http://www.13wmaz.com 13WMAZ's Top Stories on your phone. en-us Copyright 13WMAZ 2005, All rights reserved Mon, 12 May 2008 23:22:53 GMT Mon, 12 May 2008 23:22:53 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52311 Dodge County Sheriff, Lawton Douglas, says a hostage standoff in the city of Chester has been peacefully resolved. Sheriff Douglas has arrested Joyce Edge and charged her with aggravated assault for allegedly stabbing her live-in boyfriend Otis Lindsey. According to Douglas, Edge stabbed Lindsey in the eye and shot another man as he approached the house. That man was only slightly injured and called police. According to Douglas, his department, the Laurens County Sheriff's Office and the Laurens County SWAT Team responded to the shooting. Douglas says the standoff lasted just under two hours, after the SWAT team threw gas into the the house. Joyce Edge left the house and surrendered peacefully, he said. She was placed under arrest and Lindsay was transported to the Dodge County Hospital, Douglas said. He was transfered to the Augusta Medical Center due to the seriousness of his injury. 13WMAZ's Sheeka Strickland is in Chester and will have more tonight at 11 p.m. Mon, 12 May 2008 22:44:15 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52311 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52310 By: Carly Flynn Morgan When Sunday morning's storm woke Teresa Gainly and her family at their home on Lake Tobesofkee, she knew what to do: "We raced upstairs to get the children and grab blankets and pillows and headed for the closet." When she found part of her roof blown apart after the storm, she also had a plan. She said, "We knew our immediate concern was going to be to get the roof fixed and to get somebody out here that we knew and could trust." She's not alone: This weekend's violent weather across Georgia caused more than $50 million in insured losses and damaged more than 6,000 homes, according to a news release from John Oxendine, state insurance and safety fire commissioner. Gainly called a contractor she and other neighbors had used before. She wouldn't take a chance with someone new. "In situations like this, you always hear of people that will scam you and you know try to do things just for the money," she said. "And then when you give them the money, they leave and the next rain storm, your roof starts leaking again." The mayor's office held a contractors fair Monday at the Macon Centreplex to help people like Gainly make the right decision about fixing their homes. Shauna Bramlett with Able Body Contractors says some fly-by-night companies make people leary of all contractors. She said, "Make sure that they are reputable they are there to help you and they're not going to try to get in there, get your money, and leave before the job's done." With $10,000 worth of damage, Gainly says she wouldn't put her roof in just anyone's hands. "We knew him. We knew of his reputation," she said of the contractor she hired. With some work already underway a day after the storm, she says his workers are living up to that reputation. According to the mayor's office, the contractors fair will continue Tuesday. Andrew Blascovich with the mayor's office says the city does check companies' business licenses before letting them into the Centreplex job fair. You can also check into a company's background before hiring them by contacting the Better Business Bureau. Mon, 12 May 2008 22:41:38 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52310 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52294 Sunday's storms caused more than $50 million in losses and damaged more than 6,000 homes, the state's insurance commissioner estimates. "Our preliminary estimate today is more than $50 million in damage across Georgia. That figure may rise as new claims are reported," Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John W. Oxendine said, according to a news release. "I've been Commissioner for 14 years, and I don't recall ever seeing damage spread across the whole state like this." Oxendine sent consumer service personnel to storm-damaged communities Monday to get a first-hand look and to help residents, according to the news release. His office says people can call his Consumer Services Division at 404-656-2070 or, outside the Metro area, 1-800-656-2298, if they have questions about a claim, or if they are experiencing difficulty reaching their insurance company. Phone lines are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, according to the news release. Statewide, thousands remain without power a day after severe storms cut a swath through Georgia, killing two, downing trees and damaging homes and businesses. Georgia Power Company spokesman Jeff Wilson says 45,000 customers remain without electricity today, including 1,600 in the metro Atlanta area. Most of the outages are in the Macon area. Wilson said he could not provide a timetable for when the power might be restored as long as the wind continued to gust. In west Georgia, officials canceled classes for Carroll County students today because of storm damage. Meteorologist Mike Griesinger says the National Weather Service in Peachtree City has determined that at least six of the storms that hit Georgia on Sunday were tornadoes, including the one in Laurens County where one death occurred, as well as in Bibb, Clayton and Carroll counties. He says the tornadoes carried wind gusts of between 120 and 130 mph, Griesinger