Georgia Today: Coldest night of the year on the way; Hurricane study; Savannah novel celebrates 30th

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB news. Today is Tuesday, January 16th. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode. Bundle up Georgia! Wind chill and freeze warnings are in effect as we enter the coldest night of the past year. A new study shows poor communities wait much longer for power restoration after major storms. And the book that many say put Savannah on the map is celebrating its 30th anniversary. A look back on the lasting legacy of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Temperatures are dropping as Georgia braces for the coldest weather we've had in more than a year. Wind chill and freeze warnings are in effect with forecast lows below freezing across the state. Forecasters expect wind chill values to range from 5 below zero in Northwest Georgia to 20 degrees on Georgia's coast. Many cities have opened warming centers and have closed nonessential operations. Forecasters urge residents to protect people, pipes, pets and plants.

 

Story 2:

Peter Biello: Communities with higher than average poverty and unemployment rates wait much longer to get their power back after major storms. Those are the findings of a study of more than 500 counties in the Southeast. GPB's Sofi Gratas has more.

Sofi Gratas: Coauthored by Georgia Tech researchers, the study uses power outage data from eight major hurricanes that hit the Southeast over three years. People in counties with higher social and economic risk factors waited an average of three hours to have power restored. Some waited up to a week, much longer than lower-risk counties. Engineer and researcher Chuanyi Ji says there's more to dive into.

Chuanyi Ji: To identify causes, that's really important. I think this study mostly provides a reference point to policymakers and potentially the industry, saying we need to perhaps reexamine how resource allocation is done.

Sofi Gratas: Climate change makes it almost certain that extreme weather events will become even more frequent. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas in Macon.

 

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Both chambers of the Georgia Legislature are in recess this week as lawmakers attend three days of budget hearings. Following that, lawmakers will get down to the nitty-gritty of policy and among the policy areas to be discussed, education. Statehouse leaders are recommending smaller class sizes, higher teacher pay and more cash for the state's pre-kindergarten program. Georgia pre-K enrollment has been declining for years, from a high of about 83,000 students in 2012 to about 73,000 today. A report released today by an ad hoc committee formed by House Speaker John Burns blames the decline in part on teacher pay and state funding. Gov. Brian Kemp and legislative budget writers yesterday vowed to continue a cautious approach to spending despite the huge budget surplus.

 

Story 4:

Peter Biello: One more note on education policy in the state. A majority of Georgia's young students are behind in reading. Georgia education officials want to change that, in part by providing literacy coaches for teachers. In his budget proposal, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp included more than $11 million for literacy efforts, and more than half of that would pay for literacy coaches. All this, as some prominent lawmakers say, the state Department of Education isn't doing enough to implement a literacy law passed last year. And there is concern because Georgia's 181 school districts have broad autonomy, and the Georgia Department of Education doesn't closely track what schools are teaching.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: Today, the regulators responsible for how the electricity you use is made and how much you pay for it, were hearing arguments from the state's largest utility. Georgia Power says, due in part to the state's position as a leader in building electric vehicles, they need to radically increase the amount of electricity they produce. And as GPB's Grant Blankenship explains, many say the reason for the hike and how the utility plans to accommodate it may be at odds.

Grant Blankenship: Near the end of last year, Georgia Power told state regulators at the Public Service Commission, from the utility's perspective, they're facing an electricity generation emergency. They say the $24 billion of new industrial investment in Georgia in just the last year or so means what they thought would be enough power isn't going to cut it. They say we need more — soon. Jennifer Whitfield of the Southern Environmental Law Center says we know a few things about the types of industry driving the demand.

Jennifer Whitfield: We know that they are data centers, which is, you know, big companies that are crunching massive computer bits of information for all of us.

Grant Blankenship: Like Facebook or Microsoft, which announced a $1 billion data center in Floyd County last October.

Jennifer Whitfield: And then there's also a lot of clean energy manufacturers. So, people making batteries for electric vehicles or people making solar panels.

Grant Blankenship: Like the largest-in-the-Western-hemisphere solar panel factory under construction just outside of Cartersville. Plus, in some cases, a single one of these new factories consumes as much juice as one of the new nuclear reactors that Plant Vogtle produces. But the utility has effects. It's primarily a mix of postponing the closure of some coal-burning units at places like their Plant Bowen and Plant Scherer by as much as a decade — plus fossil gas turbines, some out of state. The plant has some new battery storage and renewables, but on balance, the solutions emit carbon, which, says Jennifer Whitfield, is more than a little ironic.

Jennifer Whitfield: These industries are either companies that really care about their clean energy goals, or they're companies that care about their clean energy goals, and they're making clean energy technology.

Grant Blankenship: Technology that, in some sense, is only as clean as the power used to make it. For instance, a spokesperson for what Hyundai calls their electric vehicle Metaplant and Bryan County says the company's committed to 100% renewable energy there. Katie Southworth of the Clean Energy Buyers Association says many of the 400 or so business giants who are CEBA members like Google, Walmart, Chick-Fil-A, have made similar pledges. She says that's because fossil fuels are bad for business.

