Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Thursday, Sept. 5. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, the state mourns the loss of two teachers and two students in yesterday's school shooting in Winder, Ga. Georgia Power gets approval to cut rates, and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners will provide monitors for the 2024 election. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says autopsies were scheduled for today for the four people killed in yesterday's shooting. Teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, and students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn were killed at Apalachee High School yesterday when a 14-year-old student opened fire. Many others were injured. Gov. Brian Kemp has ordered flags on all state buildings to be lowered in their honor today. Classes were canceled today at the high school, though some people came to pay respects by leaving flowers around the flagpole and kneeling in the grass with their heads bowed. The 14-year-old suspect has been accused of using an assault-style rifle.

Story 2:

Peter Biello: Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. Now, one group of moms is rallying support for a list of policies to help victims recover after traumatic events. GPB's Amanda Andrews has more.

Amanda Andrews: Mothers Against Gang Violence is advocating for a policy platform called The Right to Heal. It outlines policy solutions that provide survivors financial, emotional and legal support community-wide in the wake of a crime. Aswad Thomas works with the crime prevention group Alliance for Safety and Justice. He says survivors need rights that include things like job stability.

Aswad Thomas: What would it look like if all survivors had a right to these employment protections that allow you to have time off work for you to grieve and heal, for you to plan funerals, for you to navigate the justice system, for you to go get counseling?

Amanda Andrews: His group will join Mothers Against Gang Violence for a Crime Survivor speak March on Washington, D.C., Sept. 23 and 24. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Tomorrow's football game between Apalachee High School and Monroe Area High School has been canceled. Instead, there will be a community prayer vigil held at the Purple Pit Football Stadium in Monroe tomorrow evening at 7:30. The suspect is expected to appear in Barrow County Superior Court tomorrow morning. The GBI says the investigation into the shooting is ongoing, calling it very complex and is asking for the public's patience. This is an evolving story. Be sure to stay tuned to this podcast as we continue our reporting, and check GPB.org/news for the latest updates.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: The Fulton County Board of Commissioners has approved a proposal to provide monitors for the 2024 election. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.

Sarah Kallis: The Fulton County Board of Elections was issued a reprimand in May by the State Election Board regarding the recount of the 2020 election. Fulton Election Board Chair Sherri Allen says because of that, they agree to have election monitors present for the 2024 election as part of the process to resolve the reprimand. Election monitors will observe vote counting and election procedures. Fulton County Board of Commissioner Vice Chair Khadijah Abdur-Rahman approved the measure and says she supports election monitors.

Khadijah Abdur-Rahman: And let's try to make sure that we do the things that are best, not for any particular party, but what's best to make sure that we have safe, secure elections.

Sarah Kallis: The commission unanimously approved the proposal. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Atlanta.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: Some Democrats from Georgia are pushing Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, as the best option to improve the health care landscape nationwide. GPB's Sofi Gratas has more.

Sofi Gratas: 18 rural hospitals are at risk of closing in Georgia, according to an independent report. Some Georgia Democrats say the solution is getting thousands more people health care coverage by fully expanding Medicaid, therefore bringing hospitals more paying patients. U.S. congressman Sanford Bishop of Middle Georgia says his constituents can't afford more closures. He's hopeful a Harris/Walz administration pulls through with promises to protect the Affordable Care Act and other subsidized health care and lower costs.

Sanford Bishop: We know how much devastation our communities have seen from the opioid epidemic to the COVID-19 pandemic. We know how vital it is to have a robust health care system that works for everyone, not just a few.

Sofi Gratas: Georgia is one of 10 states to reject full Medicaid expansion so far. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: 20 investors in chemical producer the Chemours Company have sent a letter to the company urging it to make a permanent commitment to not do business with Twin Pines Minerals, the Alabama-based company that plans to mine around the Okefenokee Swamp in Southeast Georgia. Chemours stated publicly it had no plans to mine near the Okefenokee, which is the largest blackwater swamp in North America. The investors, spearheaded by mutual fund Green Century Capital Management, are asking Chemours to make those plans official. In a letter, the investors say mining the, quote "ecological gem" would expose the company to a whole lot of business risks. It's the latest effort to block mining near the Okefenokee Swamp.

Story 7:

Peter Biello: State energy regulators yesterday gave Georgia Power approval to reduce customer rates by $122 million. The reduction reflects the Atlanta based utility's savings from corporate tax cuts the General Assembly enacted this year. The state Public Service Commission required the company to pass any savings from future tax cuts to customers. The action will save the average residential customer $2.25 a month. It'll go into effect on Jan. 1.

Story 8:

Peter Biello: In sports: in baseball, the Braves face the Rockies again tonight at Truist Park. Last night, Charlie Morton threw five innings and gave up two runs as the Braves beat the Rockies 5 to 2. He says a lot of deep counts and long at bats kept him from going deeper than five innings into the game.

Charlie Morton: By and large, I limited hard contact and I got swing and miss when I needed to, for the most part. I just wish I could have been more efficient, but it's like, I don't know, I guess you're going to have games like that every now and then.

Peter Biello: The Rockies are last in the National League West, and tomorrow the Braves open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, the last-place team in the American League East. These are must-win games at a time when every game counts. The Braves are clinging to a wild card spot with the division rival New York Mets a half game back. The Braves and Mets will meet at Truist Park later this month. And in soccer, Atlanta United fired its technical director after a less-than-stellar season for the team. Carlos Bocanegra was dismissed with seven games left in another disappointing season. President and CEO of Atlanta United, Garth Lagerwey, will assume Bocanegra's duties on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.

Peter Biello: And that's a wrap on this edition of Georgia Today. We do appreciate you tuning in. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, including the shooting in Winder yesterday, please check GPB.org/news. We're posting the latest updates there. And if you haven't subscribed to this podcast, do it now. We'll pop up automatically in your feed tomorrow with all the latest news about what happened in Winder and throughout the state of Georgia. If you've got feedback, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email. The address is [email protected]. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.