Navy supply corps school closer to relocating

The navy is apparently one step closer to relocating a supply corps school from Athens to Rhode Island.

It also comes closer to clearing the way for the Medical College of Georgia to possibly open a branch campus there.

The Athens Banner Herald is reporting that navy officials have signed a $24.5 million contract with a construction firm in Rhode Island. It includes plans to construct a new building and renovate an existing one in Newport.

The Athens school provides administrative, logistical and media training to sailors and Marines. Officials expect it to close it within three years.

Governor Sonny Perdue and officials in Athens want the property to be used as a branch campus of the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.

The proposal is controversial, though. Some community leaders in Augusta want any expansion of the medical school to happen at the main campus there.

Companies struggle to slash water use by 10 percent

Today's the first day that city and county water utility companies in North Georgia are working under tighter state limits. But many are still hashing out how, exactly, to get their customers to use less water.

Last week, Governor Sonny Perdue ordered water withdrawal permit-holders to reduce their water usage by 10 percent between November and March. Kevin Chambers, spokesperson for Georgia's Environmental Protection Division, says it's OK that some counties and municipalities haven't figured out how to do that yet:

"Many of them have called us for guidance on this as well. And what we're recommending they do is identify their big users, if they've got industry that is using significant amounts of water, to work with industry to try to reduce their water use."

Some counties are looking into incentives. Gwinnett County, for example, is considering rebates for people who replace their toilets with low-flush toilets. Both the city of Atlanta and DeKalb County are expected to announce concrete water-saving measures tomorrow.

Richmond superintendent urges calm

A school superintendent in eastern Georgia says staff members and medical personnel are doing everything they can to prevent students, teachers and employees from getting staph infection. But he's urging the public not to panic.

Richmond County's superintendent, Dana Bedden, said in a news conference today that officials are disinfecting schools. They're also repeatedly teaching children about personal hygiene.

Bedden told reporters in Augusta that many parents have called his office, worried their children might get a deadly disease. But he stressed that the staph, called MRSA, is very treatable.

"We've got some overreaction here," said Bedden. "People are treating people like they've got the plague. No child, no person, needs to be treated in that manner. It is treatable. It is manageable if people follow the instructions that are given by the health officials."

Bedden announced that an elementary school student is the fourth person in the Richmond County school system to have MRSA.

Officials in nearby Columbia County say 12 students there have had the infection.

Judge faces ethics hearing

Superior Court Judge Brooks E. Blitch of southeast Georgia's Clinch County will face a hearing on charges of ethical misconduct by the state agency that has the power to remove Georgia judges from office. Court papers accuse Blitch of ordering thousands of dollars in illegal payments to several county employees, as well as improperly ordering the early release of six imprisoned felons. The 72-year-old Blitch is one of the most powerful politicians in rural Clinch County, where he has presided as a judge since 1980.

New program to document Georgia history

Secretary of State Karen Handel has a new program to archive your old family photos. The goal of the Virtual Georgia program is to preserve Georgia’s history. Organizers are looking for photographs that show Georgians in everyday life like street scenes, family and business life, but also architecture, important events and landscapes. You can upload your photos at www.georgiaarchives.org.

Feds detain illegal workers at Nat'l Infantry Museum

National Infantry Museum, under construction in June, 2007.
(Dave Bender)

Federal law-enforcement officials arrested 30 undocumented workers at Columbus's National Infantry Museum, under construction adjacent to Ft. Benning earlier this week.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained the construction workers at the site on Tuesday, Oct. 30. Agents caught two who tried to flee.

Museum spokesperson Cyndy Cerbin says the workers were not on the base itself:

“The National Infantry Museum is being built on property owned by the National Infantry Foundation, and it is not federal property – part of Ft. Benning.”

Ft. Benning's Public Affairs Office refused to comment on the case, and directed all inquires to Batson-Cook, general contractors for the museum.

Eddie Sanders, site project manager for Batson-Cook, says his company is cooperating with federal authorities on the case. Sanders says the workers were employed by subcontractors "to perform various trades on the project," and not by Batson-Cook:

"Batson-Cook files all federal, state and local laws, as well as our subcontractors regarding hiring practices."

Sanders says the workers "are innocent until proven guilty," and were not on Ft. Benning property at any time. He declined to name the subcontractors, only saying that, "Since they [ICE] are conducting an investigation, we would not be able to release that information at this time."

Project Executive Paul Meadows told the Ledger-Enquirer newspaper that those arrested worked as masons, fireproofing, and metal stud tradesmen and included local and out-of-town subcontractors.

Referring to the subcontractors, Sanders said, "There are several contractors we work with frequently," adding, "...they abide by the federal, state and local laws and regulations."

Sanders said that the number of workers, including subcontractors and employees on-site averaged "from 75 to 90 -- right around there. It kind of fluctuates from day-to-day."

Richard Rocha, a spokesman for ICE says the detainees are mostly from Mexico:

“Most of the people apprehended on Tuesday are from Mexico. There are 27 from Mexico, three from Guatemala, Those individuals will be processed throught the immigration court system...”

Seven of them were arraigned today, several on charges that included illegal re-entry, misuse of a social security number, and fraudulent use of an alien registration card, according to US Georgia Middle District attorney Max Wood in Macon.

The detainees were taken to the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, and will face deportation hearings in coming days.

The museum is set to open next year.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the National Infantry Museum.

Click here for GPB coverage of immigrant affairs.

Jenkins Co. plant to close

An east Georgia company is closing up shop and laying off 200 workers. MI Windows and Doors in Millen south of Augusta will lay off people through the end of December. The company makes windows and doors. The state Department of Labor says it will counsel affected workers on their options.

Corps: States can do with less water

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says Florida and Alabama may not need as much water as they say they do. Both states have argued that they need more water to flow downstream from Georgia to support business and population growth. The Corps has to release enough water downstream to keep Florida and Alabama happy, but also has to make sure endangered water-dwelling species in those states have enough water. The Corps will release a study tomorrow on how species will be impact by less water flow.

First lady in Atlanta

First Lady Laura Bush came to Georgia today. In a speech to Atlanta educators, she decried the nation's "dropout crisis" and praised the work of a community group focused on keeping kids in school. She said the nation’s high dropout numbers “represent millions of real young people who are excluded from our economy and unqualified for our society."

Aerospace company lands in South Georgia

Valdosta has netted an aviation company’s new corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility. True Flight Aerospace will bring in 150 jobs over three years and invest nearly $4-million dollars. The company has plans for a new plant next to the Valdosta Airport. The company builds airplanes.

Macon's Water Advantage

Macon has found a silver lining to Georgia's drought. Local economic development officials traveled to a Chicago trade show recently and brought the Macon Water Authority along with them. They told business leaders from around the country that all of Georgia is not running out of water.

Despite the fact that Macon is under level two drought restrictions, their reservoir is full. In fact it's got 6.5 billion gallons. The city built the new reservoir and water treatment facility after a massive flood in 1994.

Officials with the Macon Economic Development Commission say their new water marketing strategy appears to be paying off. Just two days after the show, one food service company sent a representative to check out Macon. That company could employ up to 200 people.

Teens accused of dad's death will go to juvenile court

A prosecutor in Augusta says the case against two teenagers accused of throwing a metal tent pole at their father's head and killing him will be turned over to juvenile court, according to the Associated Press. Authorities had said earlier the two could be charged with murder, but District Attorney Danny Craig says instead the two will be charged as juveniles. Troy Powell, Sr., died Monday of his injuries in the incident, which happened on October 23. His sons say they were involved in a confrontation with him over his alleged drinking and drug use, according to the AP.

Georgia sports for Thursday, November 1st

There is college football action ahead tonight for Georgia Tech. They'll be on their home turf in Atlanta to tangle with Virginia Tech. Georgia Tech's Yellow Jackets enter the game with a 5-3 record, looking for a win to bolster their post-season bowl game hopes, and a chance to win the ACC's Coastal Division. Virginia Tech comes into tonight on the 6-2 mark. Georgia Tech has an injury problem at running back with their top two options both out for this evening: Tashard Choice and Raushaun Grant.

Nichols' lawyers: no contempt for public defenders office

Lawyers for accused Atlanta courthouse gunman Brian Nichols say they no longer want the state's public defender's office held in contempt of court. The legal team previously had asked for the contempt charge against the office for cutting-off funding for Nichols' legal fees. The Nichols team believes now that the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council cannot continue funding their defense. The judge in the case has already suspended jury selection over the funding issue.

Drought could soon affect state road construction

Georgia's drought could soon put the brakes on road construction across the state. David Spear with the state's Department of Transportation says delays could soon be on the horizon.

"It's approaching a level where you could see some real impact on projects..where they'll have to start delaying things. We're not there yet, but it's on the horizon. Our people are talking to the Governor's folks, and Natural Resources, and our contractors as well".

Road contractors need water for concrete mixing, dust control on projects, and erosion control--which is federally mandated.

"Ideally, from the contractor's perspective, we love when it doesn't rain because it means they can go out and get their work done. We've certainly had more than enough of a good thing in terms of absence of rain for a while. We'd all take a few shut-down construction days if it meant we were going to get some decent rain" said Spear.

The drought problem could add to some recent criticism the GDOT has received. A recent state audit said Georgia is well behind other states in getting road projects to completion.

Ga, Al, Fl governors meet today in Washington

This morning, Governor Sonny Perdue will attend the first of two meetings in Washington in hopes of finding a truce in the tri-state water battle between Georgia, Alabama and Florida. First up is a face-to-face meeting and sit-down for Perdue with his counterparts west and south, along with Georgia Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson. A later meeting today will be with the governors and officials from the Army Corps of Engineers and Interior Department. At issue is the water from Lake Lanier and its dwindling supply. Perdue wants to reduce the amount of water sent downstream, which helps support communities and industry in Alabama and Florida.

State fire officials change tactics in drought

State firefighting officials are considering changes in tactics to save water. State Fire Commissioner John Oxendine is ordering inspections of sprinkler systems to be done without flushing water through them, and he proposes moving firefighter training facilities to south Georgia where the drought is less severe. The group also sought water savings by extending the state’s outdoor burning ban, which ended October 1, in order to avoid fires.

Teens plead guilty in Six Flags beating

Three teens charged with beating a Marietta teenager outside Six Flags Over Georgia have pleaded guilty in Cobb Juvenile Court. Authorities have not released names of the teens, who prosecutors say will testify against adults charged in the case. They will remain under house arrest until a court determines their sentences. The beating on July 6 left Joshua Martin in a coma. At least ten youths and four adults have been charged.

Atlanta earns 'F' for water management

A Georgia environmental group gave Atlanta a failing grade for management of its water resources. Members of the Georgia Water Coalition said state officials have failed to promote conservation during years of the city’s rapid growth. The group urged state leaders to develop a long-term plan for efficient water use instead of pointing the finger at endangered species.

State psychiatric care struggling

State psychiatric hospitals are struggling to provide services to needy patients. Gwen Skinner, director of the state’s mental health division, blamed the situation on chronic deficits and staff shortages. She said at seven state-run hospitals, nearly 40 percent of nurse positions were vacant in September while patient occupancy rates exceeded capacity.

Home Depot tentatively settles lawsuit

Atlanta-based Home Depot has tentatively agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by survivors of a Rhode Island nightclub fire and relatives of the 100 people who died. The home improvement giant, along with Polar Industries Incorporated, have settled for $5-million dollars. The 2003 fire at the Station Night Club began when pyrotechnics set fire to soundproofing foam around the stage. Polar Industries was accused of manufacturing and selling insulation that was dangerous and defective. Home Depot sold the material.

Laura Bush visiting Atlanta

First lady Laura Bush visits Atlanta on Thursday to talk about education and school dropouts. She'll also help raise money for Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss.

The White House said yesterday that she will attend a luncheon held by the Communities in Schools program -- which calls itself the nation's largest dropout prevention organization.

The first lady also will visit the Piedmont Driving Club for a $1,000-a-head fundraiser for Chambliss.

Chambliss faces his first bid for re-election next year. He has raised $4 million although he has no opponent in the primary.

(The Associated Press)

Click here for more GPB coverage about Chambliss, and here for political coverage.

State DOT responds to audit report

A new state audit says Georgia’s Department of Transportation needs to do a much better job in getting road projects off the planning table to construction.

The report was commissioned by Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and House Speaker Glenn Richardson. Among several issues, it points to Georgia taking 22 months longer on average than other states to get projects done.

State DOT spokesman David Spear agrees with the basics of the audit, but says the results are not as grave as they appear. He says the audit used a general survey of other states’ results from four years ago, compared to hard numbers in Georgia from this year.

Spear says the department needs to improve its operation, such as project delivery. Instead of separate contracts for a design and build phase, there could be one contract for both--thus saving potentially 18-24 months on the speed of a project.

However, Spear says a few important factors are out of the department's control.

"We can get better, we need to get better, we will get better...but at the end of the day it still comes back to federal regulations that have to be upheld, and you have a finite pot of money that doesn’t even begin to approach covering the needs that we have".

