GPB News: Features

Tallahassee Talks in Water Wars

2007-12-17T14:57:00.001-05:00

The governors of Georgia, Alabama and Florida are meeting in Tallahassee to figure out how to break the decade-long water-usage impasse between the three states, during a record-breaking drought.

Click to watch the report.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the water crisis.

Perdue, Riley to meet with Interior Sec'y, White House adviser

2007-10-25T21:26:00.000-04:00

Water Wars, Water Woes from Dave Bender on Vimeo.
YouTube version: http://youtube.com/watch?v=nASTHXpvyz8

Governor Sonny Perdue plans to meet with Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, and Jim Connaughton, environmental quality adviser to President George Bush, on Friday to discuss the drought, according to a report citing a Governor's Office official.

The two Administration officials, in an effort to head off more acrimony between Georgia, Alabama, Florida and the Army Corps of Engineers over water usage, are to meet later in the day with Alabama Governor Bob Riley.

Riley told The Birmingham News:

''We're going to tell him that the only way all of us get through this is through a concept of shared pain."

Perdue, at a press conference on the fast-drying shores of West Point Lake on Wednesday, Oct. 24, lashed out at both the Army Corps of Engineers and Riley (see video).

Perdue has announced a series of immediate, drastic steps to curtail water use by state agencies by upwards of 20-percent. He plans to take the State's case to the federal government, and Supreme Court if necessary.

Georgia lawmakers are proposing creating more reservoirs, as well as working with surrounding states to head-off the drought's long-term effects.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

Drought on the 'Hootch brings out kayakers, rod & reel (updated)

2007-10-17T18:57:00.000-04:00

While drought and record low water levels along Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River flood the media with and charges, counter-charges and claims over divvying up the flow, Georgians downriver in Columbus still manage to enjoy what remains -- while it lasts.

Meanwhile, the State of Georgia is still waiting for the Corp of Engineers to decide whether it will lower the flow of water out of Lake Lanier. Governor Perdue has threatened legal action if the corps does not comply with the state's request.

In a statement on Wednesday, Georgia environmental protection division director Carol Couch warned of dire consequences.

Update - Wednesday evening: The State of Georgia will sue the Army Corps of Engineers over its water releases from Lake Lanier and the state’s federal reservoirs. Governor Sonny Perdue late Wednesday afternoon released a statement saying,

"...the Corps’ nonsensical action to further release vital water from Georgia’s already depleted federal reservoirs must not stand."

Click here for more.

Click here for more GPB coverage of the drought, and its consequences.

Finding my folks - Terrance McKnight

2007-10-03T13:18:00.001-04:00

Listen to the story about Terrance's search for his African roots

The majority of Americans of African descent have no idea where in Africa their foreparents came from. Until recently, I was one of them. After submitting a DNA sample to African Ancestry, they determined that my maternal lineage goes back to the Yoruba and Ibo people now living in Nigeria. So tonight I'm meeting with some Yorubas for dinner, and although we'll be eating standard American fare I'm anxious to get the inside scoop on everything Ibo and Yoruba. - I'm soooo geeked!!

Foreign genes to make more nutritious food.

2007-09-28T12:05:00.000-04:00

Farmers have been tinkering with fruits and vegetables for centuries - trying to get those strawberries a little sweeter, those tomatoes more plump. Now Science has sped up that process and changed it right down to its core. Researchers are inserting foreign genes into plant seeds to make them more nutritious and easier to grow. But is that what people really want to eat? Emily Kopp explores the debate, beginning on a South Georgia Farm.

Listen to this features podcast with Emily Kopp, while enjoying pictures from Hillside Farms by clicking on the GPB News link below.

Schools sue state for more funds

2007-09-13T16:11:00.000-04:00

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Nearly a third of Georgia’s public school systems are engaged in a costly legal battle with the state. They say they can’t provide the “adequate education” required by the Georgia Constitution because the state is not giving them enough money. Moreover, they claim, the state funding formula is outdated and favors populous school districts over small, rural ones.

