(WSB Radio) -- Call it a triple hex on local driving. 

Metro area police say the afternoon commute could be the worst of the year, as Halloween falls on a Friday.  Other factors will also cast a spell on your drive home.

"This year is almost a perfect storm situation," says George Louth with the Union City police.  "You've got Halloween falling on a Friday, the end of the month, obviously, and the end of advanced voting. "

Louth, who also works with the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, says the holiday coming on Friday poses a unique and potentially dangerous problem.

"Halloween has become as big, if not bigger, in some respects, than New Year's Eve as far as metro Atlanta," Louth says.  "It's large adult party night, so we do anticipate an increase in drinking and driving."

Louth cautions drivers to use extra caution when going through neighborhoods and sub-divisions, as kids will be out trick or treating.  He also is asking parents to use common sense when taking children out.

Have them wear bright colors, and it's a good idea for the parents walking with them to bring a flashlight.  But, Louth says, point the light towards the ground, as not to shine it into a driver's eyes.

Plus, with the end of advanced voting, police expect to see an increase in traffic volume.

(WSB Radio) It's the final day for advanced voting in Georgia and it's shaping up to be another long one for voters.

People heading to the polls were met with the longest lines yet.

The lines topped those of earlier this week, when, in some places, voters waited for as long as eight hours. 

On Friday:

- 900 people were on line at 9 a.m. when the Fulton County Government Center opened its door.  That's double the number waiting at the same time on Thursday.

- In Cobb County, the longest wait was at the South Cobb Government Services Center in Austell, which saw 600 people line up before the doors opened. At the North Cobb Senior Center, in Acworth, 500 people were waiting.

- In DeKalb County, 800 people stood outside in Decatur, while another 800 were on line at the Memorial Drive Complex at 9 o'clock.

- In Gwinnett County, the Centerville Community Center in Snellville had 800 people waiting when it opened, again the longest lines of the week.  The poll manager expects 2800 people will vote there today.

- At the main elections office in Jonesboro, in Clayton County, 500 people stood on line, waiting to vote when the polls opened at 8 a.m. 

Georgia voters who do not cast ballots today will have to wait until Tuesday.  Polls on Election Day open at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. 

Mail-in ballots must be received by county election officials by the close of the polls on Tuesday. Those ballots can be hand-delivered.

(WSB Radio) Students in three Georgia counties are getting a holiday from school today, all thanks to the Georgia-Florida football game.

Schools in Clarke, Madison and Oglethorpe Counties will be closed because school officials felt they wouldn't have enough teachers.

Last year, in Clarke, on the Friday before the game, 137 teachers called in saying they wouldn't be in class.  The school system could only find 113 substitutes. 

Administrators looked at the numbers and found that, on the Friday before the big game in Jacksonville, the number of teacher absences was nearly double that of an average school day.

So, rather than go through the same headaches of year's past, officials in the three counties decided to solve the problem and canceled classes for the day.

The WSB Consumer Action Center has been flooded with calls from people about a number of old scams. "There is this call we constantly get saying I got a check from the international lottery or I got a check from mystery shopping", says Fran Mitchell is the WSB Consumer Action Center. She says these are old bogus scams.

The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), the largest professional trade association dedicated to improving service quality through the use of mystery shoppers, advises the public to disregard letters or classified ads that promise fast cash and free gifts by performing mystery shopping and service evaluations.

WSB's Sabrina Gibbons reports the most recent scam asks the consumer to cash a cashier's check and wire the money back to a specified address, typically outside the country. The "reward" to consumers - they keep a percentage of the original cashier's check as payment.

In these scams, the cashier's check bounces several days later and the consumer is held liable for the entire amount of the money they wired to the international address - typically between $2,500 and $3,500.

The following tips are provided for those interested in becoming a mystery shopper:

• Respond directly to the companies that post the assignments (not to MSPA)

• Sign up with as many companies as you can. If a company asks you to pay, decline and move on to the next company.

• Be patient. It takes time, sometimes months or even longer, to be contacted with an offer to conduct a shopping assignment.

• Once assigned a shop, ensure it is completed according to the guidelines set forth by the mystery shopping client. Shoppers who do a good job have a much higher likelihood of being invited back for future assignments.

• Prospective shoppers should never need to pay a fee to become a mystery shopper. If a shopper receives an email or visits a Web site that requests a fee, simply disregard it.

  If you think you've been targeted by a counterfeit check scam, report it to the following agencies:

• The Federal Trade Commission: Visit the FTC web site, or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

• The U.S. Postal Inspection Service: Visit the Postal Service web site, or call your local post office. The number is in the Blue Pages of your local telephone directory.

• Your state or local consumer protection agencies: Visit the National Association of Attorneys General web site for a list of state Attorneys General, or check the Blue Pages of your local telephone directory for appropriate phone numbers.

(WSB Radio) Some Atlanta cops have won a long battle to get back overtime pay.

The officers sued the city four years ago, looking to recoup  money for overtime work.  The city refused.

Now, under a settlement, the police officers will receive $7.5 million.  Minus the $2.4 million in attorneys fee, the cops will get a final total of $5.1 million.

The settlement does not deepen the city's financial troubles, because money for the settlement had already been set aside.

Divided among 632 officers, investigators and sergeants -- some of them no longer with the department -- the average payout is $8,000 per person.

But dozens of officers will collect between $30,000 and $80,000.

(WSB Radio) A deal may be in the works to allow a Smyrna woman to get her son back.

33 year old Tysheema Brown drove her 12 year old boy to Nebraska to legally abandon him under that state's laws.

She's reportedly negotiating a deal for him to be returned to her.  A hearing on the case has been postponed until December 4.

The boy will remain in state custody in Georgia until the court makes a decision, Valente said.

Brown did not comment after the hearing, but left the courthouse with a smile on her face. Chris Parker, a family friend who accompanied her to the hearing, said ``everything went OK,'' declining further comment.

The state-appointed attorney for the boy, John Brocard, said he believes ``it's going to be a happy ending,'' declining further comment.

Cobb County Juvenile Court Judge Joanne Elsey barred media from the courtroom during the hearing Thursday, citing state laws protecting the privacy of juveniles.

Brown drove 15 hours to BryanLGH Medical Center East in Lincoln, Neb., on Saturday and left her son. The boy was returned to Georgia on Wednesday.

Brown has said she was worried her son would end up in jail if she didn't do something drastic to address his unruly behavior. He was constantly in trouble at school and is on probation for theft and trespassing charges in Cobb County.

Brown said the boy is fearless and that she ran out of hope that she could help him.

Brown's son is one of about two dozen children who have been left at hospitals under Nebraska's safe-haven law, which went into effect in July.

Most states let parents and guardians drop off children who are up to a month old at hospitals or other safe institutions. Nebraska's law doesn't specify an age limit, instead just using the word ``child.''

(WSB Radio) Safety is improving on Interstate 85.

Police statistics show the highway has gotten safer over the past year, as the frequency of accidents has shown a marked decline.

Police say an increased presence is part of the reason.  More patrols have cut down on the number of speeders.  That and, they say, a heightened respect for other drivers.

Gwinnett police say the department's HIT program, short for Highway Interdiction Team, has played a big role in curbing crashes.  HIT is also credited for reducing drunk drivers, unlawful motorists, and drug traffickers.

Statistics looking at crashes between March and October of this year show a 25% decline compared to the same period in 2007.  That translates to 1434 accidents in 2008 compared to 1905 a year ago.

The HIT team was formed in January and covers the length of I-85 in Gwinnett County as well as I-985 as it branches into Hall County.

(WSB Radio) An ex-Atlanta police officer who was involved in a botched raid that ended in the shooting death of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston has pleaded guilty.  

Arthur Tesler faces more than 10 years in prison on a charge of conspiracy to violate civil rights resulting in death. He is to be sentenced in February.

U.S. Attorney David Nahmias says this ends the two year old case.

"In terms of the investigation, yes," Nahmias says.  "We believe that the FBI investigation that resulted from the shooting and extended into other areas of misconduct is complete.  Our office does not believe or expect to charge any other police officers with federal criminal offenses."

Johnston was shot and killed in her home on Neal Street in northwest Atlanta on November 21, 2005.

In an attempt to justify the no-knock warrant, the Atlanta Police Department initially claimed that the police were searching for drug dealers after a police informant was said to have bought crack cocaine at Johnston's home earlier in the day. However, both a federal and state investigation revealed that this was untrue.

Two other Atlanta police officers, Gary Smith and Greg Junnier, pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter, violation of oath, criminal solicitation, and making false statements. Smith additionally pleaded guilty to perjury.

(WSB Radio) You've heard of a getaway car.  What about a getaway semi?

Police in Suwanee are looking for a bank robber who got away in an 18 wheeler. 

The hold up was at the BB&T branch on Lawrenceville/Suwanee Road Wednesday.  Police say the robber entered the bank while the truck driver was getting something at the convenience store across the street.

After the robbery, both men got into the tractor-trailer and drove off.  Police are also searching for the truck driver.

"He may be an independent trucker, or it may his own truck," says Suwanee Police Captain Clyde Byers.  "We were able to isolate one logo."

Byers says the truck driver is just a person of interest right now.  The truck has a Continental U.S. logo on the side hatch.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Suwanee police.

(WSB Radio) Dekalb County police are working to establish a motive and identify suspects in the overnight murder of an Ellenwood  convenience store owner.

The victim was shot and killed around 12:30 Friday morning in the parking lot of the BP station at the corner of Cedar Grove Road and Clark Street.

There were no witnesses to the crime and the name of the victim has not been released.

(WSB Radio) Metro Atlanta police departments say they're ready for anything on election day.

The possibility of civil unrest, both during the voting times and after the polls close, has been a concern of departments nationwide. 

"Any impropriety , any problems that the polling manager may make us aware of, we're going to be working with that person to rectify that problem," says Cobb County Police Sergeant Dana Pierce.

Pierce tells WSB there are about 30 voting precincts in Cobb County and each one has four police officers assigned to it, night and day.

Police are also working on traffic control at the polls, for both drivers and pedestrians.

In Cobb, the two precincts police believe will be the most congested will be Austell and East Cobb. 

Yard sales are becoming increasingly popular, as cash strapped Atlantans look to sell for quick cash.

"Judging from last Saturday and past Saturdays, there has been an increase," says Tom Zarrilli, who writes the Yard Sale Addict blog. "When I scan over the yard sale ads in the Journal-Constitution or on Craig's List, I notice there is a large increase in the number of ads for them."

As people find it harder to pay their bills, they're turning to yard sales. And it's not junk, either. People are selling things of value that will bring in top dollar.

"People are getting rid of whole rooms of furniture that they may not be using much of, or things that they normally would be holding onto for a little bit longer," Zarrilli tells WSB. "I wouldn't call it desperate yet, but I think people are trying to make ends meet a little bit more by putting a few more extra things out in their sale, or, maybe, having a sale when they really, normally wouldn't need to have one."

And it's not just the sellers who are turning to yard sales. People looking to save money are searching front lawns and garages on Saturdays, hoping for bargains.

"You may not always find what you want," Zarrilli says, "but you may find what you need."

The hot items appear to be children's clothing. But women's clothes are also a top draw.

"Because men tend to wear their clothing until it falls apart," Zarrilli says, "whereas women sell their clothing when it's no longer fashionable."

For more information on the local yard sale scene, check Zarrilli's blog.

(WSB Radio) -- DeKalb County Police have arrested six people they believe are responsible for a string of burglaries, one of which was caught on tape and posted on YouTube.

Dan Kopp, who secretly filmed burglars while they ransacked his home in Grant Park, tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies it feels great to possibly help catch the bad guys and get his stuff back.

"I got an e-mail from a friend, a friend of a friend, saying that there had been a raid and that some stolen property was recovered and to forward on any serial numbers to see if there was a match," said Kopp.

DeKalb County Police Spokeswoman Mekka Parish says they got an anonymous tip that a group of people were unloading large amounts of electronic equipment from a car and putting them inside a house at 2298 Mark Trail Road.  Parish says some of those items recovered belonged to the Kopp's.

"A victim who had their home broken into in the Grant Park area was contacted and notified that in fact, a flat screen, a laptop, and a digital camera that were stolen, were found inside of that home," said Parish.

Kopp says they managed to get two of their items back.

"We got the laptop recovered and our digital camera, but did not get our T-V.  Detectives think that our T-V had already been sold out of this house," said Kopp.

Kopp's just glad there have been arrests.

"It makes me feel really good because doing it - I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not - and it's been great to have all the positive response.  I don't even know if the video helped or not.  I don't know if it was related or completely unrelated.  But, it's gotten people together, it's gotten people who were the victims of these crimes together, it's gotten community people together," said Kopp.

Parish says besides numerous TV's, computers, and digital cameras, the car in the driveway of that home had been stolen and was linked to a recent robbery in the city of Decatur.

"Our detectives do feel confident at this point in their investigation, that these six individuals worked as a crew, in that, they were responsible for a significant amount of break-ins," said Parish.

20-year-old Adonica Cobb, 21-year-old Kiara Hill, 23-year-old Kenneth Jackson, 22-year-old Degiorgio Jackson, 26-year-old Madre Jenkins, and 27-year-old Carlos Morris have arrested.

More arrests and charges are pending.

(WSB Radio) The rate of new diabetes cases nearly doubled in the United States in the last 10 years, with the highest levels in the South, the government said Thursday in its first state-by-state review of new diagnoses.

Georgia's rate has climbed dramatically in the past decade.

"We'll go back to 1995-1997," says Karen Kirtland, with the CDC.  "The rate of new cases (in Georgia) was 6.2 (per 1000).  In the current time period, which is 2005-2007, the rate is 11.2."

The highest rate was in West Virginia, where about 13 in 1,000 adults were diagnosed with the disease. The lowest was in Minnesota, where the rate is 5 in 1,000.

About 90 percent of the cases are Type 2 diabetes, the form linked to obesity. The findings echo geographic trends seen with obesity and physical inactivity, which are also tied to heart disease. Southern states rank worst in those measures, too.

``It isn't surprising the problem is heaviest in the South no pun intended,'' said Matt Petersen, who oversees data and statistics for the American Diabetes Association.

But the study provides important new information on where new cases are emerging each year, giving a more timely picture of where the disease is exploding. The information should be a big help as the government and health insurers decide where to focus prevention campaigns, he said.

The study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention covered most states.

More than 23 million Americans have diabetes. The number is growing quickly. About 1.6 million new cases were diagnosed in people 20 or older last year, according to the CDC.

Some studies have offered state-specific estimates of diabetes cases, but this is the first to chart where new cases are being diagnosed.

``It's important work,'' said Angela Liese, a diabetes researcher at the University of South Carolina, who was not involved in the CDC study.

The study involved a random-digit-dialed survey of more than 260,000 adults. Participants were asked if they'd ever been told by a doctor that they have diabetes, and when the diagnosis was made.

The annual rate of new diabetes cases rose from about 5 per 1,000 in the mid-1990s to 9 per 1,000 in the mid-2000s, according to data gathered for 33 states for which CDC had complete data for both time periods.

The researchers had data for 40 states for the years 2005-07. West Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee had the highest rates, all at 11 per 1,000 or higher.

Minnesota, Hawaii and Wyoming had the lowest rates.

It's not completely clear why some states have a worse incidence than others. Older people, blacks and Hispanics tend to have higher rates of Type 2, and the South has large concentrations of older people and blacks. Texas has a large Hispanic population. However, West Virginia the state with the highest rate of new cases is overwhelmingly white.

The report only asked about diagnosed diabetes. Because an estimated 1 in 4 diabetics have not been diagnosed, the findings probably underestimate the problem, Liese said.

The underestimates may be particularly bad in the rural South and other areas where patients have trouble getting health care, she noted.

Diabetes is increasing everywhere, said Kirtland, the study's lead author, who said the rate rose in all states. ``It's a national problem,'' she said.

(WSB Radio)  The economy is hitting a couple of northeast Georgia counties hard.

The Jackson County Commission is mandating every department trim their budgets by five percent.  For the sheriff's department, that means two furlough days for non-patrol staff, a freeze on hiring and overtime.

"Shouldn't notice anything but maybe extended times on response for non-emergency calls," says Sheriff Stan Evans.

The furlough days will be November 26 and December 26.

In Hall County, the courthouse will be closed on Halloween as one of nine furlough days between now and June.  The furloughs are expected to save the county $2 million.

(WSB Traffic Center) -- A rush-hour wreck Thursday morning, killed one person and shut down all southbound lanes of I-675 in DeKalb County.

WSB's Herb Emory reports the accident, involving a tractor trailer truck and a car, happened around 7:45 a.m. between I-285 and Anvil Block Road.

The name of the victim has not been released.

Herb reported from the WSB Skycopter that it appeared as if a vehicle travelling northbound, crossed into the southbound lanes and hit the truck head on.

The wreck sparked a fire.

(WSB Radio/AP) -- Delta Air Lines completed its $2.8 billion acquisition of Northwest Airlines on Wednesday, turning two of America's most storied airlines into the world's biggest carrier.

Delta and Northwest closed the deal just hours after the Justice Department said it had no antitrust objections.

The company will keep Delta's name, Atlanta headquarters, and chief executive Richard Anderson, who used to run Northwest. Delta executives said travelers will see no differences right away. New uniforms will be phased in next year, and Northwest's fleet with its signature red tail will be repainted over the next two years, the companies said.

``I will tell you from a customer perspective and a frequent-flier perspective it is business as usual,'' Anderson said.

The combined airline would carry more traffic than either Air France-KLM (currently the world's largest) or American Airlines, the biggest U.S. carrier. But antitrust regulators rejected worries that the new Delta would hurt consumers, or competition.

Federal regulators wrote in a statement that ``the proposed merger between Delta and Northwest is likely to produce substantial and credible efficiencies that will benefit U.S. consumers and is not likely to substantially lessen competition.''

It noted that other carriers also offer flights on most of the routes where Delta and Northwest compete with each other. The Justice Department also said consumers should benefit from savings on expenses for airport operations, technology, and suppliers. The companies have said they can cut $2 billion a year in expenses once they combine.

The decision caps a six-month Justice Department investigation, which was closed without objection to the deal from the department.

Also Wednesday, an attorney for 28 air travelers who had sued to block the deal said the case had settled. The attorney, Joseph Alioto, declined to release terms of the settlement, which he said was worked out on Friday and finalized over the last few days.

Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, said the merger will mean higher fares and fewer connections between mid-size cities and business centers. He said he was concerned about an enlarged Delta and other possible airline combinations and joint ventures.

``A first priority of the new administration should be to reconsider the rationale behind antitrust-immunized alliances and the market power they can exercise to the detriment of consumers,'' said Mitchell, who testified before Congress in April against airline mergers.

When Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. announced their deal in April, it was widely thought that they were looking for government approval before a new President took office. Shareholders approved the merger on Sept. 25.

It was also expected to be the first of a wave of airline mergers. That never happened, despite talks between most of the big carriers. Two of the most vociferously pro-merger airlines, UAL Corp.'s United and US Airways Group Inc., backed away from a potential deal in May. Before that, Continental Airlines Inc. had considered, but rejected, pursuing a deal with United.

Still, American Airlines and British Airways are sure to point to Wednesday's approval for Delta as they seek antitrust immunity for their own proposed alliance, which would let them work together on pricing and scheduling for flights across the Atlantic. Virgin Atlantic Airways has opposed the request, saying it would hurt competition. BA and American also want to add Iberia to the deal.

Tim Smith, a spokesman for American, said the Delta-Northwest combination ``changes the landscape of the industry, as well as the challenges we face in the months and years ahead.''

