GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US. I'M FRANK MALLOY..LEAH JOHNSON HAS THE NIGHT OFF.
NO TAX HIKE... NO NEW JOBS... AND NO LAY OFFS.
THAT'S THE MESSAGE FROM HOUSTON COUNTY COMMISSIONS ABOUT THEIR 2013 BUDGET.
LORRA LYNCH JONES EXPLAINS HOW THEY TIGHTENED THE PURSE STRINGS... WHILE MANAGING TO GIVE EMPLOYEES A 3-PERCENT RAISE.
Lorra Lynch Jones, EWN: "Houston County Commissioner Tommy Stalnaker says if this budget passes as is, the county will operate on about $1.4 million less than last year."
Tommy Stalnaker, County Commissioner: (13:15) "There is a reason for that. Revenues will be down next fiscal year. Therefore expenses had to come down as well."
STALNAKER SAYS HE STARTED MEETING WITH COUNTY DEPARTMENT LEADERS ABOUT THE BUDGET IN JANUARY.
Tommy Stalnaker: (9:35) "When we got budgets in we were 1.5 million out of balance to begin the process for FY 13."
HE SAYS THEY WHITTLED DOWN THE NUMBERS... AGREEING ON A ROUGHLY 50 MILLION DOLLAR PACKAGE... WITH NO FRILLS OR NEW TAXES.
Tommy Stalnaker: (9:13) "There is no millage rate increase planned for FY13. No new positions, as well, as there is no merit. Merit will not be reinstated for FY13."
COUNTY EMPLOYEES ON THE MERIT SYSTEM WILL GET A THREE-PERCENT COST OF LIVING INCREASE.... STARTING JUNE 26TH.... A RAISE DEPARTMENT LEADERS PRAISED.
Robbie Dunbar: (17:42) "We have a lot of employees, hourly employees that are paying 3 and half dollars a gallon for gas, and they're going to really appreciate it."
Tim Andrews: (18:25) "The employees are thankful for that 3-percent COLA."
nats- Walton Wood
ONE COUNTY TAXPAYER ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT A FEW LINE ITEMS... WHICH STALNAKER ANSWERED IMMEDIATLY.
nats-
THE FOUR OTHER COMMISSIONERS STOOD IN SUPPORT OF THE SLIM AND TRIM BUDGET... LARRY THOMPSON CALLING IT THE BEST HE'S SEEN IN HIS 12 YEARS ON THE BOARD.
THE COMMISSIONERS SLATED 55-THOUSAND DOLLARS AS THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE 21ST CENTURY PARTNERSHIP.... WHICH IS THE ORGANIZATION THAT PROMOTES THE INTERESTS OF ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE AND ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
THAT CONTRIBUTION IS FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE THAN LAST YEAR.
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THE 21ST CENTURY PARTNERSHIP IS ABOUT TO MAKE SOME NEWS OF ITS OWN.
SOURCES FAMILIAR WITH THE SEARCH FOR A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE ORGANIZATION... TOLD LORRA LYNCH JONES THAT RETIRED MAJOR GENERAL... ROBERT MCMAHON... WILL TAKE THE REIGNS.
MCMAHON RETIRED LAST WEEK AS COMMANDER OF THE WARNER ROBINS AIR LOGISTICS CENTER.
THE 21ST CENTURY PARTNERSHIP IS EXPECTED TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THURSDAY AT 10 A-M... AT THE MUSEUM OF AVIATION.
FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARY THERESE TEBBE STEPPED DOWN A FEW MONTHS AGO.... TO TAKE A JOB WITH THE GEORGIA NATIONAL GUARD IN ATLANTA.
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NO CHANGE IN BOND TONIGHT..FOR ACCUSED KILLER STEPHEN MCDANIEL..
MCDANIEL'S LAWYERS SAY HIS FAMILY CAN'T AFFORD THE 850 THOUSAND DOLLARS NEEDED FOR HIM TO BOND OUT OF JAIL..
TODAY A JUDGE DENIED THE DEFENSE TEAM'S REQUEST TO LOWER THE BOND THAT WAS SET IN APRIL.
CANDACE ADORKA WAS IN THE COURTROOM WHEN THE JUDGE MADE HIS RULING AND WHEN THE DISCUSSION TURNED TO WHAT WAS SAID IN COURT MORE THAN TWO MONTHS AGO..
AT ISSUE WAS THE MICKEY FINN POST... THAT'S THE GRAPHIC MESSAGE POSTED TO AN ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARD SOMETIME LAST YEAR.
IN APRIL....WINTERS READ THAT MESSAGE IN COURT...AND ARGUED THAT IT WAS WRITTEN BY MCDANIEL
"Make her a special drink called a mickey finn. She's out cold. I finally lose my V-Card. Oh no she OD'd and died. I barbeque her arms and legs to celebrate losing my V-Card."
AS I REPORTED IN APRIL... ANYONE COULD HAVE USED THE NICKNAME SON OF LIBERTY OR S-O-L ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.
THAT'S THE SCREEN NAME MCDANIEL REPORTEDLY USED BEFORE LAUREN GIDDINGS WAS MURDERED.
AND TODAY NANCY SCOTT MALCOR SAYS THE F-B-I LATER RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO REALLY WROTE IT.
AT TUESDAY'S HEARING HOGUE WANTED TO QUESTION A PROSECUTOR ABOUT MCDANIEL ACTUALLY WROTE THE POST.
AFTER SOME BACK AND FORTH ABOUT LEGAL TECHNICALITIES... BOTH SIDES AGREED TO ASK THE JUDGE NOT TO CONSIDER THE POST WHEN DECIDING BOND.
