OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT... A STATE ETHICS BOARD WANTS BIBB COUNTY'S SCHOOL BOARD TO LOOK INTO WHETHER SUPERINTENDENT ROMAIN DALLEMAND LIED IN PART OF HIS RESUME.
THE COMPLAINT TO THE GEORGIA PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMISSION....SAYS DALLEMAND WAS NEVER A LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST.
WHEN HE APPLIED FOR THE BIBB COUNTY JOB TWO YEARS AGO....HE WROTE THAT HE WAS LICENSED IN FLORIDA...IN THE 1990s.
WE CONTACTED BIBB COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER TOM HUDSON ABOUT THE COMPLAINT AGAINST DALLEMAND...
HUDSON SAYS THEY HAVE TO ALLOW THE PROCESS TO WORK AND GATHER INFORMATION BEFORE FORMING OPINIONS.
AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE BOARD WILL BE ABLE DEAL WITH DALLEMAND FAIRLY..HUDSON SAYS..
"I FEEL THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE OF HIGH STANDARDS AND WE WILL DO WHAT WE DEEM ETHICAL BASED ON POLICY AND PROCEDURE AND THE INFORMATION PRESENTED."
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVIST DARREN LATCH FILED THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINT... HE'S HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
-Mr. Latch... the commission today voted that the complaint is a matter for the local school board. Do you think they can investigate the allegations fairly?
-Why did you file the complaint?
-What's your reaction to Mr. Hudson's statement?
-If you could talk to Dr. Dallemand one on one about this complaint, what would you say to him?
-What do you want to see come out of this complaint?
AFTER A NATIONWIDE SEARCH... A NEW LEADER HAS TAKEN THE WHEEL AT THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL.
RICHARD BREWER WILL SERVE AS PRESIDENT AND C-E-O.
HE JOINED US TODAY ON EYEWITNESS NEWS AT FIVE... TO TALK ABOUT HIS NEW POST.
Richard Brewer, New CB CEO: "I've spent the whole day so far just getting to know my staff you know, I'll be looking at the budgets, all the details, that's kind of the important thing. Everyone knows about the fun and excitement and all that sort fo stuff, but it's really a lot of behind the scenes just good, get down to hard, hard work."
ALSO TODAY... THE KEEP MACON BIBB BEAUTIFUL COMMISSION ANNOUNCED PAMELA CARSWELL AS ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
SHE SPENT 34 YEARS AS A BIBB COUNTY EDUCATOR... AND WILL STEP DOWN AS PRINCIPAL AT THE WEAVER MIDDLE SCHOOL.
LANCE ARMSTRONG.. WHO SOME CALL A HERO OF THE CYCLING WORLD.. IS NOW BEING CALLED A CHEATER..
TODAY.. THE ANTI-DOPING AGENCY ANNOUNCED THEY HAVE EVIDENCE THAT ARMSTRONG USED PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUGS.. AND WANT TO STRIP HIM OF HIS SEVEN TOUR-DE-FRANCE TITLES. AT MACON'S CHERRY STREET CYCLES.. OWNER DAMON ALLEN SAYS THE CHARGES ARE BASELESS.
HE'S AN ARMSTRONG FAN.. AND REMEMBERS WHEN THE CYCLING CHAMPION ROLLED THROUGH MACON FOR THE TOUR DE GEORGIA..
ALLEN SAYS CYCLISTS ARE DRUG-TESTED BEFORE EVERY EVENT.. AND CAN GO THROUGH HUNDREDS OF TESTS A YEAR..
SOME SAY THE ACCUSATIONS WILL TARNISH ARMSTRONG'S CANCER-FIGHTING LIVESTRONG FOUNDATION... BUT ALLEN DISAGREES.
Damon Allen, Owner Cherry Street Cycles: I think people will stand behind Lance Armstrong only because time after time he's proven himself, because of the tests, had he not, it would be different but I don't think Americans as a whole like what we call a 'witch hunt.' And I think he's proven himself over and over."
ONLY ONE OTHER AMERICAN BESIDES LANCE ARMSTRONG HAS WON THE TOUR DE FRANCE.. THAT WAS GREG LE-MONDE.. WHO WON IN 1986.. 89 and 90.
FLOYD LANDIS WAS STRIPPED OF HIS 2006 TOUR TITLE BECAUSE HE TESTED POSITIVE FOR DOPING.
ARMSTRONG HAS ONE WEEK TO RESPOND TO THE CHARGES.
RESULTS ARE IN FOR GEORGIA STUDENTS... WHO TOOK THE CRCT TESTS.
FOR FOUR YEARS IN A ROW.... GEORGIA STUDENTS PERFORMED BETTER ON THE STATE STANDARDIZED TESTS.
THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SAYS THIRD TO EIGHTH GRADERS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN NEARLY EVERY SUBJECT.