Emily Kopp visited one of the districts involved in the lawsuit—Oglethorpe County. It lies just east of Athens. It has about 14,000 residents and, like many rural counties, few ways to raise money.

Superintendent Jeff Welch credits county taxpayers and boosters--but not state leaders--for a band program.

Columbus remembers 9/11

2007-09-11T16:39:00.003-04:00

CSU students singing national anthem at clock tower.
(Dave Bender)

Columbus State University's historic clock tower rang out at noon Tuesday as faculty, students and city residents gathered to remember the grim events of September 11, 2001.

Tony Oxford, president of National Security Associates is a security specialist who spent several weeks working with recovery crews at the World Trade Center site after the attacks. He told GPB News that the recovery operations left a deep impression on him:

“It was a very humbling experience, a life-changing experience, and it gives us an appreciation for America, what America stands for and why we live here - and why we continue to fight to keep America what it is today.”

An honor guard of Columbus fire and law-enforcement officials stood at attention near relics of the attacks, at an extensive multimedia exhibition.

Honor guard at attention near steel remains recovered from WTC site. (Dave Bender)

A central display featured a torn and twisted steel column recovered from the base of one of the twin towers.

A table featuring documents and relics from the attack on the Pentagon was set out in memory of Marjorie Champion Salamone, a Defense Department employee who was killed in that suicide attack. Salamone grew up in Pine Mt., and attended Troup High School.

"God Bless Fort Benning" flag. (Dave Bender)
A support group called, "God Bless Fort Benning," hung a commemorative 26-by-32-foot American flag in front on the exhibit's venue at The Cunningham Center. 700 children of service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan contributed the panels of patriotic messages.

Busloads of high school students from Muscogee County schools attended the events, which included educational displays; community public safety exhibits and demonstrations; videos, artifacts and stories from “Ground Zero” in New York; musical performances. A vigil at 8 p.m. and military fly-over at 8:15 p.m are to close the exhibit, according to a university statement.

Click the green arrow below to hear this report.

Officials: Kia car plant roaring ahead

2007-09-10T23:13:00.001-04:00

West Point pinning hopes on Kia plant from Dave Bender on Vimeo.
Kia Motors and West Point city officials say the billion-dollar auto plant, set to open in 2009, is going ahead, on-schedule.

Construction workers have already cleared a 600-acre area, tabletop flat, just north of the city, where the 2-million square-foot plant is to be constructed.

Leveling the site and preparing infrastructure.
(Dave Bender)

City manager Ed Moon discounted a recent newspaper report doubting Kia's commitment, adding that the company's human resources chief says their plans are unchanged:

“They assured us in that meeting that everything is on-track. The plant will be finished by the fall of 2009 – they'll start mass-production then. There are no issues as far as the company being able to build here.”

Local residents told GPB News that they welcomed the influx, and its economic boom. Several dozen KIA officials have moved into the vicinity in the last six months, and a bustling Korean restaurant has opened in the town.

Sign welcoming Kia outside a home in West Point.
(Dave Bender)

Click here for more GPB News reports about the Kia plant and its effect on the area.
Click the green arrow below to hear the audio feature.

Columbus drug sweep nets 25 alleged pushers

2007-09-06T18:38:00.000-04:00

Drug crackdown nets 25 suspected dealers from Dave Bender and Vimeo

Law-enforcement authorities say they’ve yanked 25 suspected drug dealers off the streets, with another 40 arrest warrants still outstanding.

Five undercover law-enforcement teams were led by Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents, who made the buys in recent days. Team members, using over $20,000 in funds seized in previous arrests bought crack and powered cocaine, Ecstasy and marijuana from dealers in the sting, announced Wednesday.