American believes its deal with BA would ``provide the same type of consumer benefits by by allowing us to compete more effectively with other alliances that already have such immunity,'' Smith said.

American's pilots are lobbying Congress to block the deal with BA.

``Capacity-sharing arrangements such as what American Airlines is seeking to enter into are actually a form of industry consolidation, potentially resulting in yet more hard-working Americans' jobs being eliminated,'' said Lloyd Hill, president of the pilots' union at American.

Continental Airlines Inc. is seeking approval to join a trans-Atlantic partnership of several airlines including United and Lufthansa, which already have antitrust immunity to work together on trans-Atlantic prices and schedules. Continental officials declined to comment.

Calyon Securities analyst Ray Neidl said that while airline mergers ``never initially work out as planned,'' this combination appears to be clear for completion as many details have already been dealt with.

``Many of the snags such as pilot integration, labor and (technology) have already been addressed, so by airline standards, this should run fairly smoothly,'' he said by e-mail. ``But a lot depends on (executives) managing the process.''

``The biggest challenge is getting the two cultures management and labor of each airline to work together from the beginning,'' he added.

Delta President Ed Bastian is taking over as Northwest Chief Executive immediately, the airlines said. Outgoing Northwest CEO Doug Steenland will be on Delta's board. In a statement, he said the new combined carrier will ``better weather the current economic challenges and provide greater stability and job security for our employees.''

Northwest's labor issues are well-known, while Delta's only large union is its pilots. Pilots at both airlines have agreed on a joint contract, but the stickiest issue, their seniority, is being arbitrated. The two sides have agreed to abide by the arbitrator's ruling. Negotiations are continuing between the two groups as well, Delta pilot union chairman Lee Moak wrote in a letter to pilots on Wednesday.

Delta is hoping to avoid a situation like what happened at US Airways Group Inc., which still has not solved the feud between America West and the aviators at US Airways, which it acquired in 2005.

The deal was opposed by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents Northwest baggage handlers, gate workers, and ticket agents, and hopes to convince Delta workers in those positions to sign on, too.

``Delta is creating the world's largest airline. The Machinists Union will help Northwest and Delta employees make it the world's largest unionized airline,'' IAM General Vice President Robert Roach said in a prepared statement.

The deal was a stock swap, with Northwest shareholders getting 1.25 shares of Delta for every Northwest share they owned. Antitrust approval was announced about an hour before the markets closed. Delta shares closed down 17 cents at $7.99, and Northwest shares rose 13 cents to close at $9.90.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(WSB Radio)   Lines for advanced voting in metro Atlanta have been hours long, as people waiting in the cold to cast their ballots.

Secretary of State Karen Handel says, statewide, it's gone well.

"Keep in mind that we have 159 counties," Handel tells WSB.  "So, in 155 of the 159, things have gone without issue and wait times are well under an hour."

Handel says the early and advanced voting periods, despite the lines, have been a great success, if only for the sheer numbers of people turning out.

"We expect this week that we will have a million and a half total votes by the end of this week," she says.

She says the people of Georgia deserve a tremendous amount of credit for their patience and for doing their civic duty.

"Voters have been extraordinarily patient," Handel says.  "We knew that this was going to be a very large turnout, with the possibility of at least 4.7 million total votes in the state of Georgia.  It's why we got the legislation passed in January to have the in-person voting period start 45 days out."

Advanced voting in the state will end tomorrow.

(WSB Radio)  A member of the the drug ring known as the Black Mafia will be sentenced today in federal court, a day after nine other members were sent to prison.

The sentencing on Wednesday took nearly nine hours as, one by one, the drug ring members were sentenced in the U.S. District Court in Atlanta.

All nine received sentences ranging from four years to 16 years on charges of drug conspiracy.  They also got probation once they are released.

The final member of the ring to be sentenced, Franklin Nash, learns his fate today.

Federal law enforcement authorities say the Black Mafia was started by two brothers.   Demetrius Flenory and Terry Flenory began selling crack cocaine in Detroit high schools in the mid-1980s. Within a few years, their Black Mafia Family had moved into 11 states.

(WSB Radio)  A visitor to metro Atlanta is out of jail after spending two days in lock up for giving his girlfriend a bite from his plate.

40 year old Dan Lipscomb, of Texas City, Texas, was at the Iron Skillet restaurant in northwest Atlanta with his girlfriend.  He ordered a meal, then allowed her to sample part of his meal.  The restaurant told him there was no sharing, and charged him for two $7 buffets.

Lipscomb protested, saying there were no signs posted prohibiting sharing.  When he refused to pay, the restaurant manager called the police.

Lipscomb was arrested, charged with theft of services.  He spend 2 days in the Fulton County jail and ended up pleading guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct.

ATLANTA (AP) The state Board of Regents has named a University of South Carolina at Columbia executive vice president and provost the next leader of Georgia State University.

The board announced Thursday that Mark P. Becker, 50, will succeed longtime Georgia State President Carl Patton. The other finalist, Brooks A. Keel from Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, withdrew his name from the running on Friday.

Becker will be the school's seventh president when he assumes his new post in January.

Patton is retiring after 16 years at the helm of the downtown Atlanta campus. This is the second go-round to find his replacement after all the finalists in the first search last summer withdrew their names for various reasons.

(WSB Radio)  Georgia State's new president is expected to be named today.

The state Board of Regents is set to name a University of South Carolina at Columbia executive vice president as GSU's next head.

Mark P. Becker is the only finalist left in a national search to replace GSU President Carl Patton.  Another finalist, Brooks Keel of Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, pulled his name from the running last week.

Patton is retiring after 16 years as Georgia State's president.  This is the second attempt to name his replacement.  The first search last summer had chosen finalists for the post, but they all withdrew for various reasons.

(WSB Radio)  Six people from north Georgia are among those arrested for alleged ties to a Mexican drug cartel.

41 people, in all, were taken into custody, accused of distributing cocaine and marijuana in Georgia and Texas.

Ken Smith, special agent in charge for immigration and customs enforcement, says the arrests follow a two year investigation into the cartel.

Federal authorities seized 223 kilos of cocaine and about 16,000 pounds of marijuana.

In addition, Smith says a record $22 million in cash was confiscated during the operation.

(WSB Radio)  Close to 5000 Georgia voters, whose citizenship has been challenged. should be getting something in the mail from the secretary of state's office.

The letters, to be sent out this week, warn them that they may have to use a "challenged" paper ballot on election day. 

Earlier this year, a panel of federal judges ordered Secretary of State Karen Handel go let any red-flagged voters know in advance, and make sure they're allowed to vote while their citizenship is being reviewed.

A person who falls into the "challenged" category can also go to their county election office any time before election day and show documents verifying their citizenship.

(WSB Radio)  Michael Vick will have to appear in person if he wants to plead guilty to state dogfighting charges in Virginia.

A judge has denied Vick's plea, which was made via a video link with the federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. 

The judge ordered Vick to appear in person on November 25.

Vick faces state dogfighting charges in Virginia.

In exchange for that plea, if it's accepted, Vick will get one year's probation added to his federal sentence.  That will also clear him to enter a halfway house early next year.

Vick was sentenced to 30 months in prison on federal dogfighting charges.  Under federal guidelines he is not eligible for the early release program until all pending litigation is resolved.

Once he is released from federal prison, he'll be placed on three years probation.  The one year of state probation will be added to that time.

(WSB Radio) Sam Nunn is for Barack Obama.

The former Georgia Senator has gone public, urging voters to cast their ballot for the democrat.

Nunn says the election of 2008 is not typical and requires people to stand up and do what's right.

"When we see environmental problems, energy problems,  security problems and economic problems all over the globe that cannot be solved by any one country, we're in a different era," Nunn says.  "So I think you can throw away some of the old labels for the last eight or ten percent of those who vote.  I don't think they're going to be voting along purely philosophical lines."

Nunn has been mentioned as a possible cabinet pick in Obama wins the presidency.  He says he has not spoken with Obama about that and is not interested.

(WSB Radio) Willie Tiller testified against accused Fulton County courthouse shooter Brian Nichols on Tuesday.  By Tuesday evening, Tiller was hospitalized.

He was placed back in the Fulton County jail after he took the stand and was savagely beaten by other inmates.

County District Attorney Paul Howard says special instructions had been given to the sheriff's regarding Tiller, but they were not followed.

"After testifying it was the understanding of the Fulton County District Attorney's office that Mr. Tiller was to be transferred to a location away from the Fulton county jail," Howard says.

The sheriff's office denies it was given special instructions on the moving of Tiller. 

Howard says six inmates took part in the beating.

"They used weapons including socks with heavy objects in the toe, wooden brushes, hands and feet," Howard says.  "They beat on Mr. Tiller, referring to him as a snitch."

One of the inmates accused of beating Tiller is Kenneth Reece.  He faces a possible death sentence for the murder of a police officer in 2003.

Tiller was Nichols' cellmate.  Nichols is on trial for the March 11, 2005 courthouse shootings that killed three people. 

Judge Rowland Barnes, court reporter Julie Brandau and Sheriff's Sergeant Hoyt Teasley all died after Nichols took a gun from a deputy and began shooting.  He's also accused in the murder of U.S. Customs Agent David Wilhelm later that day.

If convicted, Nichols could be sentenced to death.

(WSB Radio) There's a new complication in the already lengthy approval process for two proposed nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle, near Waynesboro, Georgia.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atomic Safety licensing board agrees with environmental groups that the federal government's review should look at the effect of dredging the Savannah River.   The NRC is about halfway through their 3 year review right now.

"It doesn't necessarily mean there will be a delay in that process," the NRC's Roger Hannah tells WSB.  "It may simply that further information and further analysis have to be developed."

The river dredging would be needed to barges could bring reactor components to the site. 

Hannah says a 3 judge agency panel found something missing in the staff review of the project.

"They did not adequately consider what dredging of that part of the rive might do to the environment."

The state Public Service Commission must also approve the plan.  It's set to hold hearings on the plant in a few days.

About 14,000 Casper the Friendly Ghost Halloween mini-figurines, manufactured in China and imported by Coyne's Company Inc. are under recall because the paint contains high levels of lead, which is toxic if ingested by young children. No injuries have been reported.

The figurines were sold by gift, specialty, card, and drug stores around the country between June 2005 and September 2008. Details: by phone at 800-336-8666 or on the web.

About 30,000 ghost tea-light holders, manufactured in China and imported by Trade Associates Group Ltd. are being recalled because they can catch on fire.

There have been five reports of holders igniting. The tea-light holders were sold by Crate Barrel and other retailers around the country between August and October 2008.

For holders purchased at Crate and Barrel call 800-451-8217; for holders purchased elsewhere call 888-621-8350, or on the web.

(WSB Radio) -- More bad news for Atlanta's housing market.

The real estate research group Metrostudy reports Atlanta home sales were down 40 percent from a year ago.  Housing starts fell 60 percent and sale closing dropped 40 percent  during the 12 month period that ended last month.

Steve Adams with Remax Westside tells WSB's Sabrina Gibbons he expects the market to turn. He says he expects the market to get back to a normal market by 2010.

Adams says now is a great time to buy if you have good credit. "I believe there are some great values out there, especially in the new home market."

The supply of finished houses is about twice what it would have been in a healthy market.

(WSB Radio) -- Cobb County Police have busted two men caught stealing thousands of gallons of diesel fuel out of a tractor trailer.

Officer Cassie Reece tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies it happened Monday night at On-The-Spot Trucking at 980 Cobb Parkway when the owner of the tractor trailer caught them in the act.

"There was about 1500 gallons of fuel, diesel fuel, grade 1 diesel fuel, in that truck.  At this time, we have about 800 gallons accounted for," said Reece.

36-year-old Douglas Eriquezzo and 34-year-old Tommy McKenzie have been arrested.

Police believe they may have been selling the fuel to small business owners.

"We're asking if anyone has any fuel missing, or has been a victim of this type of theft that they think might possibly related to this incident, to please contact our Criminal Investigation's Unit," said Reece.

(WSB Radio) -- The Georgia State Patrol is investigating a two vehicle accident that killed an off-duty Paulding County Sheriff's deputy.

Corporal Brandon Gurley with the Paulding County Sheriff's Department tells WSB's Mark Alewine the head on crash happened around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Ridge Road and Seal Road in Hiram.

The deputy, who's name has not been released because his family lives out of state, was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center in critical condition.  He died just before 10 o'clock Wednesday night.  The other driver sustained non-life threatening injuries and is being treated at a local hospital.

The trooper who is handling the accident investigation has not completed his report and there is no indication on when or if charges will be filed in the case.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Delta and Northwest airlines won antitrust approval on Wednesday, with the Justice Department saying the creation of what will be the world's largest airline will help consumers without hurting competition.

Federal regulators wrote in a statement that ``the proposed merger between Delta and Northwest is likely to produce substantial and credible efficiencies that will benefit U.S. consumers and is not likely to substantially lessen competition.''

It noted that they already compete with other carriers on most of the routes where they currently compete with each other. The Justice Department also said consumers should benefit from savings on expenses for airport operations, technology, and suppliers. The companies have said they can cut $2 billion a year in expenses once they combine.

When Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. announced their deal in April, it was widely thought that they were looking to get approval before a new President took office.

Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, said approval of the merger will mean higher fares and fewer connections between mid-size cities and business centers. He said he was concerned about an enlarged Delta and other possible airline combinations and joint ventures.

``A first priority of the new administration should be to reconsider the rationale behind antitrust-immunized alliances and the market power they can exercise to the detriment of consumers,'' he said.

Mitchell testified before Congress in April in opposition to airline mergers.

(WSB Radio) --  Federal Agents have busted up a Mexican drug cartel operating in Texas and Georgia.  Ken Smith, special agent in charge of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency in Atlanta tells WSB the 2 year invetigation netted 21 arrests and the seizure of more than $22m in cash.

Smith says agents also seized some 16-thousand pounds of marijuana and 225 kilograms of cocaine.  In all, 21 low level and senior level drug operatives have been indicted - eight in Atlanta and another nine in Texas.

The organization operated a drug trafficking  and money laundering operation using legitimate produce and furniture businesses as cover to move the drugs from Mexico through McCallen, Texas and into parts of Georgia.

(WSB Radio) -- Voters seeking to cast ballots at many metro area advance voting locations are checking wait times before deciding where to stand in line.

Cobb County today unveiled a new website www.cobbelections.org where voters can check wait times at any of the six Cobb advance voting locations.  The site is updated four time daily. 

Late Wednesday afternoon wait times ranged from three hours at the Cobb Senior Service Center to one hour 15 minutes at the Galleria.

Computer problems that were blamed for the long waits early in the week have been solved. according to various elections officials.

Futher, in some counties like Gwinnett, addition equipment and staff have been added to polling places.

Fulton added six more poll workers to each location Tuesday for a total of 15 per poll. The county also added three check-in machines at each poll, for a total of five at each location.

Secretary of State Karen Handel said Monday that her office was aware of some "sluggishness" in the system and that technicians from the Georgia Technology Authority immediately went to work on it.

At no time did the system actually break down nor did the computer system go out, Handel said.

Florida is adding four hours to its early voting day. Governor Charlie Crist cited record voter turnout in signing an order keeping polling places open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

SMYRNA, Ga. (AP) A 12-year-old Georgia boy left by his mother at a Nebraska hospital is expected to return to home Wednesday for a court hearing that could determine who will have custody of the child.

Cobb County Juvenile Court Judge Juanita Stedman has ordered the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to return the boy to suburban Atlanta for the 2 p.m. hearing, Nebraska authorities said Tuesday.

Authorities said Tysheema Brown, 33, drove 15 hours from her home in Smyrna, Ga., to BryanLGH Medical Center East in Lincoln, Neb., on Saturday and left her son under the state's unique safe-haven laws. Brown did not return repeated phone calls and declined an interview with The Associated Press through a friend on Tuesday.

Brown has told multiple media outlets that she was worried her son would end up in jail if she didn't do something drastic to address his unruly behavior. He was constantly in trouble at school and is on probation for theft and trespassing charges in Cobb County.

Brown told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the boy is ``basically fearless.''

``I ran out of fight. I ran out of hope,'' Brown told the newspaper Monday. ``I never ran out of love for my child.''

Nebraska had temporary custody of Brown's son, but the Department of Family and Children Services in Cobb County will have custody of him until the judge decides who should take care of him.

Officer Katie Flood, spokeswoman for the Lincoln, Neb., police, said no charges will be brought against Brown for leaving her son at the hospital because the state's safe-haven law protects her from prosecution. Cobb County police said they also have no plans to bring charges against Brown.

Most states let parents and guardians drop off children who are up to a month old at hospitals or other safe institutions. Nebraska's law went into effect in July with that intention, but it was written to include the word ``child,'' which wasn't defined in the law.

Since then, frustrated parents have been leaving their troubled children at hospitals and other safe haven locations. The state has had 21 drop-offs so far, including a child from Iowa and one from Michigan.

Both were returned to their states.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(WSB Radio) They were expecting a blessed event.  Instead they're in mourning at Zoo Atlanta.

Dottie, the zoo's pregnant African elephant, died late Monday of unknown causes.

The elephant, which was in the third trimester of her 24 month pregnancy, was 26 years old.  This would have been her first calf.

Dottie's health first became a concern October 10.  Eleven days later she had lost about 800 pounds and veterinarians began administering antibiotics.

Three days later vets conducted an ultrasound and determined Dottie still had a viable pregnancy.  But, late Monday, Dottie died.

A veterinary team, along with the Department of Pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia, will perform a necropsy.

(WSB Radio)  A star player for Brookwood High School is in trouble with the law.

Running back Brice Smith was arrested Monday for possession of marijuana.  He's also been cited for driving with a broken tail light.

Smith was taken into custody, but bonded out of jail eight hours after his arrest.

Smith is one of the top ten rushers in Gwinnett County this season, scoring 9 touchdowns. 

There's no word from the school as to what action they will take.

(WSB Radio)  Georgia State doesn't have a football team yet, but they'll soon have a football field.

The university foundation has purchased a 3.8 acre piece of land off of Martin Luther King Boulevard, within walking distance of the GSU sports arena. 

Plans call for the construction of a full size, artificial turf football field, a half size natural grass practice field, and a football building that will include offices, locker rooms and weight rooms.

GSU's football team is scheduled to begin play at the start of the 2010 season under head coach Bill Curry.

They'll play their home games at the Georgia Dome.

(WSB Radio) There are new details tonight in the beating of a former cellmate of accused court house killer Brian Nichols.

Willie Tiller testified Tuesday against Nichols and was supposed to be transferred to a location away from the Fulton County Jail.  But District Attorney Paul Howard says that is not what happened.

Howard says once on the 7th floor of the court house six inmates put a shirt over Tiller's head and beat him with weapons including socks filled with heavy objects, wooden brushes, hands and feet all while calling him a "snitch."

Tiller tonight is undergoing facial surgery at Grady Hospital.

 Tiller's testimony offered some insight into why the accused Fulton County Courthouse shooter targeted one of his victims.

Tiller told the court during Nichols' trial that Nichols was angry at Judge Rowland Barnes because Barnes wanted to send Nichols off to prison for a long time.

"He said didn't understand why he (Barnes) would play with his life like that," Tiller testified, "and, if he had his chance, he would kill him."

Barnes was shot to death during the courthouse shootings of March 11, 2005.  Also killed were court reporter Julie Brandau and Fulton County Sheriff's Sergeant Hoyt Teasley.  Nichols is on trial for their murders.  If convicted he faces a possible death sentence.

U.S. Customs Agent David Wilhelm was killed later that day.  Nichols is also charged in his murder.

During his testimony on Tuesday, Tiller said he spoke with Nichols at length. 

