Vaccine recommendations could change; Union City EV stations; Hurricane Prep. Week

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast – Episode Summary

Date: September 10, 2025
Host: Orlando Montoya (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
Main Topics: Potential changes in vaccine recommendations in Georgia, Union City’s new EV charging stations, hurricane preparedness in the face of possible FEMA changes, and additional local news stories.

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Episode Overview

This Georgia Today episode explores key developments in Georgia’s public policy and community news, with a focus on how statewide vaccine recommendations might differ from CDC guidelines, how communities are adapting infrastructure for the future (such as EV charging and storm response), and the evolving landscape of hurricane preparedness amidst federal uncertainty. Notable voices include public health officials, local mayors, and policymakers, with a focus on how these decisions impact everyday Georgians.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Possible Changes in Georgia’s Vaccine Recommendations

Segment starts: 01:57

• Background:
  Due to a change in federal policy, most adults and children in Georgia have not been able to get newly updated COVID vaccines at local pharmacies without a prescription.
• State Perspective:
  The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), led by Commissioner Kathleen Toomey, is awaiting CDC guidance before deciding on their own vaccine distribution plans.
• State Autonomy:
  • Kathleen Toomey:

    "If it is really out of line with what we feel is appropriate, given the science and epidemiologic trends as we know it, we can make decisions then." (02:20)

• Priorities:
  Toomey emphasized making vaccine access for Georgia’s children a top priority and stated she’s in ongoing talks with Governor Brian Kemp.

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2. Union City Launches First Public EV Charging Stations

Segment starts: 04:22

• Event:
  Union City marked World Electric Vehicle Day by inaugurating eight Level 2 public charging stations—its first-ever.
• Funding/Partnership:
  The stations were funded through a federal initiative and partnerships with Georgia Power, which manages installation and maintenance for municipalities.
• Local Impact:
  • Mayor Vince Williams:

    "If we didn't do anything, we are doing a disservice to our community... So we wanted to make sure we did that." (04:43)

  • EV expansion will also include Union City's police and fire departments.

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3. Hurricane Preparedness & FEMA Funding Concerns

Segment starts: 05:12

Valdosta’s Recovery from Hurricane Helene

Guest: Mayor Scott Mathieson

• State of Recovery:
  Valdosta is still managing long-term disaster recovery efforts nearly a year after Hurricane Helene.
  • Mathieson:

    "We're just now entering the long term recovery phase... For the next two years, we'll be organizing efforts, groups that will still once again descend on our community, offering to help all over again." (05:45)

• Preparedness Lessons:
  Despite extensive planning and rapid deployment (utilizing over 1,200 employees), Mathieson observed the limits of preparedness "when overwhelmed by the scale of disaster."
  • Mathieson:

    "You can't dig the Grand Canyon for stormwater and otherwise there's a lot that gets overwhelmed and there's just no level of preparing." (06:21)

Ongoing Financial Strain

• Major Concern:
  Valdosta is still waiting on $17 million in federal reimbursement.
  • Mathieson:

    "That's an expense we've already put out there... We might be approaching not a cash problem, but a cash flow problem..." (07:15)

• Federal Role:
  The shortfall, despite assurances of "100% reimbursement", highlights uncertainty about future disaster response funding, especially with potential FEMA cuts.
  • Mathieson:

    "If I get another storm, I truly do not know where that money's coming from. I will just have to change the expectation of our citizenry." (08:38)

• Praise for FEMA (to date):
  FEMA distributed $59 million directly to Valdosta residents, but Mathieson worries about future capacity.

Infrastructure Resilience

• Recent Project:
  Valdosta is investing in a new $32 million water treatment facility to double capacity and ensure core services during disasters.
  • Mathieson:

    "Through all the chaos, you could still flush a toilet and you could still go to your sink and have water... That was no easy feat." (09:43)

Community Partnerships

• Notable Relationships:
  Recovery required partnerships with faith-based groups, nonprofits, and volunteers (e.g., Samaritan’s Purse, Catfish Navy), praised for providing meals, labor, and support.
  • Mathieson:

    "Catfish Navy... came in and fed us for three days. Again, total strangers." (10:43)

  • Improved coordination with "Community Organizations Active in Disasters" (COAD) has eased emergency response.

