motifs of the crop and inside, Ann Bozzi of real estate firm Engel and Volkers says, it's like a time capsule.

[Gail Shaffer]

You walk into the foyer and then you go into the trading floor and the energy is still there.

[Orlando Montoya]

For the last about 50 years, the state's oldest Masonic lodge has used it, but declining membership and increasing maintenance costs have prompted a sale. The real estate firm is listing it at $10 million and suggests uses including an event facility, a restaurant or luxury apartment. For GPB News, I'm Orlando Montoy.

[Peter Biello]

The Governor's Office of Highway Safety is urging drivers not to drink and drive this holiday season. Deputy Director of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, captain Maurice Raines says that avoiding drinking and driving can prevent a tragedy. Everybody knows that these things are completely 100% preventable.

[Orlando Montoya]

No one has to drink and drive. No one has to make that selfish, unnecessary choice on getting on our roadways.

[Peter Biello]

During the holiday season, officials say that Georgians should make arrangements for a ride if they plan to drink alcohol and should encourage their loved ones to do the same. State troopers arrested more than 360 people for impaired driving last holiday season.

[TED Radio Hour Narrator]

How does AI even work? Where does creativity come from? What's the secret to living longer? TED Radio Hour explores the biggest questions with some of the world's greatest thinkers. They will surprise, challenge and even change you. Listen to NPR's Ted Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

[Peter Biello]

A leading New York City hip hop broadcaster is expanding to include a special focus on Atlanta. Hot 97 News plans to launch next month. Hot 97 News Atlanta, a daily one hour live news show focused on the Atlanta metro area. The show will focus on news, music and entertainment and feature community conversations. Hosted by Lana Harris, an Atlanta native with more than a decade of broadcast experience, and Atlanta based comedian Rondell Smith, Hot 97 News Atlanta will air on WHO TV 66 in Atlanta and stream across major platforms starting in January. In the NBA the Chicago Bulls come to Atlanta to face the Hawks tonight in a bid to keep their three game winning streak alive. Tonight's game is the third meeting this season between the two teams. The Bulls won the previous matchup 152. 150 in what was the NBA's highest scoring game this season, Atlanta is 9 and 10 against the Eastern Conference and Chicago is 1010 against conference opponents. And that is a wrap on this edition of GEORGIA today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, check gpb.org news and remember to subscribe to this podcast. We're going to be taking some time off for the holiday, but the GPB news teams will still be working. You can keep up with the [e-mail] on the GPB app or tune in to GPB Radio. If you've got feedback for this podcast. We would love to hear from you, even over the holidays. Email us. The address is Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We will see you next week.

[TED Radio Hour Narrator]

How does AI even work? Where does creativity come from? What's the secret to living longer? TED Radio Hour explores the biggest questions with some of the world's greatest thinkers. They will surprise, challenge and even change you. Listen to NPR's Ted Radio Hour. Wherever you get your podcasts.