Good evening.
Thanks for joining us.
I'm Frank Malloy.
And I'm Leah Johnson.
This is Eyewitness News at 11.
The presidential election is two weeks away...
And tonight... President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney met in their final debate before the election.
Tonight's debate was supposed to be about foreign policy..
Local Democrat Danny Glover and local Republican Jason Downey sat down with Randall Savage to watch the debate..
When it comes to foreign policy.. Downey says he's not impressed with what President Obama's has shown in the last four years... Glover disagrees.
"What has he not shown you in four years? He's shown me that he does not know how to handle foreign policy. You've got to be kidding me man. Are you serious? Absolutely. Explain. Again Israel I don't think he's been strong enough with sanctions. That's a matter of opinion, I feel like he has been strong enough, he's implemented the strongest sanctions on Iran he's in every year he's been president defense spending for Israel has increased to almost 3.1 billion dollars so I don't understand your logic. Well because Iran is still picking on Israel is still acting like a thug and popping off at the mouth and talks about how he's not afraid of America because we're so far in debt because Obama doesn't get it done on the home front either."
Danny Glover said the breast cancer awareness bracelet President Obama wore during the debate sent a message that he was more in touch with younger voters... More so than his opponent Governor Mitt Romney... Jason Downey says... That's would he would say too if his candidate was down in the polls in swing states like Iowa and Ohio.
"Though the bracelet may be small and trivial it does send a strong message just as I noticed the bracelet many other Americans have noticed the bracelet and wristband also. If he wore that bracelet solely that people would see it, he's pandering if he wore the bracelet and I would like to think that he wore the bracelet because he cares that's great I just don't read into it".
Election Day is Tuesday, November 6th..
Early voting is already underway in Georgia.
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You wouldn't know it from watching the debates.... but there are three candidates for president on your Georgia election ballot.
Our David Earl spoke with Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson about his absence from tonight's debate.. *and* how he thinks Romney and President Obama have it all wrong.
"David Earl, Eyewitness News: " Do you wish you were there to debate these two men?"
Gary Johnson, Libertarian presidential candidate: " Yes, of course. And we filed suit to debate them and I think I have been unfairly excluded. I would like to say it's thing to say I've been unfairly excluded, it's another thing to file a lawsuit to that extent and I have done that."
David Earl, Eyewitness News: "Have you watched any of the debates so far?"
Gary Johnson, Libertarian presidential candidate: "Yes, I have watched them all, and I think it's much to do about nothing. Both parties are talking about the status quo and that somehow we are going to work our way out of this? No. No way."
Johnson will join the Green Party, the Justice Party and the Constitution Party candidates in a Third Party debate tomorrow night.
Larry King will moderate.
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On the local level... the two men running for Bibb County District Attorney faced off at Mercer University tonight.
Earlier this month, Democratic candidate David Cooke's campaign conducted a poll that incumbent Greg Winters said contained misleading and distorted comments about Winters.
During tonight's debate a panelist asked Cooke if he would release his poll so everyone could see and judge it for themselves.
David Cooke, Democratic DA Candidate: "Well, we could release that poll. I asked questions about both of us. And some of it was things my opponent was saying about me that weren't true, and we needed to know how it effected the public."
After the debate, Winters said Cooke avoided the question. But when pressed, Cooke did answer it.
Greg Winters, Republican DA Candidate: "He was asked if he would release those questions. He said he could. But has so far refused to do so. I think that speaks volumes. (cooke) Randall, I just spent an hour and a half answering every question I was asked. (randall) That's a pretty clear cut question. Will you release it? (cooke) That poll was not made for public consumption. If we had, we would have released it. That was made to test even things that he was lying about me about. So I'm not going to release a poll that has a bunch of lies in it. (randall) So you're not going to release it? (cooke) No."
Cooke and Winters meet in the Nov. 6 general election. The winner will serve as district attorney for the Macon Judical Circuit, which covers Bibb, Crawford and Peach counties.
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Macon police are asking for the public's help in solving an apparent homicide.
87-year-old Christine Cook was found dead last Thursday in her home on General Lee Drive. An autopsy said she was smothered.
