GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THANKS FOR JOINING US.
I'M LORRA LYNCH JONES.
FRANK AND LEAH HAVE THE NIGHT OFF.
OUR TOP STORY... WE HAVE A RESULTS OF AN AUTOPSY... ON A 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL FOUND DEAD AFTER A FIRE...
WE'LL TELL YOU WHAT THEY REVEAL ABOUT HOW SHE DIED.
FIRST THOUGH... SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH OUR AREA IN THE PAST HOUR.
LET'S CHECK IN WITH BEN IN THE WEATHER CENTER TO SEE WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW.
THANKS BEN.. WE'LL TALK WITH YOU AGAIN IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
MULTIPLE GUN SHOT WOUNDS CAUSED THE DEATH OF A 12-YEAR OLD KATHLEEN GIRL EARLIER THIS WEEK... THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE HOUSTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
INDIA COLLINS WAS FOUND IN HER HOME.. WHEN FIRE OFFICALS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT REPONDED TO A HOUSE FIRE ON TUESDAY.
BRITTINY BARBER HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS STORY AND EXPLAINS MORE DETAILS OF THE CASE.
MORE INFORMATION RELEASED FROM THE HOUSTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE FRIDAY.. SHOWS JUST HOW 12-YEAR OLD INDIA COLLINS DIED.
ACCORDING TO AN AUTOPSY.. MULTIPLE GUNSHOT WOUNDS KILLED HER... AND NOW HER 17- YEAR OLD SISTER IS CHARGED WITH HER MURDER.
THE TWO GIRLS WERE HOME ALONE TUESDAY EVENING.. WHEN INVESTIGATORS SAY CARMEN KANEISHA COLLINS GRABBED A 40 CALIBER HANDGUN.. AND SHOT HER SISTER SEVERAL TIMES.
THE TEEN ALSO ALLEGEDLY USED GAS TO SET THE INSIDE OF HER ADDINGTON DRIVE HOME ON FIRE.
CARMEN THEN LEFT THE HOME IN THE FAMILY'S CAR.. AND TOOK THEIR DOG WITH HER.
AT ABOUT 7 O'CLOCK FIRE OFFICIALS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE.
WHEN THEY WENT INSIDE THEY FOUND INDIA... AND THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION BEGAN.
EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.. DEPUTIES FOUND AND ARRESTED CARMEN IN COLUMBUS.... AND THEY RECOVERED THE CAR AND THE FAMILY'S PET.
THEN LATER THAT DAY.. THE GOT A TIP ABOUT WHERE THE MURDER WEAPON WAS... AND THEY RECOVERED IT ALSO IN COLUMBUS.
ACCORDING TO LT. JON HOLLAND.. THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING... BECAUSE HE SAYS IT'S STILL UNCLEAR WHY CARMEN KILLED HER SISTER.
ACCORDING TO THE HOUSTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, NO COURT DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR CARMEN.
HE SAYS IT COULD BE AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK.
THE WORDS "FREE CHICKEN" PAINTED ACROSS A SHERIFF CANDIDATE'S SIGN... HAS PEOPLE CLUCKING THROUGHOUT BLECKLEY COUNTY.
DEPUTY JOHNNY BLASH SAYS SOMEONE PLASTERED THE RACIAL INSULT ACROSS TWO OF HIS CAMPAIGN SIGNS.
IF ELECTED... BLASH WOULD BE THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN SHERIFF IN BLECKLEY COUNTY.
HIS OPPONENT... INCUMBENT HAROLD LANCASTER... WILL HEAD UP THE VANDALISM INVESTIGATION.
FOLKS IN BLECKLEY COUNTY SAY THIS IS THE FIRST RACIAL ISSUE TO HATCH IN A LONG TIME.
Jerri Tuck: "I moved here in 1974 and racial prejudice was alive and well beyond my thoughts and Imaginations, so I was just real surprised because I really thought we had come farther than that."
LANCASTER SAYS THE GRAFITTI FALLS UNDER A CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY CHARGE.
THE MISDEMEANOR COMES WITH A FINE OF UP TO ONE-THOUSAND DOLLARS AND A MAXIMUM ONE YEAR SENTENCE.
BIBB COUNTY SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY IF THEY DON'T GET MORE MONEY IN AND CUT COSTS... THE GENERAL FUND COULD BE DEPLETED IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS.
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER RON COLLIER SUGGESTS ONE COST CUTTING MEASURE WOULD BE TO SELL OFF THE DISTRICT'S EMPTY BUILDINGS.
CANDACE ADORKA CRUNCHES THE NUMBERS.
-- MILLER B HIGH SCHOOL WAS THE COUNTY'S FIRST SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS.
-- IT'S BEEN VACANT FOR ... ??? YEARS... ONE OF 6 UNOCCUPIED BUILDINGS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OWNS.
-- THEY PROVIDE STORAGE FOR OLD FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT... BUT THEY'RE ALSO A CHALLENGE TO KEEP SECURE.
-- DAVID GOWAN... DIRECTOR OF RISK MANAGEMENT... EXPLAINS.
"You can see evidence of smoke damage from inside the building there..."
IT'S DAMAGE FROM A JUNE 21ST FIRE AT KING DANFORTH ELEMENTARY... THAT INVESTIGATORS SUSPECT WAS SET INTENTIONALLY.
"There was a lot of smoke damage in the building a lot of soot but there's no structural damage from the fire."
GOWAN SAYS WAREOUSE WORKERS MAKING A DELIVERY NOTICED THE SMOKE...
"we don't have anybody on site that's here everyday. We do try to monitor these buildings as best we can, these empty buildings, but it is a challenge."
