Social Circle detention center; VA clinic shooting; Hurricane Helene after effects

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast: March 18, 2026

Host: Orlando Montoya

A quick and informative roundup of Georgia’s major news of the day, including local government decisions, recovery efforts, public health updates, infrastructure news, economic redevelopment, an inspiring river journey, and a sports highlight.

---

Episode Overview

Theme:
This episode covers major developments across Georgia, including Social Circle’s stand on a controversial detention facility, post-hurricane home rebuilding in Coffee County, a VA clinic shooting in Jasper, ongoing debates over federal vaccine recommendations, expansions at the Port of Savannah, economic hopes after a paper mill closure, an inspiring Chattahoochee River journey for conservation, and Venezuela’s big win in the World Baseball Classic with Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Social Circle Detention Center Water Standoff

Segment begins: 00:33

• City Council Decision:
  The Social Circle City Council voted to uphold the city manager's decision to keep water service off for a proposed federal immigration detention center, citing lack of infrastructure.
  • “It's not because there's no political stunt… We do not have enough water.” — Steven Burden & Jared Horn [01:14–01:16]
• Facility Details:
  • Proposed capacity: up to 10,000 detainees.
  • The Department of Homeland Security would have to address infrastructure limits before any change.

2. Hurricane Helene Recovery: New Homes in Coffee County

Segment begins: 01:42

• Scope of Damage:
  Nearly every home in Coffee County was damaged during Hurricane Helene.
• Nonprofit Efforts:
  • ‘Hope for Coffee’ coalition (Amish and evangelical Christians) built nine new hurricane-resistant homes.
  • “We couldn't put into words how happy we are here.” — Jared Horn, new homeowner [02:22]
• Structural Improvements:
  New homes designed to withstand 150 mph winds—far beyond what Helene delivered.

3. Jasper VA Clinic Shooting

Segment begins: 02:42

• Incident Details:
  • Shooting at Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Jasper.
  • Gunman killed by police; at least one person airlifted to hospital.
  • Motive and more information pending.

4. Federal Vaccine Panel Freeze

Segment begins: 03:34

• Legal Update:
  • Federal judge halts activity of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee (ACIP) after legal action from medical organizations.
  • CDC recommended schedule must revert to previous standards.
  • “All that will be delayed is further erosion of vaccine confidence, and for that I'm grateful.” — Dr. Robert Wizkind, Georgia AAP [04:05]

5. Savannah Port: Cold Storage Expansion

Segment begins: 04:21

• Infrastructure Growth:
  • 300,000 sq. ft. facility at Garden City Terminal, with 4,000 sq. ft. for USDA/Customs inspections.
  • Aim: handle peak fruit and vegetable traffic, especially imports from South Africa, Chile, and Peru.
  • Significant for US poultry exports and Georgia's agricultural producers.

6. Economic Hopes in Early County: QTS Data Center

Segment begins: 05:22

• Community Impact:
  • Following the 2025 Georgia-Pacific paper mill closure (500 jobs lost), Early County welcomes plans for a major QTS data center.
  • “It just almost seemed like it was a godsend, especially after this past summer.” — Suzanne Reynolds, Early County Development Authority [05:43]
• Promise:
  New project seen as a significant economic lifeline.

---

7. Chattahoochee River Odyssey: Advocacy Through Adventure

In-depth interview begins: 05:49

Background:

• Jared Horn and Steven Burden are paddling the full 500-mile length of the Chattahoochee River, raising awareness and funds for the Chattahoochee River Conservancy.

Key Insights & Memorable Quotes:

• Motivation & Journey:

  • “So I grew up on the river down here in Phoenix City, Alabama, and it's just been part of my life ever since I was born... always had the idea of doing it.” — Jared Horn [06:42]
  • Attempted before; now doing full source-to-sea journey in one month.

• Challenges on the River:

  • Calories/food shortages, back pain, and unpredictable weather—such as headwinds and low water.
  • “For the first 14 miles, we actually had to hike feet in the riverbed because there's not enough water to kayak down it.” — Steven Burden [08:35]
  • Navigation: logistics of portages around dams, legal camping in urban areas, and support from friends and family.

