GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US..
I'M FRANK MALLOY..
AND I'M LEAH JOHNSON..THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 11.
MACON CITY COUNCIL MET WITH MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT IN A WORKSESSION TONIGHT... TO DISCUSS AN ORDINANCE PASSED LAST WEEK.
THE MINORITY AND SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES ORDINANCE... FOCUSES ON CONTRACTING CITY WORK... TO MINORITY... WOMEN... AND SMALL BUSINESSES.
AS AMY AUBERT SHOWS YOU... SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS DIDN'T AGREE WITH A TIMELINE THE MAYOR SUGGESTED.
<<
Nats, Lucas: "How you can be, how you can put a stumbling block in the way of implementing this, I don't understand."
AN ORDINANCE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS CALL LONG OVERDUE... CREATED A HEATED DISCUSSION IN TUESDAY'S WORKSESSION.
Nats, Mayor: "I'm trying to work..."
Nats, Lucas: "A veto is not a stumbling block?"
Nats, Mayor: "NO ma'am not under these... not under these conditions."
MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT ASKED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR A DELAY TO THE ORDINANCE... HE SAYS... TO HAVE TIME TO EFFECTIVELY GO FORWARD.
Mayor Robert Reichert: "It's going to require additional personnell and additional processes and procedures so we need to delay it only so we can effectively implement it."
BUT THAT SPARKED QUESTIONS... FROM COUNCIL.
Nats, Lucas: "I don't understand this, I don't understand this. Somebody make me understand this."
COUNCILWOMAN ELAINE LUCAS... COMPARED THIS ORDINANCE... TO OTHERS PASSED THAT INCLUDED SEVERAL PHASES... INSTEAD OF A SET DATE.
MAYOR REICHERT... SAYS THAT'S COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES.
Mayor Reichert: "What's worse? You know, selective enforcement and turning a blind eye and not doing it, or delaying the implementation."
MAYOR REICHERT SAYS THE PROCESS COULD TAKE 90 TO 120 DAYS TO GET EVERYTHING ON TRACK... HE SUGGESTED AN AUGUST 1ST EFFECTIVE DATE.
Reichert: "We want local vendors to be aware of opportunites to have the advantage to put in bids because we want the lowest best bid from a variety of sources."
REICHERT SAYS HE'S ON BOARD WITH THE ORDINANCE... BUT WANTS TO BE MORE PREPARED... TO GET THE ORDINANCE INTO EFFECT.
AMY AUBERT 13WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS. >>
COUNCIL PLANS TO DELAY THE EFFECTIVE DATE... TO ONE THEY AGREE ON.
THEY WILL REFER IT BY LETTER... AND IT SHOULD GO BEFORE FULL COUNCIL AT THE NEXT MEETING.
COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO DISCUSSED THE TRANSFER OF CENTRAL CITY PARK TO THE COUNTY.
THEY TABLED THE IDEA IN LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL MEETING.
Nats, Mayor: "I think it could all very easily be characterized and categorized as recreation..."
**PAUSE 5 SECONDS**
MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT SAYS ALL BUILDINGS AT CENTRAL CITY PARK... ARE USED BY RECREATION STAFF... SO EVERYTHING SHOULD BE TURNED OVER TO THE COUNTY.
IT'S A PART OF THE SERVICE DELIVERY STRATEGY THAT TRANSFERS ALL PARKS TO THE COUNTY.
Mayor Robert Reichert: "I'm taking the position that they're all used in recreation so we should just transfer over all the parks and all the buildings and that would make it easier for the county to maintain and coordinate."
MAYOR REICHERT SAYS BECAUSE IT WAS TABLED IN THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING... THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO MOVE THE TRANSFER FORWARD.
A CENTRAL GEORGIA CHURCH HELD A SPECIAL SERVICE TONIGHT TO HONOR SLAIN FLORIDA TEENAGER... TRAYVON MARTIN.
THE CONGREGATION AT GREATER FRIENDSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH IN MACON CAME TOGETHER IN SONG AND PRAYER FOR THE TEEN'S FAMILY.
THE PRAYER VIGIL ALSO INVITED THOSE TO FELLOWSHIP WEARING HOODED SWEATSHIRTS..
