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In August 1964, in the central African country known today as the Democratic Republic of Congo, a militant rebel group called the Simbas seized nearly 2,000 U.S. and European citizens, many of them missionaries, and held them hostage in Stanleyville. On November 24th of that year, Belgian and American military forces mounted a dramatic airborne mission to rescue the hostages and crush the Simba rebellion. Recently, some of the surviving hostages, the pilot, and the airplane used in the rescue were brought together by a lucky chain of events. (Produced for VOA and AARP Prime Time, April, 2013)

Before I became a reporter, I was a medical epidemiologist with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and lived in Africa in the 1980s. I recently returned to the continent as a journalist and came face to face with a disease I had only read about in textbooks. Here are my thoughts on that experience. (Produced for The World, April 11, 2013)

The tropical disease known as lymphatic filariasis, or elephantiasis, affects 120 million people worldwide. The devastating parasitic illness causes lymphedema, in which legs, arms and genitals swell to enormous size. Now, a new public health strategy, tested in Nigeria by the Atlanta-based Carter Center, is raising hopes that this crippling disease can soon be eradicated.

They’re at a point in their lives where they could be playing with their grandchildren, working in the garden, or on a cruise, instead, these seniors are spending their leisure time eradicating polio in Nigeria. In December, 2012, I joined a 15-person team of Americans - all Rotarians - as they participated in Nigeria's National Immunization Days.

Georgia is well known for its agricultural products, like peaches, pecans, and chickens. Now in the tiny town of Camilla, one farm is turning out an unusual item that's in big demand in Europe's high fashion industry. (All Things Considered, October 8, 2012)

In the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s bluesman Blind Willie McTell traveled throughout the south, but Thomson, Georgia - his birthplace - was a frequent stopover. For the past 18 years, the city of Thomson has been celebrating its famous musical son by organizing The Blind Willie McTell Festival.

Jellyfish are a nuisance to fisherman and a hazard to swimmers. But some fisherman have learned that they are also a valuable export to China where they are a delicacy.

Can new management and program directions at Atlanta's Grady Hospital make a difference. Produced for WABE, January 2012

For the past 100 years, Grady Hospital in Atlanta has been providing health care to the poor and uninsured. In 2007, budget and staff cuts threatened the hospital's accreditation. Now a new board of directors is trying to balance the books. Produced for WABE, January, 2012

Can a system of primary care at Atlanta's Grady Hospital, make a difference? Produced for WABE January 2012

Can a computer make art? A group of scientists at Brigham Young University is attempting to teach a computer to do that. Produced for Studio360, WNYC December 2011 http://www.studio360.org/2011/dec/16/darci-computer-great-taste/

Slated for demolition, abandoned Georgia school gets reprieve

This month, on beaches up and down the U.S. east coast, tens of thousands of newly-hatched loggerhead sea turtles are emerging from the sand and instinctively crawling into the Atlantic. But very few of these baby turtles will survive. Philip Graitcer tells about a special turtle center in Georgia that’s trying to improve their chances.

A small company in middle Georgia is turning the tables on global trade - it's making chopsticks and sending them to China. And it may be the start of a new manufacturing trend in Georgia. Aired on All Things Considered, July, 2011

This is the season for communal meals - Easter Dinners and Passover Seders. In Mississippi Delta town of Greenville, members of the synagogue, Hebrew Union, have been hosting a community luncheon - called the deli lunch - for the past 130 years. But in the past four decades, the Jewish population there has been dwindling, and now they're wondering if there are going to be enough people to hold luncheons in the future.

The economic downturn has hit the Atlanta theater community hard. Some theaters have scaled back on productions or even shortened seasons; a couple went out of business. Philip Graitcer tells the story of how the recession has had a positive impact on one theater company.

Across the street from Turner Field, the Atlanta Braves home field, there is another game; it's a game of life. This story was an Edward R. Murrow regional award winner in 2007. It also won the GA Broadcasters Award for best feature and a Green Eyeshade Award. The Sisters and Bobby Dews are still on top of their games - with a new group of baseball fan patients.

At an intown Atlanta bar, one sporting event is in full swing. It’s the annual Gingerbread Trailer Park contest, an event with a whole lot more sugar than the Sugar Bowl. Philip Graitcer has the details.

When playwright David Bell and musical director JMichael sat down to write Gut Bucket Blues, a musical about the life of 1920s blues singer Bessie Smith, they knew her music would tell her story. But they didn’t realize they’d have to channel her to get it right. Philip Graitcer has this story.

Braves fans are still savoring their team’s roller coaster season and contemplating a future without manager Bobby Cox. Originally aired on NPR's Only A Game, October 16, 2010