Georgia Today: Colt Gray first court appearance; Rick Jackson will skip debate; Boil water advisory

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, suspected Appalachian high school shooter Colt Gray appears in court. Rick Jackson plans to skip a coming gubernatorial debate and the Atlanta City Council wants an explanation for the late notice for the recent boil water advisory. 

Liliana Bakhtiari: If it happened at 8.30 a.m. And we aren't hearing from the commissioner until 5 p.m., that to me seems like a massive problem. 

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

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Suspected Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray made his first appearance in court today. That follows his father Colin Gray's conviction on second-degree murder charges. GPB's Chase McGee has more. 

Chase McGee: Colt Gray appeared in Barrow County Superior Court for a hearing that outlined what a future jury trial would look like in this case. Lawyers had a discussion with a judge on moving the trial to Columbia County to avoid the Atlanta media market, which has provided extensive coverage of the shooting. Judge Nicholas Primm set a deadline for prosecutors in Gray's defense to consider a plea agreement, skipping any public trial. 

Nicholas Primm: But I want to avoid a situation where we burden another jurisdiction to make all these arrangements to clear out their courtroom, summon their jurors early, and then, the eve of, a guilty plea is entered. 

Chase McGee: Attorneys say they expect the trial to start in mid-October and last two to three weeks. Sentencing for Colin Gray is set for July. For GPB News, I'm Chase McGee. 

Story 2:

Peter Biello: The FBI is outlining some of its strategies for public safety during the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. Agency officials today said they've been preparing for months with local and state law enforcement agencies. They're also warning the public against using aerial photography around event venues. FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge, Marlow Graham, said violating airspace could result in federal charges. 

Marlow Graham: FBI partner agencies will use advanced technologies to detect, track, assess and potentially disable unauthorized drones. 

Peter Biello: She said officers will have high visibility and "zero tolerance" for hoaxes, threats, human trafficking, and other concerns. 

Story 3: 

Peter Biello: When President Trump signed into law a trillion-dollar spending package in February, it included billions of dollars in pet projects set aside by lawmakers, known as earmarks. Some of that congressionally directed spending will help Georgia healthcare organizations expand their services. GPB's Sofi Gratas has more. 

Sofi Gratas: The funding will allow Emory Decatur Hospital to make NICU improvements and the newly opened Common Spirit Memorial Hospital in North Georgia to purchase tech for remote nurses to manage patient loads. The Cobb and Douglas County public health departments will use nearly $3 million for a new campus. And in Athens, Erin Campbell says $200,000 in federal dollars will fund more warehouse space and much needed supplies for the city's diaper bank. 

Erin Campbell: Just in our community alone, it's over 10,000 children that are at risk of diaper need. When families have to decide between diapers or food, that's a choice we don't think any family should have to make. 

Sofi Gratas: Roughly $15 billion were set aside nationwide for congressional earmarks from February's budget. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas. 

Story 4:

Peter Biello: If you're an Atlanta resident with concerns about how the city handled the recent boil water advisory, you're not alone. Atlanta City Council members also are questioning why it took so long to send out a notice. At a meeting on Tuesday, council members asked why it took hours for the city to notify residents about the advisory and whether the message explained clearly enough which neighborhoods were affected. Council member Liliana Bakhtiari:

Liliana Bakhtiari: If it happened at 8.30 a.m. And we aren't hearing from the commissioner until 5 p.m., that to me seems like a massive problem because when it comes to watershed issues, understandably, we feel that impact in minutes. 

Peter Biello: Atlanta Watershed Commissioner Greg Eyerly acknowledged the criticism and said the department is working to improve emergency communications. 

Story 5: 

Peter Biello: Healthcare executive Rick Jackson is citing a scheduling conflict as he declines an invitation to debate Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. The Atlanta Press Club and GPB will host a Republican gubernatorial debate and a dozen others on Sunday and Monday ahead of the June 16 primary election runoffs. Without Jackson, Jones will appear in front of a panel of journalists by himself. Another headline matchup could be more combative as U.S. congressman Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley are expected to go head-to-head in the GOP-U.S. Senate debate on Sunday. You can livestream the debates at gpb.org/debates. 

Story 6:

Peter Biello: Federal regulators have accepted the merger application between two of the nation's largest railroads, Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern and Nebraska-based Union Pacific. But the Surface Transportation Board today also put the merger on hold, saying it needs more information before a review can proceed. Both railroad stocks fell sharply on the news. 

Story 7:

Peter Biello: In sports and baseball, the Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 8-0 last night to snap a five-game losing streak. Bryce Elder allowed six runs on nine hits while striking out one in 3 1/3 innings. Chris Sale is expected to get the start against his former team tonight. 

Story 8:

Peter Biello: State officials have unveiled their plans for a Georgia cultural hub during the FIFA World Cup. The State Department of Economic Development said yesterday the experience, "Georgia the Whole Day Through," will open at the Georgia World Congress Center on June 11. The city of Atlanta announced its World Cup program, the Atlanta Cultural Exchange, at the former CNN Center last week. 

Story 9:

Peter Biello: And nine spellers out of a competition of 247 remain for tonight's Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals. One of those spellers is a sixth grader from Tucker, east of Atlanta, Sarv Daravane. This is Daravene's second time making the final round. Last year, he placed third. Another Georgia speller, Sreeya Lakkimsetti, competed in the semifinals yesterday, tying for 30th place. The final round of the Scripps National Speling Bee is tonight, starting at 8:00. 

Peter Biello: And that is it for this edition of Georgia Today, but we will be back tomorrow, so make sure you subscribe to this podcast and check gpb.org/news for any updates to the stories that you heard today. And your feedback, of course, is always welcome. We love hearing from you. When you send an email to georgiatoday@gpb.org, your message will go to the whole Georgia Today team. Again, georgiatoday@gpb.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thank you again for listening to Georgia Today. We will see you tomorrow. 

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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news