Two Dead in NE Georgia Plane Crash

Two people are dead after a light sport airplane crashed near Cedartown late Thursday afternoon. Kathleen Bergen with the Federal Aviation Administration says officials are unsure exactly when the plane went down, but 911 calls about a low flying aircraft were received about 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The two victims were found Friday morning by authorities with the help of a witness. Polk County sheriff's officials identified the victims as 44-year-old John Keith of Cedartown and 46-year-old John Edgeworth of Bowdon. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating what caused the crash. Bergen says the plane is a Quikr registered to Atlanta Sport Aviation Inc. of Cedartown, which is in northwest Georgia. The company's phone number is not listed.

(Associated Press)

Ft. Benning: a shooting star aims at Beijing

Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Callahan, in training for the 2004 Olympic Games at Athens, Greece. (Photo by Tim Hipps)

Elizabeth Callahan qualified for her fourth U.S. Olympic team Thursday at age 56, finishing second in the sport pistol competition at the U.S. shooting trials to earn a trip to Beijing.

The oldest known American woman to have competed in the Summer Olympics is Kyra Downton at age 55, according to USA Shooting and the U.S. Olympic Committee. Downton was in the equestrian competition in 1968.

Rebecca 'Beki' Snyder also earned a spot by winning the sport pistol event. Three others also qualified for Beijing at the trials Thursday: Mike Anti in prone rifle, and Jason Turner and Daryl Szarenski in free pistol.

Callahan competed in the 1992, 1996 and 2004 Olympics. Snyder also is heading to the Olympics for the fourth time.

Anti qualified for his fourth trip to the Olympics, winning the prone rifle event. American Matt Emmons, the 2004 Olympic champion in prone rifle, had already secured spots for Beijing in prone and three-position rifle.

Anti won silver in 2004 in the three-position event.

"I am very excited about making the team, but we have so many good prone shooters in the U.S., so it is kind of a bittersweet victory for me,'' Anti said.

Click here for more GPB News sports coverage.

(The Associated Press)

New law makes dog fighting a felony

A new law signed by Governor Sonny Perdue today, makes it a felony to own, breed or transport fighting dogs in Georgia. "I refuse to call it a sport. It's not a sport. It's really barbarism and it’s dangerous and cruel and for those of us who love animals and dogs particularly, it’s unconscionable," says Perdue.

The new law also means anyone convicted of betting on or advertising dog fighting also faces felony charges. Finally anyone caught attending a dog fight, will be charged with a misdemeanor.

State Senator Chip Rogers of Woodstock is one of the bill's sponsors.

"I started on this journey back when Michael Vick was just known as the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. Unfortunately, what he got involved with helped us bring this terrible, terrible tragedy of dog fighting to light. I say unfortunate for him, but fortunate for the rest of us, because I think it helped us bring us to this day today. We are now making a very bold statement, and that is dog fighting will not be tolerated in the state of Georgia."

Animal rights enthusiasts applauded the new law, which takes effect immediately. Georgia had been ranked by at the bottom nationwide when it comes to dog fighting laws.

Go Fish Georgia Initiative

Tomorrow the City of Perry is likely to become the site of a multimillion dollar fishing facility as part of Governor Perdue's fishing initiative.

Governor Sonny Perdue is expected to make the announcement near his home in Bonaire. The 22-million dollar Go Fish Georgia Visitors Center and Hatchery would be located on the grounds of the Perry Agricultural Center and officials believe it could draw as many as 200-thousand visitors a year. The initiative also features a bass trail, a system of lakes stretching across the state.

State officials say the current economic impact of sport fishing in the state is 1.5- billion dollars a year and over 10-thousand Georgians are working in the sport fishing industry. The governor hopes to increase those numbers. A single large bass tournament can bring in over 20-million dollars.

Middle Georgia also hopes history will lure fishermen here. The area is home to the world record large mouth bass, caught in 1932 in Telfair County and weighing in at over 22 pounds.

