Georgia Today: New rabies guidelines; Fulton County Jail update; Race honors Ahmaud Arbery

Orlando Montoya: Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB news. Today is Monday, Feb. 24. I'm Orlando Montoya, and on this podcast you'll hear the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. For feedback or story tips. Send us an email. That address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. On today's episode, the Georgia Department of Public Health gets updated training and guidelines for rabies after a string of reported positive cases in Georgia. A federal judge moves forward on efforts to address deadly conditions at Atlanta's Fulton County Jail. And five years after the murder of a Ahmaud Arbery, runners gather in Atlanta to honor his memory.

Marcus Arbery: It's just a hurtful thing to see people do wrong stuff, and they think they're above the law, and they think they always supposed to get out of stuff when they're wrong.

Orlando Montoya: These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Orlando Montoya: Errors in a response to a positive rabies case last year by the Georgia Department of Public Health are resulting in updated guidelines and training for staff. As GPB's Sofi Gratas explains, that's been useful in recent cases.

Sofi Gratas: An incorrectly sealed package likely exposed many public health workers to rabies during last year's incident, Commissioner Kathleen Toomey said in January. Updates to the state's rabies control manual have clarified steps to deal with samples of rabies positive animals, says Lauren Baker Newton with the Coastal Public Health District in Savannah, where, last week, a feral cat tested positive after scratching a human.

Lauren Baker-Newton: It kind of gave more clarity to those one-offs that may be encountered — and then, how do you handle those situations? The big thing was to ensure consistency across the board.

Sofi Gratas: There's been a handful of reported rabies cases since the start of the year, and they usually rise in the summer, according to DPH. Having cats and dogs vaccinated can help limit disease spread. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas.

 

Story 2:

Orlando Montoya: The state House passed two bills on Friday that would regulate the use of drones. HB 58 would prohibit drones over public gatherings and require drones to stay at least 400 feet from airspace of ticketed entertainment venues, unless they're being used for authorized official purposes. HB 205 directs GEMA to compile and maintain a list of drones that are safe and secure against hacking or unauthorized data transmission. On Jan. 1, 2028, state and local agencies will be required to purchase drones only from this list. The bill passed 162 to 1.

 

Story 3:

Orlando Montoya: Sunday marked five years since the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was chased down and killed while jogging in Southeast Georgia. Arbery was shot by Greg and Travis McMichael while their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan filmed the encounter. All three were later convicted in state and federal court. To honor Ahmaud's memory, runners gathered in Atlanta for the annual Run With Maud, a 2.23-mile race marking the date of his death, Feb. 23. The Transformative Justice Coalition also hosted a town hall featuring Arbery's father, Marcus Arbery, who spoke about his disappointment over the dismissal of charges against former prosecutor Jackie Johnson, who was accused of protecting the McMichaels.

Marcus Arbery: And, you know, it just — it's just a hurtful thing to see people do wrong stuff and they think they're above the law, and they think they always supposed to get out of stuff when they're wrong.

Orlando Montoya: Advocates emphasized the need for continuing reforms in Georgia, calling for stronger oversight of district attorneys and stricter penalties to prevent similar cases from happening again.

Credit: @BlackAmericaWeb via Twitter

​​​​​​​Story 4:

Orlando Montoya: A federal judge has appointed a lead monitor to oversee a consent decree meant to address dangerous and unhealthy conditions at the Fulton County Jail. U.S. District Judge Lee Martin May named Kathleen Kenney to the position after the U.S. Department of Justice, Fulton County and County Sheriff Pat Lambert jointly sought her appointment as part of the consent decree process. As part of the agreement, Kenney will assess the jail's conditions and provide a public report every six months.

 

​​​​​​​Story 5:

Orlando Montoya: Georgia's Department of Natural Resources is looking for public comment on their 10-year State Wildlife Action Plan, a critical part of both conservation and funding efforts at the organization. GPB's Chase McGee has more.

Chase McGee: The last State Wildlife Action Plan, or SWAP, was put together in 2015. Over hundreds of pages, it details which habitats and animals need special consideration for their preservation. This year's draft is comprehensive, but it requires feedback from the public. Dr. Brett Albanese is the plan coordinator, and he says Georgians might have ideas worth hearing.

Brett Albanese: There will be an opportunity to provide comments on, you know, do we miss some important conservation actions? Do we miss an important conservation partner?

