<<opening for eyewitness news at eleven>>
GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US..
I'M FRANK MALLOY..
AND I'M LEAH JOHNSON..THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 11.
CHANGES COULD BE IN THE FUTURE FOR THE HISTORIC RIVERSIDE CEMETERY.
OFFICIALS SAY THEY'VE HIRED A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT TO HELP THEM COME UP WITH A PLAN TO BETTER PRESERVE THE HISTORIC BURIAL SITE.
AUSTIN LEWIS TALKED TO FOLKS AT RIVERSIDE CEMETERY AND THE ARCHITECT ABOUT WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE CARE OF THE BURIAL SITE.
<<nats off top of Doonan talking about a grave....
SUZANNE DOONAN OF RIVERSIDE CEMETERY SAYS EVERY INCH OF THIS PLACE HAS A STORY.
Suzanne Doonan, Dir. of Conservancy: We have a union soldier who marched through here with Sherman's army and fell in love with the Southern landscape and came back with his bride and built Vineville Methodist Church.
IT'S RICH WITH HISTORY...BUT CAN USE A LITTLE WORK
Suzanne Doonan, Dir. of Conservancy: Physical improvements would definitely include repaving roads and making sure that the landscape, it's well maintained now, but to make sure that it's even more garden like.
THAT'S WHY THEY'VE HIRED AN ATLANTA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT...TO HELP COME UP WITH A PLAN TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY BURIED ON THESE GROUNDS.
Andrew Kohr: We look at the road network is a great example, looking, the cemetery like a city has a transportation network how does it work, how do we get people into the cemetery, how do visitors experience the cemetery.
KOHR SAYS THEIR PLANS WILL INCLUDE IDEAS ON HOW TO CONNECT THE CEMETERY TO THE LIVING AND THE DEAD.
Andrew Kohr: it's about memorializing people and really connecting back to nature connecting back to open space.
THE FIRM HAS WORKED TO TRANSFORM ATLANTA'S OAKLAND CEMETERY....AND KOHR SAYS THAT CHANGED THE AREA AROUND IT.
Andrew Kohr: The growth in in town Atlanta is largely because of Oakland. People love it, it's a park space, how do you meet the needs of visitors, how do you meet the needs of those who have a family buried here so that's how, they've really come into their own.
THEY HOPE TO DO THE SAME THING HERE AT RIVERSIDE CEMETERY.
AUSTIN LEWIS 13WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS
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THE CEMETERY'S OWNERS PLAN COMMUNITY MEETINGS SO PEOPLE CAN SHARE THEIR IDEAS ON THE CEMETERY'S FUTURE..
COCHRAN POLICE ARRESTED A WOMAN FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING ALMOST 20 THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THE COUNTY REC DEPARTMENT.
POLICE CHIEF KEY MCGUIRE SAY 47-YEAR-OLD TAMARA DYKES WORKED AT THE REC DEPARTMENT AND STOLE THE MONEY OVER A SPAN THREE YEARS.... FROM 2008 UNTIL 2010.
MCGUIRE SAYS IT APPEARS DYKES WAS OVERPAYING HERSELF.
HE SAYS THE REC DEPARMENT HAS HAD FINANCIAL TROUBLES FOR SOME TIME.. BUT RECENTLY GOT BACK INTO THE BLACK.
DYKES FACES 22 FELONY COUNTY OF THEFT BY TAKING.
MCGUIRE SAYS POLICE TOOK HER TO THE BLECKLY COUNTY L-E-C.
DOZENS OF POSTAL WORKERS CAME TOGETHER TODAY TO OPPOSE SENATE BILL 17-89.
THEY SAY IF THE BILL IS PASSED AS IS... IT WOULD DISMANTLE THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE.
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS PLANNED DEMONSRATIONS AT SENATE OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IN CENTRAL GEORGIA.... PROTESTORS STOOD OUTSIDE SENATOR SAXBY CHAMBLISS' OFFICES ON MULBERRY STREET.
