METRO WEEK IN REVIEW: Nov. 30-Dec. 6

1) Chambliss wins U.S. Senate runoff

Saxby’s back. Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss on Tuesday won a second term in office, handily defeating Democratic challenger Jim Martin with 57 percent of the vote. Several big-name politicians came to Atlanta to stump for candidates during the heated four-week runoff, including U.S. Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for Chambliss, and former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore for Martin. Chambliss’ victory blocked Democrats from securing a filibuster-proof, 60-vote “supermajority” in the Senate. In other runoffs, Republican Lauren McDonald beat Democrat Jim Powell in the Public Service Commission race and Sara Doyle bested Mike Sheffield to win a seat on the Georgia Court of Appeals.

2) Economic woes continue

Georgia’s economy continued to struggle last week, and it won’t get better anytime soon, according to a forecast issued Wednesday by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. The state’s jobless rate —- which hit 7 percent in October —- will climb to 9 percent in 2010, said Robert Sumichrast, the school’s dean. Meanwhile, Mayor Shirley Franklin said the city of Atlanta will cut 222 jobs and temporarily close a fire station and several recreation centers. In addition, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines said it plans to shrink its work force and cut flight capacity by 6 percent to 8 percent in 2009. AirTran, which has its main hub in Atlanta, also plans to cut capacity by 3 percent to 7 percent.

3) University system students to pay new fee

Students at Georgia’s public universities and colleges should get ready to pay up: The state Board of Regents on Wednesday voted to begin charging new fees next semester. Students at research universities will have to pay $100, while Georgia’s other four-year colleges will charge a $75 fee. The move will raise about $20 million for the university system, which is facing state funding cuts.

4) Judge OKs Cobb EMC deal

A judge on Tuesday approved a settlement between Marietta-based electric cooperative Cobb EMC and customers who sued it last year, ending a 14-month legal battle. The nonprofit co-op will spend about $47 million to regain control of Cobb EMC from for-profit Cobb Energy, which has operated the business for 10 years. The deal ends a 40-year contract that allowed Cobb Energy to charge up to an 11 percent markup for running the business.

5) Congress center unveils options for possible new look

The Georgia World Congress Center might get an extreme makeover. Center officials last week unveiled several different visions for the future of the campus, which encompasses the convention facility, Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park. The new-and-improved center could include a bigger football field, larger convention building and more green space. Khalil Johnson, the GWCC’s chief operating officer, offered no timetable or price tag for the ideas.

6) DeKalb police may get Tasers

About 1,000 more metro Atlanta police officers soon may begin carrying Tasers. DeKalb County Police Chief Terrell Bolton on Tuesday will ask county commissioners to use $1 million from a fund of confiscated drug money to give the stun guns to department patrol officers, detectives and sergeants. Bolton, who has argued that Tasers can reduce police shootings, said the stun guns could be in wide use in six or seven months. The Alpharetta, Marietta and Sandy Springs police departments issued Tasers to officers in the past year.

7) Testimony ends in Nichols penalty phase

Testimony has ended in the penalty phase of convicted Fulton County Courthouse shooter Brian Nichols’ murder trial. The prosecution and defense teams will deliver final arguments Monday. Jurors can sentence Nichols, who recently was found guilty of murder in the March 2005 shooting deaths of four people, to death or life in prison.

8) 2 charged in slaying of youth minister

Two Cleveland residents are facing murder charges in the slaying of a North Georgia pastor. William Joseph Dyer and Jennifer Dawn Lineberger were arrested Monday, just hours after an officer found the body of the Rev. Frank Harris Jr. near a vacant house —- and only 70 yards away from an apartment where Dyer and Lineberger lived. Police said Harris, a Clermont resident and youth minister at Pendergrass Baptist Church, was stabbed and run over.

9) Atlanta cuts off homeless shelter’s water

One of Atlanta’s largest homeless shelters temporarily lost water service last week because it owed the city more than $160,000. Atlanta officials said the Task Force for the Homeless at Peachtree and Pine streets owed $145,000 on one water meter, which was turned off in September, and $16,000 on a second meter, which was turned off Tuesday until Fulton County Judge T. Jackson Bedford ordered service restored. Bedford also said the shelter must work out a plan for paying off the debt.

10) Biolab bid falls short

The University of Georgia likely has lost its bid for a $450 million biolab. The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, a laboratory that will be used to research biological threats posed by animals, will be built at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., an aide to U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said last week. UGA officials said the center would have employed as many as 1,500 construction workers, provided permanent jobs to at least 250 people and had an economic impact of $1.5 billion over 20 years.

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.