|
MCG's disaster program could be expanded
The Medical College of Georgia is working on a deal with the
American Medical Association that might lead to the college's
teaching disaster medicine courses across the country. Augusta
Chronicle
Georgians join protest at U.S. Supreme Court
Georgians joined the rally of more than 50,000 protesters
who converged in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday
in support of affirmative action. Columbus
Ledger-Inquirer
Study shows tax breaks costing the state
Tax breaks granted by the General Assembly over a 15-year
period have wiped out more than $1.5 billion in annual state
revenue. WSB-TV
Tax breaks drain state of $1.5 billion revenue. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
Survey: Atlanta taxpayers among nation’s
biggest delayers
Atlanta residents are again among the nation's biggest
procrastinators when it comes to paying federal taxes. Atlanta
Business Chronicle
Disease spreads fear: U.S. may confine patients
with new respiratory illness
The United States may quarantine residents if the outbreak
of severe acute respiratory syndrome becomes as widespread
as in other countries, Health and Human Services Secretary
Tommy Thompson said Tuesday. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution SARS: Unknown qualities of virus
fuel fear. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
CDC formally dedicates new command center
Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, presided over the formal dedication of the
CDC's new $7.1 million command center. Washington
Post, CDC dedicates Marcus Emergency Operations Center
Atlanta
Business Chronicle
* Defense lawyer
successfully argued breathalyzer biased against women
Cherokee County’s solicitor general said he expects to
see a new DUI defense be used again as a result of a successful
county jury trial. The defense used by attorney Billy Spruell
and his client, Lisa Bufton of Towne Lake, was that the breath-analysis
machine used to measure blood-alcohol levels in drivers is
biased against women. Cherokee
Tribune
Director says homeland security department
in Georgia is among the best in nation
The Georgia Director of Homeland Security said that the
homeland security department in Georgia is among the best
in the nation because of cooperation between different branches
of government. Marietta
Daily Journal
War coverage in The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Gingrey displays British flag
Georgia congressman, Rep. Phil Gingrey, is saluting Great
Britain for its help in the war against Iraq by displaying
the British Union Jack flag outside his Washington office.
Athens
Banner-Herald/AP
Family hopeful after POW rescue
Family members of a Georgia soldier taken prisoner in Iraq
were encouraged by the news that another U.S. POW had been
rescued Tuesday. WSB-TV,
WGNX-TV
More RAFB families watch airmen head out
The 5th Combat Communications Group completed its deployment,
which has taken place during the last three days, of 125 people,
the final 50 on Tuesday. Macon
Telegraph
Savannah native commands USS Kitty Hawk
In February, Navy Capt. Tom Parker assumed command of
the USS Kitty Hawk in the Persian Gulf. Savannah
Morning News
Groups start memorial funds for Moody crash
victims
Several area organizations are supporting the troops and the
families of Moody Air Force Base personnel who recently died.
Valdosta
Daily Times
Awtrey Middle School students cope with teacher's
deployment. Marietta
Daily-Journal
Families of deployed find comfort in new military support
group at local church. Rome
News Tribune
Panel gets indigent defense bill
A key state House committee is expected to vote today on reforming
the state's fragmented system that provides lawyers to poor
people charged with crimes. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
- Speaker agrees to system of appointed lawyers for indigent
defense
House Speaker Terry Coleman backed off his plan to have
elected public defenders Tuesday, clearing the way for a
system of appointed lawyers for poor people in criminal
cases. Augusta
Chronicle/AP
Panel on ethics sidelined in debate
No one in the Georgia General Assembly could be lonelier than
members of the House Ethics Committee. Despite an emphasis
this year on enacting tougher ethical rules for public officials,
the Ethics Committee has not met even once. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
House may cut construction funds next year
Speaker Terry Coleman warned Tuesday that the House may have
to eliminate many or all of the construction programs the
governor recommended for next year in order to help balance
the budget
Augusta Chronicle/AP
* Milledgeville
city manager approved by House, moves to Senate
A bill that would change Milledgeville's form of government
has been passed unanimously by the state House of Representatives
and could be voted on by the Senate as early as next week.