The state DOT is dealing with a major budget shortfall over the next 30 years. Lawmakers will tackle a host of transportation issues in the next General Assembly.

Facilities affected by MRSA in Richmond County

Richmond County school officials have confirmed Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcous Aureus in these facilities:

Blythe Elementary School (1 case)
Glenn Hills Middle School (1)
Richmond County Board of Education administration building (1)

Three in Richmond County diagnosed with staph

Three people in the Richmond County school system have been diagnosed with staph infection, according to school officials in Augusta. Dana Bedden, the school superintendent, says in a letter to parents today that the Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcous Aureus (MRSA) was confirmed in an individual at Glenn Hills Middle School, another at Blythe Elementary School, and a third at the Richmond County Board of Education administration building. The letter did not specify if the individuals were students, teachers or school system staff members. The letter also said that "all students and staff who have confirmed cases of staph infection are expected to remain home until they are able to provide a physician's notice indicating they may return to school and/or work." Custodial staff, meanwhile, are cleaning areas where the infected people might have been. Staph infections can cause serious illness and even death among people with compromised immune systems or who don't get treatment. Serious staph infections are often found in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Community-based MRSA, the infection reported in Richmond schools, often presents as a simple skin infection. This type of infection is resistant to common antibiotics such as penicillin, but is treatable with other medications. Health officials say community based MRSA is on the rise. Officials in the Columbia County school system say 12 students in nine schools there have been diagnosed with MRSA during the last two weeks. For more information, go to www.rcboe.org or www.cdc.gov.

Columbus wants off level-4 drought list

Ankle-deep, midstream in the Chattahoochee River,
looking north to the 13th St. Bridge. (Dave Bender)

The Columbus Water Works wants the city to be taken off the level-four drought list, saying the designation is unfair.

Water Works Executive Vice President Bob Tant, says the state should lower the city to the less-strict stage two designation. He says Columbus is carrying an unjust burden, compared to other parts of Georgia:

“The contribution to any savings that Columbus can make -- at best -- is really, very small, and is, in fact, dwarfed by the flows that would be taken out of the lower end [of the Chattahoochee River] into the Apalachicola [River].”

Tant says city residents have largely followed the ban, and that overall daily usage dropped from 39 to 23 million gallons since the ban went into effect at the end of September.

He added that Columbus, dubbed the “Fountain City,” has turned off all the decorative downtown waterworks, and that educational institutions have followed suit.

While repeat ban-breakers might have their water turned off, the city is not levying fines against violators.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

Army pledges $1.4 billion to families

The Army is pledging 1.4 billion dollars to support and aid soldiers' families, in a ceremony to be held at Ft. Benning on Wednesday.

Calling it an “Army Family Covenant,” the assistance will be used to bolster free child-care hours for spouses of deployed soldiers, offer free youth sports programs, build new on-post child-care centers, barracks and other facilities.

Senior Ft. Benning officials will take part in the ceremony, along with post garrison commander, Col. Keith Lovejoy. Lovejoy says of the program:

"...we’re putting money toward programs that will truly impact families, because the Army now recognizes, now fully understands that this is an overall readiness issue. The Army understands the impact the family here has on the mission over there.”

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey announced the program earlier this month, and said that such ceremonies will be held at other army facilities.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of Ft. Benning.

Georgia sports for Wednesday, October 31st

The Atlanta Thrashers have won consecutive games for the first time this season, scoring the 3-2 decision on the road in Montreal last night. Ilya Kovalchuk scored the decisive game winner in the extra session. The Thrashers improved to 4-8 overall for the season, and have won 4 of their 6 games with Don Waddell serving as interim head coach. Waddell added the duties in addition to his regular role as general manager, after the firing of Bob Hartley as head coach.

From the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons are back to work out of a bye week, looking ahead to action this Sunday at home against San Francisco. The game is in danger of not being televised locally for the first time since 2002. A streak of 56-straight sellouts at the Georgia Dome is in jeopardy, with still 3-thousand tickets remaining for the contest. If they are not sold by 1pm Thursday, the game would be blacked-out locally in the metro Atlanta area.

Audit says state road work takes too long

State auditors have found that when it comes to getting road projects done, Georgia lags well behind other states. The report says other states on average complete the preconstruction phase of road projects, nearly two years more quickly than that of Georgia. Preconstruction signifies the time from when a concept is approved, to when a contract is set to do the work. The audit also revealed that in only 49-percent of the time, the Georgia Department of Transportation delievered projects in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program-in the year they were scheduled to be completed. The audit was requested by Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, and House Speaker Glenn Richardson.

Conservation groups grade state's water use

State conservation groups are set to release a report today that grades Georgia’s water efficiency during this drought. Booming growth is expected to be pointed out as a reason and factor in the water shortage. Last week, Governor Sonny Perdue dismissed the idea during a press conference. This report arrives as Perdue is set to join the governors of Alabama and Florida in meeting with President Bush tomorrow in Washington. They’ll try to work-out a truce in the water wars.

Columbia County schools with staph

Here's a list of the schools in Columbia County where students have reported having Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), also known as staph infection:

High schools

Evans (2 cases)
Greenbrier (2)
Harlem (1)
Lakeside (1)

Middle schools

Greenbrier (1)
Grovetown (1)
Riverside (1)

Elementary schools

Blue Ridge (1)
Grovetown (1)

For more information about staph infections in Columbia County and how to protect students, visit the school board website at www.ccboe.net . For more information about MRSA, go to www.cdc.gov.

11 staph infections in Columbia County

School officials in eastern Georgia are reporting that 11 students have staph infections. Officials in the Columbia County school system say the students are at nine schools -- elementary, middle and high schools. They say none of the cases are related. The students all have Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an infection resistant to commonly used antibiotics, such as penicillin, but treatable with other antibiotics. The students' infections are also all on their skin, and not considered life-threatening. Reports of the diagnoses have come into the school system over the last two weeks. The Centers for Disease Control typically does not recommend isolation for MRSA, but school officials in Columbia County are requiring students to stay home until their lesions stop oozing. "We want to err on the side of caution," said Dr. Sandra Carraway, a deputy schools superintendent. She says parents and students, though, shouldn't panic, but they should take precautions. "They can help us by encouraging their children not to share their personal items, to wash their p.e. clothes daily, to keep their hands washed, and if they have a wound, just to monitor it to make sure it's healing properly. School officials say they've sanitized classrooms and other areas where the students might have been. For more information, go to www.ccboe.net or www.cdc.gov.

Minority voter ID education efforts increased

Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials
hosts multi-cultural press conference to promote unity
in voter education and registration efforts.

Rob Woods, Chair, Georgia Vote Connection Center

Concerned that minorities will stay away from the polls because of the new photo ID law, some groups say they'll step up education efforts around the state. Georgia law requires all voters going to the polls bring a photo ID.

The controversial law had been opposed by civil rights groups and was hung up in court for several years. Now those groups say they will do all they can to ensure minority and elderly voters get a free ID.

Rob Woods with the Georgia Vote Connection Center says information from state officials has not been sufficient.

"There will be people that show up at the polls who’ve been voting for years and years. We're talking Barnesville, Georgia, we're talking Bainbridge, Georgia, where everybody knows everyone. But, once they show up at the polls and they don't have ID, for some people it takes only an inkling of a deterrent for them to turn away from the polls. We're concerned that this could be by design."

Woods’ group along with the League of Women Voters and others are touring Georgia to register new voters and tell them about the photo ID law.

The Secretary of State's office sent out letters about the photo ID requirement, but only to some registered voters. However, all registered should get a letter before the February 2008 presidential primary.

Private well owners urged to conserve, test water

Owners of private water wells are being urged to conserve and check the safety of their water. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency warned well-water users today that their underground water sources could go dry. The same groundwater that flows into lakes and rivers also supplies wells. Officials also urged well owners to monitor water quality since extreme drought conditions can affect bacteria and chemical levels in water. State and local water authorities do not test the water of private wells.

Even aquarium conserves water

The world's largest fish tank -- the Georgia Aquarium -- has emptied some of its watery displays in the name of conservation. Heeding the call to conserve water amid an epic drought, the downtown Atlanta attraction has drained a lake in an atrium. It has also turned off a waterfall and nearly emptied a moat an exhibit. The aquarium says none of the drained exhibits contained fish. Employees are also taking a water conservation course.

Lawmaker seeks tough Open Records enforcement

A Georgia lawmaker says she wants to make it a felony to deliberately violate the state's Open Records Act. The law requires public officials to allow citizens to view and photocopy most government documents. State Representative Jill Chambers -- an Atlanta Republican – says her bill would create a $5,000 fine for violating the law. Exceptions include medical or veterinary records, confidential police and prosecution investigative files and individuals' Social Security numbers.

Columbus: no fines for breaking watering ban

Chattahoochee River (Columbus State University partially visible on left bank), during late afternoon water release. Dillingham St. Bridge to Phenix City, Ala., is in the distance. (Dave Bender)

The Columbus City Council on Tuesday decided not to levy fines for residential outdoor water usage – this, despite the stage four, total ban on such use in Muscogee Co.

Columbus Water Works Executive Vice President Bob Tant, who attended the session, says the motion to impose fines on offenders was tabled for future review by the Columbus Water Board.

The proposed fines would have ranged from $100 to $1,000, depending on how many citations the offender had received. Residential users now receive a warning notice for breaking the ban, a letter for the second infraction, and a possible water cutoff -- depending on circumstances -- according to Tant.

Tant says the total ban is unfair to Columbus:

"We feel that it's somewhat unfair that we have invested in our utility, so that a large portion of the water will go back to the river; and other communities in north Georgia -- under the same restrictions -- have developed on septic tanks, and have no sanitary sewer systems, and are not returning that water to the river, so, we think it's a problem."

Tant says city residents have largely followed the ban. He noted that overall usage dropped from 39 to 23 million gallons a day, since the ban went into effect at the end of September.

Latoya Moore, a Water Works customer service representative, said that, although the majority of clients were limiting their water usage, they were receiving approximately five complaints a week from disgruntled users dissatisfied with the ban, or requesting exemptions.

Tant added that Columbus, dubbed the “Fountain City,” has turned off all the decorative downtown waterworks. He said educational institutions, like Columbus State University and Muscogee Co. schools have followed suit, and are leaving some lawns and athletic facilities dry.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

Claxton mailbox fetches $82,750 at auction

A Georgia mailbox that was hit by a meteorite 23 years ago has been auctioned for more than $82,000.

In spirited bidding at a New York auction house, an anonymous bidder bought the mailbox -- a now somewhat mangled loaf of metal that nonetheless still has its red flag firmly in the up position.

The mailbox stood at the home of Wanda Morris in Southeast Georgia's Evans County. In 1984, a burning hot meteorite knocked it 15 feet away in a loud crash. Morris says, her late parents loaned the mailbox to a meteorite expert on the condition it be exhibited at museums.

She says, they got $40 out of the arrangement. "I feel like my parents were cheated," she says. "I feel like we were cheated."

Morris says, her parents got $3,000 for the actual meteorite. A tiny piece of the rock -- less than an ounce -- was auctioned for more than $7,000.

Georgia's low-income student population growing

The majority of Georgia’s public school students are considered low-income. That from a report released today by an Atlanta-based education think tank. Fifty-two percent of Georgia public school students qualify for free or reduced-cost school meals. That is 13 points higher than the national average. The report calls the growing number of low income students a “crisis of the first order of magnitude.”

Man arrested for infecting woman with HIV

Athens police have arrested a man accused of infecting a woman with HIV without her knowledge. Authorities say the woman, who recently discovered she has AIDS, traced back the infection to Keyvin Shurrod Lyle. He has been charged with felony reckless conduct. In Georgia, it is a felony to not disclose HIV positive status to a sexual partner.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, October 30th

The first major trade of baseball’s offseason was made by the Braves and their new general manager Frank Wren. Veteran shortstop Edgar Renteria has been sent to the Detroit Tigers, in return for 2 top prospects. 21-year-old rookie righthanded pitcher Jair Jurrjens comes to Atlanta, along with young 19-year-old centerfielder Gorkys Hernandez. Renteria leaves the Braves after 2 solid seasons. He hit .332 with 12 homers and 57 RBI’s this past season. The money saved in the trade of Renteria and his contract opens up more options for the Braves in reshaping their roster.

Georgia Bulldogs' football coach Mark Richt has sent a letter of apology to the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, Mike Slive. The letter apologizes for his team's bench-clearing and excessive celebrating penalty in the win over Florida last Saturday. Richt admitted he told his team in practice leading to the game, that in order to manufacture energy, his players should celebrate after scoring the first touchdown to the point of receiving a celebration penalty. Richt in his letter said "I admit this was inappropriate". An official with the SEC says the letter will stand as the conference's statement on the issue, and that no sanctions are planned.

Georgia State has given athletics director Mary McElroy a new 4-year contract. The deal replaces the remaining 2 years on her orignial contract, signed in July of 2005. McElroy in just over 2 years with the Panthers' athletics program has increased fund raising, hired a new men's head basketball coach, and has completed a feasibility study on the possibility of bringing football to Georgia State.