Two Killed In NE Ga Plane Crash

Two people are dead after a light sport airplane crashed near Cedartown late Thursday afternoon. Kathleen Bergen with the Federal Aviation Administration says officials are unsure exactly when the plane went down, but 9-1-1 calls about a low flying aircraft were received about 4:30 p.m.Thursday. The two victims, whose identities are unknown, were found Friday morning by authorities.

Bergen says the plane is a Quikr registered to Atlanta Sport Aviation Inc. of Cedartown, in northeast Georgia.

Gov. Perdue supports anti-dog fighting legislation

Governor Perdue says he will support legislation to tighten dog fighting laws in Georgia. Perdue, who is a veterinarian, says he does not understand why people engage in the practice.

"It is a heinous crime, and to think that people, by means of sport, use animals in this way is just abhorrent. And so I think we need to send a message in Georgia that this is wrong and will be punished. "

Under current law, dog fighting can only be prosecuted if there is a witness to testify.

Perdue says there is a good chance a bill pending before the legislature, which would tighten penalties for dog fighting, will pass next year.

Final: GHSA State Football 1A Championship

Emanuel County Institute 41 Wilcox County 21 (played in Cordele)

ECI won the Class A football title Friday night, the school's first championship in any sport in GHSA competition.

ECI set the tone early with scores on its first 3 possessions. It was another big evening for talented ECI running back Washaun Ealey. The junior ran for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns. Ealey finishes the 2007 season with 2,971 yards and a state-record 58 touchdowns.

The matchup was the first championship game appearance for both schools. The game was played on the campus of Crisp County High in Cordele, in order to handle the overflow crowd. Wilcox County was the host school, and had received permission to move the contest to a bigger venue by outselling their own stadium's capacity by 3-thousand tickets.

Dalton's residents bewildered over bombing

Firefighters in Dalton facing smoke and flames from building destroyed in Friday's bombing. (Courtesy)

Barbara Russell's voice almost drops to a whisper as she tries to describe the deadly blast that interrupted her breakfast the other day.

"It was the loudest noise I've ever heard," she says, shaking her head. "You really can't believe it. It really hasn't sunk in "We're all trying to figure this out," says Steve Williams, a senior partner at the firm that was bombed. "It will be a long time before folks come to grips with this. We're just a little town in the Deep South."

The same sentiment kept coming up Sunday at the first town gathering since 78-year-old Lloyd Cantrell died when he bombed a law office that represented his son in a bitter family land dispute. The Friday morning blast killed Cantrell and injured four others at the law firm — and left residents struggling to reconcile how it could happen in their blue-collar town of 30,000.

Cantrell, easily recognized around town clad in bib overalls with a small Chihuahua in his arms, had been embroiled in a dispute with his son, Bruce, since 2006.

Bruce Cantrell had grown fearful of the father and hired a lawyer at McCamy, Phillips, Tuggle & Fordham, to file a lawsuit to keep his dad off the property. The 2006 complaint claimed the elder man stole tools, kicked in a door and threatened to kill himself. Cantrell had given the property to his son.

The Associated Press has been unable to reach Bruce Cantrell for comment.

On Friday, police were called to a disturbance at the firm, housed in a two-story, colonial-style home. An officer saw a man get out of a sport utility vehicle and run behind the building. Seconds later, an explosion tore into the office.

Four were injured, including attorney Jim Phillips, who was described as a longtime friend of Cantrell. Phillips is hospitalized with burns to one-third of his body. He was in critical condition Saturday, and officials didn't immediately return a call Sunday seeking comment on his condition.

Meanwhile, many residents shared a common realization: they simply haven't registered what happened yet.

"Nobody here in this room, nobody in this city was at fault," said Dalton City Police Chief Jason Parker. "I think we accept that. It's time for us as a city, as a community to band together."