"He said he was in jail for being framed, for doing something he didn't do," Tiller says.

When Nichols told him he had been framed, Tiller told him to "just be a man.  Just man up and take responsibility for what you do."

On March 8, 2005, three days before the shooting, Tiller says Nichols "looked me in the eyes and said 'Man, I promise you.  I'm going to handle it like a man.  I'm not going to do it. '"

Tiller says Nichols was angry at the prospect of prison.  He was charged with raping an ex-girlfriend and was about to go on trial when he escaped from a deputy, took her gun and began shooting.

In his cell prior to that trial, he told Tiller of his plans.

"He like, 'Well, I will take everybody who's trying to send me to prison for something I didn't do, and kill 'em," Tiller said.

Tiller, who has spent years in prison, says he was not offered anything in exchange for his testimony.  He also says Nichols isn't crazy, despite what defense attorneys are saying.

"Brian, he's a cool dude, he alright," Tiller testified.  "I'm not a psychologist or anything like that, but no, he ain't crazy."

Tiller wrote a letter to the district attorney in March of this year to tell what he knew.  He says he felt guilty that he didn't come forward three years ago. 

"Brian, he knows right from wrong.  In my opinion there's nothing wrong with Brian.  He did it because that's what he wanted to do."

(WSB Radio) -- If you own a flat screen TV, and it's not mounted on a wall, you probably ought to close the blinds.

There's been a rash of burglaries in town Atlanta and the theives are snagging flat screen televisions.

Police think televisions are in high demand because of the switch over to all digital programming next year.

One family in Grant Park videotaped their home being burglarized on Monday and posted the event on You Tube in hopes of somebody identifying the intruders.

Four men, one of whom was armed with a gun, broke into Larry Riley's home near East Lake Golf Club.  Riley's surveillence video captured the theft in living color.  A half hour later, cameras captured the same crew breaking into Alyssa and Dan Kopp's home on Broyles Street.

To date, no arrest has been made in either break in.

(WSB Radio) The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Decatur Police Department have issued a "Levi's Call" missing child alert.

5-year-old Jushere Tashae Wilkes, a black female with braided hair, was abducted around Midnight Wednesday from a home at 1486 Commerce Drive in Decatur.

The girl, last seen wearing a light blue jacket, pink pants and white K-Swiss sneakers, is reportedly with 34-year-old Alonzo Lamar Daniel.  He is described only as a black man with a shaven head.

The suspect and victim are believed to be traveling in a green 2000 GMC Safari van with a yellow cardboard tag with the date 11/17/08 written in black.

(WSB Radio)  -- A Georgia technology company plans to add an additional 900 jobs to its workforce over the next two years.

NCR, a fortune 500 company, currently has operations in Duluth and Peachtree City.  It plans to locate its headquarters for its Worldwide Customers Services business to Georgia as well.

NCR is known for its ATMs, retail self check-out systems, and other assisted and self-service technologies.

"During my lifetime, NCR has defined innovation in America.  From providing that first cash register powered by an electric motor to developing one of the first automated credit systems," says Gov. Sonny Perdue.

In addition to the new jobs at both locations, the company also plans to invest $15 million into its Peachtree City operations where it will locate a NCR learning center and its customer care center hub.

(WSB Radio) - Stocks rallied in the final hour of trading on Wall Street with the Dow 30 industrials gaining nearly 900 points.  It is the second highest one day gain on record.

Wall Street closed up 889 at 9065.

WSB Money Expert Mike Kavanagh believes the market ralled today in anticipation of the Federal Reserve Board meeting tomorrow where interest rates are expected to be lowered again.

Kavanagh also says talk of a possible GM Chrysler merger and reports that bailout money is finally beginning to reach financial institutions and easing the credit crunch also contributed to the rally.

(WSB Radio) -- Zoo Atlanta today mourns the loss of its pregnant elephant.  26-year old Dottie was in her third trimester when she failed to wake up this morning.

Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Dennis Kelley tells WSB that Dottie, one of Zoo Atlanta's three African Elephants, had recently lost 800lbs. or 10-percent of her body weight in the last two weeks - but had continued to eat.

The zoo does not know the sex of the calf, although early tests indicated it would have been male.

Zoo Atlanta is working with the University of Georgia Vet School to arrange for and perform a necropsy to determine Dottie's cause of death.

(WSB Radio) -- Metro Atlanta voters are bundled up and standing on line again today to cast their ballots in the 2008 Presidential Election. While lines are moving faster than the 8.5 hour wait experienced Monday by many people in Gwinnett, voters continue to wait in line a minimum of 2 hoours in Cobb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties.

Jane Kidd, chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, Tuesday afternoon called the situation a crisis and urged Secretary of State Karen Handel to get the Justice Department involved. 

In North Fulton County on Monday, the wait was 8 hours long.  Today it was a 3 hour wait for access to one of nine electronic voting machines at one location.  

Handel disputes charges that computer problems caused the extended lines.  She says the computers did slow down during the lunch hour due to high volume but the real problem was inadequate staffing at the county level. 

Handel says while the Clayton County Elections office blamed computers, actually staff left at 6 and there were not enough people around to assist voters who waited in line as late as midnight.

In Cobb County there are six advance voting locations and the wait has been a minimum of two hours.  The same is true at many of the five sites in Cherokee County.  In Fulton County, Senate Candidate Jim Martin was seen standing in line Tuesday at the Pryor Street polling place.

Early voting in Georgia started on Sept. 22, with each county allowing voters to cast their ballots at a voting site, usually a government building in the county's seat. By last week, metro Atlanta counties were reporting thousands of voters massing each day.

Advance voting, which began Monday and runs through Friday, allows local election officials to open more sites throughout their counties. Some also have extended voting hours..

The secretary of state's office said it hopes that 25 percent of the electorate or more than 1.4 million voters cast ballots early, which seems very possible.

Of the 1 million who have voted, more than 175,000 come from the Democratic strongholds of Fulton and DeKalb counties. Another 53,000 votes were cast in Cobb County, 51,000 votes were cast in Gwinnett County and 37,000 were cast in Henry County.

(WSB Radio) -- Atlantans are pawning their memories for money. Cash strapped Americans from all walks of life are heading to pawn shops to pick up much needed cash.

WSB's Sabrina Gibbons reports folks are hocking everything from electronics, jewelery and even dental fillings in exchange for cash.

Dave Adelman with Jerry's Pawn in downtown and Buckhead says he's seeing a wide range of people from white collar to blue collar and below. He says people are in need of money for prescriptions or rent.

Cash for Gold USA, an Internet site that offers customers a chance to mail in pieces of gold anything from class rings to dental fillings in exchange for a check, has seen business quadruple in recent months thanks to high gold prices, said Steve Schneider, a company spokesman. Business spiked even more with the financial meltdown.

Fran Mitchell with the WSB Consumer Action Center says before you head to the pawn shop make sure you know what your possessions are worth.

(WSB Radio/AP) -- Georgia child welfare authorities are going to Lincoln, Nebraska on Tuesday to retrieve a 12-year-old Cobb County boy whose mother drove him to a hospital in Nebraska's capital and left him under provisions of the state's unique safe-haven law.

The 12-year-old from Smyrna was dropped off at BryanLGH Medical Center East on Saturday night.

The boy's mother, 33-year-old Tysheema Brown, tells Channel 2 Action News the Department of Family and Children's Services has scheduled a custody hearing before a juvenile court judge on Wednesday.  At that time, she expects her son to be placed in foster care.

Currently, the boy is on probation in Georgia for a theft charge.  Brown told the Journal Star that her son had first been suspended from school in the first grade for various infractions. As he got older, his behavior worsened. By the 5th grade he was flunking school, stealing, lying to and defying adults, including his probation officer.

She said she sent him to live with his father in South Carolina. His father sent him back after one summer. She sent him to her mother in Detroit; he was back in just six weeks.

An expensive psychiatric evaluation showed that her son was indeed defiant but the doctor would not prescribe any medicine.

Overnight stays in juvenile detention made no apparent impression.

``There's no fear in this little boy,'' Brown told the Journal Star.

She said she told the boy on their drive from Smyrna that she loved him and that her intention to leave him in Nebraska proved her love. She said her own mother had done something similar for her when she was a teenager.

Brown said she grew up in Lincoln with her mom, a single mother, and three siblings. After problems at home led to her running away, her mother placed her at Boys Town in 1992.

A year ago, the woman began trying to get her son into Boys Town. This spring, Boys Town said no, he couldn't come to the famed home for troubled children.

``Boys Town was my one and only last hope,'' Brown said. ``There was nothing else for me.''

The woman told her son that if she couldn't get him the right help from somebody, somewhere, he'd end up in jail.

She drove him to Lincoln, leaving his medical records and a suitcase with him at the hospital. She headed back to Georgia the next morning so her grade-school daughter wouldn't miss any school.

Brown told the Lincoln Journal Star that she regretted her actions but thought the safe haven offered under the new Nebraska law was her last chance at saving her troubled son.

Nebraska's law is the only one in the country that lets anyone leave a child as old as 18 at a state-licensed hospital without fear of prosecution for the abandonment.

Most states let parents and guardians drop off children who are up to a month old at hospitals or other safe institutions.

Nebraska's law was intended to protect infants, but it was written to include the word ``child,'' which wasn't defined in the law.

The rash of drop-offs have included a child from Iowa and one from Michigan. Both of those children have returned to their states.

Most of the Nebraska Legislature's 49 senators have agreed to amend the law when it reconvenes in January so it applies only to infants up to 3 days old.

Gov. Dave Heineman has resisted calls for a special legislative session, but said Oct. 20 that he'd do so if there were several more safe-haven cases from out of state.

His spokeswoman said Monday that Heineman was continuing to monitor the situation and had not changed his mind about the special session.

ATLANTA (AP) State Rep. Ben Harbin was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service after pleading guilty to reckless driving.

Harbin, R-Evans, was initially charged with driving under the influence also a misdemeanor in May 2007. He was pulled over by Atlanta police, who said the lawmaker slurred his words, had trouble keeping his balance and smelled of alcohol after his 2003 Nissan Maxima hit a utility pole.

Harbin refused to take a blood-alcohol test at the time. He was also charged with striking a fixed object and failure to maintain lane, but those charges were dropped.

Harbin's attorney, Robert Highsmith, said Monday that he must complete his community service within a year at any nonprofit organization.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

ATLANTA (AP) The defense has rested its case in the trial of Brian Nichols, who is accused of killing a judge and three other people in a shooting rampage that began at the Fulton County Courthouse in March 2005.

Lead prosecutor Kellie Hill told Superior Court Judge James Bodiford on Monday that the state will spend three days rebutting a psychologist's claim that Nichols suffers from a delusional disorder. The jury is expected to start deliberating next week after about six weeks of trial.

Nichols did not take the witness stand in an effort to bolster his insanity defense. His mother testified for two days, describing signs that her son had become deranged before the March 11, 2005 shootings at the courthouse where he was on trial for rape.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(WSB Radio) If you're tired of waiting in long security lines when you fly, help is on the way.

Hartsfield-Jackson Airport officials will announce new security checkpoints and other measures to make travel faster.

Representatives from the airport, the TSA, Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways will introduce later today plans for the checkpoints, additional security lanes and other measures to improve travel.

Hartsfield-Jackson has more than 89 million passengers passing through it annually.

(WSB Radio) DeKalb County commissioners are looking to fight foreclosures in the area and will vote today on several plans.

The measures include the creation of an Office of Consumer Affairs that would help families facing foreclosure.  Another proposal would urge the state to increase the length of time between when a homeowner learns of a pending foreclosure and the actual sale of their home.

The Board of Commissioners will consider whether to adopt other suggestions offered by a special county foreclosure task force convened earlier this year.

DeKalb County has a 6.4 percent foreclosure rate, one of the highest in the state.

(WSB Radio) The TSA is looking at easing restrictions on liquids that passengers can carry onto planes.

Under the proposal, passengers will be able to carry large bottles on aircraft beginning sometime next fall.

TSA Chief Kip Hawley, on the agency's website, said passengers would still have to remove liquids from carry-on bags at airport checkpoints and put them through X-ray machines separately.

Hawley says that, by the end of 2010, passengers should be able to keep liquids as they go through security checkpoints. 

The restrictions are also likely to be eased in airports of other countries that adopted similar liquid restrictions.  they went into effect two years ago after authorities broke up a plot to blow up trans-Atlantic flights with liquid explosives. 

Hawley says the restrictions are being eased because better technology will allow new TSA equipment to spot dangerous liquids. 

Current X-ray machines cannot detect the difference between a liquid explosive and harmless fluids.  The TSA limits liquids to only three ounces or less on the idea that such a small amount, if it were to explode, would not be enough to bring down a jetliner.

(WSB Radio) Two armed robbery suspects are in police custody thanks, in part, to a cell phone.

The incident was Saturday night, when an employee of a clothing store tried to make a night deposit at the Wachovia in the Kedron Shopping Center, in Peachtree City.  As she was making the deposit, she was robbed of the cash, her car keys and her cell phone.

A witness spotted the suspect get into a getaway car and drive towards Georgia 74.  That's when police contacted Sprint and the company activated the GPS system in the victim's cell phone.  That led police to the car in a parking lot in College Park. 

The suspects sped off, firing shots at the police.  When their car crashed, they tried fleeing on foot and one of the suspects was shot in the leg.

Eric Moore, 37, underwent surgery and is being held.

The other suspect, 31 year old Rodrick Wheeler, is in the Fulton County jail. 

College Park police have charged both men with two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer.  Wheeler is charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

The suspects are also charged in Peachtree City with armed robbery.

(WSB Radio) More than 600 adults are under arrest and dozens of children have been rescued in a three day child prostitution ring.  Some of those in custody were apprehended in Atlanta.

The cross country sting involved the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies, striking in cities from coast to coast.

"San Francisco certainly has a problem," says FBI Special Agent Steve Emmett, "but, in the southeast, Atlanta certainly has its fair share of sex trafficking of juveniles."

Two pimps and 23 adult prostitutes were arrested in Atlanta.  No children were involved locally.

"The investigators, when pursuing these types of cases in a sting operation like this, it's very hard to know whether the target is a juvenile or not until you actually meet them," Emmitt tells WSB. 

Nationwide, 47 children were rescued in the operation. 

(WSB Radio) -- Georgia voters who may be concerned about standing for hours to cast a vote in line to vote in the 2008 Election may still vote absentee by mail-in ballot.

Interested voters may download and print a .pdf version of the Absentee Ballot application from the Secretary of State's website:  http://www.sos.georgia.gov/electioncenter/ complete the form and then fax or hand-deliver to a local Elections office. 

Whitney Halterman with the Secretary of State's office tells News/Talk 750 WSB that voters have until this Friday - October 31st - to request a mail in ballot which then must be received, completed, and return to your county's Elections office no later than close of business on November 4.

Below are addresses and fax numbers to a number of metro Atlanta Elections offices:

Cobb County Election Supervisor
736 Whitlock Avenue, Suite 400
Post Office Box 649
Marietta, GA 30061-0649
Telephone: (770) 528-2581
Fax: (770) 528-2519

Cherokee County Election Supervisor
400 East Main Street, Suite A
Canton, GA 30114-2802
Telephone: (770) 479-0407
Fax: (770) 479-9791

Clayton County Election Supervisor
121 South McDonough Street
Jonesboro, GA 30236-3651
Telephone: (770) 477-3372
Fax: (770) 477-4521

Dekalb County Election Supervisor
4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300
Decatur, GA 30032-1239
Telephone: (404) 298-4020
Fax: (404) 298-4038

Douglas County Election Supervisor
8700 Hospital Drive, Room A-1003
Douglasville, GA 30134-2264
Telephone: (770) 920-7213
Fax: (770) 920-7583

Fayette County Election Supervisor
140 Stonewall Avenue West, Suite 208
Fayetteville, GA 30214-1520
Telephone: (770) 305-5408
Fax: (770) 305-5449

Forsyth County Election Supervisor
110 East Main Street, Suite 200
Cumming, GA 30040-2468
Telephone: (770) 781-2118
Fax: (770) 886-2825

Fulton County Election Supervisor
141 Pryor Street SW, Suite 4075
Atlanta, GA 30303-3444
Telephone: (404) 730-7072
Fax: (404) 730-7024

Gwinnett County Election Supervisor
455 Grayson Highway, Suite 200
75 Langley Drive (mailing address)
Lawrenceville, GA 30045-6900
Telephone: (678) 226-7210
Fax: (678) 226-7208

Henry County Election Supervisor
66 Veterans Drive
McDonough, GA 30253-2204
Telephone: (770) 288-6448
Fax: (770) 288-6468

Paulding County Election Supervisor
120 East Memorial Drive, Suite B
Dallas, GA 30132
Telephone: (770) 443-7503
Fax: (770) 443-7548

Other counties:

Bartow County Election Supervisor
135 West Cherokee Avenue
Suite 106
Cartersville, GA 30120-3182
Telephone: (770) 387-5098
Fax: (770) 606-2245

Carroll County Election Supervisor
423 College Street, Room 302
Post Office Box 338
Carrolton, GA 30112-0338
Telephone: (770) 830-5823
Fax: (770) 214-3594

Coweta County Chief Registrar
Coweta County Voter Registration Office
22 East Broad Street, Room 201
Newnan, GA 30263-1973
Telephone: (770) 254-2615
Fax: (770) 683-2800

Hall County Election Supervisor
2285 Browns Bridge Road, Suite 2
Post Office Drawer 1435
Gainesville, GA 30501-1435
Telephone: (770) 531-6945
Fax: (770) 531-3931

Newton County Election Supervisor
1113 Usher Street, Suite 103
Post Office Box 1274
Covington, GA 30015-1274
Telephone: (770) 784-2055
Fax: (770) 784-2057

Rockdale County Election Supervisor
1400 Parker Road, Lobby C
Conyers, GA 30094
Telephone: (770) 785-5947
Fax: (770) 785-6932

If your local elections office was not listed, you may find that information at the Secretary of State's website:  http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/elections/voter_information/2000_voter_info.asp

But the newly unemployed may not be what you'd expect.

Today's jobless Georgian is more likely to have a college degree than to have just a high school education. Today's unemployed are, more often than not, well educated, well experienced and out of work for months.

Working Overtime

As the state's jobless rate climbs, workers at the Georgia Department of Labor offices find themselves working extra.

"We've been getting a trickle effect of some of the closures coming in," says Theresa Austin, manager of the DOL office in the Toco Hills area of DeKalb County. Her office has handled business closures ranging from small companies and privately owned stores to the shut down of the General Motors plant in Doraville.

Austin's been doing her job for 13 years and has seen job cuts before. But this one is different because the kind of people losing their jobs are one you'd expect to be safe from the pink slip.

"We are getting customers that come in at high executive level, with degrees," she says. "Master's Degrees, Bachelor's Degrees. So from all walks of life."

Executives Looking for Work

You'd think Michelle Brown could find work.

"I have a Master's Degree and I do have some credits towards a PHD," she says. Yet she's been out of work for months.

"I've got a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Illinois," says Chaz Mitchell, who also hasn't worked in months. "I worked at Citizen's Trust Bank as a financial service manager and also as a residential loan officer."

Two executives with sterling resumes and solid educations, but they've lost their jobs and can't find another. Brown can't understand why.

"Between education, professional experience, practical experience and level of communication, it's mind boggling ," she says.

Brown worked as a controller at the Georgia World Congress Center before being laid off. If you had told her at that time that she'd still be out of work at the end of October, she'd have thought you were crazy.

"It's very frustrating," she says, "because, not only is it my story, it's a lot of others who have the same story."

Chaz Mitchell never thought this would happen to him. But it did. He thinks his experience might actually be a strike against him.

