<<opening for eyewitness news at six>>
HELLO EVERYONE AND THANKS FOR JOINING US.... I'M LEAH JOHNSON..
AND I'M FRANK MALLOY.
THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT SIX...
YOU MAY HAVE TO GO A LITTLE FARTHER TO PICK UP YOUR MAIL IF CONGRESS APPROVES SOME SWEEPING CHANGES TO THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE.
THE U-S SENATE NEXT WEEK IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE SENATE BILL 17-89.
AMONG OTHER THINGS... IT WOULD PHASE OUT DOOR TO DOOR DELIVERY.
JUDY LE FOUND OUT THAT SOME PEOPLE GIVE THEIR STAMP OF APPROVAL... WHILE OTHERS SAY.... RETURN TO SENDER.
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SENATE BILL 19-87 INCLUDES SOME MAJOR CHANGES...LIKE PHASING OUT DOOR-TO-DOOR MAIL DELIVERY.
sot dot pinkerton: 141 in my neighborhood there's a lot of people with disabilities that are not able to drive that depend on the mailman 150
sot wayne yost: 122 my mailbox is on the other side of the street. and it's a busy road and i don't want to cross it so i don't use my mailbox anyways. so you know, door to door...i just don't care 134
THE PRESIDENT OF THE GEORGIA ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS ...DON GRIGGS...SAYS THIS WILL AFFECT BUSINESSES AND THE ELDERLY THE MOST.
SO IF YOU STILL WANT MAIL DELIVERED TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD...YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS....A CENTRAL DELIVERY SPOT ....OR A ROADSIDE MAILBOX.
STANDUP: griggs says that means people will have to shell out $50 to get mailboxes like these installed.
THE BILL ALSO REQUIRES THE POSTAL SERVICE TO PRESERVE SIX-DAY SERVICE FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS. THAT MEANS SATURDAY HOME DELIVERY IS SAFE UNTIL THEN.
sot griggs: 51 if they eliminate saturday delivery, we're talking about the elimnation of 80k jobs as well 58
SOME SAY THE CUTS MAKE SENSE...
sot wayne yost: 157 if the post office can't raise their rates or fix their problem, then we need to start shutting down activites that really aren't necessary. and as far as i'm concerned, 6 day a week mail is not necessary. 212
sot tony hicks: 107 just for regular things that come in a mailbox...id i fon't have it on saturday, my world doesn't end 113
OTHER PROPOSED CHANGES INCLUDE REDUCING WORKFORCE BY AT LEAST 100-THOUSAND...AND CUTTING COMPENSATION.
JUDY LE...13 WMAZ...EYEWITNESS NEWS
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THE SENATE VOTE IS EXPECTED AS EARLY AS MONDAY.
ENDING DEBATE ON THE BILL WOULD REQUIRE SUPPORT FROM AT LEAST 60 SENATORS.
TODAY'S 13 WMAZ DOT COM WEB POLL QUESTION ASKS.... WOULD YOU MISS DAILY DOOR-TO-DOOR MAIL DELIVERY?
SO FAR 66 PERCENT OF YOU SAY YES.
AND 34 PERCENT OF YOU SAY NO.
TO VOTE NOW.. VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT 13 WMAZ DOT COM.. AND LOOK FOR THE WEB POLL QUESTION ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF OUR HOMEPAGE.
STARTING JULY FIRST... PEOPLE IN EASTMAN... WILL NEED TO TRAVEL A LITTLE FURTHER TO FIND JOB-HUNTING HELP.
THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SAYS IT'S CLOSING SEVEN REGIONAL CAREER CENTERS... INCLUDING THE ONE IN DODGE COUNTY.
PEOPLE WHO USE THE EASTMAN OFFICE... WILL HAVE TO GO TO DUBLIN TO GET UNEMPLOYMENT SERVICES.... ABOUT 32 MILES AWAY.