Sgt. Rick Stinson, Special-Agent-in-Charge of the sheriff department’s Metro Narcotics Task Force told GPB News the roundup’s aim is to get dealers off the streets:

“One of it’s goals is to look for the mid and upper level drug dealers. But it’s also important that we also target the dealers on the street. Oftentimes, they’re the ones responsible for a lot of the street violence that we’ve been having.”

Suspects ranged from 14 to 44-years of age. Many had prior drug arrests, and most are from the vicinity.

Similar operation in the area netted over 100 suspects in the last few months. Click here for previous GPB News coverage of the operation.

Click the green arrow below to hear the audio report.

Edwards slams Bush on Iraq, health care

2007-08-30T18:50:00.002-04:00

Carter comments on John Edwards from Dave Bender and Vimeo.

Presidential Democratic candidate John Edwards focused on health care, poverty and environmental issues in an address at Georgia Southwestern State University on Wednesday.

Edwards assailed President George Bush and the Administration's policy in Iraq, calling on Congress to demand a timetable for troop withdrawal when it reconvenes next week:

"No timetable - no funding, and there should be no further excuses. The Congress needs to stand their ground. They had a mandate from the American people in the election of November in 2006, and they need to meet that mandate."

Speaking to some 2,000 students, faculty and area residents on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Edwards assailed the government's handling of the evacuation and resettlement of refugees.

Former President Jimmy Carter, a resident of nearby Plains, welcomed and shared the stage with Edwards. Carter did not endorse Edward's White House bid, but said he admired Edwards and what he stood for.

Edwards makes a point to the audience as former President Jimmy Carter looks on.
(Dave Bender)

Click here for more on the status of Katrina refugees in metro Atlanta.

Click the green arrow below to hear Edwards.

Triumphant Little Leaguers return home

2007-08-28T00:02:00.000-04:00

Team members and staff arrived Monday evening, August 27th, at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International airport, to cheers from family, friends and well-wishers.

Little League heroes come home from Dave Bender and Vimeo.

The manager of last year’s Little League world champs, from Columbus, says the Warner Robins kids had better get ready for fame and fun. More on that, and an audio interview is here.

Georgia lawmakers wonder, "Climate change: fact or fiction?"

2007-08-24T09:47:00.000-04:00

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It seems like every summer is hotter than the last. What's more, major hurricanes and wildfires are becoming more common. But that has not convinced some of Georgia's lawmakers that climate change is happening. At a recent National Conference of State Legislatures meeting in Boston, Georgia led the opposition to resolutions urging states to become more involved in the issue. They followed up with a hearing at the State Capitol, and they called it: "Climate Change: Fact or Fiction?" But before we get to that, we thought we'd put the question to you. Melissa Stiers went out on the street.

Ft. Benning: What lies beneath

2007-08-16T16:08:00.000-04:00

Dr. Christopher Hamilton (rt. side) and team
investigate an archaeological site.
(Photo: Dave Bender)
The Army’s Base Realignment and Closure program — BRAC, for short — promises to bring upwards of 40,000 troops and their dependents, and major expansion to Ft. Benning in coming years.

But long before then, a team of archaeologists are carefully preserving and cataloging the remnants of what came before. Dave Bender in Columbus joined them on the digs…

Field tech Cory Bolling carefully sifts through
just-unearthed debris. (Photo: Dave Bender)

To view a video of this report, click here.

To hear this report, click the green arrow below.

Dust-up over power in Early County

2007-08-16T15:36:00.000-04:00

Blakely City Hall in town square,
county seat of Early Co.
(Photo: Dave Bender)

June 27th, 2007:
There's a dust up brewing down in Early County. A battle over power: how its provided, who benefits – and at what cost.

At odds are two environmental groups, and a number of local residents who oppose the building of a twelve hundred megawatt, coal-fired power station on the banks of the Chattahoochee, near Blakely.

The Friends of the Chattahoochee and the Sierra Club recently filed an appeal against the construction. The estimated five-year project is now on hold, pending a court decision.

