<So these cuts are wrong. They're not smart. They're not fair. They're a self-inflicted wound that doesn't have to happen. >
That's the president addressing sequestration... Forced spending cuts that will strike not only military installations like Robins Air Force Base... But a host of programs that rely on Federal funding.
Good evening and thanks for joining us.. I'm Leah Johnson.
And I'm Frank Malloy.
President Obama used the backdrop of a Virginia shipyard to highlight the impact of forced spending cuts if Congress doesn't step in.
The president spoke today at the Newport News Shipbuilding in front of a crowd of shipyard workers.
He told them thousands of blue collar jobs will be lost if Congress doesn't strike a deal by Friday.
<"In a few days, Congress might allow a series of immediate, painful, arbitrary budget cuts to take place, known in Washington as the sequester. Now that's a pretty bad name-sequester-but the effects are even worse than the name." >
The spending cuts would squeeze 85 billion-dollars from federal budgets over the next seven months.
President Obama said the cuts would weaken economic recovery.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the same thing before Congress earlier today.
Republicans are accusing the president of scare tactics and using the sequestration to campaign for higher taxes.
President Obama wants to replace those across-the-board spending cuts with a mix of cuts and higher taxes on the wealthy.
Republicans say they're finished raising taxes.
<I would be happy to give the President more flexibility, and rely on the agency heads to portion this amount of spending reduction in a different way than the sequester envisions. There are some members of our conference who are suspicious that the administration, taking advantage of such flexibility would seek to punish their political enemies. Though there are differences of opinion about that, we're continuing to discuss all of this within our conference and we'll let you know when we decide what we're going to offer. >
Republican House Speaker John Boehner surprised some today... When he used what a few of his legislative colleagues described as a choice word...urging senate members to action.
<"we have moved a bill in the house twice. We should not have to move a third bill before the senate gets off their (BLEEP) and does something.">
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid responded...that he was raised in a town with 13 brothels in it... And quote, "salty" language didn't phase him.
But he also fired back...blaming those on the house side of Capitol Hill...for the lack of decisive action so far.
As Friday approaches... Robins Air Force Base is already preparing for the cuts that will take place in our nation's defense budget.
For Robins... this means a furlough of nearly 15 thousand civilian employees.
The furlough will last for 22 days between the months of April and September...
And will cause a 20 percent reduction in gross pay for those employees.
Installation Commander... Colonel Mitchel Butikofer says the base will offer counseling and other services for those employees through an Employee Assistance Program.
<Colonel Mitchel Butikofer, Installation Commander, RAFB: We're here to provide as much outreach and support as we can through the established programs that have been given to us here. And just ask that the community be available to support as well as we go through this.>
If sequestration does take effect... furloughed employees will receive a thirty day notice.
In other news... the young boy... Who was the only survivor of a weekend house fire that killed his three siblings...is in "good condition tonight."
Today, 13WMAZ's Tom George spoke with family members, who talked about 3-year old J'ion Williams' treatment at the Augusta Burn Center.
According to Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones, Williams was taken off the ventilator today. He suffered minor burns and heavy smoke inhalation but will possibly be released tomorrow.
Meanwhile, heartbroken neighbors near the James Street home have organized a candelight vigil to remember the young lives lost.
< Tomorrow we're going to have a vigil at the house. The reason why we wanted to do it is because so many people in this community on this street are touched by what happened to those kids. And all these kids on this street go to school together .. Like I said, my kids went to school with them, and everybody just need to come together right now.>
The vigil will be on Wednesday at 7 p.m. At the house located at 1131 James Street in Macon.
Also over the weekend... Several people were injured in a shooting inside a home.
Now police are looking for two brothers they suspect were the gunmen.
A police news release says they have signed warrants against Adrian and Frank Fletcher Jr.
They say both men are charged with seven counts of aggravated assault.
Police say they live at 2856 Mercer University Drive....the home where police said eight people were wounded early Sunday.
Police say the Fletchers "are considered armed and dangerous."
Anyone with information on the case can call Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 877-68-CRIME. Again...that's 877-68-CRIME.
No one was injured in an accident in North Houston County tonight.
A Houston dispatcher tells 13WMAZ...a car ran off the road on Highway 247... Just south of the Bibb County line...and careened into a creek.
Everyone got out without serious injuries...but, she says all the rain has the water rushing with such a current... Emergency responders had a hard time getting to the car at all to pull it out.
When last we talked to them...we were told it may even have to wait until morning.
Romain Dallemand is officially done as superintendent of Bibb county schools.
Last night the school board voted to buy Dallemand out of his newly-signed 3 year contract for 350-thousand dollars.
this afternoon, the district confirmed that they transferred the money, cementing Dallemand's resignation.
Dallemand was on the job this morning, meeting with principals and district officials, essentially to tell them goodbye.
For the time being... A spokesman says his deputy superintendents will be splitting his duties.
As for what's next... We may know more after the next regular board meeting.
That's coming up this Thursday.
In the meantime, we wanted to talk to some of the board member who were there in 2011 when Dallemand took office.
Here's part of Randall's conversation tonight on Eyewitness News at six... with former board members Susan Middleton ...and Gary Bechtel, who's now a county commissioner.
He asked about Dallemand's hiring... and also about what they think went wrong.
You can see that interview in its entirety at 13WMAZ-dot-com.
Demolition crews tore down what used to be the Boys and Girls Club building in Macon earlier today.
The city incorporated the dilapidated building into the Second Street Corridor project.
It's located on Second Street passed the Hump Bridge... By the Macon Water Authority tower.
This space will become one of several parks proposed in that plan.
A group unveiled the master design earlier this month... With the Boys and Girls Club building as one of their starting points.
