Good evening and thanks for joining us... I'm Jennifer Moulliet.
We begin tonight with a look ahead to Tuesday's runoff elections..
State Senator Miriam Paris and former state representative David Lucas spent the last weekend before election day... hitting the campaign trail to try and grab some last minute supporters.
Lucas supporters chose the phones as their way of contacting potential voters... reminding those who live in District 26 their vote is important...
They also organized fliers that were handed out at churches and businesses
Paris volunteers had the same idea... Canvassing neighborhoods... and making phone calls....
<Elaine Lucas:Every race, in every race you try to make sure you get as many folks out to vote as possible so we're just pleading folks to go back and vote for David Lucas who is the real democrat.
Senator Miriam Paris: we wanna make sure that we keep this run off in front of the people to let them know that this race is not over. We still have August 21st to make sure we make the right choice which is Miriam Paris for Georgia Senate. >
You can tune into 13WMAZ Tuesday night for in depth election coverage.
We'll have updates on TV throughout the night as well as 13WMAZ dot com.
Labor Day is down the road... But Georgia cops have already started the holiday crack down on drunken driving.
The Governor's Office of Highway Safety announced Friday that police... Deputies... And state troopers will start aggressively looking to pull over and arrest impaired drivers.
The state says almost three hundred people died in crashes in 2010 where alcohol was a factor... That figures to about one-fourth of all traffic deaths in the state.
WikiLeaks founder Julian [TAKE: (Ah-Sahnge)]Assange made his first public appearance since taking refuge at Ecuador's embassy in London.
As Tina Kraus reports... Assange had a message for supporters and President Obama.
NATS UP....ASSANGE/SUPPORTERS (LOCATOR: LONDON)
Julian Assange gave a thumbs up to supporters - as he spoke from the balcony of Ecuador's embassy in London.
NAT SOT - ASSANGE
THANK YOU FOR COMING FOR YOUR RESOLVE, YOUR GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT.
The WikiLeaks founder accused the United States government of trying to destroy his secret-spilling website.
(SOT - JULIAN ASSANGE/WIKILEAKS FOUNDER)
I ASK PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DO THE RIGHT THING. THE UNITED STATES MUST RENOUNCE ITS WITCH HUNT AGAINST WIKILEAKS.
Assange believes American authorities want to extradite him to the US to face spy charges.
His Wikileaks website outraged US officials in 2010 when it leaked thousands of classified government documents.
(SOT - JULIAN ASSANGE/WIKILEAKS FOUNDER)
THE UNITED STATES MUST PLEDGE BEFORE THE WORLD THAT IT WILL NOT PURSUE JOURNALISTS FOR SHINING A LIGHT ON THE SECRET CRIMES OF THE POWERFUL.
(STANDUP BRIDGE) (TINA KRAUS/LONDON)
ASSANGE WAS CAREFUL TO SPEAK FROM INSIDE THE EMBASSY. THE ECUADORIAN GOVERNMENT GRANTED HIM POLITICAL ASYLUM - SO UP THERE, HE'S SAFE. BUT DOZENS OF BRITISH POLICE OFFICERS ARE ON GUARD TO ARREST HIM IF HE TAKES ONE STEP OUTSIDE.
Assange took refuge at the embassy two months ago to avoid being sent to Sweden to face sex assault allegations.
He did not speak about those charges or Britain's attempt to extradite him.
Assange insists the accusations are part of a political conspiracy.
NATS UP.....RALLY
Latin American supporters marched outside the embassy to thank Ecuador's president for protecting Assange.
NATS UP.....
In Quito - President Rafael Corea condemned British officials for threatening to raid the embassy to arrest Assange if needed.
NATS....
Assange spoke for less than ten minutes - before stepping back inside his diplomatic shelter.
A White House spokesman said Saturday the Obama administration considers the standoff a matter for the governments of Britain, Sweden and Ecuador.
In other international headlines.... Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called Afghan President (Hameed)Hamid (car-zigh) Karzai this weekend to discuss the number of rising "insider attacks."
That's where security forces have turned their guns on Americans and other coalition troops.
Panetta encouraged Karzai to work with U.S. Commanders to ensure more rigorous vetting of Afghan recruits.
Earlier this week the defense secretary spoke out about the attacks... Saying it's the taliban... Taking desperate measures.
<The reality is the Taliban has not been able to regain any territory lost, and so they are resorting to these kinds of attacks to create havoc, and there's no question it's of concern. It's dangerous, and we've got to do everything we can do to prevent it. >
Both Panetta and Karzai agreed that both sides need to work together to address a problem that has intensified over the last couple of weeks
Wounded soldiers coming home from war may get help from the government to start a family.