Chase McGee: Congress requires a SWAP every 10 years to allocate grant money to the states, which depend heavily on federal dollars for conservation efforts. For GPB News, I'm Chase McGee.

 

​​​​​​​Story 6:

Orlando Montoya: A federal judge today blocked immigration agents from conducting enforcement operations in houses of worship for Quakers and a handful of other religious groups. A Maryland-based U.S. district judge found that the Trump administration policy could violate their religious freedom and should be blocked while a lawsuit challenging it goes forward. The preliminary injunction only applies to the plaintiffs, including a Georgia-based network of churches, The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, headquartered in Decatur, east of Atlanta.

 

​​​​​​​Story 7:

Orlando Montoya: Morehouse College's student newspaper, The Maroon Tiger, is back in print for the first time in two years, just in time for its centennial celebration. Founded in 1898 and renamed in 1925, the Morehouse College newspaper has been a hub for student journalism for a century. For the past two years, the paper had no print edition. Editor-in-chief Colin Royal says the return of the paper is about preserving student expression.

 

​​​​​​​Story 8:

Orlando Montoya: The Atlanta Beltline partnership has raised $1.85 million in private funding for Enota Park, a new community greenspace on the city's west side. The park will connect the West Side Trail and Westview, featuring a playground, splash pad, basketball court and walking trails. Funding came from donors including Georgia Power, Norfolk Southern and the Frazier Parker Foundation. But the project still needs another $1.3 million to be fully completed. Construction is expected to begin later this year.

 

​​​​​​​Story 9:

Orlando Montoya: Americans now own nearly $2.9 trillion in auto loans and credit card debt. And a new report shows Georgia is among the states seeing the biggest increases. According to WalletHub, Georgia ranks eighth for the largest rise in consumer debt. The state's average credit card balance grew by almost 4% last quarter, with auto loan debt also edging up. Personal loan debt saw a slight decline, but overall, right now Georgians are taking on more debt as financial pressure mounts.

 

​​​​​​​Story 10:

Orlando Montoya: Georgia's annual Paddle Georgia event is set to return in June. Marking its 20th anniversary with a three-state canoe and kayak adventure. The weeklong journey will take paddlers from Ringgold in Northwest Georgia through Tennessee and into Alabama, covering more than 80 miles. Organized by Georgia Rivers, the event combines outdoor recreation with environmental education. Registration is now open with proceeds supporting efforts to protect Georgia's rivers.

 

​​​​​​​Story 11:

Orlando Montoya: CBS debuted the first new network daytime soap opera in 25 years this afternoon. It's a drama shot in Georgia called Beyond the Gates, and that's the theme song for the Black-led soap, the first daytime drama featuring a primarily black cast. Beyond the Gates depicts what its creators call "Black excellence," set amid the manicured lawns and stately homes of an affluent community in Maryland. Filmed at Assembly Studios in Dawesville, north of Atlanta, it's also a first for the region's film and TV industry, as cast member Tamara Tunie told NPR.

Tamara Tunie: We're in Atlanta, where no one has really done daytime drama like this, and so it's a big learning curve.

Orlando Montoya: The series is filmed on 27 sets over 35,000 square feet, with a cast and crew of some 200 people. The last new network daytime soap, NBC's Passions, premiered in 1999, lasting eight seasons on the network.

 

​​​​​​​Story 12:

Orlando Montoya: And in Georgia sports, Emmanuel Latte Lath scored a two goals in his MLS debut to help Atlanta United beat CF Montreal 3 to 2 in the season opener for both teams. Edwin Mosquera netted the go-ahead goal in the 85th minute at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. And the Atlanta Braves kicked off their 2025 spring training schedule on Saturday with a 3 to 1 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Fresh off his Cy Young Award, Chris Sale pitched two perfect innings, retiring all six of his Minnesota batters.

 

Orlando Montoya: Before we wrap up today's edition of Georgia Today, I'd like to say congratulations to GPB's Peter Biello and his wife, Andrea, who welcomed a baby boy this morning. Luca James weighed in at 8 pounds and 5 ounces. Mom and son are healthy and doing well. I'll be filling in for Peter while he enjoys time with his family. If you'd like to learn more about the stories that you hear on Georgia Today, visit our web page GPB.org/news. Many of the stories that you hear on this podcast are also in more detail there. If you haven't hit subscribe on the podcast yet, do that right now. It helps you to keep us current in your feed. And if you have feedback, send that to us at GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Orlando Montoya. I'll talk to you again tomorrow.

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