"I used to be able to walk to the store and now you can't because you might get knocked over the head and robbed... by a teenager."
FOLKS IN ONE MACON NEIGHBORHOOD SAY THEY'RE TIRED OF BEING AFRAID... AND THEY'RE HOPING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT... WITH THE CITY'S HELP.
GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US.
I'M LEAH JOHNSON... FRANK MALLOY HAS THE NIGHT OFF.
FOLKS IN A MACON NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM SAY... THEY ALWAYS SEE TEENAGERS ROAMING THEIR STREETS LATE AT NIGHT.
THEY TOLD KATELYN HECK ABOUT THEIR PROBLEMS WITH TEEN CRIME AND HOW THEY TOOK MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.
<<
(NATS: somebody fell through the ceiling trying to steal the wire out of the house)
GREG HAMLIN ROAMS HIS NEIGHBORHOOD SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE DAY AND NIGHT... LOOKING FOR ANYONE CAUSING TROUBLE.
(SOT Greg Hamlin:to see if anybody dont belong in our neighborhood, if we see somebody that don't belong we'll contact the police or we'll call a neighbor to keep an eye out for that person walking down the street)
HE SAYS *TEENAGERS* USUALLY STIR UP THE MOST ISSUES... ESPECIALLY BREAK-INS AND FIGHTS.
(SOT Greg Hamlin: three or four times a week. sometimes we have to call the police because its so late at night, like one, two, and three in the morning)
HAMLIN SAYS LAST SUMMER... THE MACON POLICE DEPARTMENT TOLD HIM THE CURFEW LAW IS TOUGH TO ENFORCE.... SO HE AND THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH CREW STARTED THEIR OWN AFTER HOUR PATROLS.
(SOT Timothy Johnson:nine times out of ten, if they look like they're up to no good, they're up to no good because nobody's dressed in all black at twelve oclock at night just be walking around you know; it's real bad now that you gotta look out for your house and your neighbors and stuff because if you don't the next thing you know they're getting their houses broken into.)
EVEN WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH... SOME FOLKS STILL DON'T FEEL SAFE.
(SOT Ebony Matthew:I used to be able to walk to the store and now you can't because you might get knocked over the head and robbed... by a teenager)
EVEN 11-YEAR-OLD BERNARD JOHNSON HAS NOTICED A SPIKE IN LATE NIGHT CRIMES.
(SOT:'some stuff you shouldnt see happening'... 'like what?' 'like some kids you see fighting')
HE THINKS ALL KIDS... BIG OR SMALL... SHOULD HAVE A CURFEW.
(SOT:they'll stay out of trouble and not get into things, bad stuff)
FOLKS HOPE EXTRA HELP FROM POLICE OFFICERS... WILL KEEP TEENS OFF THEIR STREETS... AND OUT OF TROUBLE.
KATELYN HECK
13WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS
>> FIRST TIME CURFEW VIOLATORS WILL RECEIVE A WARNING... BUT THE LAW SAYS THE MUNICIPAL COURT WILL HAND DOWN A PUNISHMENT FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS.
THIS STORY HAS SOME OF YOU CHATTING ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
ALICIA WROTE... "WHAT BUSINESS DOES A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 17 HAVE BEING OUT AFTER MIDNIGHT?
THE ONLY REASONS I COULD SEE ARE RETURNING FROM A SCHOOL OR CHURCH TRIP... OR WORK.
MY PARENTS WOULD HAVE FLIPPED IF I STAYED OUT AFTER MIDNIGHT.
THEY ENFORCED MY CURFEW... THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THE LAW TO DO IT."
JULIETTE COMMENTED... "WHEN I WAS 17 AND OUT AFTER MIDNIGHT... I WOULD HAVE RATHER GONE TO JAIL.
IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN WORSE THAN ME GOING HOME AT THAT HOUR."
AND 17-YEAR-OLD MEGAN WROTE... "MY PARENTS ALWAYS KNOW EXACTLY WHERE I AM AND WHO I AM WITH.
I AM RARELY OUT AFTER MIDNIGHT BUT I AM ALWAYS HOME BEFORE ONE...
THOUGH I DO HAVE TO CHECK WITH MY PARENTS FIRST ON THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S SAD THAT THIS EVEN HAS TO BE PUT IN PLACE.
THEY SAY IT'S FUN BEING A TEEN... BUT IT'S NOT WHEN OTHER TEENS' IMMATURITY AFFECTS NOT ONLY THEM BUT OTHERS AS WELL."
JOIN THE CONVERSATION AT FACEBOOK DOT COM SLASH 13WMAZ.
