Georgia Today: Father of Laken Riley speaks; Savannah interstate flyover; Freezing temps in Georgia

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Monday, March 18. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, the father of Laken Riley, the nursing student killed on the UGA campus last month, makes a public statement. A push to remove an interstate flyover in Savannah picks up steam. And a day before the start of spring, parts of Georgia are not done with freezing temperatures. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: The father of slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley says he's angry his daughter's death is being used politically. Riley's death on the University of Georgia campus last month has become a flashpoint over immigration and border security policies. Authorities say her alleged attacker entered the country illegally. Speaking to NBC, her father, Jason Riley, says he doesn't know if different policies would have made a difference.

Jason Riley: I feel like she's being used somewhat politically. It makes me angry. She was much better than that. She should be raised up for the person that she is.

Peter Biello: He also says accused killer Jose Ibarra, quote, "might not have been here" had we secure borders.

Story 2:

Peter Biello: The state House has passed a measure that would limit the ability to sue insurance companies directly after commercial truck crashes. Representatives unanimously approved Senate Bill 426 today, sending it to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature. The measure says someone could sue an insurance company directly only if the trucking company has gone bankrupt, or if the plaintiff can't track down the company or driver. Supporters say the change will lower truckers' insurance rates.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: A push to remove an interstate flyover in Savannah is picking up steam thanks to new federal funding. GPB's Benjamin Payne reports.

Benjamin Payne: $1.8 million in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act will go toward the I-16 flyover project. It's an attempt to get rid of an exit ramp built in the '60s, which decimated a vibrant Black business district in downtown Savannah's west side. Speaking to reporters, Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock voiced his support for the federal funding.

Raphael Warnock: As a proud native of Savannah who grew up literally in the shadow of this flyover, this project is personal to me. We've got a ways to go. Bureaucracy can be slow, but I am hopeful that we can get this over the finish line.

Benjamin Payne: Planning alone for the I-16 removal project is expected to take several years. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: An Athens bookstore is suing Gwinnett County over the mail policy at the county's jail. Avid Bookshop says the jail denied it the opportunity to sell a book to an incarcerated customer because it's not a, quote, "authorized retailer." The jail doesn't specify what companies are authorized retailers or how a company can become one. The bookstore's lawsuit says allowing some vendors to sell books to incarcerated people, while excluding others, violates free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: Discount retailer Dollar Tree plans to close about 1,000 stores nationwide under its Family Dollar and Dollar Tree brands. The company isn't saying which, if any, of Georgia's hundreds of store locations will be affected. But Georgia food equity consultant Kimberly Carr says she worries about low-income communities.

Kimberly Carr: When you're taking away stores like Dollar Tree, like Family Dollar, regardless if it's in the rural or urban areas, you are minimizing that accessibility of food in the house.

Peter Biello: The closures announced last week come after a surprising fourth quarter loss for Dollar Tree and 10 years after its acquisition of Family Dollar.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan is ruling out a third party run for president. The Republican has been critical of former Republican President Donald Trump and was seen as a leading contender, and the group No Labels' push to recruit a so-called unity ticket against likely nominees Democratic President Joe Biden and Trump. Duncan said today he's withdrawing his name from consideration and will continue working to, quote, "elect more commonsense conservative candidates in the future."

Story 7:

Peter Biello: U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff wants federal action against scammers charging veterans high fees to file claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports Ossoff met with veterans groups about the issue on Friday.

Sarah Kallis: Ossoff says an increasing number of veterans are being targeted by so-called claim sharks. These are people who offer to help veterans file claims through the VA, but charge fees that Ossoff said can sometimes exceed the cost of the service.

Jon Ossoff: Exploiting veterans who are having difficulty navigating the VA's bureaucracy, taking advantage of veterans in need, and putting them on the hook for potentially very significant long-term costs if their claims are successful.

Sarah Kallis: Ossoff is part of a bipartisan group of senators urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate these scams and hold the claim sharks accountable. He says difficulty navigating the claims process is one of the reasons veterans turn to claim sharks in the first place to help navigate their health care. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Atlanta.

Story 8:

Peter Biello: A day before the start of spring, Georgia's northern half is expecting temperatures at or below freezing. Predicted lows tonight have many farmers protecting their crops, including sensitive strawberries and peaches. Many cities, including Atlanta and Decatur, are opening warming shelters for unhoused residents to avoid the cold blast. The dip in temperatures will be short-lived, with highs approaching 60 degrees tomorrow.

Story 9:

Peter Biello: In sports: The Braves are sending Bryce Elder down to Triple-A Gwinnett — or up, as the case may be, since they are in Florida currently for spring training — as they promote Reynaldo Lopez to the starting pitcher position. Elder made the All-Star team in his first full season last year, but seemed to run out of steam late in the season and presided over a drubbing by the Phillies that ultimately helped end their playoff bid in the first round. Lopez signed a $30 million, three-year deal with the Braves in November. He earned a spot in the rotation by allowing just four earned runs over 16 2/3 innings in five spring training appearances. Elder will likely be back in the big leagues at some point this season. The Braves are expected to use more than five starters as they try to keep the whole rotation healthy. In the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks are headed to Los Angeles to face the Lakers tonight. Their visit comes after LeBron James scored 40 points in the Lakers' loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Their meeting tonight is the second this season. The Hawks beat the Lakers back in January. And in soccer, Yorgos Giakoumakis had a first half assist and a second half goal, and Brad Guzan made four saves to lead Atlanta United to a two-nil victory over Orlando City over the weekend. Atlanta United travels to play Toronto FC on Saturday.

Peter Biello: 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 yet subscribed to this podcast, now's a great time to do it. It'll keep us current in your podcast feed. And if you've got feedback, we'd love to hear from you! Email us. 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