Historic snowfall in Georgia; Bird flu spreading; Former Brave falls short of HOF

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast Summary Release Date: January 22, 2025 Host: Peter Biello, Georgia Public Broadcasting

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1. Historic Snowfall Paralyzes Georgia

Overview: The podcast opens with an in-depth report on the unprecedented snowfall that swept across Georgia, marking one of the most significant winter events in the state's history. This rare weather phenomenon brought between 7 to 9 inches of snow, causing widespread disruptions.

Key Points:

• Snowfall Measurements and Impact:

  • Sheriff Billy Hancock reported, “We're measuring 7 inches here at the sheriff's office. Fire departments across the county are measuring 9. So we're saying 7 to 9 inches of snow across the county” (01:21).
  • Major highways, including Interstates 75, 475, and 16 around Macon, experienced complete lane closures, leading to gridlocked traffic.
  • Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport faced significant delays with over 400 flight cancellations.

• Community Response:

  • Benjamin Payne highlighted the festive atmosphere in Savannah, where residents took advantage of the city’s first snowfall in seven years. “A slushy mix of sleet and snow in the wee hours of Wednesday morning transformed the hostess city of the south into a sort of tropical winter wonderland” (01:39).
  • Families engaged in playful activities despite the disruptions. Marissa Prowse shared, “They love it. This is their first snow day and they're enjoying themselves on our all day off. Huh? A snow day 2025” (02:11).

• Ongoing Challenges:

  • Grant Blankenship informed listeners that the snow's effects would persist into Tuesday, with roads remaining treacherous and ongoing efforts to clear the highways (02:32).
  • Kyle Davis recounted the personal impacts, “Roads in much of Georgia and the south are expected to be treacherous into Thursday” (03:03), emphasizing the extended nature of the weather challenges.

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2. Bird Flu Outbreak Among Georgia's Poultry

Overview: The podcast transitions to public health concerns with the confirmation of the third case of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, in Georgia's commercial poultry sector.

Key Points:

• ** outbreak Details:**

  • Sophie Gradus reported that approximately 170,000 chickens in Elbert County have been culled to contain the outbreak (05:59).
  • The affected area is under strict quarantine measures, with continuous sanitation and disposal efforts being implemented.

• Preventative Measures and Risks:

  • Alex Turner from the U.S. Department of Agriculture advised poultry producers to enforce rigorous biosecurity protocols: “That means disinfecting shoes, changing clothes and taking measures to keep chickens away from wild birds or other bird species that could contract the disease” (05:59).
  • Despite the spread among poultry, officials maintain that the risk to humans remains low. Turner reassured, “Officials say the risk of spread to humans in Georgia is still low” (06:36).

• Community Safety:

  • Peter Biello included a humorous yet informative exchange emphasizing the importance of biosecurity: “I can carry the virus in with me and contaminate my own birds” (06:26).

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3. Former Braves Outfielder Andrew Jones and the Baseball Hall of Fame

Overview: The podcast covers the disappointment surrounding former Atlanta Braves outfielder Andrew Jones, who has not yet secured induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame (HOF) despite increasing support.

Key Points:

• HOF Vote Tally:

  • Peter Biello reported that Jones received 261 out of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America, equating to 66.2%—falling short of the required 75% for induction (07:04).
  • This marks an improvement from the previous year when Jones garnered 61.6%, though still shy of the threshold needed.

• Future Prospects:

  • Despite the setback, Jones remains eligible for two more ballots, providing additional opportunities for induction based on continued support and advocacy within the baseball community.

• Contrast with Billy Wagner:

  • The episode also highlights the success of Billy Wagner, a former Braves pitcher who finally achieved Hall of Fame status in his last year of eligibility. Wagner's impressive statistics, including the highest strikeouts per nine innings among his peers, underscore his deserving place in Cooperstown (07:04).

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4. Additional Highlights

Political Developments:

• Keisha Lance Bottoms resigned from her position on the President’s Export Council. This did not prevent President Donald Trump from asserting that she and over 1,000 appointees had been dismissed. Bottoms clarified, “you can't fire someone who has already resigned” (03:22).
• A federal appeals court will soon hear arguments on a lawsuit challenging Georgia's congressional and state legislative district maps, with claims that they dilute black political power in violation of the Voting Rights Act (04:11).

Healthcare and Opioid Use:

• Ellen Eldredge reported on declining prescriptions of buprenorphine, the FDA-approved medication for treating opioid use disorder in adolescents, despite increased awareness and telehealth access (04:57).
• Dr. Andrew Taranella emphasized the need for more providers and treatment facilities offering buprenorphine to address the opioid crisis among young adults (04:57).

Technology and Housing Market:

• Georgia's data center market has doubled since 2020, now hosting 87 data centers in metro Atlanta. This surge has raised concerns among lawmakers regarding increased electricity demand, leading to the formation of a special legislative committee on energy (07:04).
• The Atlanta housing rental market is experiencing a decline in prices as new construction outpaces demand. Metro Atlanta rents fell nearly 3% in December compared to the previous year, with national median rents also dipping below $1,700 for the first time in two and a half years (07:04).