"Hiring a seasoned professional who may bring many skills and talents to the table is great," Mitchell says, "but the new employers does not know about the compatibility. Someone coming out of school with no experience is more likely, in some arenas, to be hired. Because a company can take that person with no experience, pay them less, and mold them."

Brown and Mitchell are out of work, but it's not from a lack of trying. He goes through the same routine as when he was employed, trying to keep himself as professional as possible for the next potential employer.

"I just have to get up everyday, put my shoes on, clean my nails and hit the bricks."

Brown is searching for a job everyday, but to no avail, yet.

"Last night, personally, I was up until 3 o'clock in the morning, on the internet," she says, "making contacts and sending out resumes. And that's pretty much a daily thing for me."

"I would love to work and there's no job I wouldn't take. I'm not above doing any job or any task," Brown says. She initially was looking for another executive job, but has since lowered the bar. "I can stick it out, but, at the end of the day, it's not going to put food on the table and it's not going to maintain my lifestyle."

The greatest concerns for the newly unemployed during America's money crisis are how to pay the mortgage, or for the car, or how to feed their families.

"How do you manage with the unemployment benefits that you're getting weekly and still make that house payment?" Austin says. For that, the Department of Labor does offer help.

Surviving on $330 a Week

Unemployment benefits are $330 a week. How do you survive?

"At this point they need to get to the point where they're able to live within their means," says Brian Scott, of Consumer Credit Counseling. He works at the Toco Hills DOL office, counseling people on how they can stretch what seems like a small amount. It isn't easy and it requires a spartan existance.

"They strip out the Starbuck's coffee, the lottery ticket, the driving around," he says. "All that needs to be stripped out of the budget. "

Scott says it's common sense.

"They make their mortgage a priority. They make their car note a priority. Car insurance, food, utilities. Everything else needs to be eliminated from the budget."

Some look to a quick fix to solve their financial troubles and, while it might be necessary sometimes, Scott says it can be a big mistake.

"Do not tap into your 401k, if at all possible," he says. "If you happen to take money out of your 401k, you'll automatically be penalized to the tune of 10%. Not only will you be penalized 10%, you're also going to be taxed on that income the following tax year."

But Scott admits sometimes, if things are desperate, then desperate measures are needed. However, in these days of foreclosures, mortgage lenders might be more willing to work with you, if you need help paying for the house.

"Sometimes you may have a mortgage where you can just towards the interest on the loan," he says. "They may have a modification where you can take some of those payments that you wouldn't be able to pay and put them on to the back of the loan. There are options."

But, again, realism needs to carry the day if you lose your job and you're living on $330 a week.

"In a case where you have a $2000 mortgage and you have $1300 coming into the household, obviously this is a home that you cannot afford."

There are detractors who say the state's unemployment rate is high because some people are just plain lazy. Chaz Mitchell, who worked for years in banking and is now desperately looking for work, takes offense to such a notion. And he has a warning.

"If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone."

(WSB Radio)  Advanced voting begins today around the state meaning more locations will be open all week for early voters to cast their ballots.

The reason counties are opening more locations this year is to take pressure off precincts on Election Day, said Matt Carrothers, spokesman for Secretary of State Karen Handel's office.

He expects 300,000 to 400,000 more voters to cast their ballots in the coming week.

Lines have averaged two to three hours in the four metro Atlanta counties where turnout has been the greatest.

In Gwinnett, four more satellite offices will be open from 9am to 7pm.  Fulton will also offer four additional stations from 8:30am to 7pm. Cobb will open five more sites from 8am to 7pm. And DeKalb will also offer five additional locations from 7am to 7pm.

There will be no voting on Monday, November 3rd.

(WSB Radio) -- America's money crisis has hit home, as a local bank fails.

The FDIC and Georgia officials have shut down Alpha Bank and Trust in Alpharetta. Both branches are closed. They will be taken over by Minnesota-based Stearns Bank.

The FDIC issued a statement assuring depositors that federal insurance is still in place.

This is the third local bank failure during the money crisis.  Integrity Bank shut its doors in August, while NetBank closed down in September of last year. 

All three banks were based in Alpharetta.

Alpha's two branches will open on Monday, but under the name of Stearns Bank. 

This may be just the beginning, however.

More than 40 percent of the state's banks are in financial trouble because they have too many non-performing real estate loans in their portfolio.

(WSB Radio)  Atlanta police are searching for those responsible in a drive-by shooting that left a teenager dead.

The 19 year old was sleeping in a house in northwest Atlanta when the suspects came by and fired dozens of shots in three homes.

It happened at about 3:20 this morning in the 500 block of Cedar Avenue.

Atlanta Police Lieutenant Keith Meadows says at least 80 rounds were fired from three different weapons, one of which is believed to have been an assault rifle.

The shots struck two vacant homes and a third house, where a family lived.

Five adults and three children were asleep in the home.  Meadows says the victim is a "special needs person" who was struck in the back while he slept on the soda in the front living room.  His name has not been released.

No one else was injured.

Neighbors tells the police they spotted a car speeding away from the scene, but they could not provide a description.

No one else was struck by the gunfire.

Meadows says investigators had not determined a motive for the shooting.

(WSB Radio)  Gwinnett County police are asking for the public's help in trying to find a missing 13 year old boy.

Andredus Kent was last seen leaving the Give Center Middle School after class on Friday.  His family says Andredus never made it home.

Kent's mother says her son rides the Gwinnett Transit bus to the Tech Drive and Singleton road area in Norcross, then rides his bicycle home. 

Someone told police they spotted a man in his 20's riding a bicycle resembling the boy's on Friday afternoon. 

Kent is described as a black male, approximately 5 feet 9 inches and weighing 150 pounds. He has a close haircut and was last seen wearing his school uniform; a white button down shirt with tan pants and black dress shoes.  His bicycle, which is bright orange with extra pedals on the rear wheel, is believed to be a "Mongoose."

Andredus' mother says her son has never run away before.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Gwinnett County police.

(WSB Radio) Funeral arrangements have been set for the off-duty Atlanta police officer killed by suspected drunk driver on Friday.

The wake for Sergeant Darrell Johnson is set for Wednesday, between 6 and 8 in the evening, at the Donald Trimble Mortuary, 1876 Second Avenue in Decatur. 

The funeral is scheduled for Thursday morning, beginning at 11, at the Elizabeth Baptist Church, 4245 Cascade Road, in Atlanta.

Johnson, 42, was an 18 year veteran of the APD.  He had just left an off-duty job and was heading home, when he was killed.

Police say 21 year old Brent Jacobs, of Douglasville, is believed to have been driving drunk when his car cross the yellow line on Cambellton Road in south Fulton County and slammed into Johnson's vehicle head-on.

Jacobs was also killed in the crash.

(WSB Radio) Georgia's agencies are under a mandate from the Governor to cut back.  However, one of Sonny Perdue's pet projects isn't following those same rules.

The "Go Fish Georgia" campaign is underway and work begins this week on the $23 million "Go Fish" center just down the road from Governor Perdue's home in Houston County. 

The Governor signed the go-ahead this month, weeks after ordering all other state agencies to cut their spending by 6%.  The cuts are intended to offset a $1.6 billion budget shortfall.

Last week, Macon State Senator Robert Brown chided the Governor for failing to find money for a veterans home while remaining gung ho on "Go Fish Georgia."

(WSB Radio) An Austell man is facing felony charges after allegedly punching out his teenage son's football coach.

The boy had been made to run laps for a team rule violation and told his father. 

40 year old Ronald Lee allegedly showed up at the practice field at Pebblebrook High School later that day with three other men, looking for the coach.

The victim, assistant coach Preston Moses, says he was punched in the face when he turned around.

He was treated at the hospital for a gash between his nose and his mouth.

(WSB Radio) Things are back to normal at Georgia State University after some anxious moments on Sunday.

A small cooking fire in a dorm unit filled the area with smoke and sent emergency crews to the downtown Atlanta campus. 

The dorm building is located at the intersection of Edgewood and Piedmont.

Fire Captain Bill May says a staffer "attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher and did have some smoke inhalation, but was not transported to a hospital."

May says the smoke was think, but was also contained to the one dorm unit.

"The actual damage was limited to the stove and the vent hood over the stove," May tells WSB.

The fire was reported at about 2:45 Sunday afternoon.  No one was hurt.

(WSB Radio) DeKalb police are hunting for the shooter who gunned down another man Sunday afternoon.

The victim was shot to death at the intersection of Snapfinger Road and Sherbark Drive at about 5 p.m.

"It was at that location that they did find a victim who suffered from multiple gunshot wounds," says DeKalb police spokeswoman Mekka Parish.  "That victim was transported to the hospital where he later died."

Police think there was a history between the shooter and the victim. 

"Detectives do believe that that victim and that suspect possibly knew each other," Parish tells WSB.  "Prior to the shooting some words were exchanged or some sort of altercation took place."

They're talking to witnesses to develop a description of the suspect. 

(WSB Radio) -- Americans may be cutting back in many areas during these tough economic times, but guns sales appear to be the exception.

Purchases of firearms and ammunition have risen as much as 10 percent this year, according to state and federal data obtained by the Washington Post.

Experts attribute the increase to both the economy and politics.

There are fears that an Obama presidency could lead to new gun control laws, and a worsening economy fuels worries about increasing crime.

There are no scientific studies linking gun sales and economic conditions, but there have been several examples over the years.  In 1994, President Clinton pushed for a ban on military-style semi-automatic weapons.  Applications for concealed gun permits  jumped 60 percent in Virginia right after the Virginia Tech massacre.  Also, in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) Carl Edwards did his seventh celebratory backflip and headed to Victory Lane confident he'd closed in on Jimmie Johnson's bumper in the race for the Sprint Cup title.

As the champagne flowed, his spirits were dashed.

Even with his win Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Edwards didn't dent Johnson's lead in the championship standings.

With a masterful final drive to the checkered flag, the two-time defending champion rallied from a rare penalty to finish second and stretch his points lead to a commanding 183 points over Edwards with three races remaining in the Chase for the championship.

``Are you kidding me?'' a deflated Edwards asked when told Johnson had finished second. ``You've rained on my parade. I could have done without that one. That's unbelievable, he does a great job.''

A championship-winning job.

It's mathematically possible that Johnson could clinch his third title next week in Texas. If he leaves there up 323 points over the competition, Johnson would need only to start the final two races to become the first driver since Cale Yarborough (1976-78) to win three consecutive championships.

``I'm just as shocked as (Edwards) is,'' Johnson said. ``I thought we would finish probably ninth or 10th today. I thought I was in big trouble.''

So did everyone else.

NASCAR flagged Johnson for speeding on pit road early in the race, and the penalty dropped him a lap off the pace and to 30th in the field. He worked his way back onto the lead lap through cautions, then steadily moved back toward the top 10.

But as the laps wound down, that seemed to be the best Johnson could hope for.

Edwards, meanwhile, knew a victory would be the only chance he had to pull back into Johnson's championship rearview mirror. So he was aggressive on a restart with 17 laps to go to blow past Denny Hamlin and take command of the race.

A debris caution with 13 laps to go regrouped the field, and crew chief Chad Knaus used the break to call Johnson into the pits for a four-tire stop. He restarted the race in 11th with eight laps to go, but picked off cars one at a time to finish second.

His aggressive drive past nine cars almost bit him in the end: his pass of Hamlin on the last lap caused Hamlin to wiggle, and Johnson narrowly avoided wrecking.

Exhausted, he made his way into the post-race news conference and quietly checked the points standings on a television monitor as he headed toward the podium.

``Man, I feel like I went 12 rounds with Tyson today,'' he said. ``That was just a great call, a risky call, but it just goes to show that Chad is out there racing. He's not trying to ride around and get points. He's out there to earn them. He called me in for tires and told me to put my cape on and off we went.

``We just fought and fought and fought. I leave here very happy it's almost like a win today.''

Long after the finish, Edwards was still in awe.

``I looked up there on the scoreboard and I saw that he was running seventh, eighth, ninth, somewhere in there most of the second half of the race,'' Edwards said. ``I truly didn't know until I looked at the scoreboard that Jimmie had made that back up. I got to see some video and they put on some tires and went for it and that's pretty amazing.

``He's just one of those guys who does it right ... with the way they're running, it's going to be really tough to beat them.''

Hamlin finished third and was followed by Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch. David Ragan was seventh and Jeff Gordon and Greg Biffle rounded out the top 10.

Despite his comfortable margin in the standings, Johnson has resisted laying claim to yet another title. He realistically won't clinch the championship for another two weeks in Phoenix the same place where he notched a fourth-straight win last season to break Gordon's spirit in what had been a fabulous race for the title.

This Chase isn't nearly as exciting, but his run at Atlanta proved Johnson won't slow down over the final three weeks. He figured he had a car good enough for a top-10 finish Sunday, but pushed for every last position.

``You just can't sit still and be content with sixth, seventh ... you gotta do it,'' he said. ``My outlook is better. There's three races left and our points margin is bigger than its been. It's a step in the right direction, but until I have that trophy in my hand, I can't loosen up on this.''

It's left Edwards with no room for error over the final stretch. He'll need to win at Texas and the winner of Atlanta has gone on to win the next week in Texas the past three years to stay in contention, and even that may not be enough.

``Three more good tracks for us,'' Edwards said. ``But, man, Jimmie is magic. We've got to go win those next three and hope for the best.''

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(WSB Radio) -- Clayton County police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a deadly drive by shooting that claimed the life of a 16-year-old boy. 

The teenager was shot and killed Saturday night while standing with two other people outside a home on Caribou Trail in Riverdale. 

Witnesses identified the murder weapon as an AK-47 assault rifle.  The fatal shots were allegedly fired from inside a red Lincoln Navigator. 

The victim's name has not been released.

(WSB Radio) -- House Speaker Glen Richardson says he wants to tackle the four T's when the legislature convenes in January: taxes, transportation, trauma, and teachers.

During a luncheon with the Public Policy Foundation, Richardson says lawmakers will look to freeze property assessments and take a hard look at homeowner relief grants which he says local governments are failing to use to keep property taxes down.

"Part of our plan is if we're going to freeze values, is probably also to look at eliminating that (grants) or greatly reduce its affect," says Richardson.

He wants local communities to be able to vote on a sales tax for transportation, an idea that fell to defeat last year.

"Most people I talk to are willing to talk about increasing the sales tax if they could see some benefit for transportation ," says Richardson.

He says they're looking at a plan to fund trauma care but aren't ready to reveal it yet.

As for teachers, he will push for more tech school options for high school students in order to prevent them from dropping out of school.

Mark Richt once called the Tiger Stadium crowd the loudest he'd ever heard.

Knowshon Moreno may remember Death Valley more for the hush he caused with his tackle-breaking 68-yard touchdown run.

Moreno's long scoring run late in the third quarter gave ninth-ranked Georgia a three-touchdown lead, and the Bulldogs held on for a 52-38 victory over No. 11 LSU on Saturday that sent many Tigers fans to the exits early.

The game showcased two of the best running backs in the Southeastern Conference, and neither disappointed. Moreno gained 163 yards, while LSU's Charles Scott gained 144 yards and scored two touchdowns.

The Bulldogs (7-1, 4-1) had a big edge at quarterback, however, with the experienced Matthew Stafford calmly delivering clutch throws, none better than his 49-yard touchdown to fantastic freshman A.J. Green while the Tigers brought heavy pressure on third-and-10.

Stafford was 17-of-26 for 249 yards and two touchdowns passing, and also ran for a 7-yard score in the fourth quarter while improving to 24-5 as a starter.

LSU's tandem of first-year quarterbacks appeared to lack the big-game savvy to match the performance of Georgia's junior.

Freshman Jarrett Lee threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns of 40 and 53 yards by Georgia linebacker Darryl Gamble. Lee was 14-of-28 for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore Andrew Hatch took a couple of drive-stalling sacks and could not move the Tigers consistently against a Georgia defense that returned nine starters this season.

The loss was a devastating one for LSU (5-2, 3-2), which still does not have a victory over a team currently ranked in the Top 25 and will have to get help to catch SEC West leading Alabama.

Georgia, meanwhile, can take the SEC East lead by beating Florida in Jacksonville next weekend.

Green, who is Georgia's leading receiver, did not have a catch until his touchdown in the third quarter. He finished with three receptions for a team-high 89 yards.

LSU receiver Brandon LaFell had 62 yards receiving and two touchdowns, while running back Keiland Williams had 113 total yards, including 83 yards and one TD receiving.

The Tigers, whose strength is their running game, looked to surprise the Bulldogs with a pass on the game's first play from scrimmage. What happened instead was Lee's third of what is now four interceptions returned for touchdowns in his last four games. Gamble grabbed the pass in the flat and scored easily.

On its next drive, LSU did perhaps what it should have done from the outset. Scott carried four times for 41 yards, setting up the tying touchdown on a middle screen from Lee to LaFell on third-and-goal from the 10.

Georgia's offense needed only one series to make its mark. Stafford converted two third-down passes and Moreno made a third-and-1 during a 78-yard drive that ended with fullback Fred Muzenmaier's 1-yard plunge into the end zone.

Moreno ran for 47 yards on the first play of Georgia's next drive, setting up a touchdown on a 5-yard fade that Stafford and receiver Kenneth Harris made look easy for a 21-7 lead.

LSU responded with Colt David's 51-yard field goal, which gave David an LSU-record 320 career points, passing former Tiger running back Kevin Faulk's 318.

After stopping Georgia for the first time, Scott's 2-yard run pulled LSU to 21-17.

Following another stop, LSU appeared to have the momentum, but Lee threw a first-down pass into double coverage and was intercepted by Reshad Jones. That led to Blair Walsh's 50-yard field goal, giving Georgia a 24-17 lead at halftime.

Green's and Moreno's touchdowns made it 38-17, leaving the defending national champs in too deep a hole to pull out the type of fourth-quarter comeback the Tigers seemed so good at last year.

(WSB Radio) It;s a small lead, but it's a lead just the same.

A new Insider Advantage poll in Georgia gives Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama a slight margin over Republican John McCain.

Matt Towery, founder of Insider Advantage, says it's a monumental turnaround in the state.  The same poll had McCain up by 18 points just after the GOP convention. 

"I think this is a reflection of resources, more than anything else," says Towery.  "The Obama campaign has run commercials , they've run a number of offices.  They're organized."

Towery says don't expect to see McCain in Georgia campaigning for the state. He says the Republican just doesn't have the funds to make a trip here. Meanwhile, Obama has plenty of money, so he might make a stop in the state.

"I think the McCain campaign, at this point, their resources are so depleted, they have to let Georgia, sort of, let the chips fall where they may."

Things may not be all bad for McCain in Georgia.  Rasmussen, the only other polling company to conduct a recent survey in Georgia, has McCain leading in the state by 5 percentage points.

(WSB Radio)  An Atlanta police checkpoint is nothing out of the ordinary on weekends.  But this checkpoint took on extra meaning for the officers working it.

The DUI checkpoint was set up less than 24 hours after an off-duty Atlanta cop was killed by a drunk driver. 

"It really hits home that, you've really gotta go out there and give it an extra 1--% tonight," APD Sergeant Ron Miniatis tells Channel 2.

Sergeant Darrell Johnson died Friday morning when his car was struck, head-on, by another car that was involved in a police chase.

Douglas County authorities were trying to stop a 21 year old drunk driver when he crossed the yellow line on Campbelton Road and slammed into Johnson's vehicle.  Johnson had just gotten off of work.

The 21 year old was also killed in the crash.

Johnson is being remembered as a good cop, and a good friend.

"He was just an outstanding person, an outstanding police officer," Miniatis says. "He will greatly be missed."