AFTER MORE THAN SIX YEARS... ONE OF THE MEN CHARGED WITH KILLING A BIBB COUNTY DEPUTY DURING A DRUG RAID PLANS TO PLEAD GUILTY THIS WEEK.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO A PROSECUTOR FAMILIAR WITH THE CASE.
ANTRON FAIR IS ONE OF FOUR MEN CHARGED WITH MURDER IN THE 2006 SHOOTING DEATH OF JOSEPH WHITEHEAD.
HE'S SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN SUPERIOR COURT FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
A PROSECUTOR TOLD 13WMAZ THAT FAIR AGREED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO MURDERING WHITEHEAD... IN EXCHANGE FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY GREG WINTERS DROPPING HIS REQUEST FOR THE DEATH PENALTY.
ACCORDING TO THAT PROSECUTOR... FAIR ALSO AGREED TO TESTIFY AGAINST HIS CO-DEFENDENT DAMON JOLLY WHEN HIS MURDER CASE GOES TO TRIAL.
THE PROSECUTOR SAYS FAIR WILL BE SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE... BUT JOLLY STILL FACES THE DEATH PENALTY.
WINTERS CONFIRMED IN A TEXT MESSAGE THAT HE EXPECTS A PLEA ON FRIDAY... BUT WOULD NOT COMMENT FURTHER.
WHITEHEAD WAS KILLED WHEN DEPUTIES.. SERVING A NO-KNOCK SEARCH WARRANT.. ENTERED A SUSPECTED DRUG HOUSE ON ATHERTON AVENUE.
TOMORROW.. A STATE ETHICS BOARD IS SCHEDULED TO CONSIDER A COMPLAINT THAT SAYS BIBB COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ROMAIN DALLEMAND FALSIFIED PART OF HIS RESUME.
LOCAL ACTIVIST DAREN LATCH PRODUCED OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT HE SAYS PROVES DALLEMAND NEVER SERVED AS A MENTAL THERAPIST.
WHEN HE APPLIED FOR THE BIBB COUNTY TOP JOB TWO YEARS AGO.... DALLEMAND'S RESUME SAID HE SERVED AS A MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST IN FORT LAUDERDALE FROM 19-94 TO 19-98.
BUT LATCH SAYS HE AND POLITICAL ACTIVIST BILL KNOWLES CHECKED WITH FLORIDA OFFICIALS AND FOUND THAT DALLEMAND NEVER RECEIVED A THERAPIST'S LICENSE.
LATCH SAYS HE WANTS THE SCHOOL BOARD TO MAKE HIM COME CLEAN.
Darren Latch, Educational Activist: I don't necessarily want Dr. Dallemand dismissed out of this. What I do want is for the board of education to make him accountable and remind the board of education that Dr. Dallemand works for them as much as they work for us.
A SCHOOL DISTRICT SPOKESPERSON SAID DALLEMAND HAD NO IMMEDIATE COMMENT ON THE COMPLAINT... BUT MIGHT RESPOND LATER.
THE NATION'S LARGEST PROTESTANT DENOMINATION WILL HAVE NEW LEADERSHIP BY NEXT WEEK.
THIS TIME... THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION IS EXPECTED TO ELECT ITS FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT.
THE REVEREND FRED LUTHER JUNIOR IS LIKELY TO GET THE POSITION... AS HE HAS NO OPPONENTS AT THE MOMENT.
THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION SAYS IT WILL BE A BIG STEP.
THE DENOMINATION WAS FOUNDED BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR... AND WAS SPLIT FROM THE NORTHERN BAPTIST BECAUSE OF A DISAGREEMENT OVER SLAVERY.
FORMER CYCLING SUPERSTAR LANCE ARMSTRONG FACES NEW DOPING CHARGES FROM THE U-S ANTI-DOPING AGENCY TONIGHT.
DICK BRENNEN HAS THE LATEST FROM NEW YORK.
((PKG))
FORMER CYCLING LEGEND LANCE ARMSTRONG REPORTEDLY FACES NEW DRUG CHARGES BROUGHT BY THE U-S ANTI-DOPING AGENCY. HIS SEVEN TOUR DE FRANCE TITLES COULD BE IN JEOPARDY, AND HE HAS BEEN IMMEDIATELY BANNED FROM COMPETITION IN TRIATHLONS - A SPORT HE TOOK UP AFTER HIS RETIREMENT FROM CYCLING LAST YEAR.
