<<opening for eyewitness news at eleven>>
GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US..
AND I'M LEAH JOHNSON..THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 11.
FRANK MALLOY HAS THE NIGHT OF.
THREE MEN FACE MURDER CHARGES... IN THE KILLING OF A MAN FOUND IN THE OCMULGEE RIVER ON SUNDAY.
THIS AFTERNOON....CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS WORKED A SCENE OUTSIDE OF A HOME ON DIXIE TRAIL.. THAT'S OFF ELBERTA ROAD IN WARNER ROBINS.
CAPTAIN ALAN EVERIDGE WITH THE HOUSTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS DEPUTIES WERE AT THE HOME... LOOKING FOR MORE EVIDENCE IN THE CASE.
AUSTIN LEWIS HAS MORE.
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I'm on Dixie Trail in Warner Robins where sheriff's deputies have been on the scene for hours. Neighbors called 13WMAZ. Since I've been here I have seen deputies take evidence out of the house.
They've taken threee people into custody and charged them with murder in connection with the body found in the Ocmulgee River on Sunday.
They've identified the victim as 25 year old Justin Arthur Klaffka formerly from Broward County Florida. Police say he had been stayin in Centerville. Three have been taken into custody, Matthey Jacob Pike, Daniel Lee Slaton, and William Allen Slaton, all from Warner Robins.
Authorities haven't said how Klaffka died or released further details on the case. In Warner RObins, Austin Lewis 13WMAZ Eyewitness News,
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ALL THREE MEN ARRESTED ARE BEING HELD AT THE HOUSTON COUNTY DETENTION CENTER WITHOUT BOND.
A JUDGE SENTENCED THREE MEN TODAY FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE ACCIDENTAL KILLING OF FEDERAL OFFICER CHRISTOPHER UPTON.
TIMOTHY GRANT AND ROBERTO FLORES WERE ON THE SCENE WHEN NORMAN HALE ACCIDENTALLY SHOT UPTON DURING A HUNTING TRIP IN 2010.
BOTH MEN FAILED TO REPORT THE SHOOTING IMMEDIATLEY.
GRANT WAS SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS PROBATION... TWO 48 HOURS PERIODS OF JAIL TIME.. AND A 1 THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE.
FLORES WAS SENTENCED TO... 2 YEARS PROBATION AND A 5 THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE.
ANOTHER MAN... MICHAEL MOSCARDELLI... WAS ALSO SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS PROBATION.
IN MARCH... THE SHOOTER... NORMAN HALE WAS SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS OF PRISON.
THE HANDCUFFING OF 6-YEAR-OLD SALECIA JOHNSON HAS GOTTEN ATTENTION BOTH ON A LOCAL AND NATIONAL SCALE.
BASED ON CHIEF DRAY SWICORD'S ACCOUNT YESTERDAY SOME SAY THEY SUPPORT THE MILLEDGEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT 100-PERCENT.
OTHERS SAY HANDCUFFING A 6-YEAR-OLD IS EXCESSIVE AND EXTREME BECAUSE A CHILD OF THAT AGE DOESN'T KNOW ANY BETTER.
i think they handled it best they could. trying to keep her from hurting herself and others.
i think the firest reaction is toalways make sure the chidl is safe and that the other children in this situation was safe too. i would hope that handcuffing is not the means...that had to happen to make the child safe.
i've heard of situations where kindergarteners broughguns to school, i understand if that hcild was taken to the police station. just acting out of control? no
WE TRIED TO CONTACT JOHNSON'S FAMILY SEVERAL TIMES TODAY.. BUT GOT NO RESPONSE.
YESTERDAY HER FAMILY SAID SHE'S ALLOWED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL ON MONDAY.. BUT THEY'RE LOOKING TO ENROLL HER IN DIFFERENT SCHOOL.
BALDWIN COUNTY IS ONE OF MANY SCHOOL SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT GEORGIA THAT USES THE REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGENCY OR RESA TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR TEACHERS IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT ...TECHNOLOGY....AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT.
THE AGENCY HAS 16 REGIONAL OFFICES IN GEORGIA.