Top ranking for new Middle Georgia College aviation program

The air traffic control program at Middle Georgia College has received a top national ranking from the Federal Aviation Administration. The honor stands number-one among nine newly-approved schools in the FAA’s Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative. The effort is to fill a need for more controllers.

Dr. Julie Massie Clark is the college’s chair of aviation management and business. She says new equipment, and recently-retired controllers as instructors were factors in the top ranking.

"We’ve got equipment that the FAA has admitted is better than theirs…it’s very easy to say that’s what the textbook says, but to take it a step further and say I can give you a real life scenario. We’ve got wonderful equipment and a phenomenal faculty".

Clark says the school is also the only among 23 in the nation to own and operate its own air traffic control tower, which is in Eastman.

Middle Georgia College started its two-year aviation program last year, and just began its four-year program in August.

Corps says there's enough water in Lanier

The Army Corps of Engineers says its recent testing of Lake Lanier shows there’s enough water for everybody. Even as the drought grips the state tighter day-by-day, Corps officials say north Georgians and residents downstream shouldn’t worry excessively over Lanier’s dropping levels.

Patrick Taylor, the Corps' assistant operations program manager at Lanier, said this to GPB Tuesday.

"It’s not likely that we’ll even exit or go beyond the conservation pool".

The upper level, or ‘conservation pool’, provides water to nearby communities like Buford, Gainesville, and Cumming. The lower, or ‘inactive pool’, feeds metro Atlanta and downstream residents. Despite Lanier shrinking close to lower elevation levels, Taylor says all should be fine:

"We’re presently at 1,055’ elevation, and that’s another 20 feet—vertical feet of water. And sooner or later it’s going to rain, so we’ll start replenishing the storage".

Taylor does acknowledge predictions of a dry winter could be problematic to replenish the lake.

Cartersville beer maker enacts conservation measures

Cartersville is home to the fourth largest Anheuser-Busch beer production plant in the country. Anheuser-Busch officials are trying to figure out how to conserve more water and have spent the past five months trying to come up with a plan--one that still hasn't been decided upon.

As of now, the company is re-using rinse water for heating and cooling, and asking their some 600 employees to conserve water at home.

Bartow County Chamber of Commerce President Kay Read says if jobs at Anheuser-Busch are affected by the drought, Bartow won't be the only county to suffer.

"The tax revenues come to us, they also go to the state, but they also go to other counties where people travel here to be employed".

Bartow County houses two major water users: Anheuser-Busch and Georgia Power's Plant Bowen--both consume water from the Etowah River.

Two girls arrested for high school threats

Two girls have been arrested by Peachtree City police on charges of making terroristic threats against students at McIntosh High School. Authorities say the two girls were threatening to take guns to the school, kill students and then themselves. Officials say the girls talked of their plan on the internet and in the community. The 16-year-old is a student at McIntosh, while the 15-year-old was enrolled in Fayette County’s school system, but was being schooled at home.

Paulding County toughens water restrictions

Paulding County has taken another stringent step in trying to combat effects of the drought. Its commissioners late Monday afternoon wiped-out watering exemptions for landscaping and car wash businesses that do not recycle water. Homes and businesses are now under orders to cut water-use by 10-percent, or face surcharges on their bills. Also, Paulding commissioners approved fines for first offenders of watering violations.

State lawmaker Dan Lakly dies

Fayette County State Representative Dan Lakly has died at the age of 65. According to House Majority leader Jerry Keen, Lakly had been taken to a local hospital after injuring his arm in a fall over the weekend. Once there, sometime following surgery, he suffered a massive heart attack.

Lakly was a Republican from Peachtree City who served five terms in the Georgia House. Elected to the General Assembly in 1992, Lakly won re-election twice before losing the Republican primary in 1998 to Kathy Cox, who went on to become the current state school superintendent. Lakly re-emerged six years later, taking a House seat when the GOP took control of the chamber.

Lakly was chairman of the House Information and Audits Committee, and vice chairman of the Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee.

Columbus mulls steep watering fines

Sign of the times: "Danger - Overflowing Dam," at the Eagle Phenix Dam,
Chattahoochee River, Columbus. (Dave Bender)

The Columbus City Council will today consider enacting ordinances levying stiff fines on residents watering or washing cars outdoors.

Fines and punitive measures will reportedly run from $100 to $1,000, with a water shutoff, after the third, or subsequent infraction.

This would be the first time local offenders would receive more than a written warning, as has been the case since statewide restrictions on water use went into effect in late September. If enacted, this ordinance would be the first of it's kind in Muscogee Co.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

Early birds head to the polls in local elections

Early voting started today for local elections in 96 Georgia counties.

Advance voting ends Friday at 5 P.M. before the general election on November 6th.

Ballot items include several county and municipal seats, and a range of local measures.

Lynn Ledford, Vice President of the Georgia Election Officials Association, says she expects above-average turnout.

“There are a lot of mayoral races on the ballot, but also because of the presidential race there’s been so much interest. So I think that’s going to get a lot of the voters more interested.”

Major races also include city council seats, alcohol sales, and tax allocation measures.

State Supreme Court overturns two malpractice suits

In a pair of decisions, Georgia’s Supreme Court overturned two medical malpractice lawsuits.

The Court ruled a Glynn County man cannot sue doctors who mistakenly infected him with HIV.

The patient was two moths old when doctors when doctors at the Medical College of Georgia Hospital performed open-heart surgery, using contaminated blood.

The patient suffered a decade of health problems attributed to his heart condition. He then sued in 2001 after discovering he was HIV-positive.

Attorneys for the defense argued the time to file a lawsuit had passed.

In its ruling, the Court said the open-heart surgery did not cause the patient to develop AIDS, but that a lack of treatment led to the illness.

In another ruling today, the Court says a judge cannot award money in a wrongful death case if the jury chooses to award nothing.

The family of a baby, who died at 15 months, says doctors at Columbus Healthcare System failed to diagnose a rare blood condition.

However, at trail, expert testimony showed the baby died due to massive head injuries.

A jury awarded $100,000 for the child’s pain and suffering, but no damages for the infant’s wrongful death.

Later, the judge added $1 million, saying it was not right to acknowledge malpractice, but award nothing for a wrongful death.

The Supreme Court overturned the judge’s $1 million award and has sent the case back for re-trial.

Drought threatens upcoming golf classic

The impact of this year's drought could jeopardize one of Georgia's most popular sporting events.

The annual spring AT&T classic at the Sugarloaf Country Club in Gwinnett County, means $20 million to the state's bottom line.

And, although Sugarloaf uses rain collected in nearby retention ponds, officials hope the state will grant a watering ban exemption.

Mike Crawford is Sugarloaf's superintendent.

"If we were to lose the ability to water our greens, I think you would see a lot of golf courses and a lot of business in the state be seriously affected, and potentially in the long run could have to close their doors."

Current law prohibits Sugarloaf from using water hazards on its course to keep the bluegrass green.

Cooler temperatures and recent rains mean the course has not had to draw from its retention ponds.

Still, the course has no contingency plan. Instead, they’re relying on a wet spring and the state for drought relief.

Cobb County to vote on water-saving toilets

Following Governor Perdue's order that public utilities reduce water consumption, one metro-Atlanta county will vote tonight on a new water-saving rebate plan for its customers. Federal law says all new construction must include low-flow, water-saving toilets. Now, officials in Cobb County want to offer customers in older homes, a chance to turn in their outdated water guzzling fixtures for newer models. They're willing to pay up to $100 per unit to persuade residents and businesses to do just that. Kathy Ngyuen is with Cobb County's water system. She says the plan was slated to kick off in 2008, but current drought conditions forced an early implementation:

"The Governor has mandated that all water utilities in the 61 counties in Georgia, achieve a 10 percent reduction over winter use. What that essentially means is a serious reduction in indoor water use and we think this program will be very effective in helping us achieve that."

The county has set aside $100 dollars to pay for the low-flow toilets, which use less than 1-1/2 gallons of water per flush versus the older models which can use up to 5 gallons each time they're flushed. Nearly 90,000 customers of the Cobb County water system are eligible to participate, and can receive up to $100 for each unit installed, to a maximum of three.

Military troops deploy to Iraq

Another military unit from eastern Georgia is heading to Iraq. The troops left Fort Gordon near Augusta on Saturday. About 120 troops are part of the latest deployment. They’re joining about 550 of their fellow members of the 63^rd Signal Battalion already in Iraq. It’s the battalion’s third deployment in four years. That can be hard on troops and their families. Austin Webb serves with the battalion’s Company B. He’s 24 years old, and has been married four years. But he’s spent a total of nearly three years away from his wife, serving in Korea and once before in Iraq. “It’s basically getting old, having to leave and come, leave and come,” he said. “What makes it harder is that you don’t see the person you married. You see your job more than that person.” Webb’s battalion sets up and maintains communications equipment. Military officials say the troops will serve in Iraq for 15 months. For more information on Fort Gordon and the 63rd Signal Battalion, go to www.gordon.army.mil.

Deadly bacteria found in smoked salmon dip

State agriculture officials have discovered dangerous bacteria in a package of salmon dip sold by a major grocery chain. A multi-state recall is underway.

A routine sampling by officials found contamination in a 7.5 ounce package of Smoked Salmon Dip, sold by a Kroger-store in Loganville. Kroger officials are recalling salmon dip marked "Use By 04 Nov. 2007A LN3". Officials are asking consumers who have salmon dip with that marking, to return it to the store.

The package of dip showed a strain of listeria, which can cause serious and potentially fatal infections in infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. The product came from a Knoxville,Tennessee plant.

State Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin says his department has stepped-up its routine sampling of food products:

"I think you should feel safer than ever, because of the fact we’re doing more testing. It’s very obvious that if you do more testing if there’s anything out there you’re going to find more. And that’s the results that we’ve achieved".

State Agriculture officials say of the 71 recalls in the state this year, seven are related to listeria.

Muscogee Co. schools win state awards

Four schools in the Muscogee County School District recently received honors from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement as Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS) institutions. They are:

• Britt David Elementary Magnet Academy - Platinum
• Columbus High School - Platinum
• Mathews Elementary - Bronze
• Gentian Elementary - silver: "Greatest Gain Winner."
  

Awards are presented to schools that show excellence in student achievement and/or progress in student achievement, according to a release by the school district. More information is available here: http://www.gaosa.org/

Click here for more GPB coverage of educational affairs.

Georgia sports for Monday, October 29th

Top series stock car racing from Hampton's Atlanta Motor Speedway saw victory for Jimmie Johnson on Sunday. With that result, Johnson draws to within 3 points of the lead in the chase for the season's Nextel Cup championship. 4-time champ Jeff Gordon leads Johnson in the Chase by the 3 points with 3 races to go.

The college football weekend just wrapped-up included Georgia's win in Jacksonville over Florida on Saturday. The 42-30 victory for the Bulldogs over the Gators pushed Georgia to a 6-2 overall record, and a 4-2 mark in the Southeastern Conference. Georgia's performance moved the team up 10 spots to number-10 in the new Associated Press rankings.

South Georgia WWII program honored

The founders of a group that has sent more than 200 World War II veterans for visits to Washington D.C. have been honored by a national military organization. The Military Officers Association of America has honored Bert Powell and "Buddy" Johnson. The two formed Honor Flight South Georgia, which sends veterans of the second World War to see the war's memorial in the nation's capital. There are several such programs across the country--the Valdosta and south Georgia program raised more than 100-thousand dollars locally earlier this year.

Fort Gordon troops on the way to Iraq

Another military unit from eastern Georgia has left for Iraq. About 120 troops are the latest deployment that left Fort Gordon on Saturday. They are joining about 550 of their fellow members of the 63rd signal battalion already on the ground in Iraq. It's the battalion's third deployment.

Overcrowded Clarke County jail needs cash

Overcrowding problems at the Clarke County jail have forced officials to look for more money to handle the inmate load. Sheriff Ira Edwards is asking the Athens-Clarke Commission for 1.4 million dollars to keep inmates in south Georgia’s Irwin County through July. Officials would have to take a bite out of the 8-million dollar contingency fund for the cash. Already, most of the sheriff's budget for the year has already been used to house-out inmates that can’t fit into Clarke County’s facility. Commissioners are considering many options, including whether it might be better to expand the current facility or build a new one.

Special prosecutor vs. former Jefferson police chief

A special prosecutor plans to ask a Jackson County grand jury for an indictment against the former police chief of Jefferson. In September, the grand jury indicted Darren Glenn on charges that he used police department computers and equipment in 2005 to run background checks for his wife’s private investigation firm. However, a week and a half ago, a Superior Court judge dismissed the 30-count indictment, because Glenn was not allowed to testify. When the grand jury reconvenes later this year, the special prosecutor plans to recall the same witnesses. Glenn this time will be allowed to make a statement to grand jurors afterward.

Seeing stars at Ga. astronomy village

Stargazers prepare for a viewing session.
(All images: Deerlick Astronomy Village)

The most important rule at this remote vacation spot is simple: no white light. Even a sliver of the pupil-contracting rays coming from the window of a cabin at Deerlick Astronomy Village could ruin a neighbor's view of the Milky Way. The 96-acre village in rural Taliaferro County in eastern Georgia is designed for amateur stargazers looking for total darkness and wide-open spaces to build weekend homes.

