Georgia Today: Some Barrow students return to class; Planes collide at Hartsfield; Election concerns

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Tuesday, Sept. 10. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, some students in Barrow County went back to school today, six days after a school shooting in Winder. Two Delta planes collide at the Atlanta airport. And Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reiterates his concerns about the State Election Board. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Many students in Northeast Georgia's Barrow County headed back to class today. The return comes six days after a shooting killed two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School. School officials have promised students and parents more security and mental health resources. GPB's Chase McGee has more from Winder.

Chase McGee: Barrow County School Superintendent Dallas LeDuff sent families a note saying students returning to class will see more counselors, therapy dogs and Barrow County officers on campus. Meanwhile, school system leaders and principals are receiving training from Dr. David Schonfeld, who directs the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at the University of Southern California. He's helping them learn what children and families need in the wake of a school tragedy. There's still no confirmed return date for students at Apalachee High School. For GPB News, I'm Chase McGee in Winder.

Peter Biello: Georgia Senate Democrats called on their Republican colleagues today to pass gun safety legislation. Their news conference followed a similar public call for action by state House Democrats last week, two days after the shooting.

Credit: Stephen Fowler / GPN News

Story 2:

Peter Biello: Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger continues to share his concerns about recent changes coming from the State Election Board. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports on his address yesterday to the Atlanta Rotary Club.

Sarah Kallis: Raffensperger had a clear message about the State Election Board.

Brad Raffensperger: Simply put, they're a mess.

Sarah Kallis: He told Rotary members that the rule changes from the five-member board were happening too close to the election, which could lead to confusion. Raffensperger used to be a member of the State Election Board, but state lawmakers removed him during the last legislative session. So he says he has no jurisdiction over the board.

Brad Raffensperger: They took us off the State Election Board. That was the will of the General Assembly. So the General Assembly owns this.

Sarah Kallis: The State Election Board meets again on Sept. 20 to discuss more rule changes. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Atlanta.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: A passenger aboard a Delta Air Lines flight is describing a, quote, terrifying collision between two aircrafts taxiing for departure at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this morning. No injuries were reported after the wing of a plane carrying 221 passengers on their way to Tokyo clipped the tail of a smaller regional jet carrying 56 passengers on their way to Lafayette, La. The passenger, a television meteorologist from Tampa, posted to social media that he heard jarring metal scraping sounds, then loud bangs, adding that there was no fire or smoke. Both planes were operated by Delta. The company says passengers will be rebooked on other flights.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: The sheriff in Savannah's Chatham County is back on the job nearly three months after he was hospitalized for a cardiac arrest. In his first public comments since returning to the office, the 80-year-old Republican John Wilcher is reassuring the public about his condition.

John Wilcher: The job's easier to carry on. And I've got a clean bill of health from my doctor. My strength is good and my capacity to do my job is good. So I'm here for the public, you know, for four more years.

Peter Biello: Wilcher is running for reelection against Democrat Richard Coleman in the November general election.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: The largest water treatment plant in Fulton County officially will reopen this week with new and upgraded facilities. GPB's Amanda Andrews explains what's changed.

Amanda Andrews: The Big Creek Water Reclamation Plant will take up less space, but have the capacity to treat 32 million gallons of wastewater a day, compared to 24 million at the old facility. The new plant system also includes state-of-the-art membrane technology. Fulton County Public Works director David Clark says this is an improvement over the old conventional treatment plant.

David Clark: It's much cleaner with the membrane plants. It removes much more of the nutrients from the wastewater and therefore it's a much cleaner water that's in the Chattahoochee River.

Amanda Andrews: The plant will serve several communities, including Johns Creek, Roswell and Alpharetta. Similar upgrades are planned for the Camp Creek facility starting in 2030. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: A new apartment development in Macon devoted in part to giving unhoused people newly released from the hospital a place to recover has its first resident. The man came to the medical respite housing managed by the Catholic charity DePaul USA, from nearby Piedmont Macon Medical Center. About a dozen units are set aside for so-called medical respite housing next door to DePaul USA's Macon Homeless Day Shelter. 16 other units will be for more traditional supportive housing for the homeless, with the rest of the 66 units planned to be rented for no more than $600 a month.

Caption

A map from the feasibility study outlining the proposed city of Mulberry in Gwinnett County.

Credit: KB Advisory Group

Story 7:

Peter Biello: A judge has ruled against a man who challenged the constitutionality of the creation of the city of Mulberry in Gwinnett County. Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Tadia Whitner ruled yesterday that Stephen Hughes of Dacula had no standing, and therefore his lawsuits were dismissed. Hughes had argued that creating the City of Mulberry was unconstitutional because its charter prohibited a property tax. Hughes says the merits of his argument have yet to be addressed.

Stephen Hughes: I think it was clear that the compelling evidence was on our side and I think we would have won had she not dismissed the case on a technical ground.

Peter Biello: Supporters of the city of Mulberry called his lawsuits ridiculous. A separate lawsuit Hughes filed in Fulton County against the state of Georgia over Mulberry's creation is still pending.

Story 8:

Peter Biello: In sports: in baseball, the Braves head to D.C. today to face the Washington Nationals for the first of a two-game series. Last night, Cincinnati's Nick Martinez pitched seven innings of two-hit ball as the Reds defeated the Atlanta Braves 1 to nothing in the makeup of July rainout. With the loss, the Braves lose their grip on the third wild card spot, yielding it to the New York Mets, who defeated the Blue Jays last night 3 to 2. And in basketball, the Atlanta Dream host the Minnesota Lynx tonight.

And that's a wrap on this edition of Georgia Today. Thanks so much for tuning in. We hope you'll come back tomorrow with all the latest headlines from Georgia. And the best way to remember to do that is to have us basically remember for you. Subscribe to this podcast and we'll pop up automatically in your feed tomorrow. And if you've got feedback or a story idea, something going on in Georgia we should know about, let us know by email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.

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