Georgia Today: Measles outbreaks; School cellphone ban; Flannery O'Connor home tour

Summary

Georgia Today: Measles Outbreaks; School Cellphone Ban; Flannery O'Connor Home Tour – March 25, 2025

Hosted by Georgia Public Broadcasting

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1. Measles Outbreaks Raise Health Concerns

In recent months, Georgia has experienced a resurgence of measles cases, a disease previously eradicated in the United States over the past decade. As of this year, Georgia has reported three measles cases, prompting healthcare providers and scientists to express significant concern about the potential spread.

Key Points:

• Rapid Transmission: Measles is highly contagious, with airborne droplets remaining viable for up to two hours, facilitating swift transmission.
• Surveillance Success: Amy Winter, an epidemiologist at the University of Georgia, emphasized the effectiveness of current surveillance systems. She stated, “[00:56] ...our surveillance system here in the states, up through 2024, has been performing very, very well” [00:56].
• Vaccination Rates: High vaccination rates have been instrumental in keeping transmission rates low. Winter added, “[01:43] ...good surveillance and high vaccination rates in the US keep transmission low” [01:43].
• Potential Risks: Without sustained vigilance, an outbreak could extend beyond 12 months, risking the loss of the US’s measles elimination status and reversing decades of public health progress.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), headquartered in Atlanta, is grappling with internal challenges as it faces the departure of five department heads. This exodus follows departures of three other senior leaders, raising concerns about the agency's stability amid proposed reorganizations by the Trump administration. Susan Menarez has been nominated by the administration to lead the CDC, following the withdrawal of former Congressman Dr. David Weldon's nomination [01:59 – 03:40].

2. Georgia Legislature Passes Cellphone Ban in Schools

In a significant educational policy shift, the Georgia Legislature has approved a bill banning cell phones in public elementary and middle schools. Known as House Bill 340 or the Distraction-Free Education Act, the legislation aims to minimize distractions and enhance the learning environment within classrooms.

Key Points:

• Legislation Details: The bill prohibits the use of cell phones from the first bell to the last bell during the school day.
• Support from Lawmakers: Senator Jason Anavatarte highlighted the disruptive nature of cell phones, stating, “[02:58] ...phones in the classroom are distracting to students” [02:58].
• Teacher Feedback: Surveys show that a significant majority of educators are in favor of the ban, with over 85% of high school teachers and 68% of middle school teachers reporting that cell phones are a major problem in their classes [03:11 – 03:21].
• Legislative Outcome: Despite some opposition from Democrats concerned about parental communication during emergencies, the bill passed overwhelmingly with a 54 to 2 vote and is awaiting Governor Brian Kemp’s signature [03:21 – 03:40].

This legislative move underscores a growing recognition of the impact of technology on student attention and academic performance, aiming to create a more focused and productive educational environment.

3. Tour of Flannery O'Connor's Childhood Home Celebrates Her Legacy

Marking what would have been Flannery O'Connor's 100th birthday, a special tour of her childhood home in Savannah provides visitors with an intimate glimpse into the early life of one of America's most revered writers. The Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home and Museum offers a meticulously curated experience that highlights the influences shaping O'Connor’s distinctive Southern Gothic style.

Key Points:

• Historic Insights: Benjamin Payne from GPB News accompanied Janie Bragg, the museum's executive director, on a detailed tour of the property, including O'Connor’s bedroom and sunroom.
• Influence of Environment: Amy Winter elaborated on how the surrounding environment, particularly the view of St. John the Baptist Cathedral, profoundly impacted O'Connor's upbringing and literary work. “[07:01] ...her whole world really revolved around that cathedral and her Catholicism” [07:01].
• Creative Spaces: The museum showcases O'Connor’s favorite spaces, such as the sunroom—originally the bathroom—where she engaged in creative activities like reading, writing, drawing, and painting. This room exemplified her ability to transform ordinary spaces into hubs of imagination.
• Personal Anecdotes: Stories from O'Connor’s childhood, including her unique interactions with backyard chickens dressed in handmade outfits, illustrate her eccentric creativity and the formative experiences that fueled her literary voice.