said. County administrator Bryan Rogers says authorities have not yet identified the person found dead in the rubble of a mobile home in Laurens County. The second death occurred in metro Atlanta, where the Gwinnett County Fire Department said a woman died after the top of a tree snapped in gusty winds Sunday and fell on her. Authorities have not released her name. Mon, 12 May 2008 22:46:47 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52294 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52292 Two people have been arrested at a closed Macon school and police are searching for one more suspect, according to Macon police. Macon Regional Crimestoppers Officer Charles Hubbard said the arrests happened just before 11 a.m. at the Ingram-Pye School, near Pio Nono Avenue and Mercer University Drive. He said three people broke into the closed school. All Bibb County schools are closed today due to lack of power and storm damage. It is not known why the suspects broke in. Officers arrested two people, butpolice say the third suspect got away. There were scattered reports of looting in the wake of Sunday morning's storms. Police Sgt. Melanie Hofmann and mayoral spokesman Andrew Blascovich said there were no confirmed reports of looting Sunday. Hofmann says there were "reports" of people carrying things down the street and one burglary arrest at a business overnight. She had no further details on that arrest. She also said there was one arrest for a curfew violation overnight. Anyone who witnesses a crime is asked to call Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68-CRIME. Check back with 13WMAZ.com for more on this story today. Mon, 12 May 2008 16:27:20 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52292 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52277 A Crawford County man died in a car accident this morning on Eisenhower Parkway. Bennyfrank Harrell, age 47, was driving his Chevrolet truck east on Highway 80 from Crawford County, said Lt. George Meadows with the Bibb County Sheriff's Office. Meadows says Harrell tried to pass a car and hit a large truck. It happened around 9 a.m. at the intersection of Eisenhower Parkway and Knoxville Road. Harrell died on the scene and the other driver, Michael Marshall, age 33 of Geneva, Georgia, is listed in stable condition at the Medical Center of Central Georgia, Meadows said. Mon, 12 May 2008 21:03:10 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52277 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52268 By: Sheeka Strickland Sunday and Monday evening could be dangerous for people to be outside in Macon so the mayor is asking everyone to stay put. Mayor Robert Reichert ordered a curfew for Bibb County from 8 PM to 6 AM Monday morning. That means no one can go on roads, highways or any other public property. "We're going to be polite and say you need to go home, and if they refuse or we catch them again, then they're going to end up going to jail for being out past the curfew set by the Macon Police Department and the Mayor," said Sergeant Steve Draper. He's on patrol Sunday night looking for people breaking curfew. The reason why is clear to see. Trees and power lines litter Log Cabin Drive and traffic lights on Eisenhower Parkway dangle on their last thread. Sergeant Draper says it's simply too dangerous too be outside. "Once it gets dark there's no street lights, your vision's going to be limited and with the amount of power lines that are hanging down," he said. "Someone's going to hit something or hit a tree in the middle of the road and its going to be too late." Police and Georgia Power employees are the only people allowed on Eisenhower Parkway, but on nearby streets many are out after the curfew. Draper said people who don't have power may not know there is a curfew, so some officer's use their P.A. system to announce the curfew for people within earshot. Draper said he has no water or electricity at his house, but he's lucky. Some of his co-workers don't have roofs on their homes, or have families at home cleaning up storm damage. He and a lot of other officers came in on their day off to make sure the rest of Macon and Bibb County are safe. The only people exempt from the curfew are law enforcement and any emergency service workers. The mayor says these people need their identification badges with them in case a police officer stops them to see if they're breaking curfew. Mon, 12 May 2008 04:59:57 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52268 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52262 By: Carly Flynn Morgan Some people woke up this Sunday morning with no place to worship. Along with homes and businesses, the storms took a toll on some churches across Central Georgia. Members of the Nu-Vision Pentecostal Church on Hightower Road arrived for worship to an unholy scene. "When I got here I found a devastating situation. The church was almost demolished. All the windows out, debris everywhere." said Pastor Ernestine Sherard. The storm carried off parts of the roof, sides, and knocked out the front window. It blew apart their shed, which held extra chairs and a baptismal font. But the loss of their building didn't stop them from praising God. "We couldn't have church inside, because it was too torn up, too wet. All we did was just have praise service on the lot," said Pastor Sherard. Members like Jeffrey Washington stayed positive and thanked God no one was hurt. "God has a greater plan