STRAIGHT AHEAD ON EYEWITNESS NEWS AT SIX, ACCUSATIONS FLY ABOUT BIBB COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS USING DISTRICT EMAIL TO GET INVOLVED IN HIRING, BIDDING, AND OTHER PERSONAL FAVORS.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO AN OUTSIDE AUDIT... RELEASED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT'S ALSO THE SUBJECT OF A SCHOOL BOARD COMMITTEE DISCUSSION TODAY.
WE'LL TELL YOU HOW THAT MEETING PLAYED OUT.
PLUS....
<<opening for eyewitness news at six>>
Lori Daniels, Bibb County: We don't want to live here anymore, we don't call this home anymore, this is somewhere we're staying until we get out here
THE STEPMOTHER OF A YOUNG WOMAN KILLED BY A BULLET FIRED INTO HER HOME TALKS ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE WITHOUT PART OF HER FAMILY... AND WHERE SHE THINKS THE INVESTIGATION IS HEADED. AND... NO BOND FOR THE SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL CHARGED WITH HER OWN SISTER'S MURDER. WE'LL EXPLAIN WHY.
HELLO EVERYONE AND THANKS FOR JOINING US.... I'M LEAH JOHNSON..
AND I'M FRANK MALLOY.
THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT SIX.
<<
A MONTH LATER...NO ONE LIVES HERE.
IT'S A ROOM THAT HAUNTS THE DANIELS FAMILY.
Lori Daniels, Bibb County: When we have to go back there to do something in that part of the house everybody has to come.
A BULLET CAME THROUGH THE WALL..STRIKING SHAR'BORA DANIELS OR SHY...AS SHE LAID IN THIS BED
Lori Daniels, Bibb County: We don't want to live here anymore, we don't call this home anymore, this is somewhere we're staying until we get out here
THE NEW REALITY FOR THE DANIELS...IS THAT THEY STAY IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE....SURROUNDED BY PHOTOS THAT CAPTURE WHO SHY WAS.
Lori Daniels, Bibb County: Shy wanted to make the world beautiful. She was, I can't explain Shy is someone that you just had to meet.
Lori Daniels, Bibb County: She wanted to be an organ donor and that's what they did they donated her organs so even in death Shy is still helping somebody.
A MONTH AFTER HER DEATH....THE QUESTION OF WHO TOOK HER AWAY REMAINS UNANSWERED
Lori Daniels, Bibb County: how could you be so cold-blooded knowing that you did this and that you killed this child that was on her road to her goals and dreams you're still out there with no conscience at all.
THE FAMILY SAYS THEY WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT SHAR'BORA DID NOT HAVE THIS COMING TO HER.
Lori Daniels, Bibb County: She was an innocent victim in her own home minding her own business on the road to what Lauren Giddings was on to be somebody I just want to let them know she's not a thug, it wasn't a thug on thug crime maybe the person that did it was a thug, but my child, or our child was not a thug
THE DANIELS FAMILY SAYS...SHE WAS SOMEONE WITH A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD OF HER.
AUSTIN LEWIS 13WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE DANIELS CASE...YOU CAN CALL MACON REGIONAL CRIMESTOPPERS.....AT 1-877-68 CRIME. AGAIN THAT'S 1-877-68 CRIME.
THE DEFENSE DECIDED NOT TO ASK FOR BOND TODAY FOR THE 17-YEAR OLD KATHLEEN GIRL ACCUSED OF KILLING HER 12-YEAR-OLD SISTER.
CARMEN KANEISHA COLLINS WAS SET FOR A BOND HEARING.. BUT THE REQUEST WAS WITHDRAWN RIGHT BEFORE THE HEARING WAS SET TO START.
BRITTINY BARBER EXPLAINS WHY.
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THE PUBLIC DEFNDER'S OFFICE WHO'S REPRESENTING CARMEN KANEISHA COLLINS CHOSE TO CANCEL THEIR BOND HEARING THURSDAY HERE AT THE HOUSTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
NICK WHITE SAYS HE BELIEVES HIS CLIENT IS INNOCENT AND THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE SHE'LL LIVE IF GRANTED BOND.
White:"I think it's better for my client that she not be put in an atmosphere that emotionally charged. We got some leads on some homes she can go to that her fmaily does not live and is outside the county, but it's just taking a little while to firm that up and I want to be able to go in to court and say, Your honor if you grant bondshe can go to this specific place.
WHITE SAYS HE'S SPOKEN TO CARMEN'S PARENTS WHO HE SAYS ARE DROWNING WITH EMOTIONS AFTER THE DEATH OF ONE DAUGHTER WHILE THE OTHER STANDS ACCUSED.
White: "What they expressed to me is that they want full justice for their dead daughter and they want the best defense possible for miss colllins which is a very appropriate way to look at the case.... "They are grieving over thier lost daughter and they are grieveing over a daughter that's in jail. they have not expressed any hatred or anger toward my client toward thier daughter."
WHITE SAYS THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE THAT NEEDS INVESTIGATING IN THIS CASE AND HE SAYS SOME OF THE DETAILS THAT COME OUT COULD BE QUOTE "EXPLOSIVE:.