UPDATE: August 16, 2007: To read and hear the latest on this report, click here.

Click the green arrow below to hear this feature report.

Southwest Georgia residents keeping their cool

2007-08-08T18:14:00.001-04:00

Temperatures of over 100 degrees were the norm in much of southwest Georgia Wednesday.
But southwest GA residents kept their cool, despite a heat-index tipping the scales at 115 degrees:

Fire and EMS services in Albany told GPB News they had no fire or rescue calls in the last 24-hours.
Elsewhere, Sumter County schools moved some student activities inside, and others to earlier in the day to beat the midday heat.
An army spokesperson at Ft. Benning told GPB that, despite the hot weather, there were no changes in maneuvers, and there were no heat-related medical treatments required. Soldiers were instructed to keep hydrated.

The scorching weather is expected to cool in coming days.

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A new twist on healthcare: at the airport

2007-08-08T16:04:00.000-04:00

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Think of all the medical issues that arise during air travel. Two of the more dramatic events occurred this summer: There was a tuberculosis scare caused by an Atlanta lawyer on his honeymoon, and a woman who gave birth in flight. A health clinic that just opened at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is betting that it will be busy. Emily Kopp reports.

Mapping The Past at Ft. Benning

2007-08-01T19:03:00.000-04:00

Mapping the past at Ft. Benning from Dave Bender and Vimeo.
Archaeologist Dr. Christopher Hamilton and his survey team examine finds at on-post sites as part of the BRAC expansion program at Ft. Benning, GA.

Click the green arrow below for an audio version of this report:

Israeli leadership group visits Columbus

2007-08-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

Columbus Update. Click here if the video does not show.

A delegation of up-and-coming Israeli Knesset parliament officials and the deputy mayor of Tiberias visited Columbus Tuesday.

The seven-member group reflects both right, centrist, and left-of-center political parties.

Gil Messing, deputy spokesperson for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party told GPB news that Iran was Israel's "greatest strategic problem in the region."

"Wherever we go we stress that we have a strategic problem, that is not an Israeli problem, but an international problem, and this is a nuclear Iran.

"We hope that the United States' activities in Iraq -- however it will end, it's an American affair -- but that our friends in the United States will remember that Israel is under constant threat from Iran, and as days go by, the bad guys are getting stronger, and that the good guys need to stay together and ensure that the free world will remain strong -- and the United States is a major factor in that.

"This is what we say in Washington, and this is what we're going to say in Columbus, Georgia, as well."

The group attended a Columbus city council meeting where they received commemorative keys to the city from Mayor Jim Wetherington and met with local judges and security officials. They also met with Army officers and soldiers at Ft. Benning.

Keren Barak, Likud Party Knesset member
nominee displays proclamation and
key to the city. (Photo: Dave Bender)

The group's visit winds up an 11-day sojourn in the US where they met with administration, senate and congressional officials in Washington, DC. They learned about American government processes and practices, and shared similar experiences from Israel.

Muscogee County Superior Court Judge Bobby Peters and Jeff Breedlove of the Georgia State Senate Research Office hosted the group on the Georgia leg of their stay. Both are alumni of the exchange program.

This was the 16th Israeli group to be hosted in the US by the American Council of Young Political Leaders, an international exchange program.

DNA Files: Festival organizers encourage ancestry search

2007-07-24T14:49:00.001-04:00

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Oprah has done it. So have director Spike Lee and, recently, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. They’ve all taken DNA tests that claim to reveal their ancestral roots in Africa. The National Black Arts Festival, happening now in Atlanta, is trying to get more African Americans to trace their lineage using DNA. Emily Kopp reports.

Photos: At left, Studio GPB Host Terrance McKnight rubs a cotton swab inside his cheek to capture cells that a lab will analyze.

Below, artist Radcliff and National Black Arts Festival Director Stephanie Hughley stand in front of Radcliff's model of DNA.