Second potential detention center; Cell phone ban; Columbus data center

Summary

Georgia Today: February 25, 2026 – Episode Summary

Main Theme:
This episode of Georgia Today, hosted by Orlando Montoya, focuses on major news in Georgia, including developments in immigration detention infrastructure, progress on a cell phone ban in high schools, economic investments in Columbus, and the latest legislative efforts pertaining to education and school safety.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. DHS Purchases Second Georgia Warehouse as Part of Detention Center Revamp

• Background:
  The Department of Homeland Security has bought its second warehouse in Georgia to advance its plan of overhauling immigration detention centers nationally.
• Details:
  • DHS paid ten times the assessed value for the Oakwood warehouse near I-985, Hall County.
  • Unlike the similar warehouse in Social Circle, the Oakwood facility will have a lower capacity (1,500 people) and serve mainly as a processing center.
  • These moves are part of efforts to shrink the number of centers by about 90% while increasing detention bed capacity.
• Quote:

  “[The Oakwood warehouse] is planned to detain far fewer people, only about 1,500 in DHS plans. The Oakwood warehouse is slated to be a processing center where people are held briefly before longer detention and Social Circle and finally deportation.”
  — Grant Blankenship (00:55)

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2. Georgia High School Cell Phone Ban Advances

• Background:
  The Georgia House has advanced legislation to ban cell phone use by students during high school hours in public schools.
• Details:
  • House Bill 1109, sponsored by Rep. Scott Hilton, comes after previous bans in elementary and middle schools.
  • The bill is driven by concerns over student distraction and loss of social-emotional connections.
• Quote:

  “Outcomes matter and our students are suffering academically but are also missing out on meaningful social and emotional connections with each other.”
  — Rep. Scott Hilton (voiced by Sarah Kalis, 02:08)

• Next Steps: Moves to the Senate for consideration.

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3. $5 Billion Data Center Planned for Columbus

• Project Overview:
  A massive commercial data center, codenamed “Project Ruby,” is planned on 800 acres in Muscogee County, promising significant economic impact.
• Details:
  • 195 permanent, well-paying jobs projected.
  • Will require 600 megawatts of power — more than the entire Columbus area currently uses.
• Community Response:
  • Local skepticism over environmental and resource demands, particularly regarding energy and water usage.
  • Residents encouraged to direct questions to Choose Columbus CEO Missy Kendrick.
• Quote:

  “Well, jobs, of course, and we're talking about good jobs, high paying jobs, 195 permanent jobs.”
  — Missy Kendrick (03:07)

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4. Legal Update: Colin Gray Trial

• Context:
  In the ongoing trial connected to the 2024 Apalachee High School shooting, prosecutors played a lengthy interview with the accused’s father, Colin Gray.
• Insights:
  • Interview contained inconsistencies in Gray’s accounts regarding gun safety and his son's mental health.
  • Judge Nicholas Prim instructed the jury to ignore sections that could constitute hearsay.
• Quote:

  “[Colin Gray] contradicted what he told the GBI on the morning of the shooting several times on safe gun storage, how much he knew about his son's mental health and about how much he knew about Colt's collage of Parkland shooter Nicholas Cruz.”
  — Chase McGee (03:47)

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5. Business and Education Briefs

a) Breeze Airways adds routes from Savannah

• New flights to Columbus, OH, and Portland, ME announced. (04:27)
  b) Pratt & Whitney Columbus Expansion
• $200M plant expansion and 400 new jobs, with another $200M investment announced. (04:27)

c) Literacy Bill advances in the Georgia House

• Legislation would fund literacy coaches, allow retention for early readers not at grade level.

• “We are building a system that prioritizes literacy and early learning in reading for every single child.”
  — Rep. Phil Olalier (05:32)

d) Weapons Detectors Bill

• HB 1023 would require detectors at school entrances, with $50,000 grants per school proposed.

• “Keeping our students safe in Georgia has been a top priority... House Bill 1023 is the next step in that important work.”
  — Rep. Chuck Efstration (06:08)

• Bill passes House with bipartisan support but prompts calls for broader gun safety reforms.

