Episode Details

On the Thursday October 17th edition of Georgia Today: A January 6th defendant from Savannah is found guilty on six federal charges; A Georgia congressman is calling for Rockdale County's BioLab plant to close; And WellStar announces plans to redevelop the Atlanta Medical Center's former campus.

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Thursday, October 17th. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, a January 6th defendant from Savannah is found guilty on six federal charges. A Georgia congressman is calling for Rockdale County's BioLab plant to close. And WellStar announces plans to redevelop the Atlanta Medical Center's former campus. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: A grand jury has indicted both a Georgia teenager and his father for charges related to the September 4th mass shooting at Appalachee High School in Winder, east of Atlanta. The Barrow County grand jury today charged 14 year old Colt Gray with a total of 55 counts, including murder, aggravated assault and cruelty to children. His father, Colin Gray, faces 29 counts, including second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. Both are scheduled to enter their pleas formally at an arraignment on November 21st.

Story 2:

Peter Biello: A January 6th defendant from Savannah has been found guilty on six federal charges for his involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. GPB's Benjamin Payne reports.

Benjamin Payne: Dominic Box was among the hundreds of supporters of then-President Donald Trump who violently stormed the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, in an effort to block certification of Joe Biden's victory. Nearly two years after federal prosecutors first filed charges against Box, a former car salesman in Savannah, DC, federal Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, found him guilty in a ruling issued Monday. Box set opted for a bench trial rather than a trial by jury and also turned down a plea deal offered by prosecutors. His conviction includes two felony counts of civil disorder, plus four misdemeanors. Prosecutors dropped his most serious charge, obstruction of an official proceeding after the Supreme Court ruled the statute does not apply to January 6th defendants. Box could face several years in prison or be sent home for time already served in D.C. jail. Sentencing has not been scheduled. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.

Caption

Some residents east of Atlanta were evacuated and others told to shelter in place after a fire at a chemical plant Sept. 29, 2024.

Credit: Rockdale County via X

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson is calling on the BioLab plant in Rockdale County to close. Johnson, whose district includes Conyers, where the facility is located, says the plant has become a threat to public health following a fire last month that released a plume of chemicals into the air. Johnson, along with other members of the Georgia cong