They named the village Deerlick after a cluster of galaxies called the Deer Lick Group.

Chris Hetlage, co-founder of the village, tromps through the darkness toward his observatory, remarking,

"It's like a lake house for geeks."

Hetlage said he and his business partners figured the development would be popular. There are only two other similar communities nationwide one in Florida and one in Arizona and he said the demand for dark skies is soaring as suburban sprawl produces more light pollution.

But Hetlage said he was surprised just how quickly the two-acres plots sold.

Next to the houses is a 10-acre hilltop observation field where stargazers who don't want to buy property can pitch a tent and scan the sky for free. The field is the new home of the Atlanta Astronomy Club's telescope and the 300-member group's annual stargazing festival, held earlier this month.

"This is going to become one of the premier amateur stargazing sites in the Southeast,"

said Tom Crowley, chairman of the club's board, as he sat at Deerlick on a recent night.

Aerial view of site, pre-development.
(photo: Mike Boni, pilot: Dave Lumpkin)

Deerlick property owners are vigilant about white light, which contracts pupils for about half an hour and makes it tough to see anything in the dark.

Homes only have outdoor lights that are a dim red a color that doesn't affect the eyes the same way as white light. And windows must be lined with foam board or other light-blocking materials to prevent rays from escaping. Cars can drive into Deerlick at night, but they can only use their parking lights to roam around. Star gazers who wander about the property after dark use flashlights with red bulbs.

Five years ago, Hetlage and friend Donovan Conrad began hunting for small plots of land where they could build their personal observatories. The two are amateur astrophotographers who take hundreds of frames with high-powered cameras attached to telescopes and layer them on a computer to create images of galaxies 10,000 light years away.

(The Associated Press)

Bulldogs chew up Gators: 42-30

Georgia coach Mark Richt is doused by his players as Georgia defeats Florida 42-30 in a football game Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)


Georgia flanker Mohamed Massaquoi runs for a touchdown during the first quarter against Florida in a football game Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

The Georgia Bulldogs celebrated in the end zone early and on the sideline late.

They probably should have hoisted Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford on their shoulders for both.

Moreno ran for a career-high 188 yards and three scores, Stafford threw three touchdown passes and No. 20 Georgia upset ninth-ranked Florida 42-30 on Saturday in a game filled with big plays and momentum shifts.

(The Associated Press)

Click here for more GPB News sports coverage.

No rain, few visitors mar 'Rain festival'

Billed as a rain festival to fight Georgia's drought, the event even included a rain dance, but turnout was slim and precipitation was even scarcer than people.

"Not much of a turnout," landscaper Linda Boyer said Saturday, squinting against bright sunshine under a cloudless sky and scanning the nearly empty parking lot sprinkled with several tables of water-related activities and volunteers.

Competition was part of the problem. "There's a lot of festivals going on elsewhere - the Ellijay Apple Festival, the pumpkin patches, haunted houses, Cagle Dairy's Corn Maize Festival..." Boyer said, adding that the event was a last-minute decision and was organized in just 10 days.

Cherokee County Water Authority employees handed out pamphlets and water-saving shower heads. Recycled water gurgled in a wishing well set up in the parking lot outside the Woodstock Art Center.

A local teen dance troupe appeared to perform in the tradition of Native American rain dances - but drew an audience of less than a dozen.

Kendra Cosner, who called herself "company mom" for the teen performers from Dancentre South, quipped:

"Bottom line, when it's not raining, everybody prays to the Big Guy regardless of culture."

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

(The Associated Press)

Redgrave, Douglas honored in Savannah

Throngs of movie-goers crowded downtown Savannah this weekend to glimpse stars as the tenth annual Savannah Film Festival began.

Oscar award winning actor and producer Michael Douglas was the first star to appear on stage this weekend.

The festival sponsor, the Savannah College of Art and Design, honored him along with the Redgrave siblings for their Lifetime Achievements in cinema. Oscar award winning actress Lynn Redgrave echoed her sister Vanessa and brother Colin's praise of the city and college.

Lynn Redgrave said, "We began five decades ago. My God, we're still here! This is just astonishing!"

Directors Milos Foreman and John Sayles and journalist Charlie Rose are among other honorees expected. The festival concludes next weekend with close to 10,000 visitors expected for a week of films, panels and educational workshops.

Genarlow Wilson is Free

After spending more that two and a half years in prison for a crime he committed when he was a teenager, 21-year-old Genarlow Wilson is a free man.

Wilson walked out of the Burrus Correctional facility in Forsyth late Friday afternoon and into the arms of his mother and 9-year-old sister.

"You should be more cautious about what you do, because a few minutes of fun can be a lifetime, and a very hard time getting out of it."

Wilson was just 17 when he was videotaped having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl in a hotel room during a New Year's Eve party in 2003.

He was convicted of felony child molestation and despite his age, was sentenced to ten years in prison without the possibility of parole.

Lawmakers later scrapped that law that required the lengthy mandatory sentence.

In its ruling Friday the Georgia Supreme Court said Wilson's ten year prison sentence amounted to cruel and unusual punishment and ordered his immediate release.

Judge releases rapper T.I. on $3 million bond

Today a federal judge in Atlanta ordered the rapper T.I. released on three million dollars bond. However the musician whose real name is Clifford Harris must remain under house arrest while he awaits trial on weapons charges. Harris will be monitored 24 hours a day by a private monitoring service that he must pay for. Harris - who is already a convicted felon -- was arrested two weeks ago allegedly buying machine guns and silencers.

Georgia EPD dismisses outsourcing Atlanta water

A persistent drought has Atlanta's Mayor eyeing water across the border, but Georgia officials say they have no plans to try to tap the Tennessee River. The drought in the Southeast has sapped federal reservoirs in northern Georgia, including 38,000-acre Lake Lanier, which supplies Atlanta. With less than three months before the lake is depleted, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin suggested recently the region explore piping in water from the Tennessee or Savannah Rivers. The director of Georgia's Environmental Protection Division, Carol Couch, said, "The state of Georgia has no plans to pursue such an idea."

Atlanta Mayor declines Macon water offer

Atlanta officials say they have no immediate plans to take up Macon on its offer to sell water to Atlanta’s airport. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin had told Macon Mayor C. Jack Ellis ‘thanks but no thanks,’ after Ellis suggested Macon could truck in water with the help of volunteer drivers, if needed. Atlanta says buying water from Macon could be considered as an option at some point, but that the city isn’t there yet.

"Go Fish" gone under in wake of drought

Drought has ruined Governor Perdue’s "Go Fish Georgia" campaign. Yesterday the Professional Anglers Association canceled plans for two tournaments scheduled for Lake Lanier. Lanier’s protruding islands and treetops would have created hazards for boaters. The “Go Fish” initiative allotted $19 million to land more lucrative fishing tournaments to the state.

Jury sides with fired poultry workers

A federal jury has awarded $415,000 to two former northeast Georgia poultry plant employees who were fired for complaining about fraud, hiring discrimination and other abuses by supervisors. The jury found that ConAgra Poultry Co. in Clarke County - later bought by Pilgrim's Pride Corp. - fired the women in September 2003 after they blew the whistle on an assistant to the human resources manager who made a fake Social Security card for an illegal immigrant who worked a side job for the plant's general manager.

The panel also found that the manager's assistant authorized falsified insurance coverage so another employee could claim his sister and nephew - also illegal immigrants - as dependents on his health plan. In a decision Tuesday, the jury awarded Scarlet Reyna and Maria Ortega a combined $415,000 for lost wages and benefits, as well as emotional pain and mental anguish.

Southern growers happy about Farm Bill

Southern growers are optimistic about the farm bill that passed the Senate Agriculture Committee this week. Like House legislation that passed in July, the Senate measure would largely continue price supports for commodity crops such as cotton, peanuts and rice that drive the region's agriculture economy. Peanut farmers also said they were satisfied. Although the bill would hold peanut price supports roughly flat for another five years, it includes payments for storage costs in bad years.

Staph infection reported in Augusta

Another student has been diagnosed with staph infection, this time in east Georgia. The student attends Augusta State University. School officials say the staph is a skin infection on his leg, and that it's not serious. Nationally, health experts say infections are becoming more difficult to treat because they're resistant to penicillin. The disease is called MRSA. "MRSA itself in a wound is not something that should panic the whole community," says Dr. Charlotte Price, chair of Augusta State's nursing department. "We do watch it, though. The thing about MRSA is it is in our community now. At some point it was just primarily patients in the hospitals." MRSA can be treated with antibiotics other than penicillin. A spokeswoman for Augusta State said employees there had cleaned and disinfected the student's classrooms since his diagnosis. For more information about staph infection, how to treat it, and how to protect yourself from it, go to www.cdc.gov.

Drought could affect nuclear power issues

The state's on-going drought isn't yet affecting the state's nuclear power plants, but anti-nuclear groups say, the plants are worsening drought conditions.

Nuclear power plants use enormous amounts of water to cool their reactors. So far, a Southern Company official says, the company's nuclear plants are only preparing for what to do if water levels drop too low.

Sara Barczak of the antinuclear Southern Alliance for Clean Energy says the drought should remind policy-makers of the trade-offs of expanding nuclear power. "When we turn our light switch on, we're not just using electricity, we're using water," Barczak says. "I think this crisis is going to raise this issue more."

Power has become an issue in the tri-state water war. Alabama Governor Bob Riley spoke Thursday in front of a nuclear plant that he said could be shut down if water levels drop any lower.

Genarlow Wilson freed; punishment 'cruel and unsual'

Two years after a Georgia court sentenced Genarlow Wilson to ten years in prison, the state Supreme Court has overturned his conviction. Wilson was 17 years old in 2003, when he engaged in consensual oral sex with another teen.

A Douglas County Court sentenced Wilson to 10 years in prison for aggravated child molestation.

A Monroe County judge later overturned the sentence. But that ruling was appealed by Attorney General Thurbert Baker. Baker said the judge overstepped his authority when he granted Wilson's motion.

In ordering his immediate release from prison, the Georgia Supreme Court called his ten year sentence, cruel and unusual punishment. BJ Wilson is Genarlow Wilson's defense attorney. Her argument before the Court in July, asked for a constitutional ruling on what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. "We've been waiting and praying every day. We've always looked to the court to fix this and the Georgia Supreme Court has and it's wonderful."

Wilson could have gotten out of jail months ago had he accepted a deal from prosecutors. But, the deal included lifetime registry as a convicted sex offender. Since his conviction, the Georgia legislature passed a so-called Romeo and Juliet law, making consensual sex between teenagers a misdemeanor instead of a felony.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears says changes in the law "represent a seismic shift in the legislature's view of the gravity of oral sex between two willing teenage participants." Sears says the severe punishment makes "no measurable contribution to acceptable goals of punishment" and that Wilson's crime did not rise to the "level of adults who prey on children."

At a press conference early Friday, Attorney General Thurbert Baker issued a statement saying he will not appeal Wilson's release.

Moody's: Synovus spinoff may hurt credit

Moody's Investors Service may cut its credit rating on Synovus Financial Corp. because of the bank's plan to spin off its stake in an electronic payments processor, the credit-rating agency said.

The Columbus, Ga.-based bank plans to spin off its 81 percent stake in TSYS to Synovus shareholders.

Moody's said it is concerned that by jettisoning a good source of profit, Synovus Financial may become more financially vulnerable.

Moody's said it is worried about Synovus' overexposure to real estate development and construction loans, which will become an even more concentrated portion of the company's portfolio after spinning off TSYS.

Chief Executive Richard E. Anthony said splitting the bank and the payments processor will allow each to flourish. TSYS is bound by certain restraints as a banking subsidiary, so spinning it off will remove those shackles. Meanwhile, Synovus will be able to focus exclusively on becoming the South's premier regional bank.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of this story.

(The Associated Press)

Westmoreland, Corps meet over water issues

Dried-up boat dock at West Point Lake. (Dave Bender)

Congressman Lynne Westmoreland (R) met with US Army Corps of Engineers officials at the LaGrange City Hall Friday morning to discuss the drought's damage to West Point Lake, and the local economy.

Westmoreland met with Col. Byron Jorns, commander of the Corps Mobile District, and Steven Logan, operations manager of the West Point Project.

Westmoreland gave the Corps a letter requesting an immediate update, and details of any further talks between the Corps and the Department of Fish and Wildlife Service about water usage plans for the area, according to Chip Lake, Westmoreland's Chief of Staff.

After the meeting, Westmoreland, who represents the Third Congressional District, toured the lake on a pontoon boat in order to personally gauge the extent of the damage, Press Secretary Brian Robinson said.

Westmoreland later met with Lagrange and Troup Co. officials and local business leaders, specifically in the marine sport and hotel trades, to assess the extent of the economic damage to the area.

Westmoreland is interested in a longer-term solution to the dilemma of sharing water resources and conflicting needs between Georgia, Alabama and Florida, Robinson said.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

Synovus spinning off TSYS

Synovus' Columbus headquarters. (Dave Bender)

Electronic payment processor TSYS (NYSE:TSS) said Thursday it will spin-off from parent Synovus Financial (NYSE:SNV) Corp. to become an independent company.

