GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US..
I'M FRANK MALLOY..
AND I'M LEAH JOHNSON.. THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 11.
MACON MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF GATHERED IN ATHENS TODAY... FOR A WEEKEND RETREAT.
REICHERT SAYS THE RETREAT AIMS TO FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS... AND AS AMY AUBERT SHOWS YOU... THAT'S SOMETHING ALL AGREE NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
PKG
Nats, meeting
COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORAL STAFF SPENT THE AFTERNOON DISCUSSING WAYS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
Nats
COUNCIL MEMBERS COMPLAINED ABOUT HEARING UPDATES FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN THE MEDIA... BEFORE HEARING IT FROM THE MAYOR HIMSELF.
Reichert: "What I'm hearing is you don't tell us ahead of time. And we're getting into it,you know, when is the appropriate time for me to tell you? I mean, before I get the details? Because if I come and tell you I've got an idea and you say great give me the details, and I say, 'well, I don't have the details.' Then you say well, go get the details. But then if I wait and somebody finds out that I'm working on it, and I come up with the details, "Why didn't you tell us this before? Why didn't you tell us you were working on it?"
MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT ADMITS HE HAS BEEN TOLD HIS WAY OF COMMUNICATION IS INEFFECTIVE...AND PROPOSED USING THE C-A-O AS THE NEW POINT OF CONTACT.
Reichert:
"Some people feel like, 'he got it before I did, why did she get it before I did? Well, now I'm offended because you left me out, so what's the best method to get it out..."
COUNCILMAN RICK HUTTO SAYS COMMUNICATION IS COUNCIL'S BIGGEST ISSUE... AND IT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
Rick Hutto: "It's very true that communication in the past has not been the best, going from the adminstration to council. But they said going forward that's going to chnage and I believe them."
THE GROUP AGREED THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS... EVERYONE WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED THEM... AND FOR THE CITY OF MACON.
IN ATHENS... I'M AMY AUBERT... 13 WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS.
COUNCIL AND MAYORAL STAFF MEET AGAIN TOMORROW MORNING STARTING AT 7... TO DISCUSS SPECIFIC CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS.
MACON POLICE CHIEF MIKE BURNS SAYS HE'S TURNED PHOTOS THAT SEEM TO SHOW SEVERAL UNIFORMED OFFICERS PLAYING FOOTBALL BEHIND A STORE... OVER TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR INVESTIGATION.
STEVE THOMPSON OF MACON SAYS THEY WERE TAKEN BY A WORKER AT A PRESIDENTIAL PARKWAY STORE... BUT DECLINED TO NAME THAT PERSON.
THOMPSON SENT THE PHOTOS TO 13WMAZ AND POSTED THEM TO FACEBOOK... BUT LATER REMOVED THEM.
ONE PHOTO SHOWS SIX POLICE CRUISERS PARKED BEHIND SOME STORES.
THE OTHER SHOWS FIVE OFFICERS... WHO APPEAR TO BE PLAYING FOOTBALL.
BURNS WROTE... "THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE... EVEN IF THEY WERE OFF DUTY.
HE SAYS THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD WRAP UP MONDAY MORNING.
BURNS SAYS THE OFFICERS WERE FROM THE FOURTH PRECINCT... BASED AT THE MACON MALL... AND WILL BE DISCIPLINED.
MANY VERIZON WIRELESS CUSTOMERS WERE LEFT FEELING OUT OF TOUCH TODAY.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE WIRELESS PROVIDER SAYS SEVERAL CELL TOWERS IN CENTRAL GEORGIA WERE OUT OF SERVICE.
THAT INCLUDED TOWERS IN CHESTER... MACON... MILLEDGEVILLE AND WARNER ROBINS.
COMPANY SPOKESWOMAN KATE JAY SAYS THE DISRUPTION WAS CAUSED BY A SOFTWARE UPGRADE.
FOR RUSSELL GRANT... IT MEANT A TOUGHER TIME GETTING IN TOUCH WITH HIS PARENTS.
Russell Grant: "I called my mom and it went straight to voicemail it would ring like one time and go straight to voicemail and my dad was like i need to talk to you i need to talk to you and I was like I can't call you my phone's not working I don't know what is going on."
VERIZON WIRLESS SPOKESWOMAN... KATE JAY SAYS TECHNICIANS FIXED THE ISSUE AROUND TWO THIS AFTERNOON.
WE ASKED VERIZON WIRELESS IF CUSTOMERS AFFECTED BY THE OUTAGE WILL BE PRO-RATED ON THEIR MONTHLY BILL...
THEY SAID BECAUSE CUSTOMERS WERE STILL ABLE TO MAKE CALLS AND USE TEXT MESSAGING... THERE IS NO NEED FOR A DISCOUNT.
MORE HIGH SCHOOLERS ARE TAKING THEIR CLASSES UP A NOTCH.
A REPORT FROM THE COLLEGE BOARD SHOWS MORE STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE ARE TAKING ADVANCED PLACEMENT CLASSES THAN IN YEARS BEFORE.
