Georgia Today: Antisemitism bill passes; Macon-Bibb County safe houses; Masters of the Air

Orlando Montoya: Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB news. Today is Friday, January 26th, I'm Orlando Montoya. On today's episode, state lawmakers finally pass an anti-Semitism bill. Macon-Bibb County dedicates millions to create a facility to help victims of violent crime, and a new TV show with deep Savannah connections debuts tonight. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Orlando Montoya: State lawmakers gave final passage yesterday to a bill creating a state definition for anti-Semitism. GPB's Sarah Kallis has more on an emotional day at the state Capitol.

Sarah Kallis: House Bill 30 adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism as the official state definition. While some lawmakers expressed concern the bill could be used to limit criticism of the Israeli government, the legislation passed in both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support. Speaker of the House Jon Burns praised the multi-year effort to get the bill over the finish line.

Jon Burns: It will not rule this day. He will not rule this House. We've taken that stand. We worked hard and we persisted. We're very proud that we have this opportunity or opportunity for somebody to come and show you exactly what we stand for.

Sarah Kallis: Governor Brian Kemp released a statement Thursday expressing support for HB 30, and said he will sign it into law. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis at the state Capitol.

Story 2:

Orlando Montoya: Three white men convicted of hate crimes for chasing and killing Ahmaud Arbery in 2020 will have their appeals heard by a federal court in March. The 11th circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta is scheduled to hear oral arguments March 27th by attorneys for Greg and Travis McMichael and their neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryant. A jury convicted three of federal hate crimes in 2022. Federal prosecutors used social media posts, text messages and other evidence of past racist comments by the men to argue they targeted Arbery because he was black. Defense attorneys say this evidence doesn't prove the men targeted Arbery because of his race. The three men also are appearing their murder convictions in Glynn County Superior Court.

Caption

The Georgia Supreme Court overturned Tex McIver’s murder conviction. He shot his wife, Diane McIver, as they drove home from a party in 2018.

Credit: WSB-TV on Facebook

Story 3:

Orlando Montoya: A former Atlanta attorney once charged with felony murder in his wife's death has pleaded guilty to lesser charges. Tex McIver today pleaded guilty to manslaughter and other charges related to the 2016 fatal shooting of his wife, Diane. The 81 year old was sentenced to eight years in prison under a plea deal and apologized in court.

Tex McIver: She died as a result of my actions, plain and simple. I've stood up to that over and over again. I, can't remember a day I didn't cry for the first two years I was at the prison.

Orlando Montoya: The deal prevents a second high profile trial for McIver, who was found guilty of murder in a 2018 trial. The Georgia Supreme Court overturned that conviction in 2020.

Story 4:

Orlando Montoya: Macon-Bibb County is dedicating millions of dollars of federal American Rescue Plan funds to create a facility aimed at better connecting victims of violent crime to social services, legal advocacy and even trauma informed health care. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more.

Grant Blankenship: Sarah Shank is with the Crisis line and safe House of Central Georgia. She says since the pandemic, Macon has seen a spike in things like domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.

Sarah Shank: Right now, about 10% of the calls coming into our 911 center are coded for these types of of violence. That's a lot. To put that in perspective, that's about 40 calls a day on average.

Grant Blankenship: That's in a city of around 150,000 people. And she says that demand for service has been hard to meet for the over a dozen local organizations on standby to help the victims. That's if the victims can find the helpers.

Sarah Shank: Sometimes it's just-- cracking the puzzle can be too much.

Grant Blankenship: That's why Shank is leading the effort to gather all those service providers under one roof at what's called a family justice center.

Sarah Shank: You don't even have to be able to say, I need X, Y, and Z. Just walk in the door.

Grant Blankenship: Where you'll meet a navigator.

Sarah Shank: Who is very much in the know of all the services that are available, because sometimes our victims don't even know what's out there. At their disposal.

Grant Blankenship: Navigators will steer victims to other parts of the building where one of 16 organizations in the collaborative will work. That includes trauma informed mental health care workers. Adding primary health care to the mix is in the works too. Shank says Macon's one safe place Family Justice Center will be the third in the state, after those in Cobb County and Waycross, and also the state's largest once it opens in 2025. For GPB news, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.