THEY HELD SIGNS AND PASSED OUT FLYERS... INFORMING PEOPLE ABOUT THE BILL.
IF IT PASSES... SENATE BILL 17-89 WOULD PHASE OUT DOOR TO DOOR DELIVERY... AND EVENTUALLY PUT AN END TO SIX-DAY MAIL DELIVERY.
SOME SAY THE RESTRICTIONS THAT THE BILL WOULD PUT IN PLACE... AREN'T FAIR TO OTHERS.
"That's bad for people becasue not everybody wants to walk to the end of the block in the inclement weather. You've got people with physical disabilites that simply can't do that, you got people on low or fixed income who can't afford to go buy a mailbox in front of the curbside and they shouldn't have to."
FOR MORE ON THE BILL... LOOK FOR THIS STORY ON ON WEBSITE AT 13 WMAZ DOT COM.
ACCUSED MURDERER STEPHEN MCDANIEL IS STILL IN JAIL FACING A 850-THOUSAND DOLLAR BOND.
MCDANIEL IS ACCUSED OF KILLING AND DECAPITATING MERCER LAW SCHOOL GRADUATE LAUREN GIDDINGS.
DURING LAST WEEK'S BOND HEARING... DISTRICT ATTORNEY GREG WINTERS READ A GRAPHIC POST FROM AN ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUM WRITTEN BY A POSTER NAMED S-O-L.... THAT HE SAID WAS STEPHEN MCDANIEL.
"Make her a special drink called a Mickey Finn. She's out cold. I finally lose my v-card. Oh no she O.D.'d and died. I barbeque her arms and legs to celebrate losing my v-card. Not in to organ meat. throw her torso out. Lose it on tv while the cops are discovering her remains.
THIS POST RAISED A FEW QUESTIONS.. AND CANDACE ADORKA WORKED TO FIND SOME OF THE ANSWERS.
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WINTERS SAYS THE POST WAS FOUND ON A MESSAGE BOARD CALLED OPERATORCHAN... AUTHORED BY S-O-L OR SON OF LIBERTY.
HE SAYS THEY S-O-L IS MCDANIEL BECAUSE THERE ARE PICTURES OF HIMSELF WITH SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS POSTED UNDER THE SAME NAME.... AND A WITNESS HAS IDENTIFIED MCDANIEL AS S-O-L.
HOWEVER ONE OF MCDANIEL'S ATTORNEYS... FRANK HOGUE... DOUBTS THAT HIS CLIENT WROTE THE POST READ IN COURT.
HE SAYS THERE WERE ALWAYS POLICE OFFICERS WITH MCDANIEL IN THE HOURS BETWEEN HIS JUNE 30TH T-V INTERVIEWS ABOUT GIDDINGS' DISAPPEARANCE.... AND HIS ARREST.
"so that means that if he wrote it, it had to have been written prior to those events having occured and so you would have had to predict that police were gonna find the torso and that TV cameras would have to be in a place where he could pretend to be losing it on TV. I don't know, that sounds... that stretches credibility in my view."
WINTERS DECLINED TO COMMENT ON WHEN THE MESSAGE WAS POSTED... AND ADMINISTRATORS OF THE SITE OPERATORCHAN SAY THEY DON'T HAVE ANY ARCHIVES OF THE POST.
BUT BY EMAILS, ONE ADMINISTRATOR WRITES "DUE TO THE ANONYMOUS NATURE OF THE FORUM, ANYONE COULD HAVE USED THIS NICKNAME OR HANDLE....AFTER MCDANIEL'S ARREST, SOME PEOPLE HAVE USED THE SOL NICKNAME TO MAKE FUNNY COMMENTS REGARDING THE CASE."
SINCE APRIL 4... AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE HAVE POSTED ON THE SITE USING THE SCREEN NAME S-O-L... OTHERS AS STEPHEN MCDANIEL HIMSELF... AND A FEW MORE SAYING THEY REMEMBER THE POST READ IN COURT..... AND THAT IT WAS POSTED LONG AFTER HIS ARREST.