Financial services company Synovus, which owns an 81 percent stake in the company, will distribute all of its shares of TSYS common stock to Synovus shareholders.

Synovus CEO Richard E. Anthony, in a statement to stockholders said:

"This change presents an exciting opportunity for each company to focus exclusively on its core business, which we believe will lead to increased shareholder value."

Under terms of the agreement, TSYS will pay a one-time cash dividend of $600 million to all TSYS shareholders, including Synovus. The company plans to fund the dividend through a combination of cash on hand and a revolving credit facility. Based on the number of TSYS shares outstanding as of Sept. 30, TSYS expects its shareholders to receive a cash dividend of about $3.04 per share.

The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2007, subject to certain conditions, including the approval of the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance.

(With The Associated Press)

Click here for more GPB News Georgia business coverage.

Perdue, Riley to meet with Interior Sec'y., White House adviser

Water Wars, Water Woes from Dave Bender on Vimeo.
YouTube version: http://youtube.com/watch?v=nASTHXpvyz8

Governor Sonny Perdue plans to meet with Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, and Jim Connaughton, environmental quality adviser to President George Bush, on Friday to discuss the drought, according to a report citing a Governor's Office official.

The two Administration officials, in an effort to head off more acrimony between Georgia, Alabama, Florida and the Army Corps of Engineers over water usage, are to meet later in the day with Alabama Governor Bob Riley.

Riley told The Birmingham News:

''We're going to tell him that the only way all of us get through this is through a concept of shared pain."

Perdue, at a press conference on the fast-drying shores of West Point Lake on Wednesday, Oct. 24, lashed out at both the Army Corps of Engineers and Riley (see video).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Chattahoochee, Dooly, Marion, Muscogee, and Talbot counties as primary natural disaster areas, due to drought-incurred losses. Crisp, Macon, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, and Taylor counties were named contiguous disaster areas.

The decision allows farmers in both areas to apply for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

Tour de Georgia alive and well

Georgia’s annual cycling race is set to return next year, and bring tourism dollars with it. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the Tour de Georgia will return next April for its 6th season. Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle will chair its board. The Tour’s future was in jeopardy after losing major sponsorship. Its leaders say they’re trying to revitalize the race by generating publicity throughout the year as well as forging stronger partnerships with businesses. Over the past five years, nearly 3-million people have come to watch the tour, which has generated $148-million dollars for local communities.

Dreary outlook for Georgia's drought

Today Georgia state climatologist Dr. David Stooksbury predicted a warmer and drier winter for the state. He also offered little hope drought-stricken water resources will fully recharge before next summer.

State Climatologist David Stooksbury says the exceptional drought gripping most of the state won't end anytime soon. Speaking with reporters at the University of Georgia, Stooksbury said odds are it will be a warmer than normal winter with below normal rainfall. He says, "The strength of a La Nina pattern, now forming in the Pacific will determine just how much or little rain falls in the southeast in the coming weeks."

Going into next summer, Stooksbury believes reservoirs, such as Lake Lanier won't be fully recharged over the winter remaining lower than normal with some recording all-time lows.

Five more staph infections reported

Five more Atlanta area students have been diagnosed with antibiotic-resistant staph infections. The latest cases involve two students at North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, two students at Osborne High School in Marietta and one student at Southside High School in Atlanta. The schools say they are disinfencting the students’ classrooms and common areas. Staph infections have spread through schools nationwide in recent weeks.

Archaeologists survey site of Civil War ship's sinking

Underwater archaeologists believe they might have found a Civil War era ship in a river near Savannah. Archaeologists working on the Vernon River Thursday came as close as they could to saying the ship they found is the U-S-S Water Witch without saying it conclusively.

If it's found, the Water Witch would be the first Civil War ship found since the H.L. Hunley was raised in 2000 and would be only the third such ship found in Georgia.

Tapping a pole against something metalic at the marshy, buggy site, archaeologist Harry Pecorelli said, the ship is in the right place and under 20 feet of mud. "Mud is a really good preserving agent," Pecorelli said. "So, based on my experiences just looking at the Hunley, the metal could be in very good shape."

A full-scale replica of the Water Witch is being constructed for the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus.

The site just outside Savannah was being studied as part of a highway extention project.

Tourism also suffers under drought

The drought may affect cabin rentals at Black Rock Mountain State Park in Mountain City in northeast Georgia. The park is warning people with reservations in the park's 10 cabins to be prepared to leave if the water level drops more. The cabins use a well that is almost dry. The park’s campground well is already dry.

Wildfires set back Olympic hopefuls

Four Olympic hopefuls from Gainesville in northeast Georgia are among those coping as wildfires rage in Southern California. The four kayakers have been training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in San Diego. They say they were evacuated but have been allowed to return, but smoke and ash are preventing them from training outdoors. Wildfires, burning in seven counties in California, have destroyed about 1,500 homes and caused more than a half-million people to flee since the first blaze began late Saturday.

Georgia plant to close

An aerosol container plant in northwest Georgia is set to close, cutting 280 jobs. Ball Corporation says it will phase out work at its Tallapoosa plant by early 2009. Tallapoosa is in Haralson County on the Alabama border. Workers will be able to apply for jobs elsewhere within the company, or receive severance.

Georgia and South Carolina develop water plan

Georgia has signed a deal with South Carolina to develop plans to keep salt water out of an underground source of water for both states. The states use water from the Upper Floridan aquifer. Officials say pumping has lowered water levels and salt water started entering the aquifer. Committees set up by the governors of both states have been discussing water issues in the Savannah River Basin.

Lawmakers: build new reservoirs

Lt. Governor Casey Cagle (l), Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson (r)
at press conference in Capitol rotunda, introducing drought reservoir plan
(Photo: Valarie Edwards)

In response to Georgia's on-going drought, lawmakers say they have a plan to build reservoirs throughout the state. The question is: how many are needed, who will pay for them and where will they be located.

Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and House Speaker Glenn Richardson are backing the Reservoir Development and Drought Relief Act. Cagle describes the measure as a necessary step to ensure Georgia's economic survival. However, the Lt. Governor was vague on the details. What Cagle did make clear during a news conference Thursday, was the State of Georgia would control the reservoirs and not the US Army Corps of Engineers.

"There's no question that the Corps of Engineers has a very strong bias to protect endangered species over human consumption. That is very, very clear. If that continues to be the public policy decision by the Corps, than we have no other choice but to explore these other options."

Cagle's proposal calls for local governments to foot the bill for new and existing reservoirs, with state funding made available to ease the burden. State Senator Chip Pearson and House Representative Mike Coan of Lawrenceville will introduce the measure during the 2008 legislative session.

Perdue lashes out at Alabama over water use

Dry irony at boat ramp at West Point Lake. Print warning: "Boat Smart - Boat Safe, Wear Your Life Jackets!" (Dave Bender)

Standing by a high-and-dry boat dock at West Point Lake, Governor Sonny Perdue on Wednesday took the gloves off in a water fight with neighboring Alabama, and its Governor, Bob Riley.

Riley, in a letter to President George Bush, asked that Perdue's intention to slow the flow be stopped:

Alabama "cannot stand by and allow Georgia to take control of the water in that reservoir to the detriment of the people who live and work downstream in Alabama," Riley said. "That would be a radical step that would ignore the vital downstream interests of Alabama."

"Georgia has repeatedly framed its request as a contest between people in the Atlanta area and endangered mussels in Florida. Nothing could be further from the truth," Riley said. "In reality the action that Georgia seeks will have dire consequences on people and their livelihoods downstream in Alabama."

During a question-and-answer session at the press conference, Perdue shot back, saying,

“It's a little bit like the Old West, where one land-owner would try to dry the other one up, downstream. The interesting thing is that Alabama is trying to use these insane rules of the fish and wildlife and the Corps of Engineers to dry Georgia up -- and we're not gonna' let it happen.”

Perdue emphasizing a point to assembled reporters. Rep. Lynn Smith (R) is in background. (Dave Bender)

Perdue says he's weighing taking Georgia's case to the Supreme Court. He outlined a series of immediate and drastic water-saving steps, including a 10-percent, across-the-board cutback on usage by state agencies. Perdue told reporters gathered at the boat-ramp, that,

“the remains of West Point Lake are a stunning reminder that this drought is devastating not only metro Atlanta, but the entire state of Georgia.”

Perdue says he's spoken with federal officials, and hopes somebody from Washington -- perhaps even President George Bush -- will see for themselves how the drought is parching Georgia.

Shoal marker at West Point Lake. The red diamond indicates nominal water line. (Dave Bender)

On Saturday, the Governor declared a state-of-emergency in 85 counties.

Click here for more comprehensive GPB News drought coverage.

Georgia FEMA team helps wildfire victims

A Georgia-based team from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is headed to California to help with the wildfires. The foursome will help communicate with evacuees at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Thousands of people have sought refuge at the stadium as wildfires rage largely uncontrolled in southern California. The team is one of only two nationwide. The other is based in Chicago. In August, the Atlanta team deployed to help victims of Hurricane Dean.

Georgia sailor killed in Persian Gulf

Today the U.S. military released the names of two Navy sailors allegedly shot and killed by fellow sailor this week on a base in Bahrain on the Persian Gulf. 19-year-old Seaman Genesia Mattil Gresham of Lithonia was one of the victims. Earlier this week, a U.S. State Department official said the incident appeared to be a case of a jilted boyfriend shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend and then shooting himself.

Equifax announces credit freezes

Atlanta-based Equifax says people can start freezing their credit files on Halloween. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the company says it will offer the program in 11 states but hasn’t released which ones. Those are states that don’t already have credit freeze laws. People seek to freeze their credit so that thieves can’t steal their identity to open new lines of credit.

Fired prison warden gets replacement

Commissioners in northeast Georgia’s Jackson County commissioners have appointed a new prison warden amidst a scandal with the former warden. Former deputy warden Johnny Weaver will replace Vickie Underwood. She was fired in August following allegations that she misused inmate labor and county funds. The investigation into Underwood started when Weaver filed a complaint with the state in June.

Man admits selling dog to Vick

Another man has pleaded guilty in connection with Michael Vick’s dog fighting case. Oscar Allen admits to selling the suspended Atlanta Falcons Quarterback a champion pit bull. Allen admitted in a statement that he sold a female pit bull named Jane in 2001 to Vick’s company –called Bad Newz Kennels -- in rural Virginia. Vick and three co-defendants have also pleaded guilty.

Panel approves flu vaccine for babies

A federal advisory panel in Atlanta says that children as young as two can be given a nasal spray flu vaccine. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is recommending FluMist's use for kids aged two to five. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration approved it for the same age group. Today’s recommendations they influence insurance companies' decisions on vaccination coverage.

Drought affects woodstork population

The prolonged drought is leading to a decline in the endangered woodstork population.

Wildlife experts say it works like this: Less rain means smaller freshwater wetlands, the woodstork's habitat. Small wetlands means fewer alligators, which means more racoons, which means fewer woodstorks.

And that's if the woodstorks nest at all. Georgia Department of Natural Resources biologist Brad Winn says, woodstork nests have declined by about half since last year, to about 1,000. Winn says, "Some years, without any water to begin with, if there's not enough spring rain or winter rain, then the birds won't even nest."

Winn says, woodstorks will come back when the drought eases. He describes the endangered animal as a success for the Endangered Species Act.

In the last major drought, they got down to 500 nests.

CDC head defends Senate testimony

The Director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is downplaying reports her Senate testimony on the impact of climate change on health was significantly edited by the White House. Julie Gerberding spoke yesterday before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Today she told the Atlanta Press Club that it's what she said during the hearing that counts. The White House took out a paragraph that said quote “CDC considers climate change a serious public health concern."

Drought: Macon offers water to ATL airport

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

The city of Macon has offered to sell water to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Mayor Jack Ellis says he discussed the idea with Atlanta officials yesterday and is waiting to hear what their needs are and what storage capacity is available.

Ellis says he was inspired by televised statements from Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin asking residents to conserve water because the lingering drought is threatening the water supply.

The Macon Water Authority says the middle Georgia city has a 6.5 billion gallon reservoir with enough water to supply the area for nearly 500 days.

Click here for comprehensive GPB News coverage of the drought.

(The Associated Press)

Scattered overnight showers only dampen drought

(Image: Wunderground)

Governor Sonny Perdue will hold a press conference to discuss Georgia's historic drought at R. Shaefer Heard Day Use Area - Boat Ramp at West Point Lake on Wednesday afternoon, according to a statement released by his office.

Meanwhile, north Georgia water authorities will have to slash their use by 10-percent, as of Nov. 1, according to a directive issued by Perdue on Tuesday:

"A 10 percent reduction in water use is a first step, and we will continue to evaluate our drought response and encourage additional conservation as needed."

In the statement, Perdue encouraged water-tightening measures by all Georgians, calling on them to "...make their dry lawns and dirty cars a badge of honor."

