http://www.ajc.com The latest headlines from AJC en-us Copyright 2009, Cox Newspapers Inc., AJC Sun, 5 Jul 2009 04:38:18 EDT Newspapers COXnet RSS Generator v1.0 http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/08/17/52/image_1352178.jpg http://www.ajc.com 5 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/04/atlanta_tea_party.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/04/atlanta_tea_party.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Sat, 4 Jul 2009 21:35:39 EDT Tax protesters kept with the Independence Day theme Saturday to declare their independence from federal policies. "It's time that we take the country back," event organizer Bob Frady said to a crowd of more than 200 seated across Washington Street from the state capitol. "We weren't going to let Atlanta go without a Tea Party on July 4th." http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/05/teen_driver_magnet.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/05/teen_driver_magnet.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Sat, 4 Jul 2009 17:58:05 EDT Susie Kessler couldn't care less if she embarrasses her 16-year-old son, Donne, at least when it comes to his driving. Donne has to drive around with a big magnet on the back of his car that reads "Caution — Newly Licensed." And if Kessler has her way, your teen driver is going to be embarrassed too. Through the nonprofit she founded, Caution and Courtesy Driver Alliance, the Kennesaw mom has sold about 15,000 of those magnets across the country. Now, working with a Georgia state senator inspired by her campaign, she plans to support a potential bill next session that would mandate use of such "Caution" magnets by all young drivers. Here, Kessler talks about driving, responsibility and the line between smothering and good parenting. Q: Did you start this campaign because one of your kids wrecked the family car or something? http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/05/georgia_public_health.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/05/georgia_public_health.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Sat, 4 Jul 2009 17:09:26 EDT Georgia found itself in exotic company recently when federal officials evaluated readiness for public health emergencies. Tied for sixth-worst among 56 states and territories, Georgia ranked ahead of Hawaii and the Northern Mariana Islands, for example, while trailing Guam and American Samoa. This was just one among many measurements raising doubts about Georgia's preparedness to prevent, detect and contain most significant public health threats: outbreaks of pandemic influenza and foodborne illness, and acts of bioterrorism. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/05/midtown_robberies.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/05/midtown_robberies.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Sat, 4 Jul 2009 16:44:31 EDT Fashion retailer Dana Spinola has an urgent request for Atlanta city officials: "Help! We want to stay open." Last week, Spinola's Midtown business — fab'rik, one of her three metro Atlanta stores — was broken into by one of the smash-and-grab burglary crews that have increasingly plagued city merchants. It was, she figures, the 15th break-in during that store's seven years of business. "At this point, we're surprised they got in," Spinola said. To thwart burglars she had installed unbreakable glass, alarms, sensors and gates, and hired in-store security. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/05/retirement_plans_changes.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/05/retirement_plans_changes.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Sat, 4 Jul 2009 16:33:34 EDT Joining a nationwide trend, a majority of Atlanta's 12 largest publicly traded companies are freezing traditional pension plans for tens of thousands of employees, replacing them with 401(k)s or switching to other retirement plans that are generally cheaper. For many of the companies, which include Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines and SunTrust Banks, the recession and financial crisis have been a major factor in the move. They have seen the total value of their pension plans slashed by the economic downturn, leaving them underfunded by billions of dollars that must be made up over the next several years. But also driving the change, experts say, is a desire by younger, more mobile workers to build a retirement fund piecemeal as they move more frequently from employer to employer. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2009/07/04/mckinney_israel.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2009/07/04/mckinney_israel.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Sat, 4 Jul 2009 16:32:00 EDT With Cynthia McKinney due to appear in an Israeli court Sunday, the mother of the former congresswoman decided to skip a weekend family reunion in Alabama just in case State Department officials need any documents to get her released from jail. McKinney has been in custody since Tuesday when she and 20 others were swept up by the Israeli Navy while allegedly trying to sail through a navy blockade. The group says it was attempting to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza. The formidable one-time lawmaker and the rest of her group could have been released soon after they were taken into custody but they refused to sign a document admitting they violated Israel's blockade. All will be held at least until Sunday, when they are to appear in court. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/03/holiday_fatal_accidents.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/03/holiday_fatal_accidents.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Fri, 3 Jul 2009 15:01:32 EDT Georgia State Patrol Lt. Paul Cosper said the single-vehicle wreck happened shortly after 4 a.m. on I-20 between Lee Road and Ga. 92. A westbound Ford Explorer left the roadway, struck the median guard rail and overturned several times, Cosper said. The driver, Larry Anthony Couch, 47, of Douglasville was killed. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/03/jury_divorce.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/03/jury_divorce.