ATLANTA (AP) Folding chairs make do for pews, and hymns from a boom box replace the choir.

There's no sanctuary either, unless you count the tall office buildings that shelter the 30-person congregation gathered in a downtown park: Welcome to Atlanta's outdoor church for the homeless.

The worship services at Woodruff Park are open to all, but geared toward bringing hope to the homeless on their home turf. And for two years, the Church of the Common Ground has brought faith to Atlanta's homeless through songs, gospel readings and weekly communion.

The church is affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, which consecrated its pastor, Bob Book, as a priest in October in a ceremony in the park.

The outdoor ceremony was a first for the diocese, and a major step in a denomination where officials have been slow to recognize nontraditional street ministries as ``real church.''

``We needed to quit expecting people who were living without homes to come inside our church buildings,'' said Debbie Shew, who heads the organization's community ministries programs. ``We needed to go to the place which was their home.''

Common Ground is open to anyone, although organizers estimate 90 percent of regular attendees are homeless. It operates under the diocese's charitable status, but the church is nondenominational and there aren't any rules.

That means if you want to wear a blanket or nod off during a service, or if you don't look or smell so great, it's not a problem.

The welcoming feel is a draw for 62-year-old Carmen Davenport, who leaves her refuge under a bridge overpass each Sunday she can and heads to the park.

At a recent service, she sat near a fountain, her belongings in hot pink and purple bags, a fuzzy winter hat pulled over her eyes. When it came time to read the Lord's Prayer, she stumbled over the words.

``We meet the people right where they are, there's no expectation, there's no judgment,'' explained Holly Book, who runs the church with her husband.

At the service, there's a reading of Psalms 23, a few songs and a swift sermon.

Attendees join hands for a prayer circle and have communion weekly, with grape juice instead of wine since Book estimates that more than three quarters of the group battle addiction.

Other tweaks include nixing an offering plate not very practical when congregants need more money than they can give.

Church-based charity efforts have long helped the homeless, but many denominations are expanding beyond soup kitchens and clothing pantries to boost homeless people's lives in other ways.

``There's a dimension in people's lives that may be more transformative than a free meal,'' said the Rev. Deborah Little Wyman of Boston-based Ecclesia Ministries has guided at least 80 communities serving the homeless through outdoor churches in states including Kentucky and Tennessee.

Bob Book was already an ordained Lutheran pastor when the family met Wyman during a trip to Boston a few years ago. When the Books moved to Atlanta in 2006, the couple launched their ministry.

Outdoor worship isn't always easy. There are skateboarding teens and roaring motorcycles. The candles on the altar never stay lit, and the laissez-faire atmosphere has led to at least one fight during communion.

``This guy just went chasing this (other) guy with a big steel pole,'' said the Rev. Book, who ignores distractions. ``He didn't hit the guy, but it wasn't for lack of effort.''

For 10 months out of the year, the worshippers meet on the park's brick plaza. In January and February, they head to a nearby building the church has or on days when rain threatens.

Despite the distractions of worshipping outdoors, usually the atmosphere is peaceful enough to make Davenport feel at home.

``It makes me feel good inside, makes me feel uplifted,'' she said.

Davenport gets less than $400 monthly in Social Security and disability payments for her bum legs and heart. She has four children and a few siblings she doesn't much hear from.

Still, she blurted a prayer request for them in the circle one recent Sunday.

Then she apologized nervously for praying out of turn. But at Common Ground, nobody judged.

(WSB Radio/CNN) Sen. Saxby Chambliss calls on the closer from the cold.

Alaska Governor and former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin makes her way into Georgia's senate runoff. CNN Reports she will be at a fundraiser with Chambliss Sunday. The two will then hit rallies in Augusta, Savannah, Perry, and Duluth on Monday.

"I was thrilled when I got the call that Gov. Palin would be able to make the trip to Georgia to campaign with me the day before the runoff election," Chambliss said in a statement.

"[My wife], Julianne, and I are honored that she would take the time to travel to Georgia to tell everyone how important this election is, and I know that she will receive an enthusiastic welcome everywhere we go."

Palin is expected to help motivate the GOP base to turn out for Chambliss. The freshman senator from Moultrie is fighting for his political life against Democrat Jim Martin.

Chambliss won a plurality of the vote on Election Day three weeks ago, but Georgia law calls for the winner to grab 50 percent plus one vote.

Nick Ayers, executive director of the Republican Governors Association, said that it made sense for Palin to help Chambliss in the days leading into the runoff because he noted that GOP governors are "still very popular in the party."

"She is going to bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to this runoff," said Ayers, who is a close Palin confidant. "She is widely popular in Georgia, and I could not envision a stronger closer for Saxby in this election."

In the run-up to the runoff, some big-name surrogates have made their way through Georgia.

Chambliss has stumped with Sen. John McCain, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, campaigned with Chambliss, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Meanwhile, Martin has campaign with former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore.

President-elect Barack Obama voiced a radio commercial supporting Martin.

More than $4 million already has been spent on campaign commercials for the runoff election, according to new numbers from the Campaign Media Analysis Group.

Georgia senate race has been in the national spotlight has Democrats get closer to gaining a 60-vote super majority in the Senate.

Democrats so far have picked up seven Senate seats in this year's election, with the Republican seats in Georgia and Minnesota still undecided.

In Minnesota, freshman GOP Sen. Norm Coleman topped his Democratic challenger, Al Franken, by 215 votes, triggering an automatic recount that will extend into December.

If Democrats take both remaining contests, they'll reach their pre-election goal of controlling 60 Senate seats, which would be a filibuster-proof majority.

A filibuster is a move by the minority party in the Senate that can bring the chamber to a standstill by blocking votes on legislation.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) Georgia fans finally had their chance to pay tribute to Larry Munson on Saturday, and the former longtime voice of the Georgia radio network responded with a long tip of his cap.

Munson ended 43 years in the Georgia radio booth when he retired on Sept. 22.

Munson underwent surgery April 4 to remove blood clots from his brain, but he returned to work Georgia's first two home games before announcing his retirement.

The 86-year-old Munson was accompanied by his two sons, Michael and Jonathan, as he was driven onto the field in a golf cart after the first quarter. When the cart stopped, Munson was surrounded by a circle of photographers as a tribute began to play on the stadium's video board.

Munson stood and watched the cheers grow during the tribute. Then, in response, he tipped his white Georgia cap to the fans, slowly turning to acknowledge fans all around the stadium.

Georgia athletic director Damon Evans presented Munson with an oil painting by Atlanta artist Steve Penley depicting the legendary broadcaster.

Fans chanted ``Larry! Larry!'' after Munson was driven off the field.

The tribute was held between quarters. Georgia's seniors were honored in the long pregame ceremony always held on the last game of the regular season.

Munson worked only home games last season but made an exception to travel to Atlanta for the Georgia Tech game.

Scott Howard, Munson's former color analyst, took over the play-by-play duties on road games last year and now has the full-time assignment. Former Bulldogs quarterback Eric Zeier is the new analyst.

Howard, Zeier and others in the Georgia radio booth joined the fans in the standing ovation for Munson.

TWO FOR TECH: Roddy Jones, who didn't reach the 100-yard mark in any of Georgia Tech's first 11 games, had 13 carries for 214 yards and Jonathan Dwyer, who usually leads the Yellow Jackets' running game, added 144 yards rushing.

Jones and Dwyer each ran for two touchdowns.

It is the first time Georgia Tech had two players with 100 yards rushing since Sept. 8, 2007 against Samford. Dwyer and Tashard Choice each rushed for more than 100 yards in that game.

It was the first time two Georgia Tech players rushed for at least 100 yards against Georgia since 1984 when Robert Lavette (109) and Malcolm King (104) topped the mark.

The 358 combined yards rushing for Jones and Dwyer is the second-highest total for two players in team history. Eddie Lee Ivery set the school record with 356 yards against Air Force in 1978, and Ray Friday added 115 in the same game.

Jones' average of 16.4 yards per carry set a school record, beating Ivery's average of 13.7 in his record game.

A FIRST FOR RICHT: Mark Richt finished his eighth regular season as Georgia's coach with his first regular-season loss to a nonconference opponent.

Under Richt, Georgia is 33-3 against teams outside the Southeastern Conference. Before Saturday's loss to Georgia Tech, Georgia's only nonconference losses under Richt came in bowl games to Boston College in the 2001 Music City Bowl and to West Virginia in the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl.

DEFENSIVE SLUMP CONTINUES: Georgia has given up more than 40 points in each of its three losses: 41-30 to Alabama, 49-10 to Florida and 45-42 to Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs finished the regular season by allowing 38 or more points in four of their last five games. The only exception was a 17-13 win over Auburn, which fired its offensive coordinator earlier in the season.

The defensive decline has led to increased criticism of defensive coordinator Willie Martinez.

After Saturday's game, Richt wouldn't add his voice to the list of critics.

``A lot of times when things don't go exactly the way you want them to, people want to find someone to blame,'' Richt said. ``I'm not going to do that.''

Georgia gave up 409 yards rushing, the most allowed by the Bulldogs since Vanderbilt had 415 yards rushing in 1994.

BOWEN MISSES GAME: Georgia Tech linebacker Shane Bowen, who was expected to make his first start, was ruled out when it was learned he has a displaced cervical vertebrae. Georgia Tech announced Saturday the injury was discovered on a routine examination of his shoulder.

MASSAQUOI HAS CAREER DAY: Senior Mohamed Massaquoi had the best statistics of his career in his final regular-season game for Georgia. Massaquoi had a career-high 11 catches for 180 yards and tied a school record with three touchdown catches. Each of the three touchdown receptions came in the first half.

It was Massaquoi's fifth career game with at least 100 yards receiving, including four this season.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford set his career high with 407 yards passing and tied the school record with five touchdown passes.

D.J. Shockley threw five touchdown passes against Boise State in 2005 and David Greene had five against LSU in 2004.

(WSB Radio) One person was killed in a car crash in Gwinnett County Saturday.

Police said Jean Solano-Luis, 23, was killed when his pick-up truck was hit by a car on Lawrenceville highway near Amberwood drive in Lawrenceville around 3 p.m.

Speed is believed to be a factor in the crash. Police think 65-year-old Roland Demeulemeester of Lawrenceville lost control of his car in a curve and hit Solano-Luis.

He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police have not said if charges will be filed.

(WSB Radio) A former Fulton County police officer wanted on incest and child molestation charges in Coweta County has been arrested in Florida.

Gregory Allen Graham, 34, is awaiting extradition back to Coweta County after being arrested in Panama City.

Graham was found by police hiding in the woods early Saturday morning. Authorities said he had slit his wrist was threatening to kill himself to avoid going to jail.

"As we approached," Bay Co. (Fla.) sheriff's spokeswoman Ruth Sasser told WSB.  "He held a knife to his throat and promised that he would finished the job if we approached any closer,"

Sasser said the hostage negotiation team talked Graham into giving up. He lost a large about of blood.

"He was not armed but he had a hunter's knife," Sasser said. "He's doing fine, but did loose a lot of blood and was weak by the time we took him into custody."

Graham is awaiting extradition back to Coweta County. He's facing charges of child molestation, incest, possession of steroids, and attempt to suborn perjury.

ATLANTA (AP) A pregnant 19-year-old and another teen were wounded in a shooting at Greenbriar Mall in southwest Atlanta.

Atlanta police spokesman Eric Schwartz says the shooting happened shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday and police were looking for a suspect.

Schwartz says the pregnant woman was shot in the leg and brought to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she was listed in stable condition. Schwartz says a teenage boy was also brought to the hospital and listed in stable condition.

Class AAAAA

Camden County 18, Woodstock 17

Grayson 17, Lowndes 7

Newnan 20, North Gwinnett 3

Peachtree Ridge 31, Coffee County 0 Class

AAAA

Griffin 10, Southwest Dekalb 7

Marist 34, Mount Zion 33

Rome 41, Statesboro 21

Tucker 31, Westside-Macon 20 Class AAA

Cairo 23, Eastside 6

Carver-Columbus 28, Gainesville 14

Flowery Branch 35, Baldwin 17

LaGrange 20, Dunwoody 5 Class AA

Brooks County 33, Lovett 32

Buford 44, Dublin 10

Calhoun 41, Toombs County 14

Fitzgerald 41, Pepperell 19 Class A

Emanuel County Institute 13, Bremen 7

Lincoln County 27, Wilcox County 12

Wesleyan 17, Miller County 0

Wilkinson County 7, Turner County 6

(WSB Radio) Store owners are furious after their store is ransacked for hours before police arrived.

Alarms went off just after 1 a.m. Friday at the downtown Atlanta EU Newsstand on Broad St. following a smash-and-grab robbery.

The store security company told police it was a false alarm.

More thieves showed up around 3 a.m. Atlanta police did not arrive until 4 a.m.  Authorities said cigarettes, money, and lottery tickets were stolen.

The case is being investigated. A report is expected on Monday.

(WSB Radio) A 16-year-old driver could face charges after a deadly crash in Lawrenceville.

Gwinnett police say one person was killed and another is in critical condition after an SUV driven by the teen crossed the center line on Oakland Drive and struck a Buick head-on.

A male was driving the car. His female passenger was taken to the hospital where she later died.

According to police, the teen driver received minor injuries. They don't know why the Grand Cherokee the teen was driving crossed into the other lane.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) _ The Georgia Tech players gathered in front of their small contingent of fans in a corner of Sanford Stadium. They sang the "Ramblin' Wreck" fight song. They bounced up and down. Then pinched off pieces of the famous hedge that surrounds the field.

This was a celebration eight years in the making.

The Yellow Jackets unleashed their triple-option offense on Georgia with devastating results Saturday. Roddy Jones rushed for a career-best 214 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Jonathan Dwyer ran for 144 and two scores of his own. When it was done, No. 18 Georgia Tech had overcome a 16-point halftime deficit to stun the 13th-ranked Bulldogs 45-42, its first win in the series since 2000.

"Growing up, all I heard about was how great Georgia was," said Jones, a redshirt freshman. "It's great to be part of a team that ends the streak."

The cold, rainy day wasn't a total victory for the visiting team: Virginia Tech denied the Yellow Jackets a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game with a 17-14 victory over Virginia.

But Georgia Tech (9-3) celebrated anyway after seven straight losses to the Bulldogs, lingering on the field long after Georgia headed off to the warmth of its locker room. Several players had sprigs of the Sanford hedge between their teeth, clearly satisfied to have far exceeded expectations for coach Paul Johnson's first season.

"This overshadows everything," wingback Lucas Cox said. "We weren't that disheartened (about losing the ACC Coastal Division on a tiebreaker). It would have been nice to have that complement this win."

Johnson passed on breaking off a piece of hedge for himself. Instead, he showed the sort of swagger that will clearly add some spark to what had been a one-sided series.

"I figured I'd be back," he said. "Act like you think you're going to win."

Georgia (9-3) started the year No. 1 but will likely settle for a spot in the Capital One Bowl -- far, far short of its goal of at least competing for a Southeastern Conference title, and maybe even a national championship.

"Nobody thought we would be in this position at the beginning of the season," linebacker Rennie Curran said. "It was all high hopes. But things didn't work out the way we wanted to."

After building a 28-12 halftime lead, the Bulldogs simply had no answer for Georgia Tech's unique offense, which piled up 409 yards on the ground.

"They do what they do. That's what they've been going all year. That's what Paul has been doing for years," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "It stretches you from sideline to sideline."

Jones averaged 16.5 yards per carry -- a school record -- and broke a couple of tackles on a decisive 54-yard touchdown run down the sideline midway through the fourth quarter. Dwyer had a 60-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, turning the momentum in Georgia Tech's favor.

"People punch you in the mouth and you've got to punch them back," Yellow Jackets' senior Darryl Richard said. "A lot of punchers can't handle being punched back."

Georgia lost despite Matthew Stafford tying a school record with five touchdown passes -- three of them to Mohamed Massaquoi -- in what might have been his final game between the hedges. The junior quarterback said he'll consider entering the NFL draft.

Stafford looked like he would go out a winner, despite an errant throw that Morgan Burnett picked off and returned 35 yards for Georgia Tech's first TD.

Stafford capped Georgia's opening drive with a 1-yard scoring pass to Tripp Chandler, then hooked up with Massaquoi on touchdown passes of 10, 49 and 3 yards. Georgia Tech botched the extra point after Burnett's TD, then was unsuccessful on a two-point try after Cox scored on a 2-yard run.

But the Yellow Jackets turned the game around with a stunning display at the start of the third quarter. On what looked to be a routine run, Dwyer broke a tackle and was gone for a long touchdown, then got in on the two-point conversion that made it 28-20.

Georgia went three and out, and Georgia Tech quickly marched for another score on Jones' 8-yard run. Nesbitt's conversion run put up another two points, tying the game at 28.

Richard Samuel fumbled the ensuing kickoff, the Yellow jackets recovered and scored on the very next play: Dwyer's 23-yard run. Two TDs just 16 seconds apart gave Georgia Tech its first lead of the game, 35-28, and the Bulldogs never recovered, even though Richt gathered his entire team on the sideline for a tongue-lashing.

"We did well in some spots, but that third quarter killed us," Stafford said.

He finished 24-of-39 for 407 yards, becoming the third quarterback in school history to throw five TDs in game. David Greene and D.J. Shockley also did it. Massaquoi had 11 receptions for 180 yards.

Georgia's Knowshon Moreno, who like Stafford may leave school early for the NFL, rushed for 94 yards and scored on a 32-yard run. Stafford added a 12-yard scoring pass to A.J. Green with 4:04 remaining, but the Bulldogs couldn't stop the triple-option.

Georgia Tech ran out the clock without giving Georgia another shot. So much for those skeptics who never thought an offense that brings back memories of the wishbone could succeed at a major-conference program.

"Now we don't have to listen to them say that it can't work on this level against a 'mighty SEC defense,'" said Richard, who had a piece of hedge stuck above his ear. "Georgia Tech is going to be a team to contend for championships."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

Class AAAAA

Camden County 18, Woodstock 17

Grayson 17, Lowndes 7

Newnan 20, North Gwinnett 3

Peachtree Ridge 31, Coffee County 0

Class AAAA

Griffin 10, Southwest Dekalb 7

Marist 34, Mount Zion 33

Rome 41, Statesboro 21

Tucker 31, Westside-Macon 20

Class AAA

Cairo 23, Eastside 6

Carver-Columbus 28, Gainesville 14

Flowery Branch 35, Baldwin 17

LaGrange 20, Dunwoody 5

Class AA

Brooks County 33, Lovett 32

Buford 44, Dublin 10

Calhoun 41, Toombs County 14

Fitzgerald 41, Pepperell 19

Class A

Emanuel County Institute 13, Bremen 7

Lincoln County 27, Wilcox County 12

Wesleyan 17, Miller County 0

Wilkinson County 7, Turner County 6

TORONTO (AP) About the only opponent Chris Bosh couldn't beat Friday night was the elevator in his condominium.

Bosh had 30 points and 10 rebounds, Jason Kapono scored a season-high 16 points and the Toronto Raptors beat the Atlanta Hawks 93-88.

Joey Graham added 11 points and Jamario Moon had 10 for Toronto, with guard Jose Calderon picking up 11 assists.

Mike Bibby scored 24 points for Atlanta, Joe Johnson had 18 and reserve Maurice Evans added 17.

Al Horford and Marvin Williams each had 10 points for the Hawks, who got 17 rebounds from Zaza Pachulia.

Bosh arrived at Air Canada Centre less than an hour before the game after spending 50 minutes stuck in an elevator at his downtown condo. Bosh said the car stopped, trapping him and two strangers, just after he got on at the 28th floor.

``I sat and reflected on life and just chilled,'' Bosh said, adding that he tried to force the door open, but couldn't succeed.

``I tried my superhuman strength but it wasn't opening,'' he said.

Once free, Bosh didn't have enough time for his usual pregame routine and said it threw him off in the first half, when he scored 10 points.

``Usually I get here and get my muscles warm, get warmed up, go out there and get some shots before we hear the pregame speech,'' he said. ``I didn't have any time for that. I just got here and got straight to the point.''

Comfortable again in the second half, Bosh made seven of 10 shots and scored 15 points in the third, then added five more in the fourth to tally 30 or more for the seventh time in 15 games this season.

``He's a nightmare for any forward or center to guard,'' Hawks coach Mike Woodson said.

Bosh said he'll think twice about how he descends from his condo in the future.

``I know if that elevator opens, I'm not getting on it,'' he said.

Bosh wore a brace and a wrap on his left knee but insisted it was only a preventive measure because of knee injuries the past two seasons.

``I'm just happy I'm back to 100 percent,'' Bosh said. ``That's the reason for the brace, to make sure I stay that way.''

Leading 69-65 after three quarters, the Raptors began the fourth with an 8-2 run, taking a 77-67 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining.

``They came out and hit us in the mouth to start the fourth quarter,'' Johnson said. ``It's tough, especially when you're in somebody else's house, to try and dig into a lead and come back late in a game.''

Atlanta cut it to 83-78 with six minutes left, but Kapono made a 3-pointer from the corner and, after a basket by Horford, Bosh converted a three-point play to make it 89-80.

Evans and Bibby had four points apiece in an 8-2 run as the Hawks cut it to 91-88 with 1:03 remaining but Bosh rebounded Williams' miss with 17 seconds to play, allowing Kapono to seal it with a pair of free throws.

``We just didn't have enough in the tank to get it done,'' Woodson said.

The Hawks, who came in with the NBA's highest 3-point shooting percentage, went 6-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first half but made just 2-of-13 in the second.

``We hurt ourselves because we settled too much for 3s,'' Woodson said. ``We were just too selfish tonight. Sometimes those shots are appetizing and they look good, but if you're not making jump shots, you've got to get to the free throw line.''

Bibby, who was 4-of-7 from long range, didn't agree that the Hawks shot too many 3-pointers.

``I don't think we were forcing them, they weren't going in when we needed them,'' he said. ``If you have the open shot, you have to knock it down. You have to shoot it.''

Leading 24-21 after one quarter, Toronto extended its lead to 12 points with a 9-2 run to start the second. Eight consecutive points got the Hawks back in it, and a layup by Solomon Jones tied it at 43 with 2:03 left in the half. Bibby added a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws, giving Atlanta a 50-46 lead at the half.
Notes: Calderon briefly left the game after being knocked down by Pachulia while battling for a rebound in the third, but returned for the final seven minutes of the fourth. ... The Hawks have lost six of nine. ... Atlanta forward Josh Smith (left ankle) has resumed traveling and practicing with the team, but still isn't ready to play. Smith, sidelined since Nov. 7, hopes to return Dec. 3 against Memphis. ... Toronto's Jermaine O'Neal (left ankle) missed his second straight game, but said he expects to play Sunday when the Raptors visit the Los Angeles Lakers.

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. (AP) Democrat Jim Martin has heard it before: he's too nice to win the big election. But the mild-mannered former state lawmaker has already surprised many by forcing his way into a runoff with Sen. Saxby Chambliss, an incumbent who once seemed invincible.

``I'm nice, but I am also tough,'' Martin said during a recent bus tour of middle Georgia. ``I've proven that I can go toe-to-toe with Saxby.''

Georgia's Dec. 2 runoff has drawn national attention and allowed Martin who was trounced just two years ago in the race for lieutenant governor to suddenly share the stage with Democratic Party titans like former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.

If he upsets Chambliss, Martin could help the Democrats win a filibuster-proof 60 seats in the Senate giving President-elect Barack Obama a stronger hand in moving his agenda. Democrats are just two votes short of the 60 votes needed and Georgia is one of two undecided contests.

Martin, 63, has portrayed himself as an ally of the middle class and Chambliss as a pawn of special interests interested only in slowing Obama's agenda. It's a populist theme that Martin has evoked throughout his two decades in public service.

Martin grew up in Atlanta, the second oldest of six boys. He contracted polio in third grade and was quarantined for a time from his brothers, but he recovered enough to eventually run cross country and track.

Martin attended the University of Georgia, where he and Chambliss were fraternity brothers.

Friends there recall Martin as studious the earnest class president with a dry wit. His pursuit of a political career was no surprise to those who knew him in Athens.

He earned a law degree at UGA before enrolling in the U.S. Army. He was shipped off to Vietnam just two months after his wife, Joan, gave birth to their first child. In Vietnam, he worked as a personnel officer in military intelligence.

Martin returned to Georgia and took a job with the office of legislative counsel, a nonpartisan office that researches and drafts legislation for lawmakers from both parties.

His family had a brush with near tragedy when his 8-year-old daughter Becky was kidnapped walking home from school in 1980. Her assailant let her go unharmed after she struggled.

He left the Capitol after five years and went to work as a lobbyist for the Georgia Legal Aid Society, urging legislators to pass measures aimed at families with disabilities and low-income Georgians.

He won his first campaign for the statehouse in 1982 a 10-way race for a legislative seat representing parts of Atlanta. He went on to spend the next 18 years in the Legislature, rising to chair a key legal committee while he also maintained a private law practice.

In 2001, he resigned his seat in the Georgia House after being tapped by Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes to take over as commissioner of the state Department of Human Resources.

Friends were shocked, as running the state's unwieldy social services bureaucracy was seen as a sure ticket to political oblivion. But Martin, who had made issues dealing with children and the disadvantaged the cornerstone of his legislative career, said the decision was easy.

``I've always taken the hard jobs where I thought I could make a difference,'' Martin said.

He took over the department in September 2001 and soon had to implement deep budget cuts amid an economic downturn after the terror attacks.

Chambliss has attacked Martin's tenure at DHR, pointing to the beating deaths of two toddlers returned to abusive homes despite repeated complaints. He also has said Martin was ``fired'' from the job.

Martin, though, said he worked to streamline department operations, such as child support collections, to save money and help blunt the impact of budget cuts. He said he and Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican who took office in 2002, came to an agreement that he should step down.

Child advocates still look fondly on Martin's tenure. Normer Adams, who leads the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children, praised Martin's leadership.

``He was instrumental in moving DHR into the modern era when it came to child welfare,'' Adams said.