Reflections on Commemoration

• On Anniversary Events:
  Mathieson shows aversion to celebrating disaster anniversaries:
  • Mathieson:

    "I just saw the 20 year anniversary of Katrina and a party and a street party and I was going no, that's not for me. I'd rather have it forgotten." (12:23)

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4. Disaster Preparedness & Mental Health

Segment starts: 12:44

• Emotional Impact:
  Having robust infrastructure and clear relief plans helps reduce anxiety and protect residents’ mental health during hurricane season.
• Expert view:
  • Dr. Neha Pathak (Georgia Clinicians for Climate Action):

    "It can be a major lifeline to know that you have some community connection that's going to check in on you if there's a heat wave and your power goes out..." (13:12)

• Climate Change:
  Severe weather events are expected to increase, making advance preparation and community bonds more essential.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On State Vaccine Decisions:
  • "If it is really out of line with what we feel is appropriate... we can make decisions then." – Kathleen Toomey (02:20)
• On Hurricane Recovery Funding:
  • "If I get another storm, I truly do not know where that money's coming from. I will just have to change the expectation of our citizenry." – Scott Mathieson (08:38)
• On Volunteer Support:
  • "Catfish Navy...came in and fed us for three days. Again, total strangers." – Scott Mathieson (10:43)
• On Commemorating Storms:
  • "I'd rather have it forgotten." – Scott Mathieson (12:23)
• On Community as a Mental Health Lifeline:
  • "It can be a major lifeline to know that you have some community connection that's going to check in on you..." – Dr. Neha Pathak (13:12)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Vaccine Recommendations in Georgia: 01:57–02:45
• Union City EV Charging Stations: 04:22–05:12
• Hurricane Preparedness (Valdosta & FEMA): 05:12–12:44
• Mental Health & Disaster Prep: 12:44–13:43

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Additional Local Headlines (13:43–End)

• Political News:
  Resignations in the state Senate as officials seek higher office.
• Economic News:
  • Racetrack convenience stores to acquire sandwich chain Potbelly for $566 million.
  • Georgia-Pacific plans to acquire food packaging manufacturer Anchor Packaging.
• Lifestyle Study:
  Research from the University of Georgia shows buying flowers boosts mood ("like therapy"), with local flower farming thriving.

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Tone and Style

• Informative & Community-focused:
  The hosts and reporters maintain an upbeat, practical tone, with empathy during disaster-related segments and celebration during community milestones.
• Candid & Honest:
  Guests like Mayor Mathieson speak openly about fiscal challenges, emotional fatigue, and the reality of disaster recovery.
• Locally Grounded:
  The episode is rich with Georgia-centric stories and voices, always circling back to the impact on residents.

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For Listeners

This episode delivers critical updates on public health, local government innovation, climate resilience, and mental health, contextualized by passionate community leaders and grounded expert analysis. It’s particularly valuable for those seeking to understand how statewide and local decisions shape everyday life in Georgia, especially during times of change and uncertainty.

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, Georgia public health departments could deviate from the CDC on vaccine recommendations. Union City celebrates the opening of its first ever electric vehicle charging stations. And with the possible elimination of fema, what does hurricane preparedness now look like for Georgia?

[Scott Mathieson]

If I get another storm, I truly do not know where that money's coming from. I will just have to change the expectation of our citizens.