(WSB Radio)  Atlanta police aren't sure if a 41 year old woman was the target of an overnight shooting.

Investigators say it happened at an apartment complex in northwest Atlanta.  The woman was walking through the parking lot when she was shot.

"I heard the gunshot, about 5, 6, 7, 8 gunshots," says a witness.  "I saw cases around here.  The police say they were old cases, but they're not old cases."

The victim's name has not been released.  She's hospitalized in stable condition.

(WSB Radio) Gwinnett County police are desperately looking for a 13 year old boy who vanished after school on Friday.

Andredus Kent was last seen leaving the Give Center Middle School in Norcross.  Family members say he never returned home.  But police believe they may have gotten a lead later in the day.

"A witness told police that yesterday afternoon, about 3:15, they saw a male, that appeared to be in his 20's, riding what appeared to be the missing boy's bicycle," says Gwinnett County Police Corporal Illana Spellman.  "It seems suspicious that someone would see someone else on his bicycle, so that would raise some concern.  But there's no evidence of foul play at this time."

Kent is black, 5'9 and 150 pounds. He was wearing his school uniform, a white button down shirt, tan pants and black dress shoes, when he disappeared.

Anyone with information is ask to call the Gwinnett County police.

(WSB Radio) It's Muslim Day weekend in Grant Park.

About 2000 people are expected to gather in the park in celebration.

The event is organized by the Majlis Ash-Shura of Atlanta mosques, and takes place today and tomorrow.  It features Halal food vendors, an Islamic bazaar and events for children.

There also are sports and competitions in things like reciting verses from the Quran.

Estimates put the number of Muslims in Atlanta at 80,000.

(WSB Radio) America's money crisis has hit home, as a local bank fails.

The FDIC and Georgia officials have shut down Alpha Bank and Trust in Alpharetta. Both branches are closed. They will be taken over by Minnesota-based Stearns Bank.

The FDIC issued a statement assuring depositors that federal insurance is still in place.

This is the third local bank failure during the money crisis.  Integrity Bank shut its doors in August, while NetBank closed down in September of last year. 

All three banks were based in Alpharetta.

Alpha's two branches will open on Monday, but under the name of Stearns Bank. 

This may be just the beginning, however.

More than 40% of the state's banks are in financial trouble because they have too many non-performing real estate loans in their portfolio.

(WSB Radio) -- Cherokee County Sheriff's Deputies this afternoon arrested a Creekland Middle School teacher and charged him with child sexual assault.

46-year-old Steven Emanuel of Woodstock faces charges of child molestation and sexual assault of a person in custody. 

The arrest comes after a 13 year old Creekland Middle School student alleged that Emanuel sexually assaulted her at the school on September 25th. 

Emanuel is being held at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center with no bond.

(WSB Radio) -- Georgia may be in play in the Presidential election.  The latest Insider Advantage poll of 615 Georgians gives Democrat Barack Obama a one point lead over Republican John McCain with 48-percent.

Still, WSB Political Analyst Bill Crane says other polls in Georgia continue to trend toward McCain giving the Arizona Senator a five or six point lead over Obama. 

Crane says 10 days out undecided voters are beginning break for either McCain or Obama and in most states Obama appears to be picking up more undecided voters than Sen. McCain. 

The southern state where the election is truly in a "dead heat" is Florida.  Early voting is ongoing in both Georgia and Florida.  The number of early voting sites in Georgia expands on Monday. 

The same Insider Advantage poll also looked at the Senate race between incumbent Saxby Chambliss and challenger Jim Martin and found Chambliss' lead over Martin has narrowed to two points.

(WSB Radio) -- Less than two weeks until the general election, officials in Gwinnett County have discovered a glitch in the optical scanners that read absentee ballots.

Because the ovals on the ballots that are filled in to vote for a particular candidate are too small for the computers to recognize, elections director Lynn Ledford tells Channel 2 Action News the votes will be transferred by hand to ballots that can be scanned.

Ledford says both of the parties have been contacted about how the votes will be duplicated and the state has been asked to be present to monitor the process.

Ledford says the goal in Gwinnett County is for every vote to be counted.

As of the close of business on Thursday, the Gwinnett elections office had mailed out 19,000 absentee ballots. Of those, 10,000 had been returned. New ballots with the correct size circles have been printed and our now being mailed out by request.

NEW YORK (AP) Stock prices are plunging in early trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down about 500 points in the first five minutes of trading.

Today's sharp decline on Wall Street comes after huge drops seen on overseas markets. Analysts say the latest leg in the bear market reflects recession concerns.

Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 9 and a-half percent and Germany's benchmark DAX index was down nearly 11 percent.

Investors appear to be pricing in a long and severe recession, even after a series of government rescue efforts aimed at shoring up the financial system.

Ahead of the open, the Dow futures fell the limit of 550 points or nearly 6.3 percent.

The big drop in futures trading is raising discussion of circuit breakers intended to be triggered during regular trading something that hasn't happened since 1997.

The thresholds that would trigger a halt in trading are set at a decline of 10 percent, 20 percent and 30 percent in the Dow, based on where that index was at the beginning of the current quarter; that would mean declines of 1,100 points, 2,200 points and 3,300 points, respectively.

(WSB Radio)  Two people, including an off-duty Atlanta police officer, are dead following a crash that may have been the result of a police chase.

APD Detective Sergeant Darrell Johnson had been with the force for 18 years.  He had just gotten off work and was heading home when he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Johnson's car was hit, head on, by a car driven by 21 year old Brent Jacobs.  Jacobs was reportedly being pursued by Douglas County authorities into south Fulton County when he crossed the yellow line and slammed into Johnson on Campbelton Road.

Police are investigating whether Jacobs was drunk.

Johnson's last assignment with the APD was working criminal investigation.

(WSB Radio)  A new report finds insurance costs for families in Georgia is growing seven times faster than the median pay.

The study by Families USA says premiums for family policies rose more than 72 percent over the last eight years compared to earnings which increased just 10 percent over the same period.

Employers were hit even harder, facing an increase in their share of premium costs of 85 percent.

While premiums in Georgia were on par with other states, the study finds earnings were a little more stagnant.

(WSB Radio)  Two Gwinnett County sisters will spend at least 30 years in prison after being convicted of killing their adoptive mother.

Brenda and Catherine O'Connell, both 17, were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Muriel O'Connell, 57, who had adopted the girls from a Guatemalen orphanage.

Jurors deliberated for about six hours before returning a verdict.  The sisters were found guilty of malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault in connection with the strangulation and stabbing death of their mother.

Muriel O'Connell was killed August 6, 2006.  Prosecutors say she was attacked while she slept by the girls, who then tried to make the scene look as if a struggle had taken place

But police say they did not believe the girls' story of self defense.  Investigators testified that the "struggle" looked staged.  In addition they found blood in Muriel's bed, indicating she had been strangled while she slept.

The defense had claimed the girls acted due to battered woman's syndrome, after suffering abuse at the hands of their mother.

Brenda sobbed and Katherine wept quietly as Superior Court Judge Tom Davis sentenced them to life.  .

Muriel adopted the girls separately from an orphanage in Guatemala.  Even though the adoptions were years apart, the girls are the same age.

(WSB Radio)  An Athens grandmother is on the run from police after kidnapping her two grandsons.

Police say Cecilia Woods Grant picked up 5 year old Cyrus and 3 year old Croix Calhoun Wednesday, claiming the boys had a doctors appointment.  She drove off in a red 2002 Toyota Echo and didn't come back.

Investigators believe she may have headed to Atlanta or may be going out of state.

Grant does not have custody, but police don't believe she posed a danger to the boys.

The children's mother is in jail and investigators say Grant feared the boys' father would take them and move them away.

(WSB Radio)  Former Cobb County school principal Lawrence Bynum has been fired for insubordination.

The county school board had been reviewing sexual harassment  allegations against Bynum and had suspended him.

The board voted to terminate Bynum because he had been previously warned, in writing, to watch his behavior.

Bynum was named principal of North Cobb High School during this past summer.  Previously he had been principal of Floyd Middle School.

(WSB Radio)  A battle is brewing between the state's Department of Transportation and the Lieutenant Governor.

"In Georgia we have the second worst congestion problem, here in metro Atlanta, in the country.  That's inexcusable," says Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle.  "And to have a (DOT) board that just simply turns their head to that, I don't think is acceptable."

Cagle calls it a travesty that all of Georgia's government agencies are being forced to pinch pennies, except the DOT.

The Lieutenant Governor says the DOT is the only state agency that has excused itself from furloughs and layoffs.

"On top of that, they took out a $50 million loan in order to bridge the gap," he says.

DOT officials dismiss Cagle's comments.

"It's easy for the DOT to be the whipping boy," says DOT member David Doss.  "Put this in perspective.  Ten years ago, 10,000 employees.  Today?  5700.  We have been doing more with less."

Cagle says the DOT's spending is harmful to the state.

"Unfortunately, these are the types of mismanagement that's going on within the Department of Transportation," he says, "where their focus is to sustain this bureaucracy instead of doing what the people really want."

Doss says it's the legislators that are the problem.

"They have ignored the funding issue for years," he says.  "They can kick DOT all they want about congestion.  But, the bottom line is, until the political will for them to step up to the plate and fund transportation at the level that this state needs and warrants, then that's where they need to look first."

(WSB Radio)  Five suspected gang members are in police custody, accused of murdering three people in just a week's time.

Atlanta police say the suspects are members of the Bloods and were retaliating against gang members who wanted out.

"It all happened back to back," says APD Lieutenant Keith Meadows.  "We had a number of murders that were occurring and a number of assaults."

17 year old Devontae Jones was shot to death while he hid in his closet in his apartment on Atlanta Avenue.  His mother survived only because the trigger jammed. 

Police say the mother's boyfriend and another teen were killed earlier that week.  Investigators say both were trying to leave the Bloods and were murdered. 

Officers say some of the suspects also stabbed the family members of two girls who were being initiated into the gang.

Meadows says the arrest has cleared up some missing parts of the investigation and may help police in the future.

"At this point it seems that we've been able to identify a majority of the major players in the game," Meadows says. "At this point they're all incarcerated.  We're trying to go back to see if we can identify additional gang members in an effort to monitor their behavior, as well."

(WSB Radio)  Metro Atlanta will be raking in some HUD money.

Six metro communities will get a total of $68 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  The funds range from DeKalb's $18.5 million to $6.9 million for Cobb County.

It's part of HUD's neighborhood stabilization program and it will send a total of $85 million to Georgia.

"We want to make an impact," says Mary Pressley, with HUD's regional office in Atlanta.  "We don't want to add to it.  So I think everybody is looking at what we can do to stabilize these neighborhoods, because, if we don't do anything, it's really going to get worse."

The program gives money to communities , either directly or through private agencies, to buy foreclosed or abandoned homes, repair them and resell them.

"They can acquire the property, it has to be at a discount," Pressley says, "and then they rehab the property and, when they sell it to the homeowner, they cannot make a profit off of it."

Pressley says there is a sense of urgency about making sure the program works.

"There are challenges and there will be mistakes," she says, "because we have to get the money out within 18 months and we have to use it within 4 years."

(WSB Radio)  The nation's biggest bottler is feeling the pain of America's money crisis.

Coca-Cola Enterprises shares are way down on reports of a dismal third quarter. 

Analysts say the nation's money crunch is hitting CCE hard, as customers, finding money tight, are buying fewer of the 20 ounce drinks at convenience stores.  On top of that, Coca-Cola is charging Coca-Cola Enterprises more for its secret recipe syrup, and won't pay CCE about $35 million the bottler had been expecting.

All that means slipping stock prices for CCE and thousands of layoffs, nationwide, since Labor Day.

CCE says it's reviewing the way it does business.  More layoffs are possible.

(WSB Radio)  It may be a blue Christmas for Big Brown.

Atlanta-based United Parcel Service says this could be the worst holiday season in the shipping business since 1991.

The company reports that revenues are up, but that hasn't eased the concerns of UPS management.

Through attrition the company has reduced its employee based by 3000 jobs, out of 350,000 worldwide.  And more cutbacks are possible.

Third quarter revenues were up 7%, but the predictions for the future are dire.

UPS executives don't expect things to improve until at least 2010.

When he becomes a free man again, the former Atlanta mayor will have served two years, two months and three days in federal custody for a 2006 tax evasion conviction. 

Because of good behavior at a minimum security prison camp near Miami and at the Salvation Army Residential Re-Entry Center, the 55-yeare-old convicted felon is being released from custody 117 days early. 

Campbell, who lost his law license after his conviction, must still serve one year of probation before his obligation to the federal prison system is complete.

(WSB Radio) Sexual battery charges have been dismissed against a former Grady Hospital radiology technician who was accused of fondling a female patient who was being treated for a gunshot wound to the throat.

According to a report from Atlanta police, 58-year Moses Tweneboah of Riverdale allegedly kissed the 37-year-old victim and touched her breast while she was at the hospital on October 9th.  He was also accused of placing the woman's hand on his genitals.

A Fulton County judge dropped the charges against Tweneboah on Thursday after the victim and the arresting officer failed to appear for a court hearing.

After his arrest, Tweneboah was terminiated by Grady.  At the time of his firing, a hospital spokeswoman said a criminal background check revealed no warning signs.

(WSB Radio) --  Despite the struggling economy, one part of Atlanta's Service Sector is booming because people are still dining out.  

America's Money Crisis may be hurting many businesses, but WSB's Jon Lewis reports, downtown Atlanta Restaurants have not been affected.

"The convention business is very strong.  In Atlanta and it's is thriving, bringing millions of visitors to Atlanta's concentrated downtown" said Mark Vaughn, Vice President of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. 

He tells News/Talk 750 WSB the new restaurants moving into downtown are brand names like the new Legal Seafood in the Hilton Garden Inn across the street from the Georgia Aquarium.  Those types of brand name restaurants are positioned better to weather tough economic storms and tend to draw more diners. 

(WSB Radio)  A new report finds insurance costs for families in Georgia is growing seven times faster than the median pay.

The study by Families USA says premiums for family policies rose more than 72 percent over the last eight years compared to earnings which increased just 10 percent over the same period.

Employers were hit even harder, facing an increase in their share of premium costs of 85 percent.

While premiums in Georgia were on par with other states, the study finds earnings were a little more stagnant.

(WSB Radio) -- Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan calls America's Money Crisis a "once-in-a century credit tsunami" that resulted in a breakdown of how the free market system works.

In testimony before Congress Thursday, Greenspan and other federal regulators told lawmakers that they are working on plan that may help homeowners avoid forclosure.  Still Greenspan says the economy will worsen before it recovers.

Critics of the current economic crisis have blamed Greenspan for country's financial meltdown, but Greenspan testified that while he remains an advocate for an unabashed free-market, he's still in a state of "shocked disbelief."

Critics argue that the former Fed Chief left interest rates too low for too long and failed to impose regulations on the nation's banks. 

Greenspan testified before the House Oversight Committee that he was wrong in believing that banks would be more prudent in their lending practices because of the need to protect their stockholders.

(WSB Radio) -- His past caught up with him.

The University of Georgia is firing a tenured special-education professor who served jail time for sex crimes and hid it from the university, according to a university spokesman.

Cecil Fore, 50, an associate professor in the College of Education, checked on a security clearance form provided by the university that he had never been convicted of a crime, and university officials said they confirmed that Fore had served time in an Alabama prison.

Fore was convicted in 1991 of sexually abusing three special education students in Montgomery junior high schools where he was a teacher, according to records obtained by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

(WSB Radio) -- A member of the Georgia Elections Board is predicting wait times to vote next month on Election Day could top six hours. 

Randy Evans tells Channel 2 Action News technical problems at the polls could make the situation even worse.

If problems do arise, Secretary of State Karen Handel has set up procedures to get response teams to the troubled precincts as quickly as possible.

Based on a formula used by the Elections Board, votes on November 4th could be cast in Georgia at a rate of 3,000 a minute.

Since September 19th, more than 825,000 people across the state have taken advantage of early voting.  By the time the polls close on November 4th, more than 4 million Georgians will have voted.

(WSB Radio)  America's money crisis may have your 401k in the pits, but now, it's hitting the crews in the pits.

With the Big Three U.S. automakers struggling, NASCAR is feeling their pain.

Ford, GM and Chrysler have begun to scale back their financial involvement in NASCAR, threatening the sport's popularity. 

In addition to the automakers, corporate sponsors who depend on NASCAR to get their logos out to millions of fans are also cutting back their investments as a result of the struggling economy.  Some sponsors are considering not renewing their contracts when they expire, which cost NASCAR tens of millions of dollars.

"The U.S. enjoyed a pretty robust economy that enabled the sport to grow, but that has changed significantly in the last six months," says Terry Dolan, manager of Chevy Racing. "And it's probably going to drastically affect what the sport may look like 12 months from now."

The economic downturn is hurting most team sports, as fans as finding it difficult, if not impossible, to buy season tickets.  Individual sports, which rely heavily on corporate sponsorships, are finding cash tight. 

But NASCAR could get hit harder than any of them.

It depends heavily on corporate sponsorships, with on-car advertising a major part of the sport and its financing. 

Corporate sponsors account for roughly 80% of the typical NASCAR team's budget, roughly four times the percentage of an NFL team, which gets the majority of its revenue from the league's TV contracts and ticket sales.

Four months before the start of NASCAR's 2009 season, two of it's most prominent teams are struggling.  Petty Enterprises and Dale Earnhardt Inc.  are searching for sponsors to fund four of the six drivers they will field between them.

The downturn is NASCAR's fortunes is not unexpected given the staggering ascension of the sport.

"Nothing could stay as hot as NASCAR was," said Peter DeLorenzo, a former automotive advertising executive and editor of the Autoextremist.com blog. "It had to have some sort of a correction."

That correction is being fueled by the difficulties in Detroit.  Automakers not only provide the cars for the races, but they also provide technical expertise, buy race sponsorships and supply tracks with support vehicles.  All those are in danger of disappearing.

GM once spent about $140 million in NASCAR sponsorships.  But that number has been scaled back and more cuts have been promised.

Ford officials announced Wednesday that they were extending their agreement with Roush Fenway Racing, but were also ending their financial support to team's in NASCAR's Nationwide and Truck series.  Dodge had earlier pulled out of the truck series.

(WSB Radio)  Police departments across the country are preparing in case of civil unrest or even riots on Election Day.

Public safety officials say they're trying to find the right balance as the plan for what might happen on November 4th.

Some worry that if Barack Obama loses and the loss looks suspicious, then there will be widespread problems.  Other departments are basing the need for an increase presence on past incidents in some urban areas. 

But police say they're walking a fine line. 

While they want enough of a presence to quell any outbursts, they also worry an excessive presence might intimidate voters, or even keep some from going to the polls.

Election officials are concerned that a massive crush of voters could overwhelm the poll workers, causing more stress and increasing the possibility of a riot.

(WSB Radio)  The Senate race in Georgia is close and it could turn into a national battle.

The fight is a three way one, with Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss trying to hold off Democrat Jim Martin.  Libertarian Allen Buckley rounds out the field.

But Buckley is more than just an also-ran.  He could be the wild card that could turn the Georgia race into one of titanic national importance.

"Georgia is one of the few states that requires a 50% majority for someone to be elected to the Senate," says Emory political science Professor Merle Black.  "If it were the case that the Libertarian candidate pulls in 4, 5, 6 points, then it might well be that whoever finishes first won't get up to 50%, so we'll have a runoff."

Then the battle would begin, especially if the Democrats are close to the magic number of 60 Senate seats. 

If that happens, then Georgia would become, what UGA political science Professor Charles Bullock calls, "the center of the universe."

