HELLO EVERYONE AND THANKS FOR JOINING US....I'M LEAH JOHNSON..
AND I'M FRANK MALLOY.
THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT SIX...

THE C-E-O OF COLISEUM HEALTH SYSTEM DIED FROM SMOKE INHALATION AND BURNS...
THAT'S ACCORDING TO JENIFER (L-OW) LOWE WITH THE MARION COUNTY... FLORIDA SHERIFF'S OFFICE...
ALLEN GOLSON'S PLANE CRASHED NEAR THE OCALA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FRIDAY.
BRITTINY BARBER RECEIVED THE FULL REPORT FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TODAY.. AND BRITTINY WHAT DOES IT SAY?
IT SAYS SEVERAL PEOPLE SAW THE PLANE GO DOWN..
AND WITNESSES HELPED GET CAROL GOLSON.... HIS WIFE... OUT OF THE BURNING PLANE...
SHE WAS REPORTEDLY IN THE BACK OF THE AIR CRAFT... WHEN IT WENT DOWN...
IN A STATEMENT WITH OFFICERS... CAROL TOLD THEM HER HUSBAND WAS CONSCIOUS AND TALKING AFTER AFTER THE CRASH...
THE REPORT SAYS WHEN OFFICERS MET HER FOR INTERVIEWS AT THE HOSPITAL... SHE WAS SUFFERING FROM BACK PAIN...

ACCORDING TO THE REPORT... A MEDIC WHO RESPONDED TO THE SCENE... SAID HE HEARD SCREAMING AND OTHER NOISES FROM THE PLANE... WHICH WAS FULLY INVOLVED AT THAT TIME... BUT HE SAID HE COULD NOT FIND THE PILOT....
ONE OFFICER SAYS IN HIS REPORT.... HE FOUND GOLSON IN THE COCKPIT BETWEEN THE PILOT SEATS..
THE OFFICER SAID HE NOTICED A DEBRIS FIELD TO THE EAST OF THE CRASH SITE....
HE SAID THE LEFT WING WAS PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE.... AND THE LEFT FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE THE MOST DAMAGE.
THE REPORT SAYS THERE WERE FOUR TRANSMISSIONS BETWEEN THE CONTROL TOWER AND THE AIRCRAFT.... BUT THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF AN EMERGENCY....
RALPH HICKS.... LEAD INVESTIGATOR WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD SAYS.... AT THIS POINT THEY'RE NOT RULING OUT ANYTHING AS A CAUSE OF THE CRASH....
HE SAYS THE AUTOPSY RESULTS WILL BE USED IN THEIR INVESTIGATION.... AS WELL AS AIR TRAFFIC REPORTS AND RADAR INFORMATION....
HICKS SAYS HE ALSO PICKED UP THE MAINTENANCE REPORTS FROM MACON EARLIER TODAY....
THANKS BRITTINY.
HICKS SAYS PRELIMINARY FINDINGS ON THE CRASH WILL BE RELEASED THIS WEEK... BUT IT COULD TAKE THREE TO FOUR MONTHS UNTIL THE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE.

