Hello everyone. Thank you for joining us.
I'm Frank Malloy.
And I'm Leah Johnson.
This is Eyewitness News at Six.
Bibb County school board members tackle the problem of violence in school...
The meeting was called last week in response to a report about safety in Bibb County schools.
The meeting also comes after several incidents involving students and weapons in schools.
This is live picture from the Board of Education..where that meeting will begin any minute.
You can watch it live on 13.3..That's channel 113 on Cox Cable.
We are also streaming it at 13 wmaz dot com.
Tonight at 11 we will bring you the highlights of that meeting.
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A police report says a Macon teenager rode up to a bus stop on his bike Friday morning... talked to some people there.. and then fired shots in the air.
The suspect is now charged with reckless conduct with a weapon and possession of a firearm by a minor. He was released to his family Friday afternoon.
The police report says the young male rode up to the stop at Sharon and Mimosa drives around 6-45 a-m Friday... He turned away as if to leave after talking with some people ... then started shooting in the air with a small hand gun.
The report doesn't say why.
A witness identified the alleged shooter...who was arrested later in the day.
No one was injured in the shooting.
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Tonight's web poll question...
What's the best way to treat students who commit crimes in school?
So far 35 percent of you say alternative schools.
65 percent of you say suspension or expulsion.
To vote now... Visit 13WMAZ.com.
Look for the question on the right side of the homepage.
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Over the weekend, officials in Telfair County found hundred of pounds and millions of dollars worth of cocaine ... Tom George went down to Lumber City to find out more.
<officials say it all began with a routine traffic stop ... Then they were led to here to this property on Highway 341 North just outside Lumber City in Telfair County. What they found? Around 800 pounds of cocaine ... Valuing millions of dollars. >
After stopping the suspect's truck, Sheriff Johnny Smith said... about half the cocaine was found in the rental truck, hidden under crates of tomatoes, and the other half was found buried in plastic barrels in the woods near the property.
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<about 8 to 12 inches underground, had to take sttel probes and probe around until we found them to dig them up >
4 suspects were charged with cocaine trafficking... 2 of them were husband and wife.Bertin Rivera and Silvina Sanchez of Lumber City. Locals said they never say any suspicious activity on the property.
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<i'm up in that arwea quite often .. I hunt on some land that adjoins the property that the people lived on and I rarely saw them, rarely ever saw any activity up there. They were real low key, low profile people. >
In a Facebook post...Sheriff Johnny Smith says he estimates the bust at $38 million - making it thethe largest in Telfair County's history and the largest in the federal Drug Enforcement Agency's Atlanta office in more than 15 years.
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<But I could not believe the amount they had found >
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<I mean this morning it just blew my mind .. I just didn't know what to think.>
But for most, they just say they're glad it's off the streets.
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<but who knew .. You know theres no way of telling how long they've been doing it, im just glad they caught 'em > >
Tom George, Eyewitness News.
Sheriff Smith and the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency first called a news conference at 9-30 this morning to discuss the big bust...then postponed it..then canceled. They referred questions to the U-S atttorney's office...which said they could not provide any further information...because U-S attorney Michael Moore was out of town.
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This weekend's cocaine bust in Telfair County got us thinking ... Just exactly how big of a bust is it?
We did some digging through the headlines and came up with these busts to put it in perspective for you.
The biggest Georgia bust we could find recently was from the Atlanta area ... Back in February of 20-11, 567 kilos of coke came off the streets thanks to an undercover operation.
It was worth almost 24 million dollars.
In July of this year ... Hong Kong made its largest cocaine bust ever ... Seizing 649 kilos valued at 98 million dollars.
Back in April ... A monster haul .... The Coast Guard seized more than 22 hundred kilos of coke worth an estimated 362 million dollars off the coast of Panama.
And if you think the Telfair bust is the biggest this week in the U-S ... You'd be wrong.
Just last Friday ... The Coast Guard nabbed 18 hundred kilos of coke off the San Diego coast ... Worth an estimated 50 million dollars.