60 votes would give the Democrats a filibuster proof margin.  The latest polls suggest they'll come close, ending up with anywhere from 58 to 60.

So could Buckley turn the race into a runoff?  Possibly.

He ran for the Senate in 2004 and drew 2.1%.  The latest polls show Chambliss with a lead over Martin of anywhere from 2 to 6 percent.  Factor in Buckley and the winner might get a plurality and not a majority.

(WSB Radio)  Attorneys for condemned killer Troy Davis are trying again.

They've filed for a new round of appeals, even after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the case earlier this month.

Davis is scheduled to die Monday night for the 1989 murder of Savannah Police Officer Mark MacPhail. 

Davis claims he's innocent and that another man who testified against him is the killer.

7 of the nine witnesses who named Davis as the gunman have now recanted, but the courts have not allowed those reversals to be introduced into evidence.

Davis came within two hours of death on September 23 when the Supreme Court intervened and issued a stay.  That stay was vacated when the justices refused to grant Davis a full hearing.

(WSB Radio)  A second man is now in custody in connection with the stray bullet death of a DeKalb County mother.

QQuishanna Loynes was killed Monday night while she was brushing the hair of one of her daughter's in their living room.  Police say the bullet came through the window and struck her in the back.

The girls, ages 11, 9 and 8, were not injured.

32 year old Eric Lamar Ferrell has been charged withy felony murder.  A second suspect was apprehended Wednesday night.

Police say the two men were arguing outside of Loynes' apartment and began shooting at each other. 

(WSB Radio)  The democratic leader in the Georgia Senate is calling on Governor Perdue to find the money to keep open the veterans home in Milledgeville.

"These are the most impacted veterans," says Macon Senator Robert Brown.  "These are the veterans who have nowhere to go."

Brown estimates the state needs to come up with $2.7 million to save the home.  He says there are items in the budget that could easily be cut to find that money.

"A budget in which you have programs like 'Go Fish Georgia,'" Brown says.  "A budget in which you have horse farms and other things that we're funding.  You're saying that you can't find $2.7 million?  That's poppycock."

The unit fell victim to state budget cuts this year. It had housed 81 vets. But officials with the state Department of Veterans Services say some of the residents have already found other housing, 26 of them in the home's skilled nursing facility.

Other portions of the home will remain open, including a section that treats veterans with Alzheimer's.

(WSB Radio) Residents in Gwinnett County can now find out more about sex offenders living in their area.

The county sheriff's office has a new web page devoted to tracking such offenders.  One deputy says it's much easier for people to use.

"This program is more user-friendly than what the state has," says Gwinnett County Sheriff's Sergeant Jeremy Brown.  "It also offers the public a chance to see who actually lives by them, not just by city."

Here's how it works; you type in your address and you get the name, photo, description, address and offenses of the sex offenders who live within a mile of your home.  You can also sign up for email alerts.

"So if a new a sex offender, or a sex offender who is already on the list, moved into your area, you're going to get an email alert," says Stacey Bourbonnais, with the sheriff's office.

(WSB Radio) Seven people are facing drug charges in Forsyth County after a student brought a dangerous drug to school.

But, for three of those facing charges, they're lucky to be alive.

"This is probably one of our most serious incidents that happened on our campus," says Jennifer Caracciolo with Forsyth County Schools.  She says that, while the system obviously doesn't want drug activity in their schools, for three of the students, it was fortunate that it did happen on campus.

Officials say a 16 year old brought methadone to class and gave some to fellow students.  Three overdosed.

"It's very serious," says Forsyth County Sheriff's Captain Frank Huggins.  "She could have killed three boys."

Huggins says the boys all took the methadone, which is used to treat heroin addiction.  One boy went into cardiac arrest and had to be revived on campus. 

The girl's parents ran a methadone clinic in Louisiana before moving to Atlanta.  They face drug charges, as well.

(WSB Radio) A vigil is scheduled for tonight to remember victims of domestic violence.

The YWCA of Northwest Georgia will host the candlelight ceremony on Marietta Square beginning at 6 o'clock.

130 victims will be honored.

Holly Comer, head of the YWCA branch, says they're seeing more crisis calls in recent weeks.  The rough economy is believed to be a key reason, adding stress to families.

She says it's not just the stress but the economy also lengthens how long battered woman may have to stay at shelters like the one operated by the YWCA. 

She says for two weeks in August, there were no beds available in any shelters in Georgia for battered women.

WASHINGTON (AP) The presidential race tightened after the final debate, with John McCain gaining among whites and people earning less than $50,000, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll that shows McCain and Barack Obama essentially running even among likely voters in the election homestretch.

The poll, which found Obama at 44 percent and McCain at 43 percent, supports what some Republicans and Democrats privately have said in recent days: that the race narrowed after the third debate as GOP-leaning voters drifted home to their party and McCain's ``Joe the plumber'' analogy struck a chord.

Three weeks ago, an AP-GfK survey found that Obama had surged to a seven-point lead over McCain, lifted by voters who thought the Democrat was better suited to lead the nation through its sudden economic crisis.

The contest is still volatile, and the split among voters is apparent less than two weeks before Election Day.

``I trust McCain more, and I do feel that he has more experience in government than Obama. I don't think Obama has been around long enough,'' said Angela Decker, 44, of La Porte, Ind.

But Karen Judd, 58, of Middleton, Wis., said, ``Obama certainly has sufficient qualifications.'' She said any positive feelings about McCain evaporated with ``the outright lying'' in TV ads and his choice of running mate Sarah Palin, who ``doesn't have the correct skills.''

The new AP-GfK head-to-head result is a departure from some, but not all, recent national polls.

Obama and McCain were essentially tied among likely voters in the latest George Washington University Battleground Poll, conducted by Republican strategist Ed Goeas and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. In other surveys focusing on likely voters, a Washington Post-ABC News poll and a Wall Street Journal-NBC News survey have Obama up by 11 points, and a poll by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center has him leading by 14.

Polls are snapshots of highly fluid campaigns. In this case, there is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points; that means Obama could be ahead by as many as 8 points or down by as many as 6. There are many reasons why polls differ, including methods of estimating likely voters and the wording of questions.

Charles Franklin, a University of Wisconsin political science professor and polling authority, said variation between polls occurs, in part, because pollsters interview random samples of people.

``If they all agree, somebody would be doing something terribly wrong,'' he said of polls. But he also said that surveys generally fall within a few points of each other, adding, ``When you get much beyond that, there's something to explain.''

The AP-GfK survey included interviews with a nationally representative random sample totaling 1,101 adults, including 931 registered voters and 800 adults deemed likely to vote. For the entire sample, the survey showed Obama ahead 47 percent to 37 percent. He was up by five points among all registered voters, including the likely voters.

A significant number of the interviews were conducted by dialing a randomly selected sample of cell phone numbers, and thus this poll had a chance to reach voters who were excluded from some other polls.

It was taken over five days from Thursday through Monday, starting the night after the candidates' final debate and ending the day after former Secretary of State Colin Powell broke with the Republican Party to endorse Obama.

McCain's strong showing is partly attributable to his strong debate performance; Thursday was his best night of the survey. Obama's best night was Sunday, hours after the Powell announcement, and the full impact of that endorsement may not have been captured in any surveys yet. Future polling could show whether either of those was merely a support ``bounce'' or something more lasting.

During their final debate, a feisty McCain repeatedly forced Obama to defend his record, comments and associations. He also used the story of a voter whom the Democrat had met in Ohio, ``Joe the Plumber,'' to argue that Obama's tax plan would be bad for working class voters.

``I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody,'' Obama told the man with the last name of Wurzelbacher, who had asked Obama whether his plan to increase taxes on those earning more than $250,000 a year would impede his ability to buy the plumbing company where he works.

On Wednesday, McCain's campaign unveiled a new TV ad that features that Obama quote, and shows different people saying: ``I'm Joe the Plumber.'' A man asks: ``Obama wants my sweat to pay for his trillion dollars in new spending?''

Since McCain has seized on that line of argument, he has picked up support among white, married people and non-college educated whites, the poll shows, while widening his advantage among white men. Black voters still overwhelmingly support Obama.

The Republican also has improved his rating for handling the economy and the financial crisis. Nearly half of likely voters think their taxes will rise under an Obama administration compared with a third who say McCain would raise their taxes.

Since the last AP-GfK survey in late September, McCain also has:

Posted big gains among likely voters earning under $50,000 a year; he now trails Obama by just 4 percentage points compared with 26 earlier.

Surged among rural voters; he has an 18-point advantage, up from 4.

Doubled his advantage among whites who haven't finished college and now leads by 20 points. McCain and Obama are running about even among white college graduates, no change from earlier.

Made modest gains among whites of both genders, now leading by 22 points among white men and by 7 among white women.

Improved slightly among whites who are married, now with a 24-point lead.

Narrowed a gap among unmarried whites, though he still trails by 8 points.

McCain has cut into Obama's advantage on the questions of whom voters trust to handle the economy and the financial crisis. On both, the Democrat now leads by just 6 points, compared with 15 in the previous survey.

Obama still has a larger advantage on other economic measures, with 44 percent saying they think the economy will have improved a year from now if he is elected compared with 34 percent for McCain.

Intensity has increased among McCain's supporters.

A month ago, Obama had more strong supporters than McCain did. Now, the number of excited supporters is about even.

Eight of 10 Democrats are supporting Obama, while nine in 10 Republicans are backing McCain. Independents are about evenly split.

Some 24 percent of likely voters were deemed still persuadable, meaning they were either undecided or said they might switch candidates. Those up-for-grabs voters came about equally from the three categories: undecideds, McCain supporters and Obama backers.

Said John Ormesher, 67, of Dandridge, Tenn.: ``I've got respect for them but that's the extent of it. I don't have a whole lot of affinity toward either one of them. They're both part of the same political mess.''

AP Director of Surveys Trevor Tompson, AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius and AP writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(WSB Radio) -- In two online surveys of more than 400 women across the United States, BettyConfidential.com captured the very strong opinions women have about the potential first ladies - Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain.

"Women have been front and center in this campaign, and the focus on the first ladies this year has been more intense than ever," said Julie Ryan Evans, editor-at-large for BettyConfidential.com. "

Evans tells WSB's Sabrina Gibbons that overall, women like and admire both potential first ladies. When asked if they like Michelle Obama, 80 percent said yes; 74 percent said they admire her.
63 percent said that Michelle Obama inspires them to achieve greater heights in their own lives.

When it comes to personal style, Michelle Obama edged out Cindy McCain. "Of those responding to the Obama survey, 72 percent said they like Michelle Obama's style better.
"64 percent of those who responded to the poll on Cindy McCain said they like McCain's style better.

When it comes to role models
"84 percent feel Michelle Obama is a good role model for young girls.
"61 percent feel Cindy McCain is a good role model for young girls.

Like them or not, women say their opinions of the potential first ladies won't impact their vote. 71 percent of women in both surveys said their opinions of the first ladies will not affect their votes for the candidates.

(WSB Radio) DeKalb County police have one man in custody in connection with the shooting death of a mother of three.

Quishanna Loynes, 29, was in her living room with her daughters when the stray bullet hit her in the back Monday evening.  Neighbors say she was 10 weeks pregnant when she died.

The girls, ages 11, 9 and 8, were not hurt.

Police say the suspect was arrested Tuesday and is now facing one count of murder.  The man's name has not been released.

Police spokesman Mekka Parish says an argument outside Loynes' apartment escalated into gunfire, with two people shooting at each other. 

Police are still looking for the second shooter. 

(WSB Radio) There's going to be some celebrating in Pauling County.

The lone winning ticket for Tuesday's MegaMillions jackpot was sold in Dallas.  The winner will pick up $42 million.

The winning numbers from Tuesday night's drawing were: 16, 19, 39, 42 and 44. The Mega Ball number was 38.

In addition to the grand prize winner, one ticket matched all five numbers but not the Mega Ball number to win $250,000.

Another six tickets matched four numbers, plus the Mega Ball number to win $10,000.

(WSB Radio) A special legislative committee charged with looking at Georgia's energy situation will hold its first meeting today.

Among the committee's charges will be finding a way to prevent another gas crisis like the one that hit the state a few weeks ago.

Lawmakers say as long as the federal government mandates a special blend of gas in metro Atlanta it may not be avoidable.

"What would be good is if the federal government would go back and look at the areas that require these special blends and see if we can't coordinate more universal product," says State Representative Jill Chambers. 

Other legislators are vowing that the gas lines will not be repeated.

"We intend to not let what happened this summer with the hurricane season happen in the state of Georgia, and in particular in the metro area, happen again," says Representative John Heard, who chairs the committee.

Among the ideas being proposed is offering incentives to companies to build refineries in Georgia, expand capacity at the state's ports, and pushed for more alternative fuel vehicles. 

Governor Perdue wants the state to come up with a plan that specifically addresses fuel shortages.

(WSB Radio) It was a typical high school  romance.  It ended with a bitter breakup,  stalking and a protective order against the boy.

Now the mother of the Gwinnett County girl involved says the teenager violated the term of the restraining order and she wants the boy moved somewhere else.

"She sees him in the building, he walks in the same hallway she does," says Rosemary Snow.  She says it all started last Friday night.

"He came within a few feet of my daughter at the Collins Hill football game and shouted profanities," Snow says.  "She immediately turned around with her cell phone and got a photo of him ,four feet away from her."

The student in question was arrested and taken to jail.  He later posted bond.

"The school had a meeting this morning and talked to everybody and, apparently, it wasn't his fault," says Mark Rafizadeh, the boy's father. 

The girl's mother would like to see the boy transferred to another school, but administrators are resisting.

"Collins hill does not agree with that," Snow says.  "They say he can attend the school.  He has a right to the school of his choice."

But the point may be moot.  The boy's father is considering a relocation.

"We may move him," Rafizadeh says.  "I don't want this headache and he needs to graduate.  He doesn't need these games."

(WSB Radio) AIG got the bailout.  Some of its Atlanta employees got the pink slip.

Employees of AIG's auto insurance subsidiary in north Fulton County have lost their jobs.  The workers at the company's Morris Road office packed up their personal items and were shown the door.

A spokesman for AIG says the layoffs are part of a reduction in its auto group nationwide.  The layoffs come weeks after AIG received a government bailout totalling $123 billion.

The company would not disclose exactly how many local workers were fired.  But, prior to Tuesday, 660 people worked at the offices.

One employee says they were told this was just the first round of firings and more layoffs are on the way.

(WSB Radio) Michael Vick plans to plead guilty to state dogfighting charges in Virginia which could pave the way for his release from federal prison.

The former Falcons quarterback has a hearing set for October 30, at which times it's expected the deal will be announced.

Under the deal Vick would be sentenced to one year's probation.  But the plea would also allow Vick to pursue a federal halfway house program.

According to federal corrections rules, Vick is ineligible to be released to a halfway house until all pending charges against him are resolved.

Vick was sentenced to 23 months on federal dogfighting charges.  He scheduled to be released in July of next year.  He'll still have to serve three years on federal probation upon his release.

But, if the plea deal is accepted and Vick could be sent to a halfway house as early as  January.  That would give the quarterback time to get back into playing shape.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank has said he'd like to see Vick back in the NFL, but added Vick has no future with his former team.

(WSB Radio) The former Grady Hospital employee who ripped off patients' personal effects is off to prison.

Tacuma Jawara pleaded guilty to three counts of theft by taking and was given seven years.  His daughter gave a tearful plea on his behalf in the Fulton Superior Court.

"My father has been my superman and my hero all of my life," she told the judge.  "And I know you see him here as a man who made a mistake.  But I want you to know that he's a good man who made a mistake."

Jawara was caught on surveillance cameras stealing items from patients, including  engagement and wedding rings from a dead woman.  He later pawned them.

Jawara should be eligible for early release after serving a little over three years.

(WSB Radio) An Atlanta bank is one of dozens nationwide that's received a letter laced with a suspicious powder.

Most of the letters targeted Chase bank branches.  One was sent to Federal Home Loan on Peachtree, a Chase subsidiary.

The powder, is turns out, was harmless.

"Customers should feel comfortable coming in and doing their banking, just like any other day," says Greg Hassell of Chase.

The letters were postmarked from Texas which leads authorities to suspect the sender is angry over the nation's financial crisis. 

(WSB Radio) Early voting in Gwinnett County is time consuming, but successful.

Since September 19th, Gwinnett elections director Lynn Ledford says 30,000 county residents have cast early or absentee ballots.  She is hoping as many as a quarter of all registered voters in Gwinnett will vote early.

Early voting is so popular, the county is opening four satellite voting offices next week that will operate from 8am to 7pm.  Currently, the wait time at the main elections office in Lawrenceville is about 90 minutes.  It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4:30pm.

(WSB Radio) -- A man accused of stealing personal items from patients at Grady Hospital has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Tacuma Jawara, a social services representative at Grady, came under investigation following the theft of wedding and engagement rings from a woman who was brought to the hospital  following a car accident and later died.

Jawara was suspected in several other cases.  He pleaded guilty to three counts of theft by taking.

The State Board of Pardons and Paroles says Jawara will be eligible for early release in three years and four months.

(WSB Radio) -- The Marietta School Board has unanimously approved a new safety plan for Marietta High School that allows the 1,900 students to text message a school resource officer about rumored or actual trouble on campus. 

School board spokesman Preston Howard tells Channel 2 Action News "students sometimes have knowledge that we (the school board) don't have and anytime we can promote the use of positive tools like this, I think it will be an enhancement to our safety program."

Students will be provided a six digit number they can text 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  That number connects them with MobileStorm, a California company that will monitor the texts and alert police when needed.

Marietta High principal Leigh Colburn tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Marietta wants to out front of school safety.  Currently two police officers and a K-9 unit are assigned to Marietta High.

(WSB Radio) -- Early voting in Gwinnett County is time consuming, but successful.

Since September 19th, Gwinnett elections director Lynn Ledford says 30,000 county residents have cast early or absentee ballots.  She is hoping as many as a quarter of all registered voters in Gwinnett will vote early.

Early voting is so popular, the county is opening four satellite voting offices next week that will operate from 8am to 7pm.  Currently, the wait time at the main elections office in Lawrenceville is about 90 minutes.  It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4:30pm.

(WSB Radio) - Some employees at AIG's auto insurance subsidiary in north Fulton County have lost their jobs. Channel Two Action News reports that employees at the AIG Morris Road Office in Milton packed their belongings and hugged goodbye in the parking lot.

A spokesman for AIG says the layoffs are part of a reduction in its auto group across the U.S. The layoffs come weeks after the government bailed out AIG to the tune of $123 billion.

The company would not disclose exactly how many local workers were fired. Prior to Tuesday, 660 people worked at the offices. One employee says they were told this may only be the beginning of layoffs.

The recall was announced Monday.

AP Video Report

The incidents, which involved Delta Enterprises cribs, involved safety pegs that are intended to prevent the drop side from lowering too far and slipping off the track. If these pegs are not installed, or if they fail to engage, the drop-side can detach and create a dangerous gap where babies can get stuck.

``We ask parents to inspect your crib from time to time and tighten up the hardware,'' Nancy Nord, acting head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, said in an interview Tuesday. ``It's very important that parents understand they need to inspect the integrity of the hardware.''

In May 2007 an 8-month-old girl from Bryan, Texas, died because the safety pegs on her crib were not installed. The crib's side detached, leaving a gap where she got stuck and suffocated. More than a year later, in July 2008, an 8-month-old boy in Tallahassee, Fla., suffocated after a spring-loaded safety peg failed and allowed the side of his crib to detach.

Nord urged parents to make sure that moving parts on cribs are functioning smoothly and securely and cautioned them not to try makeshift repairs.