Martin tried to return to public life with his 2006 bid for lieutenant governor, losing the contest by 12 percentage points to Republican Casey Cagle, a little-known state senator.

Martin only entered the U.S. Senate race in April months after Democratic rivals had announced after being lobbied by party leaders who also pledged financial backing. He has been running hard every since.

Martin came in second in a five-way primary contest in July and then defeated DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones in a bitter August primary runoff. The Dec. 2 runoff against Chambliss will mark the fourth time Martin faces voters this year.

Martin won 46.8 percent of the vote in Nov. 4 general election, trailing Chambliss by 3 percentage points. But in the three-way race, none of the candidates earned the needed 50 percent plus one of the votes.

In the days leading up to the runoff, Martin has continued to make the economy the centerpiece of his campaign.

He has railed against Chambliss' vote for the $700 billion bailout for the financial services industry, saying the legislation did not do enough to help homeowners facing foreclosure or protect against abusive lending practices.

He's generally supportive of a Democratic-backed economic stimulus plan, which he argues would help the ailing middle class.

Martin has also wasted no opportunity to link himself to Obama, who has lent his campaign dozens of aides to help drive out the vote.

Martin's first runoff television ad led with an excerpt from an Obama speech. Obama has recorded a radio ad for Martin and automated phone calls on his behalf. Getting Obama voters back to the polls Dec. 2 will be critical to Martin's success.

But it's looking increasingly unlikely that Obama will accept Martin's invitation to join him on the campaign trail.

MUMBAI, India (AP) Indian commandos killed the last remaining gunmen holed up at a luxury Mumbai hotel Saturday, ending a 60-hour rampage through India's financial capital by suspected Islamic militants that killed 195 people and rocked the nation.

Orange flames and black smoke engulfed the landmark 565-room Taj Mahal hotel after dawn Saturday as Indian forces ended the siege in a hail of gunfire, just hours after elite commandos stormed a Jewish center and found six hostages dead.

``There were three terrorists, we have killed them,'' said J.K. Dutt, director general of India's elite National Security Guard commando unit.

Some 295 people were also wounded in the violence that started when more than a dozen assailants attacked 10 sites across Mumbai on Wednesday night. Fifteen foreigners were among the dead.

Dutt told reporters outside the hotel his forces would continue to search and clear it. A major in the commandos was killed in the final assault, he said.

Some hotel guests were still believed to be in their rooms. ``They are still scared, so even when we request them to come out and identify ourselves, they are naturally afraid,'' said Dutt.

Outside, anxious relatives stood in groups hoping family members trapped inside would walk out. Many had been keeping a vigil since the attack began.

With the end of one of the most brazen terror attacks in India's history, attention turned from the military operation to questions of who was behind the attack and the heavy toll on human life.

The bodies of New York Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah, were found at the Jewish center. Their son, Moshe, who turned 2 on Saturday, was scooped up by an employee Thursday as she fled the building. Two Israelis and another American were also killed in the house, said Rabbi Zalman Schmotkin, a spokesman for the Chabad Lubavitch movement, which ran the center.

Authorities scrambled to identify those responsible for the unprecedented attack, with Indian officials pointing across the border at rival Pakistan, and Pakistani leaders promising to cooperate in the investigation. A team of FBI agents was ordered to fly to India to help investigate.

On Friday, commandos killed the last gunmen inside the luxury Oberoi hotel, where 24 bodies had been found, authorities said. Dozens of people were evacuated from the Oberoi earlier Friday.

The group rescued from the Oberoi, many holding passports, included at least two Americans, a Briton, two Japanese nationals and several Indians. Some carried luggage with Canadian flags. One man in a chef's uniform was holding a small baby. About 20 airline crew members were freed, including staff from Lufthansa and Air France.

``I'm going home, I'm going to see my wife,'' said Mark Abell, with a huge smile on his face after emerging from the hotel. Abell, from Britain, had locked himself in his room during the siege.

As fighting stretched into a fourth day Saturday, the Taj Mahal hotel was wracked by hours of intermittent gunfire and explosions, even though authorities said earlier they cleared it of gunmen.

Indian forces launched grenades and traded gunfire with what authorities believed was one or two militants holed up in the ballroom. What appeared to be a black-clad figure toppled from a first-floor window.

Officials said at least 12 gunmen had been killed and one arrested after the attack that shook the city and the country.

``There is a limit a city can take. This is a very, very different kind of fear. It will be sometime before things get back to normal,'' said Ayesha Dar, a 33-year-old homemaker.

In the most dramatic of the counterstrikes Friday morning, masked Indian commandos rappelled from a helicopter to the rooftop of the Chabad Lubavitch Jewish center as snipers laid down cover fire.

For nearly 12 hours, explosions and gunfire erupted from the five-story building as the commandos fought their way downward, while thousands of people gathered behind barricades in the streets to watch.

The assault blew huge holes in the center, and, at one point, Indian forces fired a rocket at the building.

Soon after, elated commandos ran outside with their rifles raised over their heads in a sign of triumph.

But inside the Chabad House was a scene of tragedy.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Israel's Channel 1 TV that the bodies of three women and three men were found at the center. Some of the victims had been bound, Barak said.

The attackers were well-prepared, apparently scouting some targets ahead of time and carrying large bags of almonds to keep up their energy during a long siege. One backpack found contained 400 rounds of ammunition.

The gunmen moved skillfully through the blood-slickened corridors of the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, switching off lights to confuse the commandos.

Authorities were working to find out who was behind the attacks, claimed by a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen.

President-elect Barack Obama said he was closely monitoring the situation. ``These terrorists who targeted innocent civilians will not defeat India's great democracy, nor shake the will of a global coalition to defeat them,'' he said in a statement.

India's foreign minister said the blame appeared to point to Pakistan. ``According to preliminary information, some elements in Pakistan are responsible for Mumbai terror attacks,'' Pranab Mukherjee told reporters.

Jaiprakash Jaiswal, India's home minister, said a captured gunmen had been identified as a Pakistani.

Pakistani Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar denied involvement by his country Friday. ``I will say in very categoric terms that Pakistan is not involved in these gory incidents.''

India has been shaken repeatedly by terror attacks blamed on Muslim militants in recent years, but most were bombings striking crowded places: markets, street corners, parks. Mumbai one of the most populated cities in the world with some 18 million people was hit by a series of bombings in July 2006 that killed 187 people.

These attacks were more sophisticated and more brazen.

They began at about 9:20 p.m. with shooters spraying gunfire across the Chhatrapati Shivaji railroad station, one of the world's busiest terminals. For the next two hours, there was an attack roughly every 15 minutes the Jewish center, a tourist restaurant, one hotel, then another, and two attacks on hospitals. There were 10 targets in all.

Associated Press writers Ravi, Nessman, Erika Kinetz and Anita Chang contributed to this report from Mumbai, and Foster Klug and Lara Jakes Jordan contributed from Washington.

(WSB Radio) It happened half-a-world away, to a couple they never knew. Yet members of Congregation Beth Tefillah in Sandy Springs will focus today's service on the deaths Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah. Those among two of the five Americans killed in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India

"I'll be honest with you," Rabbi Yossi Lew said. "I have to deliver (Saturday's) sermon and I don't know how I'm going to manage to unfold it."

Gavriel, 29 and Rivkah, 28. were killed in an attack on the ultra-Orthodox Chabad-Lubavitch movement's center in Mumbai, Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin said in New York. Officials could not confirm whether Rivkah Holtzberg was, like her husband, an American citizen.

195 people have been killed in the 60-hour siege that started on Wednesday. Lew is the associate Rabbi at Congregation Beth Tefillah. He said he doesn't know the Holtzbergs personally but he has been praying for them and their two-year old son who survived the shooting.

"I was part of a team who was up literally the entire night monitoring the news in case there was anything we could have done," Said Lew. "We you saw the carnage and you saw the evil, you knew that we were dealing a particularly evil-minded group of murders."

The Congregation will hold a special memorial service on Monday at 8 p.m..

(WSB Radio) A Smyrna woman is out of jail on bond this morning, after allegedly siccing her dog on the police.

Officers had gone to the home of 26 year old Lydia Parvant on Parkway Court Wednesday morning to serve her with a warrant for simple battery.

Police say she then released her pit bull, which charged one of the officers.  The dog was shot to death.

Parvant was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on an officer.

According to police records, officers have been called to her home 16 times on various complaints.

(WSB Radio) The Great Tree is lit.

A crowd estimated at close to 100,000 packed into Lenox Square to see the annual lighting of Macy's tree.

This year's edition is a 70 foot white pine from Ranger, Georgia, in Gordon County.  It weighs approximately 14,500 pounds and is decorated with 125 red Macy's stars and 125 snowflakes, along with the traditional metallic balls and illuminated spheres.

Decorations also include 1200 multi color basketball sized ornaments, 50 flashing strobe lights, 400 internally lit ornaments, 4000 11-watt bulbs and an internally lit LED color-changing Macy's star on top.  At the center of that star is a ring of 50 crystal faceted star strobes encircling the star.

The Lighting of the Great Tree has been an Atlanta tradition since 1948.  It began as a holiday gift from Rich's to the people of Atlanta.  Since that time the event has become an annual ritual on Thanksgiving night, moving from the Rich's downtown location to it's current site at the Lenox Square Mall.

(WSB Radio) Traditionally, Black Friday is good for retailers.  But Georgia State University Marketing Instructor Chris Lemley tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies the news isn't good.

"I think this Friday is going to be off from last year, fairly significantly off of last year," said Lemley.

He says while the malls will probably be crowded with shoppers.

"I think if you look at total number of transactions and the total value of transactions, that it's going to be behind last year," said Lemley.

Because people are concerned about their mortgages and that they might not even have a job next year, they will be spending less and watching every nickel.

"I think we will see many more shoppers this year that establish a budget before they go shopping and they tend to stick to the budget.  They will not be buying as many impulse goods as we usually see," said Lemley.

Some of the stores where you do your holiday shopping will have gone out of business by March.

Lemley says the news isn't all bad.

"We already see strong sales from Wal-Mart  and I think we'll continue to see strong sales from Wal-Mart.  Some of the other stores that are more expensive for the same product, I don't think you'll see them doing as well this year," said Lemley.

At the same time, the very high-end stores don't seem to be impacted.

"On the expensive stuff -  the very, very expensive stuff -  we tend to not see sales drop dramatically.  In those stores, the wealthy can afford to generally continue purchasing.   We tend to see stuff from the mid to high range -down to the mid-range - we see sales suffering in those areas in jewelry and luxury goods," said Lemley.

(WSB Radio) Some extra security at some metro Atlanta malls as thousands head there for Black Friday.

Cobb County Police Officer Nathan McCreary tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies consumers need to be extra careful since auto thefts seem to rise during the holidays.

"We have added increased patrols around the Cumberland Mall and Town Center Mall area with our ranger units, who usually patrol the parks.  They're going to be out and about as extra patrols during the holiday," said McCreary.

If you're going to be buying a lot of items, keep them out of sight.

"If there's an opportunity, criminals will break into your car.  If they think that they're going to get a large sum of money, they'll do it - they'll break in, break a window whatever - so you need to secure your valuables," said McCreary.

November 28, 2008

(WSB Radio) Black Friday is underway.

Shoppers who are hunting for bargains wait all year for the day after Thanksgiving, hoping to cash in on some unbelievable deals.

Some people camped out through the night to be the first into such stores as WalMart, Macy's  and Best Buy.

So,  what kind of deals did some shoppers get?

How about a 50" plasma television for under $800 at WalMart?  Other stores offered discounts of up to 70% off, in hopes of luring in shoppers who might be watching their budgets carefully.

Standing in line at Best Buy could get you a free blue and yellow scarf with a commemorative tag recognizing your long wait, that is if your one of the first 50 in line at one of 25 designated stores.

Macy's is keeping things simple; $10 off any $25 purchase until 1pm.

Early birds at Bed Bath and Beyond will earn an extra 10% off.  And, if you win the Pier 1 sweepstakes, you could take home a gift certificate, and a car.  Runners up get $500 store gift cards...

(WSB Radio) The GBI and authorities in Lee County are searching for a Leesburg woman, who mysteriously vanished the day before Thanksgiving.

A relative says 28 year old Christy Maria Jackson was talking on the phone when she said a white man, possibly driving a white Cadillac, was outside her door.

Moments later the line went dead.  When deputies arrived they found signs of a struggle, but not Jackson. 

Both of Jackson's cars were still parked outside.

Jackson is described a black woman, about 5'4 and 135 pounds.

(WSB Radio) The GBI and authorities in Lee County are searching for a Leesburg woman, who mysteriously vanished the day before Thanksgiving.

A relative says 28 year old Christy Maria Jackson was talking on the phone when she said a white man, possibly driving a white Cadillac, was outside her door.

Moments later the line went dead.  When deputies arrived they found signs of a struggle, but not Jackson. 

Both of Jackson's cars were still parked outside.

Jackson is described a black woman, about 5'4 and 135 pounds.

(WSB Radio) Authorities in Paulding County are asking for your help to find a missing woman.

Laneeka Varnado has not been seen since late Monday. Her family says she went to an event at the Georgia Internationl Convention Center in College Park and never returned.

Varnado was last seen driving a 1999 Silver Mercedes bearing the Georgia tag ASK 6592.

Varnado is 22-years old, 5'5" tall, and weighs 105 pounds.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the Paulding County Sheriff's office.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) Georgia's maverick Democrat Zell Miller threw his support behind Sen. Saxby Chambliss saying he "could well be the last man standing between a far, far left liberal agenda sailing through the Senate.''

A former Georgia senator and governor, Miller remains a Democrat but has lined up behind prominent Georgia Republicans in recent years. Chambliss is locked in a Dec. 2 U.S. Senate runoff with Democrat Jim Martin. The race could help decide whether Democrats win enough seats to block Republican filibusters.

Martin on Wednesday picked up a law enforcement endorsement and scolded Chambliss for attacking his crime record. He noted that his daughter, Becky, was briefly kidnapped when she 8 years old and that he has fought to keep children safe ever since.

``For Saxby Chambliss to accuse me of being weak on crime is not only wrong, but is offensive to both me and my family,'' Martin said at a news conference outside an Atlanta police station.

In the North Georgia foothills, Miller onwarned a gathering of Republicans that Senate Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has Martin ``warming up in the bullpen.''

``This is the big one,'' Miller said of the Georgia runoff.

Miller is used to speaking up for Republicans. He was the keynote speaker at the GOP convention in 2004, accusing his own party of being weak on terrorism and national security.

Miller backed Chambliss' then opponent, Democratic Sen. Max Cleland, in the 2002 race.

Georgia's runoff is hurtling into the homestretch with less than a week left. Both campaigns will take a break for Thanksgiving before their final campaign weekend.

Nationally, the Georgia race is pivotal to how much clout Democrats and President-elect Barack Obama will have in Washington. Democrats are two votes shy of the 60 needed for a filibuster-proof majority.

Georgia is one state, and Minnesota the other, where a recount is under way in the excruciatingly tight contest between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken.

With the stakes high, a parade of political bigwigs has been traipsing through Georgia to rev up interest in the race.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate, will swing through on Monday with Chambliss.

Her running mate, Arizona Sen. John McCain, stumped with Chambliss earlier this month. Other members of the Republican presidential field have also appeared with Chambliss, including Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and Rudolph Giuliani.

Martin has had former President Bill Clinton and his Vice President Al Gore appear on his behalf.

Gov. Sonny Perdue on Wednesday urged Republicans to mobilize their friends and neighbors.

He said if they don't vote, ``shame on them and shame on you for not making sure they're there.''

Early voting in Georgia ends Wednesday. Turnout so far has been tepid, with 236,992 ballots cast at last count, according to the Secretary of State``s office. That's roughly 4 percent of the state's 5.8 million registered voters.


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

(WSB Radio) -- Cobb County Police are warning people to be extra cautious this holiday season following a string of car break-ins.

Officer Nathan McCreary tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies they've seen a rash of them in East Cobb along Johnson Ferry Road.

"A lot of these crimes are happening at daycares in the East Cobb area.  We've had reports of  people entering autos that have been left unlocked while they're taking their children inside," said McCreary.

Witnesses have reported seeing the suspects at Kids R Kids and at Mt. Bethel Methodist Church Daycare and the Johnson Ferry Road Baptist Church daycare.

"Some of the suspects that we've seen in the area is a black male, 6'', 240 pounds, as well as a black female, 5' 3", both heavyset.  They're driving a white Chevy Monte Carlo, possibly a 2000 model.  The witness did say that there was a child in the suspect's vehicle," said McCreary.

NEW YORK (AP) Black Friday which falls on the day after Thanksgiving and officially starts the holiday shopping period received its name because it historically was the day when a surge of shoppers helped stores break into profitability for the full year.

But this year, with rampant promotions of up to 70 percent throughout the month amid a deteriorating economy, the power of this landmark day for the retail industry is fading.

This year, Black Friday might also mark the beginning of the end for a growing number of struggling retailers who could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after the holidays if they don't make their sales and profit goals.

Black Friday is still expected to bring in a surge of shoppers, and some analysts predict it will be the biggest day of the year, following last year's pattern. However some Wall Street pundits and even store executives acknowledge that the sales could be lower than last year as Americans just don't have the money to splurge. The traditional lull between the Thanksgiving weekend and the week before Christmas could be even slower this year than in years past, they say.

Thanksgiving weekend may be the official start of the holiday shopping season, but it doesn't necessarily provide a complete forecast of holiday sales. The weekend accounts for about 10 percent of sales during the holiday shopping period.

Wall Street analysts will be dissecting data this weekend on how the economy is affecting consumer behavior. Will families be focusing only on their children? Will shoppers only buy small-ticket items and not make big purchases, such as flat-panel TVs? And how much will they reduce their spending from a year ago?

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

WASHINGTON (AP) Missing seven injured players? No problem.

Not with Alex Ovechkin in the lineup Wednesday night.

Ovechkin had his sixth career hat trick and added an assist to help the Capitals end a three-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Thrashers.

``It was a great start for us, especially the hat trick and then the winning,'' Ovechkin said. ``We lost three in a row, and we just had to come back to our building and win the game.''

Ovechkin needed a little more than a period to score three times. He gave Washington an early lead with his power-play goal 3:29 into the game.

Eric Fehr made it 2-0 at 7:33 of the first period by finishing a perfect cross from Tomas Fleischmann. Ovechkin scored his second power-play goal off Viktor Kozlov pass with 5:59 left in the period for a 3-1 lead.

Ovechkin's third goal came on a quick shot from between the circles after a quick pass from Tom Poti 54 seconds into the second period. Ovechkin assisted on Viktor Kozlov's third-period goal and has 10 goals and 14 assists in November.

Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said that Ovechkin is back on his game again, and the two first-period goals probably fired him up.

``When he gets one early, he gets energized,'' Boudreau said. ``When he's on, it sure makes it difficult to stop.''

Washington's Chris Clark (stress fracture of forearm), Jeff Schultz (broken finger), Boyd Gordon (back) and John Erskine (undisclosed) were hurt Monday night in a loss to Minnesota. They joined Alexander Semin (back), Mike Green (shoulder), Sergei Federov (ankle), each of whom have been out with injuries.

Schultz will be out 4-6 weeks while Clark is expected to miss at least three weeks. The rest are all considered day-to-day.

The injuries forced Washington to recall defensemen Alzner and Sami Lepisto plus right wing Graham Mink and left wing Christopher Bourque from Hershey of the AHL. Those moves left the Capitals with three defensemen Alzner, Lepisto and Tyler Sloan who have less than 15 games of NHL experience. But their play delighted Boudreau as Lepisto and Sloan both got assists, and Alzner was consistent in his first game.

``I thought they all did pretty good tonight,'' Boudreau said. ``I thought we needed the energy. They did a good job.''

Alzner couldn't stop smiling the locker room after the game. ``I've been shaking the whole time, ever since I got here,'' Alzner said. ``It's unbelievable. I'm starting to settle down now.''

Despite playing with that inexperienced defense, the Capitals shut down the Thrashers with goalie Jose Theodore making 15 saves. Washington held a 33-18 edge in shots.

Bryan Little, Slava Kozlov and Nathan Oystrick scored goals for Atlanta, which couldn't find an answer for Ovechkin, who nearly scored two more.

``There's a reason he scores 50 or 60, because it's not just against our team, it's against everybody,'' said Atlanta coach John Anderson.
Notes: Lepistos assist was his second career point. ... Ovechkin has scored points in nine straight games. ... Slava Kozlov has played in 141 straight games.

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

ATLANTA (AP) Al Horford scored 21 points and converted a key three-point play to protect a late lead, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 102-96 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

Atlanta led by only two points when Horford's three-point play pushed the lead to 94-89 with 1:48 remaining. Flip Murray's 3-pointer with 54 seconds left made it 99-91.

The Bucks had to foul and hope the Hawks missed their free throws the rest of the way.

The Hawks have won three of four after losing four straight. Atlanta was ahead most of the game but neither team led by double figures.

Richard Jefferson scored 25 points for Milwaukee and rookie Ramon Sessions had 21. But reserve Charlie Villanueva, who had 19 points in 22 minutes, was the Bucks' only other scorer in double figures.

The Hawks had better balance, with five scorers in double figures.

Marvin Williams and Mike Bibby each scored 18 points for Atlanta. Murray had 16 points. Joe Johnson added 15 points and nine assists.

The Hawks led by four after one quarter, settled for a 48-48 halftime tie, and again led by four at 71-67 entering the final period. Atlanta's biggest lead was nine points.
Notes: Milwaukee C Andrew Bogut was held out after bruising his knee in Monday's loss at Orlando. Dan Gadzuric was the fill-in starter and had six points and three rebounds. ... G Luke Ridnour returned after missing a game with a knee injury. ... Hawks coach Mike Woodson said F Josh Smith, who missed his 10th straight game with a sprained left ankle, could return next week.

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

ATLANTA (AP) A 40-year-old man has been convicted of murdering two of his employees at an auto dealership in East Point and has been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus 10 years.

A Fulton County jury returned the verdict Wednesday against Rolandas Milinavicius of Alpharetta. He was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Prosecutors said the motive for the July 2007 killings was financial stress. The victims had asked for raises two weeks before their deaths.

The victims, 28-year-old Marytnas Simokatis and 25-year old Inga Contreras, were found shot to death at the dealership. The defendant and the victims were all natives of Lithuania.

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

Laneeka Varnado has not been seen since late Monday. Her family says she went to an event at the Georgia Internationl Convention Center and never returned.

Varnado was last seen driving a 1999 Silver Mercedes bearing the Georgia tag ASK 6592.

Varnado is 22-years old, 5'5" tall, and weighs 105 pounds. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the Paulding County Sheriff's office.

MUMBAI, India (AP) Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station in at least seven attacks in India's financial capital, killing at least 78 people and wounding at least 200, officials said Thursday.

The gunmen were specifically targeting Britons and Americans, media reports said, and may be holding hostages.

The gunmen also attacked police headquarters in south Mumbai, the area where most of the attacks, which began late Wednesday and continued into Thursday morning, took place.

``We are under fire, there is shooting at the gate,'' said constable A. Shetti by phone from police headquarters.

Hours after the first attacks, A.N. Roy, a senior police officer, said police continued to battle the gunmen.

``The terrorists have used automatic weapons and in some places grenades have been lobbed, the encounters are still going on and we are trying to overpower them,'' Roy said.

Johnny Joseph, chief secretary for Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, said 78 people had been killed and 200 had been injured.

The motive for the attacks was not immediately clear but Mumbai has frequently been targeted in terror attacks, often blamed on Muslim militants, including a series of blasts in July 2007 that killed 187 people.

Gunmen opened fire on two of the city's best known luxury hotels, the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi. They also attacked the crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station in southern Mumbai and Leopold's restaurant, a Mumbai landmark.

A British restaurant-goer at the Oberoi told Sky News television that the attackers were singling out Britons and Americans.

Alex Chamberlain said a gunman, a young man of 22 or 23, ushered 30 or 40 people from the restaurant into a stairway and ordered everyone to put up their hands.

``They were talking about British and Americans specifically. There was an Italian guy, who, you know, they said: 'Where are you from?'' and he said he's from Italy and they said 'fine' and they left him alone. And I thought: 'Fine, they're going to shoot me if they ask me anything and thank God they didn't,'' he said.

Chamberlain said the gunman spoke in Hindi or Urdu.

He managed to slip away from the group as they were forced to walk up the stairs, but said most of the group was still being kept hostage.

Early Thursday morning, several European lawmakers were among those still barricaded inside the Taj, a century-old seaside hotel complex and one of the city's best-known destinations.

``I was in the main lobby and there was all of a sudden a lot of firing outside,'' said Sajjad Karim, part of a delegation of European lawmakers visiting Mumbai ahead of a forthcoming EU-India summit. He turned to get away ``and all of a sudden another gunmen appeared in front of us, carrying machine gun-type weapons. And he just started firing at us ... I just turned and ran in the opposite direction,'' he told The Associated Press over his mobile phone.

Hours later, he remained holed up in a hotel restaurant, unsure if the incident was over, and whether it was safe to come out.

At the Oberoi, police officer P.I. Patil said shots had been fired inside and the hotel had been cordoned off. He would not give any other details.

The Press Trust of India news agency quoted Mumbai General Railway Police Commissioner A.K. Sharma as saying that several men armed with rifles and grenades were holed up in the train station.

Leopold's restaurant was riddled with bullet holes and there were blood stains on the floor and shoes left by fleeing customers, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.

At least 25 people had been brought to the G.T. Hospital near the shootings, said hospital official Yogesh Pandey.

India has been wracked by deadly bomb attacks in recent years, which police blame on Muslim militants intent on destabilizing this largely Hindu country. Since October 2005, nearly 700 people have died in the bombings. And since May a militant group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen had taken credit for a string of blasts that have killed more than 130.

The most recent was in September when a series of explosions struck a park and crowded shopping areas in the capital, New Delhi, killing 21 people and wounding about 100 others.