• On Mutual Support:

  • “We could not do this without all the people helping us get around the dams. For one, we've had kind people drop us off food… That saved us like an hour per day almost.” — Steven Burden [09:12]

• Network of Beauty and Wonder:

  • “There are stretches within Atlanta, right after Atlanta that are just absolutely, just drop dead gorgeous. ... The beauty, honestly, of the water, just how clear you can see in some of these sections. I have been just in shock...” — Jared Horn [10:05]

• Environmental Perspective:

  • “You paddle down this and you start to realize, wow, within the first 30 miles, it already has a dam on it… Everyone’s drinking the water from this river, so we have a heavy, heavy reliance on it.” — Steven Burden [11:18]
  • More than half the Chattahoochee is now ‘still’ water due to reservoirs.

• Advocacy Mission:

  • Fundraising for water quality testing, cleanups, advocacy, and species protection.
  • “It's going to the Chattahoochee River Conservancy, and they're a nonprofit that does all sorts of stuff like that.” — Steven Burden [12:17]

• Outreach & Following Their Adventure:

  • “Our favorite way is for... hop in a boat and come with us… [otherwise] we have a TikTok called down_the_hooch with underscores between each word or chatriver2026 on Instagram…” — Steven Burden [13:30]

---

8. Sports Highlight: World Baseball Classic

Segment begins: 14:07

• Ronald Acuña Jr. Leads Venezuela to Victory
  • Acuña discusses the emotional high of winning for his home country after injury kept him out of the Braves’ World Series:
  • “When we championship in the World Series, I can play, you know, for injury ball now. I can feel the emotion. I can feel the experience. So I'm so proud for myself, for [the] team, for my country, too…so I'm just so excited.” — Ronald Acuña Jr. [14:28–14:40]
  • Braves fans can expect his return for opening day on March 27th.

---

Notable Quotes Table

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |:---------:|:--------------|:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:14 | Steven Burden | "It's not because there's no political stunt." | | 01:16 | Jared Horn | "We do not have enough water." | | 02:22 | Jared Horn | "We couldn't put into words how happy we are here." | | 04:05 | Dr. Wizkind | "All that will be delayed is further erosion of vaccine confidence, and for that I'm grateful." | | 05:43 | Suzanne Reynolds | "It just almost seemed like it was a godsend, especially after this past summer." | | 06:42 | Jared Horn | "So I grew up on the river down here... it's just been part of my life ever since I was born..." | | 08:35 | Steven Burden | "For the first 14 miles, we actually had to hike feet in the riverbed because there's not enough water to kayak down it." | | 09:12 | Steven Burden | "We could not do this without all the people helping us get around the dams..." | | 10:05 | Jared Horn | "The beauty, honestly, of the water, just how clear you can see in some of these sections." | | 11:18 | Steven Burden | "Everyone's drinking the water from this river, so we have a heavy, heavy reliance on it." | | 14:28 | Ronald Acuña Jr.| "When we championship in the World Series, I can play...for injury ball now. I can feel the emotion." |

---

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Social Circle Detention Center: 00:33–01:41
• Hurricane Helene Aftermath: 01:42–02:39
• Jasper VA Shooting: 02:42–03:33
• CDC Vaccine Panel Lawsuit: 03:34–04:20
• Savannah Port Expansion: 04:21–05:21
• Early County Data Center Plans: 05:22–05:48
• Chattahoochee River Journey (in-depth): 05:49–13:57
• World Baseball Classic / Acuña Jr.: 14:07–14:42

---

Tone and Style

• The episode uses clear, local, and empathetic language, with a focus on direct community impact.
• Interviews blend personal stories with broader advocacy, especially in the Chattahoochee River segment.
• The tone is informative but accessible, aiming to connect listeners to the most important developments and human stories in Georgia.

---

Summary prepared for listeners who want all the substance, insight, and emotional touchstones of the news—without the ads and off-topic chatter.

Transcript

[Orlando Montoya]

Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, leaders in city of Social Circle are backing the decision to keep water service shut off to a proposed federal immigration detention site. A shooting occurred yesterday afternoon at a Department of Veterans affairs clinic in the north Georgia town of Jasper. And some South Georgia residents who lost their homes during Hurricane Helene now have new homes to move into.