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Fri, 3 Jul 2009 14:14:44 EDT The road to wedded bliss usually ends in the couple declaring their undying love before a judge or, in a religious setting, a man — or woman — of the cloth. In Georgia, the exit ramp to Splitsville brings the now-not-so-happy couple before a judge, too. However, a quirky but little-used right of divorce law in the Peach State allows for a jury of 12 strangers to help decide most aspects of the case. In fact, Georgia and Texas are the only states where couples seeking to dissolve a marriage have the right to divorce by jury. (New York juries can't try such cases but can be called to decide if couples meet the state criteria for divorce.) http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/cobb/stories/2009/07/02/dekalb_church_fraud_hicks.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/cobb/stories/2009/07/02/dekalb_church_fraud_hicks.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 21:23:00 EDT A man who bilked a DeKalb County church and other investors out of about $450,000 has been convicted of racketeering and violations of Georgia securities laws. Darryl Hicks was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation for his fraud scheme after his recent conviction by a DeKalb jury. Beginning in 2000, Hicks got clients such as All Baptist Church to invest in his fraudulent "high yield" or "prime bank" investment scheme. The money has not been recovered, the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office said. Hicks disappeared in late 2001 and was initially indicted by a DeKalb grand jury in April 2005. He was arrested in Chicago in August 2007. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/02/ajc_sunday_promo.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/02/ajc_sunday_promo.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 19:08:51 EDT Full coverage of the Peachtree Road Race, including a rundown of the top 100 finishers. And to settle bragging rights, we'll crunch a few numbers to determine which community has metro Atlanta's fastest runners. Is Georgia ready for a major health crisis? Some measures call our preparedness into question. A recent reorganization of the state public health agency might help.To many Peachtree City residents, the road to heaven on earth is a golf cart path. But at 50, the formerly fast-growing city has hit middle age. What's next for Georgia's most unique community? State parks have been hit hard by budget cuts, but an army of volunteers is stepping into the vacuum left by layoffs. They're doing everything up to - and including - restocking toilet paper in park bathrooms. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/02/traffic_rush_expected.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/02/traffic_rush_expected.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 18:13:33 EDT The Georgia Department of Transportation is reporting extreme traffic congestion during Thursday afternoon's commute as metro Atlanta residents rush home from work to begin their July 4th holiday celebrations early. "It's awful," DOT spokesman Paul Marshall said. "This is pretty unique because it's the Thursday before a major holiday." DOT's online real-time traffic map about 5 p.m. Thursday showed red -- indicating severe congestion -- on what Marshall called "the usual suspects." http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/02/mckinney_israel.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/02/mckinney_israel.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 18:00:01 EDT Former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney revealed in a phone call posted online that she is in an Israeli prison with others who attempted to run a blockade to deliver supplies to Gaza. McKinney and about 18 other activists in Israeli custody for the past three days will likely be released by Sunday, according to the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. Spokesman Jonathan Peled said preparations are being made to deport the activists. "It is taking slightly longer. Former congresswoman McKinney is not cooperating with the authorities" and refusing to sign a document acknowledging deportation, he said. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/02/oak_tree_brunswick.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/02/oak_tree_brunswick.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 15:15:36 EDT Georgia tree lovers may be in mourning this week after what some believed to be the state's second oldest live oak tree collapsed Monday in Brunswick, according to The Brunswick News. The live oak was thought to be more than 400 years old. That a giant live oak fell is true, though the national Live Oak Society does not have that tree on record, said Chairwoman Coleen Landry, the only human allowed in the organization composed of the nation's most treasured live oaks. Whether the tree is indeed the state's second oldest live oak is unclear, but it begs the question, where is the oldest? And what or where is the state's oldest living tree, anyway? http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/02/interstate_wreck_georgia.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/02/interstate_wreck_georgia.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 09:34:40 EDT The southbound lanes of I-75 near Valdosta have reopened following a fiery early morning wreck that left four people dead. The wreck happened before 2:30 a.m. on I-75 southbound near mile marker 16, according to Bryan Gunter, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation. Lowndes County Coroner Bill Watson said a Penske rental truck apparently collided with one vehicle before coming to rest on top of a second vehicle. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/01/georgia_justice_nominees.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/07/01/georgia_justice_nominees.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Thu, 2 Jul 2009 08:17:24 EDT Atlanta's U.S. attorney, five judges and three private attorneys were nominated Wednesday to be Georgia's next Supreme Court justice. Gov. Sonny Perdue, who will make the appointment, released the names of the nine candidates. They were recommended by the state Judicial Nominating Commission, which interviewed 38 applicants for the coveted position Monday and Tuesday. Perdue will fill an opening on the seven-member court created by the departure of Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears, who stepped down Tuesday.