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On the June 3 edition: Gas prices rise as the gas tax suspension ends; The IRS office in Atlanta has a rat problem; And Augusta passes a moratorium on new data centers, but some are questioning what that means for one that’s already under construction.
Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today’s episode, gas prices rise as the gas tax suspension ends, the IRS office in Atlanta has a rat problem, and Augusta passes a moratorium on new data centers, but some are questioning what that means for one that’s already under construction.
Gayla Keesee: It does not make sense to pause future data centers because we need better standards, but then allow this one to continue without the same level of review, monitoring, and public accountability.
Peter Biello: Today is Wednesday, June 3. I’m Peter Biello, and this is Georgia Today.
Peter Biello: Georgia’s state gas tax suspension expired last night. Gas stations will now have to pay about 33 cents more per gallon of gas, and that cost will eventually be passed on to customers, GPB’s Sarah Kallis reports.
Sarah Kallis: Gov. Brian Kemp suspended the gas tax from mid-March to yesterday to offset the price of gas that’s been skyrocketing as a result of the Iran War. Patrick DeHaan is the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, an app and website that tracks gas prices. He says that drivers should expect to see prices go up about 30 cents this week.
Patrick DeHaan: Some stations may raise prices incrementally every day for the next few days. Some stations might try raising prices all in one fell swoop in a couple of days, but there’s not going to be a lot of uniformity necessarily to how a station raises prices.
Sarah Kallis: DeHaan says Georgia’s average gas price will jump to about $4 a gallon, which would make the state the 15th to 20th cheapest state to buy gas in. For GPB News, I’m Sarah Kallis.
Peter Biello: The Augusta Commission voted unanimously yesterday to impose a 49-day moratorium on new data center projects. That moratorium is designed to give the city’s Planning Commission time to complete new zoning ordinances that may apply to future data centers. Gayla Keesee is co-president of the League of Women Voters covering 13 East Georgia counties in the central Savannah River area. She says the moratorium is a good start, but more needs to be done.
Gayla Keesee: It does not make sense to pause future data centers because we need better standards, but then allow this one to continue without the same level of review, monitoring, and public accountability.
Peter Biello: QTS Data Centers already has approval for a 170-acre campus near Fort Gordon. That’s expected to be completed next year. Augusta Commission members expressed concern about costly legal battles if they attempted to reverse course on an already approved data center project.
Peter Biello: A group of district attorneys is challenging a new state law that would make DA elections in five metro Atlanta counties nonpartisan. The law applies to Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Gwinnett, and Cobb counties. DeKalb County District Attorney Sheri Boston is the only named plaintiff in the lawsuit. She says the law is unconstitutional.
Sherry Boston The Legislature did not give any legitimate reason for treating our counties, our elected officials, our voters different from the rest of the state’s 154 counties.
Peter Biello: The law also makes nonpartisan elections for solicitor general and county commissioner in those five counties. Democrats had argued the law is designed to target Democrats. If the legal challenge filed today is unsuccessful, the law will take effect in 2028.
Peter Biello: The IRS says it’s aware of a rat infestation at its office in Atlanta. Employees report rats are running across feet, falling out of ceilings, and dying inside office trash cans. The rats allegedly prompted the resignation of one employee. Videos and photos of the rats have been circulating on social media. In a statement, the IRS says, like any large building in an urban environment, it can face pest-related challenges, and they’re working to remediate the situation.
Peter Biello: The Georgia Department of Public Health is encouraging anyone with physical disabilities, medical needs, or limited transportation options to sign up for the hurricane registry. That’s a confidential list of residents who may need transportation assistance during a hurricane. Residents of Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, and McIntosh counties can apply. Examples of qualifying conditions include people who need assistance with daily activities like eating, taking medication or dressing, or people who require medical support, such as tube feeding, dialysis, or supplemental oxygen. Applications can be found at coastalhealthdistrict.org/registry.
Peter Biello: More than half of restaurants in Savannah claiming to be serving wild-caught shrimp were found to be misleading their customers. GPB’s Jillian Magtoto reports.