The benefit would expand coverage of in vitro fertilization.
People with pelvic or spinal cord injuries can have reproductive problems.
The procedure is already covered for some active-duty soldiers who are critically injured... But its not covered for veterans who are no longer active duty.
The debate over 9-11 victims' remains is headed back to court.
Right now the plan is to put the ashes underground in the National September 11th Memorial and Museum.
Family members say they don't approve and want to poll each other to gain more support.
This is where the snag comes in.
The families will have to appeal a judge's decision to block them ... The paperwork says it would violate families privacy.
The victims relatives say they want the remains in a kind of "tomb of the unknown soldier" that's above ground.
Folks in Central Washington have their hands full with an increasingly strong wildfire...
Helicopter water drops along with better weather conditions have helped firefighters in their battle against the Taylor Bridge fire.
Still - more than half of the nearly 23-thousand acre fire is burning out of control.
It began Monday at a bridge construction site and quickly burned through dry grass, brush and trees.
Nearly 50 houses were either destroyed or damaged.
Kathryn and Lon Anderson were among the hundreds of residents forced from their homes earlier in the week.
Their house is still standing---many of their neighbors' homes are not.
<Kathryn Anderson/Resident
"WE SAW FRIENDS' HOMES THAT ARE GONE. ONE FRIEND BARELY GOT OUT -- AND HE CAME BACK TODAY AND FOUND EVERYTHING'S GONE."
JOHN BERGLUD/EVACUEE
"A HOUSE IS A HOUSE AND IT'S JUST THE WHOLE PICTURE AND I FEEL FOR EVERYBODY ELSE." (sniffles)>
A wildfire in northern California is threatening small communities there, and has already destroyed four homes. Officials say it began after a series of lightning strikes in the area.
A church in Warner Robins is gearing up to celebrate its 125th birthday.
Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church will party for the entire month of September.
From grammy nominated artists....to black tie banquets...September is loaded with celebration.
The church was originally located at Robins Air Base...but in 1941...moved to its current location off South Davis Drive.
Senior Pastor...David Clarke...has been presiding at the church for almost 10 years.
He says it's a blessing to reach the 125th milestone.
<very grateful. For 125 for any church is a mile stone, especially for a church that has never seen a split. We never had any disgruntled persons go off and start their own thing. Union Grove has been stable in that regard. >
Union Grove celebrates their 125th anniversary with 653 active members. For more information...visit our website at...13-wmaz-com.
A Warner Robins woman is looking for woman she's never met.
Marina Strohmetz came across a scrapbook in her friend's attic and has been trying to locate it's owner for over two years.
The scrapbook belongs to Martha Grace McClure. If she were alive...she'd be 90 years old. Strohmetz has been on a two-year search...sending out countless emails...to find the woman in the pictures.
It's a heavily documented scrapbook filled with homemade girl scout patches and valentines cards.
There are even some pictures that date back to the late 1900s.
<Me personally, I don't know my real mother. I don't know her family history. I know that if I had the opportunity to help someone realize their family's history and genealogy then I couldn't imagine doing anything else. >
The pictures say that the McClure family is from West Virginia. If you have any information...please contact 13-wmaz.
Check out this video from lake michigan....
It's a water spout.... Nine of them to be exact... All in one day.
They formed on the lake Saturday and forecasters say conditions could trigger more today.
The weather service says boaters should be on the alert.
Winds around water spouts can reach up to 60 miles-an-hour.
For all of you car enthusiasts out there... You may have several cars on your list of dream vehicles...
And if a regular Lamborghini just isn't fancy enough for you... the company has green-lit production on a more expensive model.
Lamborghini originally unveiled the Sesto Elemento as a concept car in 2010.... It costs two-point-two-million-dollars.
It also doesn't have any airbags.
Without the required safety equipment, the Sesto Elemento is not considered "street legal."
The car is strictly for use on tracks in the United States and Europe -- not on the roads.
Lamborghini boasts the car goes from zero to 60 miles an hour in 2-point-6 seconds.... thanks to a 570 horsepower engine.
If you're thinking about buying one, expect to pay about 48-thousand-dollars a month on your loan.
That wraps things up for us for Eyewitness News at six.... We hope you'll join us again for eyewitness news at 11
But stay up to date on all your news at 13wmaz dot com and maz mobile...
The CBS Evening news is next... Have a great night