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6. Atlanta’s New NWSL Franchise & Sports Updates

• Atlanta’s NWSL Team
  • Insurance giant AFLAC secures kit sponsorship.
  • Team to start play in 2028; same ownership as Atlanta Falcons and United.
• Hawks Game Highlight
  • Jonathan Kuminga debuts for the Hawks with a standout performance (08:01).
  • Trae Young’s return draws a standing ovation.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 00:55 | Grant Blankenship | “DHS paid 10 times the assessed value for a warehouse... The Oakwood warehouse is planned to detain far fewer people, only about 1,500 in DHS plans.” | | 02:08 | Rep. Scott Hilton (via Sarah Kalis) | “Outcomes matter and our students are suffering academically but are also missing out on meaningful social and emotional connections with each other.” | | 03:07 | Missy Kendrick | “Well, jobs, of course, and we're talking about good jobs, high paying jobs, 195 permanent jobs.” | | 03:47 | Chase McGee | “[Colin Gray] contradicted what he told the GBI... several times on safe gun storage, how much he knew about his son's mental health...” | | 05:32 | Rep. Phil Olalier | “We are building a system that prioritizes literacy and early learning in reading for every single child.” | | 06:08 | Rep. Chuck Efstration | “Keeping our students safe in Georgia has been a top priority of the Georgia House...” |

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Segment Timestamps

• DHS Warehouse/Detention Update: 00:35 – 01:42
• High School Cell Phone Ban: 01:42 – 02:31
• Columbus Data Center: 02:31 – 03:47
• Apalachee HS Shooting Trial: 03:47 – 04:27
• Business & Education Briefs: 04:27 – 06:19
• Sports and NWSL Update: 06:19 – End

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Episode Takeaways

This episode offered a concise yet thorough roundup of critical news — from state-wide policy changes and massive economic investments, to local developments and sports milestones, always with careful attention given to policy detail and community impact. The reporting balanced factual updates with the voices of stakeholders and lawmakers, ensuring listeners get both the news and the human context behind the headlines.

Transcript

[A]

Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, the Department of Homeland Security has purchased a second Georgia warehouse as part of its nationwide revamp of immigration detention. A cell phone ban in Georgia's high schools is one step closer to becoming law. And a five billion dollar data center is being planned for the Columbus area.

[B]

Well, jobs of course, and we're talking

[C]

about good jobs, high paying jobs, 195 permanent jobs.

[A]

Today is Wednesday, February 25th. I'm Orlando Montoya and this is Georgia Today. The Department of Homeland Security has purchased a second Georgia warehouse as part of its nationwide revamp of immigration detention. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more.

[D]

DHS paid 10 times the assessed value for a warehouse and adjacent land near Interstate 985 in the city of Oakwood in North Georgia's Hall County. That's according to a deed published by Oakwood officials and though comparable in size to the warehouse DHS bought about an hour south in the city of Social Circle. The Oakwood warehouse is planned to detain far fewer people, only about 1,500 in DHS plans. The Oakwood warehouse is slated to be a processing center where people are held briefly before longer detention and Social circle and finally deportation. Both facilities are part of DHS plans to reduce the number of their detention centers nationally by something like 90% while also adding tens of thousands of new detention beds. For GPB news, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.

[A]

A cell phone ban in Georgia's high schools is one step closer to becoming law. GPB's Sarah Kalisp, how's that story?

[B]

The Georgia House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would ban high school students from using their cell phones during the school day in public schools. Representative Scott Hilton sponsored House Bill 1109. He says most high school teachers report that students are distracted in the classroom.

[E]

Outcomes matter and our students are suffering academically but are also missing out on meaningful social and emotional connections with each other.

[B]

The bill builds on legislation that was passed last year that banned cell phones in elementary and middle schools. It now moves to the Senate for approval. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis at the state Capitol.

[A]

Columbus residents are learning more about a $5 billion data center being planned for Muscogee County. Property records now confirm its location on more than 800 wild acres of trees in the county's northeastern corner. And GPB media partner the Columbus Ledger Inquirer also cites a Flint Energy's official as confirming its energy request. 600 megawatts. That's more power than the entire resource needs of Columbus. Choose Columbus CEO Missy Kendrick told reporters yesterday the facility's main benefit would be,

[B]

well, jobs, of course, and we're talking about good jobs, high paying jobs, 195 permanent jobs.