MEANWHILE... THE BIGGEST DECREASE WAS IN MATH.
WARNER ROBINS CITY LEADERS SAY IT PLANS TO DROP THE LOBBYIST POSITION FROM NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
THAT WAS PART OF CITY COUNCIL'S EFFORTS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET... AS THEY CHANGED A FEW THINGS AT TONIGHT'S PRE-COUNCIL MEETING.
MAYOR CHUCK SHAHEEN SAYS HE COMMENDS COUNCIL FOR BALANCING A BUDGET WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.
HE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AGREED TO REMOVE THE LOBBYIST POSITION FROM NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET... BUT KEEP THE MEDIA LIASION POSITION.
THEY ALSO DECIDED NOT TO GIVE RAISES TO A COUPLE OF DEPARTMENT HEADS.
Mayor Chuck Shaheen: "We don't have any way to evaluate department heads by their merits and what we'd like to do is instead of doing pay raises for them to maybe give them merit increases for some of their accomplishments."
WARNER ROBINS CITY COUNCIL PLANS TO VOTE ON NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AT THEIR COUNCIL MEETING NEXT MONDAY.
AN EARLY MORNING MORNING APARTMENT FIRE... LEFT MORE THAN THREE DOZEN PEOPLE HOMELESS IN MACON.
ACCORDING TO THE MACON BIBB COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT... IT STARTED AROUND TWO THIS MORNING AT THE WEST-CLUB APARTMENTS ON STEVEN DRIVE... THAT'S OFF OF MERCER UNIVERSITY DRIVE.
INVESTIGATORS SAY THE FIRE STARTED ON THE FIRST FLOOR... AND QUICKLY SPREAD TO THE TOP FLOOR... HEAVILY DAMAGING EIGHT APARTMENTS.
SEVEN OF THOSE.. WERE OCCUPIED.
STEPHANIE DEAN LIVES ON THE BOTTOM FLOOR OF ONE OF THE DAMAGED UNITS WITH HER SEVEN CHILDREN.... SHE SAYS HER EIGHT YEAR OLD NEPHEW ACCIDENTALLY STARTED THE FIRE... BY PLAYING WITH A LIGHTER.
My son he woke me up and he told me his bed was on fire and my nephew was playing with a lighter, and I went down the hall to try to put the fire out but the room was engulfed in flames so I had to get out of the house and get the neighbors out.
THE RED CROSS IS ASSISTING DEAN AND HER FAMILY... AS WELL AS OTHER FAMILIES DISPLACED BY THE FIRE.
INSTEAD OF BUS TICKETS... ACTORS IN '42' WILL BE BUYING PLANE TICKETS AT MACON'S TERMINAL STATION.
THE '42' PRODUCTION CREW TRANSFORMED TERMINAL STATION INTO AN AIRPORT TERMINAL FOR THE MOVIE.
THERE WERE MINOR CHANGES TO THE EXTERIOR... THAT INCLUDES A BIG STAR-SPANGLED BANNER HANGING OVER THE GLASS WINDOWS AT THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
CREWS SHUT DOWN PARTS OF FIFTH AND CHERRY STREETS FOR THE FIMLINING.. BUT THAT DIDN'T KEEP A COUPLE OF EXTRAS FROM CHECKING OUT THE SCENE.
THE CAMERAS WILL BE ROLLING TOMORROW ON SECOND STREET... BUT THE BUSINESSES WILL STAY OPEN.
SOME OWNERS SAY THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT THEY'LL LOSE BUSINESS BECAUSE PEOPLE MAY THINK THEY'RE CLOSED.
PRODUCERS TOLD THE STAFF AT SID'S DELI AND GREEK CORNER THAT THEY SHOULD EXPECT "MINIMAL" DISRUPTION TO THEIR BUSINESSES.
SECOND STREET WILL BE CLOSED TO TRAFFIC BETWEEN CHERRY STREET AND COTTON AVENUE.BUT THE SIDEWALKS WILL BE OPEN.
AND WITH MACON BECOMING THE SCENE FOR A COUPLE OF BASEBALL MOVIES... SOME FOLKS ARE CONSIDERING WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO BRING A MINOR LEAGUE TEAM BACK TO MACON.
THAT MIGHT INCLUDE BUILDING A NEW STADIUM FOR THEM TO PLAY IN.
MIKE FORD JOINED OUR LORRA LYNCH JONES DURING EYEWITNESS NEWS AT SIX... TO TALK ABOUT IT.
YOU CAN WATCH THEIR FULL DISCUSSION AT 13WMAZ DOT COM.
TODAY'S 13WMAZ DOT COM WEB POLL ASKS...
SHOULD MACON AND BIBB COUNTY BUILD A NEW MINOR-LEAGUE BALLPARK HERE?