ARMSTRONG IS ACCUSED OF ENGAGING IN A MASSIVE DOPING CONSPIRACY GOING BACK TO 19-98. HE ALLEGEDLY USED PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS, BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS, TESTOSTERONE, AND MASKING AGENTS. HE'S ALSO CHARGED WITH DISTRIBUTING AND ADMINISTERING DRUGS TO OTHER ATHLETES. THE AGENCY THAT BROUGHT THE ALLEGATIONS DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO FILE CRIMINAL CHARGES.
ARMSTRONG RELEASED A STATEMENT, DENYING THE ACCUSATIONS. ARMSTRONG ALSO POINTED OUT , AS HE HAS IN THE PAST, THAT HE NEVER FAILED A DRUG TEST.
SOT/(from 60 piece/ARMSTRONG) We got nothing to hide, we know that, everybody knows that, we've, we've, we've proven time in and time out that that we're clean ..
ARMSTRONG'S LAWYER SAID THE NEW CHARGES ARE, QUOTE, "A PRODUCT OF MALICE AND SPITE, AND NOT EVIDENCE."
THE CHARGES COME JUST MONTHS AFTER FEDERAL PROSECUTORS CLOSED A TWO-YEAR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF ARMSTRONG WITHOUT INDICTING HIM.
ARMSTRONG WAS SCHEDULED TO COMPETE IN THE IRONMAN FRANCE TRIATHLON ON JUNE 24TH.
FILMING FOR THE JACKIE ROBINSON FILM "42" CONTINUES AT SEVERAL SITES AROUND MACON THIS WEEK..
TODAY CREW MEMBERS PREPPED A SITE ON PLUM STREET IN DOWNTOWN MACON FOR A BUS STATION SCENE SET IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA.
RICHARD HOOVER.. PRODUCTION DESIGNER FOR THE MOVIE EXPLAINS HOW THIS LOCATION FALLS INTO THE STORYLINE.
Richard Hoover, '42' Production Designer: "Finally, they arrived at Pensacola air terminal and they couldn't get on the next flight. They were bumped off, it was a tiny airplane and so then they ended up at the bus station, trying to get to his job at Daytona, spring training. It's an old gas station or you know, auto repair place and it had a portico so we loved that 'cause we could use it. We have research showing a bus stationwith Jim Crow signage, and white waiting room and a black, colored waiting room and so we're sorta basing it on that with a sense that busses could nose in the way they would."
PRODUCTION CREWS WERE ALSO ON SECOND STREET GETTING THE BLOCK READY FOR IT'S HOLLYWOOD DEBUT.
ARMED WITH PAINT AND NEW SIGNS... THEY TRANSFORMED THE OUTSIDE OF SOME THE BUSINESSES ON SECOND STREET BETWEEN CHERRY MULBERRY.
THEY EVEN CHANGED MACON LANDMARK... THE COX CAPITAL THEATER... BY GIVING A FRESH COAT OF RED PAINT.
THERE WERE SOME ON-LOOKERS... WATCHING HOW CREWS CHANGED THE STREET INTO A BROOKLYN BLOCK FROM THE 40s.
A FEW OF THEM SAY THE MOVIE FILMING HERE IS GOOD FOR MACON.
Amy West, Macon: I think it's fabulous ofor Macon, it's good for the local businesses all the good eateries in downtown Macon and just to say that it was filmed in my hometown.
CREWS MOVED TO TERMINAL STATION FOR FILMING THIS EVENING.
WHILE WE'VE BEEN BRINGING YOU COVERAGE OF THE FILMING OF "42".... OUR SUZANNE LAWLER HAS BEEN CATCHING ALL THE ACTION THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS.
SO FAR... SHE'S SNAPPED MORE THAN 200 PICTURES OF THE CAST AND CREW.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT HER WORK IN THE SLIDESHOW SECTION AT 13WMAZ DOT COM.
YOU MIGHT SAY ONE JAPANESE ROBOT... LOOKS JUST LIKE HIS DAD.
ACTUALLY... THE BOT... NAMED "D-K".... WAS BORN IN JAPAN... BUT IT'S ACTUALLY DANISH.
IT'S ALSO DRAWN WORLDWIDE ATTENTION FOR ITS LIFELIKE RESEMBLANCE TO ITS CREATOR... FROM HAIR TO CLOTHING TO INDIVIDUAL SCARS.
THE DANISH PROFESSOR SAYS HE INVENTED THE ROBOT TO LOOK AT HOW HUMANS AND ROBOTS INTERACT.
DESPITE BEING MADE OF SILICON... ITS CREATOR SAYS IT'S SO REAL IT ALMOST HAS D-N-A.