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Georgia Today: Father of accused Apalachee shooter bonded; Fed judge retires; Savannah public art
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On the Wednesday, Feb. 12 edition of Georgia Today: The father of the boy accused of the Apalachee High School shooting is granted bond; President Trump gets his first opportunity to appoint a federal judge in Georgia; and Savannah city officials put a new focus on public art.
Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Wednesday, Feb. 12. I'm Peter Biello. This podcast features the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. For feedback or story tips, send us an email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. On today's episode, the father of the boy accused of the Apalachee High School shooting is granted bond. President Trump gets his first opportunity in his second term to appoint a federal judge in Georgia. And Savannah city officials put a new focus on public art.
Stuart Miller: Because each community has a story. And public art is all about storytelling.
Peter Biello: These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.
Story 1:
Peter Biello: A judge has granted bond for the father of the 14-year-old boy accused of last year's deadly shooting at Apalachee High School. The father, Colin Gray, has pleaded not guilty to 29 counts in a rare case of a parent being charged after a school shooting. Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Prim said yesterday the law required him to consider Gray's flight risk, among other concerns in his bond request. Primm said there's no evidence of concern.
Nicholas Primm: So weighing all of these considerations, I believe that it is, one, required to give a bond. But two, given the extraordinary nature of the case and the other factors that it needs to be a high bond.
Peter Biello: Gray's bond was set at $500,000.
Story 2:
Peter Biello: The state Senate passed a bill yesterday that would ban state employee health plans from covering gender-affirming care. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.
Sarah Kallis: Republicans supporting Senate Bill 39, like Sen. Blake Tillery, say taxpayers don't want their money to fund gender-affirming care like sex reassignment surgery or hormone therapy.
Blake Tillery: I think it goes to the ultimate question was whether or not you think state taxpayer dollars should be used for transgender surgeries. I think the ultimate answer was no.
Sarah Kallis: Meanwhile, Democrats like Sen. Kim Jackson say that the ban could be struck down in court and target an already marginalized group.
Kim Jackson: My — my colleagues have chosen a group of people that are easy to pick on and easy to score political points.
Sarah Kallis: The bill passed 33 to 19 and now moves to the House. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis at the state Capitol.
Story 3:
Peter Biello: President Donald Trump is getting his first opportunity of his second term to nominate a judge to the federal bench in Georgia. Chief U.S. District judge for the Northern District of Georgia, Timothy Batten, notified the president of his intention to retire last week. He told GPB today that he remains profoundly grateful for the opportunity to serve and intends to use his skills in the realm of arbitrations and mediations when he steps down in May. Batten was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate 19 years ago.
Story 4:
Peter Biello: A new study from the Environmental Working Group suggests nearly 80% of the beauty products marketed to Black women are linked to elevated risks of diseases like breast and uterine cancer. GPB's Ellen Eldridge has more.
Ellen Eldridge: Scientists analyzed more than 4,000 products like makeup, shampoo, hair relaxers and dyes and found that 74 presented moderate to high health hazard risks. Alexa Friedman is with Environmental Working Group and coauthored the study. She says hair relaxers remain one of the more hazardous product categories. But:
Alexa Friedman: One good thing that we did see in between our 2016 and our 2525 report is that the average rating for hair relaxers went from an 8, which would be a high hazard in our database to a 5, which is a moderate hazard.
Ellen Eldridge: Friedman says she and her colleagues consider products rated as 1 or 2 in the study's online database as the safest to use. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge.
Story 5:
Peter Biello: Officials in Savannah have launched a campaign to draw up a master plan focused entirely around public art. GPB's Benjamin Payne reports.
Benjamin Payne: For a city as old and as popular as Savannah, it may come as a surprise that it's never had a structured plan for public art: things like murals on crosswalks and sculptures on street corners that catch you by surprise as you're just going about your day. But that will soon change. Through early March, city staff and design consultants are hosting community meetings and online focus groups to gather feedback from Savannahians on what kinds of public art they want to see and where they want to see it. Stuart Miller is Savannah's director of cultural resources.
Stuart Miller: The idea is that the communities get to talk about what their respective needs and wants are for public art because each community has a story. And public art is all about storytelling.
Benjamin Payne: Residents can get involved and take an online survey by visiting Savannah public art.com. The master plan is expected to be finalized later this year. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.
Story 6:
Peter Biello: The Atlanta Dream and Atlanta-based Gray Media have renewed their partnership for the 2025 WNBA season. The deal, announced yesterday, puts the team's non-national exclusive games on Gray Media's Peachtree TV and Peachtree Sports Network, including over-the-air broadcasts in Georgia's largest media markets, among other outlets.
Story 7:
Peter Biello: The University System of Georgia is responding to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence with a new degree program. The system's Board of Regents voted yesterday to create its first baccalaureate program in the field. The Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Artificial Intelligence will be offered at Middle Georgia State University's campus in Warner Robins. AI as an area of academic study is growing in Georgia overall. Last year, Kennesaw State launched a master's program in the field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of computer and information research scientists, including AI professionals, will grow four times as fast as the average of all other occupations in the decade preceding 2031.
Story 8:
Peter Biello: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is considering two legendary musical acts with Georgia connections for its 2025 class of inductees. On its shortlist this year are hip hop icons Outkast, formed in Atlanta in 1992, and Southern rockers The Black Crowes, formed in Atlanta in 1984. Inductees will be announced in late April.
Story 9:
Peter Biello: And in other music news, Concord Music Publishing announced today the signing of country singer-songwriter Cole Goodwin. The worldwide publishing deal, effective immediately, includes his full catalog and all future works. Originally from Pooler, Ga., Cole Goodwin was voted Savannah's best country artist of 2023 and 2024, as well as 2024's best singer-songwriter, best local concert and best all-around musician. He was featured in Season 3 of GPB's Peach Jam and the Peach Jam Podcast. You can find his episode at GPB.org/PeachJam or anywhere you get your podcasts. And why not? Let's hear a little bit of Cole Goodwin right now.
MUSIC: Cole Goodwin
Peter Biello: All right. That's it for this edition of Georgia Today. Thanks for tuning in. We've got more news coming your way tomorrow, so make sure you subscribe to this podcast and check for updates at GPB.org/news. Again, we love to have your feedback. Send it to us 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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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news
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