Katie Southworth: Businesses are in the business of doing business ,right. They're making commitments around clean energy and carbon, uh, that they wouldn't be making if they thought it was going to impact their bottom line.

Grant Blankenship: Brian Jacob is with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. He says there's at least one alternative he wants in the discussion.

Brian Jacob: If Georgia Power just made a conscious effort to encourage people to put solar on their roof, and batteries behind the meter, it would mean that Georgia Power wouldn't have to be servicing them during these peak challenges.

Grant Blankenship: So far, Georgia Power has not been enthusiastic about distributed residential solar. Jennifer Whitfield of the SCLC says another fix could be for the utility to talk to industry about when they can and can't hog energy.

Jennifer Whitfield: And say, "hey, I need you to slow it down for eight hours" so that we don't have blackouts across the state.

Grant Blankenship: So-called demand response programs offer industry a brake on their power bills in return. Georgia Powers recently signaled they're open to more of that. Katie Southworth of the Clean Energy Buyers Association says if Georgia Power and the Public Service Commission don't come up with something climate-friendly for the predicted power crunch, they run the risk of steering the business boom out of state.

Katie Southworth: I often say if they can't get what they need in the Southeast, they're going to go to Oklahoma, where there's a lot of wind energy.

Grant Blankenship: Georgia Power's request to ramp up electricity generation will be considered by Georgia's Public Service Commission until April. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.

 

Story 6:

Peter Biello: Gov. Brian Kemp is promoting Georgia business in Davos, Switzerland, for the second January in a row. Kemp is spending the week at the World Economic Forum, a gathering of political leaders and business executives. Today, he met with officials from Korean automaker Hyundai, which is building a massive electric vehicle manufacturing plant near Savannah, and global technology firm Cisco, which has offices in Midtown Atlanta. He's expected back in Georgia on Saturday.

 

Story 7:

Peter Biello: Here's a story for the Beaver Believers out there. Texas-based convenience store chain Buc-ee's has announced a Jan. 29 groundbreaking for its third location in Georgia. The company said yesterday it's planning a travel center off I-95 in Brunswick, with 120 fuel pumps and 200 employees. Buc-ee's is known for its food and kitsch as much as its beaver mascot, and it currently operates 47 locations, including two on Interstate 75, one about halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga and one just south of Macon.

 

Story 8:

Peter Biello: Federal transportation officials have rejected a request from Macon-Bibb County, for money to fix one of the area's deadliest roadways. County officials say the latest funding grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation don't include $4 million for sidewalks, bike lanes and other safety upgrades for Gray Highway. It's the second time the county has applied unsuccessfully for federal grants to retrofit the highway, a priority for local officials. At least 15 pedestrians died in Macon-Bibb County last year. Meanwhile, in Atlanta, a bike and pedestrian safety group has released its annual list of policy recommendations. GPB's Amanda Andrews has that story.

Amanda Andrews: Each of the six recommendations from Propel ATL are open to public comment to determine what's most important to the community. That feedback is used to make changes and guide policy priorities the organization will focus on in 2024. Executive Director Rebecca Serna says increasing the ATLDOT budget to address pedestrian safety is one of their main short-term goals.

Rebecca Serna: The operating budget for the Department of Transportation in the City of Atlanta is what allows them to hire project managers so that they can actually build all those capital improvements that voters approved in 2022. When we budget for moving Atlanta forward.

Amanda Andrews: Projects for this year also include calls for improvement, expanding bus service, more robust biking networks, and traffic calming projects. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

 

Story 9:

Peter Biello: If you've ever planned to visit Copenhagen, soon you'll have nonstop service directly from Atlanta. Scandinavian Airlines plans to add nonstop daily service from Hartsfield-Jackson to Denmark's capital city. The airline says the new route, beginning in June, will be its ninth in the U.S.. The announcement comes as ATL continues to target new international routes following a slump during the pandemic. Last week, the airport celebrated the inaugural flights to Atlanta from Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico on Delta Air Lines.

 Story 10:

Peter Biello: Courtroom drama. Character study. Travelogue through Savannah. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is all of the above. 30 years ago this month, the nonfiction book by author John Berendt was published. It quickly became a smash hit, sitting on the New York Times bestseller list for 216 weeks. GPB's Benjamin Payne reports on the lasting legacy it continues to have in the hostess city of the South.

Benjamin Payne: To the outside world: It's called Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. But to Savannahians like tour guide Angela Sergi, it's simply known as "the book."

Angela Sergi: Y'all mind if I make a little detour? You don't mind a detour? You're on vacation, for goodness sakes. You got to relax.

Benjamin Payne: Sergi has been driving visitors through Savannah for the past 30 years, giving historical tours centered around the book. The most infamous stop on her tour: the Mercer Williams House, a three-story redbrick mansion occupying an entire city block downtown.

Angela Sergi: On this side of the house, the first two windows, that is the library or study. And that is where the shooting of Danny Hansford took place.