EMPLOYEES WILL BE OFFERED JOBS AT OTHER DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OFFICES..
BUT FOR THOSE WHO COME TO THE EASTMAN OFFICE OFTEN - THE NEWS HIT HARD.
Wayne Whitehead, Eastman: 03:13 People in Dodge County and Eastman as well, they...we rely on this place.
EASTMAN'S UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE SERVES FOUR COUNTIES... DODGE... BLECKLEY... TELFAIR... AND WILCOX.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR ALL FOUR COUNTIES....IS IN DOUBLE DIGITS.
LAWYERS FOR MURDER SUSPECT STEPHEN MCDANIEL FILED A MOTION TODAY ASKING THE JUDGE TO REDUCE HIS 850 THOUSAND DOLLAR BOND.
THE MOTION ASKS BIBB COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE PHILLIP BROWN TO HOLD A HEARING ON THE BOND AMOUNT.
THE MOTION ARGUES THAT THE EXCESSIVE BOND IS QUOTE "TANTAMOUNT" TO DENIAL OF BOND AND IS A VIOLATION OF HIS EIGHTH AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
MCDANIEL IS ACCUSED OF MURDERING AND DISMEMBERING MERCER LAW GRADUATE LAUREN GIDDINGS.
HE ALSO FACES BURGLARY AND CHILD-ENDANGERMENT CHARGES.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY GREG WINTERS TOLD EYEWITNESS NEWS THAT HE HASN'T SEEN THE FILING... AND HAS NO COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
BIBB COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT ROMAIN DALLEMAND'S LAST SCHOOL DISTRICT.... HAS AGREED TO PAY MORE THAN 300 THOUSAND DOLLARS... TO A WOMAN WHO SAYS SHE WAS FIRED FOR ACCUSING HIM OF BREAKING THE LAW.
THE ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED THE SETTLEMENT TUESDAY.
THREE YEARS AGO....THE DISTRICT'S FORMER BUSINESS MANAGER.. CHERYL CORYEA SAID SHE WAS FIRED AFTER WRITING CRITICAL MEMOS TO DALLEMAND AND THE SCHOOL BOARD.
AND FAILED TO PROPERLY DOCUMENT HIS SPENDING ON MEALS.
SHE ALSO SAID HE ORDERED A CUSTOM-MADE GLASS DESK....THEN HAD IT STORED ILLEGALLY OFF SCHOOL PROPERTY WHEN THE PURCHASE BECAME PUBLIC.
IN THE SETTLEMENT...THE ROCHESTER DISTRICT DENIES CORYEA'S ALLEGATIONS.
BUT THEY AGREED TO PAY HER 320 THOUSAND DOLLARS.... AND SHE AGREED TO WITHDRAW HER SUIT.
TO BE FAIR AND BALANCED....WE TRIED TO REACH DALLEMAND THROUGH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S SPOKESWOMAN....AND THROUGH HIS OWN OFFICE BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.
FOURTEEN BANDS WILL TAKE THE STAGE AT TATNALL SQUARE PARK TOMORROW FOR MERCER UNIVERSITIES FIFTH ANNUAL BEAR-STOCK.
FOLKS GOT BUSY SETTING UP TODAY BEFORE THE GROUPS ARRIVE.
THE 10 HOUR CONCERT KICKS OFF AT ONE O'CLOCK TOMORROW.
THE LINEUP INCLUDES SOME BIG NAMES LIKE YELLOW CARD..... FAR EAST MOVEMENT AND LOCAL GROUPS LIKE 'THE KEY' AND JUBEE AND THE MORNING AFTER.
THIS YEAR..... A NEW PROJECTION SCREEN BEHIND THE STAGE WILL HELP PEOPLE IN THE BACK OF THE CROWD GET A GOOD VIEW.
Mercer is so connected to the community. It's kind of the heartbeat of Macon so we like to give back as much as possible and i think its a way our Mercer students, our Mercerians, and our community members can get together for this big festival.