"By making individual conservation efforts, along with reasonable solutions from our federal government, we can collectively help to ensure that our water supply is sufficient."

Showers swept through much of the western part of the state Tuesday afternoon and evening, but were not expected to put a dent in the water crisis.

GPB News will cover Perdue's press conference, and post audio and video clips to this blog. Click here for a full page of GPB News ongoing coverage of the drought.

UPS posts profit

Atlanta-based United Parcel Service reports a 3.7% increase in third-quarter profits. UPS says that for the three months ending September 30th, it earned 1.08 billion dollars -- or $1.02 a share. However, UPS says fourth-quarter growth will be its slowest in four years due largely to weak U.S. retail sales.

Authorities: don't blame the shellfish

The U-S Fish and Wildlife Service says it has worked out a deal that allows the Army Corps of Engineers to keep some of the recent rain water falling into Lake Lanier. The idea is that doing so will prompt two federally protected mussel species in Florida's Apalachicola River, to instinctively seek deeper water.

Sam Hamilton heads the regional Fish and Wildlife Service office. He says news reports which pit metro-Atlanta's water needs against Florida's shellfish, have missed what is really at issue in the so-called water wars.

"Mussels didn't get us into this problem and mussels aren't going to get us out of this problem. But the competing needs downstream are serious and someone may have to choose between power generation, other people's drinking water downstream and the city of Atlanta."

If winter rains don't fill the reservoirs, as experts predict, U-S Fish and Wildlife authorities will be forced to move the mussels from the Apalachicola River into federal shellfish farms. Already the agency has collected several hundred dead purple bank climber and fat three ridge mussels because of falling water levels.

Endangered Purple Bankclimber Mussel
(Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service)

Endangered Fat Threeridge Mussel
(Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service)

More information at http://www.fws.gov/southeast/ACF-QAs-FWS-10-12-07.pdf
or http://www.fws.gov/southeast/october07/MusselQAs-ACFBasin.pdf

Showers won't ease drought

As Georgia powers through its worst drought in state history, the National Weather Service says there's a chance of showers and thunderstorms over north Georgia the next few days. However, so far the scattered showers have done little to end the drought that has gripped the Southeast for months.

U.S. House approves Norwood honor

The United States House has voted unanimously to rename the Veterans Affairs medical center in Augusta after the late Rep. Charlie Norwood. Lawmakers say it's a fitting way to honor the Augusta Republican and Vietnam War veteran who focused much of his 12-year congressional career on health care. Norwood, a dentist before winning his congressional seat in 1994, died Feb. 13 at age 65 after suffering from lung disease and cancer. A captain in the Vietnam War, Norwood was a member of the Army's dental corps and helped develop operating procedures for combat treatment that are still in use today. He became well-known for his efforts to pass a "patients' bill of rights" aimed at giving consumers better access to care. The bill now goes to the Senate.

Ardent fan stalks 'Prairie Home Companion' host

Keillor during performance in Columbus, Ga.
(Courtesy RiverCenter For The Performing Arts)

(AP) - Garrison Keillor, of "A Prairie Home Companion," has gotten a restraining order against a Georgia woman he claims has made telephone calls and sent him explicit e-mails and disturbing gifts, including a petrified alligator foot and dead beetles.

A Minnisota district judge issued the order against Andrea R. Campbell, 43, of Hawkinsville, Ga., on Friday. Campbell said she received it Monday. In the petition filed Oct. 12, Keillor, 65, claimed the harassment started April 28, after Campbell attended a live performance of his public radio show in Columbus, Ga.

Keillor's filing said the e-mails and letters were often "disturbing, unintelligible and rambling," and in one, Campbell "graphically described making love to me." He also alleged Campbell showed up at his home in St. Paul in July. His wife was startled awake early one morning by the sound of someone rustling around outside the family's house. She filed a police report.

Campbell denied the allegations in a telephone interview with a local newspaper, saying she only wanted to show her gratitude for Keillor's work:

"I am unclear as to what the problem is," she said.

Campbell said Keillor had misunderstood the letters, e-mails, packages and phone calls:

"I believe that he's paranoid, or some woman, his wife, is upset and told him he has to do something about it," she said.

While Campbell said she loved Keillor, she also said it wasn't physical. She said she is a happily married woman with five children:

"It's transcendental love, that's all" she said. "Between a writer and a reader."

Prosecutor may appeal case against police chief

In the former criminal case against a former northeast Georgia police chief, the special prosecutor is still deciding whether to appeal a judge's order dismissing the charges. A Jackson County judge dismissed a 30-count indictment against former Jefferson Police Chief Darren Glenn. The judge dismissed the charges because prosecutors failed to allow Glenn to testify before the grand jury that indicted him last month. The jury indicted Glenn on charges that he used department computers and equipment to run background checks while working for his wife's private investigation firm during 2005.

UGA looks at campus water conservation

Today members of a task force in charge of creating a water-saving plan for the University of Georgia campus are scheduled to give an update on their work. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the university's chapel. Workers in one area of UGA's North Campus have placed red plastic trash buckets beneath air conditioning units to collect dripping water -- to water plants. UGA President Dexter Adams says the school is also determining whether it can adapt the roofs of North Campus buildings to collect rain water. On Thursday, Athens-Clarke County Commissioners will hear details of an emergency drought plan that could go into effect as soon as November.

Plan for water conservation bill

As Georgia battles a record drought, a state legislator plans to introduce legislation that would tighten water saving requirements for shower heads, toilets and faucets installed in commercial and residential buildings. Democratic State Representative Karla Drenner of Decatur is proposing the bill. It would require water-saving fixtures in all new residential and commercial construction and in renovations of existing plumbing fixtures. The same bill failed to pass in 2004.

Copper thieves strike radio station

A middle Georgia radio station is back to broadcasting after copper thieves knocked it off air. An engineer with rock station Q106 says the thief or thieves stripped copper from the station’s air conditioner, generator, transfer switch, and took all the electronics. The station in south Bibb County went off air around 9 yesterday morning and wasn’t back up until the afternoon. This is the third time in two months the station has been hit by a copper theft. The value of copper has increased in recent years, making it more attractive to thieves.

Civil rights leaders unhappy with action on hate crimes

Today civil rights leaders accused the federal government has been sluggish in dealing with hate crimes. At a news conference at the federal courthouse in Atlanta, the Reverend Al Sharpton called for a march in Washington on November 16th. Sharpton said marchers might circle the Justice Department. The civil rights leaders also called for all Americans not to spend any money on November 2nd as an economic boycott of the federal government's handling of hate crimes.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, October 23rd

Offseason news from the Braves--the team has named Bruce Manno as their assistant general manager. He will be the top assistant to newly-named general manager Frank Wren. Manno comes to Atlanta from St. Louis, where he was senior director of pro scouting and special assistant to the Cardinals' GM for six years.

Out of college football, Georgia Tech running back Tashard Choice is scheduled for surgery today on his right knee. The ACC's leading rusher suffered an injury to the knee in Tech's Saturday win over Army. Head coach Chan Gailey thinks Choice will miss the team's next game, November 1st against Virginia Tech. His status beyond that game is not yet known.

From the NFL, the Falcons are battered and bruised heading into their bye-week with the 1-6 record. Byron Leftwich made his first start of the season at quarterback, but then went down with a lower right leg injury in Sunday's loss at New Orleans. Coach Bobby Petrino calls the injury "serious". In addition, the Falcons learned on Tuesday that rookie offensive left tackle Renardo Foster will miss the remainder of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He suffered the injury in the Falcons' Sunday loss. Foster had been filling-in for another injured player on the offensive line--Wayne Gandy.

Into the final week of the NBA's exhibition schedule, the Atlanta Hawks are showing well. They beat Washington 103-99. For the Hawks, their preseason record is 6-1, their best showing since 1995.

Alabama Governor looks to deny Georgia request

Alabama Governor Bob Riley has sent a letter to President Bush, urging him to deny a request by Georgia's Sonny Perdue for a disaster declaration in north Georgia. Riley says people and jobs in his state of Alabama are at risk if the President makes the Georgia declaration. Riley says that while he understands the needs of metro Atlanta residents, he says Alabama cannot stand by and let Georgia take control of the water from the Lake Lanier reservoir.

Perdue organizes drought command center

In order to force the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the flow of water out of Lake Lanier, Governor Sonny Perdue has gone to federal court, has declared north Georgia a state disaster zone, and has asked President Bush for help.

The Governor says he has put together a drought command center, in case he doesn't get his way from the federal level.

"Plan B are strategic measures of tankering-in water and other things, assuming there would no adequate rainfall. Those are not possibilities that we'd like to think of, but they're possibilities that must be planned for. I'm not trying to panic people, but they expect us to have a plan in place".

The Corps says it is bound by federal law to keep a base flow in the Chattahoochee River. Other rivers, creeks and lakes in north Georgia are also running low, in what is now considered an epic drought.

Georgia schools brace for student influx

Georgia’s public colleges and universities are bracing for a flood of new students in the next decade. Specifically, the University System of Georgia wants to expand its student capacity by 40 percent in the next 13 years. Georgia has 35 public colleges and universities with an enrollment of more than 260,000. The boost would mean adding 100,000 more students in state schools by 2020.

High court delays execution

Today the Georgia Supreme Court granted a stay of execution to a man convicted of killing two people in Spalding County in 1990. Curtis Osborne had been set to die by lethal injection tomorrow. The court said it was granting an indefinite stay to Osborne because the U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether lethal injection constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Last week, the state Supreme Court issued a stay to convicted killer Jack Alderman for the same reason.

Terror hearing postponed indefinitely

The judge in a Georgia terrorism case has postponed a suppression hearing in which the government planned to reveal evidence that the two defendants communicated and cased out alleged targets around Washington, D.C. No reason was given for the indefinite postponement. The government says Syed Ahmed and Ehsanul Sadequee – both U.S. citizens from Atlanta -- trained to commit terrorist attacks against U.S. targets. Both have pleaded not guilty. No trial date has been set.

UPS to hire 60,000

Atlanta-based United Parcel Service is hiring 60,000 seasonal workers for the upcoming holiday rush. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the package delivery company delivers 22 million packages around the world between Thanksgiving and Christmas. On average, one in four season employees earns full-time employment.

Georgia sports for Monday, October 22nd

The Atlanta Falcons saw their record fall to 1-6 on the NFL season, losing on the road at New Orleans Sunday 22-16. Byron Leftwich made his first start of the season at quarterback, replacing Joey Harrington. Leftwich was effective in leading the Falcons to a 13-7 halftime lead. However, he injured his right ankle in the 3rd quarter and had to leave the contest. Leftwich posted 15-of-23 passing for 145 yards and a touchdown. Harrington finished the game at QB.

Recapping the college football weekend: Ga Tech scored the 34-10 win over Army in Tech’s homecoming game in Atlanta. Bad news was the injury to running back Tashard Choice—MRI test results are expected later today.

Georgia Southern held-on for a big win on the road at Appalachain State, 38-35. The Eagles led 38-20 and were able to preserve the win down the stretch. Running back Lamar Lewis ran for 74 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

St.Mary's doctor gets life in prison

A doctor on Georgia's coast has been sentenced to life in prison for the drug overdose death of his patient and housemate. A St.Mary's jury found Noel Chua guilty Saturday of felony murder, and seven charges of violating the state's controlled substances act.

Dalai Lama gets professorship from Emory

Emory University in Atlanta was the weekend host for events surrounding the visit of the Dalai Lama and other spiritual leaders. The panel called for followers to practice understanding of others’ religions across the world. The Dalai Lama said Sunday "The world is getting smaller. We really need closer understanding of each other. It's essential".

The Dalai Lama today will get a distinguished professorship from Emory. He will speak to the public in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, along with delivering a lecture at Emory. Over the weekend, thousands on the campus of the private college heard the Tibetan leader talk on subjects ranging from neuroscience to Buddhist meditation.

Click here for more GPB coverage of the Dalai Lama.

GOP governors discuss healthcare at Lake Oconee

Lake Oconee in eastern Georgia was the host for Republican governors and their staff over the weekend--the reason was a retreat and discussion on healthcare issues. The GOP hopes to make a better connection with voters over issues such as healthcare costs, health savings accounts, and free-market proposals to boost competition. The meeting of the Republican Governors Association included former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Georgia governor Zell Miller, both serving as speakers. Sonny Perdue is the chairman of the GOP governors group.

NOAA: expect a dry winter

Click image for larger map. (NOAA)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association forecasters say this winter will hold a continuation of drier-than-average conditions across much of the southeast, and above-average temperatures, according to an Oct. 18 update.

NOAA chief of forecast operations and acting deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center, Michael Halpert, says,

“The prediction for a warmer than normal winter is still on course,”

The seasonal assessment:

"...much of the drought region in the Southeast, Tennessee Valley, and mid-Atlantic can expect some temporary improvement during the last half of October, with locally heavy rains in a few locations. Unfortunately, the expected rainfall is unlikely to lead to lasting drought relief over the Southeast, as the ongoing La Niña should lead to below-normal rainfall during November-January, resulting in drought continuing or re-intensifying.

