Storm spawns sinkhole in So. Georgia

Officials say a large sinkhole has opened up in south Georgia beneath floodwaters dumped by Tropical Storm Fay. Plantation Woods, off U.S. 19 south of Thomasville, was partially flooded by storm runoff a week ago. Late Thursday, the sinkhole began to open up and was estimated on Friday at 50 feet wide by 50 feet deep. Witnesses say the sink hole sucked in water and several trees as it came within 10 feet of a nearby house.

Heavy rainfall is big benefit to Lanier

The heavy rainfall in north Georgia earlier this week was very good to area lakes and reservoirs. In particular, the region's Lake Lanier got much-needed help from the skies--its level rose more than two feet from only Sunday. The rainfall over the period equates to over 22-billion gallons of additional water for the reservoir. However, Lanier still remains around 15-feet below full. The reservoir is metro Atlanta's main source of drinking water.

Meanwhile, rainfall from the remnants of tropical storm Fay flooded portions of the state the past week, calling for Governor Sonny Perdue to announce emergency declarations for seven south Georgia counties. National weather service officials say Thomasville in southwest Georgia received the most rainfall from the storm--over 27 inches.

Thomasville: youth confesses to bomb threat

A teen in Thomasville confessed early Tuesday afternoon to calling in a bomb threat at Thomas County Central High School (TCCHS).

The 15-year-old male, a former TCCHS student, who attended an alternative school, confessed during questioning by Thomas County Sheriff’s Office investigators.

The bomb threat was called in at 6:45 p.m. Monday. The caller left the threat on a telephone answering machine. The message said a bomb planted in the school would blow up the building. The caller also cursed school officials.

School telephone records were subpoenaed, and a trace led to a cell phone. The source of the call had been determined within a couple of hours of discovery of the message.

The teen is charged with terrorist threats and acts.

“More charges probably will be pending after a meeting with the district attorney’s office,” said Capt. John Richards, sheriff’s office chief of operations.

“Children need to realize that with today’s technology, they can’t get away with bomb threats anymore.”

Click here for more GPB coverage of similar threats.

(The Associated Press)

More Georgia communities go wireless

Many small Georgia cities are already going wireless, soon after the state announced public funding. So far the state has announced 5-million dollars is state money. The Georgia Technology Authority says the one-time grants help some areas of Georgia kick-start funding from Internet service providers who otherwise wouldn't invest. So far the cities of Augusta, Decatur, Dublin, Milledgeville and Thomasville have received the grants, as well as Gwinnett County.