Milledgeville
Union-Recorder
Reject redistricting appeal, civil rights
groups ask court
A group of civil rights organizations on Tuesday asked the
U.S. Supreme Court to reject the state's appeal of a redistricting
case to be argued later this month. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
Butler removed from board
Gov. Sonny Perdue removed Columbus attorney Jim Butler from
Georgia's Board of Natural Resources. Columbus
Ledger-Inquirer
* Augusta weighs
in on Georgia flag debate. WJBF-TV
House slashes $220 million of Perdue's budget
House leaders lopped about $220 million from Gov. Sonny Perdue's
budget proposal Tuesday as they continued trying to balance
the state's books without a tax increase. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
* WestPoint Stevens to close
Dalton facility
WestPoint Stevens Inc. will close its Dalton facility and
cut 90 jobs, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.
Atlanta
Business Chronicle
Buyers risk fraud in online buying.
Augusta
Chronicle
Oil company must pay penalty for spills
An Atlanta-based oil pipeline company has agreed to pay a
$34 million civil penalty under the Clean Water Act to settle
government charges that seven oil spills polluted waterways
in five Southern states. Athens
Banner-Herald, New
York Times Colonial Pipeline pays largest civil penalty
in EPA history. Atlanta
Business Chronicle * Alpharetta
firm's fuel spills bring $34 million fine. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
* Ga. Power race bias suit
thrown out. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
Fitzgerald's Coachmen plant to increase
Coachmen Recreational Vehicle Co. in Fitzgerald will triple
the size of its plant and expects to add 175 employees.
Macon Telegraph
* Camp Creek no longer overlooked
by retailers
Growing but underserved area gets shopping complex of 1.2
million square feet. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
|Georgia lawmakers seek cause of CRCT error
Lawmakers and state officials are trying to determine who
is responsible for an error that's disrupted plans for testing
Georgia schoolchildren.
Macon Telegraph
Cobb County school district presents balanced budget
Cobb Superintendent Joe Redden this presented the county school
board with a balanced budget for next fiscal year which does
include a number of cuts. Marietta
Daily Journal
* Grant to help special-ed
students in classroom
Gainesville City Schools has been approved for a $149,255
grant to provide services and equipment, including some high-tech
devices, for special education students. Gainesville
Times
* Budget shortfalls may cut
education programs
Programs in Cherokee County schools such as driver’s
education and elementary foreign language may be ending due
to budget shortfalls. The possibility of state education funding
cuts is leading the Cherokee school district to prepare for
substantial budget trimming of its own, with the goal of avoiding
layoffs. Cherokee
Tribune
DeKalb schools announce job cuts
DeKalb County School Superintendent Johnny Brown announced
he will have to eliminate more than 300 jobs to help reduce
expenses at a school board meeting Tuesday night. WXIA-TV
* NAACP, ex-school board members
defend superintendent of DeKalb. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
* West Georgia Technical
College survives budget cutting
The midyear budget passed last week with no cuts to state
technical colleges, leaving local officials wondering what
will happen next year. LaGrange
Daily News
47 students improperly enrolled in Buckhead elementary
schools. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
Burney-Harris-Lyons principal Daniel to retire
Valdon Daniel, principal at Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School,
is planning to retire at the end of the school year. Athens
Banner-Herald
* Program educates students
about regional wildlife. Gwinnett
Daily Post
Appeal day here for Morris Brown
In recent months, Morris Brown College has raised cash and
held prayer sessions, speeded up a semester and graduated
a class of seniors. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
Heavy rains a threat to Georgian onion crops
Growers are hoping that the rain will stop, so they can protect
the $80 million crop of sweet onions from diseases that proliferate
during prolonged wet periods. Columbus
Ledger-Inquirer
* Bridge lights pose threat
to turtles
The consensus of people at a town hall meeting Monday night
to discuss lighting of the new Sidney Lanier Bridge is that:
a) people like turtles and b) people also like to see pretty
bridges lit up at night. Brunswick
News
* Tree haven to draw thousands
Gainesville approved a nature and horticulture project expected
to draw as many as 150,000 visitors a year when the property
is developed in the next decade. The unanimous approval Tuesday
would become final after a second public hearing in two weeks.
Gainesville
Timesz
Georgia sees first SARS case
Georgia health officials have identified one person from the
Atlanta area as having the state’s first case of severe
acute respiratory syndrome. Rome
News Tribune, WAGA-TV
* Metro Atlanta agencies
encourage more pedestrian travel
A national poll released Tuesday says Americans want to walk
more. And metro Atlanta policy-makers hit the streets this
week to figure out how to make roads more accessible to pedestrians.
Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
MCG researcher studies cell repair
Cell biologist Paul L. McNeil study of the impact of using
a photon laser to punch a 1-micron hole in red blood cells
was published Tuesday in the journal Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences. Augusta
Chronicle
NGHS signs contract with BlueCross BlueShield
Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) has reached agreement
on a new contract with BlueCross BlueShield of Georgia. AccessNorthGeorgia.com
* Doctor's credentials questioned
Georgia authorities are investigating a state medical examiner
who worked on the Tri-State crematory case and is accused
of practicing medicine without a license. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution/AP
* Breaking news: Fire rips
through Gwinnett chairman's firm
Gwinnett County firefighters were searching for the cause
Wednesday of a blaze that virtually destroyed a cabinet business
owned by Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Wayne Hill. WSB-TV
Commission to close adult-entertainment loophole
After months of strip clubs and adult bookstores being unregulated
by local law enforcement, the Augusta Commission voted Tuesday
to close a gaping loophole by going through the proper procedure
to vote on and implement a valid adult entertainment ordinance.
Augusta
Chronicle
* Franklin says she'll seek
a second term as mayor. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
Augusta faces difficulty in passing sales tax
Past sales tax referendums have been designed mostly to update
aging infrastructure, from paving dirt roads to replacing
old fire engines, but this time the Augusta Council is thinking
about the future. Augusta
Chronicle
* Dooley interviews ex-Dog
Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins got his interview with Georgia athletics
director Vince Dooley on Tuesday, and now the former Bulldogs
and Hawks star wants the ear of university President Michael
Adams. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
Compromise may ease Johnson Ferry logjam
Cobb County commuters squeeze from six lanes to four lanes
as they make their way over the Chattahoochee River, to Abernathy
Road, which is a two-lane road. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
* Gwinnett County to examine
parks master plan
Gwinnett officials will update the county’s parks and
recreation master plan, as a recent mediated land deal causes
belts to tighten. Gwinnett
Daily Post
Aiken official protests internet-restriction bill
Aiken County Administrator Clay Killian asked the county council
Tuesday night to voice opposition to the The Electronic Government
Services Act, which seeks to stop local government from offering
"information technology-based services" such as
online bill payments. Augusta
Chronicle
Study shows MWA needs security improvement
A recent study concluded that the Macon Water Authority needs
to improve its security and policies to better protect Macon's
water supply from possible attack. Macon
Telegraph
Athens-Clarke County Commission acts on historic district
Athens-Clarke County commissioners voted unanimously to
move forward with the designation of Athens' central business
district as a local historic district Tuesday. Athens
Banner-Herald
Collins joins Uptown Columbus Inc.
Lisa Collins, a Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce executive,
has been hired as the new president of Uptown Columbus Inc.,
a downtown revitalization organization. Columbus
Ledger-Inquirer
* Albany merger study changes
OK'd
County commissioners went along this week with three changes
sought by city officials in a joint resolution calling for
a study of local government consolidation. Albany
Herald
* Protesters demand DeKalb
pay Brown
As the widow of slain DeKalb County Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown
recuperates from a stroke she suffered last week, a small
group of demonstrators demanded Tuesday that county officials
give the family money for their pain and suffering. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
Aiken residents reject proposed fifth city council district
Augusta
Chronicle
* Sugarloaf likes its slice
of golf
For a weekend, the gated subdivision becomes "a walking
backyard deck party." When the touring golf pros come
to Duluth's Sugarloaf Country Club for the BellSouth Classic,
it's both a national and a neighborhood event. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution * Classic
volunteers say they aren’t in it for perks; 1,800
do tasks so BellSouth has money left for charity. Gwinnett
Daily Post
North Augusta residents get first look at two proposed
road choices Augusta
Chronicle
* Newton's citizens for controlled
growth meet to discuss impact fees
Citizens for Newton’s Future, a grassroots organization
made up of Newton County residents concerned with the county’s
rapid growth, will hold its second meeting of the year Thursday
in the jury impaneling room of the courthouse annex in Covington.
Newton
Citizen
RYDC closing remains possible
Athens Regional Youth Development Center, a facility for juvenile
offenders, remains open, despite the efforts of local legislators
and budget crisis. Athens
Banner-Herald
* Woodstock's plan to annex
I-575 debated
A debate between city and county officials dominated talk
at a town-hall meeting presented by the Cherokee County state
legislative delegation Monday. Cherokee
Tribune
* Gwinnett planning panel
rejects project
The first attempt to build houses in a gigantic business park
near Lawrenceville failed Tuesday to get the endorsement of
the county Planning Commission. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution * Publix
suing Lawrenceville real estate firm over rezoning request.