[Orlando Montoya]

Today is Wednesday, September 10th. I'm Orlando Montoya and this is Georgia Today. A former Democrat who switched to Republican in the Georgia House of Representatives is challenging longtime state school Superintendent Richard woods for next year's GOP nomination. Misha Maynard, who clashed with Democrats over her support for private school vouchers, joined several Republicans who want to prevent woods from winning a fourth term as the state's education leader. Fred Bubba Longrier of Candler County, Randall Trammell of Cartersville and Nelva Lee of Locust Grove also are in the race. Maynard cast herself as an independent voice, saying she switched from Democrat to Republican former party represented authoritarianism. She lost her seat in the heavily Democratic district to a Democrat in the November 2024 general election. Georgia's public health departments could deviate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations on vaccines, according to statements from public health leaders at a meeting yesterday. GPB's Sophie Gratis has more.

[Sophie Gratis]

A change in federal approval for updated Covid vaccines means most adults and kids have not been able to get the shots at their local pharmacy without prescription. The Georgia Department of Public Health is waiting to offer its own stock of COVID vaccines until the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meets next week to make their recommendations, said Commissioner of Public Health Kathleen Toomey.

[Kathleen Toomey]

If it is really out of line with what we feel is appropriate, given the science and epidemiologic trends as we know it, we can make decisions then.

[Sophie Gratis]

Toomey said she is committed to the quote, unquote importance of vaccine access for Georgia's children and that she's in active conversations with Georgia's governor Brian Kemp. For GPB News, I'm Sophie Gradas.

[Orlando Montoya]

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jason Estevez of Atlanta is resigning from his seat and in the Georgia Senate, Estevest said today he wanted to focus on his campaign for governor. Governor Brian Kemp will call a special election to fill his seat. A large number of current elected officials are running for statewide office in 2026, and more of them could choose to resign. That's in part because most elected officials in Georgia can't raise campaign money during the legislative session, which runs from January to April. That restriction can cut off funding during the months before the May primaries. A charter flight arrived in Atlanta today to bring back South Korean workers detained in a massive immigration raid in southeast Georgia. About 300 South Koreans were among 475 workers rounded up at a battery factory at the sprawling Hyundai plant in Bryan County. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson addressed the raid in his weekly media briefing yesterday.

[Scott Mathieson]

You know, after all of the work that went into recruiting South Korean companies here and the huge impact that the Hyundai plan has for this region, I'm certain that, you know, we don't want incidents like this.

[Orlando Montoya]

The mayor said Savannah police were not involved in and had no advance warning of the raid. Leaders in Union City, south of Atlanta celebrated World Electric Vehicle Day on yesterday by cutting the ribbon on the city's first public charging stations. GPB's Amanda Andrews has more.

[Amanda Andrews]

Union City now has eight level 2 electric vehicle charging stations. Funding for the project was approved under the Biden administration as part of a collaboration with Georgia Power. The utility program provides, installs and maintains chargers for municipalities. Union City Mayor Vince Williams says it's important for residents to have access to.

[Vince Williams]

To this technology and if we didn't do anything, we are doing a disservice to our community. So we're making sure we got people in our community, people on our staff, many of our neighbors who already have EV vehicles and they've been asking, you know, when are we going to have EV charging stations? So we wanted to make sure we did that.

[Amanda Andrews]

Union City police and fire departments are also in the process of electrification and will have their own charging stations. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

[Orlando Montoya]

Hurricane season is here and all this week at gpb, we're giving you the information you need to know to help you prepare for the next storm. Valdosta Mayor Scott Mathison has kept us updated on Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in his city where Helene caused extensive damage in September of last year. He joins me now for our hurricane Preparedness weekly. Mayor, it's good to talk with you again.

[Scott Mathieson]

Oh, good to talk with you too. It's a, it's not my favorite subject though, I promise you.

[Interviewer (possibly Orlando Montoya or another host)]

Well, first of all, how are things going in Valdosta?

[Scott Mathieson]

Good. We're just now entering the long term recovery phase. For the next two years, we'll be organizing efforts, groups that will still once again descend on our community, offering to help all over again. The godsend that they are. And, and we'll organize those. We'll organize everything into the community that is necessary, from still feeding to still repairing to still removal of debris and trees.