The next NOAA outlook is scheduled to be released on Nov. 1, according to the agency.

Click here for more GPB News drought coverage.

Emory: Dalai Lama, experts discuss depression

The Dalai Lama with Emory-IBD Tibetan Studies faculty and students, 2006. (Emory University)

Thousands filled Emory University's gymnasium Saturday to listen as scientists and the Dalai Lama discussed how Buddhist practices can affect depression.

The researchers - some of the country's top experts on depression - said Buddhist meditation can play a big part in treating patients suffering from the debilitating disease. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work with depression because each case is unique, and often nontraditional therapies like meditation training are helpful when used with other treatments, the researchers said.

"With other diseases, we can measure things and predict what treatment we should us," said Dr. Charles Nemeroff, head of the Emory School of Medicine's department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. "But in the disease state of depression, it could be mindfulness, cognitive behavior therapy or medicine."

The Dalai Lama praised a study being done by Emory researchers Dr. Chuck Raison and Geshe Lobsang Negi on how compassion meditation affects students' mental health. He said the study's results will have wide application to preventing depression. Speaking in English, he said:

"I think in our life, it is very important to have compassion,"

The daylong conference, hosted by Emory and the Boulder, Colo.-based Mind & Life Institute, is part of a weekend of events at Emory with the Dalai Lama, who has accepted a distinguished professorship at the prestigious private college. Nearly 4,000 people attended Saturday's conference.

Click here for more GPB News coverage about Emory University.

(Associated Press)

EPD opens Columbus office

EPD districts and offices.
The State Environmental Protection Division has opened a new field office in Columbus.

Officials told reporters that the new office is located at the Cunningham Center on the Columbus State University campus. The bureau will aid them in in serving area residents and monitoring environmental issues in the West Central District area. The district's central office is in Macon.

On June 28th, 2007, the EPD submitted a "Draft Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan" to the Water Council. Details of the plan are viewable here. More information about the EPD's activities is available at their website.

More GPB News coverage of the EPD is here, and on the water crisis, here.

Perdue: North Georgia is a natural disaster

Click image for larger map of drought-afflicted areas.

Governor Sonny Perdue on Saturday asked President Bush for a federal disaster declaration to help 85 drought-striken Georgia counties -- most in north Georgia. Perdue made the announcement in a press conference at Lake Lanier, standing on three closed boat ramps. He called the north Georgia region a natural disaster.

Perdue's request from the federal level comes a day after state lawyers asked a federal judge to force the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the flow of Lanier's water sent downstream to Florida and Alabama until next spring.

In remarks today, Perdue said

"The actions of the Army Corps of Engineers and Fish and Wildlife Services are not only irresponsible, they are downright dangerous".

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

Georgia files suit against Corps

As Georgia suffers its worse drought in more than 100 years, today the state filed a court order in Florida federal court requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to restrict water flows from Georgia’s federal reservoirs. The motion wants an immediate modification of the water flows leaving Georgia reservoirs to flow downstream. The Corps is releasing the water for endangered mussel and sturgeon species. Governor Sonny Perdue is holding a press conference to discuss Georgia’s historic drought tomorrow at Lake Lanier.

Click here for more GPB News drought coverage.

Airport worker fired for hanging noose

A worker at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has been fired for hanging a noose. Other workers discovered the noose Tuesday at a work site. The unidentified man worked for a subcontractor hired by Archer Western Contractors.

Top Senate Republican doubts tax plan

The Georgia Senate's top Republican says a proposal to eliminate property taxes will be a tough to support for some lawmakers. Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson of Savannah says the tax plan being pushed by House Speaker Glenn Richardson will anger many by taxing goods such as groceries, water usage, wheel chairs and Girl Scout cookies. Johnson says Georgians would also be taxed on services such as legal advice, cable TV, haircuts and garbage collection. Richardson, a Republican from Hiram, wants to do away with property taxes, car tag taxes and other ad valorem taxes worth about $9.6 billion in revenue.

Nooses found at NJ Home Depot

Atlanta-based Home Depot is under fire after nooses were found hanging at a New Jersey store. Police in Passaic County say black employees' discovered three nooses Wednesday. One was yellow, one black, one brown. In an e-mail to the local newspaper, a Home Depot spokeswoman said the store chain has a zero tolerance policy against discrimination and harassment.

Bus crash victims' families to sue

The families of 16 college baseball players killed or injured in a Georgia bus crash may sue the state. Today they filed necessary claims required under Georgia law before filing a suit against the state. 13 players from Bluffton University in Ohio were hurt March 2nd when their bus plunged off an overpass on Interstate 85 in Atlanta. 3 other players died. The state has a maximum liability of $3 million for the crash.

School scrubbed after staph infections

Two students at a middle Georgia high school have been diagnosed with staph infections that are resistant to antibiotics. A ninth-grader and a 10th-grader at Johnson County High School in Wrightsville were diagnosed in the past month. Now common areas have been scrubbed with bleach. Health and education officials have said that staph infections have spread through schools nationwide in recent weeks.

Government: Georgia man duped small businesses

A Georgia man stands accused of helping to defraud business owners nationwide of millions of dollars. Federal prosecutors say Marvin Hicks of Canton worked for a Florida –based company that fax-blasted phony offers to small businesses. The offers falsely promised to help the business owners sell their companies. Prosecutors want Hicks and six others to pay back more than $18-million dollars.

Corps: 'Lanier has water for 100 days'

Lake Lanier and surrounding area. (U. S. Army Corps of Engineers)
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official says the water level at Lake Lanier is less severe than has been claimed.

Corps' operations project manager Jonathan Davis, says the lake has reserves to meet critical needs for the next several months, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report.

Davis, speaking at the Alpharetta Rotary Club, said the lake has over three months worth of water, according to the report.

The state, for its part, today filed suit in a Florida federal court against the Corps. Click here for more GPB News coverage of the water crisis.

Rapper remains in jail until next bond hearing

Harris
Rapper T.I., aka 27-year-old Clifford Harris will remain behind bars until a new bond hearing next Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman said in an Atlanta federal court this morning.

Counsel for the Grammy-winning Atlanta native wanted him out on a $2.2 million bond, and stipulated other supporting details, in their request to the court.

Baverman turned down their request, as well as a request that the singer be allowed to remain in monitored home confinement, including random home and drug searches while he awaits trial on weapons charges.

Several record company executives, including some from Atlantic Records, were seated in the courtroom. Officials said they were prepared to offer signature bond on Harris' behalf in excess of $1 million.

Prosecutors countered that because of Harris' criminal history and because he was arrested while allegedly trying to buy machine guns, he poses a flight risk and danger to the community.

Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on weapons charges, including possession of machine guns.

His indictment followed his arrest last Saturday for allegedly possessing unregistered machine guns and silencers and of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.

Click here for previous GPB coverage of this story.

(With the Associated Press)

Georgia sports for Friday, October 19th

After 6 losses to open the season--and then firing their head coach--the Atlanta Thrashers found victory for the first time last night by scoring the 5-3 win over the Rangers in Atlanta. The victory came with general manager Don Waddell coaching the team in the interim. The Thrashers scored the first 4 goals of the game to take control. There was bad news, as goaltender Kari Lehtonen had to leave in the 1st period with a strained groin. It’s an injury that’s plagued him for much of his young career. Today, the team placed Lehtonen on the injured reserve list. They've called-up goalie Ondrej Pavelec from their minor leauge affiliate in the AHL.

Setting the college football weekend ahead: Georgia Tech is home in Atlanta to face Army Saturday afternoon. Georgia Southern's Eagles are on the road tomorrow to face Appalachain State.

Around our state tonight, it's another full schedule of high school football.

Alderman gets stay of execution

Convicted killer Jack Alderman received a stay by Georgia's top court Thursday, which delays his execution scheduled for today. In their decision, the state's top justices cited the move by the U.S Supreme Court to look at the challenge to lethal injection, and whether it violates the Constitution. Just recently, the nation's top court stepped-in to halt an execution in Virginia. Alderman is on death row for the murder of his wife in 1974.

Corps to adjust water guidelines

In the midst of the state's record drought, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers now says it will update manuals it uses to decide how Georgia and Alabama share water. The decision applies only to one of Georgia's main river basins, the Coosa-Tallapoosa, which runs southwest through Georgia and Alabama. Georgia lawmakers caution that this action is just one of many the Corps must take to resolve the crisis.

Jobless numbers up in September

The state's unemployment rate has risen slightly, according to the Georgia Department of Labor. The rate rose a tenth of a percent, from 4.5 percent in August to 4.6 percent in September. Labor department officials say they added 6048 additional jobless residents to their unemployment rolls in September, and that early reports show the state lost 800 payroll jobs, particularly in the areas of hospitality, business and professional services, retail trade, financial activities, manufacturing and construction. More than 23,000 job seekers, however, entered the workforce during this time. Georgia's unemployment rate was a tenth of a percent higher than the national rate of 4.5%. For more information about the report, and numbers for the state's 14 metro areas, go to www.dol.state.ga.us/pr/current_data.htm.

Two moonshiners plead guilty

Two northeast Georgia men have pleaded guilty to running a moonshine still in north Georgia’s Chattahoochee National Forest. Brett Jarrard and Max Moss, both of Clayton, were among four people charged with producing the illegal liquor in Rabun County. Authorities say agents destroyed six stills overall and seized more than a thousand gallons of moonshine.

Rescued horses go up for auction

27 horses rescued from neglect earlier this year go up for auction Saturday. The state Department of Agriculture is hosting the sale in Jasper County north of Macon. The horses were among nearly 100 the state rescued in February from a farm in Pike County. You can link to more information about the auction – including to a color catalogue -- here.

Rapper T.I. indicted

Yesterday a federal grand jury in Atlanta indicted rapper T.I. on weapons charges. T.I.’s real name is Clifford Harris. The 27-year-old was arrested Saturday in Atlanta for allegedly possessing unregistered machine guns and silencers. Harris is also accused of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms.

Clarence Thomas speaks in Atlanta

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was in Georgia today. Thomas spoke at the Atlanta Press Club and touched on the role of race in his position. He said that people expect him to think a certain way because he is black – although he doesn’t fit that expectation. He said there are some people who aren't ready for a black on the court who thinks the way he does.

Fred Thompson visits Kennesaw

Republican Presidential hopeful Fred Thompson was in Georgia today. At an appearance in Kennesaw, Thompson cast himself as the true conservative in the Republican race for president. He accused his GOP rivals Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney of being soft on illegal immigration.

Public defenders defy judge

Today the state public defender's office voted to defy a judge's order. Judge Hilton Fuller ordered the lawyers to continue funding the defense of accused courthouse killer Brian Nichols. The public defender standards council agreed today to tell Judge Fuller Monday that it can’t afford to pay Nichols’ defense costs and carry out its duty in roughly 80 other death penalty cases. Nichols’ lawyers say his defense has already cost $2-million dollars. Brian Nichols is accused of killing four people in March 2005 during a shooting spree that started at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta.

PeachCare expansion override fails

In Washington, D.C. today, House Democrats failed to override President George Bush’s veto of the children’s health insurance program S-CHIP. In Georgia, the program is called PeachCare, and provides health insurance for a quarter million children of the working poor. Nationwide, the program now subsidizes health care insurance coverage for about six million children. The vetoed bill would have added four million more children.

More than half Georgia school children out of shape

A new study says that more than half of Georgia’s school children are so out of shape, they could not pass a fitness test. The Georgia Youth Fitness Assessment reports that 30-percent of children weighed too much, and 44-percent are not getting enough exercise. The survey focused on 5,000 fifth and seventh graders in schools statewide. The study is the latest in research pointing to a growing number of overweight, inactive children and adults.

Georgia sports for Thursday, October 18th

The Atlanta Thrashers have fired their head coach. Bob Hartley is out, as the team opened its pro hockey season losing the first 6 games on the schedule. Hartley just last season led the Thrashers to their first-ever playoff appearance—which ended in an opening-round series loss. General manager Don Waddell will coach the team in the interim while a search for a permanent replacement gets underway. The Thrashers tonight host the Rangers in Atlanta.

The NFL’s Atlanta Falcons are struggling themselves with a 1-5 start. To that end, coach Bobby Petrino has made a change at quarterback, installing Byron Leftwich as the new starter for the remainder of the season. Joey Harrington goes to the bench to serve as the number-2 quarterback.

Korean parts supplier joining Kia bandwagon

Korean automotive supplier Dongwon Autopart Technology will open a facility in Meriwether County to serve the Kia Motors plant under construction in West Point.

The company's planned $30 million facility in Meriwether Co. will create 300 jobs, according to a statement by Governor Perdue. Perdue and state officials are meeting with Kia suppliers as part of an economic development mission to Korea and Japan.

Speaking from Seoul, Perdue said:

"It's great economic news for Georgia that a quality Kia supplier such as Dongwon has chosen to locate in our state. As we work with Kia’s trusted suppliers, I'm confident that Georgia will continue to benefit from the wave of economic growth sparked by the Kia plant."

Dongwon, which has been a Kia supplier for three years, will manufacture door frames, side impact beams, roof molding, side absorbers and cross bars for the new Kia facility.