Mumbai has been hit repeatedly by terror attacks since March 1993, when Muslim underworld figures tied to Pakistani militants allegedly carried out a series of bombings on Mumbai's stock exchange, trains, hotels and gas stations. Authorities say those attacks, which killed 257 people and wounded more than 1,100, were carried out to avenge the deaths of hundreds of Muslims in religious riots which had swept India.

Ten years later, in 2003, 52 people were killed in Mumbai bombings blamed on Muslim militants and in July 2007 a series of seven blasts ripped through railway trains and commuter rail stations. At least 187 died in those attacks.

Relations between Hindus, who make up more than 80 percent of India's population, and Muslims, who make up about 14 percent, have been relatively peaceful since British-ruled India was split into independent India and Pakistan in 1947. But there have been sporadic bouts of violence.

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

(WSB Radio) -- Travelers are choosing automobiles over the planes and trains this Thanksgiving largely because of lower gas prices.  Traffic is heavy on metro Atlanta roadways and dangerous with three fatalities Wednesday afternoon.

An accident on I-285 at Cascade claimed the life of a six-year old child.  Accidents also claimed lives in Banks and White counties.

At Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport the crowds have been light and travelers have passed easily through security.

Officials had anticipated a 5-percent downturn and instead are reporting a 2-percent uptick in air passengers for the long holiday weekend.

"It's been kind of good," said an Atlanta woman who was catching a flight to Detroit.

She told WSB's Richard Sangster, "I kind of over estimated, so I got here earlier than I needed to .. its given me time to have breakfast."

Nationally, the Automobile Association of America says 41 million Americans were expected to travel over 50 miles for the holiday, down about 1.5 percent or 600,000 people from last Thanksgiving. Flying is expected to be down more sharply, about 7 percent, than about 1 percent for driving.

``The economy is in such bad shape. ... They're still really hesitant to take that trip,'' said Beth Mosher, spokeswoman for AAA Chicago.

WSB meteorologist Kirk Mellish says weather across most of the country was forecast to be clear, making it easier for those who did decide to travel. But there were some problems, especially heavy rain that swept southern California. In San Diego, flooding forced the closure of northbound lanes of Interstate 5 for several hours Wednesday morning after at least two vehicles hydroplaned in a few feet of water and crashed.

The Northeast had clouds and precipitation. Some heavy rain and snow showers were expected across upper New England while parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York could see up to a half of a foot of lake-effect snow.

Even though Marvin and Kathy Boyd had money to buy air tickets, a last-minute delay proved costly. The couple, en route from Denver to Augusta, Ga., missed getting their bags checked in by two minutes at Denver International Airport. Now they have to get another flight. They were waiting for Kathy Boyd's mother to deposit money in her bank account to pay for the switch.

``We have to pay the money to change and we don't have the money,'' said Kathy Boyd, 54.

(WSB Radio) -- A power outage that affected Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the surrounding area brought traffic trying to get to and from the world's busiest airport to a screeching halt. 

Georgia Power's John Kraft tells WSB's Mark Alewine service was interrupted around 6:15 Tuesday night when an underground wire went bad.

That in turn knocked out the power to the airport's parking decks.  Hartsfield-Jackson spokesman John Kennedy tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies cars could get out, but incoming traffic couldn't get in.

And that caused gridlock on the roads leading to the airport.  WSB FM general manager David Meszaros was stuck in the backup.  He says "exits on I-85 to the airport and to Riverdale were blocked by police and Camp Creek Parkway was backed up for miles."

Georgia Power had the problem corrected and service restored by 10 o'clock Tuesday night.

(WSB Radio) -- Bank card users, Beware:  Cobb County authorities are investigating an ATM scam in which the suspects got away with $30,000.

WSB's Clark Howard calls ATM skimming bank robbery without the gun.

"What the criminals do is they put a little, tiny digital camera that catches you punching in your secret code, and they put a little device over where your card goes in that reads the information on the back of your card.   They leave that there until they've captured a few hundred cards.  They have your secret code, and then from when they remove that skimmer until they've emptied out all those people's accounts, it's usually under one hour," said Howard.

23-year-old Nikolov Nikoliy and 29-year-old Yordan Kavalov were arrested after a late-night ATM machine user noticed something suspicious at the Bank of America ATM on Powers Ferry Road.

When confronted, the two had $11,000 in cash and 65 gift cards in their car.  Their hotel rooms were searched and another $20,000 was found, along with two laptops and magnetic card readers and writers.

Howard says there is a way to protect yourself.

"You can't really see that that little skimmer device is attached.  Before you put your card into the machine, grab hold of the thing where your card goes in - if it shakes, rattles, and rolls, you know that there might be a skimmer attached there - and do not use that ATM," said Howard.

Another tip:  "As you punch in your secret code with one hand, you kind of block the view with your other hand.  So, even if there is a skimmer you don't see, the camera is not going to be able to catch you punching in your secret code.   And even if they capture the information on the back of your card, they can't get any money from your account," said Howard.

Howard says this a growing crime all over America and the skimmers are widely available on places like E-bay.

"This is a very common crime that started initially with rogue people who work for banks and now, has gone way beyond that," said Howard.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) Everyone seems to want one, but apparently a lot of Americans aren't sure exactly what a ``bailout'' is.

People looked it up so often on Merriam-Webster's online dictionary that the publisher says ``bailout'' was an easy choice for its annual Word of the Year honor.

The rest of the list features other terms used at times of economic peril, ``trepidation,'' ``precipice'' and ``turmoil.''

Several phrases from the presidential campaign also made the cut: ``bipartisan,'' ``vet'' -- as in to appraise and evaluate -- and, of course, ``maverick.''

(WSB Radio) -- Larry Munson, the legendary Bulldog announcer, will be honored at Saturday's game against Georgia Tech.

Munson, who has called Georgia's games on WSB Radio for 43 years, will be honored on the field between the first and second quarters.  The ceremony will mark the first time Munson has actually been on the field during a game.

Munson, 85, gave up road games last season due to declining health. He retired this season after working the Bulldogs' first two home games of the year.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) A couple of 6-foot-9 freshmen helped Georgia defeat Mississippi Valley State 98-57 on Tuesday night.

Trey Thompkins and Drazen Zlovaric came off the bench to hit 15 of 17 shots, grab 13 rebounds, block two of shots and steal one pass in leading the Bulldogs (5-1) in the NIT Season Tip-Off on Tuesday night.

Playing in just his second game after sitting out the first four games with a high ankle sprain, Thompkins scored a game-high 23 points in 21 minutes.

Zlovaric, whose minutes had been limited so far this year, finished with 16 points. It could have been more if he had kept his size-15 sneakers off the 3-point line.

``I've got to buy me some 14's,'' he joked after the game. ``I usually do that in practice, too. Coach keeps telling me to stand back an inch or two. When I got into the locker room, my teammates were all saying, 'Man, you could have had 30.'''

Mississippi Valley State (0-7) nearly let him.

Shannon Behling contributed 13 points, while Eric Petty scored 12, rebounded seven and assisted on two baskets for Mississippi Valley State.

``We subdued a team and made it tough for them to make shots,'' said Georgia coach Dennis Felton. ``It was the first time we have had a dominating rebounding performance all year.''

Georgia outrebounded the Delta Devils 51-25. Jeremy Price led the way with nine boards to go with 10 points. Zac Swansey and Terrance Woodbury added 10 each for the Bulldogs. Swansey scored all 10 of his points by halftime when Georgia led 46-26.

Mississippi Valley State kept things respectable for the first 10 minutes, trailing 21-16 after a baseline drive by Behling.

But the Delta Devils managed just one field goal over the last eight minutes of the half. The Bulldogs closed the half with a flurry of 3-pointers in the last 78 seconds, two by Swanzey and one by Thompkins.

Three quick Georgia baskets to start the second half quelled any faint comeback hopes for Mississippi Valley State.

``We got after it,'' said Mississippi Valley State coach Sean Woods. ``We didn't really get beat in a bunch of places. They just made shots that we didn't.''

Felton was pleased with the play of his freshmen.

``Typically, most all freshmen except for the very best tend to be inconsistent,'' he said. ``These guys are talented and can be terrific players.''

Thompkins played 18 minutes on Monday, scoring 10 in Georgia's 54-48 win over Santa Clara.

``I got a taste of what it is like to play college basketball,'' he said. ``It came a little easier than last night.''

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

U.S. Transportation Secretary Marty Peters made the announcement alongside Gov. Perdue and D.O.T. Commissioner Gena Evans. She says HOT lanes are already being successfully used in Minneapolis and parts of Southern California.

"Ninety percent of the people use the lanes 10 percent of the time... they use it when it's important to them to get to a meeting, to get that daycare center, to get to a ball game. It isn't just for the wealthy, it's for everyone," says Peters.

Evans says the details must still be worked out on how much the tolls will be. She says they will use an electronic transmitting system that will bill motorists.

The goal is to get the lanes up and running by 2011, but Gov. Perdue says he would like to see them in use by 2010.

Emergency alerts of missing children, elderly or disabled adults, and fugitives will begin appearing next month on the LED screens.

"This technology really does allow instant photographs to come up on the billboard and there's really no venue by which that can occur (right now)," says Lt. Gov. Casey Cagel.

The billboard space is being donated by members of the Outdoor Advertising Association which can cost between $3000 and $5000 on billboards around metro Atlanta. The alerts, which run every 10 seconds, will stay up until the person is found.

GEMA Director Charlie English says alerts on other emergency situations including weather warnings, hurricane evacuations, shelter information, as well as nuclear, chemical, and wildfire concerns will also be displayed.

"This versatile technology will greatly enhance the way we disseminate information in times of emergency," he says.

(WSB Radio) -- Today is the final day to request an absentee ballot or vote early in person for the December 2nd runoff.

The Georgia Republican Party has been bombarding voters with robo calls and mailings reminding them to check the status of their applications for absentee ballots after thousands have been denied due to lack of  signatures.

Elections offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Friday and no voting will take place on Monday, December 1st.

Absentee ballots will accepted until 7 p.m. on election day.

(WSB Radio)   Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is on a campaign swing through metro Atlanta for Senator Saxby Chambliss' re-election bid.

Giuliani is talking to supporters at a cafe in Cherokee County and then at the Chambliss campaign offices for a news conference with Chambliss honoring first responders.  He called in to the Neal Boortz show Tuesday morning.

"The reality is, Saxby deserves re-election just on the merits--he's been a great Senator," said Giuliani.  "But also, we want to make sure that we have some kind of check and balance that's goin' on." 

While Democrats still have a shot at a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, it will not be easy.  Chambliss is running for re-election in a state which gave the majority of its votes to Republican John McCain in the presidential race, and while he did not get a 50% majority, he still led Democrat Jim Martin by a few percentage points in the election.  In Nebraska, it will probably be mid-December before a recount is completed in the race between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman. 

NEW YORK (AP) A California man accused of driving to New Jersey and fatally shooting his estranged wife and another man inside a church has been captured in Georgia.

Joseph M. Pallipurath was arrested around midnight Monday in Monroe, east of Atlanta, said New Jersey district U.S. Marshal James Plousis.

Pallipurath, of Sacramento, is suspected of shooting and killing 24-year-old Reshma James inside the St. Thomas Syrian Orthodox Knanaya Church in Clifton, a suburb about 15 miles west of Manhattan.

Also killed was Dennis John Mallosseril, who maintained the church's Web site. Witnesses said had tried to intervene and break up the church rampage.

A third person, James' cousin, Silvy Perincheril, was shot in the head and was hospitalized in critical condition. James had taken out a restraining order against Pallipurath, prosecutors said.

In California, the suspect's father had called on him to surrender, as did relatives of one of the victims in New Jersey.

All three victims were shot once in the head and didn't regain consciousness, depriving investigators of the opportunity to interview them. James died at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, and Mallosseril died three hours later.

The search for Pallipurath, who fled in a vehicle with California license plates, had centered on Georgia, where he has relatives, prosecutors said.

Pallipurath is accused of opening fire Sunday just as the congregation was finishing its prayers for the dead, a staple of weekly worship service. Authorities say he fired more than three times but only three people were hit. No one else was injured.

After fleeing three months ago from what relatives said was an abusive, arranged marriage in California, James moved to New Jersey and stayed with Perincheril, who lives in Hawthorne.

The couple were married just over a year ago in India and moved to Sacramento in January.

Reshma's aunt Maria Joseph, of Hartford, Conn., said she warned her niece, who was studying to become a nurse, not to marry him. Other relatives told her the man had a history of ``behavioral problems,'' Joseph said.

Mathai Pallipurath, the suspect's father, said he thought his son and daughter-in-law were happy together, and he described his son as ``handsome'' and ``a nice guy.''

According to a published report, however, the elder Pallipurath was granted a restraining order against his son in May. The father said Joseph was abusive to family members and had threatened his life.

In the story posted on its Web site Monday, The Sacramento Bee, citing family court records, said the restraining order was dropped at Mathai Pallipurath's request on June 17. Mathai Pallipurath was not available later Monday to comment on the report. A man who answered the phone at the family's Sacramento home Monday evening said he did not wish to speak further.

The shootings have reverberated throughout the Knanaya faith, a close-knit Christian minority in India who are even closer-knit in the United States.

The parish priest, Rev. Thomas Abraham, said he heard a loud noise and thought something had fallen in the church. He got up to go toward the noise, only to be hit with a wave of parishioners pushing him backward, saying someone was shooting inside the sanctuary.

He said church members were in shock.

``They're all scared; they're all really upset,'' he said. ``We have to hold together in this time of adversity.''

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

(WSB Radio/AP) -- Former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has pleaded guilty to a state dogfighting charge in Virginia in a bid to make him eligible for early release from jail.

Vick, 28,  pleaded guilty to one charge and not guilty to a second count involving torturing or killing animals. The second count was dropped.

Vick was given a three-year suspended sentence. The plea could potentially speed his return to the NFL.

Federal law prohibits prisoners from being released to a halfway house if there are unresolved charges pending.

Vick was expressionless throughout the brief hearing. He told the judge he apologized to his family and to children who looked up to him as a role model.

(WSB Radio) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will visit Atlanta next week to campaign for U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss on the eve of his runoff election against Jim Martin.

Palin, who drew large crowds while running for vice president with Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain, is the latest in a parade of political a-listers to campaign for both candidates in recent weeks.

It is expected that Palin will appear at a rally late Monday afternoon, but details are still being worked out.

Palin will also appear at Chambliss rallies in Augusta, Savannah and Perry.

The McCain-Palin ticket carried Georgia on Nov. 4 by about 200,000 votes.

(WSB Radio) -- Gwinnett County police investigators are working to identify the suspect who opened fire Monday night on a car driving through a Lawrenceville neighborhood.

Gwinnett police spokeswoman Illana Spelman tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies the teen driver of the car was shot and killed.  A 14-year-old passenger was grazed by a bullet and is being treated for non-life threatening injuries at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite.  A third teenager in the car was not hurt.

A motive for the shooting, which happened around 8:30 Monday night in the Gregory Manor subdivision, has not been established.

21-year-old Jeffrey Sprowl has been charged with one count of arson involving Motor Venture Auto Sales. They tracked him through a vehicle that was stolen from there.

Investigators continue to piece together clues to identify suspects in the other fires.

"ATF, the State Fire Marshal, and DeKalb Fire and Rescue's arson investigators staked out the car. About three hours later, three individuals entered the car, we detained them, brought them in for questioning. About 3:57 this morning, one of the gentleman was arrested and charged with first degree arson," said Foster.

Foster says they are still questioning a second person and more charges are expected.

Out of the 11 fires that occurred, ten of the them have been ruled arson.

Other fires were started at the Indian Creek Baptist Church, a daycare center, and at other auto shops.

They are still trying to determine if Sprowl was involved in the other fires.

"The fires stopped yesterday morning at about 6 o'clock and were able to identify the car involved about 3pm that same day. So, we haven't had time to tie the suspect to more than one fire, yet," said Foster.

November 25, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) The insurance industry designated dozens of new cars and trucks, led by Ford Motor Co. and its Volvo subsidiary, to its annual list of the safest vehicles Tuesday, helped by the increased use of anti-rollover technology.

Ford and Volvo had 16 vehicles in the 2009 model year on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's list of the safest new cars, followed by Honda Motor Co. with 13 vehicles.

Seventy-two cars, trucks and SUVs received the top safety pick designation for 2009, more than double the number of vehicles in the 2008 model year and three times the number in 2007.

``The sheer number of this year's winners indicates that automakers have made huge strides to improve crash protection,'' said Institute president Adrian Lund.

The selected vehicles are the best in protecting people in front, side and rear crash tests based on institute evaluations during the year. The vehicles are required to have electronic stability control, or ESC, to qualify for the award.

IIHS said electronic stability control is now standard equipment on virtually all new SUVs and three-quarters of passenger cars for the 2009 model year. ESC is standard on more than one-third of 2009 pickups.

Ford was led by the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan midsize cars with optional ESC; the Ford F-150 pickup, Ford Edge and Ford Flex midsize sport utility vehicles; and the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner small SUVs. The list also included the Mazda Tribute, which has the same underpinnings as the Escape and Mariner.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally argued last week in Washington that the automaker had made safety strides when he testified along with other Big Three executives seeking massive government aid.

``Every year, we're going to improve the quality, we're going to improve the fuel efficiency, we're going to improve the safety, and we're going to keep improving the productivity so we can offer the consumer the very best value,'' Mulally told a House committee.

Honda and its Acura unit had vehicles in nearly every category, including top-sellers such as the Honda Accord; the Honda Civic 4-door with optional ESC; and the Acura MDX and RDX midsize SUVs; and the Honda Fit with optional ESC. The Fit is the first mini-car to earn the safety award.

Volkswagen AG and its Audi brand had nine vehicles on the list, including the Volkswagen Jetta and Passat and the Audi A3, A4 and A6.

General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. both had eight vehicles on the list. GM's included the Cadillac CTS and the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook large SUVs.

Toyota's top performers were the Toyota Corolla with optional ESC, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra and Scion xB.

Using the awards, consumers can compare vehicles without having to review results from multiple tests. Automakers pay close attention to the institute's findings and frequently note positive ratings in television commercials.

The institute has advocated for an early adoption of anti-rollover technology such as ESC ahead of a government requirement for the systems by the 2012 model year.

Electronic stability control senses when a driver may lose control and automatically applies brakes to individual wheels to keep the vehicle stable and avoid a rollover. It helps motorists avoid skidding across icy or slick roads or keep control when swerving to avoid an unexpected object in the road.

IIHS said Chrysler LLC was the only major automaker that did not receive a single award. They said Chrysler could have picked up five awards if the head restraints had been improved in the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, the Sebring convertible and the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country.

Chrysler spokesman Cole Quinnell said he could not comment on whether the head restraints might be upgraded in the future. He said Chrysler vehicles are equipped with a variety of safety features and the institute's results ``are just one of the sources of information about a vehicle's crash performance.''

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

(WSB Radio) --The best city for women is not Atlanta.

Self Magazine ranked 100 metro areas across the country and named the healthiest areas for women.

In SELF magazines 9th annual Healthiest Cities for Women Bethesda, Maryland ranked the best.  Detroit, Michigan ranked the worst.

SELF magazine features editor Sara Austin tells WSB Health Reporter Sabrina Gibbons Atlanta ranked #33. The reason Atlanta ranked so low was mainly due to long commute times.

SELF developed a list of 50 criteria which determined the rankings, including topics such as: rates of cancer, obesity and depression; access to health care such as the number of doctors and hospital beds per capita; environmental and community measures such as air quality, number of parks, and crime rates; and lifestyle habits such as exercise, diet and smoking. SELF then took to the
streets, scouring the nation to find the most cutting-edge ideas for improving the places where we live.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) Georgia's defense is improving as its injury list shrinks.

Albert Jackson and Trey Thompkins returned from ankle injuries to combine for 22 points, and the Bulldogs beat Santa Clara 54-48 on Monday night in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Georgia (4-1) had 11 steals and nine blocked shots while holding Santa Clara to 37.8 percent (17 of 45) shooting from the field.

``Defense is what is winning ballgames for us right now, and we went into the season with that goal in mind, developing into a great defensive team and relying on that,'' Georgia coach Dennis Felton said.

Santa Clara (1-3) committed 25 turnovers, leading to 22 points for Georgia.

Terrance Woodbury led Georgia with 14 points and three steals. Jackson had 12 points, a steal and a block and Thompkins, a freshman, added 10 points in his debut after missing the Bulldogs' first four games with an ankle injury.

Jackson also suffered an ankle injury in the preseason, and the injury kept him out of Friday's win over Presbyterian.

``It was still a little sore today; it was a game-time decision to play,'' Jackson said.

Jackson played 25 minutes in his key matchup against Santa Clara's 6-foot-11 senior center John Bryant.

``I was grateful to have Albert back,'' Felton said. ``It was very important to have him back against their guy (Bryant).''

Bryant scored 12 points, eight below his average, and had 13 rebounds. Bryant was held to eight shots while guarded by Jackson and forward Chris Barnes most of the game.

``Albert just did a great job on both ends,'' Felton said. ``He and Chris did a tremendous job making Bryant work so hard for every touch. That was the plan. We didn't want him touching the ball at all.''

Bryant averaged 18 points and led the West Coast Conference with 9.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game last season.

Bryant had back-to-back baskets in the Broncos' 9-0 run for a 31-29 lead about four minutes into the second half. He didn't have another field goal.

``I'm disappointed that we lost but I know we're getting better,'' Santa Clara coach Kerry Keating said. ``This is a very young team, so we knew we were going to have a few growing pains throughout the year. It isn't all going to come together at once.''

Georgia also is a young team, especially with the addition of Thompkins to Felton's rotation.

At times Georgia had three freshmen on the floor: Thompkins and guards Dustin Ware and Travis Leslie.

``We're certainly relying on some young guys,'' Felton said. ``They're being thrown into the fire. They're going to make some mistakes. It's going to be a little bit of a growing process for them.''

Woodbury is Georgia's only senior. Jackson is a junior.

Jackson said he doesn't mind being surrounded by so many young players, especially with Thompkins joining a rotation on the front line that also includes Barnes and Jeremy Price.

``I think Trey played an amazing game, especially for his first game,'' Jackson said. ``We have an amazing front line. I think once we all get in top form we'll have one of the top front lines in the nation.''

The 6-foot-9 Thompkins, the most celebrated freshman in Felton's 2008 class, showed his shooting skills as he made a 3-pointer and made 5 of 6 free throws.

``Trey certainly puts another scorer on the floor for us,'' Felton said. ``On the free-throw line he was huge. ... He will just get better and better with experience.''

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

(WSB Radio)  -- A new economic stimulus package proposed by President-elect Barack Obama could mean more money for Georgia's financially strapped transportation system.

Obama says he wants to create 2.5 million jobs in the next two years in large part by rebuilding America's infrastructure.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Gene Evans confirms she's been asked to submit two lists of road projects... those that could be ready for construction in 30 days, the other in 180 days.

The total of the first list is $264 million while that number jumps to $1 billion for the second.

"Will all of them move the needle on all the congestion issues or move the needle on economic development... some will and some won't. But we are prepared for an economic stimulus package," she says.

The Public Works Association says there are more than 3,600 projects across the country that could begin construction in 90 days at a cost of more than $15 billion. It says for every $1 billion spent for transportation, nearly 35,000 jobs are created.

Evans says the catch will be requiring matching state funds for every federal dollar spent.

"States do not have the capacity right now to meet those match dollars, it's not just us," she says.

(WSB Radio) -- With the state of Georgia facing a $2 billion budget deficit, should the government get out of the business of operating lodges and golf courses?

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagel thinks so, saying it's part of the legislature's obligation to prioritize in these difficult economic times.

"I'm in favor of selling off many of those assets or privatizing, which every one is economically viable," he tells WSB's Sandra Parrish.

The state owns and operates seven lodges and eight golf courses, the later loosing $1 million last year alone.

The Georgia Board of Natural Resources voted in August to close or reduce the hours at up to seven historic sites and six state parks.

(WSB Radio)  Forsyth County Sheriff's deputies do not have any suspects and are not releasing a motive in the death of a man found Monday afternoon at a rental home on the Atlanta Highway.

Captain Frank Huggins tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies the man was found just before 1 o'clock.

"Family members had gone to this residence and upon entering the residence, they found the body of Guillermo Lira, Hispanic male, age 49.  He was dead at the scene," said Huggins.

Huggins says Guillermo lived at the home next to The Mill House, for several months.

"Foul play is suspected.  We are not going to go into any details regarding the crime scene, but we are treating it as a homicide, " said Huggins.

Authorities have no suspects or a motive.

His body has beeb sent to the state crime lab for an autopsy.

November 24, 2008

(WSB Radio)  -- Tired of sitting in traffic?  State lawmakers are hoping long commutes will prompt Georgians to support a regional sales tax to fund transportation projects.

The transportation special purpose local option sales tax or "t-splost" is an idea lawmakers pushed last year but could not agree.  The issue -- should metro Atlanta, the state, regions or single counties or groups of counties adopt the tax.

If passed by the legislature, voters would decide the constitutional amendment in the next general election. A local referendum could then be held in the region to ultimately decide is such a tax would be imposed.

After a recent study found the state will be $50 billion dollars short in funding future road projects, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagel says a t-splost needs to be a priority in the upcoming legislature.

"There's many different tools in the tool box and this is one of those tools," he told a group of business leaders pushing for solutions to traffic congestion.

Cagel says another idea is to use public/private partnerships to build more toll roads or create toll express lanes on existing roadways.

He says the state's motor fuel tax which has been a sole source of funding for transportation is no longer generating enough revenue to cover road costs.

Cagle vows that if House and Senate leaders can reach an early consensus on t-splost legislation, he will rush it through the legislative process when lawmakers return in January.

WASHINGTON (AP) The government unveiled a bold plan Sunday to rescue troubled Citigroup, including taking a $20 billion stake in the firm as well as guaranteeing hundreds of billions of dollars in risky assets.

