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Georgia Today: Thanksgiving travel season; Ocmulgee River report; Ronald Acuña Jr. is MVP!
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On the Friday, Nov. 17 edition of Georgia Today: Former first lady Rosalynn Carter enters hospice. A new report considers whether the Ocmulgee River corridor should be a national park. And the Rome Braves are now the Rome Emperors. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.
Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Friday, Nov. 17. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, former first lady Rosalynn Carter enters hospice. A new report considers whether the Ocmulgee River corridor should be a national park. And the Rome Braves are now the Rome Emperors. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.
Story 1:
Peter Biello: Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has entered hospice care at home. The Carter Center made the announcement this afternoon asking for privacy as she and former President Jimmy Carter spend time with each other and their family in Plains. The family shared in May that Rosalynn Carter has dementia. Jimmy Carter entered hospice care in February.
Story 2:
Peter Biello: The National Park Service has delivered to Congress its long-awaited report on whether the Ocmulgee River corridor should be a national park. The corridor runs from the existing Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park south about 40 miles along the Ocmulgee River. The agency's 300-page study concludes that while the corridors flora, fauna and Native American history are worth preserving, the National Park Service is not the agency best suited to do that. The decision ultimately lies with Congress and the president. The effort has bipartisan support among Georgia's congressional delegation.
Story 3:
Peter Biello: Today marks the start of the busy Thanksgiving travel period. GPB's Sarah Kallis has more on what to expect if you're flying through Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this year.
Sarah Kallis: Over 3.5 million travelers are expected to pass through the world's busiest airport over the Thanksgiving holiday season, which lasts until Nov. 28. Airport officials say it is expected to be one of the busiest times of an already busy year. Robert Spinden, the federal security director at Atlanta's airport, says that TSA staff have already screened 2.8 million more passengers than this time last year.
Robert Spinden: Eight out of the top 10 busiest days ever for TSA in Atlanta have been in 2023.
Sarah Kallis: Airport officials are recommending that passengers arrive two and a half to three hours early for their flights during Thanksgiving week to account for long security lines. Additional security lines will be open on busy days. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Atlanta.
Story 4:
Peter Biello: This weekend might be a good time for you to get your Thanksgiving shopping done if you haven't done it yet. Shoppers in Georgia may encounter a pleasant surprise at the supermarket. The whole meal has gotten less expensive. That's according to an analysis by Scholaroo, which says Georgia ranks sixth with an overall year over year meal price drop of a little over 20%. Scholaroo looked at data for the cost of feeding a dozen people at the Thanksgiving table and included prices for a non-organic cold turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls and apple pie with whipped cream. Turkey prices in Georgia are about 35 bucks, which is lower than most other states. And for all your last-minute cooking tips, remember to tune in to Turkey Confidential, The Splendid Table's annual Thanksgiving show. Host Francis Lamb will take calls and rescue some cooks and offer tips on making this year's meal a success. Catch it Thanksgiving Day at noon on GPB.
Story 5:
Peter Biello: The city of Valdosta has paid a $56,000 fine for water quality violations and a fish kill last year. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division cited the city in September for multiple sewage spills. City officials say they're making progress on new pipes to address water quality issues. But Suwannee River keeper John Quarterman says old pipes are only part of the problem.
John Quarterman: It's not just lack of infrastructure. It's not just collapsing sewer mains. It's also been lack of oversight of contractors.
Peter Biello: Along with the fine, Valdosta agreed to implement procedures to oversee contractors. The city also has new management in its utilities department. The changes come more than a year after dying fish and E.coli contamination were found in a waterway that leads to the Suwannee River.
Story 6:
Peter Biello: The city of Brookhaven, north of Atlanta, is taking action after antisemitic fliers were distributed in several of its neighborhoods last month. City council members voted this week to amend the city code to outlaw overnight canvasing. They also approved a proactive ban against people projecting unauthorized images and messages. The projection ban comes two weeks after neo-Nazis beamed a laser message praising Adolf Hitler onto a highway overpass in nearby Cobb County.
Story 7:
Peter Biello: A land swap in Macon-Bibb County means a long-dormant historic health club in the heart of downtown will see new life. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more.
Grant Blankenship: The Macon Health Club first opened back in 1908 as a YMCA and went through several hands in its life as the place where downtown movers and shakers broke a sweat. The owners were the biggest hospital in town now called Atrium Health. When the club was closed in 2016, the multistory building taking up most of a block has been dormant since. Now, Atrium has given the property to the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority, making. Bibb Mayor Lester Miller says he has big plans for the place.
Lester Miller: We're going to make sure that the health club returns to downtown Macon. We're also going to make sure we have a new hotel nearby, along with some good housing that we all need.
