TVA Signs on for Mixed Oxide Fuel to be Produced Near Augusta

The Tennessee Valley Authority, a federal nuclear operation and a major energy supplier in the South, has tentatively signed on to use mixed oxide fuel from a plant under construction near Augusta.

TVA has signed a letter of intent for the fuel, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration, and a final decision will come after the agency evaluates use of the fuel for reactors at the Sequoyah and Browns Ferry nuclear plants in Tennessee and Alabama, respectively.

The fuel would be made from weapons grade plutonium -- a total of 34 metric tons -- at the Savannah River Site, a massive federal entity near Augusta that processes nuclear materials, and used in commercial nuclear reactors. It is currently under construction, and at $4.8 billion, is one of the most expensive projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

TVA is so far the only agency on board to use the fuel. Duke Energy, which provides power to the Carolinas, did not renew a contract with the MOX plant earlier this year after delays in construction of the plant. The company has said it supports the plant, however, and might consider renewing its plans for the fuel at a later date.

Supporters of the MOX plant say it's a crucial part of nuclear nonproliferation efforts and provides yet another resource for energy. Opponents say the MOX project is too expensive and dangerous; they also have expressed skepticism over whether the fuel will work in the reactors.

Officials expect the plant to start producing fuel in 2016.

Oversight Group Gets Cheating Complaints

Georgia's teacher certification agency has received complaints for the four school districts where a state audit found cheating on standardized math tests. John Grant with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission said Wednesday that formal complaints have been filed for elementary schools in Atlanta, Fulton County, DeKalb County and Glynn County. The commission will vote in September whether to investigate educators named in three of the complaints. A commission probe is already under way for DeKalb County's Atherton Elementary, where the principal resigned and the assistant principal was reassigned after admitting to changing students' answers on fifth-grade math tests. Both have been charged with tampering with state documents, a felony. Educators found to be involved in the cheating could lose their teaching licenses.

(Associated Press)

State Lawmakers Furloughed

Georgia lawmakers are the latest group of state employees to be furloughed. The House and Senate lawmakers will take one furlough day each month. They will go on through the end of the year, when legislative leaders will decide whether they should continue. House Speaker Glenn Richardson said House lawmakers should not only control the state's spending but also "carry a part of the financial burden that we are asking of other state employees." Lawmakers are not in session, but they are still receiving an annual salary. It was not immediately clear how much money the move would save.

(Associated Press)

Sect Leader Claims Case Mishandled

The founder of the Nuwaubian religious sect is asking a federal judge to toss out his 135-year prison sentence. Dwight "Malachi" York alleges prosecutors mishandled his 2004 child molestation trial and that witnesses were coerced. York, who is serving his sentence in Colorado, accuses federal agents of threatening witnesses until they agreed to testify against him. Affadavits included in the motion are from seven of York's victims, who now say they were never molested and were coerced to make false statements. York founded the religious sect in New York in the late 1960s and moved it to rural Putnam County in 1993.

(Associated Press)

Wrongly-Jailed Man Freed

In South Georgia, Cook County authorities have freed a man who had been wrongly jailed for more than a year. Frank Hatley was put behind bars in June 2008 for not paying child support. The problem is the boy is not his son, which has been proven by two separate DNA tests and which the judge who ordered the payments acknowledged in court documents. Southern Center for Human Rights won Hatley's release at a Superior Court hearing Wednesday. Documents show Hatley has paid at least $9,500 in child support for the boy, who was born in 1987. Although he was released, Hatley's paternity case is still unresolved.

(Associated Press)

$9 M Worth of Drugs Still Missing

$9 million worth of pharmaceutical drugs are still missing from a Georgia truck stop. The FBI is now involved in finding a tractor trailer stolen Friday night in Haralson County off Interstate 20. Police say the truck was hauling meds like blood thinners and cold and nasal medicine. The driver had gone inside the truck stop to take a shower.