regardless of what goes bad. God always has something better, and I know that this is only a stumbling block," he said. The congregation rents the building, and Pastor Sherard says the landlord can't repair it. "We put plywood over the windows that were blown out, because we didn't want looting," said the pastor. "We love each other and we love the Lord, and we're willing to do what it takes to continue to go on," said Washington. After patching up and salvaging what they could, members rested outside and asked God what to do next. About 100 people attend services at Nu-Vision, and right now they have no place to worship. Pastor Sherard says they'll rely on the community to hopefully offer them a temporary place, until they find a permanent place to worship. Mon, 12 May 2008 04:00:08 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52262 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52260 People at Lake Tobesofkee and Arrowhead Park could only use one word to describe the Mother's Day storms of 2008: Devastating. Dozens of mobile homes, campers, boats and cars got destroyed after severe weather, possibly a tornado, ripped through the area Sunday morning. "It sounded like a big wind going through, and then a train at the same time," said 13-year-old Allana Bailey, who was staying at Arrowhead Park with her family. "Going outside and seeing all the devastation... It was just a disaster." A disaster that many people in the area say was almost as unbelievable as it was destructive. "It looks like a war zone around here," said Wendell Smith, standing atop his overturned camper. "With the trees just torn in half everywhere, it's as if a bomb came down on us." His wife Carolyn says she was inside the camper when a tornado touched down. "We heard it, and then we heard all this screaming, people saying get to the bathroom," she said. "It's made of concrete, the safest place in the park. "What a way to start out Mother's Day," said Smith. Across Lake Tobesofkee at the Harbor Club Apartments, people say they also saw first-hand the destructive force of the tornado. "It tore the roof right off my bedroom," said Adam Matthews, looking at the sky instead of his ceiling. "I was just glad that I was alive because this hit us hard." Considering how hard both areas were hit, Carolyn Smith says its amazing that no one was seriously injured or hurt. "Of course everybody's shook up, but I think we'll survive," she said. "That's what we do, we help each other out in times like this." Sun, 11 May 2008 23:31:15 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52260 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52253 13WMAZ journalists were all over Central Georgia getting video of the damage and clean up from Sunday's storms. And YOU sent in your video of the storm and damage. Click HERE for extended video from the hardest hit areas. Click HERE for storm damage through YOUR eyes. These are photos you have sent in. Storm Damage Database: Click Here Find and Report Storm Damage in Central Georgia Mon, 12 May 2008 20:33:29 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52253 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52250 Several Central Georgia hotels and motels are offering discounted rates to people affected by Sunday's storms. The Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites off of Interstate 75 Exit 185 in Forsyth has prices from $55 to $70. Call (478)994-3400 for the Comfort Inn, and (478)994-9494 for the Comfort Suites. Also, Ansley Village in Macon is offering short term leases for people who need places to stay. Call (478)405-2286 Sun, 11 May 2008 18:59:59 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52250 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52249 Macon Mayor Robert Reichert told the public live on 13WMAZ that he had declared a state of emergency. Reichert urged residents to stay home. He urged residents to use drinking water sparingly because a pump failure had cut water to several neighborhoods. Water was reported out or at very low pressure in neighborhoods including Vineville and Bellevue. (Late afternoon, the Macon Water Authority said the water problems were resolved and county residents' water pressure should be returning.) The mayor said all three hospitals in Macon -- the Medical Center of Central Georgia, Coliseum Medical Center and Coliseum Northside -- were without running water. Reichert urged the public to use their cellphones sparingly to ease the load on cellphone networks so that emergency management workers can use them. Sun, 11 May 2008 23:32:14 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52249 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52248 Macon State College’s Maymester classes will resume Tuesday, according to a college news release. Students and faculty taking part in those classes on the Macon campus should report at regularly scheduled class times to the Student Life Center, according to the news release. The school says the Macon campus should resume normal operations this Thursday, May 15. The Warner Robins Campus is operating as usual. The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-2 tornado hit Macon around the campus of Macon State. That means winds of 111 to 135 miles an hour. The National Weather Service damage-assessment team says nearly half the trees on the Macon State campus were either broken or uprooted. Meanwhile, the Macon campus remains closed, cxcept for students, employees