This commemorative event not only honors O'Connor's literary contributions but also serves as an educational tool, inspiring visitors with the rich history and personal narratives that shaped her acclaimed works.

Additional Highlights

Apalachee High School Shooting Suspect’s Trial Motion: The father of the Apalachee High School shooting suspect seeks to relocate the trial from Barrow County, citing media bias and community familiarity with the victims as factors that could prevent an impartial jury. Colin Gray faces 29 charges, including second-degree murder and cruelty to children, related to his 14-year-old son's tragic actions [03:40 – 04:39].

Georgia’s Peach Farmers Outlook: Following a successful 2024 season, Georgia's peach farmers anticipate another fruitful year. Pam Knox of the UGA Weather Network forecasts favorable chill hours, essential for peach production, with current projections exceeding last year's totals by over 1,100 chill hours [04:39 – 04:43].

Yellow-Legged Hornet Eradication Efforts: The Georgia Department of Agriculture warns residents about the invasive yellow-legged hornet, first detected near Savannah in 2023. The department urges the public to report early-stage nests, ranging in size from ping pong balls to tennis balls, to aid in eradication efforts aimed at protecting honeybees and other pollinators [04:43 – 05:54].

Hyundai's $21 Billion US Investment: Hyundai Motor Group announced a significant investment of $21 billion in its US operations, including $5.8 billion allocated for a new steel plant in Louisiana. This facility will supply Hyundai and Kia auto plants in Georgia and Alabama, as part of a broader collaboration highlighted during a White House announcement attended by Hyundai’s chairman and President Trump [05:54 – 06:21].

Atlanta’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Poster Unveiling: The Atlanta World Cup Host Committee revealed a new poster designed by local artist Jose Hadithy. Featuring a golden soccer ball nestled within a peach, alongside iconic city landmarks like the Mercedes Benz Stadium and the Georgia Capitol, the artwork aims to encapsulate Atlanta’s rich cultural heritage and its passion for soccer [10:07 – 11:45].

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Conclusion

Today's episode of Georgia Today provided a comprehensive overview of pressing health concerns, significant legislative changes in education, and a celebratory look into the life of Flannery O'Connor. By addressing these diverse topics, the podcast continues to deliver in-depth reporting that informs and engages listeners across Georgia and beyond.

For more detailed coverage of these stories, visit gpb.org/news. To stay updated, subscribe to Georgia Today wherever you access your podcasts.

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Produced by Benjamin Payne for GPB News.

Transcript

[Sarah Kalis]

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[Sophie Gradas]

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[Sarah Kalis]

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[Sophie Gradas]

Welcome to Georgia Today. On this podcast, we feature the latest reports from the GPB news team. The on today's episode, a series of measles outbreaks in states including Georgia has health care providers concerned. The Georgia Legislature passes a bill banning cell phones from elementary and middle schools. And on what would have been Flannery Oconnors 100th birthday, a tour lets visitors explore the celebrated author's childhood home in Savannah.

[Amy Winter]

This dirt yard is where we got the writer we know and love. It was her blank canvas to be imaginative. It really encouraged her to get creative.

[Sophie Gradas]

Today is Tuesday, March 25th. I'm Sophie Gradas. Measles was effectively eradicated in the US over the last decade until a series of outbreaks in select states over the past few months. Now, the spread of the highly contagious disease has healthcare providers and the scientists that research measles concerned. There have been three reported cases of measles in Georgia this year alone, and even just one case requires the monitoring of dozens. That's because measles spreads fast. In fact, airborne droplets can linger for up to two hours. States are charged with tracking this spread, and epidemiologist at the University of Georgia, Amy Winter says our surveillance system here.

[Amy Winter]

In the states, at least up through 2024, has been performing very, very well.