Gwinnett
Daily Post
Macon creates panel to focus on Fort Hawkins project
Macon officials agreed to establish a bicentennial commission,
which will be used to draw attention to the Fort Hawkins restoration
and fund-raising project. Macon
Telegraph
Private housing in Moody's future
The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission unanimously recommended
approval for a rezoning request that could bring a large privatized
housing development for Moody Air Force Base to Bemiss Road.
Valdosta
Daily Times
* Gwinnett County breaks
ground on McDaniel Farm Park. Gwinnett
Daily Post
* Lake Arrowhead residents
submit new standards after old guidelines found illegal
The Lake Arrowhead community in Waleska is following a new
set of neighborhood covenants today, but the legal battle
over the regulations may continue. Cherokee
Tribune
* Bill Suttles, 82, pastor,
GSU provost, advocate
During a half-century at Georgia State University, Bill Suttles
accomplished a lot. He earned an undergraduate degree. He
taught English and speech. He was dean of students. He led
committees to improve the quality of GSU education and student
life. As provost, he was its chief operating officer for 19
years. In 1989, he was acting president. Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
* Charles Gowen obituary.
Brunswick
News
Legislature can't put off passing a budget for a special
session
"Cooperation is the key to solving Georgia's financial
woes. Too bad Republican and Democratic legislators are locked
in a staring contest over tax hikes, otherwise they might
see a way out of the current budget impasse." Athens
Banner-Herald
What happens now crucial to RAFB's future
"The kind of joint military/civilian leadership being
played out on the world stage to accomplish a military goal
is the same kind of cooperative principle that must be applied
in Middle Georgia to the community issue: Are we going to
be able to keep Robins Air Force Base open for the next 20
to 30 years?" Macon
Telegraph
A breath of (tax) relief
"Last week's ruling by the Georgia Supreme Court
that Columbus-Muscogee County's tax assessment freeze does
not violate the state constitution should make many Chatham
County property owners happy and disappoint naysayers who
object to tax relief." Savannah
Morning News
* Decisions must benefit
Georgia
"If you own property in Georgia, you better call
your state legislator. If you work for or with an organization
dependent on state funding, you better get involved. And if
you hold school, city or county elective office, brace yourself."
Albany
Herald
Change of course
"The Augusta National Golf Club's change of course this
week was - well, Masters-ful." Augusta
Chronicle
* State can do more to curb
out-of-wedlock pregnancy
"As social strictures have loosened throughout the West
and the traditional family structure has declined, many social
commentators have concluded that a rising rate of out-of-wedlock
births is inevitable. But research from the 1990s shows that
is simply not true. Through a combination of proven prevention
techniques and improving economic conditions, the nation began
to curb out-of-wedlock births in the last decade." Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
Pay more, get less
"Pennywise and pound foolish is an old maxim that
seems to quite precisely apply to the County Commission's
extensive tinkering with the proposed special-purpose, local-option
sales tax (SPLOST) referendum. Unfortunately, in the end,
it is the individual taxpayer who pays for that decision."
Rome
News Tribune
* Where does money come from
for our transportation needs?
"Roads and transportation continue to be growing issues
in the Metro Atlanta region which includes Coweta County.
As roads get more clogged here in our community and throughout
the metro region, there's much talk at the local, regional
and state level about how we will deal with transportation
issues in the future." Newnan
Times-Herald
* Bill Shipp: Taylor left
with virtually nothing to do
"'The lieutenant governor is too busy to come to the
phone right now,' Miss Sweet Voice tells you. Busy? Doing
what? Trimming his toenails, matching his socks, sharpening
pencils, counting cards?
Officially, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor has virtually nothing to
do. He ought to be happy that somebody phones once in awhile
to check up on him. Though a majority of Georgians re-elected
him in 2002 as the No. 2 state officer and president of the
Georgia Senate, the new GOP Senate leaders decided the majority
was wrong, at least on the issue of picking the lieutenant
governor. Almost as soon as he was sworn in, Republicans stripped
Democrat Taylor of nearly all authority." Gwinnett
Daily Post
|
