Latest news, weather and high school sports for Albany and Southwest Georgia

(AP) -- FATHER-BOYS SHOT
    Man, boys found dead in north Ga. home
   
    JEFFERSON, GA (AP) - Authorities in Jackson County are
investigating the shooting deaths of a 36-year-old man, his
4-year-old son and his girlfriend's 7-year-old son, and the chief
deputy says the killings appeared to be murder-suicide.
    Chief deputy David Cochran says the bodies of Keith Gresham, his
4-year-old son, Keionte Gresham and Keionte's half brother,
7-year-old Keion Gresham, were found Monday afternoon in Gresham's
rural home.
    Cochran says the children's mother, who lives in another county,
had let him have the children for the weekend. He says the
shootings had taken place a few hours earlier.
    Cochran says family members became concerned when Gresham sent
them text messages earlier in the day saying he might harm himself.
   
DEKALB COUNTY-SCHOOLS
    DeKalb County, GA won't close schools this year
   
    DECATUR, GA (AP) - The DeKalb County school board has decided
not to close any schools this year after all.
    In a reversal, the board voted unanimously on Monday night to
delay school closures.
    Interim superintendent Ramona Tyson says the board plans to
conduct a county-wide redistricting and close 10 to 12 schools for
the next school year.
    Last month, the board voted on a tentative budget that included
$115 million in cuts, including closing four elementary schools to
save $2.35 million.
    Board chairman Tom Bowen says the board must find another $2.35
million in cuts or consider a property tax increase.
   
ATLANTA RATE INCREASE
    Atlanta utility seeks to increase base rates
   
    ATLANTA (AP) - The Georgia Public Service Commission is
reviewing an Atlanta Gas Light Company request to increase base
rates.
    The request was filed Monday.
    Following three rounds of hearings beginning in August, the
commission will issue a decision on the request in November.
    The company says it is seeking an annual increase of $54.1
million in revenues. That translates to approximately a $3.00 per
month increase in the monthly base charge for the average
residential customer. The company is also seeking an increase in
its return on equity from 10.90 percent to 11.25 percent.
    Hearings begin August 10.
   
MARTA DELAYS
    Lightning strike delays Atlanta trains
   
    ATLANTA (AP) - East-west trains on Atlanta's MARTA rail lines
are being delayed while repairs are made following a lightning
strike.
    MARTA officials say the trains are running on a single track
between the Ashby and CNN Center rail stations, and between Ashby
and Bankhead stations, as crews work to fix damage caused by a
lightning strike during Monday mornimg's heavy rains.
    MARTA says repairs between Ashby and Bankhead could take up to
five days.
    On Monday, MARTA rail service was interrupted on the north-south
line between Five Points and Lindbergh after a fire in a midtown
Atlanta tunnel.
   
SOLDIER DIES
    Army: Soldier from Hattiesburg has died
   
    HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - The Army says a 29-year-old soldier
injured last month in Afghanistan has died.
    A brief announcement posted Monday on the Department of Defense
website said Sgt. Anthony O. Magee of Hattiesburg died April 27 in
a military hospital in Germany.
    It said he was wounded April 24 by "indirect fire at
Contingency Operating Base Kalsu, Iskandariyah (is-kan-DREE'-uh),
Iraq."
    Indirect fire is sent toward a target that cannot be seen by
whoever is aiming a weapon, such as artillery, mortars or rocket
launchers.
    The announcement said Magee was assigned to the 2nd Battalion,
69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division at Fort Benning, Ga.
    Funeral arrangements are pending, according to officials with
Hall's-Fairley Mortuary in Hattiesburg.
   
SIX FLAGS FLOODING
    Six Flags flooded after rains
   
    AUSTELL, GA (AP) - Heavy rains Sunday night left Six Flags Over
Georgia submerged in standing water Monday - but officials say the
apparent flooding won't affect park hours.
    Six Flags spokeswoman Kendell Kelton says officials aren't sure
how much standing water is in the park, though broadcast reports
Monday showed a roller coaster surrounded by what appeared to be
several feet of water.
    Kelton says there is no damage and that the park has endured
flooding on its back side, which is by the Chattahoochee River, for
decades.
    She says the park is open only on weekends until May 22 . She
says the park expects to be open this weekend.
   
WAFFLE HOUSE SHOOTING
    Georgia man killed in Baton Rouge holdup
   
    BATON ROUGE, LA (AP) - Police in Baton Rouge, La., say a
54-year-old Georgia man was killed during an early-morning holdup
at a Waffle House restaurant.
    Sgt. Don Kelly says David George DeMersseman of Valdosta was the
only customer when a masked gunman who appeared to have socks on
his hands entered about 1:20 a.m. Monday.
    Kelly says DeMersseman was shot when he apparently tried to grab
the gun as the man was taking his wallet.
    Kelly says the gunman then took cash from the till and ran.
   
GEORGIA PLAYER DISMISSED
    DA: former UGA quarterback pleads guilty
   
    VALDOSTA, GA (AP) - Former University of Georgia quarterback
Zach Mettenberger has been sentenced to 12 months' probation and a
$2,000 fine after pleading guilty to two counts of misdemeanor
sexual battery.
    Lowndes County District Attorney J. David Miller told the Athens
Banner-Herald that the 18-year-old grabbed the buttocks and breasts
of a woman and was drinking underage at Remerton bar on March 7.
    In a written statement provided by his attorney, Mettenberger
apologized for his behavior. He said he hopes the woman involved
"can move on with her life."
    Other charges filed in the case - underage possession of
alcohol, disorderly conduct, obstruction and possession of false
identification - were dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea.
    UGA coach Mark Richt kicked Mettenberger off the team April 18
following his arrest.

(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)