Grant Blankenship: According to the development authority. All of that is contingent on how financing and business plans shake out in the future. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.
Story 8:
Peter Biello: The city of Atlanta streets have become more dangerous for pedestrians over the past few years. State Department of Transportation data show a steady increase in the number of pedestrians killed on Atlanta streets. That number last year was 38, up nearly a quarter from 2021. To put a human face on that statistic, the nonprofit Propel ATL has released a story map which breaks down who was killed and where. It's called "38 Reasons Why." And it highlights one trend: People walking in Black neighborhoods and in low-income communities are more likely to lose their lives in traffic. Twenty-five of those 38 deaths last year occurred in predominantly Black neighborhoods. That's according to Propel Atlas Analysis. And that is in part because those neighborhoods are less likely to have things like sidewalks, crosswalks and bike lanes that keep people safe when traveling outside of cars. Worth noting that nobody was killed while biking in Atlanta in 2022. This could be because of the expansion of bicycle infrastructure, which makes trips safer for cyclists. But Propel ATL says the potential reasons are complex. You can find a link to 38 Reasons Why at GPB.org/news.
Story 9:
Peter Biello: The National Park Service will close the historic birth home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for repairs and upgrades. The home on Atlanta's Auburn Avenue will close on Nov. 27 until November 2025. The home's museum collection will be stored offsite during the renovation project. Some visitor services will continue in partnership with the King Center during the project.
Story 10:
Peter Biello: A new Savannah-themed edition of Monopoly is hitting the shelves, highlighting local landmarks of the Hostess City of the South. GPB's Benjamin Payne has more.
Benjamin Payne: You won't find Atlantic Avenue, Park Place or Marvin Gardens on this game board. Instead, there's River Street, Bonaventure Cemetery, the old Pink House restaurant, and the Forsyth Park Fountain, among other properties. And in lieu of B&L Railroad, there are the hearse tours of Savannah's supposedly haunted historic district. This Savannah edition of Monopoly is the first officially licensed Georgia themed version of the game. Standing next to a Mr. Monopoly mascot along the city's downtown riverfront this week, Mayor Van Johnson quipped,
Van Johnson: I'm sorry to tell you all this, but City Hall is not for sale.
Benjamin Payne: But it turns out City Hall is for sale and can be yours for 120 Monopoly dollars. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.
Story 10:
Peter Biello: The Savannah Music Festival released its lineup this week. Scheduled for late March through mid April next year. The festival will include bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder Classical pianist Emanuel AX, Bobby Rush, singer Renée Fleming, jazz pioneer Chucho Valdes and many more. But you won't have to wait for spring to see a show. The festival does year-round shows, including one in January featuring the North Mississippi Allstars at Victory North Savannah and a monthly concert series presented in partnership with Plant Riverside District at District Life starting in February. More details are at SavannahMusicFestival.org.
Story 11:
Peter Biello: In sports, the Rome Braves have officially changed their name to the Rome Emperors. The High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves in Northwest Georgia made the announcement yesterday. The team had been searching for an identity that's unique to the city of Rome, much like Augusta is home to the golf-inspired Green Jackets. Rather than a human emperor in its logo, however, the Rome Braves have chosen an emperor penguin. The team says it's lighthearted and kid-friendly, even if there are no penguins in Georgia. The team noted, however, that there are no Bengals in Cincinnati or Grizzlies in Memphis, either. Earlier this year, the team's general manager said renaming the team was not an attempt to get away from the use of the tomahawk imagery, typical of Braves attire and logos which some Native Americans find offensive. Nor was it laying the groundwork for ending the team's affiliation with the Atlanta Braves. That partnership is in effect until 2030. The Rome Emperors will make their on field debut on April 5 at home against the Hickory Crawdads.
Story 12:
Peter Biello: And fans of the Braves knew long before voting made it official last night: Ronald Acuña Jr. is the 2023 National League MVP. Chants of "MVP!" accompanied his walk-up song as he led off the order at Truist Park late last season, as it became clear Acuña was racking up numbers rarely seen in any player's career. Acuña's season was defined by relentless hitting, a sky-high batting average and a remarkable 40 homers and 70 stolen bases — the only player in history to reach that milestone. Acuña received all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani won the American League Award also by unanimous vote. There have been 21 unanimous winners, and this year marked the first time two occurred in the same year.
And that is it for this edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, visit gpb.org/news. And if you haven't subscribed to this podcast, we hope you'll do it now. That way we'll pop up fresh in your podcast feed on Monday. And if you've got feedback, we'd love to hear from you. The best way to reach us is by email. Email us at Georgia today@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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