THAT'S WHAT MARTIN WAS WEARING WHEN HE WAS SHOT BY A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCHMAN.
ORGANIZERS OF TONIGHT'S EVENT SAY THEY WANTED TO EDCUCATE THE PUBLIC ON WHAT THEY CALL A CASE OF INJUSTICE.
Pastor Summerow: "In Macon I think that we need some of this. We need to come together unified to look at issues that everyone. This not a black, white issue. This is a justice issue."
Rickalya Jackson: "I have cousins that age. It could have been one of them. I just though about how that was someone's child. My heart went out to that family, that mother."
THOSE WHO ATTENDED TONIGHT'S SERVICE INCLUDED BIBB COUNTY CHIEF DEPUTY DAVID DAVIS.... FORMER MACON MAYOR C. JACK ELLIS AND CITY COUNCIL WOMAN ELAINE LUCAS.
CENTERVILLE'S POLICE DEPARTMENT HOPES TO USE FUNDS FROM A SPLOST... TO BUILD A NEW STATION.
POLICE CHIEF SIDNEY ANDREWS SAYS THEIR FIFTY YEAR OLD BUILDING DOESN'T MEET STATE ACCREDITATION STANDARDS.
THE HALLWAYS IN THE STATION WEAVE IN AND OUT LIKE A MAZE.
THE FLOOR DOESN'T MATCH UP IN PLACES... AND EXTENSION CORDS RUN FROM ROOM TO ROOM BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH OUTLETS.
OFFICERS USE A FAN TO COOL THE SERVER WHICH HOLDS CRIMINAL RECORDS... BECAUSE THE AIR CONDITIONING DOESN'T WORK.
THE BUILDING HOUSED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT... CITY HALL... AND A LIBRARY AT VARIOUS TIMES... BUT CITY ADMINISTRATOR PATRICK EIDSON SAYS IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON.
Patrick Eidson, City Administrator: "It's been a host of things, it's been a great building but it's just getting to the point where the building is really out lived it's usefullness."
THE NEW STATION WILL BE NEXT TO CITY HALL IN CENTERVILLE.
EIDSON SAYS THEY HOPE TO BREAK GROUND THIS FALL.
THIS WEEK... PEACH COUNTY WILL BREAK GROUND ON ITS NEW HOSPITAL.
IT'S PART OF A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MEDICAL CENTER OF CENTRAL GEORGIA.
THE 30-MILLION-DOLLAR BUILDING WILL GET ITS START THURSDAY.
IT WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT HOSPITAL IN FORT VALLEY... WHICH WAS BUILT IN THE 1950s.
THE NEW BUILDING WILL HAVE 25 PRIVATE ROOMS... A BIGGER EMERGENCY CONSTRUCTION IS SET TO START MAY FIRST.
PEACH REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER C-E-O NANCY PEED SAYS THEY PLAN TO MOVE INTO THE NEW BUILDING NEXT JUNE.ROOM... AND AN OPTIONAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.
CANNONBALL COMPETITIONS AND GAMES OF MARCO POLO ARE STARTING A LITTLE EARLIER THIS YEAR.
SEVERAL APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN MACON SAY THEIR POOLS ARE ALREADY OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
STEVE BERTRAM OF TRIPLE-A POOL SUPPLY STORE SAYS... EARLY POOL-GOERS BOOSTED THIS MONTH'S SALES NEARLY 20 PERCENT OVER LAST MARCH.
HE SAYS EARLY SPRING WEATHER USUALLY BRINGS IN CUSTOMERS A FEW WEEKS EARLIER... BUT THIS MONTH'S WARM TEMPERATURES REALLY JUMP-STARTED THE SWIMMING SEASON.
I've seen it where for us spring didnt really start until April, and here we are in March, early March and folks are coming in, opening up their pools, and getting ready to go swimming.
BERTRAM SAYS THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW POOLS IS SLOWLY RISING.
HE SAYS THE EARLY SPRING SHOULD BRING IN MORE HOPEFUL POOL-OWNERS.
GIRLS LOOKING FOR PROM DRESSES HAVE A NEW PLACE TO SHOP.