[A]

Residents speaking to the Columbus Council yesterday expressed skepticism about the proposal, citing its massive energy and water demands. Kendrick urged residents to contact her directly with questions about Project Ruby, as it's being called. Prosecutors in the trial of Colin Gray, the father of the accused Apalachee High School shooter, introduced in court a recording today from shortly after the shooting. GPB's Chase McGee is following the trial.

[F]

Barrow County Investigator Jason Smith interviewed both Colin Gray and his son colt after the 2024 shooting. Prosecutors played that two and a half hour long interview with Colin in front of the jury. They say in that interview he contradicted what he told the GBI on the morning of the shooting several times on safe gun storage, how much he knew about his son's mental health and about how much he knew about Colt's collage of Parkland shooter Nicholas Cruz. But Judge Nicholas Prim told the jury to disregard key moments where investigator Smith tells Colin what Colt told him separately because as far as evidence goes, it could be seen as hearsay. For GPB news, I'm Chase McGee.

[A]

Low cost air carrier Breeze Airways has announced two new destinations from Savannah Hilton Head International Airport. The company said yesterday it's adding Columbus, Ohio and Portland, Maine to its offerings. At SAV Global Aerospace manufacturer Pratt and Whitney cut the ribbon yesterday on a $200 million expansion at its plant in Columbus. The project added 400 jobs to the region. The company also announced another $200 million expansion to increase production of parts for military and commercial engines. A bill aimed at improving Georgia's third grade literacy rate passed in the Georgia House yesterday. The legislation would fund literacy coaches in all of the state's elementary schools, allow schools to hold back first and second graders not reading at grade level and provide other literacy supports. Atlanta Democratic State Representative Phil Olalier supports the bill.

[E]

We're not leaving anything to chance or family circumstances. We are building a system that prioritizes literacy and early learning in reading for every single child.

[A]

The renewed literacy push comes as the majority of Georgia third graders are not reading at grade level. Third grade is a key reading threshold for children. Also in the House yesterday, representatives passed a bill that would require schools to install weapons detectors at building entrances. MULBERRY Republican House Majority Leader Chuck Evstration sponsored the legislation.

[E]

Keeping our students safe in Georgia has been a top priority of the Georgia House of representatives. House Bill 1023 is the next step in that important work.

[A]

If the bill becomes law, schools would receive $50,000 each in safety grants in the proposed 2027 FIS year budget. Fstration says that could pay for a weapons detector. Democrats largely supported the bill, but said conversations about gun safety laws also are needed to prevent tragedies in schools. The bill now goes to the state Senate for further consideration. And for more news from under the Gold Dome, tune in to GPB's lawmakers tonight at 7 on GPB TV or anytime at gpb.org lawmakers Atlanta's expansion national Women's Soccer League team and AFLAC have announced a front of kit sponsorship deal. The new team will debut in 2028. The deal with the Columbus based insurance company is for seven years. The team is owned by Arthur Blank, who also owns the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United of Major League Soccer. The Falcons and United both play at Mercedes Benz Stadium, as will the new NWSL team. Atlanta will become the league's 17th franchise after the additions of Boston and Denver in its most recent expansion.

[C]

Hi, it's Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air. Hey, take a break from the 24 hour news cycle with us and listen to long form interviews with your favorite authors, actors, filmmakers, comedians and musicians. The people making the art that nourishes us and speaks to our times. So listen to the Fresh AIR podcast from NPR and why.

[A]

And in other Georgia sports news, after riding the bench with the Golden State Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga finally got a chance to shine for the Atlanta Hawks last night, and he sure made the most of it. In a thrilling Atlanta debut, Kuminga threw down thunderous dunks, knocked down three pointers and spent much of the night smiling in a 119 to 98 route of the Washington Wizards. The evening also brought the return of Trae Young to State Farm Arena. The former Hawk was traded to the Wizards in January, ending his eight year Atlanta run. Young sat on the bench the whole game, but got a standing ovation during a brief tribute as many in the crowd WORE his number 11 Atlanta jersey. And that's it for this Wednesday edition of Georgia Today. If you'd like to learn more about these stories, visit gpb.org news we encourage you to subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an episode. And if you have feedback, send that to Georgia [e-mail] I'm Orlando Montoya. We'll be back again tomorrow with another Georgia today.