GEORGIA DEMOCRATS MET TODAY... LOOKING FOR WAYS TO KEEP HOPE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS FROM RUNNING DRY.
ONE OF THE IDEAS ON THE TABLE... A POSSIBLE SALARY CAP.
KATELYN HECK TALKED WITH SOME TATTNALL SQUARE ACADEMY STUDENTS... WHO TOLD HER WHY THEY'RE AGAINST THE IDEA.
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(NATS)
FOR SOME TATTNALL STUDENTS... TAKING NOTES IN CLASS PLUS A FEW HOURS STUDYING AFTER SCHOOL.... IS THE COMBINATION THAT WILL HELP THEM LAND A GOOD COLLEGE... AND THE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP.
(SOT: student: it hasnt been easy, breezy, sit in class and sleep)
BUT A FEW GEORGIA DEMOCRATS SAY HOPE NEEDS TO CHANGE COURSE TO KEEP THE PROGRAM ALIVE DOWN THE ROAD.
THEIR PROPOSAL CALLS FOR A FLOATING SALARY CAP... ONLY STUDENTS WHOSE HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS BELOW THE CAP WOULD BE ELIGIBLE.
THE CAP WILL START AT 140,000 DOLLARS BUT THAT AMOUNT COULD CHANGE YEARLY BASED... ON LOTTERY FUNDS.
THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AUDITS AND ACOUNTS SAYS ABOUT 92 PERCENT OF GEORGIANS WOULD STILL QUALIFY FOR HOPE UNDER THE INITIAL CAP.
THOSE ELIGIBLE WOULD RECEIVE MONEY TO COVER THEIR FULL TUITION COSTS.
BUT SOME STUDENTS SAY HOUSEHOLD INCOME SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED.
(SOT: student: I've worked hard my whole high school career. My parents income has nothing to do with how hard I've worked and who deserves it more than the other.)
EVEN SOME WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE SALARY CAP SAY THE PROPOSAL IS NOT FAIR FOR EVERYONE.
(SOT: I've met a lot of people who are about to go to college, and their parents make maybe almost 200,000 a year but they aren't going to pay a penny for their child's college education. So the child is having to work hard in school so they can get scholarships.)
REPRESENTATIVE STACEY EVANS SUPPORTS THE PROPOSAL BECAUSE SHE BELIEVES IT COULD GIVE MORE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO COLLEGE AND WOULD EXPAND THE LIFE OF THE LOTTERY-FUNDED PROGRAM.

KATELYN HECK
13WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS
>> EVANS SAYS THE PROPOSAL IS STILL IN ITS BEGINNING STAGES.
SHE SAYS THE DEMOCRATS BILL WAS FILED EARLIER TODAY AND SHOULD BE READ BY A COMMITTEE SOMETIME THIS WEEK.

IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO... PARENTS WILL HAVE A NEW WAY TO SEE HOW SCHOOLS ARE DOING.
STATE EDUCATION LEADERS ARE DEVELOPING THE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS PERFORMANCE INDEX.
THE SYSTEM COULD REPLACE THE CURRENT ASSESSMENT TOOL IN THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND LAW.
CANDACE ADORKA SPOKE WITH SOME HOUSTON COUNTY SCHOOL LEADERS TO GET THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE INDEX.
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***listen for the vowels***
THESE CHILDREN ATTEND ONE OF TWENTY TITLE ONE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS IN HOUSTON COUNTY
***nats***
THAT MEANS THEY HAVE MADE ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS... OR AYP... FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS.
THAT'S NO SURPRISE TO PRINCIPAL ELGIN MAYFIELD.
"we don't set it as our goal, we set it as our minimum."
PERRY PRIMARY HAS MADE AYP FOR 12 YEARS, BUT THIS COULD BE THE LAST YEAR.
s/u "The state is creating a new education standard, the college and career readiness performance index. superintendent of Houston County schools Robin Hines says it will be a more comprehensive measure of how schools are doing."
"they also look at SAT scores or ACT scores, the number of students that take two foreign language units..."
A-Y-P IS BASED ON STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES... IT'S CALCULATED WITH 135 PIECES OF DATA... THE NEW INDEX SYSTEM TAKES MORE THAN 12-HUNDRED.
"It's a major leap forward in schools accountability, it holds us even more acountable than AYP did."
MAYFIELD SAYS STUDENTS WON'T NOTICE A MAJOR CHANGE UNDER THE INDEX SYSTEM...
***nats of teacher***
BUT HINES SAYS TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS WILL NOW HAVE TO SPREAD THEIR FOCUS.
"We're gonna have to do a better job of scheduling and committing out ime and efforts into all things rather than just reading language arts and math for instance."
THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS REVIEWING THE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS PERFORMANCE INDEX.
IF IT GIVES THE GO-AHEAD, GEORGIA WILL USE THE INDEX INSTEAD OF AYP.
OTHERWISE... STATE OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL USE THE INDEX ALONGSIDE A-Y-P.
***nats of reading***
MAYFIELD SAYS EITHER WAY... HIS STUDENTS WILL CONTINUE TO EXCEL.
CANDACE ADORKA 13 WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS.
>> STATE SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT JOHN BARGE SAYS HE EXPECTS TO HEAR BACK FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BY EARLY FEBRUARY.