Jillian Magtoto For the past two years, research group SeaD Consulting has conducted genetic testing of shrimp sold at restaurants along the East and Gulf Coast. It completed its second round of testing for Savannah in May. Of 22 restaurants claiming to serve American wild-caught shrimp, nearly 60% were found to be selling shrimp caught outside of U.S. waters, a slight improvement from last year’s 77%. SeaD co-founder David Williams says this improvement could be the result of a new Georgia law that now requires restaurants to label non-U.S. as imported.
David Williams: I believe that authenticity levels will go up a bit. Hopefully that will take some pressure off the fishing communities that everybody loves.
Jillian Magtoto The nine local restaurants found to serve authentic local shrimp are listed on the SeaD consulting website. For GPB News, I’m Jillian Magtoto in Savannah.
Peter Biello: The Atlanta Beltline says it’s launching its first autonomous shuttle. Called ATL Spoke, the free community shuttle is meant to connect riders between West End MARTA Station, the Atlanta Beltline Southwest Trail, and the Lee and White District in Southwest Atlanta. Four of the 15 passenger shuttles will be part of the initial launch, and while drivers won’t be on board, attendants will be, in case riders have questions. The pilot project is funded by a $1.75 million grant from the Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority, and it’s expected to last one year.
Peter Biello: A $10 million pedestrian walkway to connect the Georgia Capitol building to a new legislative office building across the street is now being installed. Historic preservationists and some lawmakers had pushed back against the skybridge, which is part of a larger renovation of the Capitol complex. The controversial structure will now be up in time to be wrapped in a message welcoming visitors for the FIFA World Cup. It’s expected to be in use by October. Matt Terrell is conflicted about Atlanta’s newest sky bridge. The Kennesaw State University Assistant Professor of Communications researched the history of Atlanta skybridges. There are about 35 of them, making them part of the city’s visual identity. He spoke with GPB’s Orlando Montoya.
Orlando Montoya: How did you become interested in Atlanta’s skybridges?
Matt Terrell: When I moved to Atlanta in 2008 for grad school at Georgia State, I used to walk around and bike around downtown and see the skybridges very often and wonder “Who are those people up in these skybridges? I wondered how you got from one skybridge to another, if they were even open. And eventually when I had the opportunity to pitch a story about sky bridges to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, uh, I knew it would be my perfect opportunity to deeply explore the subject.
Orlando Montoya: And if people aren’t aware of them, can you sort of describe what they look like, what their function is?
Matt Terrell: There are different types of sky bridges around Atlanta. Most of them are centered in the downtown area. However, there are a few in the Midtown, Buckhead, and there’s actually one in the north burbs area, which was designed by John Portman. Most people associate skybridges with the iconic Atlanta architect John Portman, and in his original idea and the original designs, you could basically walk from one side of downtown Atlanta to the other without ever having to go outside. It was perfectly climate controlled. You are above the traffic and the noise and the commotion. And it’s often described as watching a television show of a city when you’re up in a skybridge.
Orlando Montoya: Now how far can you walk across downtown, either in terms of distance or number of buildings?
Matt Terrell: These days you cannot walk very far from one side of Atlanta to the other, particularly because some of the skybridges are in disrepair and closed altogether. As part of my research for my article for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, I tried to access some of the skybridges that connect Peachtree Center and some of the tallest skybridges in particular, the ones that I believe cross, Peachtree Street, those are completely closed. That’s sort of also part of the story: is that they represent a different approach to urbanism that’s very closed off. And I — I experienced that firsthand with America’s Mart, where I couldn’t find any information about the skybridges. I even asked the PR people at America’s Mart, you know, “Can you give me information? Can you talk about these? Can I see them?” And the answer was no. And that’s very reflective of, I think the criticism of skybridges is they create a barrier between people who have access and people who did not have access.
Orlando Montoya: This is so different than, say, Montreal, or Edmonton, or Minneapolis — other cities known for skybridges.
Matt Terrell: In particular, those places you’re naming, those skybridges exist for sort of like the opposite reason of Atlanta. Those exist because it’s too cold outside. And I think in a city like Edmonton or Minneapolis or Montreal, there’s an even bigger need for a skybridge, just because, you know, in Atlanta, it may be hot, but you can still go outside. But in a place like Edmonton, it could be so cold that you could die if you were outside for too long.