The action, announced jointly by the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., is aimed at shoring up a huge financial institution whose collapse would wreak havoc on the already crippled financial system and the U.S. economy.

The sweeping plan is geared to stemming a crisis of confidence in the company, whose stock has been hammered in the past week on worries about its financial health.

``With these transactions, the U.S. government is taking the actions necessary to strengthen the financial system and protect U.S. taxpayers and the U.S. economy,'' the three agencies said in a statement issued late Sunday night. ``We will continue to use all of our resources to preserve the strength of our banking institutions, and promote the process of repair and recovery and to manage risks.''

The move is the latest in a string of high-profile government bailout efforts. The Fed in March provided financial backing to JPMorgan Chase's buyout of ailing Bear Stearns. Six months later, the government was forced to take over mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and throw a financial lifeline which was recently rejiggered to insurer American International Group.

Critics worry the actions could put billions of taxpayers' dollars in jeopardy and encourage financial companies to take excessive risk on the belief that the government will bail them out of their messes.

The Citigroup rescue came after a weekend of marathon discussions led by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, who is being tapped by President-elect Barack Obama as his Treasury chief also participated.

Investors reacted cautiously to the plan. Most Asian stock markets retreated when they opened Monday, weighed down by worries about Citigroup. However, losses were pared after the government announcement.

The $20 billion cash injection by the Treasury Department will come from the $700 billion financial bailout package. The capital infusion follows an earlier one of $25 billion in Citigroup in which the government received an ownership stake.

As part of the plan, Treasury and the FDIC will guarantee against the ``possibility of unusually large losses'' on up to $306 billion of risky loans and securities backed by commercial and residential mortgages.

Under the loss-sharing arrangement, Citigroup Inc. will assume the first $29 billion in losses on the risky pool of assets. Beyond that amount, the government would absorb 90 percent of the remaining losses, and Citigroup 10 percent. Money from the $700 billion bailout and funds from the FDIC would cover the government's portion of potential losses. The Federal Reserve would finance the remaining assets with a loan to Citigroup.

As a condition of the rescue, Citigroup is barred from paying quarterly dividends to shareholders of more than 1 cent a share for three years unless the company obtains consent from the three federal agencies. The bank is currently paying a dividend of 16 cents, halved from a 32-cent payout in the previous quarter. The agreement also places restrictions on executive compensation, including bonuses.

Importantly, the agreement calls on Citigroup to take steps to help distressed homeowners.

Specifically, Citigroup will modify mortgages to help people avoid foreclosure along the lines of an FDIC plan that was put into effect at IndyMac Bank, a major failed savings and loan based in Pasadena, Calif.

Under the IndyMac plan, struggling home borrowers pay interest rates of about three percent for five years. Rates are reduced so that borrowers aren't paying more than 38 percent of their pretax income on housing.

The IndyMac plan also was used as a model for a new program by mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and for two other failed thrifts taken over by the government on Friday. FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair has been pressing Treasury to use $24 billion from the $700 billion bailout program to put the mortgage modification program on national footing, but Paulson is opposed to that idea.

The once mighty Citigroup, which had at one time been the largest U.S. bank by assets, has seen its shares lose 60 percent of their value in the past week, reflecting a crisis of confidence among skittish investors. They are worried all the risky debt on Citigroup's balance sheet will turn into losses as the economy worsens and the markets stay turbulent losses that could be nearly impossible to reverse.

Citigroup is such a large, interconnected player in the financial system that it is seen by Washington policymakers as too big to fail. The company has operations stretching around the globe in more than 100 countries.

Analysts consider Citigroup the most vulnerable among the major U.S. banks especially after it failed to nab Wachovia Corp., which was bought instead by Wells Fargo Co. That was a missed opportunity for Citi to gets its hands on much-needed U.S. deposits that would bolster its cash position.

Citigroup was especially hard hit by the meltdown in risky, subprime mortgages made to people with tarnished credit or low incomes. Foreclosures on those mortgages spiked, leaving Citi and other financial companies wracking up huge losses on the soured investments. The company has failed to turn a profit during the past four quarters and has announced plans to slash thousands of jobs.

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

(WSB Radio) --A WSB Consumer Alert concerning ads that appear to be part of legitimate web sites .

The problem with the ads is they look like part of the web site but in fact they are ads.

Richard Wickberg was a victim of an ad he thought was part of a legitimate web site . He paid $1.98 for a cd but his credit card was charged $38.60 each month.

Fran Mitchell with WSB's Consumer Action Center says alway read the fine print and make sure you know who you are giving your credit card number to.

WSB's Clark Howard has some more tips for staying safe on line :

• Never click on a link in an e-mail that appears to be from your bank, credit union or brokerage. Call the company if you are in doubt.
  
• Don't click on links in an e-mail offering free goods or services.
  
• Never download free software from unknown web sites .
  
• Don't download video drivers from sites other than Microsoft, Adobe or Apple.
  
  Clark also wants to add that you should be using a browser like Firefox, which is safer than Internet Explorer. Please note that it's OK to download new security patches from Firefox.
  

WASHINGTON (AP) Dozens of deaths have been linked to medications that have never been reviewed by the government for safety and effectiveness but are still covered under Medicaid, an Associated Press analysis of federal data has found.

Taxpayers have shelled out at least $200 million since 2004 for such drugs, and millions of private patients are taking them as well.

The AP analysis found that Medicaid paid nearly $198 million from 2004 to 2007 for more than 100 unapproved drugs, mostly for common conditions such as colds and pain. Data for 2008 were not available but unapproved drugs still are being sold. The AP checked the medications against FDA databases, using agency guidelines to determine if they were unapproved. The FDA says there may be thousands of such drugs on the market.

The medications date back decades, before the Food and Drug Administration tightened its review of drugs in the early 1960s. The FDA says it is trying to squeeze them from the market, but conflicting federal laws allow the Medicaid health program for low-income people to pay for them.

Medicaid officials acknowledge the problem, but say they need help from Congress to fix it. The FDA and Medicaid are part of the Health and Human Services Department, but the FDA has yet to compile a master list of unapproved drugs, and Medicaid which may be the biggest purchaser keeps paying.

``I think this is something we ought to look at very hard, and we ought to fix it,'' said Medicaid chief Herb Kuhn. ``It raises a whole set of questions, not only in terms of safety, but in the efficiency of the program to make sure we are getting the right set of services for beneficiaries.''

At a time when families, businesses and government are struggling with health care costs and 46 million people are uninsured, payments for questionable medications amount to an unplugged leak in the system.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has asked the HHS inspector general to investigate.

That unapproved prescription drugs can be sold in the United States surprises even doctors and pharmacists. But the FDA estimates they account for 2 percent of all prescriptions filled by U.S. pharmacies, about 72 million scripts a year. Private insurance plans also cover them.

The roots of the problem go back in time, tangled in layers of legalese.

It wasn't until 1962 that Congress ordered the FDA to review all new medications for effectiveness. Thousands of drugs already on the market were also supposed to be evaluated. But some manufacturers claimed their medications were grandfathered under earlier laws, and even under the 1962 bill.

Then, in the early 1980s, a safety scandal erupted over one of those medications. E-Ferol, a high potency vitamin E injection, was linked to serious reactions in some 100 premature babies, 40 of whom died.

In response, the FDA started a program to weed out drugs it had never reviewed scientifically. Yet some medications continued to escape scrutiny.

Sometimes, the medications do not help patients. In other cases, the FDA says, they have made people sicker, maybe even killed them. This year, for example, the FDA banned injectable versions of a gout drug called colchicine after receiving reports of 23 deaths. Investigators found the unapproved drug had a very narrow margin of safety, and patients easily could receive a toxic dose leading to complications such as organ failure.

Critics say the FDA's case-by-case enforcement approach is not working.

``The FDA does not appear to have a systematic mechanism to report these drugs out,'' said Jon Glaudemans, senior vice president of Avalere Health, a health care industry information company, ``and there doesn't seem to be a systematic process by which health insurance programs can validate their status. And everyone is pointing the finger at someone else as to why we can't get there.''

In most cases, doctors, pharmacists and patients are not aware the drugs are unapproved.

``Over the years, they have become fully entrenched in the system,'' said Patti Manolakis, a Charlotte, N.C., pharmacist who has studied the issue. Only a few unapproved drugs are truly essential and should remain on the market, she added.

Tackling the problem is made harder by confusing and sometimes conflicting laws, regulations and responsibilities that pertain to different government agencies.

Medicaid officials said their program, which serves the poor and disabled, is allowed to pay for unapproved drugs until the FDA orders a specific medication off the market. But that can take years.

Compare that with Medicare, the health care program for older people.

Medicare's prescription program is not supposed to cover unapproved drugs. Medicare has purged hundreds of such medications from its coverage lists, but continues to find others.

It might be easier to sort things out if the FDA compiled a master list of unapproved drugs, but the agency hasn't. FDA officials say that would be difficult because many manufacturers do not list unapproved products with the agency. Yet, the AP found many that were listed a possible starting point for a list.

Among the drugs the AP's research identified were Carbofed, for colds and flu; Hylira, a dry skin ointment; Andehist, a decongestant, and ICAR Prenatal, a vitamin tablet. Medicaid data show the program paid $7.3 million for Carbofed products from 2004 to 2007; $146,000 for Hylira; $4.8 million for Andehist products, and $900,000 for ICAR.

Grassley said the system is failing taxpayers and consumers.

``The problem I see is bureaucrats don't want to make a decision,'' Grassley said. ``There is no reason why this should be such a house of mirrors when so much public money is being spent.'' Grassley is considering introducing legislation to ensure that consumers are told when a medication is unapproved.

FDA officials say they tell Medicaid and Medicare when the agency moves to ban an unapproved drug, so the programs can stop paying.

``The situation is complicated by the fact that Medicaid and Medicare have a different regulatory regime than FDA does,'' said FDA compliance lawyer Michael Levy. ``There are products that we may consider to be illegally marketed that could be legally reimbursed under their law.''

The FDA began its latest crackdown on unapproved drugs two years ago and has taken action against nine types of medications and dozens of companies. Typically, the agency orders manufacturers to stop making and shipping drugs, and it also has seized millions of dollars' worth of medications. But federal law does not provide fines for selling unapproved drugs, and criminal prosecutions are rare.

Some manufacturers of unapproved drugs say their products predate FDA regulation and are ``grandfathered in.''

``These are drugs that don't require an FDA approval,'' said Bill Peters, chief financial officer of Hi-Tech Pharmacal in Amityville, N.Y. ``These are products with active ingredients that have been on the market for a long time.'' The company is moving away from older products, Peters said, and its new market offerings are FDA-approved.

Levy said the FDA is skeptical that any drugs now being sold are entitled to ``grandfather'' status. To qualify, they would have to be identical to medications sold decades ago in formulation and other important aspects.

The agency is targeting drugs linked to fraud, ones that do not work and, above all, those with safety risks. While the crackdown has helped, it does not appear to have solved the problem.

The gout drug banned by the FDA this February is not the only recent case involving safety problems.

Last year, the FDA banned unapproved cough medicines containing hydrocodone, a potent narcotic. Some had directions for medicating children as young as age 2, although no hydrocodone cough products have been shown to be safe and effective for children under 6.

In a 2006 case, the agency received 21 reports of children younger than 2 who died after taking unapproved cold and allergy medications containing carbinoxamine, an allergy drug that also acts as a powerful sedative. Regulators banned all products that contained carbinoxamine in combination with other cold medicines.

``We as Americans have a belief that all the prescription drugs that are available to us have been reviewed and approved by the FDA,'' said Manolakis, the pharmacist. ``I think the presence of these drugs shows we have a false sense of security.''

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

(WSB Radio) -- Atlanta police are questioning the mother and the brother of a 14-year-old girl who was shot in the face Sunday night in the basement of her southwest Atlanta home.

The brother, who is 16, told investigators an intruder entered the basement of the home on Susan Lane around 10 o'clock Sunday night and shot his sister as she lay on a couch.  But, Atlanta police Lt. Keith Meadows tells Channel 2 Action News the sibling's story has several inconsistencies.  The teen told officers the gunman ran from the home and threw his weapon in a vacant field near the crime scene.  A K-9 unit searched the area and found nothing.

The victim is in critical condition at Grady Memorial Hospital.

(WSB Radio) -- Dekalb County fire investigators are working to determine if nearly a dozen fires set within a mile and a half of one another are related.

The first fire was reported around 4:30 Sunday afternoon. The last call came in roughly twelve hours later.

Several businesses were set ablaze, including a daycare center (pictured) and a church. A brush fire off of Memorial Drive is also suspect.

Dekalb County Fire Captain Eric Jackson tells WSB's Richard Sangster the fires appear to have been deliberately set.

Jackson says "there is nothing in the weather to indicate the fires were natural in nature."

An unidentified man was taken into custody early Monday morning in Clarkston. He's being questioned about any connection he may have to the fires.

Despite the damage, there were no reports of injuries.

(WSB Radio) -- When lawmakers return to the State Capitol in January, property tax reform will again be a hot issue.

Rep. Edward Linsey (R-Atlanta) has pre-filed House Resolution 1 that would cap property reassessments at three percent or the rate of inflation.  He says many local governments raise property assessments as a way to increase taxes.

"We very much need to slam shut the back door tax increases that we've seen with property tax reassessments in the past,"  Lindsey tells WSB's Sandra Parrish.

Another bill pre-filed by Rep. Kevin Levitas (D-Atlanta) would freeze home assessments at their original purchase price.

Lawmakers adjourned last session without reaching a consensus on property tax reform after spending the entire session debating it.

(WSB Radio) -- Dekalb County fire investigators do not believe foul play was involved in a Sunday night fire that damaged a church in Stone Mountain. 

Dekalb Fire Captain Eric Jackson tells WSB's Mark Alewine flames were seen coming out of two windows of the Indian Creek Baptist Church around 9:30 p.m.

The chapel, which is one floor below the main sanctuary, suffered extensive damage.  Other parts of the church sustained smoke and water damage.  No one was hurt.

ATLANTA (AP) Michael Turner handled the power game, lowering his head and ramming into would-be tacklers time after time. Harry Douglas turned up the speed, finishing off Carolina with an electrifying dash to the end zone.

Thunder and Lightning carried the Atlanta Falcons to an impressive win Sunday in a game they couldn't afford to lose in the NFC South.

Turner tied a team record with four rushing touchdowns, Douglas scored the first two TDs of his career the second on a 61-yard punt return and the Falcons romped to a 45-28 win over the Panthers to move within a game of the division lead.

Turner went over 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career and scored his first three TDs on bruising runs of 1, 4 and 1 yards the last of those on fourth down when the Falcons decided to go for it instead of settle for a field goal that would have given them just a six-point lead with about 7 minutes to go.

``I think it makes the decision a little easier when you've got a physical running back like Michael,'' said rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, who had another solid day. ``His effort is the biggest thing. He continues to run hard from the first quarter through the fourth quarter. He's tough to bring down.''

So was Douglas, but for a very different reason. Showing off his blazing speed, the rookie receiver scored his first TD on a 7-yard end around and took off with a 69-yard pass that set up another score. But it was his final play everyone will remember.

Carolina's Jason Barker got off a booming punt from the back of his end zone, but that merely gave Douglas some time to decide what he wanted to do. He surveyed the field for a split-second, took off suddenly to his left, then cut back right through a huge hole.

Barker was the last man with a chance, but Douglas merely pointed at him the final 10 yards before leaping into the Georgia Dome stands to celebrate a 38-21 lead with less than 5 minutes to go.

``Once I made my cut, I saw the opening and I saw I had two guys to beat,'' Douglas said. ``One guy was covered by our guy. Just the punter was left.''

No contest there. Carolina was done.

Coming off its first home loss, Atlanta (7-4) raced to a 17-0 lead, endured a Carolina comeback and blew it open in the final minutes.

While Turner and Douglas were huge, also give a nod to first-year coach Mike Smith. He's been making all the right calls and came up with another winner when Atlanta, leading 24-21, faced fourth-and-goal from just outside the 1.

Kicker Jason Elam started to run on the field, but Smith sent him back. The Falcons lined up with Turner in the backfield, Ryan to hand him the ball and everyone else ready to block. Julius Peppers got a shot at Turner, but the running back blew through the star defensive end and went in standing for a 31-21 lead.

``That was a real easy decision,'' Smith said. ``We felt like we'd be able to punch it in. I really felt we had no other choice but to do it. Three points for a field goal gives us a six-point lead. I felt like we needed to score a touchdown.''

Turner took care of the rest. It didn't matter that a player of Peppers' caliber was in the way.

``I don't know numbers,'' he said. ``I just know colors.''

Turner rambled for a 16-yard touchdown in the final minute, his fourth rushing score of the game tying T.J. Duckett's team record and 13th score this season leaving him one shy of Jamal Anderson's franchise mark. Turner finished with 117 yards on 24 carries, his fifth 100-yard game of the year.

Douglas had the best game of his career by far, and he did it after two crucial drops in a September loss at Carolina. He caught four balls this time for 92 yards, had three punt returns for 93 yards and scored the Falcons' first touchdown after taking a pitch from Ryan and outrunning everyone to the corner.

``Whatever they need me to do, wherever they need me to play, that's why I'm here,'' Douglas said.

Carolina put up some huge numbers, but couldn't overcome a terrible start. Atlanta had a 17-0 lead before the Panthers had a first down.

``They had a lot of personnel groupings and did a good job hiding their substitutions,'' Panthers coach John Fox said. ``It caused us to be a little bit behind on defense.''

Jake Delhomme was 21-of-35 for 295 yards, hooking up with Steve Smith on eight passes for 168 yards. DeAngelo Williams rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries, including a 5-yard touchdown early in the third that cut Atlanta's lead to 17-10.

``We dug ourselves such a hole,'' said Delhomme, who scored on a 12-yard scramble and threw a late TD pass to Muhsin Muhammad. ``They started fast and we tried to make a game of it. It's frustrating. We should start better.''
Notes: The Falcons had a season high for points, surpassing a 38-14 win over Kansas City. ... Carolina surrendered its most points of the season, nearly three times its season average of 15.5. ... Douglas set up Atlanta's second touchdown with a 27-yard punt return.

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

ATLANTA (AP) Former Vice President Al Gore Sunday night called on Georgians to seize the mantle of change in the state's nationally watched U.S. Senate runoff, arguing that a vote for Democrat Jim Martin would put ``government on the side of the people again.''

``You realize that the eyes of the nation are on this race in Georgia,'' Gore told several hundred cheering Democrats at a $125-a-person Martin fundraiser at an Atlanta art gallery.

Martin is locked in a Dec. 2 runoff with first-term Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss. The Georgia race will help determine how much clout Democrats have in the Washington.

Democrats are within two seats of a 60-vote majority that would give President-elect Barack Obama a stronger hand when he is sworn in next year. Georgia is one of two unresolved Senate races. The other is in Minnesota where a recount is under way in the excruciatingly tight contest between Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken.

Gore cast Chambliss as the heir to the failed policies of the Bush administration. Gore memorably lost to Bush in 2000 in a bitter race that was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

``The Bush-Cheney-Chambliss philosophy has been tried and not only found out to be wanting, it has been found out to be a catastrophe,'' Gore said.

``It's time for him to go,'' Gore said of Chambliss.

Gore ended his 10-minute speech with a cry of ``change is coming to Georgia.'' He was drowned out by the enthusiastic crowd.

Martin praised Gore, who served for years as a senator for Tennessee, as ``an inspiration to Southerners.''

The two men hoisted their arms aloft at the end of Gore's speech.

A Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work on global warming, Gore is the latest in a parade of political luminaries to beat a path to Georgia for what is nation's biggest remaining election.

Last week, former President Bill Clinton headlined a rally for Martin.

A number of Republican presidential candidates have stumped for Chambliss including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, ex Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and the GOP's eventual nominee Arizona Sen. John McCain. Another Republican presidential wannabe, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is scheduled to appear with Chambliss Tuesday.

Georgia's last Senate runoff was in 1992 when Democratic Sen. Wyche Fowler earned more votes on the general election but went on to lose to Republican Paul Coverdell in a runoff.

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

(WSB Radio) Leave early if you want to get to the Falcons game today.

Really early.

The DOT calls an audible with its 14th street construction plans. The changes will could huge delays for those trying to get to the Georgia Dome or downtown Atlanta today. Multiple lanes will be closed heading southbound downtown connector as work on the 14th street bridge project continues.

Drivers can expect three right lanes to be closed on I-75/85 southbound south of North Avenue down to University Avenue. It will be closed until 2 p.m. today. It will cause major aggravation for those trying to the Georgia Dome early for the Falcons 4 p.m kickoff.

The DOT promises the work will be done early to try and avoid major congestion before the Falcons kickoff against the Panthers.

The Northbound construction plans remain in place. The HOV  lane on I-75/85 northbound will be shutdown. They will be closed between University Avenue and 10th Street. The DOT says northbound construction will be finished by 2 p.m.

If you don't have to go into Atlanta take I-285 around the city.

If you're trying to get to the Georgia Dome for the game you can use Northside Drive as an alternate or take MARTA.

Listen to News/Talk 750 WSB for updates from the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

An official with the DOT said they had to change plans because they found something during work yesterday that "needed their immediate attention."

23 bridge beams will make up the new 14th street bridge. Crews are replacing six beams a night over the connector. Crews will be closing lanes in both directions and pacing traffic through Nov. 25th.

(WSB Radio) Two Coweta County sheriffs Deputies are on paid leave after shooting and killing a suspect.

A spokesman with the Coweta Sheriffs Office said 42-year-old John Anthony Drage was killed when he pulled his gun on the deputies.

Residents in a McIntosh Estates Subdivision in called 911 about a suspicious man sitting in a car parked in their Sharpsburg neighborhood.

"Car was out there suspicious parked on the street between two houses," Major Jim Yarbrough with the Coweta County Sherriff's office said. "They saw a white male out there, didn't know what was going on, and wanted us to check it out."

Maj. Yarbrough said two deputies went out around 11 p.m. Saturday. They found Drage sitting in that car with a semi-automatic pistol in his lap.

"They gave him verbal commands to exit the vehicle, keep his hands up away from the gun," Said Maj. Yarbrough. "But he drew the gun on the officers and they discharged their firearms."

Drage died earlier this morning. The Fayette County man had been previous arrested for a felony.

Authorities don't know what he was doing in that neighborhood. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting.

The two deputies are on administrative leave.

(WSB Radio) A fire at a North Atlanta Impound lot sends smoke for miles.

"It was big, you could see it for several miles away," Battalion Chief David Rhodes said after the Saturday afternoon fire.

It happened at the Atlanta Tow and Impound on North Avenue around 3 p.m.

"We ended up with a total of 24 cars that burned and about an acre of dry kudzu that backs up to the city facility over at Maddox Park," Rhodes said.

The fire threatened an abandoned apartment complex and the Atlanta maintenance facility at Maddox Park. No damage dollar figures, yet.

The exact cause is still under investigation. No one is hurt.

(WSB Radio) A 16-year-old Spalding County boy is charged in shooting death of his best friend, a police spokesman said.

Joesph Parrot,16, allegedly shot and killed Cody Ward,19, around 7 p.m. Friday at a home off North Walkersmill Road in Griffin.

"My from understanding they were at the time best friends," Spalding Co. sheriff's Capt. Tony Ranieri said.

Ward died at Atlanta Medical Center. Authorities say Parrot hid after the shooting. He was found by Sheriff's deputies around 6 a.m. Saturday morning after a massive search.

"His grandparents called to inform us he had come back into the house," said Capt Ranieri . "Units were already in the area and the apprehended him without any incident."

Parrot will be tried as an adult.

"He has basically shown no remorse as far as what happened. He doesn't no blame on himself, he puts it on everyone else," Capt Ranieri said.

(WSB Radio) The death of a two-year-old Henry County girls is being ruled suspicious according to a police spokesman.

The girl died around 2 p.m. Saturday after she suffered severe head trauma at her home on 260 Cobblestone Lane in McDonough.

"Detectives have been working around the clock to figure out what happen," Henry County police Capt. Jason Bolton said.

An autopsy is set for Monday

"(Investigators) have pretty good information they have gotten from doctors there at the hospital but the autopsy will reveal a whole lot more," Capt. Bolton said.

No one was been charged. Police have not released the victim's name.

CLEVELAND (AP) As the rim neared and with two 6-foot-10 players in his path, LeBron James took flight unsure of his next move.

So he dunked left-handed.

``I just kind of made that one up,'' he said.

James didn't reach his scoring average and it didn't matter as the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled past the Atlanta Hawks 110-96 on Saturday night for their ninth win in 10 games.

James, who came in as the NBA's top scorer averaging 29.5 points, finished with 24 19 in the second half on 8-of-19 shooting. He added eight assists, seven rebounds and a few more highlight-package dunks as the Cavaliers improved to 10-3 to match their best start since the 1988-89 season.

James dunked once lefty (his weaker hand), a few times with his right and rocked a few through the rim with both as his teammates found him with a few alley-oop passes.

James doesn't necessarily rate his dunks, but he likes delivering them.

``It all depends on what part of the game it is, how the flow is going and whether it's a big bucket or not,'' he said. ``Sometimes you want to get the momentum going your way. I enjoy them. I do.''

Playing for the first time since their eight-game winning streak ended in Detroit, the Cavs jumped to an 11-0 lead, pushed their advantage to 18 in the second quarter and 28 in the third while improving to 7-0 at home. Cleveland is the only Eastern Conference team not to lose on its home floor this season.

And if the Cavs play like this, it's going to be tough for anyone to beat them inside Quicken Loans Arena.

``They look great,'' Hawks coach Mike Woodson said of the Cavs. ``They're one of the top teams in the East. They have a legitimate shot to get to the finals. You have to play at a high level when you're playing those teams.''

James got plenty of help as Mo Williams scored 23 points, Delonte West 19 and Zydrunas Ilgauskas 17 for Cleveland. The Cavs have won 15 of their last 18 games against the Hawks.

