Panasonic closing Ga. plant

Panasonic plant in Peachtree City. (Courtesy)

Panasonic has announced that a car stereo production line at Peachtree City, south of Atlanta, will close by the end of 2009.

Company spokesman say the closure -- among the largest in Georgia this year -- will put 500 employees out of work.

Panasonic says the production facility will be moved to Mexico, in order to cut costs in a tight car market.

But, company officials say they will continue product development and regional administration at the Peachtree location.

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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.

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.