If you have information on the case can contact Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68-CRIME. That number again...1-877-68-CRIME.
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The trial of a Warner Robins teen...accused of killing the owner of a Mexican food store...is scheduled to get under way tomorrow.
District Attorney George Hartwig says they completed jury selection today...in the case of Jermontae Moss.
Back in September 2011....police charged Moss with killing 43-year-old Jose Marin...at his store on Bowling Drive.
They say Moss tried to rob the store...and shot Marin with a stolen handgun.
Opening statements in the case are scheduled to get under way at 9 a-m....in Houston County Superior Court.
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Three people including a 13-year-old face charges tonight after a teenager died over the weekend in a four-wheeler accident.
18-year-old James Bodrey died after he fell off of an ATV in Laurens County.
The sheriff's office says the 13-year-old was driving when the accident happened. He's charged with underage driving.
27-year-old Jeremy Brown of Arabi is charged with allowing the minor to drive the vehicle.
And 20-year-old Ryan Setliff is charged with possessing alcohol.
Meantime.. friends and family are remembering Bodrey... a 2011 graduate of Crisp Academy in Cordele.
James Bodrey died at the Macon Medical Center Saturday afternoon.
His father says Bodrey was in Laurens County Saturday with a group of friends on a deer hunting trip.
Jeff Bodrey says his son was on an ATV 4-wheeler... when he slipped... fell out... and hit his head.
"I was devastated you know. I never thought or dreamed that this would happen to my child. You don't wish this on anybody."
There will be a graveside memorial service tomorrow at 4pm at the Evergreen Memorial Garden in Cordele.
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The Houston County Fire Department is preparing for a major test... One they haven't taken in ten years.
And it could affect how much you pay for home owner's insurance.
The prep work... Like testing the counties 4-thousand fire hydrants... Began in June.
Each one has to be checked for the Insurance Survey Office inspector comes November 5th.
Fire chief Jimmy Williams says the survey will focus on their access to the water supply... Emergency communications... Equipment and manpower.
Their grade affects the cost of homeowners insurance.
The current rating for Houston County is a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. The top rating is one.
"If it moves from a 6 to a 5, then of course, you would save money on homeowners insurance. If it stays the same, it would be no affect. If it moves in the opposite direction, your insurance premium at your home would increase."
Williams says if they do well on the survey... And improve to a 5 rating... That would save homeowners 100 to 200 dollars a year on coverage for a 100-thousand dollar home.
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The Cherry Blossom festival has a new interim director..
Today Board Chairman George McCanless announced the selection of Jake Ferro as interim president and CEO of the Festival.
Last week, Richard Brewer resigned after just four months on the job.
According to festival officials...Brewer stepped down because he wanted to return to Charleston, South Carolina, where his wife works and his family lives.
Ferro has a background in the cement and kaolin industries and is a former President of the J-M Huber Corporation in Macon.
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A group of young girls in Macon say they're better people because of a program designed to inspire them to achieve their full potential.
In tonight's Hero Central report, we met up with the woman who created the "U Go Girl" program and the young people she's helping.
Lacy Fields has teamed up with the Freedom Park Recreation Center in Macon to help teen girls work toward their goals. Field says she saw a need in the community to create the "U Go Girl" program. She says she enjoys teaching young people the essentials for leading a successful and productive life.
"U Go Girl is an acronym for Understanding Goals and Opportunity, Giving Inspiration for Real Life and we go just that. I try to take real life situations for the girls to where they are now, this way they can apply it to their everyday life.
It's good advice, she's a good person to help you if you need advice. If you're trying to get into college or anything, she'll willing to help you just as long as you're willing to help yourself."
U Go Girl is an ongoing program that is hosted in 8 week cycles at Freedom Park in Macon.
For more information you can call 478-751-9248.
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It's the one place where most people take a break from their cell phones.. and social media..
But one church in Arizona actually encourages texts, tweets and even calls during services..
Officials at Fellowship Church in Anthem back up their philosophy with scripture...
They point to a verse in Matthew that encourages Christians to "preach the good news to all creation."
Pastor Ted Baird says he believes modern technology can help members do just that.