[Jared Horn]

We couldn't put into words how happy we are here.

[Orlando Montoya]

Today is Wednesday, March 18th. I'm Orlando Montoya and this is Georgia Today. Leaders in the city of Social Circle, east of Atlanta, are backing a decision to keep water service shut off to a proposed federal immigration detention site. GPB's Pamela Kirkland has more.

[Pamela Kirkland]

At a meeting Tuesday night, Social Circle City Council voted to support the city manager's decision to keep water service shut off at the site. Councilman Tyson Jackson says the city simply doesn't have the capacity.

[Jared Horn]

We understand the reason why the water is off.

[Steven Burden]

It's not because there's no political stunt.

[Jared Horn]

It's just the fact of the matter. We do not have enough water.

[Pamela Kirkland]

Officials say the lock on the water meter will remain in place until federal authorities provide more details on how the facility would meet the town infrastructure limits. The Department of Homeland Security plans to convert the warehouse into a detention center that could hold up to 10,000 people. For GPB News, I'm Pamela Kirkland.

[Orlando Montoya]

Some South Georgia residents who lost their homes during Hurricane Helene now have new homes to move into. GPB's Grant Blankenship reports volunteer labor made possible the new home dedications yesterday in Douglas.

[Grant Blankenship]

Helene damaged nearly every home in Coffee County. The storm blew the roof off the home Tyler Brock shared with his wife and kids.

[Jared Horn]

They still haven't fixed that house yet.

[Grant Blankenship]

But this week, more than a year and a half after the storm, Brock's family got the keys to one of nine new homes built by a nonprofit called Hope for Coffee, a coalition of faith based groups ranging from Old Order Amish communities to evangelical Christians. For Brock's family, the new house is a relief.

[Jared Horn]

We couldn't put into words how happy we are here.

[Grant Blankenship]

All the homes in the Sims park neighborhood are built to withstand 150 mile an hour winds, almost twice the wind speed clocked by Hurricane Helene in Coffee County. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship and

[Chase McGee]

Douglas

[Orlando Montoya]

police say there was a shooting yesterday afternoon at a Department of Veterans affairs clinic in the small north Georgia town of Jasper. Police say the gunman was shot and killed and at least one person was airlifted to a hospital, Jasper Police Chief Matt Dawkins told reporters at the scene. The gunman who was killed is from the Jasper area, but details about him and information about what might have led to the shooting were not immediately released. A judge in Massachusetts has put a temporary hold on any changes made to vaccine recommendations by a CDC panel. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or acip, was overhauled by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Last summer, GPB's Sophie Gradas reports. The panel was supposed to meet today.

[Sophie Gradas]

The judge's stay on any action by the vaccine Advisory Committee, including meetings, comes from a lawsuit against the government and Kennedy Jr. By the American Academy of Pediatrics and other physician groups. Robert Wizkind, former president of the Georgia chapter of the organization, which represents over 1,000 pediatricians in the state, says the decision is gratifying.

[Grant Blankenship]

For the past year or more, ACIP

[Orlando Montoya]

has not engaged in evidence based adjustments to the vaccine schedule. All that will be delayed is further

[Grant Blankenship]

erosion of vaccine confidence, and for that I'm grateful.

[Sophie Gradas]

Under the Judge's order, the CDC's recommended vaccine schedule should return to its previous version, currently followed by most US Physician groups. For GPB News, I'm Sophie Gradas.

[Orlando Montoya]

The Georgia Ports Authority is expanding its cold storage capacity at its Garden City terminal ahead of citrus season, GPB's Chase McGee reports. Today's announcement is expected to boost vegetable, fruit and other food shipments.

[Chase McGee]

The new 300,000 square foot facility at Savannah's Garden City Terminal has 4,000 square feet earmarked for chilled cargo inspections. Those are carried out by U.S. customs and Border Protection, according to a press release from Georgia Ports Authority. Imports from South Africa, Chile and Peru enter the state in May and June, and the chilled facility should be open by then. The facility will handle traffic between the US Southeast, Latin America and the Caribbean. Imports into the country often require inspections by the U.S. department of Agriculture and the U.S. fish and Wildlife Service. It could also benefit Georgia's agricultural producers. The Ports Authority handles around 40% of the nation's frozen poultry exports. For GPB news, I'm Chase McGee.

