Georgia Today: Dalton student's arrest could be citizenship path; Williams vows Head Start expansion

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here, we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, how a false arrest could actually lead to a path to citizenship for a 19-year-old Dalton student. The Georgia Supreme Court upholds gun carry restrictions for people under 21, and U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams says she intends to expand the early childhood education program Head Start.

Nikema Williams: That's why it's so important for me and the work that I'm doing in Congress to make sure that funding for Head Start programs is not cut. We need to be increasing Head Start slots, not decreasing them.

Peter Biello: Today is Wednesday, May 28. I'm Peter Biello, and this is Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: A small group of protesters rallied outside the Bibb County Jail in Macon today. As GPB's Grant Blankenship explains, they want something done about dangerous conditions for the people jailed there.

Grant Blankenship: The Bibb County Jail has come under fire since inmate Stephen Fossett was killed there by guards during a mental health episode in 2024 and after images of deplorable conditions in the jail were shared on Facebook. Julian Fryer was among the protesters. Both of his sons have been detained at the Bibb County Jail since they were 17. They're 20 now.

Julian Fryer: One of my sons got stabbed up and robbed while he was sleeping in his cell. So it's important to be out here right now. No matter what they're in there for, they still should be safe, you know.

Grant Blankenship: Bibb County Sheriff David Davis told protesters he agreed and wants Macon Mayor Lester Miller and the Bibb County Commission to pay for a new jail. Right now that's competing against a wished for new civic arena for special local sales tax funds. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blakenship in Macon.

Story 2:

Peter Biello: Ximena Arias-Cristobal, the 19-year-old recently released by immigration enforcement, could have a path to U.S. citizenship. The college student was jailed in Dalton for driving without a license, though police said she didn't actually commit a traffic violation. GPB's Sofi Gratas has more.

Sofi Gratas: Arias-Cristobal's legal team told press on Tuesday they're pursuing a U visa for her, which can provide temporary protection to non-citizens who are victims of crimes. Attorney Dustin Baxter says they'll have to prove that she was falsely arrested.

Dustin Baxter: We're not alleging that this officer is out there arresting people falsely, but we wouldn't be doing our job if we weren't looking into this. Based on other things we've heard in the community, you know, we're concerned that this may be something that's happening regularly.

Sofi Gratas: Leslie O'Neill, the Dalton police officer who arrested Arias-Cristobal, quit his job since the arrest. Meanwhile, though happy to be home, Arias-Cristobal says her family has felt a shift.

Ximena Arias-Cristobal: More like targets in our community and we're scared to go out and we don't feel as comfortable as we used to before.

Sofi Gratas: Her visa application will likely take years. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the state's gun carry restrictions for people under 21. In a decision announced today, the high court ruled against a Northeast Georgia 20-year-old who sued after Lumpkin County denied him a license to carry a handgun. Lawyers for Thomas Stevens argued the state gun carry limit violates the U.S. Constitution's right to bear arms. The Georgia justices rejected those arguments unanimously based on U.S. Supreme Court and its own precedents.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: A special task force in metro Atlanta's Cobb County is recommending funding and social service improvements to address a lack of housing for many residents. The Cobb Homelessness Alliance estimates between 300 and 400 people sleep outside in the county each night, and even more lack permanent housing. Task force member, Kennesaw State University Professor Matt Lyons, says he'd like to spent on what advocates call supportive housing.

Matt Lyons: There are a lot of families in Cobb County that are still in extended stay motels, couch surfing or cycling through shelters with no clear exit path. And we were able to see in our modeling process that what we need is a stronger pipeline of affordable, stable units paired with supportive services to ensure families don't fall through the cracks.

Peter Biello: The group presented its recommendations to county commissioners yesterday. It was the first time the public has heard from the task force since county leaders set it up to address the issue of homelessness earlier this year.

Caption

Todd Chrisley, left, and his wife, Julie Chrisley, pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. The couple, stars of the reality television show “Chrisley Knows Best,” have been found guilty in Atlanta on federal charges including bank fraud and tax evasion Tuesday, June 7, 2022.

Credit: via Todd Chrisley on Facebook

Story 5:

Peter Biello: President Donald Trump says he plans to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley, who starred in a reality TV show that followed their tight-knit family and extravagant lifestyle in Atlanta's northern suburbs. The Chrisleys were convicted in 2022 of fraud and tax evasion. Prosecutors allege their luxurious lives were based on obscured earnings and false documents that left banks holding millions of dollars in loans the couple couldn't repay. The move continues a pattern of Trump pardoning high-profile friends and donors. In a social media post, Trump said the Chrisleys were subjected to, quote, "harsh treatment."

Story 6:

Peter Biello: Metro Atlanta congresswoman Nikema Williams is pushing for more money for the early childhood education program Head Start. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports her appearance at a YMCA today comes amid fears of possible federal funding cuts.

Sarah Kallis: Williams is doubling down on her promise to expand Head Start, a program that provides free school readiness programs to low-income children. Williams visited the Andrew and Walter Young YMCA in Atlanta to meet the children and families enrolled in the program there.

Nikema Williams: That if they just get that extra edge, it sets them up for success across their lifetime. And so that's why it's so important for me and the work that I'm doing in Congress to make sure that funding for Head Start programs is not cut, that we need to be increasing Head Start slots, not decreasing them.

Sarah Kallis: The YMCA of Metro Atlanta is the largest single provider of Head Start programs in Georgia, serving 3,000 children. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Atlanta.

Story 7:

Peter Biello: Atlanta-based financial technology company Global Payments is selling its payroll business to a Michigan insurance brokerage firm in a billion-dollar deal. The plans announced today would transfer the business, Heartland Payroll, to Acresure as Global Payment seek to simplify its business and Acresur expands into fintech.

Story 8:

Peter Biello: Emory University will be getting a new president. The university announced yesterday that its current leader, Gregory Fenves, will become its next chancellor, shifting his focus to fundraising. He'll make that move and former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears will serve as interim president beginning in September.

Story 9:

Peter Biello: In sports, all eyes were on Spencer Strider last night as the righty took the mound for the Braves in Philadelphia. Fans wondered, will Strider be the dominant fastball hurler he was before elbow surgery took him off the field early last year? The answer, it turns out, is not quite. While his fastball is indeed in the mid- to upper 90s, his control is not where it used to be. Witness as the prime example, the fastball that hit Philly star Bryce Harper in the elbow hard enough to take him out of the game. Strider allowed only one earned run, but got zero run support. Final score, 2 to nothing. Rain in Philly has postponed this evening's game, which is now scheduled for tomorrow as part of a double header.

And in basketball, the Atlanta Dream beat the Los Angeles Sparks 88 to 82 yesterday. Allisha Gray led the Dream with 25 points. Rhyne Howard put up 15. The Dream head to Seattle next to face the Storm on Friday.

Peter Biello: And that is it for this edition of Georgia Today. Thanks so much for tuning in. Come on back tomorrow, subscribe. That's the best way to remember to do that. And you could always check out GPB.org/news for the latest updates and the latest headlines so you can find out what's going on in Georgia anytime you want. And if you got feedback, we'd love to hear from you. Send us an email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.

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