Maurice Evans scored 21 points, Acie Law had 20 and Joe Johnson, who came in averaging 25.7, scored just four for the Hawks, who have lost five of seven after starting 6-0.

Johnson did not score in the second half and was hounded most of the night by the 6-foot-3 West, who gave up four inches to the Hawks' leading scorer.

``It was a tough night,'' he said.

Trailing 68-40 in the third, Atlanta whittled Cleveland's big lead to 11 when James came up with another of those rim-rattling, head-shaking slams.

Driving down the lane, James got a step on Al Horford, rose to the basket and dunked left handed over both Horford and Solomon Jones, making the pair of 6-foot-10, 245-pounders look like high schoolers. Later, James blasted to the basket, cocked the ball and powered it through with enough force to cause Evans to duck for cover.

``I've been on the opposite side of that,'' said West, who came to the Cavs in a trade last season. ``I hope whoever is underneath doesn't try to be a hero and just gets out the way.''

James and the Cavaliers have a busy week upcoming with four games in five days.

On Tuesday, they'll be in New York to face the Knicks where James will almost certainly have to address another round of questions about his future. James can become a free agent after the 2010 and already there is talk that he'll leave Cleveland for the Knicks or another major-market team.

``It doesn't bother me,'' James said before the game of the endless speculation. ``If it bothered me I couldn't go out there and perform the way I do every night. It gets funny, but at the same time people need things to write about. I'm OK with it.''

The Knicks cleared out considerable salary-cap space for '10 on Friday by trading Jamal Crawford to Golden State for Al Harrington and dealing Zach Randolph to the Los Angeles Clippers for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas on Friday. That money could be used to sign James, who was amused that he was the player most talked about after the moves.

``I figured that would happen,'' he said. ``They didn't even care about the guys that were coming to the Knicks. 2010 is a really big summer. It's two years away but time goes fast. We'll see what happens.''
Notes: Free-agent pitcher CC Sabathia, still mulling a contract offer from the New York Yankees, attended the game. During halftime, Sabathia signed autographs for Cleveland fans, who wish he hadn't been traded and can only hope he would consider coming back. ... The Cavs went 21 of 23 (91 percent) from the line. ... Cavaliers F Wally Szczerbiak was back after missing one game to be with his father, Walt, who underwent open heart surgery this week. He finished with eight points and six points in 19 minutes. ... Atlanta F Josh Smith missed his ninth h straight game with a sprained left ankle. ... Hawks coach Mike Woodson played four games for the Cavs during the 1990-91 season and was an assistant coach in Cleveland from 1999-01.

ATLANTA (AP) Steve Mason always wondered how it would feel to earn his first NHL shutout.

After Columbus' rookie goalie did it with a 15-save effort, the whole experience felt a bit strange.

``Overall, it was a pretty simple game, and the only hard part was staying focused,'' Mason said. ``You try not to think about it, but obviously during the third period, it's on your mind when there are no goals up on the board.''

Rick Nash extended his goal streak to five games, knocking in a backhander in the first period that helped the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 2-0 victory over the sluggish Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday night.

Nash scored his 10th goal of the season and was credited with his ninth assist when R.J. Umberger added his eighth goal, an empty-netter, with 1:18 remaining. Nash, who has 12 points in nine games, praised Mason even though the rookie was rarely challenged.

``It was nice to keep the shot count down,'' Nash said. ``It was great, especially against a team like that with (Ilya) Kovalchuk and (Slava) Kozlov. He shut them down.''

The Blue Jackets, coming off a 7-2 home loss to Edmonton on Tuesday, won for the first time in three games but are 5-2-1 in their last eight.

Atlanta has lost three straight after a five-game winning streak.

Outshot by a combined 72-29 in the first and second periods of the last three games, the Thrashers created few problems for Mason, who made six saves in the third.

``It's tough holding a one-goal lead for the majority of the game,'' Mason said. ``The defensemen did a great job of blocking shots and making sure I could see the puck. They made it easy for me.''

Columbus' Raffi Torres, who missed the first 11 games due to knee and shoulder injuries, had his first goal of the season voided when replay showed he kicked disallowed his tally 5:06 into the second period.

Mason improved to 4-1-1 as Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock rested Pascal Leclaire after the seven-goal game against Edmonton.

He faced just one shot from Ilya Kovalchuk, who has scored six goals on 51 shots. Kovalchuk is the only NHL player with at least 40 goals in each of the last four seasons.

Atlanta goalie Ondrej Pavelec made 29 saves but fell to 2-2.

Thrashers defenseman Garnet Exelby bruised his forehead during a second-period fight with Columbus forward Jared Boll.

``We can't come out flat and try to make up in the third,'' Exelby said. ``We need to come out hungry to play in the first and not get too far behind. We were riding high after winning five straight. This brings us back to harsh reality.''

Atlanta found no answers against Columbus' defense, bottoming out during a power play that extended into the first 1:02 of the third, a span in which the Blue Jackets outshot the Thrashers 3-0.

``We are going to be in big trouble by Christmas, for the playoff picture, if we keep this up,'' Exelby said. ``Each and every one of us has to keep each one other accountable. It's not just a turnover or a missed play. You're letting your teammate down. We need to realize that we are playing for each other.''
Notes: Thrashers C Todd White played 22 shifts. He was helped off the ice Thursday and didn't return after getting checked headfirst into the boards during a 3-2 home loss to Pittsburgh. ... Columbus improved to 9-2 when scoring first. The Blue Jackets are 0-6-3 when opponents score first. ... The fewest shots allowed by the Blue Jackets is 14, set in a loss to Colorado on Jan. 10, 2001, and matched last Jan. 19 in a 3-1 loss at Dallas. ... It marked the fewest shots recorded by Atlanta since March 14, when the Thrashers had 12 in a 4-1 loss at Washington.

School superintendent, husband file for bankruptcy

ATLANTA (AP) The Hawks got off to another sluggish start.

They're finishing just fine.

Joe Johnson scored 30 points, Marvin Williams added 22 and Atlanta pulled away in the closing minutes for a sloppy 88-83 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night.

For the second straight game, the Hawks came out like they preferred to be elsewhere.

Washington raced to a 13-4 lead on Wednesday, but Atlanta rallied for a 91-87 victory over the woeful Wizards. This time, the Hawks fell behind 21-8 against a team that's not much better, only to rip off seven straight points at the end to escape with another win.

``That's something we've definitely got to get together, especially when we go on the road,'' Johnson said. ``We can't come out flat like that.''

Charlotte went ahead for the last time in the back-and-forth game there were 20 lead changes, 13 of them in the final quarter when Raymond Felton hit a jumper from the top of the key, giving the Bobcats an 81-80 lead.

But Williams put the Hawks ahead to stay on a 3-pointer with 2:12 remaining. The Charlotte defense collapsed on Johnson, who swung the ball to Maurice Evans. He whipped it around to Williams all alone in the corner, and the shot ripped through the net.

Williams has been working on his long-range shooting, and the effort is clearly paying off. He also hit a big 3 in the win over Washington.

``I'm just trying to build my confidence and extend my range a little bit,'' Williams said. ``If we're able to keep making shots from the perimeter the way we're doing, teams are going to have to think twice about doubling Joe, which would be bad for them. It's going to be pick your poison.''

Rookie D.J. Augustin led the Bobcats with a career-best 26 points, only to miss a fallaway jumper from the baseline when Charlotte needed it most. Evans then came up with a big hoop for Atlanta, swishing an 18-foot jumper with 1:24 left.

``You have to give them credit,'' said Charlotte coach Larry Brown, whose team has lost three in a row and five of six. ``Marvin made a huge 3 for them. Joe is terrific. Under the circumstances, I was encouraged.''

In addition to the early 13-point deficit, the Hawks had to overcome 21 turnovers. Mike Bibby, who had only four points through the first three quarters, came alive in the fourth from beyond the 3-point stripe, hitting three of the long-range shots. He finished with 14 points, and Evans chipped in with 10.

``We've got to start playing the first quarter,'' Bibby said. ``We've got to start playing from ahead instead of playing from behind.''

Augustin, who was averaging a modest 10 points a game, doubled up on that before the third period was done. He connected on 7-of-11 from outside the arc.

``Coach told me to be aggressive,'' Augustin said. ``I've been hesitating. He told me to take shots when I'm open.''

Gerald Wallace, with 17 points, was the only other Charlotte player in double figures. The Bobcats hit just 42 percent (33 of 78) from the field.

The Hawks got off to a miserable start. They went nearly five minutes without scoring, missing four straight shots and turning it over three times as Charlotte bolted to a 16-6 lead. Clearly frustrated, the Hawks kept barking about calls until Johnson was hit with a technical. Matt Carroll made the free throw, which gave the Bobcats their biggest lead.

Atlanta clawed its way back in the second, going ahead for the first time since the opening minute when Bibby hit a jumper with 4:38 left in the half to make it 34-33. The Hawks were up 47-43 at the break and appeared to be pulling away late in the third period when Johnson hit back-to-back 3s, pushing Atlanta to a 62-56 lead.

But Charlotte closed the third on a 7-0 run, snatching the lead on a frantic series in the closing seconds. Jared Dudley laid it in off a nifty pass from Augustin, then Carroll stole the inbounds pass from Al Horford, went up strong for the basket and was fouled by Horford with 3.2 seconds remaining. Carroll made the free throw to complete the three-point play, pushing the Bobcats to a 63-62 lead going to the fourth.
Notes: Horford returned to the lineup after missing the previous game with a sprained ankle. He had only four points and four rebounds. ... The Friday night crowd was far short of capacity, announced at 15,068. ... While Horford was back on the court, Atlanta F Josh Smith missed his eighth straight game with a sprained ankle. ... Despite the loss, the Bobcats still hold an 11-6 edge on the Hawks since entering the league. ... Brown was called for a technical by referee Eric Lewis after he apparently yelled nothing more than, ``Hey, ref.''

(WSB Radio) Drivers trying to go through Atlanta can expect some long delays this weekend as crew begin building the new 14th street.

Crews shutdown several lanes on I-85 and the Downtown Connector to work on the bridge starting Friday. It caused drivers to suffer through long delays all night long.

23 bridge beams will make up the new 14th street bridge. Crews are replacing six beams a night over the connector. Crews will be closing lanes in both directions and pacing traffic through Nov. 25th.

Georgia DOT says they will finish up work before the Falcons game on Sunday.

All overnight work should be over by 5 a.m. Morning work is expected to start around 7 a.m.

Listen to News/Talk 750 WSB for updates from the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

(WSB Radio) Family and Friends gathered for a candlelight Friday night to mark the second anniversary of the Neal Street Shootings.

92 year old Kathryn Johnston was killed by police in a botched drug raid. It led to a major investigation of the Atlanta police department.

"There have been changes made," State Sen. Vincent Fort told WSB-TV. "Police have been retrained so there have been some good things."

Three former officers have been convicted on federal and state charges.

Johnston's family wants a good faith settlement of the pending civil lawsuit and a formal apology from the city.

WASHINGTON (AP) Federal regulators shut down The Community Bank of Loganville, Ga. The FDIC, which was made receiver, says all the bank's deposits and assets will be acquired by Bank of Essex, of Virginia.

Also Today, Federal regulators have shut down two big thrifts based in Southern California.

Officials say Downey Savings and Loan, based in Newport Beach, and PFF Bank and Trust of Pomona both fell victim to the acute distress in the California housing market.

It brings the number of U.S. bank failures this year to 22.

The FDIC was appointed receiver of the two thrifts. U.S. Bank, based in Minneapolis, has acquired all the deposits of both.

There have been 22 bank failures so far this year. That's far more than in the previous five years combined. And more failures are expected.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) Zac Swansey scored 12 points and Georgia used a second half run to beat Presbyterian 55-47 on Friday night.

The Blue Hose (0-3) took 30-28 lead with 17:03 left in the second half on two free throws by Bryan Bostic, who finished with 22 points and six rebounds. Bostic hit another shot with 12:33 remaining to give Presbyterian a 36-34 advantage.

But the Bulldogs (3-1) were led by Swansey's six points to spark a 13-0 run, which was capped by Corey Butler's 3-pointer with 9:09 left to put Georgia ahead 47-36.

Terrance Woodbury also scored 10 points for the Bulldogs, who shot 2 of 11 from the free throw line.

Georgia outscored the Blue Hose 32-14 in the paint and scored 26 points off 21 turnovers compared to five points off 13 turnovers for Presbyterian.

(WSB Radio) Beware of the victims.

A Cobb County store owner fought back against a suspect that tried to pull a gun on him at the Windy Hill Package Store.

Authorities said the clerk pulled out his own gun and shot the robber.

"I feel more safe now," a witness told WSB-TV. "A lot of people try to rob liquor stores so to know that he's packing, I like that."

The suspect was shot in the side. Police are looking for him since he has not shown up at any local hospitals.

A fast moving fire tore through a Gwinnett County apartment complex on Friday night.

Eight families are homeless after the fire damaged parts of the Stanford Village apartments of Beaver Ruin Road in Norcross around 7:30 p.m.

"It was an older apartment building and it didn't have any sprinklers," Gwinnett County Fire Cpt. Tommy Rutledge told WSB-TV.

At least 50 firefighters were called in to fight the fire, Cpt. Rutledge said.

"If you look at the inside its all burned up," one resident Martin Valdovinos told WSB-TV. "Nothing, ashes, everything is destroyed."

No one is hurt. Investigators don't know what started the blaze.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

(WSB Radio) -- The New York Times reports two souces close to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton confirm that she will leave the Senate to join the Obama Administration as Secretary of State. 

The Times reports that Clinton's decision came after additional conversations with the President-elect. 

The Associated Press reported late Friday that a senior Democratic official says New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has emerged as a serious contender for Commerce Secretary in President-elect Barack Obama's Cabinet.

Richardson had been in the running for secretary of state, but is under consideration for Commerce now that Obama plans to nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state after Thanksgiving.

The official with knowledge of the private Cabinet discussions spoke on background because the deliberations are not final.

Richardson is a prominent Hispanic leader who endorsed Obama after dropping his own presidential bid this year.

November 21, 2008

(WSB Radio) -- The re-election Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss is critical, according to former republican presidential contender Mitt Romney.

Romney, the onetime Massachusetts governor, told a Chambliss rally in Buckhead on Friday that the win is important in order to prevent a filibuster-proof Senate.

"It is essential for our nation to have two parties in Washington," said Romney.

Chambliss face democrat Jim Martin in a Dec. 2 runoff election.

 Romney is the latest former GOP presidential candidate to stump with Chambliss. Last week Sen. John McCain returned to the trail to campaign with Chambliss. On Sunday, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination before dropping out in March and backing McCain, campaigned with Chambliss.

Next week, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will campaign for Chambliss. 

Polls Roundup

Various polls show Chambliss leading Martin, but that Martin remains within reach.

Rasmussen, Nov. 18:


Poll asked likely voters who they would vote for if the election were that day.

The numbers:

• Chambliss: 50%, Martin: 46%, Undecided: 4

• Margin of error: 4%



Daily Kos/Research 2000, Nov. 10-12:


Poll asked likely voters about their opinion of the candidates.

The numbers:

• Chambliss: 49%, Martin: 46%

• Margin of error: 4%



SurveyUSA, Nov. 12:


Poll asked registered voters about their opinion of the candidates.

The numbers:

• Chambliss: Favorable 45%, Unfavorable: 29%

• Martin: Favorable: 34%, Unfavorable: 37%

• Margin of error: 4.3%

(WSB Radio) -- A Chicago man, arrested earlier in the week by DeKalb police on a domestic violence charge, apparently wasn't finished with his victim.

WSB's Richard Sangster reports William Townsend is facing addition charges following an early Friday morning stand-off with police SWAT officers.

Investigators say Townsend was armed and holed up at the English Oaks Apartments on Church St. in Clarkston.

Two women, including Townsend's victim, managed to get out of the apartment before the violence started.  But two children, ages 6 months and 1 year, remained inside.

The incident began around 3 a.m. 

Three hours later, SWAT officers entered the apartment to find Townsend hiding under a bed.

The children were found, unharmed, in another bedroom.

(WSB Radio) -- Lane closures and pacing is planned this weekend along the Downtown Connector, as crews install 14th Street bridge beams.

The project will impact traffic beginning Friday night and running through Monday night.

Crews are expected to place six beams each night for a total of 23 beams.

WHEN: 8 p.m. overnight to 5 a.m. on Friday November 21, Saturday, November 22, Sunday, November 23, Monday, November 24 and Tuesday, November 25. This work is only overnight.

WHERE: On I-75/I-85 the three inside southbound (left lanes) including the HOV lane will be closed between 17th and 10th streets. The southbound I-75 HOV lane will be closed as it approaches the Downtown Connector.

Additionally, there will be up to 8 pacings each night. Southbound pacing will begin on I-75 at Moores Mill Road and on I-85 from where Ga 400 enters I-85 southbound. The officer will hold traffic at the entrance ramps until paced traffic passes the ramps, and then allow motorists to merge onto the main line.

Downtown Connector
Lane Closures Southbound and Northbound I-75/I-85
Southbound I-75/I-85 on Saturday, November 22

- The inside HOV lane and related exits will be closed between 10th Street and University Avenue from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

- Three inside lanes, including the HOV lane, will be closed between Williams Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Northbound I-75/I-85 on Sunday, November 22

- The inside HOV lane and related exits will be closed between University Avenue and 10th Street beginning at 7 a.m. to early afternoon. All work should be completed before the Atlanta Falcons kickoff at the Georgia Dome at 4 p.m.

The speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph in the work zone area while work is in progress. Fines are doubled in a work zone.

Georgia DOT urges travelers to call 511 for updated information about this or any other construction project on interstates and state routes. Georgia 511 is a free phone service that provides real-time traffic and travel information statewide, such as traffic conditions, incidents, lane closures, and delays due to inclement weather. Callers also can transfer to operators to request assistance or report incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

(WSB)--More and more young people are looking to the military for work in this bad economy.

Metro Atlanta recruiting offices are seeing an increase in the number of young people walking in looking for a career with the military.  Sgt. 1st Class Fabian Byrd at the Smyrna Army Recruiting office tells WSB's Sabrina Gibbons he's seeing more qualified people these days. Sgt. 1st Class Byrd says it's easy to see why the U-S Army is attractive. He says "you have a guaranteed job, a guaranteed medical benefits, a guaranteed paycheck and you have 30 days of vacation every year."

The Army reported that 83% of its recruits in the year ending Sept. 30 had high school diplomas, up from 79% the previous year.

The percentage of young people who said they would probably join the military increased from 9% to 11% in the first half of this year, according to a Pentagon-sponsored survey. The poll questioned 3,304 young people ages 16 to 21.

(WSB Radio)  The State of Georgia is adding nearly 100 employees to its jobless rolls as its contracts out its Information Technology operations.

Gov. Perdue announced AT&T and IBM were the sole bidders on two separate contracts worth $346 million and $873 million respectively.

"Providing technology services is not a core competency of state government... we've tried and its not one of the things that we do best," he says.

He cites crashing servers as well as leaky roofs and rodents in the office building that houses the state's primary data system.

"I was frightened because I could not guarantee Georgia citizens that their data was secure or that we were spending our I.T. dollars in the best way possible," says Perdue.

He says unfortunately 92 employees of the state's Technology Authority are affected and at the most inopportune time.

"We certainly didn't plan on this kind of timing and in fact I'd love for unemployment to be under four percent as it has been sometimes in the past," he says.

Unemployment for the state reached seven percent for the month of October, the highest in more than 16 years.

Some of the employees have received jobs with AT&T and others will be helped through a career services center and upcoming job fair.

They will be employed until the new operations begin May 1st.

(WSB Radio) Henry County Police are looking for two men in connection with an early morning home invasion.

Captain Jason Bolton tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies the suspect, 38-year-old Daniel Fountain and another man, known only as Maurice, broke into a couple's home on Oak Road in Jenkinsburg, around 7 o'clock Wednesday morning.  Both were armed with pistols.

"Fountain was reported to have the held the gun to both of the victims' heads.  He threatened to kill them.  Several shots were fired inside the residence, doing some damage to the home," said Bolton.

The two took several items before fleeing in  Fountain's 2007 Jeep Wrangler.

Bolton says the male victim was related to Fountain through marriage, but the two didn't know each other.

"This wasn't just a random crime.  I don't think that we're looking at him for any other crimes here," said Bolton.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Henry County Police Department at 770-288-8304.

(WSB Radio) Friends, family members and total strangers gathered at the site where a 4 year old girl was struck and killed by a car this week.

Brandee Kelly died Monday morning as she, along with her mother and siblings, was crossing South Cobb Drive in Smyrna.

The girl's mother staggered several times as she greeted well wishers who came to the vigil. 

"I'm going to miss her.  My heart is broken right now," Altamese Walker says.  "But, she's in a better place.  She's in a better place."

Police have ruled the incident an accident and no charges will be filed against the driver who struck the girl.  Brandee's aunt says the vigil is about the child and not about anger.

"There's been a lot of negativity in regards to mom walking across the street with the kids and the driver speeding," says Sherrell Walker.  "We're here for prayer.  We're not here to persecute the driver.  We're not here to bash my sister.  We're simply here today to remember Brandee."

The family says they are having a difficult time raising enough money for the girl's funeral.  That funeral is set for November 29, at the Georgia Memorial Park funeral home.

A funeral fund for Brandee Kelly has been established through Wachovia bank.

(WSB Radio) Five Forsyth County teenagers are in police custody, charged with a string of gang related vandalisms.

Police say the group spray painted churches, schools and a shopping center.

Most of the graffiti has been cleaned up, but one business is still covered in paint because the owner cannot afford the $3000 price tag to remove the vandalism.

The accused vandals are 17 year olds and some juveniles.

Three of the teens are in jail without bond.

(WSB Radio) Fulton County residents may be paying more for water soon.

The county is considering raising water rates again, because residents are conserving and the county is making less money on water bills.

If the rate hike goes through it would be the second increase in six months.

Officials are considering tacking an additional $10 per month to bills.

The county is also considering proposals for additional 5% hikes in 2010 and 2011.

(WSB Radio) -- A fake driver's license can be used for many things ... but to get a job as a Marta bus driver?

It sounds strange, but it is true.  Federal investigators have arrested and charged four drivers license examiners working in the Lithonia Department of Drivers Services and charged them with conspiracy, identity fraud and identity theft.

Shijuanna V. Cobb, 33, of Ellenwood, Rickell M. Patterson, 31 of Covington, Angela R. Read, 38 of Lithnia an dChardye M. Lloyd, 23 of Conyers, all formerly Georgia Department of Driver Services license examiners have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiring with Harikrishna A. Patel, 26 of Snellville and Satishkumar B. Patel 48 of Nashville, TN to commidt identity fraud, theft by issuing drivers licenses to illegal alliens.

Cobb, Patterson, Read and Lloyd also face charges in a separate indictment for using frauduently issued commercial licenses to get jobs as MARTA bus drivers.

MARTA has or is in the process of terminating the drivers.  The federal indictment notes that a written exam is required to secure a commercial drivers license.  The examiners manually input passing scores into the DDS computer system. 

"Corruption in public employment is intolerable," said United States Attorney David E. Nahmias. "Our office has a long tradition of investigating and prosecuting those who violate the public's trust at every level of government.  In this case, several Driver Services examiners allegedly abused their positions for cash, allowing more than 130 illegal aliens to fraudulently obtain a critically important identification document, and for commercial driver's licenses, which enabled them to endanger the public by working as unqualified bus drivers."

According to United States Attorney Nahmias, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between January and August 2007, HARIKRISHNA PATEL charged illegal aliens between $7,000 and $8,000 each to help them obtain driver's licenses at the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) Customer Service Center No. 67 in Lithonia.  HARIKRISHNA PATEL allegedly arranged with COBB or PATTERSON to have the aliens receive licenses, and in return for payments of unknown amounts from PATEL, COBB, PATTERSON, READ or LLOYD allegedly issued the licenses to the aliens without requiring them to take any tests or to produce proof of legal residency in Georgia.  During the charged conspiracy period, COBB, PATTERSON, READ and LLOYD allegedly issued licenses to 136 applicants who did not qualify for them under Georgia law.  The indictment charges that SATISHKUMAR PATEL participated in the conspiracy by transporting illegal aliens from Nashville to LITHONIA, where HARIKRISHNA PATEL arranged for them to obtain licenses from COBB or PATTERSON.

COBB, PATTERSON, READ and LLOYD are also charged in a separate indictment with conspiring to issue commercial driver's licenses or commercial learner's permits unlawfully between August 2006 and November 2007.  Georgia law requires applicants to pass written exams before they can be issued commercial licenses.  The indictment charges that the conspirators manually input passing exam scores into the DDS computer system, which made it possible for them to issue commercial licenses or learner's permits to COBB, PATTERSON, READ, and two unindicted persons identified in the indictment by the initials "A.A." and "D.M."  The indictment further charges that COBB, READ and D.M. used their unlawfully issued commercial licences to work as MARTA bus drivers, while A.A. used his to work as a commercial truck driver.

        The indictments charge the defendants with several counts of conspiracy, identity fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  HARIKRISHNA PATEL, SATISH PATEL, COBB, PATTERSON, READ and LLOYD are charged with conspiring to commit identity fraud.  HARIKRISHNA PATEL and COBB are charged with two counts of aiding and abetting each other in identity fraud and aggravated identity theft.  HARIKRISHNA PATEL and PATTERSON are charged with two counts of aiding and abetting each other in identity fraud and aggravated identity theft.  READ and LLOYD are each charged with two counts of identity fraud and aggravated identity theft.  Additionally, COBB, PATTERSON, READ and LLOYD are charged with conspiring to commit identity fraud in the issuance of commercial driver's licenses, and they are charged with aiding and abetting each other in the transfer of fraudulent identification documents.  The conspiracy and identity fraud charges carry maximum sentences of 15 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 per count.  The aggravated identity theft charges carry mandatory minimum sentences of two years in prison, to be served consecutively to any other sentences imposed. 