(Associated Press)

F-22 Vote Delayed In DC

The fate of funding for the F-22 fighter jet has been delayed. The chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee says a key vote on the defense spending issue was expected today. Now, Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan says he will pull the amendment temporarily so the Senate can focus on other bills.

The Lockheed-Martin built F-22 has been under hot debate in the Senate. Levin and Arizona Senator John McCain filed the amendment that would eliminate from the defense spending bill an additional $1.75 billion earmarked for another seven planes. President Barack Obama has threatened to veto extra spending for the F-22.

But Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss has lobbied heavily to keep the money in-place, given Lockheed’s main production plant is in Marietta. Thousands of jobs nationwide are connected to production of the F-22.

All Things Considered Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Join GPB Radio tonight for All Things Considered. Plans for the future of Georgia's water supply. Plus, abortion, business law and more talk of a "wise Latina woman" ... details on Day Three of hearings with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. These stories and more tonight on All Things Considered with Rickey Bevington.

Georgia Unemployment Rate In Double Digits

Nearly a half a million Georgians are out of work. The Department of Labor released its June unemployment figures today. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is at 10.1 percent—the highest ever recorded in the state.

"We are continuing to see lay off in construction, manufacturing, really across all sectors," says Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, "except of course health care and education."

In June, 483,394 Georgians were looking for work.

Thurmond calls on Georgia leaders to engage the private sector to create jobs. He also encourages the unemployed to seek more education and training to prepare for future jobs.

"Green jobs is a growing industry, ways to save energy, maximize potential in that arena," says Thurmond. "I think manufacturing, but with a more highly skilled work force will create employment opportunity in the future."

Right now about a third of jobless Georgians receive unemployment benefits from the state. Georgia's unemployment rate is worse than the nation's. It's at 9.5 percent.

State Unemployment Hits Double-Digits

Georgia’s unemployment rate has now hit double-digits. The mark of 10.1 percent for June is the highest ever recorded in the state, and represents more than 480,000 people looking for work. State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond says as Georgia "is in the midst of a deepening economic crisis”, state leaders need to develop a bi-partisan recovery plan to help dig out of the economic malaise. Job losses again were seen in areas such as professional and business services, manufacturing and construction. However, job gains were recorded in healthcare and educational services, with a spike of 12,000 jobs.

State AG Exempts Agencies From Storm Water Regs

Georgia's attorney general says state agencies are exempt from local regulations concerning storm water runoff. The state is still bound by rules of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the federal Environmental Protection Agency to protect streams, rivers and lakes from silt. But environmentalists objected to Tuesday's opinion. Muddy runoff from construction sites threatens aquatic vegetation and wildlife. The Georgia Department of Transportation was concerned it would be subject to permit-requirements in each of the state’s 159 counties.

(Associated Press)

More Schools in Georgia Making Progress

Standardized testing shows more schools in Georgia are making progress year to year. Annual Yearly Progress is the standard indicator of school performance. This year, seventy nine percent of public schools in Georgia made AYP-- that’s a ten percent jump from this time last year.

The State Department of Education partly attributes the leap to better math scores on standardized tests.

“We saw a lot of improvement in CRCT scores in mathematics, especially in elementary and middle schools,” said Spokesperson Dana Tofig, “and we think that’s what played into more schools making AYP this year.”

Math is a subject many schools struggle with across the state, including Radloff Middle School in Gwinnett County north of Atlanta. It’s had a needs improvement status for the past 3 years. But this year it shed that label. Principal Patty Hietmuller shares how.

“We provided 40 minutes of extra math instruction everyday," said Hietmuller. She also touts goal setting as key to their success.

Schools that under perform in any given for two years in a row get a needs improvement status. Then they have to work with the state to make a plan to get better. This year, 334 schools are on the needs improvement list; that’s 6 fewer than last year.

Parents at those schools must be notified so they can choose whether to send their children to a different school.