GREG WINTERS PRESENTED OTHER EVIDENCE DURING LAST WEEK'S HEARING... AND HOGUE SAYS HE DOUBTS THE POST WILL BE A CENTRAL PART OF THEIR CASE.
CANDACE ADORKA 13 WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS.
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NEXT FRIDAY... THE D-A IS SUPPOSED TO TURN OVER ALL THEIR EVIDENCE TO THE DEFENSE.
THAT'S CALLED THE DISCOVERY PART OF THE CASE.
WARNER ROBINS MAYOR... CHUCK SHAHEEN AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL MET FOR A PRE COUNCIL MEETING THIS AFTERNOON.
SEVERAL THINGS WERE ON THE AGENDA.
WARNER ROBINS CONVENTION AND VISITOR'S BUREAU DISCUSSED SIGNING ANOTHER CONTRACT TO HOST THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
AND COUNCILMAN MIKE BRASHEAR PROPOSED A RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON POTENTIAL BUSINESSES ON RUSSELL PARKWAY.
Mike Brashear, Councilman: "every time the phone rings in city hall somebody interesed in developing part of russell. that extension out there, well there is a special overlay and when you say that to a developer that means increased cost and they say we're not gonna do that, we can go to hartley bridge, we can go to 96... somewhere else."
COUNCIL WILL VOTE ON THE PROPOSED CHANGES MONDAY.
ben gives three day forecast
(BEN AD LIBS SCENE 13 TEASE)
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JOLLY GOOD AND HOW DO YOU DO, LADIES AND GENTS? ME, I DOTH FARE QUITE NICELY. THANK YOU FOR ASKING. BUT PLEASE, DON'T ASK ME ABOUT PETER AND FRANCES...THEY'RE NOT DOING WELL...NOT DOING WELL AT ALL!
THE THEATRICAL FELLOWS OF THE WARNER ROBINS LITTLE THEATRE BRING BRITISH COMEDY...IN FULL FARCICAL FASHION...TO THE STAGE.
IT'S JUST FUNNY, PEOPLE! THE SHOW OPENS THIS FRIDAY NIGHT, AGAIN AT THE WARNER ROBINS LITTLE THEATRE. CALL 929-4579 TO MAKE RESERVATIONS OR HEAD ONLINE TO W-R-L-T-DOT-ORG.
AT THE GRAND, THE THEATRE AND OPERA OF MERCER UNIVERSITY JOIN FORCES FOR "A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC."
THE MAGIC IS HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND ONLY PEOPLE! EXPERIENCE THE ROMANCE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AT SEVEN-THIRTY AND CATCH SUNDAY'S MATINEE AT TWO-THIRTY. VISIT THE-GRAND-MACON-DOT-COM TO GRAB TICKETS NOW.
AND SPEAKING OF LUV, ART LOVERS UNITE! FOR SOME OF THE GREATEST ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER GEORGIA SHALL DISPLAY THEIR FINEST WARES AT THE SEVENTH ANNUAL FIRED WORKS!
NOW IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE, YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO CHECK OUT FIRED WORKS. SOME OF THE COOLEST ART YOU'VE EVER SEEN - AND YOU CAN BUY IT ALL FOR YOURSELF! THE REGIONAL CERAMICS EXHIBIT AND SALE STARTS THIS FRIDAY AT THE HISTORIC ROUND BUILDING IN CENTRAL CITY PARK IN DOWNTOWN MACON. FIRED-WORKS-MACON-DOT-COM...CHECK IT!