[Sophie Gradas]

Winter says good surveillance and high vaccination rates in the US Keep transmission low. Without that, outbreaks could go longer. The hope is that it doesn't last.

[Amy Winter]

Longer than 12 months because then we.

[Sophie Gradas]

Lose our elimination status, sending the US Back to square one in terms of controlling this preventable disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, located in Atlanta, is losing more of its top management with the departure of five department heads. This follows three other senior leaders leaving the agency recently and means almost a third of the CDC's top managers are leaving or have left. Other CDC employees have been on alert with the Trump administration's plans to reorganize the agency and lay off staff. The White House announced Monday it is nominating Susan Menarez to be CDC director. The Trump administration withdrew its nomination of former Florida Congressman Dr. David Weldon earlier this month, just before a Senate hearing. The Georgia Legislature has passed a bill that would ban cell phones from public elementary and middle schools in Georgia, GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.

[Sarah Kalis]

House Bill 340, or the distraction Free Education act, would ban cell phones during the school day. From the first bell to the last bill, Senator Jason Anavatarte says phones in the classroom are distracting to students.

[Sophie Gradas]

Our teachers are seeing the impact firsthand. Over 85% of high school teachers and 68% of middle school teachers report that cell phones are a major problem in their class.

[Sarah Kalis]

Despite concerns from some Democrats over parents being able to communicate with their children in an emergency, the bill was overwhelmingly passed 54 to 2. It now heads to Governor Brian Kemp's desk to be signed into law. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis at the State Capitol.

[Sophie Gradas]

The father of the Apalachee High School shooting suspect is hoping to have his trial moved out of Barrow County. Colin Gray's attorney filed a change of venue motion claiming he would not receive a fair trial by an impartial jury due to media attention in the area and because the victims were well known in the community. Gray is accused of knowingly allowing his son to possess a weapon and is facing 29 charges, including murder in the second degree and cruelty to children in the second degree. His 14 year old son Colt is accused of shooting 11 people at the high school on September 4, 2024, killing two students and two teachers. After a highly successful season in 2024, Georgia's peach farmers could be in for another good year. Pam Knox, director of the UGA Weather Network, says in Middle Georgia's Peach county, farmers will have enough cold weather to produce a good crop. They'll probably end up with just a little over 1100 chill hours better than.

[Amy Winter]

Last year, not the same as the long term average.

[Sophie Gradas]

Growers in Georgia aim for the thousand hour mark in chill hours where temperatures are between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit Fahrenheit. The Georgia Department of Agriculture is asking Georgians to be on the lookout for yellow legged hornet embryo nests. Their early stage nests range in size from a ping pong ball to a tennis ball and are often in sheltered spots. The invasive yellow legged hornet was first confirmed in the US near Savannah in 2023. The species threatens honeybees and other pollinators and the state has started an effort to eradicate the hornet. The Ag Department says to contact their plant Prot Division or a licensed pest management professional for proper identification and removal if you find one of their nests. Hyundai Motor Group announced that it will invest $21 billion in its US operations, including 5.8 billion for a new steel plant. Hyundai's chairman joined President Trump at the White House for a Monday announcement. Trump said the steel, built in Louisiana, will be sent to Hyundai and Kia auto plants in Georgia and Alabama.

[Janie Bragg]

Each morning it's a new opportunity, a chance to start fresh. Up first from NPR makes each morning an opportunity to learn and to understand. Choose to join the world every morning with Up First, a podcast that hands you everything going on across the globe and down the street, all in 15 minutes or less. Start your day informed and anew with up first by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sophie Gradas]

100 years ago today, Flannery O'Connor was born in Savannah. She would go on to become one of America's most acclaimed writers, pioneering the Southern Gothic style of literature along the way. But it was O'Connors upbringing in the Hostess City during the Great Depression that would shape her into the eccentric creative she'd one day become. GPB's Benjamin Payne tagged along on a historic tour of Flannery oconnors childhood home turned museum in Savannah, where she spent her first 13 years, a whole third of her life. The tour was led by the House Museum's director, Janie Bragg. She begins in the bedroom of oconnors parents, standing next to Flannery's baby crib.

