GOOD EVENING, AND THANKS FOR JOINING US.
I'M AMY AUBERT, AND THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT SIX.
A 67-YEAR-OLD WOMAN DIED IN A HOUSE FIRE IN EASTMAN... EARLY THIS MORNING.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO DODGE COUNTY CORONER... JOE SMITH.
IT HAPPENED ON BACON AVENUE.
HE SAYS 67-YEAR-OLD JOYCE PAUL WAS TAKEN TO THE DODGE COUNTY HOSPITAL... WHERE SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD.
SMITH SAYS PAUL'S SON... GREG PURVIS... CALLED IN THE FIRE AROUND 12-30 A-M.
HE SAYS PURVIS WOKE UP FROM THE FLAMES... AND TRIED TO BREAK INTO HIS MOTHER'S BEDROOM WINDOW... WHERE SHE WAS AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE.
HE SAYS FIRE CREWS FOUGHT THE BLAZE FROM 12-30... TO AROUND 3-15 A-M.
THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.
IT'S NOT OFTEN WE GET TO TALK ABOUT THE PAIN AT THE PUMP EASING... ESPECIALLY NOT AS WE HEAD INTO SUMMER... BUT THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAVE BUCKED THE TREND.
ACCORDING TO TRIPLE-A ...THE AVERAGE GAS PRICE IN MACON IS 3 DOLLARS AND 37 CENTS A GALLON FOR REGULAR UNLEADED.
... THAT'S ABOUT A DIME LESS THAN LAST WEEK...
42 CENTS LESS THAN LAST MONTH...
AND FIFTY CENTS LESS THAN A YEAR AGO.
THE MURPHY GAS STATION ON GRAY HIGHWAY IN EAST MACON HAD PRICES 16 CENTS LOWER THAN THE AVERAGE THIS WEEKND.
SOME CENTRAL GEORGIANS SAY THEY'RE NOT COMPLAINING... BUT THEY'RE NOT BANKING ON THE TREND TO LAST.
Robert Perry, Bainbridge GA "I bought 12 gallong but I actually decided to buy the premium because it's so much cheaper over here than it is where I'm at"
Edward Moss, Macon "I hope that it's not just a fluke thing because Today it's down, tomorrow it might be back up. Prices are so volatile."
CANDACE ADORKA JOINS US WITH AN EXPERT TO BREAK DOWN SOME OF THE REASONS BEHIND THE LOWER PRICES.
I HAVE DOCTOR GREG GEORGE WITH ME FROM MACON STATE'S CENTER FOR ECONOMIC ANALYSIS.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS PUSHING DOWN THE GAS PRICES?
TYPICALLY GOING INTO SUMMER... WE'RE PREDICTING GAS PRICES GOING UP, COULD THAT STILL HAPPEN?
WHAT EFFECT, IF ANY COULD THIS HAVE ON OTHER ASPECT OF LIKE LIKE FOOD... PLANE TICKETS? IS IT A SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH DECREASE TO AFFECT THOSE THINGS?
HOW LOW CAN THEY GO AND FOR HOW LONG?
CITY OF MACON AND BIBB COUNTY GOVERNMENTS TALKED BUDGETS THIS PAST WEEK... AND FOR THE MOST PART... LOCAL LEADERS ARE PAINTING A ROSY PICTURE FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
MACON MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT'S PROPOSED 20-13 BUDGET INCLUDES SPENDING CUTS... AND A TAX BREAK FOR HOMEOWNERS.
BUDGET DOCUMENTS SHOW HE'S ASKING COUNCIL TO REDUCE SPENDING FROM THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND
FROM 74 MILLION DOLLARS... TO 70 MILLION.
THAT'S A CUT OF MORE THAN 5 AND A HALF PERCENT.
IT'S PARTLY DUE TO FIVE DEPARTMENTS MOVING TO THE BIBB COUNTY BUDGET STARTING JULY FIRST.
REICHERT IS ALSO ASKING FOR A CUT IN THE MILLAGE RATE... OF A TENTH OF A POINT.
THAT WOULD SAVE THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER... 4 DOLLARS.
BUT ACCORDING TO COUNTY COMMISSIONER ELMO RICHARDSON... BIBB COUNTY IS A LITTLE MORE THAN 13 MILLION DOLLARS IN THE HOLE FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
THAT'S PARTLY DUE TO THE CITY... COUNTY TRANSFER.
RICHARDSON SAYS THEY PLAN TO FOCUS ON 2 POINT-8 MILLION DOLLARS FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS.
THE COUNTY PLANS TO FINANCE MOST OF THAT COST... AND SPREAD IT OUT OVER A FEW YEARS.
RICHARDSON ALSO POINTED OUT... TAKING ON FIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ALMOST 100 EMPLOYEES FROM THE CITY... WILL TAKE SOME EXTRA BUDGETING WORK.