SO FAR 29 PERCENT OF YOU SAY YES.
AND 71 PERCENT SAY NO.
VOTE NOW... VISIT 13WMAZ DOT COM AND LOOK FOR THE QUESTION ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOMEPAGE.
THE MONTH OF JUNE IS NEARLY HALF OVER... BUT THE ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS NEVER END WITH SCENE 13.
SATURDAY NIGHT... WE'RE THINKING A LITTLE MUSIC MIGHT SOOTHE YOUR SOUL.
FOLLOW THE NOTES TO THE BIG HOUSE FOR THE RETURN OF THE BACK YARD BOOGIE.
THE DIRTY DOVES AND THOMAS WYNN AND THE BELIEVERS WILL HIT THE STAGE...
THINGS GET GOING AT 7 P-M.
TICKETS COST TEN DOLLARS.
YOU CAN BRING YOUR OWN CHAIRS AND BLANKETS.... BUT PLEASE LEAVE THE OUTSIDE FOOD AND BEVERAGE... OUTSIDE.
OR IF YOU PREFER YOUR MUSIC MIXED IN WITH A LITTLE MORE DIALOGUE... THE MACON LITTLE THEATRE HAS A TASTE OF WHAT YOU'RE AFTER.
THE CURTAIN WILL RISE ON 'SEUSSICAL JUNIOR THE MUSICAL' THIS WEEKEND.
TAKE A GANDER AT SOME FAMILIAR CHARACTERS LIKE THE CAT IN THE HAT... STARTING TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7-30.
IF THAT TIME SLOT DOESN'T WORK... YOU CAN TRY AGAIN AT 2-30 AND 7-30 SATURDAY... OR 2-30 SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
TICKETS ARE FIVE BUCKS FOR CHILDREN... TEN FOR ADULTS.
YOU DON'T NEED A RESERVATION... JUST BUY THEM AT THE DOOR.
AND IF YOU FEEL LIKE BUGGING OUT... GO VISIT SOME OF OUR CREEPY CRAWLY FRIENDS UP CLOSE AT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND SCIENCES' BUG DAY.
FOR THOSE FEELING PARTICULARLY BRAVE... YOU CAN EVEN CHOW DOWN AT THE FEAR FACTOR FEAST TABLE.
THAT'S THIS SATURDAY FROM 10 A-M TO 4 P-M AT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND SCIENCES.
AND FOR THOSE LOOKING TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME IN FRONT OF THE SILVER SCREEN... THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS HITTING THEATERS THIS WEEKEND.
FIRST OFF... IN A CITY WHERE STARS ARE BORN... TWO ASPIRING MUSICIANS SET OUT TO MAKE IT BIG.
THE FILM ADAPTATION OF THE BROADWAY SMASH "ROCK OF AGES"... IS SET TO A SOUNDTRACK OF CLASSIC ROCK FROM THE 80s THAT CHRONICLES EVERY BEAT OF A ROCK-AND-ROLL ROMANCE.
IT ALL TAKES PLACE IN AN L-A CLUB BANKING ITS SURVIVAL ON A LEGEND... STACIE JAXX.
WITH A CAST THAT INCLUDES TOM CRUISE... ALEC BALDWIN... RUSSELL BRAND AND MARY J. BLIGE... "ROCK OF AGES" IS RATED PG-13.
EVERY FAMILY HAS ITS QUIRKS... AND THIS ONE IS NO EXCEPTION.
IN "THAT'S MY BOY"... DONNY... A TEENAGER PLAYED BY ADAM SANDLER... FATHERS A SON AND RAISES THE BOY WITH SOME UNCONVENTIONAL PARENTING.
NOW ESTRANGED... DONNY NEEDS HIS SON'S HELP TO AVOID JAIL TIME.
PROVING HE'S A FATHER WORTHY OF SUPPORT WON'T BE EASY... BUT IT SURE WILL BE FUNNY.
ALSO STARRING ANDY SAMBERG... "THAT'S MY BOY" IS RATED R
FORT HAWKINS HELD A SPECIAL CEREMONY TO MARK FLAG DAY.
PEOPLE GATHERED TO HONOR THE DAY THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS ADOPTED THE AMERICAN FLAG.
THEY BROUGHT THEIR OLD... WORN FLAGS AND LEARNED HOW TO PROPERLY RETIRE THEM.
FORT HAWKINS ALSO FLEW ITS FIFTEEN STAR SPANGLED BANNER.
Anthony Venetz Sr., Lincoln, South Carolina: "It means alot. Everytime you look up... when you do look at the stars and stripes... if it doesn't bring tears to your eyes and pride in your chest then you don't know anything about our country... and the rights and everything you have."
PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON OFFICIALLY ESTABLISHED FLAG DAY IN 1916.
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.