FEMA adds $1.5 M to fire aid

Communities hit by a massive wildfire last year are getting more financial help from the federal government. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the state $1.5 million. The money will to southeast Georgia’s Ware County to pay for costs associated with fighting the Sweat Farm Road Fire. It broke out on April 16, 2007, in Ware County. 82 fire departments helped. By the time it was contained two months later, it impacted over 500,000 acres, destroyed five homes, threatened 800 homes and businesses in the city of Waycross and forced about 2,100 evacuations. The total amount of federal reimbursement for the fire is now at $19 million.

Exhibit honors beloved alligator

The most famous resident of the Okefenokee Swamp Park will soon be immortalized. The skeleton of Oscar the alligator is being assembled for display at the park's museum in Waycross. Experts say Oscar was about 90 years old when he died last year. An autopsy revealed Oscar had survived three bullet wounds to the head, a shotgun blast to the face, broken bones and arthritis.

Police: students plotted to kill teacher

Police say they have questioned a group of south Georgia third-graders about a plot to kill their teacher. Waycross Police says they got a call from school officials last week after a pupil tipped off a teacher that a girl had brought a weapon to school. Police report seizing a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape, electrical and transparent tape, ribbons and a crystal paperweight from the students, who apparently intended to use them against the teacher. The nine unidentified students include boys and girls ages 8 and 9. Prosecutors say they are too young to be charged with a crime under Georgia law.

GPB power outages Tuesday in Macon and Waycross

Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) Radio and Television stations in Macon and Waycross will experience power outages in the next week as GPB installs new FM HD-Radio and DTV/HD antenna systems.

Beginning, Tuesday, February 5, tower crews will shut down WMUM TV Channel 29 and WMUM 89.7 FM as a safety precaution while new wiring is being installed.

Listeners and viewers of Waycross GPB Television station WXGA/Channel 8 and GPB Radio station WXVS 90.1 FM should also be aware of power outages that will occur while engineers complete tower and antenna work at this site in the next few days.

“We apologize for the inconvenience this causes our loyal listeners and viewers in Middle and South Georgia,” says GPB Executive Director Nancy Hall. “GPB is doing everything possible to minimize technical disruptions. GPB engineers and contractors are at the Macon and Waycross tower sites to perform significant upgrades that will help us better serve our audiences with enhanced technology and programming as we transition to digital broadcasting.”

For more information and construction updates, viewers and listeners can call GPB’s Member and Audience Services Department at 1.800.222.4788.

Georgia Public Broadcasting is Television, Radio and Education: your PBS station serving all of Georgia; your source for great music and NPR news; and Georgia's source for top-quality multimedia educational products and services.