Oct. 5-11: METRO WEEK IN REVIEW

1) Georgia hit hard as stocks fall

As the Dow Jones industrial average plunged below the 9,000 mark last week, Georgia companies continued to feel the effects of the nation’s troubled financial system. Shares of many local companies, from Delta Air Lines to Coca-Cola and from UPS to Home Depot, all took a dive. Citing a weak housing market, local lighting products maker Acuity Brands slashed 800 jobs, and Blairsville-based United Community Banks reported a $40 million third-quarter loss. The Beltline project also could suffer a multimillion-dollar setback if the bond market doesn’t improve.

2) Georgia sued for voter ID checks

Georgia’s voter identification checks are under the microscope. Voting rights groups on Thursday sued Secretary of State Karen Handel, one day after the U.S. Department of Justice said the state’s efforts to confirm registered voters’ identities and citizenship status might be a violation of the Voting Rights Act. The Social Security Administration began questioning Georgia’s identity checks on Oct. 3 after receiving almost 2 million requests from the state to verify voter identities.

3) Emory researcher investigated

A prominent psychiatric researcher from Emory University was in hot water last week after he was accused of failing to disclose earnings from drug companies. Congressional investigators said Dr. Charles B. Nemeroff received $2.8 million from companies and did not report a portion of his earnings to the university —- a violation of ethics and research guidelines. University officials tried to rein in Nemeroff’s external activities for eight years, according to documents released Monday by the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. Nemeroff stepped down Oct. 3 from his position as chairman of Emory’s psychiatry department.

4) Murder trial of two teens begins

Two 17-year-olds are on trial for murder in the August 2006 death of their adoptive mother. In the first day of trial Wednesday, prosecutors said Catherine and Brenda O’Connell of Buford strangled Muriel O’Connell, 57, while she was sleeping. Defense attorneys, however, argued the girls, then 15, killed their mother in self-defense after she attacked Brenda with a knife.

5) Confession tape played, captor testifies in courthouse-shooting trial

The March 2005 courthouse shootings were “noble” and part of a “slave rebellion,” accused gunman Brian Nichols said in a videotaped confession played last week during his trial. Nichols’ prisoner-turned-captor Ashley Robinson, formerly Ashley Smith, testified that Nichols “said he felt like he had a demon inside him.” Nichols is on trial for murder in the shooting deaths of a Fulton County Superior Court judge, his court stenographer, a sheriff’s deputy and a U.S. Customs agent.

6) Clayton school board keeps superintendent

Clayton County’s unaccredited school district now has a permanent leader. The school board voted Monday to accept corrective superintendent John Thompson’s amended contract, which removes his power to violate board policy and changes his title to permanent superintendent. Board member Michael King, the lone dissenter, said the board should fire Thompson and comply with a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools mandate to conduct a national search for superintendent. SACS has revoked the district’s accreditation.

7) Gas no longer scarce in metro Atlanta

Go ahead, fuel up —- metro Atlanta’s gas shortage is nearly over. Just don’t expect bargain prices: Although the average price of gas in metro Atlanta dropped last week to $3.65 a gallon, the national average was more than 30 cents less. Premium gas continued to be scarce.

8) Commissioner accused of writing bad checks for voodoo

Allegations made against a county official have given new meaning to the term “voodoo economics.” A woman who identifies herself as a high priestess of voodoo accused Cobb County Commissioner Annette Kesting of paying for her services with bad checks. Kesting wanted to conjure up a curse for political rival Woody Thompson, priestess George Ann Mills of Blythewood, S.C., told investigators. Kesting denied the claim. She also faced prosecution for missing a hearing and not paying a fine for code violations on a rental property, but she paid it Friday.

9) 14 state technical colleges to merge

Faced with a state budget crisis, Georgia Technical College System officials have decided to merge 14 of the system’s colleges into seven schools. The mergers, effective next July, will save about $3.5 million in top administrators’ salaries, benefits and expenses, officials said.

10) Disparity wide in state babies’ health

Georgia has a higher-than-average mortality rate, as well as wide gaps in children’s health tied to mother’s education and household income, according to a report released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Across the country, babies of well-educated mothers had a much better chance of surviving than infants born to less-educated women —- but Georgia’s wider-than-average gap earned it a ranking of 46th among states. Georgia also ranked 41st on its health gap between babies from high- and low-income families.

How we compiled the list: Staff writer Michelle Ewing considered more than three dozen news items from the past week before settling on this list of top stories. E-mail her at mewing@ajc.com.