Bishop Eddie Long is back in the pulpit.
The senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has returned after taking some time off for personal reasons. Long, whose ministry was recently rocked by a sexual misconduct scandal that resulted in a settlement, announced in December that he was taking a brief leave to use the time to heal his family.
Long's wife, Vanessa, has filed for divorce.
A spokesman said Long preached at the New Year's Eve service and will continue to do so at weekly services. SHELIA POOLE
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A Cherokee County grand jury this week indicted Ryan Brunn in the brutal beating, rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl whom he is accused of abducting from a park inside a Canton apartment complex in December.
Brunn, a 20-year-old maintenance man at the complex, faces 13 felony counts in connection with the Dec. 2, 2011 slaying of Jorelys Rivera, including murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated child molestation, false imprisonment, enticing a child for indecent purposes, sexual exploitation of children, making false statements and abandonment of a dead body.
The indictment also indicates that Brunn had sexually explicit photographs of a young girl in his possession.
Cherokee County District Attorney Gary Moss said he will announce whether or not he will seek the death penalty at Brunn's arraignment, which has not yet been scheduled.
ANDRIA SIMMONS
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Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard on Tuesday said he will launch “an immediate investigation” into alleged misconduct by ex-Brunswick judge Amanda Williams.
In a statement, Howard said he understands that alleged improprieties by Williams occurred in both Fulton and Glynn counties. On Monday, state Attorney General Sam Olens appointed Howard to investigate Williams, who stepped down on Jan. 2 after the state Judicial Qualifications Commission filed ethics charges against her. BILL RANKIN
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