Police Find Murder Suspect's Passport

Athens-Clarke County police say they've found the passport of a University of Georgia professor suspected of killing his wife and two others outside a community theater. Police say the passport of George Zinkhan was found inside the wrecked Jeep uncovered Friday in a ravine a few miles from his home. Authorities say the marketing professor never showed up Saturday for a flight he had scheduled to Amsterdam prior to the April 25 shootings. Zinkhan is accused of killing his wife, Marie Bruce, 63-year-old Ben Teague and 40-year-old Tom Tanner as they gathered for a picnic. Two others were hit by bullet fragments.

(Associated Press)

Talk of no water in NE Ga by Christmas

An official with Athens-Clarke County says that if drought conditions persist, the area will have to begin rationing of water by Thanksgiving, and the Bear Creek Reservoir would run out of water by Christmas. County commissioners were told that a total outdoor watering ban has cut water usage in Athens by nearly 20-percent. That combined with an emergency permit to draw water from the Middle Oconee River, will provide residents in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee counties with drinking water until December 21st--under current drought conditions. Athens-Clarke County officials are working on a draft of Step F restrictions to present October 25th. That would involve prioritizing uses of water in an emergency drought management plan.

Athens police search for kidnapper

Athens-Clarke County police are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of an alleged kidnapper. Police say the man kidnapped a woman September 9th while she was in town with friends for a Georgia football game. They say she accepted a ride alone from the man, who drove her to an isolated area outside the county, where she escaped and ran to a nearby home and called 911.

Chief: Police shooting justified

Athens-Clarke County’s Police Chief says two officers were justified when they shot and killed a man last month. Officer Kyle Blagg and Sergeant Rich McDougald both shot 22-year-old Cesar Wilfredo Lopez June 24th. Lopez was a suspected gang member. Chief Jack Lumpkin says the officers actions were "in accordance with Georgia state law and the policies of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department." The officers may soon return to duty.

Jury sides with women videotaped changing

A jury in Athens-Clarke County has sided with four women who say a department store videotaped them changing clothes. Two women who worked at Belk got $230,000. Another two got $180,000. Belk managers installed a hidden camera in a stockroom in 2005 -- catching the women on tape while they changed clothes before and after shifts. Lawyers for the company argued that it installed the camera to catch thieves, and said the employees should have known it was there. The women say they were never told.