WE TALKED TO HAROLD CHAMBERS THE DIRECTOR OF RESA IN THE COASTAL PLAINS ABOUT THE TYPES OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES THAT ARE TAUGHT IN HIS AREA.
WE CAUGHT UP WITH CHAMBERS AT THE GEORGIA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION SPRING BOOTSTRAP CONFERENCE
Harold Chambers, Director of Coastal Plains RESA: Really some common sense approaches, how would you seat children if you do have disruptive children, how do you try to guide them to get back on task
BALDWIN COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT GENEVA BRAZIEL AND OCONEE RESA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HAYWARD CORDY WERE ALSO THERE.. BOTH DECLINED TO COMMENT ABOUT THE CASE
AT A TIME WHEN MANY SMALL BUSINESSES ARE STRUGGLING... A WARNER ROBINS FAMILY-OWNED SHOP IS EXPANDING.
GOTTWALS BOOKS HOPES TO GROW FROM A LOCAL CHAIN... TO A NATIONAL FRANCHISE.
LORRA LYNCH JONES EXPLAINS THE OWNER'S MODEL FOR SUCCESS.
<<nats- (8:38) "If I keep going, I'll buy the whole place out."
ED GAETZ CAN'T GET ENOUGH.
(9:08) "I find too much."
HE SHOPS AT GOTTWALS TO FEED HIS HOBBY.
Ed Gaetz: ( 10:15) "I can't do a lot becuase of my infirm condition, so reading is my joy."
AN UNSCRIPTED REMARK...
nats- Gotwals
THAT SHANE GOTTWALS ONLY HOPED FOR... WHEN HE AND HIS WIFE STARTED WRITING THE STORY OF THEIR BUSINESS FIVE YEARS AGO.
Shane Gottwals, Warner Robins: (45:28) "We had one day we sold a $4 book. That was the only thing we sold that day."
THE PAIR PUSHED ON... FILLING A GAP.. FOR USED BOOKS AND TRADES.
Shane Gottwal: (42:00) "A lot of times, a used book store is sort of a hole-in-the-wall place. It's dusty, might be a cat walking around."
NOT HERE... GOTTWALS VALUES CLEANLINESS... AND LIGHTING TO HIGHLIGHT A FRESH COLLECTION.
nats- Gotwals
HE BELIEVES THAT... PLUS WHAT HE CALLES A ONE-OF-A-KIND ORGANIZING SYSTEM... DREW INTREST IN FRANCHISING... FROM PEOPLE AS FAR AWAY AS TEXAS AND OREGON.
Shane Gottwals: (48:00) With this franchising, were going to be able to guide people to have things people actually want to buy.
GOTTWALS WILL SET THE RULES FOR FRANCHISE OWNERS TO FOLLOW. HE SAYS... GUARANTEEING THE SAME QUALITY TO CUSTOMERS.
Ed Gaetz: (9:35) Its catching on. I know youre doing well. Its easier than the library, much easier.
WITH A SMALL PRICER TAG THAN THE BIG BOOK STORES.
Ed Gaetz: (9:40) See what I got for $10.40?
GOTTWALS SAYS ITS THAT SATISFICATION... THEY WANT TO CARRY ON TO THE NEXT CHAPTER.
nats-
STD>>
GOTTWALS SAYS THE FRANCHISE STORES WILL BE CALLED WALL-TO-WALL BOOKS... WHICH IS THE SLOGAN FOR THEIR CURRENT STORES.
THERE ARE ALREADY FOUR IN CENTRAL GEORGIA.
ben gives three day forecast
THANKS BEN.. WE'LL TALK WITH YOU AGAIN IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
BIBB COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ROMAIN DALLEMAND AND TWO OTHER OFFICIALS WILL HEAD TO BELGIUM NEXT WEEK TO TOUT THEIR SUCCESS IN DRAWING UP THE MACON MIRACLE STRATEGIC PLAN.
THE TRIO WILL SPEAK IN GHENT ON THURSDAY TO A GATHERING RUN BY THE CENTER FOR APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY.