BIBB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT STILL HASN'T RELEASED A POLICE REPORT ON AN ALLEGED RAPE AT NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL.
TODAY... THE DISTRICT'S LAWYER SAID HE DOESN'T HAVE THE REPORT YET...AND HE'LL NEED TO REVIEW IT BEFORE IT'S RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC.
LAST WEEK....SEVERAL NORTHEAST PARENTS AND STUDENTS QUESTIONED WHY SCHOOL OFFICIALS DIDN'T NOTIFY THEM OF THE ALLEGED RAPE.
TODAY'S 13WMAZ DOT COM WEB POLL ASKS... DOES YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT RELEASE ENOUGH INFORMATION ON CRIME AND VIOLENCE IN SCHOOL?
SO FAR 89 PERCENT OF YOU SAY NO.
AND 11 PERCENT SAY YES.
VOTE NOW... VISIT 13WMAZ DOT COM AND LOOK FOR THE QUESTION ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAGE.

WE'RE INTRODUCING A NEW FEATURE TO HELP YOU SPOT CRIME IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD..
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS HEAD OVER TO YOUR "WHERE YOU LIVE" PAGE AND LOOK FOR THE "TRACK CRIME IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD."
YOU'LL FIND IT IN THE TOP LEFT.
FROM THERE... YOU CAN CLICK ON EACH ICON TO SEE WHERE AND WHEN THE CRIME HAPPENED.
THE MAP KEY SHOWS YOU THE TYPES OF CRIME...WHETHER IT'S AN ASSAULT, ARSON OR BURGLARY...
IT'S OUR WAY OF HELPING YOU KEEP TRACK OF THINGS WHERE *YOU* LIVE.

IF YOU'RE A FOOTBALL FAN... YOU MAY BE GEARING UP FOR A BIG SUPER BOWL PARTY IN FRONT OF YOUR TELESION THIS WEEKEND.
BUT ONE GROUP OF MACON TEENS HAVE DECIDED TO SPEND PART OF SUPER BOWL WEEKEND SERVING THE COMMUNITY.
WE SPOKE WITH SOME OF THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE IN TONIGHT'S HERO CENTRAL REPORT.
This is not the kind of Super Bowl event you're used to...

sot: I'll be doing everything and anything they need me to help with. I'll do anything.

16 year old Courtney Reid is preparing for a BUSY Souper Bowl weekend where the players include charities, donations and young people. It's called the Souper Bowl of Caring Service Blitz.

sot: it's a time that they can come together. The holidays are over but that doesn't mean that people aren't hungry.

sot: They want us to be able to do this to be able to influence other kids, instead of being on the streets doing negative things. They want us to do positive things.

Bethel CME Church in Southeast Macon is planning to play host to hundreds of young people this SATURDAY for aN ALL-DAY volunteer evenT. Quincy Davis says he's ready to work.

sot: I decided to volunteer with this program because I wanted to be of some help to my community.

Event director Charles Coney says they have lots planned.

sot: Habitat for Humanity is building a home in Macon and they want us to help clear a lot. The Salvation Army needs people to help sort cans. Unionville Improvement Association has asked us to help clean up a park, so it's hands on service learning.
It's the kind of work 13 year old Lance Cunningham says he's always done.

sot: I don't expect anything in return. I just like helping out my community because it makes me feel like more of a person.

sot: I was kind of just raised on that. I've always seen my mom and my grandparents helping others. That just rubbed off on me.
I'm not the selfish type. I have to help others.

Cunningham proves that you're never too young to make a difference... a message that these young people hope to send loud and clear.
CONEY SAYS THERE IS STILL TIME TO REGISTER ONLINE ON THE CHURCH'S WEBSITE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND LOOK FOR THIS STORY.

