Georgia Today: Disaster relief for Georgia; 700 doctors needed; violence closes Augusta academy

Peter Biello: Welcome to the new Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Tuesday, Jan. 17. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode: President Biden has approved disaster relief funds for Georgia, new data show that our state is in need of 700 primary care physicians, and a teen military academy in Augusta has been shut down after a series of violent episodes. These stories and more are coming up in this edition of Georgia Today.

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Gov. Brian Kemp speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 17, 2023.

Credit: Facebook

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Peter Biello: Gov. Brian Kemp was in Switzerland today speaking on a panel at the elite World Economic Forum. He joined a bipartisan group of state and federal lawmakers to discuss America's legislative future. GPB's Stephen Fowler has more.

Stephen Fowler: The World Economic Forum in Davos is a confab of billionaires and top international political leaders who gather to discuss pressing issues. And on Tuesday, the speakers included Gov. Brian Kemp on a wide-ranging panel with other Democratic and Republican lawmakers. He referred to fentanyl, human trafficking and gangs as pressing problems.

Gov. Brian Kemp: And those are the issues that we're trying to tackle at the state level. But I believe much could be solved, and I think there will be broad bipartisan support for simply, in the meantime — while you're working on these things — to secure the dang border.

Stephen Fowler: Kemp also said his trip would include efforts to court more big businesses to select Georgia for their next investment. For GPB News, I'm Stephen Fowler.

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Peter Biello: The state fiscal economist says Georgia has continued to add jobs across virtually every industry in recent years, leading to record low unemployment. Speaking at legislative budget hearings today, Dr. Jeffrey Dorfman also said that surge is driven by higher-paying jobs.

Dr. Jeffrey Dorfman: But importantly, the sectors that have grown the most pay more. And so this has boosted personal income in Georgia and been responsible for a lot of the growth in tax revenue that we all have enjoyed the last couple of years.

Peter Biello: Dorfman says one of the big challenges the state faces is having enough affordable housing to meet the demand for people moving into the state. Budget hearings continue through Thursday.

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A medical practitioner holds a clipboard.

Credit: File

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Peter Biello: Georgia ranks in the top third of states, lacking enough primary care physicians to meet the needs of medically underserved areas. That's according to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation. GPB's Sofi Gratas has more on what that means and what the state plans to do about it.

Sofi Gratas: Workforce data through September of last year shows Georgia would need almost 700 additional primary caregivers to eliminate shortages according to federal standards. Only three counties in the state have enough providers. Gov. Brian Kemp established the Health Care Workforce Commission last year. Commissioner of the Department of Community Health, Caylee Noggle, summarized the group's final recommendations during its last meeting.

Caylee Noggle: Maximizing our existing workforce, optimizing the education system, and then how we attract new talent into the field.

Sofi Gratas: Though more than half of Georgia's health care graduates stay in the state, many existing workers are set to retire. A growing number of uninsured and aging patients poses additional strains on the system. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas.

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Peter Biello: President Biden approved a disaster declaration yesterday in response to the severe storms and tornadoes that tore through Georgia last week. The National Weather Service has confirmed that at least five tornadoes touched down in Georgia during the strong storms. Three people in Georgia were killed, including a 5-year-old boy in Butts County. The approval by the president frees up federal aid to affected individuals in seven counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing, home repairs and low-cost loans for uninsured property. Residents and business owners can apply for assistance at www.disasterassistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA or by using the FEMA app.

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Peter Biello: A teen military academy in Augusta was shut down after a series of violent episodes culminated in an October brawl that involved 70 teenagers. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found leaders of the Georgia National Guard's Youth Challenge Academy at Fort Gordon rushed to meet a new enrollment quota and didn't properly screen recruits for behavioral and mental health problems. Fort Gordon's acting garrison commander ordered the program shut down and barred cadets from the fort for a year. Records and reports obtained by the newspaper show National Guard leaders later blamed the cadets. Program leaders have declined or ignored interview requests.

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A school bus rolls down a rural road.

Credit: File photo

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Peter Biello: Schools would get a major portion of the $600 million bond package Gov. Brian Kemp is recommending in the budget proposal released late last week. More than a third of the bonds would go toward K through 12 school construction projects. The rest would be divided between other state agencies, including more than $130 million for University System of Georgia campuses. Projects include almost $30 million for the second phase of a modernization project at the University of Georgia Science and AG Hill in Athens, and more than $60 million for a research tower on the downtown Atlanta campus of Georgia State University.

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Peter Biello: One artist will be chosen to paint a new mural at the Dunwoody train station. GPB's Amanda Andrews has more on MARTA's efforts to increase public art.

Amanda Andrews: The project is part of Art Bound, MARTA's larger program to bring more music, dance and visual arts to stations. They're working with the city of Dunwoody and Atlanta arts organization Living Walls. Submissions will be accepted through Jan. 20. Living Walls Tatiana Bell says a lot of their work is focused on empowering artists from underrepresented groups.

Tatiana Bell: So it's a huge opportunity to have people share their stories from different backgrounds and have that take up so much space in a world where maybe they don't get to take up space all the time.

Amanda Andrews: Once an artist is selected, the mural will be created and completed by the end of the year. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

Peter Biello: And this final note: In a star-studded video posted online, Madonna — Yes, that Madonna — has announced a new tour and she's coming to Atlanta in September.

Amy Schumer: I have one. Madonna.

Madonna: Yeah.

Amy Schumer: I dare you to do a world tour and play your greatest hits.

Madonna: Four decades? As in all those songs?

Peter Biello: Madonna: The Celebration tour celebrates four decades of hits. She'll be at State Farm Arena on Tuesday, Sept. 5. So mark your calendar. Fun personal fact: One of the first tapes I ever got cassette tapes was Madonna's Immaculate Collection. This was back in the early '90s. I stashed that one along with my M.C. Hammer tape. Y'all remember tapes, right? Remember winding them with a pencil when the ribbon came out? Yeah. Good times, good times. Anyway, those tickets for the Madonna show in Atlanta, they go on sale Monday next week.

And that is it for today's episode of Georgia Today. Thank you so much for tuning in. Take a moment to subscribe to this podcast. Now, that way we'll pop up in your feed tomorrow with all the latest headlines. If you got feedback, we'd love to hear it. Send us an email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll be with you tomorrow.