THAT'S THE GROUP THAT FACILITATED LAST YEAR'S PUBLIC SESSIONS AT THE MACON CENTREPLEX.... WHERE DALLEMAND ASKED FOR IDEAS ABOUT IMPROVING BIBB COUNTY SCHOOLS.
REPUBLICAN ACTIVIST BILL KNOWLES OF MACON CONTACTED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ATTORNEY RANDY HOWARD... WHO TOLD HIM THE DISTRICT WILL FOOT THE BILL FOR THEIR CONFERENCE FEE.
"He could have done it on a conference call. We have a lot of technology that's available to us where he could do this and be cost effective. We have a school system where kids are sharing books because they're told there's not enough funding or enough money, yet we have a superintendent who globetrots."
KNOWLES SAYS HOWARD DID NOT HAVE INFORMATION ON TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR THE GROUP.
DALLEMAND AND HOWARD COULD NOT BE REACHED FOR COMMENT TODAY.
DESPITE SOME RECENT BRUSHES WITH THE LAW.... IRVING MARTINEZ SAYS HE'S STILL RUNNING FOR THE STATE SENATE DISTRICT 26 SEAT.
IN DECEMBER.. MARTINEZ. ANNOUNCED PLANS TO CHALLENGE SENATOR MIRIAM PARIS IN THIS YEAR'S DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
MARTINEZ HELD AN AFTERNOON NEWS CONFERENCE AT MACON CITY HALL.
HE APOLOGIZED FOR THROWING A BRICK THROUGH A MAN'S CAR...WHICH LED TO HIS RECENT ARREST ON A PROBATION VIOLATION.
MARTINEZ ALSO DISCUSSED HIS CAMPAIGN...AND ASKED SEVERAL TIMES WHY SOME LOCAL ISSUES AREN'T BEING ADDRESSED.
Irving Martinez, State Senate Candidate: The question of why. Why is not just a crooked letter. Although some of the answers may be. Why is the city not number one?
IF BOTH QUALIFY.. MARTINEZ WILL MEET PARIS IN THE JULY 31ST DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
NEXT WEEK... COUNTRY MUSIC FANS WILL GET THE CHANCE TO SEE MERLE HAGGARD IN CONCERT.
HE'S RETURNING TO MACON AFTER CANCELING HIS SHOW IN JANUARY.
BRITTINY BARBER SPOKE TO HAGGARD BY PHONE TODAY TO FIND OUT ABOUT HIS RECOVERY AND TREATMENT IN MACON.
Britt: Now, going back to that night when you had to cancel here, what actually happened?
Haggard: Well, I'd probably had pneumonia for a while and I had the flu set in on top of it and it was just too much for me. I had to go to the hospital.
Britt: Well, we're glad that you did go to the hospital to get that care that you definitely needed. While you were here you spent a little time at the Medical Center. How was your time there and the treatment that you got?
Haggard: Absolutely wonderful. I haven't quit bragging about the hospital since I left. They treated me absolutely wonderful.
MERLE HAGGARD'S RESCHEDULED CONCERT IS NEXT WEDNESDAY.. APRIL 25TH.. AT THE MACON CITY AUDITORIUM.. AND THERE ARE STILL TICKETS AVAILABLE.
CALL 478-751-9232 FOR MORE INFORMATION.
AGAIN.. THAT'S 478-751-9232
YOU CAN FIND THE FULL INTERVIEW ON OUR WEBSITE... 13 WMAZ DOT COM.
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TWO JONES COUNTY SENIORS HAVE MORE THAN GRADUATION ON THEIR MIND.. THEY'VE GOT A BOTTOM LINE TO THINK ABOUT..
JOEL SHIVER AND SAVANNAH HAMILTON BEAMED WITH PRIDE THIS MORNING AT THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR THEIR SECOND-HAND STORE.. JUST PEACHY.
THE PAIR STARTED WORKING FOR SAVANNAH'S MOM AT HER STORE IN MILLEDGEVILLE..
WHEN IT CLOSED.. THEY DECIDED TO BRING THE BUSINESS TO DOWNTOWN GRAY.
JUST PEACHY IS LOCATED ON GORDON STREET IN DOWNTOWN GRAY.
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.