The law firm, which has helped produce a generation of local judges and community leaders, was one of the town's "oldest and most important law firms," says Dalton Mayor David Pennington. The city has offered the firm temporary space at city hall, and the firm's lawyers say they're confident they will soon rebuild.

"I will not be run off," says Williams, the firm's partner. "I'm here for the duration." Williams and other residents quietly gathered at Dalton City Hall, talking in hushed tones about what happened — and what could have happened.

"Everybody is just sort of shocked," said Beth Campbell, a local bookkeeper dressed in her Sunday best who showed up at the meeting for some clarity after her pastor announced it at church. "In about two hours time we heard so many stories. You heard so many different things and I still haven't heard what happened."

Kermit McManus, Dalton's district attorney, predicts it could take years for the town to realize the enormity of the attack. He's clearly shaken by the blast, which he called "an attack on the judicial system."

"He was going to blow the whole building up as a result of this legal dispute," he says, shaking his head.

McManus works in a sparkling new county courthouse that fronts a large window. But if he had to build it again, he says, he'd feel safer if his office was built behind thick walls instead of glass.

"It's more devastating than we know," he says."I think it will change the way people think and it's going to change the way people do business."

His voice trails off.

"We don't think in those terms," he says. "Now we will."

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the Dalton bombing.

Westmoreland, Corps meet over water issues

Dried-up boat dock at West Point Lake. (Dave Bender)

Congressman Lynne Westmoreland (R) met with US Army Corps of Engineers officials at the LaGrange City Hall Friday morning to discuss the drought's damage to West Point Lake, and the local economy.

Westmoreland met with Col. Byron Jorns, commander of the Corps Mobile District, and Steven Logan, operations manager of the West Point Project.

Westmoreland gave the Corps a letter requesting an immediate update, and details of any further talks between the Corps and the Department of Fish and Wildlife Service about water usage plans for the area, according to Chip Lake, Westmoreland's Chief of Staff.

After the meeting, Westmoreland, who represents the Third Congressional District, toured the lake on a pontoon boat in order to personally gauge the extent of the damage, Press Secretary Brian Robinson said.

Westmoreland later met with Lagrange and Troup Co. officials and local business leaders, specifically in the marine sport and hotel trades, to assess the extent of the economic damage to the area.

Westmoreland is interested in a longer-term solution to the dilemma of sharing water resources and conflicting needs between Georgia, Alabama and Florida, Robinson said.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

End of an era in Braves baseball

The architect of the Braves’ record success for a decade-and-a-half has stepped aside from his long-time role, but assumes a new position in the organization.

After 17 years as general manager of the Braves, John Schuerholz now takes the reigns as team president. Moving into the G-M role is Frank Wren, who has served as assistant to Schuerholz for eight years.

Perhaps one of the most successful general managers of a team in any sport, the Schuerholz-resume in Atlanta includes 14-straight division titles, five National League pennants, and one World Series championship. Schuerholz has been in baseball 42 years--26 of which he's served in the G-M role.

Schuerholz at Thursday's press conference outlined that as Braves’ president, he will oversee all operations of the franchise.

"This opportunity really lifts my spirits...encourages me...makes me enthusiastic towards what we have in this organization, and what we can continue to build upon".

Schuerholz says this new arrangement with him and Frank Wren, is the "more perfect plan" for the Braves to move forward.

The idea of a transition of upper management roles came from team chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk, who broached the topic with Schuerholz about six months ago. It was his opinion that this change would make the Braves stronger on the management level. Wren says he knew nothing of this possibility until just Tuesday of this week.

Wren's close association with Schuerholz the past eight years in all aspects of roster decisions is hoped to make this a smooth transition. Wren on Thursday compared the styles of he and his predecessor.

"Our styles are going to be different, but our philosophies and the way we see an organization being run and the type players we like are very similar". Wren added "...down the hall I'm going to have a Hall of Fame general manager that I can go bounce things off of, and down in this clubhouse I'm going to have a Hall of Fame manager that runs the game as well as anyone. It's a pretty good position to be in".

