Eyewitness News at 11, 8/7/12

{***VO***}

Minutes before the council committee meeting... Members received a copy of the document with the changes... and some council members say that wasn't enough time to fully understand the plan.

{***SOT FULL***}

<how can we be expected to approve something that is so important as the pension fund of our police and fire retirees without even seeing it in advance>

To meet IRS standards... Council must pass the plan in two consecutive meetings before October fourth of this year.

{***SOT FULL***}

<and if we don't get this passed, i'm very concerned that our retirees, our fire and police retirees could have adverse tax consequences. they could be taxed on some of their benefits that they're not taxed on now >

{***VO***}

But folks with the pension board are concerned their benefits could disappear all-together with the wording in the plan given to council.

{***SOT FULL***}

<there needs to be some safeguards or at the very least something in writing some promises to employees that they're not going to be annuitized out, that they're not going to be damaged in any way.>

{***VO***}

Committee members approved the plan as is... But the proposal was struck down later in full council.

{***NATS***}

{***VO***}

Pension board members demanded answers after Monday's committee meeting.

{***SOT FULL***}

<explain this to us in simple terms so we know what we're getting>

{***VO***}

Mayor Robert Reichert responded to their questions...

{***SOT FULL***}

<we are trying to keep the plan compliant with the IRS>

{***VO***}

But leaders of the board say they're still not satisfied with the proposed retirement plan.

They say city officials hired an attorney out of Atlanta who changed wording in the document just 24 hours before the council committee sat down for a vote.

<they haven't even seen a copy of this.>

{***VO***}

But Reichert says an attorney hired by the pension board had already agreed to those changes.

{***SOT FULL***}

<"that's a lie Mr. Mayor" "it's not a lie">

{***SOT FULL***}

<the attorney for the firefighters association and the FOP has confirmed that it is indeed a language change that could tremendously damage participants, fund members, and their beneficiaries and so we're bringing that out and we're saying something about it>

{***VO***}

Minutes before the council committee meeting... Members received a copy of the document with the changes... and some council members say that wasn't enough time to fully understand the plan.

{***SOT FULL***}

<how can we be expected to approve something that is so important as the pension fund of our police and fire retirees without even seeing it in advance>

{***VO***}

To meet IRS standards... Council must pass the plan in two consecutive meetings before October fourth of this year.

{***SOT FULL***}

<and if we don't get this passed, i'm very concerned that our retirees, our fire and police retirees could have adverse tax consequences. they could be taxed on some of their benefits that they're not taxed on now >

{***VO***}

But folks with the pension board are concerned their benefits could disappear all-together with the wording in the plan given to council.

{***SOT FULL***}

<there needs to be some safeguards or at the very least something in writing some promises to employees that they're not going to be annuitized out, that they're not going to be damaged in any way.>

Committee members approved the plan as is... But the proposal was struck down later in full council.

Katelyn Heck 13WMAZ Eyewitness News

City council decided to allow friends and family of Mercer law grad Lauren Giddings to place a bench at a city park in her honor.

Some council members spoke against the memorial in Washington Park in earlier committee meetings... but it passed a committee vote and a full council vote tonight.

They also adopted legislation that set guidelines for future memorial donations.

Council member Lauren Benedict says this is a step in the right direction for the city.

<There was concern that there would be a mad rush of people that wanted to place benches and other things in parks. I hope that we have that mad rush, we need that in our public spaces and now we have policies in place that make it a staff function going forward.>

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The Giddings family told 13WMAZ a few weeks ago, they plan to dedicate the bench during a memorial concert at Washington Park August 25th.

When the Georgia Secretary of State certified the July 31st primary election results today, State Senator Cecil Staton's lead over challenger Spencer Price narrowed...triggering an automatic recount.

According to a news release, certification means that all counties have provided the state with the total votes for each candidate.

Both Staton and Price gained a few votes in the process.

Going into the certification process, Staton had ten thousand, five-hundred eighteen votes for 50.5-percent of the vote, and Price had ten-thousand-three-hundred-thirteen votes for 49.5-percent of the vote.

After the certification, Staton had ten thousand, five-hundred twenty-seven votes and Price had ten-thousand, three-hundred twenty-four votes.

Staton's lead decreased slightly as a result: 50.49-percent to Price's 49.51-percent.

That small margin may not seem like much... But it falls under 1-percent, which triggers an automatic recount.

We contacted both Senator Staton and Spencer Price.

We couldn't reach Price..but Staton e-mailed us this comment...in which he claimed victory.

"Today, Secretary of State Brian Kemp certified the election results from last Tuesday, making our campaign victory official."

He also said, "The time for campaigning is over. It is time for Republicans to unify and to prepare for the incredible responsibility that has been given us to govern Georgia."

We'll bring you Price's response as soon as we have it.

A nationwide event...designed to strengthen the link between law enforcement and the communities they serve ..brought families to City Hall tonight.

Members of the police department, sheriffs office, and fire department met for National Night Out.

The gathering celebrates the achievements and efforts of local law enforcement agencies.

It also gives kids and community members a chance to interact with officers.

<we want to heighten the awareness of what you can do to prevent crime we want to strengthen the relationship between the law enforcement agencies and the community and we want to send a message to the criminals that youre time is up and this is a going away party for you. Get crime out of our neighborhoods>

Tonight marked the 29th annual National Night Out.

Demolition Crews tore down an abandoned house on Antioch Road in Macon.

Judy Le was there to watch Mayor Robert Reichert and a crowd of community leaders make the first dent.

This tear-down kicks off the 12 demolitions tentatively slated for the next two weeks.

A night off for the Warner Robins Little League All-Stars. They play Virginia tomorrow night in the semi-finals of the Southeastern Regional Tournament.

WRALL has won two straight after dropping their tournament opener to North Carolina last Friday. Now they face a Virginia team that blasted its way through Pool Play without a loss.

But the Warner Robins players we talked with our confidant they have what it takes to earn a victory on the field.

<Leyton Pinckney, "I never would have thought in a million years that I would play there, but now it's just crazy."

Kody Winner: " That never even rang a bell in my head its so exciting to be there.">

Game time tomorrow night is six o'clock.

In addition to notepads, pencils, and erasers... Some high dollar items will be among lots of students back-to-school shopping lists this year.

Among them...laptops and personal computers.

Brad Spiegel with Quality Computer Systems joins us now... Brad, what are the considerations when you're figuring out what a student needs?

Thanks, Brad. Leah?

25 hundred feet at 125 miles per hour...

That's what a Belgian man did when he took a flying leap from the world's largest free-leaping waterfall in the Amazon jungle.

Base jumper Cedric Dumont led a four hour expedition through the jungle to the waterfall which was a secret to most of the world until 2005.

Dumont and fellow jumper Jhonathan Florez jumped over the edge,..free falling for 10 seconds before their parachutes opened.

Florez who is from Colombia captured the whole thing on camera.

Dumont says he has completed more than two thousand base jumps...and said he wanted to jump off this particular waterfall ever since he first saw it last November.