Internet Sensation Receives Full Scholarship to Georgia University

A Pahokee, Fla., boy who became an Internet sensation during the presidential campaign has received a full scholarship to a Georgia university. Damon Weaver says he plans to accept the offer to attend Albany State University. In a press release, Weaver called the full ride a "big relief to my mother and my family." Beverly Robinson, the university's vice president for student affairs, said the school will officially present Weaver's scholarship at a national alumni convention in June in Miami. Weaver created a buzz last year when he landed an interview with Vice President Joe Biden. Closing the bit, Weaver quipped: "Senator Biden is now my homeboy."

(Associated Press)

Lawmaker suggests merging black public schools

A state lawmaker told Georgia college leaders today they need to look at merging public historically black colleges with nearby white-majority schools to help meet budget cuts. Midland Republican Seth Harp suggested combining historically black Savannah State University with nearby Armstrong Atlantic University, and historically black Albany State University would merge with Darton College. Like most state agencies and departments, Georgia's public colleges are facing budget cuts of up to 10 percent this year. University system Chancellor Erroll Davis told lawmakers that such move would face strong opposition.

(Associated Press)

Safety-conscious schools getting students 'Connect-ED'

Georgia's public colleges and universities are investigating an emergency alert system to warn faculty and students of impending dangers.

The board began considering security options after the shooting spree at Virginia Tech on April 16. A student gunman killed 33 students and faculty in that attack.

The "Connect-Ed" system can simultaneously call thousands of telephone numbers and leave a text-message alert.

Albany State University Police Chief Roberson Brown told GPB News that the system works very quickly:

"Connect Ed has this system they demonstrated, where, everyone in a room he got the phone number for, in less than ten seconds the message was sent out to thousands of cellphones... You have the ability to call into this database, and in return it calls every number in the bank.”

Valdosta State University is implementing the system:

"Valdosta State University recently initiated the VSU Campus Alert system through the Connect-ED communication service. The new system provides campus leaders and security professionals the ability to reach all students, faculty and staff with time-sensitive information during unforeseen events or emergencies, within minutes, through a single phone call.

"VSU Campus Alert enables campus leaders to schedule, send, and track personalized voice messages, and can also send text messages to cell phones and email addresses."

The Board of Regents is weighing installing the $435,000 system at all 35-member schools statewide.

Questions about Ray Charles money to Albany State

Controversy is stirring over three-million dollars that was donated by the late music legend Ray Charles to Albany State University. Charles gave the money six years ago to help build a performing arts center in his name. His estate now wants to find out why two-million of that amount was used for scholarships.

No explicit instructions were given as to how the money should be used—-the school maintains it was an unrestricted gift. A spokesman for Charles’ estate says the money was always meant to be directed toward building the center, even without specific written details.

The historically black college in Charles’ hometown has not yet begun construction on the center, which is projected to cost at least 23-million dollars.