ONE SCHOOL IN MACON OFFERS STUDENTS A SECOND CHANCE AT GETTING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
E-L HIGH SCHOOL... HOME STUDY ACADEMY GIVES THOSE WHO HAVE DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND START WHERE THEY LEFT OFF.
JENNIFER MOULLIET SPOKE TO STUDENTS IN THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS FOR THE ACADEMY.
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TALANDRIA COOPER SAYS SHE WAS IN HER SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL... WHEN SHE GOT OFF TRACK... AND HAD TO WITHDRAW .
SHE SAYS E.L. ACADEMY GAVE HER A SECOND CHANCE.

Talandria Cooper: "As soon as I found out about it I came down to the office and I got signed up just that fast."

SAMARIO DENNIS SAYS HE WAS WORKING FOR THE MACON-BIBB FIRE DEPARTMENT WHEN HIS CHIEF TOLD HIM THEY HAD A PROBLEM.

samario dennis: "Your high school diploma isn't accredited."

DENNIS SAYS HE WAS HOMESCHOOLED... AND WASN'T AWARE THAT THE PROGRAM HE WAS ENROLLED IN WASN'T ACCREDITED.
HE SAYS HE WAS GIVEN SIX MONTH TO ENROLL IN ANOTHER PROGRAM... SO HE TURNED TO THE HOME STUDY ACADEMY.

"It was wonderful as soon as I came here she told me what i had to do."

THE DIRECTOR OF E-L ACADEMY IS ELAINE LUCAS...WHO'S ALSO A MACON CITY COUNCIL WOMAN. SHE SAYS THE SCHOOL GIVES HER STUDENTS A CHANCE TO GET BACK ON TRACK.

"To be in a position to earn the kind of living for themselves that they wish to without having to depend on other folks."

SHE SAYS STUDENTS TAKE STUDY PACKETS HOME... CALL IN WITH THEIR QUESTIONS... AND TAKE THEIR TESTS IN THE SCHOOL'S OFFICE. THE PROGRAM HAS MET ALL OF THE STANDARDS SET BYTHE GEORGIA ACCREDITING COMMISSION.

"with that accreditation our students can go onto college, technical schools, the military."

LUCAS SAYS IN HER THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SHE'S LEARNED THAT NOT EVERYONE LEARNS WELL IN A CLASSROOM .
SHE SAYS HER STUDENTS CAN LEARN AT THEIR OWN PACE.

COOPER SAYS SHE'S GLAD SHE ENROLLED.
"Don't give up keep going forward keep going for your goals."

ANYONE SIXTEEN AND UP CAN ENROLL IN THE HOME STUDY PROGRAM
JENNIFER MOULLIET 13WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS.
>>
E.L. HIGH SCHOOL... HOME STUDY ACADEMY HELD ITS FIRST GRADUATIONLAST NIGHT..
TWENTY STUDENTS RECEIVED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
THE PROGRAM REQUIRES A FIFTY DOLLAR APPLICATION FEE AND TUITION IS THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH.

MACON MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT WELCOMED THREE WEB DEVELOPERS AND DESIGNERS TO TOWN THIS MORNING... AND GAVE THEM A TOUR AROUND DOWNTOWN.
NICK DOIRON... ZACH WILLIAMS... AND JESSICA LORD ARE FELLOWS WITH THE NATIONAL CODE FOR AMERICA PROGRAM.
THEY'LL SPEND THE NEXT YEAR BUILDING TECHNOLOGY TOOLS TO HELP MACON'S GOVERNMENT RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS CITY INFORMATION.
THE FELLOWS WILL DEVELOP MACON'S APPS WITH A 300 THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE KNIGHT FOUNDATION.
THEY'LL MAKE A PRESENTATION TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ON FEBRUARY 7TH... AND HOLD A COMMUNITY FORUM IN MID-FEBRUARY.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.... WE'LL BE BACK TONIGHT AT 11.
BUT REMEMBER...THE NEWS IS ALWAYS ON AT 13WMAZ.COM !
THE EVENING NEWS IS UP NEXT.
HAVE A SAFE NIGHT EVERYONE.