Orlando Montoya: Are they beautiful?
Matt Terrell: I think they’re beautiful. I think John Portman buildings are beautiful in general. I like the idea of skybridges. They maybe are not trendy right now. We have a sort of push for more street-level and sidewalk-level activation of our urban environment. And I get that. But I do think that there is definitely something to be said about the skybridge. I mean — If you are an employee who has to go from one building to another all the time, you don’t always want to have to go out on the street, especially if it’s hot or if it’s dirty or it’s raining. And that could be a great time to have a skybridge.
Orlando Montoya: At the same time, do you want it on a historic building? I mean, that’s why we’re talking to you, of course, because of the skybridge going into the state capitol. What do you think of that project?
Matt Terrell: Well, first of all, I think that the reason why our state legislature proposed a skybridge is because basically every other government in Atlanta has a skybridge of their own. I think that it probably would have been more agreeable to the public had it been an underground passageway rather than above ground. I think, you know, I don’t know the numbers on it, but I imagine an underground walkway would be more costly and complicated to build than a skybridge. People act like the skybridge at the Legislature is going to be coming literally out of the gold dome itself. It’s not. It’s more on the side of the building. And so I have some sympathy for our state legislature. But on the other hand, I do think there is something to be said for the fact that, you know, our elected officials should be on the streets with us. They shouldn’t be above the street. You know, going back to the John Portman analogy, it does create a closed-off system where you are not just physically above the streets, but you are disconnected from them. You don’t have to deal with the dirt, the grime, the reality of our city. And ultimately, I think that we want our representatives to be at our level. And so there’s a disconnect there where it feels like a skybridge separates us from those who represent us and puts them physically above us and y’know sort of like emotionally and psychologically above us. And it creates a sort of negative feedback loop in that way. But y’know? I get it. I understand why they want it.
Orlando Montoya: Apart from it looking like a gerbil tube, as some people have called it.
Matt Terrell: Yes, people have called the skybridges gerbil tubes or human — human Habitrails. I’ve heard that one before. What you see a lot is John Portman buildings being represented in dystopian futuristic movies. In particular, that is because of the skybridges that create this atmosphere of “Oh, the outside world is so contaminated that we have to create this closed off environment for travel between places.” And so I think it does kind of send the wrong vibe and the wrong message in some ways. But personally, I think they’re kind of cool.
Orlando Montoya: Well, this has been very fascinating. Matt Terrell, assistant professor of communications at Kennesaw State University. Thanks for coming in and talking about skybridges with us.
Peter Biello: Matt Terrell spoke with GPB’s Orlando Montoya.
Peter Biello: Atlanta-based singer Peabo Bryson has died after suffering a stroke. The two-time Grammy Award-winning singer was the voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney songs “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World.” He released his first studio album half a century ago. Peabo Bryson was 75 years old.
Peter Biello: In sports, in baseball, Matt Olson hit the tie-breaking homer in the sixth inning to give the Braves a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday. Olson’s homer was yet another example of why it is hard not to be romantic about baseball. Olsen hit the dinger on his 844th consecutive game. He’s got the longest current consecutive game streak in Major League Baseball, making him the modern-day “Iron Man.” And yesterday it was Lou Gehrig Day, the 85th anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s death from ALS at the age of 37. Gehreg’s consecutive game-streak of 2,130 stood for 56 years until Cal Ripken Jr. passed it in 1995. To match Cal Ripkin’s record of 2.632, Olsen would have to play another 1,788 games in a row — the equivalent of another 11 major league baseball seasons, putting Olson in record-breaking territory at the age of 43.
Peter Biello: And that is a wrap on Georgia Today. Thank you so much for tuning in. Why don’t you come back tomorrow? Remember to subscribe to this podcast and we will pop up automatically in your feed tomorrow afternoon. And you can check gpb.org/news for the latest headlines and any updates to the stories you heard today. Your feedback is welcome, of course. We love hearing from you. Tell us what’s going on in your community. Our email address is georgiatoday@gpb.org. I’m Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We will see you tomorrow.
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For more on these stories and more, go to gpb.org/news
Peter Biello is the host of All Things Considered on GPB.
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