The new plant, to be located half a mile from I-85 on State Highway 54, will be approximately 120,000-150,000 square feet. Construction on the new facility in Meriwether Park is set to begin January 2008 and is expected to be completed in late July 2008. Dongwon operates another metal stamping facility in Lapine, Alabama.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of state economic development, in connection with the Kia facility.

Hockey's Thrashers fire head coach

After an 0-6 start to their season, the Atlanta Thrashers have said goodbye to head coach Bob Hartley. General manager Don Waddell made the announcement Wednesday afternoon at the team's practice facility in Duluth, saying "we just couldn't let it go any further". Waddell will take on the role as head coach in the interim while the team searches for a permanent replacement.

Hartley guided the Thrashers for more than three seasons, and led the team to its first-ever playoff appearance last season. The Thrashers however, were swept in their opening-round playoff series. Hartley finishes his Atlanta-tenure with a record of 136-123-32.

The Thrashers have stumbled badly out of the gate in this new NHL season, dropping all of its first 6 games. They've been outscored 27-9, and are the lone winless team in the league.

State will sue Army Corps of Engineers over water

The state of Georgia will sue the Army Corps of Engineers over its water releases from Lake Lanier and the state’s federal reservoirs. Governor Sonny Perdue late Wednesday afternoon released a statement saying "the Corps’ nonsensical action to further release vital water from Georgia’s already depleted federal reservoirs must not stand". The statement continues, saying "there is simply no scientific justification to operate these reservoirs in this manner during a historic drought like the one we are experiencing. ...I must do all within my power to protect our citizens during this devastating drought".

The Corps of Engineers in a letter to the Governor earlier in the day, said it is abiding by federal guidelines, but that their officials are exploring possible drought contingency options. Last week Perdue demanded the Corps cut the release of water from north Georgia lakes, to give reservoirs time to recharge. Millions of gallons of water are sent downstream to neighboring states Alabama and Florida. The ongoing drought has heightened tensions between the three states, over how to best manage the region's limited water supply.

Drought on the 'Hootch brings out kayakers, rod & reel (updated)

While drought and record low water levels along Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River flood the media with and charges, counter-charges and claims over divvying up the flow, Georgians downriver in Columbus still manage to enjoy what remains -- while it lasts.

Meanwhile, the State of Georgia is still waiting for the Corp of Engineers to decide whether it will lower the flow of water out of Lake Lanier. Governor Perdue has threatened legal action if the corps does not comply with the state's request.

On Wednesday, Georgia environmental protection division director Carol Couch warned of dire consequences.

Update - Wednesday evening: The State of Georgia will sue the Army Corps of Engineers over its water releases from Lake Lanier and the state’s federal reservoirs. Governor Sonny Perdue late Wednesday afternoon released a statement saying,

"...the Corps’ nonsensical action to further release vital water from Georgia’s already depleted federal reservoirs must not stand."

Click here for more.

Click here for more GPB coverage of the drought, and its consequences.

Home Depot employees' info stolen

Home Depot says a laptop with personal data of 10,000 employees was stolen from a company manager's car in Massachusetts. The Atlanta-based home improvement store chain says the laptop had no customer information. The laptop was password-protected, and contained employee names, home addresses and Social Security numbers. Most of the affected employees are in the Northeast.

Judge suspends Nichols trial

A judge has suspended jury selection in the trial of accused courthouse killer Brian Nichols. Superior Court Judge Hilton Fuller was responding to a request by Nichols lawyers that jury selection be suspend until the defense team receives money to pay their fees and expenses. Fuller has ordered the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council to appear at a contempt hearing Monday to explain itself. The council says Nichols’ defense has already cost $2-million dollars, exhausting their budget.

Georgia gets first woman DOT chief

For the first time in state history, a woman will lead Georgia’s Department of Transportation. Gena Lester Abraham becomes the 14th DOT Commissioner. She will oversee 5,800 employees and a budget of more than $2-billion dollars a year.

300 more jobs for western Georgia

300 jobs are coming to Meriweather County north of Columbus. Today Governor Sonny Perdue announced that Korean automotive supplier Dongwon Autopart Technology will locate a facility there. It will serve the Kia Motors plant under construction in West Point.

Delta employees cited in drug ring

Seven Delta Air Lines employees have been named in a New York drug ring. The FBI says the ring sought to smuggle drugs through John F. Kennedy Airport. Agents also intercepted the shipments of more than 100 pounds of cocaine, 55 pounds of heroin and 6.6 pounds of the drug ecstasy. Prosecutors say the Delta group concealed drugs in luggage on jets traveling from the Dominican Republic, then retrieved the bags at JFK before they could be inspected by customs agents.

GA soldier to appear in court

The northeast Georgia soldier accused of killing of an Iraqi civilian will face a judge Thursday. The hearing could determine whether Specialist Christopher P. Shore – of Winder – will face a court martial. The Army says a sergeant shot the civilian himself, then ordered Shore to shoot the man again. Shore has said that while he was ordered to shoot the man he intentionally missed.

Drought disaster pending says EPD chief

The State of Georgia is still waiting for the Corp of Engineers to decide whether it will lower the flow of water out of Lake Lanier. Governor Perdue has threatened legal action if the corps does not comply with the state's request. Today Georgia environmental protection division director Carol Couch warned of dire consequences.

“Rejecting our request amounts to the United States Corps. Of Engineers abandoning the people of the state of Georgia,” Couch told reporters.

The EPD is starting to plan for a pending emergency, because Lake Lanier could run out of water in 81 days if there’s no substantial rain says Couch.

“We may have to assure that hospitals ship their patients elsewhere” she said ”This is a potential disaster in the making.”

The Corps Of Engineers says it may draw water from below the minimum level required for Lake Lanier, but that has never been done before and could be costly. Next week Couch will make recommendations to Governor Sonny Perdue on which businesses should get water use restrictions.

Habitat for Humanity ejects two GA affiliates

Habitat volunteers at work. (Courtesy Habitat)

The Americus-based Habitat for Humanity organization has expelled 12 of the group's affiliates, according to a Habitat spokesman, two of them within Georgia.

Duane Bates, director of Habitat's media relations declined to name the Georgia affiliates, but said that:

“One had not tithed in over four years, and the second dissolved on a voluntary basis.”

Bates says the process of what the organization calls, "disaffiliation," with the US-based branches, began on March 9, 2006 for a variety of reasons:

Five were voluntary, meaning the affiliates were winding down their operations, and wanted to close. One affiliate was in the process of merging with another affiliate and would cease being an independent entity. Two of the affiliates had not reported the completion of a house in more than eight years. The others had not participated in Habitat For Humanity's tithes in more than four years.”

Click here for more GPB News coverage of events in Americus.

Georgia sports for Wednesday, October 17th

The tailspin to start the pro hockey season continues for the Atlanta Thrashers. They were beaten again last night, 4-0 at Philidelphia. That makes the Thrashers 0-6 to start the season, and they remain the only winless team in the NHL.

NBA Preseason action from Tuesday night--the Atlanta Hawks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 103-77.

Women’s pro basketball is coming to Atlanta. The city has been awarded a WNBA franchise, with the formal announcement expected today. The sole owner of the franchise will be real estate executive Ron Terwilliger. The team is expected to open play in 2008.

Baldwin County jury hands-down death sentence

A Baldwin County man has been sentenced to death for the killings of his wife and teenage stepdaughter two years ago. The jury returned the verdict after eight hours of deliberations over two days. 36-year-old Brian Duane Brookins was convicted of the murders on Saturday.

Alderman plea denied by state's top court

Attorneys for death row inmate Jack Alderman will be back before the state Board of Pardons and Paroles today, looking to block his execution set for Friday. Yesterday, Georgia’s Supreme Court denied Alderman’s request for stay of execution. The decision by Georgia’s top court comes as other states have put executions on hold while the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether lethal injection violates the Constitution. Nevada just last night became the latest state to halt an execution--just 90 minutes before it was to take place.

Governor Perdue deadline to Corps is today

The deadline is today for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to meet Governor Sonny Perdue’s demand to slow the flow of water from Lake Lanier. Not meeting the demand could mean a lawsuit from the state. However, Corps officials last week gave indication that they might release more water from Lanier’s Buford Dam to supply the needs of Alabama and Florida. Georgia’s congressional delegation yesterday proposed legislation that would suspend regulations of the Endangered Species Act during stretches of extreme drought. Senator Saxby Chambliss said recently that the state’s drinking water is being restricted to "protect a handful of mussels and sturgeon".

Farrakhan to Atlanta audience: separate, support community

Farrakhan speaking at 'Million Man March,' 10/16/95 in Washington. (AP)

In a rare public appearance, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan urged black Americans on Tuesday night to separate from mainstream culture to establish and support their own community.

Nearly eight months after delivering what was thought to be his farewell speech, a smiling Farrakhan strode onstage at the Atlanta Civic Center to an applauding and cheering audience of nearly 5,000. He warned the crowd not to be distracted by the successes of recent decades:

"We have to come out of the thinking of a slave and come into the thinking and acting of free men and women," Farrakhan said. "We cannot depend on others for what the horrible condition of our people demands now that we do for ourselves."

Tuesday night's address was the keynote speech for Farrakhan's Holy Day of Atonement, which also commemorated the 12th anniversary of the Million Man March, held Oct. 16, 1995 in Washington.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of race relations in Georgia.

(AP)

Talmo plant ordered to stay closed

A Jackson County judge has extended an order to keep the doors to a waste recycling plant closed until the facility in Talmo can clean-up its act. The Agri-Cycle wastewater recyclying plant was ordered closed in September, two days after a treatment pond caught fire and burned. The judge in his order Tuesday wrote that the plant’s operation "constitutes a clear and present danger to the citizens of Jackson County and the state of Georgia". The plant in Talmo collects waste from chicken plants and restaurants, decomposes it using bacteria, then processes remaining wastewater by spreading it onto fields.

Click here for more GPB coverage of the Talmo plant.

ATL foreclosure rates at all-time high

Thirteen counties make up metro-Atlanta where nearly 7,000 homes will go on the auction block in November, with an estimated property value of more than one billion dollars. The number of homes in foreclosure is up almost 40 percent from just a month ago.

Equity Depot in suburban Atlanta has tracked the area's foreclosure rate for more than a decade. A company spokesperson says it's the largest month to month swing his company has seen.

In Fulton County, home to nearly 1-million people – around 2,000 properties face foreclosure. That's more than any other county in metro Atlanta. Recently, Beazer Homes -- one of the region's top builders -- has cut its prices for new homes. And experts predict an industry wide domino effect as failed sub prime loans topple home prices.

Record setting 3QTR earnings for Delta

The nation's third largest airline reports it has posted its highest record earnings ever for the three month period ending September 2007. Thanks to expanded international travel routes, the quarter marks a revenue highpoint for Atlanta-based Delta Airlines.

Delta's net income of the third quarter is 220-million versus 52 million for the same period ending 2006. But, with oil prices hovering around 80 dollars a barrel, Delta's Chief Financial Officer Ed Bastian says the company may be forced to reduce domestic service. "Internationally, where all our growth is going, obviously there's not a lot of alternatives to air travel. So, I think we have much greater opportunity to pass those prices increases through than on the domestic system."

Delta does not plan to buy new planes in the near future, but instead will refurbish its existing fleet.

Nichols judge considers contempt charges

In the case of accused courthouse shooter Brian Nichols, the judge said today he will consider whether to hold the state public defender office in contempt for not complying with previous orders to fully fund Nichols’ defense. Nichols’ lawyers have argued the state hasn’t provided enough money to cover his legal costs, which have already reached two million dollars. Attorneys said the defense team hasn't been paid since July 1st. Nichols is charged with killing four people in March 2005 after escaping custody at the Fulton County Courthouse.

Republican money shifts to Fleming

Republican money in the 10th Congressional District is again lining up against newly elected GOP Representative Paul Broun of Athens. Broun was a surprise winner in the July election to succeed the late Charlie Norwood in Congress. Fundraising reports show he had less than $35,000 in the bank this quarter. In contrast is state Representative Barry Fleming, a Republican challenger from Harlem who raised $273,000 in September alone.

Chambliss fundraising booms

Georgia Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss continues to be a fundraising powerhouse. Chambliss raised more than one million dollars in recent months. He has nearly $4 million dollars in the bank a year before election time. So far two Democrats have announced plans to oppose Chambliss, DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones and former Atlanta television news reporter Dale Cardwell.

Record high foreclosures

Foreclosures in the Atlanta area have reached an all-time high. Numbers from Alpharetta-based Equity Depot show foreclosures are up 38% from last month. They are up 49% over last October. The total estimated value of the properties in metro Atlanta was more than 1 billion dollars. Fulton County has the most foreclosures with 1,731 properties.

Stay of execution denied

Today the Georgia Supreme Court denied a stay of execution for convicted killer Jack Alderman. Alderman is scheduled to die by lethal injection Friday. His lawyers had sought to halt his execution while the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether lethal injections violate the Constitution. Courts in several other states have temporarily halted lethal injections while the nation's top court considers their legality.