KATELYN HECK EXPLAINS WHY SOME A-P STUDENTS THINK THE HARDER CLASSES WILL LEAD TO AN EASIER TIME IN COLLEGE.
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(NATS)
STUDYING... STUDYING... AND MORE STUDYING....
SOME CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SAY THEY SPEND HOURS HITTING THE BOOKS FOR THEIR ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES.
(SOT: its not easy, my mom says I should take regular classes and get all A's, but I don't want to do that. I like the challenge.)
THEY SAY EVEN SOME SATURDAYS ARE FILLED WITH NOTECARDS AND TEXTBOOKS.
THAT KIND OF WORK ETHIC MAY BE WHY GEORGIA RANKED 11-th IN THE NATION FOR PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS PASSING THE A-P EXAMS.
BUT SOME TEACHERS SAY NO MATTER HOW THEIR STUDENTS SCORE ... THE COLLEGE-LEVEL CLASSES WILL GIVE STUDENTS A LEG UP LATER IN LIFE.
(SOT: Even if they get a one on the exam, which is the lowest score, they still got a great education, and the colleges see that and know that.)
BIBB COUNTY A-P COORDINATOR TINDA PRESSLEY ADMITS THE COUNTY'S PASSING RATE HAS SOME ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT... BUT SHE SAYS EVERY YEAR... MORE BIBB STUDENTS ARE STEPPING UP TO THE CHALLENGE.
(SOT: student: If you're going to do something, you should do it right. You're not going to learn in the long run if you just take an easy class and take the easy way out.)
AND ITS NOT JUST STUDENTS THAT HAVE TO MAKE THE GRADE... A-P TEACHERS SAY THEY NEED TO BRING THEIR A-GAME.
(SOT: My first year teaching, I had to study a lot to get ready for AP world history. There are things in the curriculum I didn't even know from college.)
STUDENTS SAY WITH A LOT OF HARD WORK... AND A LITTLE EXTRA HELP FROM THEIR TEACHERS... THEY WILL BE READY FOR THEIR A-P EXAM... AND FOR THE FUTURE.
KATELYN HECK
13-WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS
>>
GEORGIA'S PASSING RATE FOR THE A-P EXAM IS JUST OVER NINETEEN PERCENT.
THATS MORE THAN 2 POINTS HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL RATE.
IF YOU PLAN TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND LET SOMEONE ELSE DO THE COOKING THIS WEEKEND... CHECK OUT THE HEALTH INSPECTION SCORES BEFORE YOU GO.
WE'RE HEADING TO HOUSTON COUNTY FOR THIS WEEK'S RESTAURANT RATINGS... STARTING OFF WITH OUR LOWEST SCORES.
POPEYE'S CHICKEN AND BISCUITS AT 744 RUSSELL PARKWAY IN WARNER ROBINS MADE AN 83... A B... AFTER AN 89... ANOTHER B... ON THE INSPECTION BEFORE.
TOP CHINA AT 11-14 HIGHWAY 96 IN KATHLEEN MADE A 77... A C.... AFTER A PERFECT SCORE ON ITS PREVIOUS INSPECTION.
AND HIBACHI BUFFET AT 40-25 WATSON BOULEVARD IN WARNER ROBINS SCORED A 74... THAT'S A C... AFTER A 99 OR AN A ON THE INSPECTION BEFORE.
NOW FOR A LOOK AT THE TOP SCORES OF THE WEEK... OUR GOLD SPATULA NOMINEES.
NOW FOR A LOOK AT THE TOP SCORES OF THE WEEK... OUR GOLD SPATULA NOMINEES.
HARDEE'S AT 28-29 WATSON BOULEVARD IN WARNER ROBINS MADE A 96... AN A... AFTER A 95 ON THE INSPECTION BEFORE.
PAPA JOHN'S AT 100 NORTH HOUSTON LAKE ROAD IN WARNER ROBINS MADE A 98... AN A... COMING AFTER A 98 ON ITS PRIOR INSPECTION.
AND SUBWAY AT 499 HIGHWAY 247 IN BONAIRE MADE A 100... COMING AFTER ANOTHER 100 ON THE PREVIOUS INSPECTION.
WE AVERAGED OUR NOMINEES' PAST FIVE SCORES... AND THIS WEEK'S GOLDEN SPATULA GOES TO....
SUBWAY ON HIGHWAY 247... WITH A FIVE-SCORE AVERAGE OF 99-POINT-6.
CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE AT SUBWAY... AND JOIN US AGAIN NEXT WEEK FOR MORE RESTAURANT RATINGS.
AND YOU CAN FIND ALL THE HEALTH INSPECTION SCORES FROM CENTRAL GEORGIA BY VISITING 13WMAZ DOT COM.
LOOK FOR THE LINK UNDER THE FEATURES TAB... THEN JUST CLICK ON YOUR COUNTY TO FIND YOUR LOCAL SCORES.
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