ORGANIZERS SAY THEY EXPECT ABOUT 4 THOUSAND PEOPLE IN THE PARK TOMORROW.
ALSO.. BE PREPARED FOR STREET CLOSURES AROUND TATTNALL SQUARE PARK.
ACCORDING TO THE ORGANIZER'S WEBSITE MACON CYCLING CLASSIC DOT COM.. THERE WILL BE BIKE RACES GOING ON ALL DAY IN THE STREETS AROUND THE PARK.... AND STREETS WILL BE CLOSED TO TRAFFIC.
ben gives three day forecast
THANKS BEN.. WE'LL TALK WITH YOU AGAIN IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
THE HOUSTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL INDUCT SIX TEACHERS INTO ITS HALL OF FAME THIS WEEKEND.
EACH OF THEM SERVED IN THE SCHOOLS FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS... AND MADE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO STUDENT EDUCATION.
NATS- teaching (4 seconds)
DONNA (HAVE-RILLA) HAVRILLA STARTED TEACHING IN HOUSTON SCHOOLS IN THE SEVENTIES.
SHE'S STILL WORKING PART-TIME AS AN ENGLISH TEACHER AT NORTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL.
HAVRILLA CALLS THE HALL OF FAME INDUCTION... HUMBLING AND "QUITE AN HONOR."
SHE SAYS THE BEST PART OF THE JOB WAS WATCHING THE LIGHTBULB COME ON IN STUDENT'S MINDS.
Donna Havrilla, Warner Robins: (35:40) "Like I'm grading these papers. I've graded a million papers in my lifetime over Gullilver's Travels, but it's always interesting to see how each kid percieves it and how he frames his sentences, and he gets it from his brain, down to his arm, through his hand onto his paper. That's exciting to me."
HAVRILLA... ALONG WITH INEZ BREWTON.. JOYCE JONES... SHERIN HINNANT... JEANNE MCDONALD AND CAROLYN STONEHOUSE ARE THIS YEAR'S TEACHER HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES.
THE CEREMONY IS THIS SUNDAY AT 2-30 P-M AT THE HOUSTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION IN PERRY.
ONE ORGANIZATION IS FACING TOUGH CRITICISM IN THE WAKE OF THE TRAYVON MARTIN CASE..
WHY ONE GROUP SAYS LAWMAKERS AND CORPORATIONS NEED TO STEER CLEAR OF THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL.
THAT STORY IS COMING UP NEXT.
AS WE GO TO BREAK.. HERE'S A LOOK AT TODAY'S AVERAGE GAS PRICE IN MACON ACCORDING TO TRIPLE A.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T HEARD OF THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL..
BUT ALMOST A QUARTER OF GEORGIA'S TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX STATE LAWMAKERS BELONG.
NOW... THE TRAYVON MARTIN CASE IN FLORIDA HAS FOCUSED ATTENTION ON THE GROUP... AND SOME OF THE LAWS IT HAS SUPPORTED NATIONWIDE.
RANDALL SAVAGE HAS MORE.
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CRITICS SAY THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL AND ITS CORPORATE SPONSORS....LIKE COCA COLA....PEPSI...AND McDONALD'S WRITE UP BILLS THAT SUPPORT THEIR INTERESTS....AND PLANT THEM IN STATE LEGISLATURES AROUND THE NATION.
AFTER SOME CORPORATE SPONSORS PULLED THEIR SUPPORT DUE TO THE TRAYVON MARTIN CASE.. THE LIBERAL-LEANING BETTER GEORGIA ORGANIZATION CALLED ON STATE LAWMAKERS TO WITHDRAW FROM THE GROUP.
BETTER GEORGIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BRYAN LONG SAYS THAT INCLUDES MACON STATE SENATOR CECIL STATON... PRIMARY AUTHOR OF GEORGIA'S VOTER IDENTIFICATION LAW.