Benjamin Payne: Around two in the morning on May 2nd, 1981, 21-year-old Danny Hansford was shot and killed by his employer and occasional lover, Jim Williams. He was a wealthy antiques dealer. Williams claimed self-defense, saying Hansford had tried to shoot him first. Nevertheless, Williams was charged with murder. What ensued were four trials, ultimately ending with a jury finding him not guilty in 1989.

John Berendt: I still am uncertain as to the truth of the matter.

Benjamin Payne: Author John Berendt chronicled it all in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

John Berendt: I didn't think that it was going to be anywhere as popular as it's turned out to be.

Benjamin Payne: Berendt stumbled upon Savannah in the 1980s, and became so enamored by the town that he decided to relocate here from New York City. What followed were 10 years of writing the book. While it follows the murder case, the book is primarily about Savannah's colorful cast of characters.

John Berendt: One critic said, I had cherry-picked my characters and I plead guilty to that. Of course, I cherry picked them. Who would want to read about boring people? Chablis, of course, was the most theatrical and very funny.

Benjamin Payne: He's referring to the Lady Chablis, a Black transgender woman who performed at nightclubs, becoming a queer icon through the book and its 1997 film adaptation, in which she played herself. Here's Chablis in the movie, addressing the jury from the witness stand.

Lady Chablis: I love to dress in women's clothes. I love to go shopping. And by the way, ma'am, I hope you don't mind my saying blue is definitely not your color.

Benjamin Payne: Well, Chablis was very open about her life, not all civilians were forthright with Berendt, at least not right away. He says after living there for several years, seemingly no closer to finishing the book than when he started, folks began letting down their guard.

John Berendt: They would say, "If he asked for you to sit for an interview, do it. Your words would never see the light of day. He's not writing a book."

Benjamin Payne: But then Random House announced it would indeed be publishing the book.

John Berendt: People all over Savannah panicked. "It's about a murder and these are our people." "Am I in it?" "Did he quote me?" "I don't even remember when I told him." "Will I ever be able to show my face in public again?" But then Midnight was finally published. There were a few grumbles, but one reviewer called it a love letter to Savannah, and I have no quarrel with that.

Benjamin Payne: Nor does Joseph Marinelli. He's president of the Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Joseph Marinelli: In 1994, our estimated number of visitors to the Savannah area was 5 million. In 2022, we had just over 17 million.

Benjamin Payne: Of course, Marinelli doesn't attribute all the growth to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but has it had a significant impact on tourism?

Joseph Marinelli: Oh, no question. We continue to this day to see people on the street corner holding the book, looking at certain buildings.

Benjamin Payne: Yes, Clary's Cafe is still open. The iconic Bird Girl sculpture is still around at a local museum, but all the major characters have since passed away except for Berendt. Now 84 and living in Manhattan, he reflects on how Savannah has changed over the past three decades.

John Berendt: Before the book came out, Savannah was an inward-looking town. They didn't care what was going on outside. I think now, with all the attention on it and people coming to visit it, they're looking more to the to the outside. They're aware of the outside world as they were not before.

Benjamin Payne: As Berendt writes in his new afterword to the 30th anniversary edition of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: "Savannah is still Savannah, but it's the Savannah on steroids and growth hormones. Its pulse is quickened, its background sound is higher in pitch and volume than that overarching hush I remember so well." For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.

 

Story 11:

Peter Biello: In sports, the Atlanta Falcons have interviewed Bill Belichick for their vacant head coach position. The 71 year old Belichick left the New England Patriots last week after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl championships. The fifth of those Super Bowls came nearly seven years ago against the Falcons in a game Atlanta led 28 to 3 in the third quarter before Tom Brady rallied the Patriots to an overtime victory. The Falcons fired coach Arthur Smith after yet another losing season. The Falcons had previously conducted virtual interviews with five candidates, only one of whom has head coaching experience. Savannah hosted its first minor league hockey All-Star game last night. The ECHL All-Star Classic was played under an unusual format: Rather than two teams of All-Stars competing against each other, one team of All-Stars took on the host team, in this case the Savannah Ghost Pirates. The ECHL All-Star team won by the lopsided score of 18 to 11. The Ghost Pirates are in their second season of play, and serve as an affiliate to the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League. In the NBA, Trae Young sank his first six 3-point attempts as the Hawks bounced back from their worst offensive game of the season to beat the San Antonio Spurs, 109 to 99. Young scored 36 points, passing 10,000 for his career. And in offseason baseball, shortstop Jose Perdomo agreed to a $5 million bonus with the Atlanta Braves. That's the highest ever for a Venezuelan-born international amateur. Perdomo, who turned 17 on Sept. 20, was rated the No. 3 eligible prospect by MLB.com.

And that is it for this edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, check out our website gpb.org/news. If you haven't yet, hit subscribe on this podcast, highly recommend it. That way we will be back in your podcast feed automatically tomorrow. And as always, if you've got feedback, we would love to hear from you. Send me an email. Send us an email. The address is GeorgiaToday@gpb.org. I'm Peter Biello. Be warm. Keep your pipes warm. Bring your pets indoors and we will see you tomorrow.

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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news