HE SAYS BIBB COUNTY'S GENERAL FUND IS PROJECTED TO ROLL IN AT 80 MILLION DOLLARS.
COUNTY LEADERS WILL IRON OUT THE DETAILS FOR NEXT YEAR DURING FOUR DAYS OF BUDGET HEARINGS STARTING MAY 21ST.
THE CITY STARTED LOOKING AT SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS... LAST WEDNESDAY.
A BABYSITTER IN COLUMBUS GEORGIA FACES CHARGES FOR FORGING MORE THAN 14 THOUSAND.. 200 DOLLARS IN CHECKS FROM HER EMPLOYER.
THE 22-YEAR-OLD PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO 20 CHARGES OF FIRST DEGREE FORGERY.
AT A COURT HEARING... THE WOMAN'S EMPLOYER SAID THEY REALIZED SOMEONE HAD CASHED SEVERAL OF THEIR CHECKS... BETWEEN OCTOBER AND MARCH.
AUTHORITIES FOCUSED IN ON THE BABYSITTER AFTER WATCHING THE BANK'S SECURITY FOOTAGE.
SHE COULD FACE UP TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON.
J-P MORGAN CHASE'S C-E-O JAMIE DIMON (DY'-muhn) ADMITS HE WAS DEAD WRONG TO DISMISS CONCERNS ABOUT THE BANKS TRADING.
ON N-B-C'S MEET THE PRESS THIS MORNING... DIMON SAYS THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE MISTAKE THAT LED TO THE BANK'S 2 BILLION DOLLAR TRADING BLUNDER.
You know, I think somewhat -- first of all, there was one warning signal, if you look back from today, there were other red
flags. That particular red flag, you know we made a mistake. We got very defensive and people started justifying everything we did. And
you know the better thing in life is to say, maybe you made a mistake.Let's dig deep.And the mistake had been brewing for a while. So it wasn't just any one thing.
THE 2 BILLION DOLLAR MISFIRE IS BEING CITED BY CRITICS AS PROOF THAT BIG BANKS STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THE THREATS BY THEIR OWN SPECULATION.
A BIG WEEK IS IN THE WORKS FOR THE SOCIAL NETWORK FACEBOOK .
THE COMPANY IS EXPECTED TO START SELLING STOCK TO PUBLIC FOR THIS FIRST TIME.... AND ON FRIDAY BEGIN TRADING ON THE NASDAQ STOCK MARKET.
THE FIRST SALE OF THE STOCK COULD LAUNCH FACEBOOK AHEAD OF SOME ICONIC COMPANIES... MAKING ITS VALUE ALMOST 100 BILLION DOLLARS.
IF THIS HAPPENS... IT WOULD BE WORTH MORE THAN COMPANIES LIKE DISNEY... FORD.. AND KRAFT FOODS.
C-E-O.. MARK ZUCKERBERG... CELEBRATES HIS 28TH BIRTHDAY TODAY... MAKING HIM ABOUT THE SAME AGE AS MICHAEL DELL AND OLDER THAN STEVE JOBS... WHEN THEY TOOK THEIR COMPANIES PUBLIC.
STUDENT LOAN DEBT IS PROVING TO BE A PROBLEM THAT TROUBLES PEOPLE OF ALL AGES... NOT JUST THOSE IN THEIR TWENTIES.
A LOS ANGELES TIMES ARTICLE SAYS MANY AMERICANS WHO TOOK OUT LOANS DECADES AGO.. ARE STILL WORKING TO PAY THEM OFF.
ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE... NUMBERS FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK SHOW THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 37 MILLION AMERICANS WITH OUTSTANDING STUDENT LOANS.
5 AND HALF MILLION OF THEM ARE BETWEEN 40 AND 49 YEARS OLD... AND MORE THAN 6 MILLION ARE OVER 50.
TODAY IS MOTHER'S DAY.. AND WE'RE SHOWING OFF SOME THE PICTURES YOU SENT IN OF YOU AND YOUR MOM.
HERE IS A PICTURE OF JOSH DAVIDSON AND HIS MOTHER MARY FOGARTY..
JOHS IS CURRENTLY SERVING IN THE U-S NAVY AND STATIONED IN NORFOLK VIRGINIA.
HE'S ORIGINALLY FROM PERRY AND SAYS THIS THE FIRST MOTHER'S DAY HE'LL SPEND WITHOUT HIS MOM.
MARY... JOSH SAYS HE WANTS TO TELL YOU HE LOVES YOU... AND HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.
TONIGHT ON EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 11... WE'LL SHARE MORE OF YOUR MOTHER'S DAY PHOTOS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
FOR YOUR LATEST NEWS ALL DAY EVERY DAY... VISIT 13WMAZ DOT COM.
HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. WE'LL SEE YOU BACK HERE FOR EYEWITNESS NEWS AT ELEVEN.