Georgia Today: Three people drown at Macon river park; Tariff on tomatoes from Mexico; Heat safety

Orlando Montoya: Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB News team. On this episode, how tomato tariffs could impact tomato growers in Georgia, a petition calls for shutting off river access at a Macon park after three drowning deaths there last week, and with a heat advisory issued for much of Georgia today, we'll talk about how to prepare for a scorcher.

Kristin Patten: We remind people, "Hey, take this seriously," even on days whenever there's not an extreme heat advisory.

Orlando Montoya: Today is Monday, July 21. I'm Orlando Montoya, and this is Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Orlando Montoya: Calls for safety changes are growing after three people drowned in the Ocmulgee River at Amerson River Park in Macon last week. Authorities say 28-year-old Johnny "Yung" Collins drowned while trying to rescue his girlfriend's daughters, 7-year-old Summer Lewis and 10-year-old Skyler Worthen. It's the latest in a series of tragedies at the park. At least two others drowned there in June. The new petition is urging Macon-Bibb County to permanently close river access. The sheriff's office says conditions on the river are often unpredictable. Sgt. Chris Williams with the Bibb County Sheriff's office says the current is always a threat even when the water looks calm.

Chris Williams: Normally when you come out to the river you're gonna deal with a current — current, you know, doesn't care your height, your weight. Current will sneak up on you and it will drift you further out into the river.

Orlando Montoya: So far this year, 46 people have drowned in Georgia's natural waterways.

Story 2:

Orlando Montoya: Last week, the Trump administration announced a 17% tariff on tomatoes imported from Mexico. Georgia growers are hoping the increase could boost demand for their product. Tomatoes are a $90 million crop in this state, about half of it in Southwest Georgia's Decatur County, according to 2023 FarmGate data. GPB's Chase McGee has more.

Chase McGee: Georgia isn't the best state for growing tomatoes. High humidity raises the chance of disease in the crop, and that's why most U.S. tomatoes come from Florida and California. But that doesn't stop local farmers from trying. Daniel Parson is a farmer educator at Emory University's Oxford College Farm. He's been growing tomatoes in the south for 25 years, and they often sell well at local farmers markets. But he says sudden demand doesn't always benefit local growers, since tomatoes take time.

Daniel Parson: If we want to have more tomatoes, we go back to our planning stages and next year, next July, we can have more tomatoes.

Chase McGee: And those long-term planning efforts might be upended again if tariffs don't materialize. Right now, 70% of tomatoes consumed in the U.S. are grown in Mexico. For GPB News, I'm Chase McGee.

Story 3:

Orlando Montoya: Georgia congressman Mike Collins is giving off strong hints that he intends to join a growing field of GOP candidates, hoping to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. John Ossoff in the 2026 election. A video posted by the Jackson Republican today mentions the race and includes the messages, "tires kicked," "fueling up," and "stay tuned." If he enters the race, he'll face, as of now, his U.S. House colleague Buddy Carter and Insurance Commissioner John King in a GOP primary. Several other Republicans also are considering campaigns after Gov. Brian Kemp said he would not seek the seat.

Story 4:

Orlando Montoya: Excessive heat index values are prompting the National Weather Service to issue heat advisories for much of Georgia today. GPB's Sofi Gratas has more on preparing for the dangerously hot conditions.

Sofi Gratas: There are lots of ways to stay cool and enjoy Georgia summers, like spending an afternoon at your local public pool. But on hot days when there's not a body of water to dunk into, heat safety is essential. Kristin Patten with the South Health District in Valdosta says they've been getting the message out early.

Kristin Patten: We remind people, "Hey, take this seriously" even on days whenever there's not an extreme heat advisory.

Sofi Gratas: In Georgia, a heat advisory is issued by the National Weather Service if the heat index, known as the "feels like" temperature, is at least 103 degrees. Advisories have gone out already this summer and more are coming. This week, temperatures could reach 110 in parts of Georgia according to forecasts. So Patten says, for people working or spending time outside,.

Kristin Patten: Make sure that you're drinking plenty of water, at least two to four cups of water every hour.

People without AC should take cold showers or baths. Megan Harendeen with the Southwest Health District in Albany says, if heat exhaustion presents:

Megan Harendeen: You'll have symptoms like headache, nausea, dizziness.

Sofi Gratas: Anything worse should be considered an emergency. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas.

Story 5:​​​​

Orlando Montoya: A panel convened by the former Chief Justice of Georgia's Supreme Court is proposing limits on the use of artificial intelligence in Georgia courtrooms. The committee issued a report outlining the potential benefits and risks of courtroom AI as other states begin to tackle the issue. Among the recommendations, the panel suggests Georgia courts clearly identify acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI. It says generally unacceptable uses include using AI to help in jury selection and using AI translation in certain cases. The report came at the request of now-retired Chief Justice Michael Boggs and is aimed at informing policy and practice in Georgia's legal system.

Caption

Tyler Perry

​​​​​​​Story 6:

Orlando Montoya: In business news, Georgia film industry giant Tyler Perry is back with new plans to expand his Atlanta studio. His company on Friday filed plans with state officials for a 38-acre expansion to include office and theater space. Last year, Perry paused expansion plans over concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on the film industry.

And Trader Joe's plans to open a new Georgia location. California-based grocer last week announced 30 new stores, including one in Peachtree City, south of Atlanta. Trader Joe's has 10 locations in Georgia, all of them in metro Atlanta.

​​​​​​​Story 7:

Orlando Montoya: In Georgia sports, the San Francisco Giants will try to stop their three-game road losing streak in a matchup against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park tonight. The Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a solo home run against the New York Yankees in Atlanta yesterday, but it wasn't enough to save the Braves from a 4-2 defeat.

Atlanta United likewise fell to traveling competition at home over the weekend. Tristan Mayumba and Emanuel Latte Lath scored for the Five Stripes, who had spells of dominance, but couldn't stop a late-game push by Charlotte FC. Atlanta lost 3-2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

And in golf, the U.S. Girls junior competition ended on Saturday with its first-ever Canadian winner, 15-year-old Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alberta, won her third junior major title. The 36-hole final was held this year at Atlanta Athletic Club.

And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. Visit GPB.org/news for more on many of these stories and more from our newsroom of reporters from across the state. If you'd like to give us feedback, send that to us at GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. And we always invite you to hit that subscribe button. It helps you and it helps us by making sure you're always current with us in your podcast feed. I'm Orlando Montoya. We'll talk to you again tomorrow on Georgia Today.

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