<when CHA and Huntley were doing their feedback sessions, they listened to input from neighbors, residents, and community leaders, and they did express a need to do something with this dilapidated building and do something better with this space>
The city has eight million dollars set aside in SPLOST funds to pay for the park... Redevelopment of a block of Second Street... And redesigning Little Richard Penniman Boulevard.
A demonstration in New York... One year after the shooting of 17-year old Trayvon Martin.
Martin was shot... police say by a neighbor.... While walking home from a store.
Today... His mother, Sybrina Fulton... Explained what she'd say to a jury... If and when George Zimmerman goes to trial.
<I would tell them that to us Trayvon was an average teenager. We never said he was not perfect. No child is perfect but we loved him. And we just feel like his life cut short too soon and it could have been prevented. We just feel like you know. its just, you know its hard, its hard to lose a child and just keep moving forward. >
Police say George Zimmerman claims self-defense.
The incident generated huge outrage across the country for months and led to a wide-ranging conversation about the state of U-S race relations.
And as Victor Blackwell reports, it's shined a spotlight on Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground Law.
<ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE KILLING OF UNARMED FLORIDA TEEN TRAYVON MARTIN THAT SPARKED PROTESTS AND RALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY -
nats
THERE IS NOW A RENEWED FIGHT OVER THE CONTROVERSIAL STAND YOUR GROUND LAW, THAT COULD MAKE HIS KILLER, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN - A FREE MAN - ONCE AGAIN.
"Can you start a fight, lose the fight and then claim stand your ground?"
MICHAEL SKOLNIK, OF THE TRAYVON MARTIN FOUNDATION BELIEVES STAND YOUR GROUND LAWS ARE INEFFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE REPEALED.
"It promotes vigilantism. It promotes the idea that you go out there and you take care of the situation and don't listen to police - don't listen to law enforcement."
LATE LAST WEEK, A TASK FORCE COMMISSIONED BY FLORIDA GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PUBLIC OUTCRY RETURNED ITS FINAL REPORT, SUPPORTING THE LAW. IT ASSERTS "... ALL PERSONS WHO ARE CONDUCTING THEMSELVES IN A LAWFUL MANNER HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO STAND THEIR GROUND AND DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM ATTACK..."
"All Stand your Ground is, is a form of the self-defense defense, but it gives the defendant a lot more ability to use self defense because self defense is so broadly defined in Stand Your Ground."
"You can do away with the statue and just look to common law."
ZIMMERMAN'S LEGAL TEAM, LED BY ATTORNEY MARK O'MARA, HAS SIGNALED THEY'LL ARGUE NOT THE CONTROVERSIAL STAND YOUR GROUND BUT BASIC SELF DEFENSE.
"He was allowed to do exactly what he did which was, be in reasonably fear of great bodily injury and resist with deadly force."
WEEKS BEFORE THE SCHEDULED START OF THAT "STAND YOUR GROUND" HEARING, FLORIDA LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING SEVERAL COMPETING BILLS, RANGING FROM INCREMENTAL CHANGES TO STAND YOUR GROUND TO FULL REPEAL. SOMETHING SKOLNIK ACKNOWLEDGES WILL NOT BE EASY.
"We're in for the fight. We know that when America changes, we have difficult growing pains. These are difficult growing pains."
<ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE KILLING OF UNARMED FLORIDA TEEN TRAYVON MARTIN THAT SPARKED PROTESTS AND RALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY -
nats
THERE IS NOW A RENEWED FIGHT OVER THE CONTROVERSIAL STAND YOUR GROUND LAW, THAT COULD MAKE HIS KILLER, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN - A FREE MAN - ONCE AGAIN.
"Can you start a fight, lose the fight and then claim stand your ground?"
MICHAEL SKOLNIK, OF THE TRAYVON MARTIN FOUNDATION BELIEVES STAND YOUR GROUND LAWS ARE INEFFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE REPEALED.
"It promotes vigilantism. It promotes the idea that you go out there and you take care of the situation and don't listen to police - don't listen to law enforcement."
LATE LAST WEEK, A TASK FORCE COMMISSIONED BY FLORIDA GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PUBLIC OUTCRY RETURNED ITS FINAL REPORT, SUPPORTING THE LAW. IT ASSERTS "... ALL PERSONS WHO ARE CONDUCTING THEMSELVES IN A LAWFUL MANNER HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO STAND THEIR GROUND AND DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM ATTACK..."
"All Stand your Ground is, is a form of the self-defense defense, but it gives the defendant a lot more ability to use self defense because self defense is so broadly defined in Stand Your Ground."
"You can do away with the statue and just look to common law."
ZIMMERMAN'S LEGAL TEAM, LED BY ATTORNEY MARK O'MARA, HAS SIGNALED THEY'LL ARGUE NOT THE CONTROVERSIAL STAND YOUR GROUND BUT BASIC SELF DEFENSE.
"He was allowed to do exactly what he did which was, be in reasonably fear of great bodily injury and resist with deadly force."
WEEKS BEFORE THE SCHEDULED START OF THAT "STAND YOUR GROUND" HEARING, FLORIDA LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING SEVERAL COMPETING BILLS, RANGING FROM INCREMENTAL CHANGES TO STAND YOUR GROUND TO FULL REPEAL. SOMETHING SKOLNIK ACKNOWLEDGES WILL NOT BE EASY.
"We're in for the fight. We know that when America changes, we have difficult growing pains. These are difficult growing pains."
Georgia has had a similar Stand your Ground Law since 2006.
Tonight's fan of the day is Claire Angle.
Claire will be getting her very own 13WMAZ coffee mug.
If you want to be fan of the day... Just like us on Facebook...and fill out the entry form on our Facebook page.
We pick the fan of the day randomly.