Schuerholz did admit it will be hard for him initially to separate himself from the off-season drive of fashioning a new roster for the next season. The last decision Schuerholz made as general manager was just over a week ago, when he informed veteran centerfielder Andruw Jones the team could not afford to sign him to a new contract.

Supect dead, 4 wounded in Dalton bombing

Police say a bomb blew up at the Dalton, Ga., law office of McCamy, Phillips, Tuggle & Fordham today, killing one and injuring four others. (Courtesy WGCL)

Georgia investigators say a 71-year-old man suspected of setting off an explosion at a small-town law office has died.

Four other people were injured in the explosion that blew out the windows at McCamy, Phillips, Tuggle & Fordham around 10 a.m. Friday.

Police say there was some kind of disturbance at the office before the blast. An officer saw someone get out of a sport utility vehicle and run behind the building. Then something exploded.

Firefighters are still battling a small blaze that flared up after in initial blast.

The suspect's body is still in the building in Dalton, about 25 miles southeast of Chattanooga, Tenn.

Two of the injured were treated at a hospital and released, one was admitted and a fourth was taken to a burn center.

Officials said in a statement that:

“Dalton police received a 911 call regarding a disturbance at the law firm. The first police officer, to arrive on the scene spotted a person in a small SUV. When this person saw the officer, he jumped out of the SUV and ran behind the law firm, at which time the explosion occurred. The police officer was not injured. One fatality has been reported and is still at the scene.

Police Lt. Bruce Frazier said the blast was caused by some type of explosive device. Investigators were looking into a person of interest in the case, but no one had been arrested, he said. He declined to provide more details.

Bomb squads were checking for sweeping the premises for other explosives, Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman John Bankhead said.

Four people hurt in the explosion were in stable condition at Hamilton Medical Center, spokeswoman Emily Michael said. One of the four was being taken to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, spokeswoman Beth Frits said.

The eight-lawyer firm, founded in 1932, works out of a two-story, colonial-style house. Police cordoned off the block and shut down a post office near the law firm, which specializes in personal injury and wrongful death cases, according to its Web site. An elementary school across the street was locked down, though it wasn't damaged.

State and federal investigators were assisting local authorities.

(The Associated Press)

State High School Basketball Crowns Champs

Champions were crowned in Georgia high school basketball Friday and Saturday. GPB delivered television and webcast coverage of the semifinals and finals in the five classifications in boys and girls play.

The winners:
5A Boys: Wheeler--Fourth title for the school since 2000.
5A Girls: Redan--completes undefeated season, and first title for the DeKalb school.

4A Boys: Miller Grove--First state championship for the school in any sport.
4A Girls: Southwest DeKalb--Second straight championship for the DeKalb school.

3A Boys: South Atlanta--run to state title on strength of 29-3 record.
3A Girls: Carrollton--the first state basketball title for the school.

2A Boys: Dublin--Second title for the middle Georgia school in four years.
2A Girls: Buford--First basketball title at school, boys or girls...31-1 record.

1A Boys: Whitefield Academy--upset top-ranked Turner County to win title.
1A Girls: Wesleyan--Fifth championship in last six years for the Wolves.

Whoopi on Vick: the South made him do it

Michael Vick has a defender in Whoopi Goldberg, who started her first day as a talk show host with controversial comments. Speaking on The View, Goldberg compared dogfighting in the south to cockfighting in Puerto Rico. Goldberg said dogfighting shouldn't be considered unusual for the Falcons quarterback because Vick is from the south, where for some, dogs are sport. Goldberg's co-hosts appeared outraged by her comments which she defended, saying there are things that are tied to certain parts of the country. She said had Vick grown up in New York, she'd feel differently about his actions. Michael Vick has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL and will be sentenced on the dogfighting charges in December. Last week Vick apologized for his actions and asked for forgiveness during a plea hearing in a Virginia federal court.