        HARIKRISHNA PATEL, COBB, PATTERSON, READ and LLOYD were arrested and arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Alan J. Baverman late yesterday.  SATISHKUMAR PATEL was also arrested yesterday and is scheduled to make his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in Nashville sometime today.

        The DDS is cancelling all of the licenses involved in this case.  Nearly all of the addresses on the 136 drivers licenses issued to illegal aliens have turned out to be false or fraudulent, but three of the illegal aliens who allegedly received licenses through HARIKRISHNA PATEL, COBB and PATTERSON have been located in Nashville, and they are cooperating with the investigation.  The identity and location of the other recipients of fraudulent licenses remain under investigation.  COBB, READ and LLOYD left their jobs as license examiners in late 2007 or early 2008, and the DDS terminated PATTERSON from her position in September 2008.

(WSB Radio) -- A fake driver's license can be used for many things ... but to get a job as a Marta bus driver?

It sounds strange, but it is true.  Federal investigators have arrested and charged four drivers license examiners working in the Lithonia Department of Drivers Services and charged them with conspiracy, identity fraud and identity theft.

Shijuanna V. Cobb, 33, of Ellenwood, Rickell M. Patterson, 31 of Covington, Angela R. Read, 38 of Lithnia an dChardye M. Lloyd, 23 of Conyers, all formerly Georgia Department of Driver Services license examiners have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiring with Harikrishna A. Patel, 26 of Snellville and Satishkumar B. Patel 48 of Nashville, TN to commidt identity fraud, theft by issuing drivers licenses to illegal alliens.

Cobb, Patterson, Read and Lloyd also face charges in a separate indictment for using frauduently issued commercial licenses to get jobs as MARTA bus drivers.

MARTA has or is in the process of terminating the drivers.  The federal indictment notes that a written exam is required to secure a commercial drivers license.  The examiners manually input passing scores into the DDS computer system. 

"Corruption in public employment is intolerable," said United States Attorney David E. Nahmias. "Our office has a long tradition of investigating and prosecuting those who violate the public's trust at every level of government.  In this case, several Driver Services examiners allegedly abused their positions for cash, allowing more than 130 illegal aliens to fraudulently obtain a critically important identification document, and for commercial driver's licenses, which enabled them to endanger the public by working as unqualified bus drivers."

According to United States Attorney Nahmias, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between January and August 2007, HARIKRISHNA PATEL charged illegal aliens between $7,000 and $8,000 each to help them obtain driver's licenses at the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) Customer Service Center No. 67 in Lithonia.  HARIKRISHNA PATEL allegedly arranged with COBB or PATTERSON to have the aliens receive licenses, and in return for payments of unknown amounts from PATEL, COBB, PATTERSON, READ or LLOYD allegedly issued the licenses to the aliens without requiring them to take any tests or to produce proof of legal residency in Georgia.  During the charged conspiracy period, COBB, PATTERSON, READ and LLOYD allegedly issued licenses to 136 applicants who did not qualify for them under Georgia law.  The indictment charges that SATISHKUMAR PATEL participated in the conspiracy by transporting illegal aliens from Nashville to LITHONIA, where HARIKRISHNA PATEL arranged for them to obtain licenses from COBB or PATTERSON.

COBB, PATTERSON, READ and LLOYD are also charged in a separate indictment with conspiring to issue commercial driver's licenses or commercial learner's permits unlawfully between August 2006 and November 2007.  Georgia law requires applicants to pass written exams before they can be issued commercial licenses.  The indictment charges that the conspirators manually input passing exam scores into the DDS computer system, which made it possible for them to issue commercial licenses or learner's permits to COBB, PATTERSON, READ, and two unindicted persons identified in the indictment by the initials "A.A." and "D.M."  The indictment further charges that COBB, READ and D.M. used their unlawfully issued commercial licences to work as MARTA bus drivers, while A.A. used his to work as a commercial truck driver.

        The indictments charge the defendants with several counts of conspiracy, identity fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  HARIKRISHNA PATEL, SATISH PATEL, COBB, PATTERSON, READ and LLOYD are charged with conspiring to commit identity fraud.  HARIKRISHNA PATEL and COBB are charged with two counts of aiding and abetting each other in identity fraud and aggravated identity theft.  HARIKRISHNA PATEL and PATTERSON are charged with two counts of aiding and abetting each other in identity fraud and aggravated identity theft.  READ and LLOYD are each charged with two counts of identity fraud and aggravated identity theft.  Additionally, COBB, PATTERSON, READ and LLOYD are charged with conspiring to commit identity fraud in the issuance of commercial driver's licenses, and they are charged with aiding and abetting each other in the transfer of fraudulent identification documents.  The conspiracy and identity fraud charges carry maximum sentences of 15 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 per count.  The aggravated identity theft charges carry mandatory minimum sentences of two years in prison, to be served consecutively to any other sentences imposed. 

        HARIKRISHNA PATEL, COBB, PATTERSON, READ and LLOYD were arrested and arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Alan J. Baverman late yesterday.  SATISHKUMAR PATEL was also arrested yesterday and is scheduled to make his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in Nashville sometime today.

        The DDS is cancelling all of the licenses involved in this case.  Nearly all of the addresses on the 136 drivers licenses issued to illegal aliens have turned out to be false or fraudulent, but three of the illegal aliens who allegedly received licenses through HARIKRISHNA PATEL, COBB and PATTERSON have been located in Nashville, and they are cooperating with the investigation.  The identity and location of the other recipients of fraudulent licenses remain under investigation.  COBB, READ and LLOYD left their jobs as license examiners in late 2007 or early 2008, and the DDS terminated PATTERSON from her position in September 2008.

"He kissed me for the last time, telling me 'I'll see you in a little while, my love, saying, have I told you how much I love you,'" said Claudia Barnes, widow of Judge Roland Barnes. "I lost my husband and soulmate, best friend, love of my life, companion and lover."'

Barnes daughter Kiley told Nichols and the jury, "I had to foce myself to come to terms with the fact that I would never again look into his smiling eyes, kiss his laughing cheek, or feel his loving arms around me."

Nichols trial has moved into the penalty phase, and today featured the most emotional testimony in the nine weeks of the case. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Nichols.

He rarely looked up during the victim impact statements.

November 20, 2008

(WSB Radio) -- Henry County Police are looking for two men in connection with an early morning home invasion.

Captain Jason Bolton tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies the suspect, 38-year-old Daniel Fountain and another man, known only as Maurice, broke into a couple's home on Oak Road in Jenkinsburg, around 7 o'clock Wednesday morning.  Both were armed with pistols.

"Fountain was reported to have the held the gun to both of the victims' heads.  He threatened to kill them.  Several shots were fired inside the residence, doing some damage to the home," said Bolton.

The two took several items before fleeing in  Fountain's 2007 Jeep Wrangler.

Bolton says the male victim was related to Fountain through marriage, but the two didn't know each other.

"This wasn't just a random crime.  I don't think that we're looking at him for any other crimes here," said Bolton.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Henry County Police Department at 770-288-8304.

November 20, 2008

A three-alarm fire early Thursday started in a trailer behind the big facility on DeKalb Industrial Way and then spread into the warehouse.

Loaded with combustables like cigarettes, lighters, bug spray and aerosol cans, WSB Richard Sangster reported from the scene that the items continued to fuel the flames.

The block long brick and mortar building evetually collapsed as firefighters fought the flames that shot through the roof.

Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles.

(WSB Radio) -- If you are looking for work don't fall for an old scam that promises a dream job with the United States Postal Service.

Scam artists are victimizing many Americans by selling information about federal job opportunities. They target their victims by sending out e-mails or advertisements on line.

Frequently, the con artists promoting this "service" offer to provide you with training that they say will help you pass a required Postal Service pre-employment examination. Naturally, this training is expensive and requires you to purchase books, study guides and other training materials.

Some fraudulent companies even try to confuse consumers by using names that sound like those of federal agencies, like the "U.S. Agency for Career Advancement" or the "Postal Employment Service."

WSB consumer expert Clark Howard says it's an old scam that is back again. Howard says "this happens every time we go through a period of tougher unemployment."

Fran Mitchell with Clark Howard's Consumer Action Center says you should never have to pay to get a job or a list of contacts.

You never have to pay for information about job vacancies or employment opportunities with the U.S. government or U.S. Postal Service.

If you have concerns about a company's advertisement for employment services, you can file a complaint online with the FTC.

(WSB  Radio) The jobless picture for Georgia is even worse than first thought.

The state Department of Labor reports that the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 7% in October.  It's the highest level in more than 16 years.

The jobless rate rose 2.5 percentage points from the same time last year, and was up six tenths of a percentage point from September.

"Georgia's economy is being slammed by a deteriorating job market," said State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. "In each of the last three months, the state has experienced increasing job losses and 70-plus percent over-the-year increases in the number of workers filing initial unemployment insurance claims."

The last time Georgia posted a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at this level was in April of 1992 when the rate was also 7.0 percent. The state rate remained above the national rate of 6.5 percent for the ninth straight month. At present, 343,093 unemployed Georgians are looking for work.

The state has lost over 61,000 jobs during the past 12 months, the largest October to October decline ever recorded. 

(WSB  Radio) The largest counties in Georgia are looking for federal dollars to help with the foreclosure crisis.

Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and Cherokee Counties are hoping to get about $81 million to create a government "house-flipping" program. 

Under the proposal, the counties would buy problem foreclosures, fix the houses up, then either sell them or rent them, in many cases to the same people who have lost their homes in the foreclosure wave.

It's all part of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, a federal plan that has given Georgia $153 million.  The counties hope to get the lion's share of those funds.

The counties can also use the money to create special financing to make the foreclosed properties more affordable to potential buyers.

DeKalb commissioners agreed this week to apply for and accept $18.5 million from the federal Housing and Urban Development Department.  It administers the program.

Local governments are supposed to apply by December 1, and funds will become available by February.

(WSB Radio) More charges may be on the way against a Forsyth County man accused of fraud. 

63 year old Robert Melzer is in jail in Pennsylvania, charged with selling advertising for a phone book that was never published.

Police were tipped off to Melzer's dealing by a local donut shop owner who allowed Melzer to operate from her business.  Michelle Freiberger also sold ads for Melzer, as well as buying some fake ads.

"You know, these people, all over the country, are working really hard for their money," she says, "and just to have it not delivered, have their product not delivered, it's very sad."

Melzer is facing charges in Pennsylvania.  Additional charges are possible in Georgia.

(WSB Radio) A Floyd County high school is looking for some new basketball coaches.

Matthew Blanton and Daniel Brown had been the head and assistant basketball coaches at Model High School, in Rome, until they were fired for having what school system officials say were improper relationships with female students.

Police say they have video evidence to support the allegations against the two men, but, so far, no criminal charges have been filed.

Investigators say they do not believe the two cases are related.

(WSB Radio) The city of Atlanta is in the midst of a budget crunch and public safety may be a victim of the numbers.

The city is looking at ways to save money and has not ruled out firefighters furloughs or closing fire stations.

The idea drew criticism from residents at a public meeting in southwest Atlanta.  In attendance were City Council President Lisa Borders, Councilman  C.T. Martin, and officials with the firefighters union.

Borders told the audience that slumping revenues have left the city with a $50 million shortfall, necessitating cuts.  But, she says she and other council members will be forgoing about $2 million from their own budgets to help with the situation.

"To add our part, at least me personally, to contribute back to the pot of money that's available for the mayor to run this city," Borders says.

Martin says any budget cuts, especially those that hit public safety, need to keep the firefighters in mind.

"The key thing is the safety of the firefighters," he says, "because they have a very dangerous job."

The firefighters union says it recognizes that money is tight.  But one official also says cutting firefighters and closing stations only makes a bad situation worse.

"They're going to have less staffing to fight a bigger fire, so it's a very dangerous situation," says Atlanta Fire Department Lieutenant Jim Daws.  "Anywhere money can be found.  I think if the city council is considering returning that carry forward to the general fund that they ought to earmark it for public safety."

Mayor Shirley Franklin says she wants a 10% budget cut for all city departments.

(WSB Radio) The commute along some of Gwinnett County's busiest roads will be getting easier.

The county will be installing a system of traffic cameras at four areas with heavy traffic.  The installations will take place in January.

One road getting a camera will be Old Norcross Road.  Officials say once it is up and running, an operator at a control center will be able to see the traffic patterns and adjust the traffic lights accordingly.  If needed, the operator can change the light from red to green, to allow better traffic flow.

"Versus the days when the engineers would have to go out and view traffic on the streets, we can sit here and make real time adjustments," says Chuck Bailey, with the county transportation department.

"If we see something in the field, we can contact 911.  They can contact us and we can make signal adjustments on the fly," he says.

Transportation officials say the cameras that are currently in place have helped during a gas leak and in other emergency situations.

The new cameras are being paid for by SPLOST funds. 

(WSB Radio) Security has been tight at the trial of Brian Nichols.  Twice in the past week that security screen has been tested.

First it was a razor, then a gun.

Authorities say Nichols brother was the first to fail the security checkpoint.  His brother, who is a barber, was stopped trying to enter the courthouse with a razor in his pocket.  He told deputies last week that he was carrying the extra blade for his business.

Then on Tuesday, the widow of one of Nichols' victims was discovered to have a gun in her handbag.

Candee Wilhelm, whose husband David was a U.S. Customs Agent, told deputies she had forgotten she had the gun with her. 

The trial is currently in the penalty phase.  Nichols has been convicted of four counts of murder stemming from the shootings at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 11, 2005.

Judge Rowland Barnes, court reporter Julie Brandau and Fulton County Sheriff's Sergeant Hoyt Teasley were shot to death.  Wilhelm was murdered later that day outside his Atlanta home.

The jury is deciding whether Nichols is sentenced to life in prison, or death by lethal injection.

(WSB Radio) Georgia's economic outlook is bleak, with the future less than promising.

Dr. Rajeev Dhawan, director of the Economic Forecasting Center for the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, issued his economic forecast for the nation, and Georgia, and the news is not good.

Georgia's economic picture has gone "from bad to worse," Dhawan says, as job losses mount, bankruptcy rates increase and home prices continue to depreciate. 

According to Dhawan, the prognosis for the coming year is just as bleak as weak corporate spending brings with it "a flood of layoffs looming on the horizon before giving way to a tepid recovery in 2010."

Georgia's jobs outlook is equally grim, as Dhawan predicts a rise in the state's unemployment rate. 

Dhawan expects the Georgia jobless rate to increase to 7.5% in 2009, and rise further in 2010 to 8%,  However, he says, it will still be below the national number.

In Atlanta, expect more job losses.  In calendar year 2009, Dhawan anticipates the city losing another 42,000 jobs before making a recovery in 2010 with a gain of 17,200.

Atlanta's total housing permits will plummet in 2008 by 54%, and will drop again by 13.5% in 2009 before recovering, mildly, in 2010 with a 2.7% increase.

Nationally, the outlook is just as bad.

Dhawan says that even though growth will technically turn positive in the third quarter of 2009, the economy will still experience a somewhat larger number of job losses in the second half of next year.  From mid-2009 to mid-2010, the economy will grow "at an anemic rate of 1%, improving slightly to 1.9% in the second half of 2010."  But, he says, the growth rate will remain far below the potential of 3%, and it will be 2011 before the economy experiences a "proper recovery."

"This recession is much more severe than projected in our August report," Dhawan says.  "So far, we have lost a million jobs and I expect we will lose two million more within the next 12 months."

America's money crisis is at the center of the downturn, Dhawan says. 

The ongoing job losses, combined with a dramatic fall in stock and home prices and the volatility in the credit market has put the squeeze on consumers, he says.  And they've responded by putting the brakes on spending.

""The decrease in consumption is the culprit for the subpar growth performance in my current forecast," he says.  "That's why we're seeing the Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Plan, aka the bailout, morph into help for consumers."

But, despite the Treasury's best efforts, Dhawan is cautious about future growth prospects beyond this recession.

"Growth will be subpar as the credit that greases the wheel of a modern economy will be in short supply for the near future," Dhawan says.  "Will it ever climb back to old levels after 2010?  I doubt it."

(WSB Radio) -- It could be sometime Wednesday before Atlanta fire investigators determine the cause of a fire at Chastain's Restaurant in Buckhead. 

The two alarm blaze was called in to 9-1-1 around 8:30 Tuesday night.  Atlanta Fire Captain Bill May tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies the Roswell Road business suffered extensive damage.  May says "the fire got up in to the attic, making it very hard to extinguish it."

Noi one was hurt, and all the customers and staff were evacuated by the time firefighters arrived. 

The three story building, which previously housed Carbo's Cafe, had recently undergone a major renovation.  Chastain's had only been open for a month.

(WSB Radio)  A 70 year old Fayette County man, who liked to dress up as a 4 star general, faces multiple counts of child molestation.

John Harvey was arrested in his unit at a trailer park.  He's also charged with furnishing alcohol to minors.

Police say the alleged molestations involve one victim, but others may come forward.

Harvey had reportedly claimed to be a doctor, a CIA agent and an army general.

He's being held, without bond, in the Fayette County jail.

(WSB Radio)  Some Gwinnett County resident think the county's new trash pick up plan is a bunch of garbage.

Commissioners spent much of Tuesday night's meeting defending the plan at a meeting that extended late into the evening.

The idea is to cut down on trash truck traffic through neighborhoods.  So, the commissioners picked two companies to serve unincorporated parts of Gwinnett, starting in January.

20,000 homes currently don't pay for trash service, but this plan requires hiring someone . 

Some residents say they're outraged that they are just now finding out about the plan.

(WSB Radio)  Lithonia has a new mayor.

City Councilwoman Tonya Peterson will take the reins of the DeKalb County city, which has operated all year without an official city budget.

Peterson says her first order of business will be to get Lithonia's finances in order.

Ousted Mayor Joyce McKibben was also on the ballot, but received only 16% of the vote. 

McKibben spent her short, but tumultuous, time in office locked in a power struggle with the city council and Lithonia's police chief.

(WSB Radio) Today is the day of decision for retired teachers in Georgia. 

The board that oversees the state teacher retirement system will decide whether to end the automatic cost of living increases the teacher's current receive.

The board has been flooded with letter and emails about the possible change, and a big crowd is expected at today's meeting.

Governor Perdue is pushing the plan, which would have the board vote every year on the twice yearly 1.5% boost.

For almost 40 years the cost of living increases have been automatic.

(WSB)--The bad economy is changing the way we give this holiday season.

Many adults here in the U-S plan  to cut back on holiday gift spending this year but  many are more likely to give a "charitable gift" as a present , according to a World Vision survey just conducted by Harris Interactive. The study also finds that only 36 percent of U.S. adults feel they need something for the holidays this year.

Here are the findings:

As a result of the current economic climate, seven in ten adults (71
percent) will spend less money on holiday presents this year, and
about half (49 percent) are now more likely to give a charitable gift
as a holiday present.

More than four in five adults (84 percent) would prefer to receive a
meaningful gift that would help someone else rather than a
traditional holiday gift such as clothing or electronics.

More than half of U.S. adults (57 percent) want something for the
holidays this year, but only about one in three (36 percent) say they
need something.

More than half of U.S. adults couldn't remember what they received
for the holidays last year. More women (60 percent) remember exactly
what they got for Christmas last year than men (49 percent).

(WSB Radio) When lawmakers return to the State Capitol in January, property tax reform will again be a hot issue.

Rep. Edward Linsey (R-Atlanta) has pre-filed House Resolution 1 that would cap property reassessments at three percent or the rate of inflation.  He says many local governments raise property assessments as a way to increase taxes.

"We very much need to slam shut the back door tax increases that we've seen with property tax reassessments in the past,"  Lindsey tells WSB's Sandra Parrish.

Another bill pre-filed by Rep. Kevin Levitas (D-Atlanta) would freeze home assessments at their original purchase price.

Lawmakers adjourned last session without reaching a consensus on property tax reform after spending the entire session debating it.

(WSB Radio) A debt collector is under arrest, charged with impersonating a Fulton County police officer.

Doraville Police Lieutenant Reese Williams says when police went to Joseph Jackson's office, Jackson was still wearing a full uniform, including a badge and gun.

"He admitted he did not work for the Fulton County police department and that's when he was arrested," Williams says.  "All he said was he always wanted to be a police officer."

Police received a tip that Jackson was impersonating an officer, so went to find out.  When they confronted him, Jackson tried to pass as a Fulton County cop.

"He did produce a Fulton County police ID, which was fake," Williams says, "because the Fulton County officer we had with us confirmed it was fake."

Investigators are trying to determine if Jackson used the uniform while he collected debts.

(WSB Radio) A witness in the murder trial of a former Bartow County recreation supervisor says a motorcyclist being chased by the state patrol flipped him off just seconds before crashing.

Attorneys for Jeff Brooks say Antonio Hall may have caused the 2007 accident himself after making an obscene gesture.

"He started accelerating after he raised his hand up," says Kevin Barnett.  "It looked like he shot me a bird."

Brooks is accused of steering his county truck into Hall's path to stop the chase.  Hall was killed in the collision.  Some county residents have dubbed him a hero, but Brooks claims he actually moved his truck out of the way and was not responsible. 

Barnett testified he saw Brooks just before the crash, and the truck was in motion.

"The truck was slowly moving forward," he says. 

If convicted, Brooks faces life in prison.

(WSB Radio) We should know later today whether the NCAA Final Four is returning to Atlanta.

The city is in competition with nine others for the men's tournament in one of 4 upcoming years.

Atlanta is hoping to land the Final Four in either 2012, 2013, 2015 or 2016.  Because of a large convention coming to the city in 2014, Atlanta is not in the bidding for that year's tournament.

The Georgia Dome last hosted the men's tournament in 2007.

Other hopeful cities are Houston, Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, St. Louis, New Orleans, San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington.

The 2012-16 women's Final Fours will be in Denver; New Orleans; Nashville; Tampa; and Indianapolis, the NCAA said last week.

Next year's men's competition will be held at Ford Field in Detroit, followed by Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in 2010 and Reliant Stadium in Houston in 2011.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) Corey Butler scored 12 points, and Georgia held off Eastern Michigan 61-60 on Tuesday in a consolation game in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Terrance Woodbury and Dustin Ware each scored 11 points for the Bulldogs (2-1).

Justin Dobbins had 22 points and seven rebounds and Brandon Bowdry added 14 points and eight rebounds for Eastern Michigan (1-2).

Eastern Michigan had the ball in the closing seconds, trailing 61-60, but L.J. Frazier was called for a charge with 6.1 seconds to play. Frazier had six points and nine assists.

Georgia's Zac Swansey missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 5.4 seconds left. Eastern Michigan's Antonio Green drove to the hoop for a layup, but didn't get his shot off before the final buzzer.

Georgia led 32-30 at halftime. Eastern Michigan stayed in the game by shooting 57 percent from the field in the first half, but the Eagles committed 16 turnovers before the break. Georgia scored 19 points off those miscues.

There were five lead changes and two ties in the first half.

Eastern Michigan dominated the early part of the second half and led by double digits, but Georgia went on a 7-0 run to get back into the game. A layup and a dunk by Jeremy Price and a 3-pointer by Butler cut Eastern Michigan's lead to 53-49 and caused the Eagles to call timeout with 7:26 to play.

The Bulldogs finally took the lead on a layup by Swansey with 4:06 to play.

Georgia made 9 of 18 3-pointers and forced 27 turnovers.

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

(WSB Radio) -- The economy is having an impact on at least one northeast Georgia hospital.

BJC Medical Center in Commerce says it will no longer offer maternity services as of December 9th.

A hospital spokesman says it's purely for economic reasons.  Of the 66 babies delivered last year, most were from indigent patients and reimbursements from Medicaid failed to cover the actual costs of those deliveries.

He also cited skyrocketing insurance costs paid by the hospital's three delivery doctors as another reason for eliminating maternity services.

Patients will be directed to hospitals in Athens and Gainesville.

(WSB Radio) -- The bad economy is changing the way we give this holiday season.

Many adults here in the U.S. plan  to cut back on holiday gift spending this year but  many are more likely to give a "charitable gift" as a present , according to a World Vision survey just conducted by Harris Interactive. The study also finds that only 36 percent of U.S. adults feel they need something for the holidays this year.

Here are the findings:

As a result of the current economic climate, seven in ten adults (71
percent) will spend less money on holiday presents this year, and
about half (49 percent) are now more likely to give a charitable gift
as a holiday present.

More than four in five adults (84 percent) would prefer to receive a
meaningful gift that would help someone else rather than a
traditional holiday gift such as clothing or electronics.

More than half of U.S. adults (57 percent) want something for the
holidays this year, but only about one in three (36 percent) say they
need something.

More than half of U.S. adults couldn't remember what they received
for the holidays last year. More women (60 percent) remember exactly
what they got for Christmas last year than men (49 percent).

<a class="icon_listen" href="http://stream.streamaudio.com/wsb_am/111908 911 Wreck Call-1.wma">Hear the 911 call</a>

(WSB Radio) -- For the first time since a botched drug raid claimed the life of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston, the Atlanta Police Department Narcotics Squad has returned to Neal Street in northwest Atlanta.

Members of the squad executed a search warrant Tuesday night at a home just two blocks from where Johnston died in a shootout with officers on November 21st, 2006.

Residents of the neighborhood plan to commemorate the second anniversary of the shooting with a candlelight vigil on Friday night.

During Tuesday night's raid, Atlanta police arrested six people, confiscated undisclosed amounts of marijuana and crack cocaine, and seized a handgun and cash.

(WSB Radio) A claim from Brian Nichols' pen pal prompts a request to withdraw from his defense team.

Lisa Meneguzzo, who had a correspondence with Nichols from her Connecticut home, testified in the penalty phase of Nichols trial and claimed the defense was in on her plot to help Nichols escape from jail.

"From what Brian was telling me, all he thought about was escaping," Meneguzzo told the court.

With that, the defense team asked to withdraw from the trial, but Judge James Bodiford would have none of it.

He angrily told defense attorneys that they were trying to "screw Nichols."

Nichols was found guilty in the murders of four people on March 11, 2005.

