Here are some of the stories making headlines in Georgia
(AP) -- WINTRY WEATHER
Snow expected across Georgia
ATLANTA (AP) - The first wisps of snow have been reported across
parts of Georgia.
The National Weather Services says snow will cover parts of the
state with as much as three inches of snow starting Thursday
afternoon.
Catoosa County schools are closed Thursday. Other systems, such
as Banks, Cherokee, Fannin, Dawson, Forsyth, Gilmer, Habersham and
Hall County schools, and Gainesville and Calhoun city schools,
scheduled early release.
Delta Air Lines canceled 75 flights in anticipation of poor
flying conditions.
Peachtree City-based meteorologist Trisha Palmer says up to
three inches of snow could fall in the north Georgia mountains,
with about a half an inch expected in the Atlanta area before the
snow tapers off overnight.
HEALTH REFORM-GINGRICH
Gingrich: televise health care talks
ATLANTA (AP) - Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is
calling on President Barack Obama to urge Congress to televise its
meetings on healthcare reform.
Gingrich, founder of the Center for Health Transformation, says
Obama pledged during his presidential campaign that the debate over
healthcare would be televised on C-SPAN. He says citizens are
demanding transparency in the legislative process.
Gingrich announced a letter-signing drive on Thursday on the
group's Web site.
INMATE DEATHS
Ga officials probing death row inmate deaths
ATLANTA (AP) - A spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of
Corrections says the recent deaths of two death row inmates are
still being investigated.
Spokeswoman Peggy Chapman says the deaths of 35-year-old Leeland
Mark Braley and 43-year-old Timothy Pruitt remain under
investigation.
The department reported that Braley was found hanging in his
cell at the state prison in Jackson early Friday. Officials called
it an apparent suicide.
Last month, Pruitt died in a hospital, weeks after he was
injured in what authorities described as an alleged suicide
attempt. They did not provide details.
Chapman says inmate deaths are investigated internally and
turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation if necessary.
YOUNG MURDER SUSPECT
12-year-old gets probation in infant's death
MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) - A Cobb County judge has sentenced a
12-year-old Tampa, Florida. boy to two years of probation for the
death of his five-week-old cousin.
Cobb County Juvenile Court Judge Gregory Poole last month found
the boy not guilty of murder but convicted him of battery.
Poole sentenced him to probation and anger management classes on
Wednesday.
Brittiany Young said she left the children alone in the car July
4th while she shopped and returned to find her baby, Millan Young,
limp and unresponsive.
Prosecutors said the boy shook his cousin and slammed her head
against a hard surface.
The boy has been in juvenile detention since July. He was
ordered to live with a relative in the Atlanta area but will be
allowed to visit his mother in Tampa.
MACON-BIBB CONSOLIDATION
Legislator wants Macon, Ga. and county to merge
MACON, Ga. (AP) - A legislator from Macon is ready to push for a
speedy merger of the Macon and Bibb County governments.
Representative Allen Peake, a Republican from Macon, says he
will promote a plan during the upcoming legislative session to form
a commission to draft a charter.
He will also seek a nonbinding referendum in November, asking
whether people support the concept of consolidation.
The Bibb County Commission and the Macon City Council have
approved a 10-year plan to merge individual departments, then call
for a referendum to complete a merger.
But there are concerns that Peake is moving too quickly. The
Telegraph newspaper reports that Councilwoman Elaine Lucas says any
effort to speed up the timetable would fail because voters need to
see proof that the two governments can merge services efficiently.
POWER PLANT
Monroe County, Ga. may get natural gas power plant
FORSYTH, Ga. (AP) - Oglethorpe Power officials say they may
build a 600-megawatt natural gas-fired plant in Monroe County.
Greg Jones, Oglethorpe Power's public relations director, says
the plant would be located on land Oglethorpe owns in Smarr, a few
miles south of Forsyth. Oglethorpe already owns a smaller gas plant
there.
Jones said a 600-megawatt plant would likely cost about $600
million and take about 30 months to build. He estimated the project
would create more than 20 permanent jobs and 250 construction jobs.
Oglethorpe Power is a nonprofit cooperative of 39 electric
membership corporations that provide power to about 30 percent of
Georgians.
The Telegraph newspaper reports that Jones says Oglethorpe is
giving member EMCs until the end of the quarter to commit to buying
the additional power starting in 2015.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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