If they wanna withdraw from that post and say dont even think about it your honor, then we're fine with that.
THAT MADE WAY FOR THE DEFENSE TO TRY TO CONVINCE THE JUDGE THAT MCDANIEL WOULDN'T HARM HIS 4 SIBLINGS... AGED 6 TO 11... AND THAT 850 THOUSAND DOLLARS BOND WAS TOO HIGH.
PROSECUTOR SCOTT MALCOR ARGUED THE BOND AMOUNT WAS SOLELY UP TO THE JUDGE...
SHE ALSO ARGUED SINCE MCDANIEL'S GRANDFATHER DIED RECENTLY... HIS FAMILY WOULD HAVE MORE ASSETS THAT COULD USED FOR BOND.
BUT FLOYD BUFORD... ONE OF MCDANIEL'S ATTORNEY'S SAID HE ISN'T AWARE OF ANY HUGE INHERITANCE FOR THE MNDANIELS.
"there's no way they can post that bond. That bond is just not in their ability to do."
STEPHEN MCDANIEL SAT ATTENTIVE, BUT EXPRESSIONLESS... EYES LOCKED ON WHOMEVER WAS SPEAKING .
"He's in good spirits naturally he'd rather be out of jail anybody would so theres gonna be some disappointment that he's gonna go back to the bibb county jail so, he's holding up though."
DEFENSE LAWYER FRANK HOGUE SAYS THERE PROBABLY WON'T BE ANY MORE HEARINGS THIS SUMMER.
THE DEFENSE TEAM PLANS TO SPEND THE NEXT FEW MONTHS GOING OVER THE EVIDENCE AND PREPARING FOR TRIAL.
MOTIONS IN THE CASE ARE DUE AUGUST 31ST.
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A FAMILY IS LOOKING FOR ANSWERS ... AFTER AN 18-YEAR-OLD MACON GIRL DIED FROM A SHOT FIRED FROM OUTSIDE OF A HOUSE.
SHABORAH DANIELS WAS SITTING IN HER BROTHER'S ROOM PLAYING A VIDEO GAME...WHEN THE BULLET WENT THROUGH THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE...AND HIT HER IN THE HEAD.
CHRIS DANIELS SAYS IT SEEMED LIKE THE WALL EXPLODED...AND AT FIRST HE THOUGHT THAT HIS SISTER'S CELL PHONE HAD SHOCKED HER.
THEN HE REALIZED SHE HAD BEEN SHOT.
christopher daniels, Macon: and she laid down on my hand and then her eyes started to close and I was trying to wake her up and I started screaming at her so I ran down and I got my mom and my daddy came rushing down behind her saying baby please wake up please wake up and she wouldn't wake up
Lori Daniels, Macon: Please, please call whomever call me call her daddy, call her grandma, call the crimestoppers find who did this to her.
ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THE CASE CAN CALL MACON REGIONAL CRIMESTOPPERS AT 1-877-68-CRIME. AGAIN...THAT'S 877-68-CRIME
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THE WORLD'S LARGEST PROTESTANT DENOMINATION MADE HISTORY TODAY..WITH THE ELECTION OF ITS FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADER...
i want to thank God for the privilege and opportunity most of all the confidence that the southern baptists are putting in me.
NEW ORLEANS PASTOR FRED LUTER JUNIOR IS NOW PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION.
HE WAS ELECTED DURING THE GROUP'S CONVENTION IN NEW ORLEANS THIS WEEK..
THE HISTORIC MOVE IS PART OF AN EFFORT TO BROADEN THE S-B-C'S APPEAL BEYOND ITS TRADITIONAL WHITE SOUTHERN BASE.
DR. LEE SHEPHERD, SENIOR PASTOR AT MABEL WHITE BAPTIST CHURCH, TOLD ME'S EXCITED ABOUT LUTER'S ELECTION..
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When you hear his story about growing up in the 9th Ward and giving himself to Christ. Being a street preacher and then taking a church over that was about to go under and building it up to five thousand in attendance and then they lose it all in Katrina and then he comes back. I mean it's rebounded and it's comin' back strong.
I think it's gonna be exciting. You know Fred being part of the inter-city is going to bring a whole different dynamic to leadership and vision as far as the future is concerned. Starting new outreaches in inter-city, in metropolitan areas. I think it'll be a good thing.
LUTER OFFICIALLY TAKES OVER TOMORROW NIGHT WHEN THE CONVENTION WRAPS UP IN NEW ORLEANS..
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LUTER OFFICIALLY TAKES OVER TOMORROW NIGHT WHEN THE CONVENTION WRAPS UP IN NEW ORLEANS..
CALL TIME STARTED AT 6-30 TUESDAY MORNING. AS EXTRAS ROLLED IN...SO DID A FEW CURIOUS PEOPLE HOPING TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF MOVIE MAGIC.
THE FILM'S PUBLICIST TELLS US THAT THE CAST'S BIG NAME...HARRISON FORD...HAS LEFT TOWN. BUT TODAY'S SCENES WILL FEATURE STARS CHADWICK BOSEMAN AND CHRISTOPHER MELONI.
CAMERA-CARRYING FANS LOOKING FOR STAR-STUDDED PICTURES...STRUCK OUT
janiya pales, washington county: the officer said we couldn't get in today
pat bowie, macon: look slike i'm going to have to go back the direction i came
BOSEMAN PLAYS BASEBALL LEGEND JACKIE ROBINSON...AND 42 TELLS HOW HE BROKE BASEBALL'S COLOR BARRIER IN 1947.
FILM CREWS EXPECT TO WRAP UP HERE TOMORROW... AND TRAVEL BACK TO CHATTANOOGA FOR SOME ADDITIONAL SHOOTING THERE..