The Delta Enterprises recall included 985,000 drop-side cribs of various models, because of the potential for missing safety pegs. These cribs were manufactured in Taiwan and Indonesia and sold by major retailers including Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target.com, between January 1995 and September 2007. The recall also included 600,000 cribs of various models with spring-loaded safety pegs. These cribs were manufactured in China and sold between January 2000 and January 2007.

The recall doesn't affect any cribs now in retail inventory.

The company will offer consumers replacement safety pegs or spring peg kits.

``We're erring on the side of caution,'' said Jack Gutt, spokesman for New York-based Delta Enterprise said Monday. ``Anyone who calls and has these cribs that were constructed in these time periods, we're going to send anybody and everybody either additional safety pegs or the retrofit kit.''

Nord said her agency is in the early stages of creating additional safety standards for cribs to address their durability.

``It's time to take another look at the crib standards,'' she said.

http://www.cribrecallcenter.com

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

WSB's Sandra Parrish reports

The committee heard from various state agencies and industry officials and included ideas of building a refinery in Georgia, expanding natural gas pipelines, and encouraging alternative-fueled vehicles.

Rep. Jill Chambers (R-Atlanta) says the only way to avoid another gas shortage here is to convince the federal government to change its requirements for a special blend of gasoline for metro Atlanta.

"What would be good is if the federal government would go back and look at the areas that require these special blends and see if we can't coordinate more universal product," she says.

Chambers says right now only Birmingham and Phoenix use the same blend as Atlanta so there's not as much supply.  But she says if we could use the same blend as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas, more would be available.

Chris Clarke, director of the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, told the committee Governor Perdue has asked that a new state emergency plan be developed specifically for fuel shortages.  Right now the state's energy plan deals with a complete energy emergency including outages of electricity, natural gas and petroleum products.

The committee plans to meet several more times in November and December before drafting legislation for the upcoming session.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of theft by taking.

(WSB Radio) -- DeKalb County Police have a suspect in custody in the shooting death of a 29-year-old mother of three. Quishanna Lownes was hit by a stray bullet that sliced through the   Dekalb County apartment she shares with her three children ages 8, 9 and 11. The children were not injured.

WSB's Jeff Dantre reports

Dekalb police spokeswoman Mekka Parish tells WSB's Mark Alewine the shooting happened around 9 o'clock Monday night at an apartment complex on Holcombe Road, off of Redan Road.

(WSB Radio) -- Braves announcer Pete Van Wieren has announced his retirement, ending a 33-year career with the team.

Van Wieren, a member of the Braves Hall of Fame, became a familiar face on the TBS team that broadcast Atlanta games to a national television audience on Ted Turner's superstation. In recent years, he was phased out of TV work, spending this past season doing radio exclusively.

Team Coverage from WSB's Chris Camp and Richard Sangster

His longtime partner, Skip Caray, died Aug. 3.

``This is something my family and I have been thinking about the last couple of years,'' said Van Wieren, who turned 64 this month. ``It's simply a desire to live my life without the restrictions of a baseball schedule.''

Braves broadcaster Joe Simpson tells WSB's Richard Sangster that it will be weird not having Van Wieren in the booth but he does not believe Skip Carey's death had much to do with Pete's decision to retire.

"I think it's purely coincidence and something that Pete had been had been sitting on and wrestling with a little bit over the course of last season and I don't think it had anything to do with it."

Simpson says Pete's health is fine but he might be a little tired of the travel, though.

(WSB Radio) The nation as a whole might not be in a recession, but a majority of it is.

27 states, including Georgia, are listed as being in a full blown recession, while 14 other states are said to be at risk.  That's according to the economic analysis firm Moody's Economy.

In March, Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's listed only five states in recession; California, Florida, Michigan, Nevada and Arizona.  But things have changed dramatically.

"There's no way around the map. It says the nation is in recession. The recession is coast to coast," Zandi says. "Just a handful of states are expanding at this point. One of the unique features of this downturn is how broad-based it is, regionally."

Zandi says the job market has eroded in the past 6 months, leading to the widespread downturn. 

"Industrial production has weakened sharply," he says.  "Those are the two key things.  The other is that retail sales have also sharply weakened."

States in the midwest, while at risk, seem to be doing better than most others.  Zandi says that's because agriculture is still going strong.  Ethanol production and an increasing demand for grain in Asia are keeping those states from sliding into recession.

Only nine states are listed as in an economic expansion. 

Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maryland are expanding because of health care and education services.

Texas has also shown growth because "high oil prices are good if you're in Houston," says David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor's.

The area suffering the most in the country is the southeast, where every state is listed as being in recession.

(WSB Radio) -- A record number of people are holding onto their cash and putting away the credit card when they fly opting instead to use their frequent flier miles.  

WSB Consumer Expert Clark Howard says "people have been doing something really smart, they've been burning their frequent flier miles."  He says it's because airlines tickets have become so expensive and most airlines keep raising the requirements to use the miles.

Randy Petersen, who tracks frequent-flier programs as publisher of InsideFlyer magazine tells WSB's Sabrina Gibbons recent fare hikes are leading many passengers to burn up miles on humdrum trips instead of vacations to Hawaii or Europe. ``They're spending miles on family emergencies or visiting grandma.''

Airlines have been raising mileage requirements and imposing fees to use them in, but plenty of people are still cashing them in. 

About 6 to 8 percent of all passengers fly on award tickets, according to airline documents.  Most U.S. carriers have raised mileage standards and shortened expiration periods in their loyalty programs.

Delta now offers members a guaranteed ability to redeem miles for a free trip but at the cost of many more miles. This month, American began charging $50 plus 15,000 miles to upgrade from economy coach on a flight within the United States.

(WSB Radio) A state committee has said no to a proposal to build optional toll lanes on Georgia 400.

The plan, devised by a private consortium, carried a price tag of $1.6 billion.

Committee members said they weren't opposed to privately funded toll lanes, but thought this particular proposal had too many flaws.

The plan was to extend toll lanes up 400 to Georgia Highway 20, in Cumming. 

The proposal was made in 2004 by the consortium of engineering and road-building companies, Crossroads 400.  The plan fell in line with the state's "public-private" law that allows private companies to invest in public toll roads.

DOT Commissioner Gena Evans said back in january that she was considering starting from the beginning concerning the state's toll proposals.

(WSB Radio) Police in Riverdale say a video store where the owner was murdered over the weekend was a front.

Investigators looking into the murder of the owner, known to the community as "Mr. T" say the store was likely a front for illegal activity.

The robbery and murder took place at 1:30 Sunday afternoon.  The unidentified gunmen entered, posing as ATF agents. 

Police Chief Samuel Patterson says the suspects yelled "ATF! Get Down!" then robbed the more than 20 people who were in the back room on the store.  Witnesses say they then shot the store owner, Souppoth Thannavongsa, in the back of the neck.

Chief Patterson says things seemed a little odd as investigators took a closer look at Thai Video, on Highway 85.  They found that the store did not sell or rent many videos. 

Police now believe the store made most of its money through illegal activity in the back room.

(WSB Radio) East Point police say a woman tried to set her house on fire while her child and elderly mother were still inside.

Investigators say Doris Williams, 40, set mattresses on fire late Monday night. 

Police responded to a call of an intoxicated woman and arrived to find smoke in the home.  They found Williams a few minutes later.

Williams told officers she set the fire because she was sick of having people in the house.  Those people were her child and mother, both of whom were able to get out of the house safely.

A police officer who entered into the home was treated for smoke inhalation.

Williams is charged with arson and reckless conduct.  More charges are possible.

(WSB Radio) His name was known across metro Atlanta, but not for who he was but, rather, for what he sold.

Earl Small, owner of Earl Small's Harley Davidson, has died in a helicopter crash in New York.  He was 57.

New York State Police say Small's body and helicopter were found Sunday ob a ridge near the upstate town of Dryden, about 60 miles from Norwich, New York, where he had taken off.  The chopper went down in some heavy woods.

Small was in New York to buy a helicopter.  His family reported him missing after he failed to check in following a flight to Ohio.  The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Earl Small's Harley Davidson opened on South Cobb Drive in Marietta in 1986.  Harley Davidson of Cartersville, which Small also owned, opened in 2001.  He also bought Carolina Honda in Columbia, South Carolina and Stockmar Airport, in Douglas County.

Small is survived by his wife, Rhonda, and two sons. 

(WSB Radio)  Early voting is a hit with Georgians, especially among women.

Records released by the secretary of state's office show 12% of registered voters in Georgia have cast their ballots early.

The biggest turnout was in metro Atlanta, with Gwinnett, Fulton, Cobb and DeKalb Counties leading the way.

The numbers show women turned out at a higher rate than men, with 388,000 women voting early compared to 284,000 men.

Along racial lines 420,000 whites have already gone to the polls compared to 246,000 blacks and 3500 hispanics.

Among counties in Georgia the turnout was as follows.

1. DeKalb 68,091

2. Fulton 50,050

3. Gwinnett 37,613

4. Cobb 37,277

5. Chatham 21,251

As of the close of the polls this past Friday some 691,507 Georgia voters had gone to the polls early.

(WSB Radio) Georgia teachers are up in arms against the governor.  Sound familiar?  Only this time it's not 2002 and the governor isn't Roy Barnes.

Georgia's educators are at odds with Governor Sonny Perdue over a plan by the administration to eliminate annual cost-of-living increases in their pensions.

Retired teachers received two 1.5% increases each year from the state Teachers Retirement System.  The governor wants to end those automatic hikes and, instead, have the retirement system board vote on the pension increases every year. 

The automatic increases have been in effect since 1969.

Teachers say the proposal would do the most harm to educators who retired decades ago and are now living off of their pensions.

The Teachers Retirement System, or TRS, pays pensions to about 78,000 retired teachers, professors and other school employees.  It's funded by educators and employer contributions and investment income.  Another 300,000 educators who have not yet retired are eligible for pensions.

Teachers say their colleagues who worked in the 1970's and 1980's and are now retired would be devastated by the plan, because salaries were lower for teachers then, and pensions are based on an educators' highest salary and the number of years they worked.

During the past fiscal year the state contributed more than $500 million into the TRS fund.  As of the end of September, the TRS fund had $47 billion.

Lowes Spokeswoman Maureen Rich tells WSB Radio News  they hope to open the store before the end of the year and potential workers who want to apply for a job should look on their web site at Lowes.com/careers. 

She says they have both full and part time jobs and both come with benefits.  She expects a lot of applicants for the available positions.

She says the current economic downtown is not a factor in their plans, and that the company is building for the future. She says they are opening 120 new stores all across the country this year.

(WSB Radio)  An internal investigation is underway by the Sandy Springs police into whether officers went too far in some vice investigations.

Acting Police Chief David Betrand confirmed the probe saying he was spurred by two cases involving the same officer.

A report dated August 22 indicates an officer entered a spa, saying he was there for a massage.  He was quoted a price of $200 and a woman removed her clothes.

The report suggests she climbed on the table with the officer and began rubbing her body on him.  The report then says she "initiated the act of sexual intercourse."

It goes on to say the officer told her to stop so he could use the phone.  He gave other officers the take down signal and advised the woman she was under arrest.

"I've probably done over 1000 vice cases and I've never seen one that went this far," says former Clayton County Solicitor General Keith Martin, who's reviewing the police reports.  "I'm glad he's (the officer) is truthful.  I'm sad he's unwise."

A second report indicates the same officer responded to an advertisement just a few days earlier.  A woman met the officer at an apartment, disrobed and, again, began another type of sex act with the officer.  He again advised her to stop and placed her under arrest.

(WSB Radio) -- A record number of people are holding onto their cash and putting away the credit card when they fly opting instead to use their frequent flier miles.  

WSB Consumer Expert Clark Howard says "people have been doing something really smart, they've been burning their frequent flier miles."  He says it's because airlines tickets have become so expensive and most airlines keep raising the requirements to use the miles.

Randy Petersen, who tracks frequent-flier programs as publisher of InsideFlyer magazine tells WSB's Sabrina Gibbons recent fare hikes are leading many passengers to burn up miles on humdrum trips instead of vacations to Hawaii or Europe. ``They're spending miles on family emergencies or visiting grandma.''

Airlines have been raising mileage requirements and imposing fees to use them in, but plenty of people are still cashing them in. 

About 6 to 8 percent of all passengers fly on award tickets, according to airline documents.  Most U.S. carriers have raised mileage standards and shortened expiration periods in their loyalty programs.

Delta now offers members a guaranteed ability to redeem miles for a free trip but at the cost of many more miles. This month, American began charging $50 plus 15,000 miles to upgrade from economy coach on a flight within the United States.

(WSB Radio) Police in McDonough believe suspected gang members are responsible for up yo 40 burglaries and attempted burglaries in the city and other parts of Henry County over the past 4 months.

"It's the same M.O.," says McDonough Police Captain Kyle Helgerson.  "Throwing rocks and throwing bricks through windows or glass doors and making entry."

"I feel they're looking for money but they couldn't find nothing," says business owner Cefeiana Domineuez. She says she's pleased police have some strong leads.

Police are looking at gang members as suspects in the crimes.

"Given the colors they were and given some information we've been given leads us to believe there's a gang affiliation."

(WSB Radio)  In an economy that has hammered many home and building supply stores,  Lowes is opening 120 new stores this year including one in Carrollton that will bring 175 new jobs.

Lowes Spokeswoman Maureen Rich tells WSB Radio News  they hope to open the store before the end of the year and potential workers who want to apply for a job should look on their web site at Lowes.com/careers. 

She says they have both full and parttime jobs and both come with benefits.  She expects a lot of applicants for the available positions.

She says the current economic downtown is not a factor in their plans, and that the company is building for the future. She says they are opening 120 new stores all across the country this year.

(WSB Radio) Four Cherokee County teenagers are in police custody, charged with a series of car break-ins that hit in Holly Springs and a county subdivision.

Holly Springs police were called to the scene of multiple vehicle break-ins on September 16 in the Wentworth and Brookhaven subdivisions off of Rabbit Hill Road.  In all 12 vehicles had been broken into, with numerous items taken from inside.

Detectives soon found out that Cherokee County Sheriff;s investigators were working on the break-ins of ten vehicles in a subdivision off of Marble Quarry Road. 

The two agencies compared notes, developed suspects in the crimes and soon made their arrests.

In custody are 17 year old Thomas Hood, of Canton, Jordan Ferros, 17, of Woodstock, 17 year old Dustin Blalock, also of Woodstock, and a juvenile male, who also lives in Woodstock. 

All four suspects are charged with entering an auto, which is a felony.

(WSB Radio) -- State and local banks are expected to post gloomy third quarter results in the coming days. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports this will be the first acknowledgement for many lenders of problems with their books.

The challenge for Georgia banks is different than the ones facing the world's biggest banks. Locally, lenders became too concentrated in residential real estate loans and are now left holding unsold homes and vacant lots.

As of the second-quarter of this year, the FDIC reports that Georgia banks had $41 billion in construction and land development loans with about 14 percent of those in some stage of past due status.

Admission of the problems will likely mean local banks will become less likely to lend money.

(WSB Radio/AP) -- 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 yet.''

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.

``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.''

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.''

(WSB Radio) The nation's financial crisis is apparently leading more people to call suicide hot lines.

The number of calls to the Georgia Crisis and Access line has increase dramatically. Volume over the past three months is up 64% compared to the same period a year ago.

The reason? The economy.

"People are calling for assistance because they're stressed or they're experiencing anxiety due to the financial crunch we're in," says Mandy Mercer, with Behavioral Health Links, the company that operates the hot line.

"We've heard words such as foreclosure, liens, financial issues," she tells WSB. "We've been able to pull some key words and we've seen an increase in the number of calls."

During the period of July through September, Mercer says, 930 callers used phrases or words related to America's money crisis. She says, if you're starting to feel the pinch, don't hesitate to use the service.

"It is normal for people to be stressed and anxious going through times like this, the economic crisis that we're currently experiencing," Mercer says.  "Should the stress begin to interfere with their daily lives, should they have difficulties that are carrying over into work, into relationships, into care giving for their children, should they feel overly angry over the situation, or begin to feel like they can't handle the situation, they should seek out professional help."

There is no one area of the state that is dominating the calls.  While more come from Atlanta due to the city's population, Mercer says they've received calls from people in all of Georgia's 159 counties.

The number for the Georgia Crisis and Access line is 1-800-715-4225.  Operators are on duty 24 hours a day.

(WSB Radio) A suspect car thief is dead after crashing a van on a dead end street.

The crash was just before 3 this morning.  Police say officers spotted the driver speeding down the street and gave chase.  They followed him after they say he seemed to be trying to avoid officers who had pulled over another driver.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say the crash is not considered to be the result of a police chase because the officers had not turned on their blue lights.

(WSB Radio) -- The Riverdale Police Department and the GBI are investigating a Sunday afternoon robbery and murder at a business along Highway 85. 

The 54-year-old owner of Thai Video was shot and killed when unidentified suspects held up the store just after 1:30pm. 

The victim, who was known to his customers as Mr. T, reportedly died from a gunshot wound to the head.

The Riverdale police chief says he'll release additional information about the crime at a Monday morning news conference.

ATLANTA (AP) A dispute at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta spilled into the street where a half-dozen parishioners staged a protest.

The protesters object to the removal of the church's choir director and demand the resignation of senior pastor the Rev. Raphael Warnock.

On Sunday, the protesters held placards reading ``Warnock Lies'' and ``Bring Back Dr. Uzee Brown,'' the recently departed choir director.

Protester Gloria Bell was briefly detained by a National Park Service ranger who said Bell had refused to leave the sidewalk, claiming she was standing on city property. But the ranger told her it was federal property and issued her a criminal trespass warning.

Warnock was cheered when he said any attempt to plant the ``seeds of dissension in the church'' is the devil's work.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP Video Report

If anyone was hoping for a side-by-side photo of the identically dressed women, they were out of luck.

Palin's guest shot, widely anticipated since Fey began imitating her a month ago, led ``Saturday Night Live'' to its highest mark in overnight Nielsen Media Research ratings since March 1994, when assaulted skater Nancy Kerrigan was guest host.

Although a complete audience estimate for the rest of the country won't be available until later in the week, it is likely to be around 14 million.

For the first half-hour, when Palin first came out, the audience was about 17 million. That's pretty impressive for a TV program around midnight. The week before, only two other shows in prime time had a bigger audience, Nielsen said.

Palin told WWOR-TV in New York in an interview airing Sunday that she had a great time but did not attend the after-party.

``We need more of these days when it is just fun,'' she said. ``I would do it again.''

Her running mate, John McCain, watched clips of the broadcast on Sunday.

``Did you catch Sarah Palin on 'Saturday Night Live'?'' he asked a crowd in Toledo, Ohio. ``She did a great job.''

In the show's opening, Fey's Palin said at a news conference: ``First off, I just want to say how excited I am to be in front of both the liberal elite media, as well as the liberal regular media. I am looking forward to a portion of your questions.''

Moments later, the camera cut away to the real Palin watching a television monitor alongside the show's executive producer, Lorne Michaels.

Palin stood quietly as Fey's ``30 Rock'' co-star Alec Baldwin came by, mistook Palin for Fey and pleaded with Michaels not to let the actor go onstage with the governor.

``This is the most important election in our nation's history and you want her, our Tina, to go out there and stand with that horrible woman?'' Baldwin said.

When Michaels introduced him to Palin, Baldwin feigned embarrassment and replied: ``I see. Forgive me. I feel I must say this: You are way hotter in person.''

Palin got even, saying: ``Thank you, and I must say, your brother Stephen is my favorite Baldwin brother.'' Stephen Baldwin is a born-again Christian who attended the Republican national convention in 2004.