The most recent comprehensive stats on cocaine come from 2009.
The United Nations shows a decreasing trend through the past decade in cocaine use in North America .... But that didn't stop traffickers from making an estimated 34 billion dollars on the continent three years ago.
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A Houston County School paused today to remember the life of a student killed over the summer.
12-year-old India Collins was shot multiple times in the family's home.. And her sister is charged in her murder.
Brittiny Barber shows us how teachers.. Friends and family honored her.
< I've got to do this if I don't India won't like it. Singing: Not a second, another minute. Not hour not another day. >
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John and Angela Collins stood before the students at Mossy Creek Middle School.. Where their daughter India should have been a seventh grader this year.
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< WE don't know what happened on that day, but we do know that her sister in her right mind would never hurt or harm her. We love our girls unconditionally. >
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They came to join with teachers.. Students and staff to remember the 12-year-olds life.
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< India was a great student here at Mossy Creek. >
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< Very Smart very studious always did everything I asked of her. She was not talkative. She was just great. She was one of the best students that I ever had. >
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Principal Andy Gentry gave her parent's a plaque.. And showed the family where her name was added to a stone remembering the classmates lost.
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< We've actually planted another weeping willow in memory of her. You know the weeping willow symbolizes emotions and tears. It just gives us a good memory every time we look at that tree >
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<singing: I need you now>
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The Collins' thanked the everyone for their support during the difficult time.. and left with a message to their daughter.
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< Sleep on in peace baby girl. WE won't stop until justice is served. We love you our Nay Nay >
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< Singing: Not an hour another day... But at this moment with my arms outstretched. I need you to make a way. >
17-year old Carmen Collins is charged with her sister's murder and arson.
She is still in the Houston County Jail.
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An Atlanta-area high school basketball player died three days after he collapsed during a preseason workout.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports... 16-year-old Adam Smith died Sunday night at Northside Hospital-Forsyth.
The Buford High School junior was taken to the hospital last Thursday after he collapsed while running.
School officials say Smith fell moments after he told a teacher he didn't feel well.
His cause of death is not available at this time.
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A Columbus Georgia man arrested for kidnapping and carjacking...refuses to go to court...and promised to fight jailers if they made him go.
Officials at the Muscogee County jail say police arrested Randy Harmon Friday.
He's accused of forcing an 82-year-old man into a church, tying him up and stealing his truck keys on September second.
Harmon was driving the stolen truck when he was arrested outside a parole office.
He was supposed to have a court hearing Saturday...but didn't go.
Harmon faces several charges including armed robbery...burglary...and violation of parole.
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This weekend...the star of the reality show"here Comes Honey Boo Boo" made a stop in Macon along with her mom.
Our Austin Lewis sat down the Alana Thompson and Mama June to talk about how their life has changed since the show.
We asked "honey Boo Boo's" mom June Shannon if there is a season two in the works.
She said she didn't know.. And fans will just have to tune in and see.
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Many of you had something to say about "honey Boo Boo" on our Facebook page.
Sheila says:
Who cares.......they may not be bad people but the children behave badly.....
Amanda posted this comment:
If you people would actually sit down for a moment and watch the show instead of assuming you would see that this family does much more good for the community in a 30 minute episode then some of you do in a year. They raise money and give to the charity and volunteer their time in just about every episode. So they have a good time while they do it, at least they aren't sitting around using their time to judge others.
You can join the online conversation by visiting the 13-WMAZ Facebook page.
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Ward Stare... Macon Symphony Orchestra's new conductor spoke to Macon's Rotary club today.
He says he hopes to bring something new to Macon...while expanding the symphony's reach into the community.
<it's important for an orchestra to get out into the community in a way that they are visible and accessible that people can explore their potential love or potential talents for music and just enjoy it. That's the beautiful thing about music you can perform it yourself, you can just appreciate it and support it in any number of ways, and you can come to concerts and just enjoy it for yourself." >
For more of that interview, and a look into what's in store this season for the Macon Symphony Orchestra visit our website at 13WMAZ dot com and look for this webstory.