IN HOUSTON COUNTY BRITTINY BARBER 13WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS.>>
WHITE SAYS CARMEN COLLINS INSISTS... THAT SHE DID NOT KILL HER SISTER... AND HE SAYS THERE HAS BEEN NO DISCUSSION OF A PLEA IN THIS CASE.
TODAY YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO BE A HERO TO SOME STUDENTS IN NEED OF THE BASICS... LIKE PENS... PENCILS.. PAPER... AND NOTEBOOKS.
WHILE FOR MOST KIDS... SCHOOL SUPPLY SHOPPING IS AN ANNUAL TRADITION... WHETHER THEY LOOK FORWARD TO IT OR NOT...
FILLING THOSE BACKPACKS ISN'T A GIVEN FOR ALL FAMILIES.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE PROUD TO BE A PART OF OPERATION: BACK TO SCHOOL.
LORRA LYNCH JONES IS A PART OF THE EFFORT AT THE WAL-MART IN WARNER ROBINS.... AND SHE'S JOINING US TO TELL US HOW COLLECTIONS ARE STACKING UP.
A BIBB COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER SAYS HE'S A VICTIM OF A WITCH HUNT BY DISTRICT LEADERSHIP....
AT A BOARD MEETING THIS AFTERNOON... HE FIRED BACK.
Gary Bechtel: "You will answer to this at some point... maybe not tonight but it will be under oath... and it will be very soon.because this is not going to rest."
GARY BECHTEL SAYS HE WAS THE MAIN TARGET OF A FORENSIC AUDIT REPORT OF BOARD MEMBER EMAILS.
TODAY REPRESENTATIVES FROM MCGLADRY.. THE COMPANY THAT CONDUCTED THE AUDIT... GAVE THE BOARD A RUNDOWN OF HOW THEY DID THE EMAIL AUDIT. AND WHAT THEY FOUND.
THE REPORT ALLEGES THE EMAILS SHOW BOARD MEMBERS ABUSING POWER... AND BECHTEL SAYS HE SENT ALL THE EMAILS IN THE REPORT.
SUSAN SIPE... THE OTHER MEMBER APPARENTLY IMPLICATED IN THE AUDIT... JOINED BECHTEL IN QUESTIONING THE TIMING... OF THE REPORT'S RELEASE.
LYN FARMER, BECHTEL, AND SIPE... SAID THEY EXPECTED A REPORT THAT OUTLINED ISSUES RELATED TO CREDIT CARDS, SPENDING, AND OTHER FINANCIAL ISSUES.
WHAT THEY GOT WAS... A REPORT THAT FOCUSED MAINLY ON THE E-MAILS.
THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM MCGLADRY SAID THAT'S IN THE NEXT PHASE OF THE AUDIT..WHICH SHOULD BE RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER.
SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT TOMMY BARNES SAID AT THE NEXT MEETING... THEY'LL DECIDE WHERE TO GO FROM HERE.
HE SAID ONE OPTION... WOULD BE TO TURN THE INFORMATION OVER TO THE GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS FOR FOLLOWUP.
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE GOT A CHANCE TO NETWORK WITH EMPLOYERS FACE-TO-FACE AT THE VETERANS CAREER EXPO IN PERRY.
WE FOLLOWED ONE JOB SEEKER FROM ROBERTA WHO SAYS THE HUNT FOR A NEW OPPORTUNITY HASN'T BEEN EASY.
"I lost my job in April. I'm a Georgia licensed optician. Been in that type of work for 37 years.
Susan O'neal is among hundreds of people here looking for their next job.
sot: In the past I've had people come to me wanting to recruit me.
Now that the tables have turned... she admits the challenge has been more than she could have ever imagined.
sot: It's just rough right now being out of work and I feel like at my age you know, it's even more difficult.
Here at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, O'neal is working to give everything she has to impress dozens of employers.....
NATS: um, some of the different programs and you see on the back here that we have a website.
NATS: We're one of the largest franchise cleaning companies in the world currently looking for owners in the Middle Georgia Area.
Even if the opportunity falls outside of her expertise... O'neal says she's insistant on taking a chance.
sot: I mean, I realize that there may not be any optician jobs here and I may have to learn something different, but I'm willing.
It's new chapter in her life that she says she's getting used to... starting with all the potential opportunities housed here under one roof.
ORGANIZERS SAY THERE WERE MORE THAN 100 EMPLOYERS AT TODAY'S EVENT.
EARLIER... WE CHECKED IN ON OPERATION BACK TO SCHOOL... UNDERWAY IN WARNER ROBINS.
BUT THAT EFFORT'S ALSO HAPPENING JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM OUR GRAY HIGHWAY STUDIOS.
LET'S CHECK IN WITH KATELYN HECK OVER THERE.
COMING UP TONIGHT ON EYEWITNESS NEWS AT ELEVEN... WE TALLY UP THE TOTALS FROM TODAY'S OPERATION BACK TO SCHOOL EFFORTS.
AND... WE'LL ALSO TAKE YOU ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE WEEKEND... WITH A LOOK AT NEW BOX OFFICE RELEASES...ROLLING ONTO THE SILVER SCREEN.
PLUS... MACON GOES LEGALLY BLONDE.
IN TONIGHT'S SCENE 13 ... A LOOK AT A MUSICAL ADAPATION OF THAT REESE WITHERSPOON HIT... THAT'S COMING TO A STAGE NEAR YOU THIS WEEKEND!