Judge Rowland Barnes, court reporter Julie Brandau and Fulton County Sheriff's Sergeant Hoyt Teasley were shot to death at the Fulton County courthouse after Nichols escaped custody.  U.S. Customs Agent David Wilhelm was murdered later that day outside his Atlanta home.

The jury in the case will decide whether Nichols should get life in prison without parole, or be sentenced to die by lethal injection.

(WSB)--Infants conceived with Assisted Reproductive Technology like in vitro  are two to four times more likely to have certain types of birth defects than children conceived naturally, according to a study by the CDC.

The study shows that among pregnancies resulting in a single birth, ART (which includes all fertility treatments in which both eggs and sperm are handled, such as in vitro fertilization) was associated with twice the risk of some types of heart defects, more than twice the risk of cleft lip with or without cleft palate and over four times the risk of certain gastrointestinal defects compared with babies conceived without fertility treatments.

The number of infants born after ART doubled in the United States from
1996 through 2004. According to data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, almost 12 percent of U.S. women aged 15-44 years have reported using infertility services. In 2005, more than 134,000 ART procedures were performed and approximately 52,000 infants were born as a result of these procedures.

(WSB)--Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International ranks near the bottom on a list of airports across the country that offer healthy food options.

Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport ranked 11 th place with a score of 67 percent--down five points from 2007. Some bright spots on the menus include Atlanta Bread Company's veggie and California avocado sandwiches
and Nature's Table Café's roasted vegetable wrap.

The airports offering the healthiest food choices were Forth Worth International in Dallas and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne COunty Airport. They both got a score of 95 percent.

(WSB Radio) Prosecutors say motorcyclist Antonio Hall drove at a dangerous and excessive speed as he tried to evade the state troopers who were chasing him.

But prosecutors also say that didn't give Bartow County recreation supervisor Jeff Brooks the right to steer his county truck into Hall's path, causing the collision that killed Hall.

"He is not a law enforcement officer," prosecutor Mickey Thacker told the court.  "There was no need for him to be involved in this pursuit."

Hall was being chased by Georgia State Patrol on Georgia Spur 20 last year. 

Police say Hall was on his motorcycle coming around a curve at a high rate of speed. Brooks was at an intersection in his country truck. Police said Brooks came out into traffic, there was a violent collision and Hall died.

Investigators say Brooks intentionally tried to stop Hall, but Brooks denies that.

County officials say Brooks is not to blame for Hall's death.  They say that, if Brooks had not been fleeing police, he'd be alive today.

(WSB Radio) Atlanta police are hunting for the gunman who shot and killed a beer delivery man in broad daylight.

The worker was shot on Monday afternoon, while making a delivery at the BP station at the corner of Hill Street and Memorial Drive, not far from the state capitol.

"We haven't had any shootings in this area in quite some time," says APD homicide Lieutenant Keith Meadows.  "It hadn't been an area that's been problematical for us."

Meadows says the suspect got into a fight with the victim when he tried to rob him and later shot the man. 

The incident was caught on surveillance tape, and Meadows says the video allows police to rule out certain suspects.

"He has some rather nice clothing on and he was clean cut," Meadows says, "so there's nothing to suggest he was a homeless person."

Meadows says police are hoping the timing of the shooting will help solve the crime.

"It happened right in broad daylight," he says, "and we have a number of witnesses who saw the actual shooting itself, so we're in the process of questioning them."

(WSB Radio) You may have some money coming your way.

The IRS is looking for some 12,500 Georgians who have not received their economic stimulus checks. 

"This is something we definitely want to make sure the taxpayers contact us with the correct address, so we can get the money out to them as quickly as possible," says Mark Green, with the IRS.

Green says you must hurry, though.  Checks must be sent out by December 31.  So, he says, if you have not received a check by the 28th of November, then call the IRS directly.

(WSB Radio) Fulton County police are investigating a deadly early morning home invasion on Forest Downs Circle, off of Stonewall Tell Road.

Fulton County police spokesman Scott McBride tells WSB's Mark Alewine an occupant of the home was shot in the chest when one or two men who identified themselves as police officers burst through the front door of the home around 3:15 Tuesday morning.

The victim, identified only as a 24-year-old man, was pronounced dead on arrival at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.

Investigators don not have a description of the suspects.

(WSB Radio) -- Infants conceived with Assisted Reproductive Technology like in vitro  are two to four times more likely to have certain types of birth defects than children conceived naturally, according to a study by the CDC.

The study shows that among pregnancies resulting in a single birth, ART (which includes all fertility treatments in which both eggs and sperm are handled, such as in vitro fertilization) was associated with twice the risk of some types of heart defects, more than twice the risk of cleft lip with or without cleft palate and over four times the risk of certain gastrointestinal defects compared with babies conceived without fertility treatments.

The number of infants born after ART doubled in the United States from
1996 through 2004. According to data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, almost 12 percent of U.S. women aged 15-44 years have reported using infertility services. In 2005, more than 134,000 ART procedures were performed and approximately 52,000 infants were born as a result of these procedures.

ATLANTA (AP) The Senate runoff in Georgia is drawing its share of big-name politicians, from Republican John McCain to former President Bill Clinton.

But some Democrats are wondering why the star of their party, President-elect Barack Obama, isn't scheduled to head South to campaign for Jim Martin.

``I'm praying that President-elect Obama will find time to come down to Georgia and swing around the state with Jim Martin,'' said state Rep. Tyrone Brooks, a civil rights leader.

The Dec. 2 runoff pits first-term Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss against Democratic challenger Martin. Neither candidate got 50 percent of the vote plus one on Election Day, forcing the contest in the Republican-leaning state.

McCain campaigned for Chambliss last week and another former White House hopeful, Mike Huckabee, lent his help. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is scheduled to visit Friday.

Clinton plans to headline a rally for Martin in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Obama aides have been dispatched to help Martin, but Obama has not scheduled any trips to Georgia. While the transition and choosing a Cabinet tops Obama's to-do list, the president-elect faces a political reality. In 1992, President-elect Bill Clinton swept into Georgia to campaign for Democratic Sen. Wyche Fowler, who then lost in a runoff to Republican Paul Coverdell. It saddled Clinton with an election defeat before he'd even been sworn in.

In pursuing the presidency, Obama did not take a high-profile role in congressional races. He cut a television ad for Democrat Jeff Merkley in Oregon after the Republican incumbent, Gordon Smith, used an ad suggesting Obama backed his candidacy. Merkley narrowly won the race.

Republicans are quick to point out that even with a strong pro-Obama turnout, McCain won Georgia on Nov. 4. Chambliss is drawing sizable crowds on the campaign trail, where he has argued that he's needed in Washington as a firewall to Obama and the Democratic agenda.

Besides Georgia, Senate races in Minnesota and Alaska remain unresolved. Democrats are looking to add to their party's majority with an eye toward winning the 60 seats needed to block Republican filibusters. Senate Democrats have 55 seats with two independents who caucus with the party.

``We're hungry for a win,'' said Georgia Republican fundraiser Eric Tannenblatt, who worked for Coverdell in Georgia's last Senate runoff. Tannenblatt is among those who think Obama would help Martin, but not enough to topple Chambliss.

``He would energize some of his supporters, yes,'' Tannenblatt said. ``But it's very different because he's not on the ticket ... and even when he was, he lost the state.''

University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said if Obama wades into the race it becomes, in large part, a referendum on him.

``He stakes his reputation in this contest and if Martin loses that looks bad,'' Bullock said. ``On the other hand, if he comes here and Martin wins it makes Obama look all the more potent, which could help him get some new agenda items through.''

So far, about 100 Obama field operatives from other states have come to Georgia to help with local organizing, and the Martin staff has taken over 25 Obama field offices from the general election campaign.

Martin's first ad of the runoff featured a clip of Obama making a speech and suggested he would help the president-elect cure the country's economic ills.

But Martin voted for Democrat John Edwards in the state's Feb. 5 presidential contest even though the former North Carolina senator had already dropped out of the race by then. That made some Obama supporters question Martin's commitment to their candidate.

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

(WSB Radio) -- The Cherokee County Commission has decided to wait until mid-January before it votes on a new ordinance aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants.

The proposal, which was the subject of a public hearing Monday night in Canton, would make renters prove their citizenship and could allow the county to suspend the business license of companies that hire undocumented workers.

Kathy Inman of Woodstock supports the ordinance.  She told commissioners about a 2000 accident involving an illegal immigrant that killed her 16-year-old son and left her confined to a wheelchair.  She says "something has to be done and this (the ordinance) is a good start."

Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund told commissioner the new ordinance would violate an injunction in a lawsuit over an earlier proposal that was approved but never enforced.

That 2006 ordinance actually required landlords to collect documentation from tenants.  Officials say the new measure is different.

"Instead of focusing on landlord/community almost exclusively, this focuses on renters having to obtain a license in order to rent a location," says commission chairman Buzz Ahrens. "And, in order to do so, they have to verify and prove a certain legal identity."

Ahrens says there is a big difference between the old ordinance and the one being introduced today.

"The key point is this new ordinance has a second part which focuses on employers," Ahrens says,  "basically stating that you're making an affidavit that you're not, knowingly, hiring illegal aliens."

ATLANTA (AP) Property taxes look like they will again be a hot topic for Georgia lawmakers when they return to the state Capitol.

Among the handful of early bills ``pre-filed'' Monday in the Georgia House were two looking to slow the rise of home assessments.

Under a Republican measure sponsored by Rep. Ed Lindsey, of Atlanta, assessments could grow by only 3 percent or the rate of inflation. The bill has the backing of Republican leadership. The state Senate passed a similar bill last session.

Another bill unveiled by Rep. Kevin Levitas, D-Atlanta, would freeze assessments at the home's purchase price.

Talk of taxes dominated the last legislative session but competing proposals went nowhere. House Speaker Glenn Richardson was seeking to wipe out property taxes in Georgia. The ambitious plan ultimately died after facing stiff resistance, some of it from within his own party.

Lawmakers were close to reaching agreement on a bill limiting home assessments in the session's final hours but the plan fell victim to political infighting.

The legislative session begins Jan. 12. ``Pre-filed'' bills are those which lawmakers file before the session begins.

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

(WSB Radio/AP) -- The two main men behind the $700 billion financial bailout are in for a grilling on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will testify before the House Financial Services Committee. They're expected to explain why the administration has ditched its original strategy behind the rescue.

Paulson announced last week that none of the money will be used to buy bad mortgages and other bad bank assets. Instead, the focus will be to put $250 billion into banks in exchange for partial ownership stakes. Officials will also try to boost availability of auto loans, student loans and credit cards.

Consumer credit has been harder to come buy because of the financial crisis.

Democrat: Gov't could revoke auto bailout loans

A Key Democrat says a House auto industry bailout would require that U.S. automakers immediately repay $25 billion in government loans next year if they can't show they're financially viable.

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who is drafting the plan, said it would forbid the carmakers from paying dividends or giving bonuses to executives making more than $250,000 a year while they're using the government lifeline.

Frank told CNN that lawmakers want a plan that will show that the companies are viable and that the money should be repaid if they aren't viable.

A Senate measure contains no such provision.

(WSB Radio) -- Early voting begins Monday for the upcoming December 2nd runoff.

Most counties will only have one voting site this week and during next week's Advanced Voting unlike during the General Election.  Fulton County, which begin early voting on Tuesday, will open three sites at the government building downtown, in the North Fulton Service Center and at the South Fulton Service Center.

Applications for absentee ballots are again available around the state but must be returned as soon as possible in light of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Using a "robo call", Gov. Perdue is urging Georgians to vote absentee this time.

(WSB Radio)  A few short weeks ago experts were predicting gas to be $2 a gallon by Thanksgiving.

Well, if you're paying $2 by the holiday, you're being ripped off.

Gasoline prices across Georgia have fallen below the $2 a gallon mark.

AAA said prices at the pumps have tumbled more than a dollar in the past month.

The statewide average price for regular-grade gas is currently $1.96 Monday.

Some customers of the Marathon Station, at Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Shadburn Ferry Road, in Buford, were paying $1.58 a gallon, after a store rebate.

"It feels a lot better than it did," says one man who was filling up his pick up.  Another man says the low prices will allow him to do things with his family that weren't possible just a few weeks ago when gas was above $4 a gallon.

"We were sticking around home and all that," he says, "and now we can go on trips and all that good stuff.  So it's very nice."

The national average is $2.08.

One year ago, Georgia motorists were paying $3.03 for regular fuel, on average.

Augusta has the cheapest metro average for regular at $1.92 a gallon. Columbus had the highest average at $2.05.

Oil and gas prices are in a downward spiral because of investors' fears that a global economic slowdown will hurt demand for fuel.

(WSB Radio) Five people are hurt and a child is dead, following an early morning traffic accident in Smyrna.

Police say the victims are a mother who was walking with her four kids.  The dead child is said to be under the age of 5.

It happened at about 6:15, at the intersection of South Cobb Drive and King Springs Road, near the Wade Ford car dealership.  It was near a Cobb County Transit bus stop, but police do not know if the family had just gotten off a bus or was headed to the bus stop.

Investigators spent hours on the scene, taking measurements and determining who was where at the time of the accident.

It was a scene of carnage, as shoes, clothing  and book bags were scattered all over the road. 

Investigators believe the mother may have been taking to the kids to school or child care when they were hit.

The mother and the three injured children were transported to the hospital with what a police spokesman calls "superficial" wounds. 

Police say the driver struck the family, then stopped to render aid and call 911. 

The driver is being questioned. 

(WSB Radio) The man sentenced to life in prison for running over a family at a Covington McDonald's parking lot has leukemia

48 year old Lanny Barnes was convicted in the 2006 death of 2 year old Avery King. 

Barnes needs a bone marrow transplant, but it's not clear if he'll get one. 

If left untreated leukemia can be fatal in a matter of months.

The Newton County Sheriff's department says Barnes' treatments at Emory Hospital have cost the taxpayers $470,000 thus far.

(WSB Radio) It's a long way from the heady days of his celebrity ministry.

Sunday, Bishop Thomas Weeks held his services at the Holiday Inn in Norcross, after his congregation was evicted from their previous home in Duluth.

Weeks says his Global Destiny International Ministries is "downsizing" to fit today's tough economic time. 

After the incident where he attacked his then wife, Juanita Bynum, in a hotel parking lot last year, Weeks has seen church membership drop by almost half, to less than 2000.

Sunday's attendance was about 250.

(WSB Radio) The Cherokee County Commission is trying, again, to crack down on illegal immigrants.

A proposal, that will go before the public today, would make renters prove their citizenship and threatens to suspend the business license of companies that hire undocumented workers.

An ordinance from 2006 actually required landlords to collect documentation from tenants.  That measure is now before the courts and was never enforced.  Officials say this one is different.

"Instead of focusing on landlord/community almost exclusively, this focuses on renters having to obtain a license in order to rent a location," says commission chairman Buzz Ahrens. "And, in order to do so, they have to verify and prove a certain legal identity."

Ahrens says there is a big difference between the old ordinance and the one being introduced today.

"The key point is this new ordinance has a second part which focuses on employers," Ahrens says,  "basically stating that you're making an affidavit that you're not, knowingly, hiring illegal aliens."

(WSB Radio) There's no school today for about 2500 Carroll County students after a fire at a tire plant in Bowdon.

The fire broke out at the Trim-tex Tire Plant Sunday afternoon.  The blaze prompted county school officials to order the school shut down.

We're closing schools for health precautions for students breathing the smoke because it's pretty heavy in that area," says school spokeswoman Elena Schulenburg, "as well as we're helping the fire department with water supply."

The closed schools are: Bowdon Elementary, Jonesville Middle School, Bowdon High School, Open Campus and Crossroads Academy.

State officials now estimate damage to the plant at up to 11 million dollars. The cause is still under investigation .

ATLANTA (AP) The Denver Broncos have come up with all sorts of ways to deal with their injuries, from starting a player on both sides of the line to relying on a guy with plenty of baggage.

It's working out just fine.

Jay Cutler threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham with 5 and a half minutes remaining, the Denver defense held off Matt Ryan's last-gasp drive and the gritty Broncos rallied for a 24-20 victory Sunday, handing the Falcons their first loss of the season at home.

``We made some big strides,'' said coach Mike Shanahan, whose team won its second straight, both on the road. ``Normally, you go the other direction when you have your starters out.''

The first-place Broncos (6-4) played without star cornerback Champ Bailey and all three of their projected starters at linebacker. Spencer Larsen started at both middle linebacker and fullback, the first player in team history to pull off that double.

On offense, Denver has lost five tailbacks, four of them for the season. Shanahan divvied up the carries among three players including Tatum Bell, signed a few days earlier after an ugly departure from Detroit when he was accused of stealing luggage from a teammate.

``It feels pretty good to have guys step up that have really not played in the National Football League,'' Shanahan said.

The Falcons (6-4) were feeling pretty good about themselves. They had won four of their last five and were 4-0 at the Georgia Dome, emerging as one of the league's biggest surprises in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.

Things looked good for the home team when Michael Turner scored on a 28-yard run to put Atlanta ahead 20-17 with just under 11 minutes left.

But the Broncos came storming back. Cutler accounted for more than half the distance on the 10-play, 83-yard drive when he hooked up with Brandon Marshall for a 47-yard pass after the big receiver broke away from Chris Houston.

``It wasn't the first read. It wasn't the second read,'' Cutler said. ``He got behind everyone, and I just threw it up and he made the catch.''

On third-and-goal at the Atlanta 9, Cutler scrambled to his right and spotted Graham for the winning score.

``It was a busted play,'' the quarterback said. ``I got a little pressure and had to roll out. Daniel did a great job of finding a hole.''

Coming off a 447-yard effort against Cleveland, Cutler completed 19 of 27 passes for 216 yards. Peyton Hillis, P.J. Pope and Bell combined for 113 yards rushing on 21 carries.

``We thought it was going to be more of a passing game,'' Falcons defensive end Jamaal Anderson said. ``They came in and wanted to establish their running game.''

The Denver defense loaded up on the line and held Turner to 81 yards on 25 carries. Ryan finally showed his age at bit, throwing his first interception at home, and his final bid at rallying the Falcons slipped through the hands of top receiver Roddy White in the right corner of the end zone.

Ryan completed 20 of 33 for 250 yards, and White had five catches for 102 yards his fifth 100-yard game of the season. But he couldn't pull in the one that really mattered.

``I have to go out there and make those plays,'' White said. ``I feel responsible for the loss today.''

Ryan wasn't thrilled with his effort, either. On the final drive, he threw a pass that should've been picked off by Jamie Winborn and returned for a touchdown, but the linebacker couldn't hang on.

``I wish I could've had a couple throws back,'' Ryan said. ``There were some good plays, just not enough to get the win.''

Turner had a pair of touchdowns, also scoring from the 9 to give Atlanta a 13-7 lead at halftime. Jason Elam, kicking against the team that he played for the last 15 seasons, booted field goals of 46 and 36 yards for the Falcons.

But the Broncos jumped on Atlanta after halftime. Denver took the kickoff and went 77 yards in 11 plays. Cutler completed four passes for 42 yards, Hillis ripped off a 12-yard run and Pope burst up the middle for a 15-yard gain. Finally, Hillis took it in from the 2 to put the Broncos ahead.

After Ryan was picked off by Dre Bly, Denver ripped off another big drive. Atlanta's defense finally held at the goal line, forcing Denver to settle for Matt Prater's 20-yard field goal that pushed the lead to 17-13.
Notes: Prater, who started the 2007 season as Atlanta's kicker but was cut after only two games, missed a 49-yard attempt in the second quarter. He's made all five of his tries from at least 50 yards, but dropped to 12-of-16 on the closer ones. ... At halftime, the Falcons honored their 1998 Super Bowl team, including Jamal Anderson, who trotted on the field doing the ``Dirty Bird'' dance that became the team's trademark.

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

(WSB Radio) -- Former President Bill Clinton comes to Atlanta this week to boost the campaign of democrat Jin Martin, locked in a runoff with Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Clinton is due to be in Atlanta on Wednesday, though full details of the visit have not been released.

Clinton was in Atlanta recently for Martin. But that was a private fund-raising event. Wednesday's event is expected to be a public rally.

"President Clinton and I share a common goal of helping President-elect [Barack] Obama fix our economy and get our country working for middle class Georgians again," Martin said.

ATLANTA (AP) The downturn in the economy hasn't spared Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank's foundation and his main business unit.

A company official says the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and AMB Group -- parent of the Falcons and Blank's other business interests -- laid off seven staff members last week, or about 10 percent of the combined workforce.

Vice president and AMB chief of staff Kim Shreckengost says the foundation also plans to cut charitable giving about 20 percent in 2009.

Last year, the foundation granted about $15 million, and past recipients include numerous community services, education and arts organizations.

Shreckengost blames the economy and the stock market for the cuts.

She says the cuts largely will not affect the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Force, Blank's football teams.


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

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) Chants of ``Huck-a-bee'' greeted former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee as he led a rally for the ``fair tax'' in Georgia aimed at helping Sen. Saxby Chambliss in his runoff bid.

Several thousand Georgians crowded into the Gwinnett Center Sunday afternoon for a raucous event that also featured WSB talk show host Neal Boortz, one the most vocal boosters of the ``fair tax.''.

The ``fair tax'' would eliminate the income tax and the Internal Revenue Service and put in place a national sales tax.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has run several ads attacking Chambliss' support for the ``fair tax.'' Chambliss has called the ads misleading.

Chambliss is locked in a Dec. 2 runoff with Democrat Jim Martin.

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

(WSB Radio) An election controversy is brewing in Doraville.

The city wants to annex part of DeKalb County, and a ballot measure failed by only about 30 votes.  But Doraville resident Eleanor Crane isn't buying it. 

"I'll go with the vote when I think it's fair," she says.  "But I didn't think it got a fair chance."

So Crane has filed suit.

At the center of the controversy is a claim that the ballot measure didn't appear on voting machines in some precincts.  Crane, who volunteered on Election Day, says it was not listed on the ballots where she was working.  She also says the measure was left off of absentee ballots.

County election officials say they noticed the problem and handed out paper ballot in some places.  But Crane says that's not enough.

"Absolutely not," she says, "if it's not on the voting screen."

Crane wants the proposal put on the ballot for the runoff election on December 2.

(WSB Radio) A 16 year old is dead after falling while working construction at the Gwinnett Place Mall.

Why was Luis Montoya even working there in the first place?

"That I do not know," Gwinnett Police Corporal David Schiralli tells WSB.  "We contacted OSHA and they might be investigating the incident at this time."

A spokesman for the Department of Labor says it is legal for a 16 year old to work an unlimited number of hours during the week.  However, he is not allowed to work in a hazardous position.

"Police responded to a 911 call of a juvenile who had fallen from a scaffold at Gwinnett Place Mall, doing some construction," says Schiralli.  "The juvenile fell and ultimately died of injuries at the scene."

What cause the teenager to fall from the scaffold is still under investigation.

(WSB Radio) The DeKalb school superintendent is having his spending placed under extreme scrutiny.

The District Attorney is looking at Dr. Crawford Lewis' use of the system credit card and the purchase of a car.  School board member Cassandra Littlejohn called for the audit.

"Our responsibility is to the taxpayers," she says.

But board member Zepora Roberts says the school board is happy with Lewis' explanation.  The superintendent says he's conducted himself ethically. 

The District Attorney says the review falls short of a full blown investigation.

The school system is facing a $10 million budget shortfall and plans to cut 200 jobs next year.

(WSB Radio) DeKalb police say the story just  didn't cut it.  So now a credit union worker is in custody, charged with being part of an elaborate theft.

Police say Chankedra Davis worked for a credit union at the South DeKalb Mall.  She contacted authorities on Friday morning with a story of kidnapping and robbery.

Davis told officers two men had approached her as she was leaving her Atlanta apartment.  She claimed one man went into the apartment and held her 4 year old son, while the other forced her to drive to her work.

Once there, he demanded she get $40,000, or else her son would be killed.  Davis told police she got the money for the man, who then drove off.

"Our detectives later learned that that was not the case, and that she had made the entire story up," says DeKalb Police Spokeswoman Mekka Parish.

Davis, 23, was taken into custody.  Police are still trying to locate the money and any accomplices.

Davis' son is said to be fine.

(WSB Radio) Police say it was a guilty conscience that caused a Palmetto man to surrender in connection with a fatal carjacking in Fairburn.

Fairburn police say 26 year old Kealy Williams is in custody, charged with Thursday's murder of Terrance Harris, 41, at a local car wash.

According to investigators, Harris, of Shaker Heights, Ohio, was with a relative at the Golden Shine Car Wash on Georgia 74, near Interstate 85,  at about 4:30 Thursday afternoon.  Harris was in the Atlanta area to attend his father's funeral and was cleaning his father's Cadillac when, police say, he was approached by Williams.

Williams reportedly demanded the car, then opened the passenger door and shot Harris.  He then got into the Cadillac, dumped Harris' body and drove off.  The car was recovered early Friday morning about four miles away, in Coweta County.

Police have been searching near Williams' home in Palmetto for the gun used in the killing.  He's being held in the South Fulton Municipal Regional Jail in Union City. 

Williams is currently charged with murder, but other charges are pending.

(WSB Radio)  The economic slowdown is having an impact on the local sports community.  The Board of Directors of the Tour de Georgia says it will cancel the 2009 race.

"The state was a significant sponsor of the event and we all know what's happening with significant budget shortfalls at the state level and then all the corporate sponsors obviously are at least to some extent challenged by this economic slowdown," says board member Phil Jacobs.

He tells WSB's Sandra Parrish that the board will now focus the 2010 event.

The seven day race this year brought in 15 international teams including from France, China and Latin America and yielded over $38.6 million in direct economic impact for the state.

(WSB Radio) -- Police call it the best lead they have in the fatal carjacking of an Ohio man in Fairburn.

Acting on an anonymous tip, cops have recovered the green 2000 Cadillac that was taken from 41 year old Terrence Harris, of Cleveland; The car was found in Coweta County.