Cultural and Historical Commemorations:

• Charles Person, the youngest original Freedom Rider, was honored with the closure of the Greyhound bus depot in Anniston, Alabama. His contributions to the Freedom Riders Training Academy and non-violent protest movements were highlighted (07:04).

Sports News:

• The Atlanta Dream has achieved record sales, fully selling its 2025 full and half-season ticket memberships for the second consecutive year. Additionally, four of their 22 home games, including a high-profile matchup against the Indiana Fever, have sold out, with limited single-game tickets to be available next month (07:04).

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Conclusion

Peter Biello wraps up the episode by reflecting on the challenging weather conditions, encouraging listeners to stay safe and warm. He underscores GPB's commitment to delivering the latest news updates across various platforms, ensuring the community remains informed and connected despite any adversity.

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Notable Quotes:

• Billy Hancock [01:21]: “We're measuring 7 inches here at the sheriff's office. Fire departments across the county are measuring 9. So we're saying 7 to 9 inches of snow across the county.”

• Marissa Prowse [02:11]: “They love it. This is their first snow day and they're enjoying themselves on our all day off. Huh? A snow day 2025.”

• Alex Turner [05:59]: “That means disinfecting shoes, changing clothes and taking measures to keep chickens away from wild birds or other bird species that could contract the disease.”

• Dr. Andrew Taranella [04:57]: “Buprenorphine is the only medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat opioid use disorder in adolescents ages 16 and up.”

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions from the Georgia Today podcast episode, providing listeners with a thorough understanding of the major events and issues affecting Georgia on January 22, 2025.

Transcript

[Peter Biello]

Foreign welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB. News Today is Wednesday, January 22nd. I'm Peter Biello. On this podcast, you'll hear the Latest reports from GPB's newsroom. Your feedback and news tips are welcome. Email Georgia todaypb.org on today's episode, snow falls across Georgia in some areas, lots of it.

[Billy Hancock]

We're measuring 7 inches here at the sheriff's office. Fire departments across the county are measuring 9. So we're saying 7 to 9 inches of snow across the county.

[Peter Biello]

Also, bird flu spreads among the state's commercial poultry producers, and former Braves outfielder Andrew Jones falls short of gaining entry to the Baseball hall of Fame. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of GEORGIA today. Historic amounts of snow and ice made a mess of roads and took down power lines across Georgia today. At one point, all lanes of traffic were closed on Georgia Interstate 75, 475 and 16 around Macon. More than 400 flights into or out of Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International Airport were cancelled. The greatest snowfall amounts were in southwest Georgia, specifically Cordele, where Crisp County Sheriff Billy Hancock declared a local state of emergency.

[Billy Hancock]

We're measuring 7 inches here at the sheriff's office. Fire departments across the county are measuring 9. So we're saying 7 to 9 inches of snow across the county.

[Peter Biello]

Schools shut down and many businesses closed across Georgia. In Savannah, as GPB's Benjamin Payne reports, many decided to make the most of the city's first snow in seven years.

[Benjamin Payne]

A slushy mix of sleet and snow in the wee hours of Wednesday morning transformed the hostess city of the south into a sort of tropical winter wonderland. Palm trees speckled with droplets of frozen rain, magnolia leaves encased in thin layers of ice and Spanish moss swaying in the breeze of sub freezing windchills. For some lucky kids, a makeshift sleigh ride was in order. Savannah resident Marissa Prowse tied rope between a golf cart and a kiddie pool, carrying her daughter Everly and her friend through otherwise quiet side streets.

[Marissa Prowse]

They love it. This is their first snow day and they're enjoying themselves on our all day off. Huh? A snow day 2025.

[Benjamin Payne]

No more snow is in the forecast, so Savannians are trying to savor a moment they haven't had since January of 2018. For GPB news, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.

[Peter Biello]

The effects of all this snow are expected to linger tomorrow as GPB's Grant Blankenship reports snow lasting well into Tuesday.

[Kyle Davis]

Night meant by morning interstates 75 and 475 smack in the middle of Georgia were closed and some drivers were left stuck on the side of the road. But there was fun to be had in Macon's in town neighborhood for those on foot.

[Marissa Prowse]

One, two.

[Kyle Davis]

Like Kyle Davis and his son Ward. It was Ward's first snow ever, and Kyle says it's rare for him as well.

[Marissa Prowse]

I don't know if I've ever been in Macon when it snowed. What?

[Peter Biello]

I'm dying out of hell.

[Marissa Prowse]

Okay, we'll slide again. We'll slide again.

[Kyle Davis]

Get your sign Roads in much of Georgia and the south are expected to be treacherous into Thursday. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.

[Peter Biello]

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced she had resigned from her position on the president's Export Council, but that didn't stop President Donald Trump from claiming she and more than 1,000 appointees had been fired. The president specifically mentioned Bottoms and World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres in a social media post. In a statement released yesterday, Bottoms clarified that she had resigned days earlier, writing, you can't fire someone who has already resigned. A federal appeals court will hear arguments tomorrow in a three year old case over Georgia's congressional and state legislative district maps. It's part of a lawsuit filed by five voters, supported by the Democratic affiliated National Redistricting Foundation. Its executive director, Marina Jenkins, argues the maps dilute the political power of black communities in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act.