Story 5

Orlando Montoya: If you ordered Chick-Fil-A through the company's app during an 18 month period ending in 2021, you could be entitled to a nearly $30 gift card. Customers have until February 15th to submit a claim as part of a class action lawsuit settlement. The lawsuit alleged the Atlanta based fast food giant advertised free or low cost delivery, but then raised food prices and only on delivery orders. Chick-Fil-A has denied any wrongdoing, but as part of a $4.4 million settlement approved in October, the company has agreed to dole out cash and gift cards and to disclose that product prices could be higher for delivery orders.

Story 6:

Orlando Montoya: A corporate donor is eliminating about $200,000 in school lunch debt for students in for metro Atlanta school districts. The Arby's Foundation announced the gift yesterday after reports that about 700 students in Decatur city schools soon would receive cheese sandwiches instead of regular meals at lunch. Alessandra Ferrara-Miller founded All for Lunch, a Georgia group that pays off debt so students don't have their meal trays taken away from them.

Alessandra Ferrara-Miller: There is a certain level of shame and embarrassment that comes with that. And you think some of these kids are as young as five years old, in kindergarten.

Orlando Montoya: She says schools across the state are coping with the end of pandemic era federal funding that boosted school nutrition.

Story 7:

Orlando Montoya: Norfolk Southern's fourth quarter profits fell 33% because of the ever growing costs of the cleanup of last year's fiery derailment in Ohio. The Atlanta based railroad said today its shipments rose 3%, but even without costs associated related to the toxic crash, the company's profits still would have fallen 14%.

Story 8:

Orlando Montoya: State transportation officials say a proposed interstate highway linking Columbus, Macon and Augusta would not be a good return on investment. A newly released study finds the proposed Interstate 14 in Georgia would carry an average of 3000 trucks per day, well below the average of 11 to 18,000 trucks per day on the state's existing interstates. Georgia lawmakers passed a resolution backing such a highway in 2019, but with costs upwards of $30 million per mile, only Texas has built any portion of Interstate 14.

Credit: AP Photo/Kyusung Gong, File

Story 9:

Orlando Montoya: In Georgia. Sports. The Atlanta Falcons have a new head coach. The team hired Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris after interviewing 14 candidates, including high profile coaches like former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Morris is a familiar name in Atlanta. He served as the Falcons interim head coach for the final 11 games of the 2020 season, after Dan Quinn was fired. Morris replaces Arthur Smith, who was fired earlier this year, and the Augusta Green Jackets have a new manager. A single A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves said yesterday Winston Sawyer would lead the team the first time skipper is in his fourth season as part of the Braves minor league coaching staff. He spent 2023 coaching the Florida Complex Leap Braves.

Story 10:

Orlando Montoya: And the first two episodes of a much hyped docu drama with Savannah connections, debuts on Apple TV+ today. Masters of the Air was created by movie giant Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. It tells the story of World War Two fighter pilots who are part of the mighty Eighth Air Force, a military unit founded in Savannah in 1942 that changed the course of history. Dawn Brosnan of the National Mighty Eighth Museum in Savannah says she's excited American airmen will get their own Spielberg Hanks spotlight following Band of Brothers and Pacific.

Dawn Brosnan: I think it's going to shine a great light on them. They couldn't have made this series ten years ago with the computer graphics. You know? It keeps on improving over the years.

Orlando Montoya: Brosnan says Masters of the Air was based on a book by museum trustee Donald Miller, who did much of his research at the museum.

Orlando Montoya: And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. It's also the end of Georgia Today for this week with the weekend upon us. Maybe you want to check out a movie. I know one with Savannah connections that you might want to check out. If you'd like to learn more about any of these stories, visit GPB.org/news. If you haven't yet, hit subscribe on this podcast. Do so right now. That'll help you to keep us current in your feed. And as always, if you have feedback for us, send that to us at GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Orlando Montoya filling in for Peter Biello today. I hope you have a great weekend.

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