CAMPUS POLICE AND MACON POLICE PATROL THE EMPTY SCHOOLS ONCE IN A WHILE... BUT GOWAN SAYS THEY STRUGGLE TO KEEP AWAY PEOPLE HE SAYS ARE UP TO NO GOOD.
"sometimes the break ins are vandalism, spray painting walls things like that, but the biggest theft items are the copper."
HE SAYS WHEN SOMETHING LIKE A FIRE HAPPENS... DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING IS THE BIGGEST COST.
"we cannot obtain insurance on the buildings themselves, the empty buildings, but we do have whats called contents coverage, so the items that are stored in there we do have coverage for that.">>
--- THE DISTRICT SAYS IT ONLY COSTS ABOUT $1000 A YEAR TO HAVE EMPLOYEES CHECK ON EMPTY BUILDINGS.... THOUGH THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE CAMPUS POLICE AND MACON POLICE PATROLS.
--- PLUS 12 THOUSAND 600 A YEAR TO KEEP THE GRASS CUT AT ALL 6 BUILDINGS
--- AND 28 THOUSAND 600 TO KEEP POWER ON AT MILLER-A AND KING DANFORTH.
IN TOTAL... IT COSTS THE DISTRICT MORE THAN 42 THOUSAND A YEAR TO KEEP UP THE EMPTY BUILDINGS.
NEXT WEEK I'LL DIG INTO WHETHER THE BENEFITS OF HOLDING ON TO THESE BUILDINGS OUTWEIGH THE COSTS.... AND FIND OUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF GETTING NEW OWNERS LINED UP.
--- CANDACE ADORKA 13 WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS.
GOWAN SAYS THE DISTRICT IS INSURED FOR UP TO 250-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE ITEMS AT KING DANFORTH.
RIGHT NOW THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS FIRE RESTORATION WORKERS TRYING TO SALVAGE WHAT FURNITURE THEY CAN.
HE SAYS HE WONT KNOW THE TOTAL COST FOR WEEKS.
SO BEN, THE LAST FEW NIGHTS... WE'VE HAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POP UP AROUND CENTRAL GEORGIA... A COMMON SUMMER OCCURENCE.
AND NOT ONLY WE CUT INTO PROGRAMMING WHEN THERE'S WEATHER OUR VIEWERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT.. BUT WE ALSO FIELD CALLS IN OUR NEWSROOM... KEEP PEOPLE POSTED ON 13-W-M-A-Z-DOT-COM... AND KEEP PEOPLE IN THE LOOP THROUGH FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
WHAT ARE SOME COMMON QUESTIONS WE CAN HELP ANSWER
AS THE WEEKEND ROLLS IN.. WE'VE GOT AN UPDATE ON HOW SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO GRAB A BITE TO EAT DID.. WHEN THE HEALTH INSPECTOR DROPPED IN.
BRITTINY BARBER JOINS US WITH THIS WEEK'S RESTAURANT RATINGS.
WE'RE BACK IN BIBB COUNTY THIS WEEK...STARTING OFF WITH OUR LOWEST SCORES.
TIC TOC ROOM AT 408 M-L-K BLVD... SCORED A 92... AN "A".
THAT'S UP FROM THE 63... OR A "U"... THEY SCORED ON THEIR LAST INSPECTION.
THE HEALTH INSPECTOR SAYS TOXIC SUBSTANCES WERE NOT PROPERLY IDENTIFIED... STORED OR USED THERE.
AND WAGER'S ON RIVERPLACE DR... SCORED AN 91... WHICH IS AN "A".
THE LAST TIME THE HEALTH INSPECTOR STOPPED IN THEY GOT A 98.. WHICH IS ALSO AN "A".
THE REPORT SAYS TOXIC SUBSTANCES PROPERLY IDENTIFIED AND STORED.... AND THAT THE PHYSICAL FACILITIES WERE NOT INSTALLED, MAINTAINED OR CLEANED.
NOW FOR A LOOK THE TOP SCORES OF THE WEEK..
TACO BELL AT 9-45 GRAY HWY RAKED IN A 98... AN "A".. ON THEIR LAST INSPECTION THEY RECEIVED A 100.
AND ARBY'S ON GRAY HIGHWAY RECEIVED A 94,, AN "A"... ON THEIR PREVIOUS INSPECTION THEY ALSO GOT AN "A" A 91.
JOIN US AGAIN TONIGHT AS WE AVERAGE OUR NOMINEES PAST FIVE SCORES TO GIVE YOU THE WINNER OF WEEK'S GOLDEN SPATULA.
LORRA
FOR ALL YOUR RESTAURANT RATINGS... GO TO OUR WEBSITE 13WMAZ DOT COM.
FOR ALL YOUR RESTAURANT RATINGS... GO TO OUR WEBSITE 13WMAZ DOT COM.
CLICK ON THE NEWS TAB.. THEN LOOK FOR FEATURES... THEN CLICK ON THE RESTAURANT RATINGS LINK.
MONDAY.. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS MAY LOSE THEIR INTERNET SERVICE.. UNLESS THEY CHECK THEIR COMPUTERS FOR MALWARE THAT COULD HAVE TAKEN OVER THEIR MACHINES A YEAR AGO..
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE WARNINGS ON THE WEB.. AND RIGHT HERE ON EYEWITNESS NEWS..
TO CHECK YOUR COMPUTER.. GO TO D-C-W-G DOT ORG.
AGAIN... THAT'S D-C-W-G DOT ORG.
IN TODAY'S 13 WMAZ DOT COM WEB POLL.. WE ASK "HAVE YOU CHECKED FOR MALWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER?"
35 PERCENT OF YOU SAY YES..
43 OF YOU SAY NO..
AND 22 OF YOU SAY I DON'T KNOW HOW