[Interviewer (possibly Orlando Montoya or another host)]

Looking back at the year since Helene, what do you know now about hurricane preparedness that you wish you had known before the storm?

[Scott Mathieson]

Oh, gosh, I don't know. Best laid plan. We're very good at community preparedness, we're very good at emergency management preparedness, but you can't dig the Grand Canyon for stormwater and otherwise there's a lot that gets overwhelmed and there's just no level of preparing. There's knowledge that it can happen to you. There's knowledge where you can get a little better. But yeah, we put 550 county employees, 650 city employees to work on a cleanup, and we're. We were probably about 5,000 too short so that the groups that come to town make a big difference. So your best laid plan is 70 agencies coming together, all the resources at your disposal, and there's still not enough.

[Interviewer (possibly Orlando Montoya or another host)]

What issue is Valdosta still grappling with the most since Helene?

[Scott Mathieson]

Reimbursement. I'm afraid to say. We're. The city of Valdosta is still waiting. $17 million in reimbursement. That's an expense we've already put out there. So in a, in a very fiscally responsible city, we might be approaching not a cash problem, but a cash flow problem in our world. You don't just, you don't just wake up one day and say, we can put $17 million outlaid into the community for community repair and debris pickup and everything else, and, and not have it come back to us in, in short, short order. So we're $17 million light. And that's probably the biggest problem we're.

[Interviewer (possibly Orlando Montoya or another host)]

Facing right now is that $17 million that needs to come from the state.

[Orlando Montoya]

The feds, or both federal government, but.

[Scott Mathieson]

I imagine it'll pass through GMA. Yes, the federal government designated 100% reimbursement, and we went right to work. We, we dipped into funds and rainy day funds and we did what we had to do to get the citizens back to, back, back to some sense of normalcy, but we're waiting on reimbursement for that. So that's RA number one.

[Interviewer (possibly Orlando Montoya or another host)]

Recent cuts to FEMA have left many current and former employees of the agency concerned about FEMA's capacity to respond to major disasters. How did FEMA respond to Helene and Valdosta, and are you worried about that help being there in the future?

[Scott Mathieson]

Yeah, I Got nothing but praise for FEMA. FEMA in our community. For Helene especially wrote $59 million worth of direct assistance. They wrote $59 million of check worth of checks to our citizens in one county alone. So you can do the math on what 44 other counties in our state and multiple states beyond that. I don't know how they do it, but for us, we had ARPA funds that we shifted in Idealia to respond immediately. We had vast cash reserves and Helene to respond immediately. But if I get another storm, I truly do not know where that money's coming from. I will just have to change the expectation of our citizenry. It's going to be a lot longer in recovery or I'm going to be a lot slower to respond. We just, we don't have that resource again.

[Interviewer (possibly Orlando Montoya or another host)]

In June, the city broke ground on a $32 million wastewater treatment facility. How will that impact storm preparedness in the community?

[Scott Mathieson]

Oh, everything we, what we actually broke ground on was another water treatment plant. We have long since, since 2000, about 14. We went online with a brand new wastewater treatment facility, a 7 1/2 million gallon holding pond. Beside that, we're actually going to double that in capacity in the next couple of years. So all that was wonderful. The force main spine was wonderful. And here's what we took great pride in. And I think I, I preach this all over the state through all the chaos, you could still flush a toilet and you could still go to your sink and have water. In the city of Valdosta now in the county with wells, that was a different situation. You had to have power. But through it all we kept those services flowing and we take great pride in that. That was no easy feat.

[Interviewer (possibly Orlando Montoya or another host)]

What kind of relationships did Valdosta forge during Helene? With corporate, non profit, faith based and other private relief agencies that could step in to help the city in the future disaster scenario.