Fairburn police believe the suspect targeted the car to take a joyride. They're now going over the car to look for clues.

"Once we find out what the car is going to tell us through our investigation," says police Detective Ben Pace, "it'll tell us a lot more."

A photo of the car, taken at the scene of the discovery by WSB's Richard Sangster, shows the Cadillac to be intact, with no signs of damage.

Harris was shot to death at about 4:30 Thursday afternoon as he was washing the car at the Golden Shine Car Wash on Highway 74.

Harris was in Atlanta for the funeral of his father.  The Cadillac belonged to the father and Harris was having it cleaned in preparation for the funeral.

Police say the suspect shot Harris in the head, threw his body out of the car and drove away.

The gunman is described as a black man, 20 to 30 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 160 pounds.

(WSB Radio) The family of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. says his estate is entitled to hundreds of thousands of dollars in licensing fees, from the flood of post-election merchandise featuring Dr. King's image.

Since the election of Barack Obama, posters, t-shirts and other memorabilia have flooded the market, much of it featuring Dr. King's image. His nephew Ike Farris, who heads the King Center, says "We cannot allow our brand to be abused." What can they do about it? Pippa Loengard is a licensing law expert at Columbia: "One can license something and get proceeds from it, or one can decide that they don't want the imag to be used at all, and get an injunction against the production of the item."

Farris could announce new licensing deals next week, for items that may be sold at the King Center.

(WSB Radio) -- How much has the economy hurt home values in the Atlanta area?  Don't ask residents of Cobb County.

The median price of homes in the county is down 10 percent in the past year.

Numbers from the Georgia Multiple Listing service show the median price in Cobb in the 4th quarter is just under $185,000, compared to $205,000 last year.

Prices peaked last spring, at $216,000. 

One realtor says the quality of the schools is helping to stem the decline in home prices.

(WSB Radio) -- A man accused of killing his former girlfriend with a samurai sword has been convicted by a Cobb County jury.

Jurors deliberated for three hours before finding Elliott Jeffers guilty of murdering Jocelyn Williams.

She was at a Moe's restaurant with a friend when Jeffers came in and stabbed her to death with the sword.  The friend was wounded in the attack.

Defense attorneys had argued that Jeffers was insane and had entered the restaurant intent on killing himself.

Jeffers gets a mandatory life sentence for the conviction, but could end up being sentenced to life plus fifty years. 

Sentencing is scheduled for next month.

(WSB Radio) -- Atlanta police are warning about the midtown mugger.

He's targeting young white men in the area around 10th Street and Piedmont.

"He told me that he wanted $1000 and that he was going to shoot me if I didn't give it to him," one victim says.  "I was very scared."

Police say he's robbed four people in the past two weeks, sometimes using physical violence.

"He told me to do what he said or else he'd shoot me in the head," another victim says.  "I instinctively reached for my wallet, and then I said 'if you're going to shoot me, then go ahead and shoot me,' and continued to walk straight towards him.   At that point, he knocked me down and pushed me onto the steps and started to punch me in the head."

The suspect was caught on surveillance video. He's said to be well dressed, good looking and, apparently, well educated and well armed.

(WSB Radio) A controversial school rezoning plan in north Fulton County drew nearly 1,000 concerned parents to a public hearing Thursday night in Alpharetta. 

Parents got the opportunity to examine and comment on three attendance maps that redistribute the populations of a dozen elementary schools, potentially affecting up to 5.000 children. 

Fulton County Schools' spokeswoman Susan Hale tells Channel 2 Action News the new lines were drawn to accomodate the opening of another elementary school in the fall of 2009.

Based on the input received at Thursday night's meeting, the Fulton County School Board will select one of the maps.  A final decision on the new attendance zones is due in February.

(WSB Radio) A member of the Atlanta City Council is floating an alternative to Mayor Franklin's request for a federal bailout for the cash strapped city.

C-T Martin wants to tax people who work here, but live outside Atlanta and Fulton County.  He tells WSB "as long as we (the city of Atlanta) have to subsidize some 600,000 people who come into the city every day, use our resources and leave, our city will always have a deficit."

Martin is proposing a payroll tax of $100 dollars a month that he hopes would offset the city's projected 2009 budget deficit of $50 to $60 million dollars.

The tax, which is assessed by other major U-S cities, would have to be approved by the Georgia General Assembly.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Imprisoned NFL quarterback Michael Vick expects to return to pro football, according to his bankruptcy attorneys who laid out a plan to pay creditors based in part on his anticipated earnings.

``The Debtor has every reason to believe that upon his release, he will be reinstated into the NFL, resume his career and be able to earn a substantial living,'' Vick's attorneys wrote in a disclosure statement filed before a hearing Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Norfolk.

The former Atlanta Falcons star is serving a 23-month sentence in a federal penitentiary for bankrolling a dogfighting ring in rural Virginia and is scheduled to be released on July 20.

Once the NFL's highest-paid player, Vick has assets of $16 million and liabilities of $20.4 million, according to the court filing in which attorneys wrote in extraordinary detail about Vick's dizzying financial mess listing a fleet of vehicles, properties, businesses and the extended family he supported.

A Vick attorney said a committee representing all his debtors has proposed a plan to pay off his debt. A judge scheduled a hearing for mid-December on the appointment of a trustee, which Vick's attorneys oppose.

``The committee attorney acknowledged that there's been a lot of progress, so we're hopeful,'' Peter R. Ginsberg told The Associated Press.

Vick still faces two state felony counts dogfighting and animal cruelty. They carry maximum prison terms of 10 years, but under a plea deal, Vick would serve a suspended sentence and a year of probation.

He is scheduled to appear in Surry County Circuit Court on Nov. 25.

Paul K. Campsen, another Vick attorney in the bankruptcy proceeding, said he had not had any contact with the NFL, nor had Vick. While Vick still has a contract with the Falcons, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would have the final say on his return, which he is counting on after he is released.

``That's the hope,'' Campsen said in an interview. ``I think efforts will be made once we get past this.''

The attorneys laid out a payment plan to Vick's creditors that includes expected NFL earnings and possible signing bonuses.

Campsen said the reorganization plan involves those expected payments and liquidation of his larger assets.

The assets include four homes in Virginia and Georgia valued at a total of $6 million; an interest in two farms; and an interest in more than 20 businesses, from a horse farm to liquor stores.

Ginsberg said if the sides can't agree in December, another hearing will be held in January. Vick was ordered to attend.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) Space shuttle Endeavour raced toward the international space station on Saturday for a home makeover job after a brilliant moonlit launch that had NASA managers in awe.

The shuttle and its seven astronauts blasted into orbit Friday night on a mission to redo the insides of the space station, adding some extra bedrooms and a spare bathroom and kitchenette.

Three of the astronauts have degrees from Georgia Tech.

Col. Eric Boe and Lt. Col. Robert "Shane" Kimbrough, who went to high school in metro Atlanta and got master's degrees from Georgia Tech.

The third Yellow Jacket on board is Sandra Magnus. She got a doctorate from Tech in 1996. This will be her second trip into space.

``It's our turn to take home improvement to a new level after 10 years of international space station construction,'' commander Christopher Ferguson called out.

Ferguson and his crew will double as plumbers and installers once they arrive at the 220-mile-high space station Sunday, hooking up extra cooking and sleeping equipment as well as a new water recycling system so the station's crew can expand next year.

The work will keep the astronauts up over Thanksgiving; NASA expects to add a 16th day to the mission, thanks to the on-time launch.

``Very few things that we do beat a night launch like you saw tonight,'' said LeRoy Cain, chairman of the mission management team. ``We're off to a great start on what's going to be an extremely exciting, very complex and challenging mission.''

NASA almost delayed the launch because of a door frame left loose at the pad by a worker who promptly admitted his mistake. Launch controllers determined the flapping frame would not hit the shuttle.

A nearly full moon, glowing orange at times, adorned the sky as Endeavour began its journey.

Soon after liftoff, Mission Control informed the astronauts that a quick look at the launch pictures revealed two pieces of debris trailing Endeavour, one at 33 seconds after liftoff and the other around the two-minute mark. It did not appear that the debris hit the shuttle, but analyses will continue for several more days to be certain the spacecraft was not damaged.

The astronauts' main priority Saturday is to survey their ship's wings and nose with a laser-tipped boom for any signs of damage. The day-after-launch inspection has been standard procedure ever since the 2003 Columbia disaster.

Besides enough Thanksgiving turkey dinners to go around, Endeavour is carrying thousands of pounds of equipment for the space station, most notably a revolutionary recycling system to turn urine into drinking water.

That, along with the new bathroom, kitchenette, exercise machine and two extra bedrooms being delivered, should allow NASA to double the size of the space station crew. The goal is to add three more residents, for a total of six, by next June.

By the time Endeavour leaves, the space station will have morphed into a five-bedroom, two-bath, two-kitchen home.

``We're about to get an extreme home makeover,'' the space station's commander, Mike Fincke, told Mission Control. ``It doesn't get better than this, my friends.''

The shuttle astronauts also will take on a lube job at the space station.

A massive joint that rotates half of the solar wings toward the sun has been jammed for more than a year; it's clogged with metal grit from grinding parts. The spacewalking astronauts will clean and lubricate that joint, replace its bearings and apply extra grease to keep a twin joint working.

The space agency has just 10 shuttle flights, including this one, before the fleet is retired in 2010 to make way for a new rocketship capable of taking astronauts to the space station and, eventually, the moon. An additional shuttle flight or two could be in NASA's future, however, to narrow the projected five-year gap between the last shuttle flight and the first manned launch of the new spaceship.

``As you saw today, we arranged to have the moon out there ... that's the perfect analogy of transition,'' said Bill Gerstenmaier, head of NASA's space operations.

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

(WSB Radio) -- Sen. John McCain says he didn't expect to be back on the campaign trail this soon, but was happy to come to Atlanta to campaign for his colleague Saxby Chamblis.  Chambliss faces challenger Jim Martin in a December 2 runoff election. Secretary of State Handel certified the November 4 results late Thursday.

Chambliss faces challenger Jim Martin in a runoff election on December 2nd to end one of three Senate races still undecided following the November 4 election.

Other prominent lawmakers campaigning for Chambliss at the Cobb Energy Center included former Sen. Zell Miller, Sen. Johnny Isakson, and South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham.

Neither Chambliss or Martin won the necessary 50-percent plus one of the vote.  Chambliss had 49.8 percent while Martin pulled 46.8 percent.  Libertarian Allen Buckley drew 3.4 percent of the vote.

(WSB Radio) Federal law enforcement is offering a reward in the theft of guns from a Jasper sporting goods store.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, along with the Jasper police, will pay up to $5000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who broke into Bargain Barn, at 3622 Camp Road on November 8.

Video surveillance footage shows three masked suspects running through the store smashing display cases and stuffing the firearms into bags before leaving.

Police say that, in less than two minutes, the suspects were able to steal a total of 40 firearms to include 36 semi-automatic pistols and six rifles.

"Theft of firearms from licensed gun dealers is a top priority for ATF," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeff Pearce. "We all have a vested interest in arresting those responsible and recovering the stolen guns. Solving this crime will be a team effort among ATF, the Jasper Police Department and concerned members of the public."

Investigators say they need the public's help with identifying the suspects or providing information on the location of the stolen firearms.

Anyone with information in helping to solve this crime is encouraged to call ATF's toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or the Jasper Police Department by contacting Detective Gleason at (404) 317-2532.

(WSB Radio) The economy is struggling and the prospects for 2009 are bleak.  So, of course, it's time to build a multimillion dollar hotel in midtown Atlanta.

"You have to look three and four and five years out," says Sam William, President of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.  "You don't build something based on today's occupancy."

And that is why Tivoli Properties has announced plans for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, to be built at 12th and Peachtree Streets.

The developers looked at the construction underway in midtown Atlanta and saw the future.

"These developments which are ongoing, which will be augmented by Mandarin Oriental, are creating a destination which is premier in the southeast United States," says Scott Lenenthal, Founder and CEO of Tivoli Properties.  "This building will be the crown jewel of the midtown mile."

The 53 story luxury hotel will feature a 30th floor sky lobby, with views of downtown Atlanta and Piedmont Park, a city view pool, located about 100 feet above Crescent Avenue.

The hotel features 198 rooms and will join Mandarin Hotels in other major cities worldwide.  Currently the company operates 22 hotels including locations in New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Washington.  18 other hotel projects are under development in other cities around the globe.

The midtown hotel's top floors will include 71 condos, ranging in size from 1700 to 12,000 square feet, and ranging in price from $1.8 million to $15 million.

Despite the economic downtown, Leventhal is optimistic.  So far, he says, Tivoli has sold 19 of the 71 condos.

The 285 million dollars complex, which will be adjacent to the Atlanta Women's Club, is set to open in 2011.

(WSB Radio)  Smoking rates are down in the United States, but it's still a pricey bad habit.

WSB's Sabrina Gibbons reports a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows fewer adults were lighting up in 2007: 19.8%, down from 20.8% in 2006.

"For the first time since we've been systematically tracking it at the national level, the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the United States has gone below 20%," says Dr. Matthew McKenna, director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health. 

Dr. McKenna tells WSB while the one-percent drop is a major decrease and equals good news, the bad news is that people are still smoking--period.

"Updated data [shows] that over 443,000 deaths a year are attributable to smoking each year, and costs the United States $193 billion, both in terms of lost productivity and healthcare costs," he says.

The biggest decline was among black women; overall, men still smoke more than women.

(WSB Radio) Atlanta police are looking for the gunman who shot and killed the former son-in-law of singer James Brown.

Investigators say 38 Darren Lumar was shot during a violent struggle in the garage of his Buckhead townhouse.

Police say that, after he was struck, Lumar drove himself to Northside Hospital, where he died the day after last Wednesday's attack.

The motive isn't clear, but police say Lumar had a lot of cash on him, so they doubt it was a robbery.

Lumar was married to Brown's daughter, Yamma.  They divorced a year ago.

(WSB Radio) A 19 year old is in police custody, charged in a triple shooting that killing a Riverdale teenager.

Jarquavius Tisinger is charged with Sunday morning's incident.  Police say he shot into an SUV filled with teens outside of a teen club on Jonesboro Road.  17 year old Joshua Richards was killed.

Police are still hunting for suspects in another Sunday morning shooting along I-85, near Sidney Marcus.  That shooting left a teenage couple dead.

(WSB Radio) As companies struggle in the current economy, dollar stores are experiencing a boom.

Dollar General and Family Dollar are among the stores that are drawing customers who are looking to save as much as they can.

"People, today, who used to turn their noses up at trying to save a buck now get it completely," says WSB's Clark howard. 

He says investors have also noticed the dollar stores and shares of their stock are being bought up.

But it's the consumer that is benefiting.

"It's so great when I walk into a dollar store and I don't have to worry about what anything costs," says Clark.  "Both the places that have the fixed dollar price and Dollar General and Family Dollar are made to order for a recession."

And Clark says the good times for the stores should continue for awhile.

"They should do very well over the next few years."

(WSB Radio) A DeKalb County police officer is out of his job after being charged with sexually assaulting a woman.

Officer Mark Hill had been on the force for three years.  He was called out in response to a domestic dispute this week. 

The 27 year old woman who called in the complaint says, once the officer took down her information, he started getting personal, asking her about the shorts she was wearing.

"By that time, he stuck his two fingers in the hole of my boxer shorts and grabbed me," the woman says. 

She says Hill then pulled down her pants and said "That made my day."

After a brief investigation, Hill was dismissed from the department.

He faces charges of sexual battery and violating his oath of office.

(WSB Radio) Deliberations resume today in the trial of a man accused of killing his former girlfriend with a samurai sword.

The defense claims Elliott Jeffers was insane and had actually entered the Moe's restaurant in Cobb County intent on killing himself.  Instead, he used the sword to stab Joselyn Williams to death.

"Did he do it?  Yes he did," defense attorney Brian Lumpkin told the jury.  "Yes, he's the one who picked up that knife and he's the one who caused her death.  But what in the world was going through his mind?"

A friend of Williams was wounded in the attack.

The jury must decide whether Jeffers is guilty of murder or not guilty by reason of insanity.

(WSB Radio) The Federal Trade Commission is suing an award winning Gwinnett County business and its owner in a scheme designed to make money on those who can least afford it.

U.S. Work Alliance and its owner, Tyler Long, are accused of defrauding potential employees.

According to the FTC, the company advertised it was conducting job exams for the postal service.  Applicants would be sold a book that they were told was needed for the exam, only to find out later there was no job, no exam and no affiliation with the postal service.

The Better Business Bureau says they've received over 700 complaints.

"People who thought they were being misled by this company," says Fred Elsberry with the BBB. "The inference they were getting from them was that this is the post office and we can help get you a job at the post office."

(WSB Radio) -- From communications to staffing to training, an external audit of the Fulton County 9-1-1 call center reveals what's called a "dysfunctional operation."

Fulton County manager Zachary Williams ordered the audit after an emergency dispatcher mishandled a call last August from a Johns Creek woman who later died.  Williams will release the findings of Michigan-based Emergency Services Consulting at a Thursday afternoon news conference. 

Channel 2 Action News obtained a copy of the report, which states in part, the 9-1-1 center lacks a sound and progressive management, facilitating poor leadership.  As a result, operational practices, technical updates and customer service are in a state of neglect, and in some areas, major disrepair.

The audit also shows every staff member interviewed had bad things to say about their workplace, citing unclear inter-office communication, extremely low morale, inadequate training and staffing issues.

Williams plans to implement a three phase, six month plan to correct the problems.  It includes finding a new 9-1-1 communications center director.

WASHINGTON (AP) The dramatic drop in world oil prices means a break this winter in heating costs, although households will still be paying more than they did last winter, the government says.

Gasoline prices, which have declined by nearly 50 percent since July, are expected to remain relatively low, averaging $2.37 a gallon through 2009, according to the Energy Department.

The department's Energy Information Administration revised its short-term energy outlook Wednesday to reflect the reduction by more than half of crude oil prices over five months. The revision also reflects expectations of a more severe economic downturn.

It said people using fuel oil about 8 million households, mostly in the Northeast are expected to pay on average $1,694 during this winter's heating season, a 13 percent increase over last winter. But that's nearly $700 less than what was projected by the agency only a month ago.

The 58 million households that heat by natural gas will pay only slightly more than last year an estimated $889 for the October through March heating season, an increase of 3.6 percent.

While natural gas often mirrors oil prices, some of the savings from declining wholesale gas prices will not be passed on to consumers because much of the gas they will use was bought by utilities last summer when prices were high and put into storage.

The EIA also cautioned that actual prices could vary from region to region and depending on how well a home is insulated.

Meanwhile, the agency projects gasoline prices to average $2.37 a gallon next year, compared with $2.22 a gallon last week and a national average high of $4.11 last July.

The world's economic troubles and the resulting decline in global energy demand has resulted in a ``rapid and substantial reduction in crude oil and other energy prices,'' said the EIA. It predicted ``as a result of worldwide economic stagnation oil markets are expected to remain weak'' through next year.

The agency projected oil prices to average $63.50 a barrel in 2009.

Actual costs of both crude and refined products, including fuel oil and gasoline, may be even lower than projected in the EIA report. Both crude oil and natural gas have continued dramatic declines this week declines that may not have been taken into account in the report.

Oil prices for December delivery plunged to $56 a barrel Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Wholesale natural gas prices tumbled 30 cents to $6.40 per thousand cubic feet Wednesday, also for December delivery. The EIA projected wholesale natural gas costing an average of $6.82 next year, $1.35 less than projected a month ago.

Residential fuel oil prices are expected to average $2.75 a gallon during the upcoming winter heating season, or 56 cents a gallon less than predicted a month ago, but still 17 percent higher than last winter. And retail natural gas prices are expected to be $12.72 a thousand cubic feet, or 30 cents less than estimated in early October and only slightly more than last winter.

The EIA said that future prices ``will primarily depend on the magnitude and duration of the economic downturn'' as well as the production policies of the OPEC oil cartel. It said its energy projections assume that OPEC production cuts ``may limit, but not reverse, the recent sharp fall in oil prices.''

``The condition of the global economy is expected to remain the most important factor driving world oil prices,'' according to the report.

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

BOSTON (AP) The Atlanta Hawks have improved since losing to the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs last spring. Too bad for them that the defending champions haven't changed much at all.

NBA finals MVP Paul Pierce hit a fallaway jumper with 0.5 seconds left to give Boston a 103-102 victory over Atlanta on Wednesday night, handing the Hawks their first loss of the season and their first since the Celtics ousted them en route to their unprecedented 17th title.

``A great player hit a great shot,'' Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. ``I hate for the game to end not like that. That game was played beautifully on both ends of the floor, by both teams, and they made a great play at the end.''

Pierce scored 34 points in all, Kevin Garnett had 25 with 12 rebounds and Rajon Rondo had 10 assists for the Celtics. Joe Johnson scored 28 for Atlanta, finding an open Marvin Williams for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 7.4 seconds left before Pierce answered at the other end, faking out a pair of defenders and sinking the game-winner.

``The last play was drawn up: Get the ball to Pierce; get the hell out the way,'' Garnett said. ``Superman's in the booth. Let's go home. That was the play, and if you don't believe that ask Doc Rivers and he'll say the same exact thing.''

The Celtics beat Atlanta in Boston for the eighth straight time, including all four in their first-round playoff series last spring when they took advantage of the home-court advantage to oust the Hawks in seven games. But Atlanta came in with a perfect 6-0 record and the hopes of making a statement.

``I think we've grown a lot since last season, thanks to the Celtics,'' Woodson said. ``They put us in that mode, that frame of mind, that you've got to come out every night and dig in and play.''

Ray Allen scored 17 points, eight of them during an 18-2 run in the second quarter that turned a 44-28 deficit into a tie game at halftime. There were 12 lead changes in the third quarter, and the Celtics never led by as many as two baskets until Garnett hit a jumper from the top of the key, then grabbed a pair of rebounds before laying in an alley-oop that made it 92-88 with 3:33 to play.

Boston still led by four when Johnson hit a pair of free throws and then made a fallaway jumper from just outside the lane to tie it 99-all with 35 seconds left.

Pierce picked up a foul by driving to the basket and made two free throws, then Johnson drove and kicked it out to Williams for a 3-pointer from the right side to give Atlanta a 102-101 lead.

Then came Pierce.

``I sort of got to my sweet spot and I felt good the whole time,'' he said. ``We're playing a lot of playoff teams early, so it's good for us to get close games. ... We're learning from them.''

Williams' inbounds pass went through Mike Bibby's hands as time expired.

The Hawks led the entire first quarter, and took a 31-24 advantage when Flip Murray hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer. They scored eight straight points to make it 44-28 with 7:07 left in the half before Boston tied it at 46-all.

``Our team swagger is really high right now,'' Hawks forward Al Horford said. ``We just want to play the game the right way, let people know we're serious.''
Notes: Last season, Atlanta took its first loss in its second game and didn't win its sixth until Nov. 28, the 14th game of the season. The Hawks started 11-0 in 1997-98. ... Murray had 12 points in the first half off the bench. ... Zaza Pachulia, who replaced Josh Smith in the lineup after he sprained his left ankle Friday night against Toronto, injured his left shoulder and left the game. ... Williams, who made one 3-pointer all last season, had four on Wednesday and is 8-for-11 this season.

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

(WSB Radio) -- Alpharetta Police, along with the Secret Service, have broken up a counterfeiting scheme.

Alpharetta Police Officer George Gordon tells WSB's Jennifer Griffies they got wind of the money washing scam through a confidential informant.

Police sent an undercover detective in to investigate.

"Little did they know, they were speaking to an undercover detective  - so when they showed our officer how the trick was played out - our officers did a takedown and took these two suspects into custody," said Gordon.

Police say James Martin and Nelson Achonduh lured people in with the promise of making perfect copies of cash.

"They would have this individual go get a large amount of cash, usually around $100,000, and bring that to their location, which is usually a public gas station parking lot, and they would exchange approximately $300,000 in fake currency for the $100,000 in real currency," said Gordon.

Gordon says the pair's scheme didn't stop there with the undercover detective.

"They intended to rob our source, not knowing that he was an undercover Crimes Suppression Unit detective.  When we did the takedown and took these two suspects into custody, we discovered a loaded handgun in the vehicle," said Gordon.  

The two face felony charges.

"Based on how they operate, we are sure that they have committed this crime in the past and we're currently contacting  other jurisdictions to see if we can tie any additional-type cases," said Gordon.

Gordon says more arrests are possible.

 "When we identify these sources, if we can determine these sources from other transactions, they are going be criminally charged," said Gordon.

November 12, 2008

ATLANTA (AP) Georgia's tax collections dipped slightly for the month of October.

Gov. Sonny Perdue reported Wednesday that state revenues in October dropped by 0.1 percent from the same month the year before. For the fiscal year that started July 1, tax collections are down 2 percent or more than $110 million.

Individual income tax receipts and corporate income tax receipts dropped, but a slight rise in state sales tax collections helped offset much of the decline.

Tax collections for September were up 4.5 percent the first increase in four months. In August they tumbled 7 percent from the same month the year before.

The report comes on the heels of an announcement last month that tax collections for September were up 4.5 percent the first increase in four months.

Perdue already has ordered state agencies to trim spending by 6 percent to close a projected $1.6 billion budget gap, and agencies have been ordered to draft plans for even steeper cuts if the economy continues to lag.

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

(WSB Radio) -- Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin says the current economic crisis is hitting the city hard.

Today she ordered an immediate hiring freeze and announced that some city workers would have their hours and their pay cut. 

It's an effort to help the city survive a $50 to $60 million budget shortfall.  4,600 workers will be affected.

Franklin says workers will soon be asked to work a 36-hour week.  There will also be cuts in city services, but she is not certain which ones.

Expenses she says are not over budget.  The problem is the steep decline in sales and property tax revenue as well as a major drop in building and licensing permit dollars.

Earlier this year, when first faced with a $140 million dollar budget shortfall, the city cut 900 staff, laid off nearly 400 employees, raised some fees and cut services to fill the gap.