Savannah Ferry Nets $1 M

A million federal dollars are coming to the Savannah River Ferry to build a new ferry. The money is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – which sets aside 60 million dollars to improve the nation’s ferry docks and facilities. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the chosen projects are about putting people to work and at the same time offering more access to areas that lack transportation options. The Savannah Waterfront Association describes the ferry system as an alternative to the Tallmadge Bridge as a link between Savannah and Hutchinson Island.

Georgia State Nets Bullying Study Grant

Georgia State University has received a new federal grant to study school bullying. The $800,000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant will help the college's Department of Counseling and Psychological Services faculty conduct research on children in metro Atlanta school systems. The study is part of a five-year, $5 million grant awarded to the Emory University Center for Injury Control to look at how to prevent and treat a wide variety of injuries. The Georgia State researchers will work with students who are victims of bullying as well as those who have been identified as bullies.

(Associated Press)

2,500 Ibs of Pot Off the Streets

Authorities say a tractor-trailer filled with 2,462 pounds of marijuana from Mexico has been found in Doraville. Police said four men were arrested on charges related to the transportation of the marijuana - Edilberto Gijon-Jimenez, of Atlanta; Ramon Hernandez-Castro, of Norcross; Gilberty Riviera-Alcaraz, of Lawrenceville, and Jesus Hernandez-Gutierrez, of Sugar Hill. Another man, Pedro Mendoza-Lugo, of Las Vegas, is charged with conspiracy to commit a crime. Jail records show the five were arrested by Gwinnett police and federal authorities between July 2 and Saturday. Gwinnett police spokeswoman Cpl. Illana Spellman said no additional information was available on Monday.

(Associated Press)

Bernard Madoff Leaves GA Prison

Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff has arrived at a federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, to start serving a 150-year sentence. Federal Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman Linda Thomas says Madoff arrived at the Butner facility Tuesday morning, after a brief stay at an Atlanta prison while in transit from a federal jail in New York City. Madoff has a projected release date of November 14, 2139, assuming he gets early release credit for good behavior while in prison. He is listed in Bureau of Prisons records as prisoner number 61727-054. The 71-year-old Madoff pleaded guilty in March to charges that his investment advisory business was a multibillion-dollar scheme that wiped out thousands of investors and ruined charities.

(Associated Press)

All Things Considered, Tuesday July 14, 2009

Tune into GPB Radio tonight from 4 - 6:30 PM. Find out why Georgia schools scored higher this year on federal rankings. Plus, details of Day Two of Congressional hearings with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. These stories and more tonight on All Things Considered starting at 4 PM on GPB Radio. Join us!

Georgia Participates in Health Grant

The University of Florida is getting $26 million from the National Institutes of Health to speed up scientific discovery and medical advances to patients. Florida officials say the effort involves 12 of the university's 16 colleges, the Institutes of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the North Florida-South Georgia Veterans Affairs Health System and Shands HealthCare. The university announced the award Tuesday in Gainesville. UF is the only Florida university to get the award, but seven other institutions are also receiving the funding this year.

(Associated Press)

Franklin Named to Homeland Taskforce

Atlanta mayor Shirely Franklin was tapped, along with 16 others, to join a new task force, announced today by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano formed the task force to conduct a 60-day review of the Homeland Security Advisory System. The task force will assess the effectiveness of the System in informing the public about terrorist threats and communicating protective measures within government and throughout the private sector. Following the review, the task force will present its findings to Secretary Napolitano, who will, in turn, discuss the findings with other Cabinet officials before making a recommendation to the White House.

ASA Cuts More Pilots

A regional carrier for Delta Air Lines is cutting more of its workforce. Atlantic Southeast Airlines is furloughing an additional 56 pilots this fall. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports the layoffs go into effect September 1st, and its on top of the 80 laid-off earlier this year. The cuts are the first in the history of ASA. It was last month that Atlanta-based Delta announced it would be making deeper cuts to its capacity to help weather the economic downturn.