Transcript
A (0:05)
Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, residents of an Atlanta suburb hit a deadline for a special election vote. Governor Brian Kemp is planning a trip to South Korea and Japan, and a class at Emory University considers changes to vaccine recommendations.
B (0:25)
You know, we're going to talk about polio. One week, we're going to talk about rotavirus. One week, we're going to talk about influenza.
A (0:32)
Today is Monday, September 22nd. I'm Sophie Gradas, and this is Georgia Today. Tomorrow is the last day to vote in the special election for a state Senate seat in a suburb north of Atlanta. GPB Sarah Kalis reports.
C (0:51)
Democrat Deborah Shigley and Republican Jason Dickerson advanced to the runoff after getting the most votes during the August special election. Shigley, the only Democrat, won roughly 40% of the 21,000 votes cast. The Republican vote was split six ways, with Dickerson coming out on top with just over 17% of the vote. The district, which mostly covers Cherokee county and part of north Fulton county, was was previously held by Republican State Senator Brandon Beach. Beach vacated the seat when he was nominated as U.S. treasurer. The district has historically been considered a Republican stronghold, but Democrats remain optimistic about Shigli's performance. Over 16,000 voters have already cast their ballot early. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis.
A (1:39)
Former state Judge Penny Brown Reynolds has announced her candidacy for Georgia's secretary of state. She's pledging to protect voting rights for all Georgians. Reynolds, who served in the federal government and hosted a TV court show, says she aims to improve voting access, support small businesses and enhance cybersecurity. She also says she will protect election workers from threats and harassment. The current secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, is running for governor in the 2026 election, leaving his seat open. Republicans Kelvin King and Tim Fleming, along with Democrat Adrian Consenary Jr are are also in the race for secretary of state. It has been nearly two decades since Georgia had a Democrat in the position. The Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney's office has been barred from prosecuting a rape case after a local judge ruled last week that a prosecutor violated the defendant's constitutional rights. Bibb County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Monroe disqualified the office from prosecuting the case against Harold Housley Munro. Monroe ruled that an investigator spoke to the defendant while an assistant DA and another investigator were in the room without Housley's attorney present. The judge said he was, quote, astonished by the actions of the state agents. He ruled the investigation violated the defendant's Fifth Amendment rights to remain silent to avoid self incrimination and his Sixth Amendment rights to be represented by an attorney. District Attorney Anita Howard vowed to appeal the judge's ruling and to refer the case to another prosecutor's office. If the appeal is unsuccessful, governor Brian Kemp will travel to South Korea and Japan in October. The governor's office said on Sunday that the trade mission was planned well before an immigration raid rounded up hundreds of workers at a battery factory at the massive Hyundai plant in Southeast Georgia, which strained relations between Washington and Seoul. In addition to South Korea, Kemp is expected to attend the annual meeting of the Southeast U S Japan association for fostering economic and cultural ties between Southeastern states and Japan. Fantasy sports giant Prizepix plans to sell a majority stake of its company to a Switzerland based lottery operator. Prizepix, which is Atlanta based, and the Swiss company Alwyn International AG announced the agreement on Monday. The $1.6 billion deal expands Alwyn into the U.S. fantasy sports market. Prize picks cut the ribbon on a new headquarters in Atlanta just last year, eight Georgia food banks are getting at least $100,000 each from a public private partnership aimed at reducing food waste and expanding food access. The Georgia Department of Agriculture announced the grants on Friday from the Farm to Food bank program. Last week, a committee under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made changes to recommendations for well known vaccines for kids and adult and hosted a heated discussion on the safety of the COVID 19 vaccine. Just a few miles away, people who study epidemiology were having their own conversations at Emory University's Roland School of Public Health.