[Orlando Montoya]

A Southwest Georgia community hard hit by the closure of a paper mill is welcoming plans for a new data center. Officials in early county submitted plans to the state on behalf of data center developer QTS last week, but Suzanne Reynolds of the Early County Development Authority says plans for a data center had been in the works since 2024.

[Jared Horn]

It just almost seemed like it was a godsend, especially after this past summer.

[Orlando Montoya]

That was When Georgia Pacific closed its mill, the county's largest employer and tax revenue generator, ending jobs for about 500 people. Data centers have met with pushback elsewhere, but Reynolds says the project to her looks like millions of dollars coming to a community ready for it. Two men are paddling the entire length of the Chattahoochee river to raise money and awareness for a advocacy group. Jared Horn and Stephen Burden began their 500 mile journey on March 1st in the North Georgia mountain town of Helen. Their rafting adventure is expected to take a month. I caught up with them last night just after they set up camp outside Cosetta, south of Columbus on the banks of the river. Alright, Jared, why did you decide to paddle the river from start to end?

[Jared Horn]

Oh, that's a loaded question. So I grew up on the river down here in Phoenix City, Alabama, and it's just been part of my life ever since I was born and so always had the idea of like, where does this thing really take you? So I always had this idea of doing it and I did it once right after college and it didn't really go to plan. We didn't make it as far as we wanted. We made it to Roswell from Helen. I met Steven kayaking in Columbus, Georgia and we both had this crazy idea and we were both like, yeah, we're both stoked on doing it and yeah, ended up doing it.

[Orlando Montoya]

What kind of challenges have you guys faced along the way so far?

[Jared Horn]

Honestly, eating enough food because you're using a lot of calories, that's a big, that's a big challenge because you can only pack so much in your boat and you're kind of busy all day. Another challenge for me has been just like, I guess back muscles, like sitting in a kayak all day, it's kind of hard on your back, believe it or not.

[Orlando Montoya]

And Steven, what's been the most difficult section of the river to raft?

[Steven Burden]

Normally it would be Columbus, Georgia, right there on what most people know as the fall line. Those are the biggest rapids on the river. But it really, it really depends. So if you're for example, like Lake west point, we had 20 mile an hour headwind at one point and that means you're struggling to gain any ground at all. And sometimes you move backwards. So if you're talking about like the difficulty rating, it's definitely Columbus, Georgia. But if you're talking about endurance and just making it through the day, it just depends on the wind and the

[Orlando Montoya]

weather up in the mountain towns. Did you guys have enough water underneath you?

[Steven Burden]

Oh, well, for the first 14 miles, we actually had to hike feet in the riverbed because there's not enough water to kayak down it.

[Orlando Montoya]

So you guys were really, I'm just going to say, really strict about you were going to be in the water no matter what.

[Jared Horn]

Yes, sir. It is a true source to see from the baby springs that it pops out of the mountain all the way to when it's a monster pouring into the sea.

[Orlando Montoya]

Steven, tell me about the kind of help that you guys have had from people along the way, providing you food, providing you places to rest, getting you around, other logistics.

[Steven Burden]

We've had tons of support. We could not do this without all the people helping us get around the dams. For one, we've had kind people drop us off food. My friends in Atlanta, since I grew up there, I know some people. And there's no legal, really legal places to camp in Atlanta. So we had friends pick us up and give us a place to stay. Warm beds, showers. Jared's family has been really helpful here. Down on the fall line, they picked us up around every single dam with their truck and trailer, and we made connections for people who own land that allowed us to walk on their property. That saved us like an hour per day almost.

[Orlando Montoya]

Jared, along with the challenges, I imagine such an adventure also has moments of beauty and wonder that most of us don't get a chance to experience. Can you share any of those stories?

[Jared Horn]

Yes. Oh, man. Where do I start?

[Steven Burden]

This.