Alec Baldwin ushered her onstage past Fey, where Palin delivered the show's traditional opening: ``Live from New York, it's Saturday night.''

Palin later appeared alongside Seth Meyers on ``Weekend Update,'' declining to perform a rap song that had been written for her. Amy Poehler ``filled in'' for Palin as actors dressed as Eskimos, Palin's husband, Todd, and a moose danced across the stage.

``All the mavericks in the house, put your hands up,'' Poehler rapped, as a bopping Palin followed the instructions. ``All the plumbers in the house, pull your pants up.''

Palin's appearance had been confirmed by the McCain campaign a day earlier. ``Saturday Night Live'' had been reluctant to do so, feeling embarrassed when it announced Barack Obama would show up for the season's first show and he canceled hours ahead of time, but the early word created heavy anticipation.

Michaels owes Palin a debt of gratitude. ``Saturday Night Live'' so far this season has been up 76 percent over last year at this time, Nielsen said.

Even beyond that, the Fey skits have gone viral over the Internet, drawing more attention to the show. One study last week said only one-third of people who had seen Fey's impersonations did so on live TV; the rest saw them on DVRs or on their computers.

Associated Press writer Glen Johnson contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

More Dogs: Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network

Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes for Georgia (6-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference), which twice built 14-point leads but didn't put away the Commodores until Blair Walsh kicked a 39-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining.

Mackenzi Adams, who replaced Chris Nickson as Vandy's starting quarterback this week, threw a pair of touchdown pass to Jamie Graham.

The Commodores (5-2, 3-2) lost their second in a row, again missing a chance to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 1982.

Moreno had his fourth 100-yard performance of the season, which included an 11-yard touchdown run. Green went over 100 yards receiving for the second time in his college career, scoring Georgia's first TD on a 17-yard pass.

Georgia had a commanding 425-245 lead in total yards, but hurt itself with miscues that could be a lot more painful in upcoming games against No. 13 LSU and No. 5 Florida.

Two pass interference penalties by the most flagged team in the country set up Vanderbilt's first touchdown. Walsh missed a couple of field goals attempts before finally making his third. Stafford threw a pair of interceptions.

Vanderbilt switched quarterbacks this week, starting Adams over Chris Nickson in hopes of beefing up the passing game. The new starter was 16 of 32 for 131 yards, with two interceptions.

Walsh missed a 40-yard field goal on Georgia's first possession, then clanked a 37-yarder off the right upright late in the game. But Vanderbilt's last chance ended when a fourth-down pass from Adams to Graham came up a half-yard short, stopped by a big lick from Asher Allen.

Georgia took over, ran the clock down and Walsh finally kicked one between the uprights.

Stafford and Green got rolling on the Georgia's second possession. The freshman slipped behind the secondary and hauled in a 49-yard pass over his shoulder. Two plays later, Green made a leaping catch for a 17-yard touchdown, the 6-foot-4 receiver going up to get the ball over 5-10 cornerback D.J. Moore.

Georgia made it 14-0 late in the first half, the drive beginning after Darius Dewberry picked off Adams' pass. Moreno broke off two runs totaling 33 yards, Stafford hooked up with Green on a 13-yard pass and Mohamed Massaquoi got free in the back of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown catch.

But Vanderbilt responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive just before halftime. Two pass interference penalties one a disputed call on Allen, the other a more clear-cut violation on Bryan Evans pushed the Commodores deep in to Georgia territory. Adams threw it up in the corner of the end zone and watched Graham out-jump Evans for an 18-yard touchdown.

The Bulldogs seemed on the verge of putting away the Commodores when they marched right down the field on the first drive of the second half. Moreno had a 19-yard run, Stafford went to Green for a 33-yard gain and Moreno scored from the 11, after an apparent TD was overturned when the replay showed the runner's left knee was down.

Again, the Commodores bounced back. This time, they took advantage of Stafford's second interception, a pass that was tipped at the line and grabbed by cornerback Myron Lewis at the Georgia 26.

Vandy scored with a nearly identical play as its first TD. Adams threw into the left corner for Graham, who pulled it down over Evans for an 8-yard score.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(WSB Radio) -- An attorney burned in a bomb blast at a Dalton law firm is in critical condition. Jim Phillips was burned over one third of his body in the explosion. He's being treated at the Joseph Still Burn Center in Augusta.

78-year-old Lloyd Cantrell, the suspected bomber, died at the scene. Investigators say the McCamy, Phillips, Tuggle Fordham law firm had represented Cantrell's son in a property dispute with his father.

Investigators believe Cantrell was driving an SUV filled with canisters of gas and tried to ram the building that housed the law firm. When that didn't work, Cantrell ran to the back of the building and threw some sort of bomb through a window.

Dalton Police Chief Jason Parker says it could have been much worse. "I would say if the individual reached the inside of the building with all that material that's inside the car, the potential was there. It could have destroyed the building."

An autopsy has been performed on Cantrell and police are awaiting the results.

(WSB Radio/AP) -- President Bush says the United States' "serious financial crisis'' has moved beyond Wall Street. But he says Americans can be confident government actions will set things right over time.

The president cautioned that it will take time to thaw out the frozen credit system so that people and businesses can get the loans they need to get the economy moving.

Bush, offering his reassurances in a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Friday, said the rescue moves are ``big enough and bold enough to work.''

He says the U.S. is working with European nations to resolve what has become a global crisis. He said, "We're determined to overcome this challenge together.'

(WSB Radio) -- The Braves, in the market for frontline starting pitching, are believed to be among the team interested in San Diego Padres All-Star pitcher Jake Peavy.

Peavy, who grew up outside Mobile, Ala. cheering for the Braves, has a full no-trade clause.

But the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports Peavy has told friends he would waive the clause to come to Atlanta or another National League team with playoff potential, including St. Louis or Houston.

Peavy, 27, has an 82-62 record and 3.25 ERA in 199 starts for San Diego, with a franchise-record 1,256 strikeouts in 1,261 innings. He won the Cy Young award in 2007 after leading the National League in wins (19), ERA (2.24) and strikeouts (240).

He's under contract for four more years with salaries of $11 million in 2009, $15 million in 2010, $16 million in 2011 and $17 million in 2012, plus a $22 million option for 2013 with a $4 million buyout.

The Braves have a lot of available cash and a solid stable of prospects.  But it is not known if the team would willing to part top prospects including outfielder Jordan Schaefer and pitcher Tommy Hanson.

(WSB Radio) It's a part of American military history and it'll will be in the skies over Gwinnett County this weekend.

A B-17 "Flying Fortress" is on display at Briscoe Field through this weekend, accompanied by some of the men who flew the bomber and made it famous.

"We were very blessed to have grown up when we did and have the opportunity to fly for Uncle Sam," says Bob Powell, who flew P-51 fighters in support of B-17 bombing missions over Europe.

The "Flying Fortress" was armed with 13 .50 machine guns, had a range of 2100 miles and was a high altitude bomber.  It also made its crew members feel like they were kings.

"At the time I thought there was nothing like it in the world," says Paul Ceneskie, who was 18 when he became a radar man on a B-17.  He was based in Boca Raton, Florida, and flew missions hunting for submarines.

But that "king of the Hill" feeling would only last so long.

"It all went away the first time you're shot at,' says Dutch Van Kirk.  He served on B-17's but is most famous for being the navigator aboard the Enola Gay when the B-29 dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

When you talk to the men who flew the B-17 they mention some flaws.  A low payload, a smaller size than the contemporary B-24, and, according to Van Kirk, some false advertising by the military.

"We were told the B-17 was so accurate you could drop bombs into a pickle barrel," he recalls.  "Well, we threw bombs all over the countryside, for heavens sake."

Norman Peck also flew in a B-17, but his recollections are far different than his comrades.

A co-pilot on a bombing mission in 1944, Peck was shot down over Germany.  Three of the ten men on board were killed.  Peck and six others were captured and spent a year as prisoners of war.  His flight on Thursday in the Briscoe Field B-17 was his first in such a plane in 64 years. 

"It's a lot better than being shot at," Peck says.

The B-17 will be in Gwinnett County through Sunday.  The public can tour the plane in the afternoon or fly on it in the mornings.

The plane is on tour around the U.S. and will next travel to Jackson, Mississippi.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) A Georgia grandmother who came under suspicion because all five of her husbands had died was released Thursday from a North Carolina jail where she had been held on charges in one of their deaths.

Betty Neumar, 76, posted $300,000 bond late Thursday morning at the Stanly County jail, where she's been held since her arrest in May, Sheriff Rick Burris said.

Neumar is charged with solicitation to commit first-degree murder in the 1986 death of her fourth husband, Harold Gentry.

``I can't believe they let her out. It's just wrong, flat out wrong. I don't understand,'' said Gentry's brother, Al, who pressed law enforcement for more than two decades to get the case reopened.

Prosecutors allege Betty Neumar tried to hire three people to kill Gentry in the six weeks before his bullet-riddled body was found in his rural North Carolina home.

Since her arrest, police in Florida and Ohio have begun to re-examine the deaths of her first child Gary Flynn, whose 1985 death was ruled a suicide and three of her other husbands, though she faces no charges in those cases.

Georgia police recently closed their re-examination of the death of her fifth husband, John Neumar, saying they have no evidence she was involved.

His son, John K. Neumar, was also shocked to find she was out of jail: ``I've lost all faith in the legal system,'' he said from his Georgia home.

Neumar's attorney, Charles Parnell, said the case has ``been blown out of proportion.'' He said evidence continues to be released that shows his client wasn't involved in her husbands' deaths.

Parnell said he expected Neumar to return to Georgia, where she lives with her daughter.

Al Gentry said law enforcement officers have told him to be careful since he was instrumental in Neumar's arrest.

``Now my back has a big target on it,'' said Gentry, who said he regularly carries a gun for protection.

Burris said he was surprised Neumar was able to post the bond, recently lowered from $500,000, but confident in the prosecution's case. He said it will likely take several months for prosecutors and defense attorneys to review all the court documents.

Parnell said he assumed family helped her pay the required portion of the $300,000 bond. Burr Bail Bonds, which she used to post bail, did not return messages left at its Albemarle office.

Associated Press writer Mitch Weiss contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

WSB's Jamie Dupree reports
AP Video Report

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Justice Department regulations forbid discussing ongoing investigations particularly so close to an election.

Two spokesmen for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, on Thursday said the FBI has not contacted the group.

``ACORN has not been notified that we are the target of an investigation by any authorities nor should we be,'' spokesman Kevin Whelan said in a statement. ``ACORN members have done a good and patriotic thing by helping bring more than a million of their fellow citizens into our democratic process.''

Republican accusations about the group were raised during Wednesday's presidential debate between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican candidate John McCain.

ACORN says it has registered 1.3 million young people, minorities and poor and working-class voters. More than 13,000 ACORN workers in 21 states recruited low-income voters, who tend to be Democrats.

But some ACORN employees have been accused of submitting false voter registration forms including some signed `Mickey Mouse' or other fictitious characters.

Those voter registration cards have become the focus of fraud investigations in Nevada, Connecticut, Missouri and at least a half-dozen other states. Election officials in Ohio and North Carolina also recently questioned the group's voter forms.

ACORN has said the ``vast majority'' of its workers are conscientious, but some might have turned in duplicate applications or provided fake information to pad their pay. Workers caught submitting false information have been fired, ACORN officials say.

ACORN says laws in a number of states require it to submit all registration cards it collects even dubious ones, so its workers segregate applications with missing, suspicious or false information and flag them so state election officials can quickly check them further.

Brian Kettenring, an ACORN spokesman, said its employees flagged questionable registration forms for election officials in 11 states, none of which is investigating the group. He also said he did not believe a `Mickey Mouse' voter registration card in Orlando, Fla., was submitted by an ACORN worker.

House Republicans have been pushing for the Justice Department to investigate ACORN, calling on Attorney General Michael Mukasey to make sure ballots by ineligible or fraudulent voters are not counted on Nov. 4.

The issue also became campaign trail fodder for McCain, who on Wednesday night demanded to know the full extent of Obama's ties with ACORN. McCain said the group could be on the verge of ``destroying the fabric of democracy.''

Obama denied any significant ties to ACORN and mocked McCain for bringing it up. The Democrat and two other lawyers represented ACORN in 1995 in a lawsuit against the state of Illinois to make voter registration easier, and hired a firm with ties to the group for a massive get-out-the-vote effort during this year's primary.

Earlier this week, Obama said that ACORN was not advising his campaign on voter registration, and the group's registration problems should not be used by the Republicans as an excuse to keep voters from turning out on Election Day.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

WSB's Sandra Parrish reports

Sen. John McCain leads Obama in this state, but Obama has closed the gap a bit in recent weeks. WSB political analyst Bill Crane calls it "within single digit reach".

"The gap between Obama and McCain is say 10 points, 7 points, or less which does make them achievable," he says.

But Crane says while he does not think the new campaign spending will change the outcome of the presidential race here, he does think it will help other Democratic races.

"I do believe there are a number of races  including the U.S. Senate race down ticket that are very close and this could be a decisive factor in their outcome," he says. 
 

44-year-old Harry Brett Taylor is accused of molesting 16 children including some of his relatives. The alleged incidents date back to 1995 and involve molestation and taking photographs of young children.

Police say although he knew some of his victims from the scout group, the incidents did not take place at scout events.

WSB's Jennifer Griffies reports

Chad Wilson tells Channel Two Action News that he was pulled over on Friendship Road by a car flashing blue lights. The man who claimed to be a cop turned out to be Wilson's neighbor who is identified as 21-year-old James Mercaldo III.

Police found blue lights behind the windshield in Mercaldo's car plus hand cuffs, a fake badge and air soft rifles in his trunk. He faces numerous charges.

(WSB Radio) -- An online real estate analyst is reporting housing values in suburban metro Atlanta are holding their values better than homes closer to downtown Atlanta.

WSB's Sandra Parrish reports

Zillow.com's latest Real Estate Market Report shows values have dropped 8.3 percent within ten miles of downtown Atlanta while values have falled less in cities 10 to 20 miles out like in Chamblee and Douglasville.  The report shows cities 20 to 30 miles out like Duluth and Woodstock fell 7.4 percent and 5.5 percent in cities 30 to 40 miles out like Dacula and Sugar Hill.

"Certainly companies that were out there pushing those pay-option ARM's hit some neighborhoods harder than others and where see masses of those kind of mortgages you're seeing massive amounts of foreclosures at this time," says WSB real estate expert Ilyce Glink.

According to Zillow.com the housing values in metro Atlanta are opposite of trends in other cities where urban areas are holding their housing values better than suburban areas.

Glink says it could take years for values to rebound to their 2006 high, maybe as slow as a two to three percent gain a year.

EPA Lead site

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Intruders could easily break into two U.S. laboratories where researchers handle some of the world's deadliest germs, according to congressional investigators. The Associated Press identified the vulnerable lab locations as Atlanta and San Antonio.

Exclusive AP Report

The serious security problems at the two labs were described by the Government Accountability Office in a report expected to be released publicly as early as Thursday. The GAO, Congress' investigative and auditing arm, did not identify the labs except to say they were classified as Biosafety Level 4 facilities, but the report included enough details for the AP -- and others knowledgeable about such labs -- to determine their locations. Biosafety Level 4 labs do research on deadly germs and toxins.

In Texas, the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research features an outside window that looks directly into the room where the deadly germs are handled. The lab, which is privately run, also lacks many security cameras, intrusion detection alarms or visible armed guards at its public entrances. Officials there said they will tighten security.

''We already have an initiative under way to look at perimeter security,'' said Kenneth Trevett, president of the lab in San Antonio. ''We're waiting for additional input but we're not waiting long. The GAO would like us to do some fairly significant things. They would like us to do it sooner rather than later.''

The other lab described with weak security in the report is operated by Georgia State University in Atlanta. That lab lacked complete security barriers and any integrated security system, including any live monitoring by security cameras. During their review, investigators said they watched an unidentified pedestrian enter the building through an unguarded loading dock.

''Georgia State clearly wants its BSL-4 to be as safe as possible,'' said DeAnna Hines, assistant vice president for university relations. ''We are already taking steps that will enhance the lab's safety and security standards.'' Hines did not confirm the school's research lab was the one mentioned in the congressional report as lacking proper security.

Investigators said the lab in San Antonio used unarmed guards inside antiquated guardhouses with a gate across the access road. An outside company monitors alarms at the lab and calls police in emergencies, which investigators said could delay a quick response in a crisis. They called the San Antonio lab the most vulnerable of all the labs they studied.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the labs in San Antonio and Atlanta to handle the deadly organisms despite the security weaknesses. The three other BSL-4 labs in the U.S. feature impressive security, the report said. Those include the CDC's own facility, also in Atlanta; the Army's lab at Fort Detrick, Md.; and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Fort Detrick is on a secure military base, but it is known for a recent internal problem. Bruce Ivins, a scientist at the Army's biodefense lab at Fort Detrick, killed himself in July as prosecutors prepared to indict him for murder in the anthrax letter attacks, which killed five people.

The CDC lab is on the agency's high-security campus.

The viruses researched in the highest security labs include ebola, marburg, junin and lassa. All can cause incurable illnesses.

The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., urged the CDC to quickly identify all security weaknesses at the high-containment research labs and fix any problems. Dingell has been investigating security problems associated with such labs around the country. He said at least six additional high-containment labs are under construction.

The Associated Press reported in October 2007 that U.S. laboratories working with deadly organisms have experienced more than 100 accidents and missing shipments since 2003 -- and the number is increasing as more labs do the work.

A CDC spokesman, Von Roebuck, said each of the five labs described in the new report has its own security plan designed to fit the lab's particular security assessments.

(WSB Radio)  Georgia's unemployment rate is up again.

The state Department of Labor reports the jobless rate for September climbed to 6.5%, its highest level in 16 years.

The rate in September of 2007 stood at 4.5%.

"Despite the troubling unemployment statistics, I want to reassure jobless Georgians that the department of labor is committed to helping them get back to work," says Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond.  "It is critical that job seekers continue to look for work and take full advantage of our employment services.  These services include job referral , job search workshops, resume writing assistance, computer access and referrals to education and training opportunities."

The last time Georgia's unemployment rate was this high was in November of 1992, when it stood at 6.6%. 

The state's rate was above the national average for the eighth straight month. 

The jobless rate rose from August to September from 6.3 to 6.5%.  The number of jobs decreased 24,800 during that time.  There are 317,000 Georgians currently looking for work.

Over the past year, the number of payroll jobs decreased 53,200, or 1.3%.  It's the largest September to September decline in jobs since the terrorist attacks in 2001. 

(WSB Radio)  Atlanta City Councilman Ceasar Mitchell authorized nearly $50,000 in payments from his council expense account to a company owned and operated by his brother, that according to documents obtained by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Under an open records request the newspaper discovered Mitchell, who is a candidate for Atlanta mayor, approved the payments of $49,223 to Pendulum Consulting, a firm owned by David Mitchell, his brother and former campaign manager.

The expense account is funded by taxpayer money.

City invoices show the payments were made in 2006 and 2007 for goods and services.

Under Atlanta's ethic code, council members are prohibited from participating in city contracts in which they or their immediate family members have a financial or personal interest.

After The Atlanta Journal-Constitution started inquiring about the payments to Pendulum Consulting, Mitchell wrote the city Ethics Board asking whether he had complied with the law.

Just days prior to Mitchell's query to the Ethics Board he joined all other council members in signing a letter to the city's steering committee, asking for that panel to determine whether the council's expenditures had complied with city law.

The council has asked the committee to report back to it within 75 days.