ALRIGHT, HOW'S ABOUT A BIT OF MUSIC, AYE? A LITTLE OUTDOORS CONCERT? MAYBE EVEN ONE OF THE ALL-DAY VARIETY? YEAH - I'M TALKIN' A LITTLE BEARSTOCKIN'! MERCER UNIVERSITY'S QUADWORKS PRESENTS BEAR-STOCK TWENTY-TWELVE! OH MAN, THE LINE-UP IS RIDICULOUS! THEY'VE GOT FAR EAST MOVEMENT AND YELLOWCARD, OCEAN IS THEORY AND THE KEY, THE FRONT BOTTOMS AND JUBEE AND THE MORNING AFTER...AND THAT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE ROCK-STAR PYRAMID FOLKS! BEARSTOCK KICKS OFF AT ONE-P-M AND ROCKS ON INTO THE NIGHT. IT'S COMMUNITY-WIDE, EVERYBODY'S INVITED AND HERE'S THE KICKER - IT'S ALL FREE! IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THAT! THE DAY OF AWESOMENESS TAKES PLACE AT TATTNALL SQUARE PARK IN DOWNTOWN MACON.
WHILE I'M ON THE MUSIC TRAIN HERE, GOTTA REMIND YOU ABOUT A CONCERT HAPPENING NEXT WEDNESDAY! THE BIG HOUSE MUSEUM AND THE DOUGLASS THEATRE ARE BRINGIN' JAIMOE TO TOWN FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY! ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, HE'S COMING HOME TO ROCK YOUR SOCKS OFF WITH JAIMOE'S JASSSZ BAND. THE CONCERT'S HAPPENING AT THE DOUGLASS THEATRE THIS COMING UP WEDNESDAY AT EIGHT...DOORS OPEN AT SEVEN. YOU CAN HEAD ONLINE TO DOUGLASS-THEATRE-DOT-ORG TO GET TICKETS NOW.
OKAY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS - GET OUTTA HERE! GET OUT ON THE TOWN AND HAVE YOU SOME GOOD TIMES THIS WEEKEND! BUT DO IT SAFELY! SEE YOU ON THE FLIP SIDE...THAT'S A WRAP.
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FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS... VISIT OUR SCENE 13 PAGE AT 13 WMAZ DOT COM.
STILL AHEAD... BEN'S GOT A LOOK AT YOUR FULL FORECAST... STAY WITH US.
TONIGHT'S FACEBOOK FAN OF THE DAY IS SELENA YOUNG.
SELENA... 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.
SHAQUILLE O'NEAL MADE A STOP IN WARNER ROBINS LAST NIGHT.
"He had to bend down to get in the door"
HIS MOTORHOME PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT OF THE MELLOW MUSHROOM RESTAURANT ON LAKE JOY ROAD.
OWNERS SAY SHAQ CAME IN WITH TWO OTHER MEN AROUND SIX O'CLOCK.... THE GROUP ORIGINALLY ORDERED THEIR FOOD TO GO.. BUT CHANGED THEIR MINDS AND STAYED.
THE FORMER N-B-A STAR CHOWED DOWN ON A MEATBALL APPETIZER AND CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD... THEN STUCK AROUND TO POSE FOR A FEW PICTURES WITH FANS.
when everyone realized ti was shaq you could just hear the whispers in the restaurant like 'oh my gosh is that shaq?' 'that's s haq!' then everyone started flocking over and taking pictures with him.
we had 25 phone calls withn 30 minutes, i bet we had 60 people walk through those doors within 40 minutes, we still have people calling on the phone today.
A VIEWER SENT THIS PHOTO OF THE BASKETBALL STAR WITH A FEW OF THE MELLOW MUSHROOM EMPLOYEES.
RESTAURANT MANAGER CYNDIE SMITH SAYS SHAQ WOULDNT SAY WHY HE SHOWED UP IN CENTRAL GEORGIA.
BUT HE DID TELL HER...THIS WASN'T HIS FIRST TIME STOPPING IN THE INTERNATIONAL CITY... AND IT WON'T BE HIS LAST.
AND ONE LAST QUICK LOOK AT TOMORROW'S FORECAST WITH CHIEF METEOROLOGIST BEN JONES.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.... FIRST MORNIN COMES YOUR WAY AT 5 A-M.
THE NEWS IS ALWAYS ON AT 13WMAZ DOT COM.
LETTERMAN'S NEXT.
HAVE A SAFE NIGHT EVERYONE.