[Marissa Prowse]

At stake in this case is black Georgians right to political autonomy. Also the integrity of our rule of law, of our democracy itself. The judiciary must enforce the law when rights are violated.

[Peter Biello]

Georgia's argument, led by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in part claims a section of the Voting Rights act is no longer constitutional. The three judge panel to hear the case consists of judges appointed by Presidents Clinton, Obama and Trump. New research shows medication dispensed to young adults with opioid use disorder declined between 2020 and 2023, and that is despite increased awareness among pediatricians and access to telehealth prescriptions. GPB's Ellen Eldredge has more Buprenorphine is.

[Dr. Andrew Taranella]

The only medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat opioid use disorder in adolescents ages 16 and up. But there's also a lack of providers, and many adolescent treatment facilities don't offer the medication. Dr. Andrew Taranella is a pediatrician and researcher with the Atlanta based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unlike methadone, buprenorphine is also much easier for clinicians to prescribe, as any clinician with a DEA prescribing authority, including pediatricians and other youth serving primary care. Clinicians can prescribe it from their office. Nationwide, more than 700,000 people aged 25 and under had opioid disorder in 2023. For GPB news, I'm Ellen Eldred.

[Peter Biello]

State officials are confirming the third case this year of highly pathogenic avian influenza in chickens, also known as bird flu. It's the state's second ever case in a commercial poultry flock. Roughly 170,000 chickens have been culled in northeast Georgia's Elbert County. GPB's Sophie Gradus has more.

[Alex Turner]

The state Department of Agriculture says the affected area in Albert county is under quarantine and that sanitation and disposal is ongoing. Bird flu is extremely contagious and spreads quickly, so poultry producers big and small should be taking extra precautions, says Alex Turner with the U.S. department of Agriculture. That means disinfecting shoes, changing clothes and taking measures to keep chickens away from wild birds or other bird species that could contract the disease.

[Peter Biello]

To make sure that if I go.

[NPR Host]

In with birds that there's no chance.

[Peter Biello]

I can carry the virus in with me and contaminate my own birds. It's not how all of your birds got sick, it's how one bird in one house got sick.

[Alex Turner]

Officials say the risk of spread to humans in Georgia is still low. For GPB News, I'm Sophie Gradis.

[NPR Host]

We could all use a little help navigating the news these days. The Consider this Podcast wants to give you a hand six days a week. We'll help you make sense of the day's biggest news story and what it means for you in less than 15 minutes. Listen now to the Consider this podcast from NPR.

[Peter Biello]

Georgia's data center market has doubled since 2020. A new report released this week by site selection analysis firm Land Glenn Gate says the State now has 87 data centers concentrated in metro Atlanta. Their growth driving electricity demand has concerned state lawmakers. A special legislative committee on the state's long term energy needs is expected to hold its first meeting next week. Housing rental prices continue to fall as new construction outpaces rental demand. Numbers released this week by realtor.com show metro Atlanta rents declined by nearly 3% in December compared to December the year before, to just under $1,600 per month for units of two bedrooms or fewer. Nationally, December was the first month in two and a half years that the national median asking rent fell below $1,700. The Greyhound bus depot in Anniston, Alabama, is closed today in honor of Charles Person. At just 18, Person was the youngest of the original 13 Freedom Riders. He was on the Trailways bus that arrived in Anniston on May 14, 1961, where riders were beaten and forced to the back of the bus. A second attack followed when the bus reached Birmingham. The bus depot in Anniston is part of the Freedom Riders National Monument. Person helped create the Freedom Riders Training Academy, which teaches non violent protest. His funeral was scheduled for today at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. For Andrew Jones and his fans across Braves Nation, last night was a disappointment. After all the hall of Fame ballots were tallied, Jones fell short of the threshold to be admitted to Cooperstown. He earned 261 votes out of the 394 from the Baseball Writers association of America. That's 66.2%. He needed 75% to gain admission. It is an improvement over last year when he earned 61.6% and 7.3% when he first appeared on the ballot in 2018. But not all hope is lost. Jones has two more chances on the ballot. It was a good night, however, for Billy Wagner, the left handed pitcher who made it to the hall of Fame on his last year of eligibility. He spent his final season in the majors with the Braves in 2010. His 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings are the most among pitchers with at least 900 innings, though his 903 career innings are the fewest among hall of Famers. And in basketball news, the Atlanta Dream have sold out their 2025 full and half season ticket memberships for the second straight season. In addition, the Dream have already completely sold out four of their 22 home games, including the matchup against Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever in June. Limited single game tickets for most of the remaining home games will go on sale next month. I am recording this episode of Georgia Today from home today. Walking home from the MARTA station last night confirmed my choice not to drive. The roads were slippery and the salt trucks were few and far between. I hope you managed to get wherever you had to go safely, but more than that, I hope you were able to stay home and keep warm no matter the weather. GPB will have the latest news on the [e-mail] news and on this podcast. Subscribe now and you won't miss a thing. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks so much for listening. I'll be back in the studio tomorrow. I hope.