[Jared Horn]

This section of it, like, just the pure beauty of it. I never really explored any of the Chattahoochee Upper south or north, and this trip has opened my eyes, man. Like, there are stretches within Atlanta, right after Atlanta that are just absolutely, just drop dead gorgeous. Like shoals, exposed rocks, massive trees. And then every now and again, man, you'll. You'll just happen upon a. Like a waterfall on the side of the river. It's just like a little stream is just pouring in to the Chattahoochee. And just like, you know, it could be anywhere from we've seen them like 60ft all the way to, like 10 or 5ft. And it's just like the beauty, honestly, of the water, just how clear you can see in some of these sections. I have been just in shock because, I mean, everyone says, like, you know, it's nasty. You got this muddy water is disgusting. You don't need to get no water. And I found some stretches, like in there that like, Gulf coast, clear water, if not clear water.

[Orlando Montoya]

Stephen, what have you learned that you wish other Georgians knew? About the significance of the state's rivers.

[Steven Burden]

Well, I would say that I didn't know just how much we rely on this river, but from a couple of different perspectives. One, you paddle down this and you start to realize, wow, within the first 30 miles, it already has a dam on it. And as you go down, you see water intakes every few miles. Everyone's drinking the water from this river, so we have a heavy, heavy reliance on it. And from another perspective, almost half of the Chattahoochee is still water because of the reservoirs. So it's almost. If you want to think of it as like, if it's 51% calm, not moving, you could say it's not even a river anymore with how much we use it. Not. Not quite tragic, but it's. We are definitely taking a heavy toll on it. I wish people could get out and see just how their lives depend on this resource.

[Orlando Montoya]

And you guys are doing this for a cause. Tell me about what you're raising money and awareness for.

[Steven Burden]

Yeah, so we're raising awareness for just the river in general. Just getting people engaged with it, excited to go out and see it. And the money raising aspect is it's going toward water quality testing, trash cleanups, beautification advocacy, and I mean, also the protection of some of our really important native species. So it's going to the Chattahoochee River Conservancy, and they're a nonprofit that does all sorts of stuff like that.

[Orlando Montoya]

I understand you guys did this once before. How rare is it for someone to raft, canoe, or kayak the entire Chattahoochee?

[Jared Horn]

Honestly, I have no idea. You hear stories of people doing it all the way, but you don't really know how far they may have gone.

[Steven Burden]

So I don't know of anyone else that's really done this recently. I know one person that helped write the map on the Chattahoochee. His name's Joe Cook. I know he did a fundraiser similar to ours in the 90s, especially if you're considering the fashion. We're doing it in one month long for a somewhat large fundraiser. I don't think anyone's done this in at least the past 10, 15 years.

[Orlando Montoya]

And how can people follow you on your journey?

[Steven Burden]

Oh, well, our favorite way is for

[Jared Horn]

hop in a boat and come with us.

[Steven Burden]

Yeah. Yes. To get on the river and come see us. So we have a map online of everywhere we're going to be and. But if you. If you want to follow along for a more cozy position, because I know it's cold in March. We have a tick tock called down the Hooch with underscores between each word or chatriver2026 on Instagram is how we're letting everyone know where we are and what we've seen.

[Orlando Montoya]

All right. Jarrett Horn, Steven Burden, thanks for joining me and good luck.

[Jared Horn]

Yes, sir.

[Steven Burden]

Thank you so much.

[Orlando Montoya]

Atlanta Braves all star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. Led Team Venezuela to a win over Team USA in the World Baseball Classic championship game last night. Acuna spoke with ESPN about the comparison between winning the World Series and with the Braves and winning the World Baseball Classic with his home country.

[Steven Burden]

When we championship in the World Series, I can play, you know, for injury ball now. I can feel the emotion. I can feel the experience. So I'm so proud for myself, for

[Jared Horn]

other team, for my country, too.

[Steven Burden]

So I'm just so excited.

[Orlando Montoya]

Ronald Acuna Jr. Will be back with the Braves for opening day on Friday, March 27th. And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you'd like to learn more about these stories, visit gpb.org news if you haven't yet hit subscribe on this podcast. Take a moment right now and keep us current in your podcast feed. If you have feedback, we'd love to hear it. Email us@georgia todaypb.org I'm Orlando Montana Toya. We'll be back again tomorrow with another Georgia Today.