13:21:37:04 Bryan Long, Better Georgia Director: In Georgia: While he was drafting his legislation for Georgia to require extra burden of truth to access the voting booth, he was working with ALEC to make sure Georgia's law would become a model for other states.
STATON.. A REPUBLICAN.. SAYS THE BILL.. WAS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE GEORGIA'S ELECTION PROCESS.
13:33:55:06 Cecil Staton, Senator: It didn't come from ALEC. It didn't come from anywhere else. We were sort of one of the beginning states for what has really gone around the country now.
THAT SAYS LONG.. IS THE PROBLEM.
13:23:21:22 Bryan Long, Better Georgia: They found a constitutionally sound law, you've now seen that law repeated in other states.
STATON SAYS ALEC JUST SUPPORTS CONSTITUTIONALLY SOUND LAWS.
13:34:04:24 Cecil Staton, Senator: I do think ALEC after that did help other states that were looking at theirs to craft some model legislation. But that wasn't a part of our process.
THE MACON REPUBLICAN CALLS ALEC A GOOD GROUP THAT REFLECTS GEORGIA'S VALUES....AND HE'S GOT NO PLAN TO LEAVE.
RANDALL SAVAGE.. 13 WMAZ.. EYEWITNESS NEWS.
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OTHER CENTRAL GEORGIA LEGISLATORS WHO BELONG TO ALEC.... INCLUDE SENATORS ROSS TOLLESON AND JOHNNY GRANT... AND HOUSE MINORITY LEADER LARRY O'NEAL.... ALL REPUBLICANS.
GRANT SAYS ALEC PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LAWMAKERS AND BUSINESS LEADERS TO EXCHANGE IDEAS.. AND HE DOESN'T PLAN TO RESIGN.
TOLLESON SAYS HE DOESN'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY TO COMMENT.. AND O'NEAL COULDN'T BE REACHED FOR COMMENT.
ALEC OFFICIALS DIDN'T RETURN OUR CALL.
A MACON CHURCH WANTS YOUR OLD.. UNUSED BICYCLES.. TO HELP PEOPLE GET TO WORK..
STACEY HARWELL WITH CENTENARY CHURCH IS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR BIKE DONATION PROGRAM.. WHICH WILL KICK OFF NEXT WEEK.
WHY DID Y'ALL DECIDE TO DO THIS?
WILL YOU TAKE ANY BICYCLES?
WHERE CAN I TAKE MY OLD BICYCLE IF I WANT TO DONATE IT?
YOU CAN DONATE YOUR BIKES MONDAY AT THE BIG KICKOFF.. OR TUESDAYS AND THURSDAY FROM 1-5 PM AT THE BIKE HOUSE 1246 COLLEGE PLACE (RIGHT BEHIND CENTENARY CHURCH AND ALEXANDER TWO SCHOOL)
PERRY'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THE TWENTY-FORTH ANNUAL DOGWOOD FESTIVAL.
THIS YEAR THE EVENT TAKES PLACE ON THE EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINE HUNDRED BLOCKS OF CARROLL STREET... BETWEEN THE OLD COURTHOUSE BUILDING AND THE DOWNTOWN SHOPS.
ORGANIZERS SAY THEY EXPECTING OVER EIGHTY VENDORS... AND PARKING WON'T BE AN ISSUE BECAUSE THEY'RE ADDING TROLLEYS.
Rob Brooks, Chairman Perry Chamber of Commerce: "Expect some good food some good entertainment I think it's going to be interesting to see our costume dog parade pet parade and I think we're going to have a great crowd we're going to have great weather we just want the opportunity to open up Perry downtown to everyone that wants to come see it."
THE DOGWOOD FESTIVAL STARTS TOMORROW MORNING WITH A PANCAKE BREAKFAST AND GOES THROUGH SUNDAY AT FIVE.
FOR MORE ON THE FESTIVAL... LOOK FOR THIS STORY AT 13 WMAZ DOT COM.
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.