JUDY LE STOPPED BY THE GEORGIA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM TO CHECK OUT THE BARGAIN HUNTERS LEAFING THROUGH THE RACKS OF THE SAVE GREEN ON THE DRESS EVENT.
LONG...SHORT...GLITTERED ... THESE DRESSES COST ANYWHERE FROM 25 TO 75 DOLLARS.
SOT CORKERY: 102 they come from all over. we were very fortunate to have a number individuals in the community willing to donate. grandparents and parents who just wanted to empty out their daughter's and grandkid's closets. and they just brought them out in swarms. we had local businesses who were happy to give us some as well 123
THE GEORGIA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM HOSTED A SAVE GREEN ON THE DRESS FUNDRAISER. THE ONE DAY SALE...HAS NOW BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH SATURDAY.
STANDUP: the save green on the dress committe collected more than 100 gently used and new dresses. sizes range from 0-26 and about 50 of them are still up for grabs.
SOME OF THE DRESSES MAY BE SECOND-HAND...BUT ALL OF THEM ARE STILL IN FASHION. THIRTEEN YEAR OLD ...GENESIS HAWKINS...STOPPED BY TO SHOP FOR HER PROM.
SOT HAWKINS: 159 something that's not too grown...my mom will be like...no you can't get that. i want to sOmething out of the ordinary...something describes me 21
SOME OF THESE DRESSES ORIGINALLY COST 500-DOLLARS ....NOW THEY'RE MARKED AT A BARGAIN PRICE. HAWKINS SAYS SHE'S CHECKING OUT THE COLOR-CODED PRICE-TAGS FOR A STEAL.
SOT HAWKINS: 239 not too much that it's gonna be like..."oh my god"..just enough. No more than 100...200 dollars.
SOT CORKERY: 411i personally was baffled by the fact that dresses cost 500 dollars so i can tell you right now...i think it's a great cause to get some little girls who might not get a 500 dollar dress adn they can come here and buy it for 30-50 dollars and make their day. 428
EVEN THOUGH HAWKINS TRIED ON TWO GOWNS...SHE DIDN'T SAY YES TO THE DRESS.
JUDY LE...13 WMAZ...EYEWITNESS NEWS
THE EVENT RUNS THROUGH SATURDAY. STOP BY THE GEORGIA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM FROM 10 AM TO 5 PM TO CHECK OUT THE DRESSES.
IT'S GREAT HANG UP DAY HERE ON EYEWITNESS NEWS... THE DAY WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE SAFER BEHIND THE WHEEL.... AND HANG UP THE PHONE.
DRIVING DISTRACTIONS COME IN ALL DIFFERENT FORMS... FROM EATING WHILE DRIVING.. TO TUNING THE RADIO.. AND OF COURSE USING YOUR CELL PHONE.
NOW TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP CUT PHONE DISTRACTIONS... BY USING APPS.
THEY BLOCK FEATURES LIKE TEXTING OR MAKING PHONE CALLS WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION.
FOR I-PHONES.. BLACKBERRIES AND ANDRIODS.. ONE OPTION IS PHONE GUARD TEXT...
IT'S FREE AND WILL BLOCK TEXTS MESSAGES IF THE CAR GOES MORE THAN 10 MILES PER HOUR.. OR GIVE SEVERAL REMINDERS NOT TO TEXT WHILE DRIVING.
ANOTHER OPTION FOR ANDROID USERS... LIFE BEFORE TEXT.
BY PAYING A ONE TIME FEE OF $3.98... IT STOPS INCOMING CALLS... AND OUT GOING SERVICES.
WE ALSO FOUND AND APP CALLED TEXT ZAPPER... IT DISABLES TEXT MESSAGING WHILE DRIVING.
ACCORDING TO THEIR WEBSITE.. IT'S COMPATABILE WITH OVER 70 SMART PHONES.
TEXT ZAPPER BEGINS AT $4.99 PER MONTH.
YOU CAN JOIN IN THE GREAT HANG UP AND PLEDGE TO BE SAFER BEHIND THE WHEEL.
JUST LOOK FOR THE LINK UNDER THE FEATURES TAB AT 13WMAZ DOT COM.
ONCE YOU SIGN IT... WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.
EMAIL US YOUR STORY... AT THE-GREAT-HANG-UP AT 13WMAZ-DOT-COM
TONIGHT'S FACEBOOK FAN OF THE DAY IS JESSIE GRANT.