[Amy Winter]

I want everybody to walk up to any of these three windows. You can move the curtains to the side if you need to, but I would like for everyone to get a really good look at the view that the O'Connors had from their private quarters. The spires of St. John the Baptist. That's one of five largest Catholic cathedrals in the entire country, and they can see it from their beds. It's the first thing they see when they wake up in the morning. Catholics made up 1% or less of the population while Flannery was being raised here in Savannah, but she never felt like a minority because she was literally sleeping under the shadow of the cathedral and surrounded by this insular Catholic communal bubble. And of course, it infused her for the rest of her life. For the rest of Flannery's life, personally, professionally and creatively, everything went back to her faith. I look at the crib and up out the window and I think, well, yeah, how could it not? Her whole world really revolved around that cathedral and her Catholicism. This is very classically a row house. Generally row houses are tall and always row houses are skinny. They are required to be less than 25ft wide. This house is not even 19ft wide at the top of the stairs is going to be the smallest room in this house. It was their bathroom, which sounds unimportant. It was Flannery's favorite room. I generally call it Flannery's sunroom. Instead of the bathroom gets great light. She would take that room over, decorate it wall to wall in stolen flowers from cousin Katie's fancy garden next door. She would sit in the tub without water, read, write, draw and paint. She even hosted her playdates inside of that bathroom. She called them the Merryweather Girls. And to join the Merryweather Girls, she made you read Poe or Grimm's Fairy Tales in the tub and be brave enough to come back the next week. If you didn't pass the test, you were not a Merriweather girl. Yeah, I just love it. I think we should all do that for our relationships moving forward. So we'll talk about something cheerier, which is the courtyard. Now I'm going to open this back door so that you can take a peek. So the courtyard was redesigned and implemented in the early 90s during the full restoration of the property. While the O'Connors were here, it was a dirt yard and a chicken. Cooper Flannery loved it. She spent the majority of her time outside with these chickens as an only child. They were her playmates. She made full outfits for her backyard. Chickens. We're talking underwear. She put her chickens on leashes. She walked them around town wearing full handmade outfits. Maybe this is why people thought she was weird. I don't know. They all had funny names like Aloysius. Just the most Irish names you can possibly think of. To me, this dirt yard is where we got the writer we know and love. It was her blank canvas. To be imaginative, and especially as an only child, it really encouraged her to get creative and entertain herself.

[Sophie Gradas]

That was Janie Bragg, executive director of the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home and Museum in Savannah. O'Connor would have turned 100 years old today. This story was produced by GPB's Benjamin Payne. And now for some sports news. The Atlanta World cup host committee has unveiled a poster for Atlanta's participants participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Designed by Atlanta artist Jose Hadithy, the poster is one of 16 to be unveiled over the next month, one for each host city. The poster's most prominent features are a golden soccer ball inside of a peach, the city skyline and a MARTA train. But it also includes about 10 other icons of the city, including Mercedes Benz Stadium, the Georgia Capitol, the birth home of Martin Luther King Jr. And the Krog Street Tunnel. Hadithy currently serves as the creative design manager at Atlanta United and says the poster is aimed at capturing the city's history, culture and connection to soccer. Alright, that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you would like to learn more about these stories, visit gpb.org news if you haven't yet subscribed to this podcast, take a moment right now. It'll keep us current in your podcast feed. Got feedback? We would love to hear it. Email us@georgia todaypb.org I'm Sophie Gradas and we'll see you tomorrow.

[Janie Bragg]

Each morning it's a new opportunity, a chance to start fresh. Up first from NPR makes each morning an opportunity to learn and to understand. Choose to join the world every morning with upfirst, a podcast that hands you everything going on across the globe and down the street, all in 15 minutes or less. Start your day informed and anew with up first by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.