[Scott Mathieson]

Yeah, Lifelong friendships. I'll name some and forget twice as many. The Minutemen. Eight days of hope. Samaritan's purse was a godsend. They stayed months longer than they said they were going to stay. They stayed through February. Just amazing groups. Catfish. The Catfish Navy that came in and fed us for three days. Again, total strangers. And it's no subtle thing that you have to treat them well when you're here. They, you got to say thank you, you got to house them and you got to feed them. Or guess what, it's a one and done. So we have forged wonderful relationships with those groups and I hope they benefited as well. Through every interview we tout them through every through every interview. We thank them and we hope that means some level of funding we have given back directly to those organizations. After Idalia, we acted on a COAD community organizations active in disasters. What we do well is infrastructure. What they now do well is the human factor. Organizing every bit of the feeding efforts, every bit of the relief efforts through that organization takes that load off our emergency management response which is supposed to be clearing roadways and and critical and key infrastructure and stormwater. So that COAD is something that we have since organized with all our United Way, Second Harvest Food bank and all our human service organizations. So if you want a major improvement, that's it.

[Interviewer (possibly Orlando Montoya or another host)]

Will the city recognize the Helene anniversary in a few weeks with any public events?

[Scott Mathieson]

I do not want to know. I just saw the 20 year anniversary of Katrina and a party and a street party and I was going no, that's not for me. I'd rather have it forgotten.

[Interviewer (possibly Orlando Montoya or another host)]

Well, that's Valdosta Mayor Scott Mathieson. Thanks again for talking with me.

[Orlando Montoya]

When dangerous weather is on the way, knowing that help will be available on the other side of the storm can help calm anxiety, experts say Addressing mental health is a critical part of disaster preparation. GPB's Ellen Eldredge has more Knowing what.

[Amanda Andrews]

Infrastructure and disaster relief systems are in place decreases uncertainty and helps protect mental health during hurricane season. That's according to Dr. Neha Pathak, the co founder of Georgia Clinicians for Climate Action.

[Kathleen Toomey]

But with our climate uncertainty, it can be a major lifeline to know that you have some community connection that's going to check in on you if there's a heat wave and your power goes out or if you're having trouble with your medications or accessing your medications.

[Amanda Andrews]

And Dr. Fatag says having that information is important because data on weather and climate change shows severe weather events are only expected to increase. For GPV news, I'm Ellen Eldredge.

[Orlando Montoya]

Atlanta based convenience store chain Racetrack is buying sandwich maker Potbelly for 566 million. Potbelly was founded in Chicago in 1977 and has 445 restaurants across the U.S. potbelly says the deal with Racetrack will help it reach its goal of quadrupling in size to 2000 stores. Racetrack operates more than 800 convenience stores in 14 states. Racetrack was founded in 1934 and is family owned. The deal calls for Racetrack acquaintance acquiring all of Potbelly's shares for a little more than $17 per share, all in cash. Georgia Pacific plans to buy a Missouri based manufacturer of rigid food containers and cling film. The Atlanta based pulp and paper giant announced its plans for anchor packaging on Monday. The company says the acquisition, focused on the food service, retail and processor markets, will complement its own Dixie brand of consumer products. And finally, what started out as a form of self care during the pandemic is now a therapeutic habit for many. A research team at the University of Georgia's College of Agriculture and Environmental Science has published a study on people who buy flowers for home or work. It says flower buyers report feeling better, almost like therapy, according to the study's lead author. The report also says flower acreage in the US doubled between 2017 and 2022, thanks in part to local farms growing flowers that don't ship well, like zinnias and dahlias. And here's a virtual flower for you for showing up today for today's podcast. I appreciate you being here for Georgia Today. If you'd like to learn more about these stories, visit gpb.org news we have many of the stories that you hear on the podcast on the website. In greater detail, we'd like you to hit subscribe on the podcast. We always remind you to do that because it helps you and it helps us by keeping you current with us in your feed. And if you have feedback, send it our way. We love feedback at Georgia Today. At gpb.org I'm Orlando Montoya. I'll be with you again tomorrow.