Our top story at six
... Students and staff are slowly returning to Georgia College...after a bomb threat that evacuated its Milledgeville campus.
Meanwhile...law enforcement continues to search the campus.
Candace Adorka joins us now by phone.
We'll update this story when new details become available at 13WMAZ dot com and Candace will more at eyewitness news at 11.
--------------------------------------
Nearly five years ago.... a Macon woman died after someone fired dozens of shots into her home.
Now police think they have the men responsible.
Tom George has more...
In February 2008....Gwendolyn Cole was killed... when someone pumped more than 70 rounds into her home on Bradstone Circle...in East Macon. She died the next morning.
The next day...her friend fred smith...wondered why.
}
<it was hard to believe that someone had did that to her ... Gwen would help anybody, she wouldn't harm a soul. >
Now after nearly five years...Macon Police have charged two men, 33-year old Marlon Jackson, and 35-year old Benjamin Finney, with her murder.
Macon Police Captain Jimmy Barbee worked the case....and is now in Internal Affairs.
He said the two men asked for her son....and may have been targeting him.
<they knew this was a woman behind the door,ditnt make any difference to them. They went there with one goal, they completed that goal .. Miss Gwendolyn was killed and they gon' pay for it now.>
We spoke to several neighbors.....who said they're glad justice was finally done.
Barbee says he still has dozens of cold case files in the City of Macon.... and said the department is determined to solve all of them....no matter how long it takes.
Jackson is being held in the Bibb County Jail.. and Finney in Jones County. Police spokeswoman Jami Gaudet says both were arrested last night.
--------------------------------------
Three people are in the Bibb County jail tonight.. charged with burglarizing three homes in central Georgia.
The sheriff's department says they've recovered 18 firearms... more than 12 thousand dollars in cash... and about 20 thousand dollars in jewelry... allegedly taken in the break-ins.
Jennifer Arnold, James Hinson and Darnell Jackson were arrested at a motel near I-75 and Highway 247...
The sheriff's department says Arnold and Hinson each face several charges.. including burglary... theft by receiving.. and theft by taking.
Jackson is charged with theft by receiving... and violating probation.
All three are in the Bibb county jail.
One homeowner was at today's news conference.. where he picked up his stolen property.
< Due to the help of my neighbors, information on the vehicle, and people they were able to apprehend them within 36 hours. >
According to Bennett, the Sheriff's department is still trying to locate some of the items.
They've placed a stop on some jewelry that has been sent out of state... once located... The department will determine if it belongs to Bennett.
--------------------------------------
There's some good news tonight for some victims of superstorm Sandy...
Utility officials say it appears that power will be restored in Manhattan by Saturday...
That's where more than a quarter of a million homes and businesses are in the dark tonight..
Three days after the storm slammed into the Northeast.. more than 80 deaths have been confirmed.
Also... more than four and a half million homes and businesses are without electricity.
New Jersey took the brunt of storm which left the coastline in ruins..
This is video of the Jersey shore from Google Earth.
It shows how it looked before... and after Sandy.
------------------------------------
Tonight's web poll question asks..
Do you approve of President Obama's handling of the Sandy disaster?
55 percent of you say yes..
45 percent say no.
To vote now... Visit 13WMAZ.com.
Look for the question on the right side of the homepage.
-------------------------------
The Georgia Department of Education wants to encourage parental involvement in schools across the state.
So... They went on a search for the most family-friendly schools.... And turned up two... Out of only three selected In Houston County.
Lorra Lynch Jones shows you what a Perry and a Warner Robins Elementary school are doing to stand out as the state's best.
Christal Reid comes to this Morningside Elementary classroom 5 days a week.
You may assume she's the teacher.. But nope... She's a parent volunteer.
<I think it's one of the best schools there is and my child loves to come.>
and Mom feels 100-percent welcome.
That's the goal of family-friendly strategies principal Pat Witt incorporates.
<there's a lot of things were doing here at Morningside that are innovative ways of making sure families stay involved with their children.>
She says a state selection committee gave particular attention to their parent resource center...
their willingness to work with children who need special diets... And families without reliable transportation.
<we have come up with some creative ways of going to them, going to their house, going to their place of business.>
Miller Elementary is celebrating their successes too.
<we have an open door policy. Parents are free to come, to call.>
Principal Gwen Pearson-Kilgore says they invite parents into the classrooms once a month... Sometime for the entire day.
{***nats***}
The parent library offers adults an education in technology and their child's curriculum...
And the state graded them on customer service too.
<we go that extra step to do whatever it takes.>
It's paying off at two of Georgia's most family friendly schools.
In Houston County, Lorra Lynch Jones, 13WMAZ, Eyewitness News.
--------------------------------------------
Georgia's only elected independent state legislator, State Representative Rusty Kidd will be fighting for his seat on Tuesday against business owner and Democrat...Quentin Howell.
Austin Lewis has more on this race.
Democrat Quentin Howell...is trying to make his case to voters.
Howell touts his experience as a small business owner...he runs a medical supply store in Milledgeville.
He says one of the ways he wants to grow the economy in Baldwin county...is by tackling what he calls an unfair tax structure.
<Quentin Howell: We are giving billion dollar companies million dollar tax incentives and these same companies are leaving going to Mexico, China wherever the case may be small business owners like me and others throughout this community we live in Milledgeville, we live in Putnam County, when we start business here we're gonna stay here cause this is our home. >
He says strengthening education in District 145...will also strengthen the economy.
<Quentin Howell: Every single county or community when looked at corporate entities or headquarters, Fortune 500 companies look at the public school system and the state of Georgia unfortunately public school system has fallen nationally, not because we don't have good employees or we don't have smart students but the state legislature has not put an emphasis on the public school system. >
State Representative Rusty Kidd...says being an independent is in his blood...his father was an elected Democrat...and his sister an elected republican.
He says that helps him reach Georgia's middle.
<Rusty Kidd: The parties, the democratic party and the republican party expect their members to fall in line in the major issues that they are in favor of and I don't think the public elects people to fall in line on thoughts of somebody else I think they elect people to do what they feel is best for their community and constituency>
Kidd says one of his biggest legislative achievement was getting bond money for projects in his district.
<Rusty Kidd: Like this past session the governor set aside 100 million dollars for the entire state for 159 counties and we were lucky enough here to get 27 million out of the 100 so we got over a fourth of what the governor set aside>
Both candidates say they have plans to turn the economy around...you'll get your chance to decide on Tuesday.
Austin Lewis 13WMAZ Eyewitness News.
House District 145 covers all of Baldwin County...and part of Putnam.
Early voting statewide...ends tomorrow.