Georgia Today: 4 dead after shooting in Winder; Sparta rail line; CDC workers will return to office

Sofi Gratas: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Wednesday, Sept. 4. I'm Sofi Gratas. On today's episode, a suspect is in custody after a shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County leaves four people dead. Public service commissioners vote to grant a Georgia railroad company private land for a new rail line, and the CDC in Atlanta prepares to bring thousands of workers back into the office. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Sofi Gratas: Four people were killed and at least nine were injured today in a shooting at a high school in Barrow County, northeast of Atlanta. This is a rapidly developing story. As always, check GPB.org/news for the latest. As of the recording of this podcast around 4 p.m., here's what we know. Shots were fired this morning, and officers were dispatched around 10:23 to Appalachee High School in the town of Winder. Students were evacuated to a nearby football field. Parents raced to find out if their children were safe. The suspect was taken into custody and was not, quote unquote, "neutralized," as earlier reports indicated. One patient was transported to Grady Medical Center in Atlanta with gunshot wounds, while two other victims with gunshot wounds were transported nearby to Northeast Georgia Medical Center's facility in Barrow County. Yet another was sent further to the GMC level one trauma center in Gainesville. Politicians are issuing statements of support and issuing calls for prayers for the victims, their families and the community. President Biden has been briefed by his Homeland Security adviser, and his administration says it will continue coordinating with federal, state and local officials. Again, this is a developing story. Check gpb.org/news for updates.

Story 2:

Sofi Gratas: The Georgia Public Service Commission voted Wednesday to allow a Washington County railroad to take private land for a new rail line. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more.

Grant Blankenship: Sandersville Railroad Company has for years sought to take through eminent domain land for a short rail line to connect granite quarries near Sparta, halfway between Macon and Augusta, to larger railroads heading to the northeast. The PSC voted unanimously for the condemnation, despite the protest by homeowners and residents who questioned how the project is for the public good. Their attorneys from the nonprofit Institute For Justice say they'll challenge the decision in Fulton County Superior Court. Sandersville railroad President Ben Thompson says he's prepared for that.

Ben Thompson: We feel very strongly that the business case is there — not just next year, for the next 50 years. And so we're going to see this thing through.

Grant Blankenship: While the Institute For Justice has won 10 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, they lost the last eminent domain case they argued there. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Atlanta.

Story 3:

Sofi Gratas: The CDC in Atlanta is preparing to bring thousands of remote workers in the Atlanta area back to the office. New guidelines take effect next Monday, Sept. 9, that will require nearly 2,900 workers to return to the CDC's Atlanta office about once a week. This change in policy reflects recommendations from the federal Office of Management and Budget, says Robin Bailey, chief operating officer of the CDC. The move comes as both government institutions and private industries move away from the fully remote policies put in place at the height of the pandemic. The CDC says, as COVID-19 cases rise, it's encouraging its employees to get vaccinated and stay home if they feel sick.

Caption

Cornel West

Credit: Photo by Lucas Jackson/REUTERS

Story 4:

Sofi Gratas: The Democratic Party of Georgia is appealing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger decision to include on the presidential ballot independent Cornel West and Party for Socialism and Liberation's Claudia de la Cruz. Raffensperger decided to put West and De la Cruz on the ballot last week, overruling an initial decision from an administrative law judge that said the two should be kept off the ballot because of improper nominating petitions.

Story 5:

Sofi Gratas: And Hyundai has rolled out the 2025 versions of its Ioniq 5 electric SUV. The South Korean automaker unveiled a test version yesterday of its latest EV at a dealership in Savannah, a few miles from a sprawling new $7.6 billion manufacturing complex. During the first half of 2024, the Ioniq 5 was America's second-best selling electric vehicle not made by industry leader Tesla. The company says the plant will begin producing new Ioniq 5s before the end of the year, though it hasn't said precisely when.

Story 6:

Sofi Gratas: The Atlanta City Council has approved two ordinances that ban construction of data centers near the BeltLine and transit areas. The legislation aims to preserve new residential and mixed use developments, trails and green spaces along Atlanta's BeltLine Trail as demand for data centers in Georgia grows.

Caption

Stress

Story 7:

Sofi Gratas: Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine are looking for patients to enroll in a new clinical trial to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. GPB's Ellen Eldridge has the details.

Ellen Eldridge: Researchers at Emory's Brain Health Center say they've located the part of the brain damaged by PTSD that regulates and suppresses fear and can get stuck on high alert in traumatized people. They want to see if they can target and break up those traumas by placing a magnetic coil on the scalp that sends nerve impulses to the brain. Dr. Sanne van Rooij is with Emory University.

Dr. Sanne van Rooij: One of the new treatment that I'm doing is transcranial magnetic stimulation. And the goal is to dampen the fear center — to sort of unlearn, facilitate this unlearning of fear.

Ellen Eldridge: The clinical study seeks 60 people with PTSD symptoms for a two-week outpatient study. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge.

Story 8:

Sofi Gratas: A federal judge in Atlanta has ruled that Donald Trump and his campaign must stop using the song "Hold On, I'm Coming" while the family of one of the song's co-writers pursues a lawsuit over its use. The estate of Isaac Hayes Jr. filed a lawsuit last month alleging that Trump, his campaign, and several others had infringed its copyright and should pay damages. The federal judge ruled yesterday that Trump must stop using the song at events, but denied a request to force the campaign to take down any existing videos that include the song. The ruling is preliminary and litigation is ongoing.

Story 9:

Sofi Gratas: In sports, Chris Sale reached 200 strikeouts for the first time since 2019 and earned the 16th win of his comeback season, pitching seven strong innings to lead the Atlanta Braves past the Colorado Rockies 3 to 0. Raisel Iglesias earned his 29th save and extended his scoreless streak to 22 1/3 innings. The Braves maintained their slender lead over the Mets for the final NL Wild Card.

Sofi Gratas: That's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you would like to learn more about these stories, please 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. Got feedback? We would love to hear it! Email us at GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Sofi Gratas and we'll see you tomorrow.

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