JESSIE... YOU'LL NEED TO EMAIL FAN OF THE DAY AT 13WMAZ DOT COM TO CLAIM YOUR COFFEE MUG.
NOW... GETTING INTO THE RUNNING FOR FAN OF THE DAY IS AN EASY THREE-STEP PROCESS.
ONE... VISIT FACEBOOK DOT COM SLASH 13WMAZ.
TWO... BECOME A FAN... AND THREE... GET IN ON THE CONVERSATIONS.
WE PICK OUR FAN OF THE DAY RANDOMLY.
CUSTOMERS AREN'T AFRAID TO BREAK UP... WITH THEIR CELL PHONE COMPANIES.
IT'S A NEW TREND THAT'S CHANGING THE INDUSTRY.
FELICIA TAYLOR LETS US KNOW WHAT THAT COULD MEAN FOR YOUR NEXT BILL... IN TONIGHT'S GEEK 13.
THE AVERAGE CELL PHONE CUSTOMER NOW SWITCHES CARRIERS AFTER THE SECOND TWO-YEAR CONTRACT IS UP.
THIS TREND of CHANGING your carrier ACCELERATEd RAPIDLY LAST YEAR.
ANNUAL DATA FROM PRICE-WATERHOUSE-COOPERS SHOWS IN 2010, THE AVERAGE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A CUSTOMER AND A CARRIER WAS 59 MONTHS OR JUST SHY OF FIVE YEARS.
CONSUMERS WERE STICKING WITH THE SAME COMPANY FOR THEIR INITIAL CONTRACT AND AT LEAST ONE MORE -- AND LIKELY TWO MORE.
BUT IN 2011 -- THAT AVERAGE DROPPED TO 48 MONTHS.
RESEARCHERS SAY THE COMPETITION IS FIERCE AMONG CELL PHONE CARRIERS.
AND IF CUSTOMERS SEE A BETTER DEAL SOMEWHERE ELSE, THEY'RE WILLING TO JUMP CARRIERS.
THERE are OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WHICH COULD HELP YOU SAVE MONEY.
APPLE'S I-PHONE FOR EXAMPLE IS now AVAILABLE ON ALL THREE OF THE BIGGEST U-S CARRIERS -- AT&T, VERIZON AND SPRINT.
THESE CARRIERS ALSO FEATURE THE LATEST ANDROID DEVICES AND BLACKBERRIES.
SO YOU CAN BASICALLY PICK WHAT DEVICE YOU WANT, THEN FIND THE COMPANY OFFERS THE BEST PRICE.
THE SURVEY ALSO FINDS THAT TALK TIME IS FALLING ALONG WITH CUSTOMER LOYALTY.
DATA PLANS ARE THE NEW HOT DRAW IN THE CELL PHONE GAME
SO COMPARE DATA AMOUNTS AND PRICES TO GET THE BEST PLAN THAT FITS YOUR NEEDS.
FOR MORE TECH HEADLINES... VISIT THE GEEK 13 PAGE AT 13WMAZ DOT COM.
YOU'LL FIND THE LINK ON THE FEATURES PAGE.
UNITED WAY HOSTED ITS ANNUAL MEETING TODAY.. AND THE GROUP HAD MORE THAN JUST AWARDS TO CELEBRATE.
IT'S A STORY THAT COMES.. STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART.
ATTENDEES GATHERED TO CELEBRATE CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCES AND CONTRIBUTIONS.
THE TEAM EXCEEDED THEIR GOAL OF RAISING FOUR... POINT TWO MILLION DOLLARS.
THE EXTRA 42-THOUSAND DOLLARS HELPS INCREASE FUNDING TO PARTNERING AGENCIES... BY FIVE PERCENT.
Sam Macfie, 2011 Campaign Chair: "We can not only keep the doors open for agencies but we can allow them to expand their scope of services. There are so many people that are in need in Central Georgia with this economy that keeps on dragging like it has been but there's so much that these safety net agencies provide."
GEICO WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTER IN THE HISTORY OF UNITED WAY CENTRAL GEORGIA.
THEY RAISED CLOSE TO 780-THOUSAND DOLLARS.