and others with official business. According to the news release, Macon State President David A. Bell said, "Buildings on the Macon campus sustained minimal structural damage during Sunday’s tornados. A structural engineer is evaluating every building on campus to ensure they are safe before they are reoccupied.” Summer semester classes should begin as scheduled on Tuesday, May 27. The news release also states that the school "is gratified by the numerous offers to help clean up debris on campus but, at this time, professional crews are handling that task." For updates, the school directs students, faculty, staff and the public to its web site, www.maconstate.edu. Mon, 12 May 2008 16:32:19 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52248 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52244 Bibb County schools will remain closed again on Tuesday due to storm damage, according to Superintendent Sharon Patterson. Patterson says teachers should report to school Tuesday if possible. Central Georgia Technical College's Macon campus will remain closed on Tuesday, but the school's other campuses will open. A news release from the school says some classes may have been moved due to storm damage, so students should check with their instructors. Johnson County's schools will also stay closed Tuesday due to the storm damage, according to school officials. The St. Peter Claver School will be remain closed Tuesday, according to Sister Ellen Marie Hagar, headmaster. First Step Learning Center daycare will not be open Tuesday, according to director Angela Edmonds. The day care is located on Newberg Avenue in Macon. Several area schools report that they will reopen Tuesday. Classes will resume Tuesday at Tatnall Square Academy, according to headmaster Barney Hester. Covenant Academy will reopen Tuesday, according to headmaster Danny Howell. Mount de Sales High School will be open. Macon State College's "Maymester" classes will resume Tuesday. The rest of the campus will reopen on Thursday. Stratford Academy will hold classes Tuesday. The school Registrar says their power came back on Monday afternoon. Students at First Presbyterian Day School will go back to school Tuesday. Mon, 12 May 2008 22:21:50 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52244 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52243 One man is dead, dozens of homes and businesses are damaged or destroyed and 57,000 people are without power after powerful storms tore through Central Georgia Sunday morning. As a result, Gov. Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in six Georgia counties, including Bibb, Laurens and Johnson. Macon Mayor Robert Reichert said the Governor is expected to visit Central Georgia Monday to view the damage. Johnson County's schools will be closed Monday and Tuesday due to the damage, according to school officials. All Bibb County schools will be closed Monday, according to Superintendent Sharon Patterson. The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-2 tornado hit Macon around the campus of Macon State. That means winds of 111 to 135 miles an hour. The National Weather Service damage-assessment team says nearly half the trees on the Macon State campus were either broken or uprooted. The team found that the worst damage in Macon was along Eisenhower Parkway and that Eisenhower and Pio Nono Avenue was the hardest-hit area. Much of Macon was without water Sunday because a pumping station had lost power, and Mayor Reichert urged people to conserve water until the problem was fixed. The water authority reported that water service was restored around 4 p.m. Laurens County and parts of south and west Macon were particularly hard-hit. But Monroe, Baldwin, Crawford, Twiggs, Jones and Johnson counties also reported feeling the storm's impact. In Laurens County, Sheriff Bill Harrell said damage is widespread damage and one person was killed. He said one person was critically injured. Laurens County Coroner Richard Stanley says Tracey Clements died in the storm. Stanley did not know Mr. Clements' age. Harrell said the worst damage appears to be in the north part of Laurens County near Highway 441 North and on the east side near New Buckeye Road. There is no damage inside Dublin city limits, he said. He said a mobile home on Highway 319 and a home on Highway 441 North were destroyed. Several homes were also damaged on Evergreen Road. He said many houses were damaged and many power lines down. Deputies are going door to door to check on people who might be trapped. Five people huddled inside a home at 2815 Buckeye Road and survived without injuries, according to witnesses. The home was destroyed. Around 6 p.m., some 57,000 homes and businesses in Central Georgia were without power because two transmission lines are down, according to Georgia Power. Spokeswoman Theresa Robinson said many people may be without power until late Monday morning. Many businesses in Macon along Eisenhower Parkway and Mercer University Drive were damaged, according to 13WMAZ reporter Carly Flynn Morgan, who visited the neighborhood. Olympia Skate Center on Mercer University Drive suffered severe damage. Carol's Linens and the Salvation Army and Goodwill stores were also damaged. 13WMAZ Video Journalist Larry Spruill reports that traffic was moving slowly on Interstate 75 southbound at mid-morning between Eisenhower Parkway and Rocky Creek Road because of trees in the roadway. Southbound traffic was limited to one lane just north of exit 160. Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena said 40 of his units were on the street Sunday morning, checking whether people were trapped and helping to clear roads. Modena said people were out driving in south Macon and he urged everyone to get off the roads and stay at home. A Macon police officer told 13WMAZ earlier this morning that people were trapped in structures in five separate locations in Macon, one of them near Chestnut Road. In the Bloomfield area, many houses were damaged on O'Hara Drive South and trees were snapped by high winds. The Bibb County Sheriff's office was reported moving its mobile command post to Harbor Club apartments at Lake Tobesofkee, near Moseley Dixon Road, because of severe damage there. 13WMAZ's Evan Pinsonnault reports that all 13 apartment buildings are damaged and roofs blown off at the Harbor Club. No injuries were reported there. Evan Pinsonnault also reports that about 20 campers and RVs have destroyed at Arrowhead Park. That leaves dozens of people stranded in the park and unable to get out. A house was reported on fire on Courtland Avenue off Napier Avenue in Macon -- a neighborhood where the water supply was interrupted. Earlier Sunday morning, Georgia Power estimated at least 32,000 homes and businesses had lost power in Central Georgia, according to spokeswoman Carol Boatwright. An eyewitness said a motel on Chambers Road near I-475 suffered significant damage. A dispatcher with Telfair-Wheeler's 9-1-1 received reports of a possible tornado on the ground around 7:15 a.m. at Snow Hill Church Road. Several viewers report damage in the Lower Thomaston Road near Lake Wildwood. One woman said her car was lifted out of her driveway, trees fell on another vehicle and her porch was ripped off. In Twiggs County, a viewer said the roof was ripped off one home in Fitzpatrick on Highway 80. Twiggs County Chief Deputy Billy Boney reported that the Stony Creek Baptist Church was destroyed and several other homes suffered severe damage. Sheriff Darrin Mitchum said Myrick's Mill Road and Highway 18 were both closed. In Monroe County, Emergency Management director Rick Perry says storm damage has blocked Highway 74 and Georgia 42. In Baldwin County, trees were downed on Parham Road off Highway 212. Jones County reported just one bit of damage, an awning blown off the Papa John 2 convenience store on Gray Highway. In Johnson County, 911 dispatchers said reported tornadoes caused severe damage in the city of Kite, population 1,000. One viewer also reported damage to Herschel Walker Stadium in Wrightsville. The fence was reportedly blown down. The Crawford County sheriff's office reports power outages throughout the county. Tornado sirens in Bibb County briefly failed because power was knocked out at Emergency Management Agency headquarters, EMA director Johnny Wingers said. Some viewers called saying they had trouble reaching Bibb County's 9-1-1 operators. The sirens were restored a few minutes later. A 13WMAZ employee reported seeing trees down on Wimibish Road and Forest Hill Road in north Macon. The windows were blown out at a Waffle House restaurant on Pio Nono Avenue, one viewer reports. Callers in Lizella and Roberta reported their power was cut. Some reported trees down in their neighborhoods. Mon, 12 May 2008 13:00:28 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52243 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52226 Dozens of people took big steps towards getting in shape on Saturday. The Fit for Life Coalition sponsored a Walk for Life at Macon’s Central City Park. Nutritionists and personal trainers gave out information about starting a healthy lifestyle and most importantly, maintaining it. They set up booths with brochures, food samples and flyers. Participants say they understand that obesity is problem for people all over the nation. One woman said she walked to boost her health, but also to encourage her friends. "My health is very important to me and I realize that obesity is becoming a widespread epidemic in the United States,” said Ashley Whitaker. "I do have some friends that have problems with obesity. As a friend, I try to encourage them and help them reach their goals.” A member of the fit for life coalition told us about 50 people participated. Sun, 11 May 2008 02:54:43 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52226 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52219 The Bibb County Sheriff's Office had a "safety festival" Saturday and they brought in all the troops, including the Georgia State Patrol helicopter. Several other law enforcement agencies from around central Georgia came to Lake Tobesofkee, including the Twiggs County Sheriff's Office and their dogs on the force. Lieutenant George Meadows with the Bibb County Sheriff's Office said the festival is a way to build relationships with families in the area. "Crime prevention is a team effort,” Meadows said. “Law enforcement can't do it by themselves. We need the public's involvement and the public's support, and together we can make a difference." Sun, 11 May 2008 02:45:35 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52219 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52217 Several central Georgia college students graduated Saturday morning. Mercer University had three commencements to honor grads from seven of their schools. Nancy Grace was one of the graduation speakers. She has her own legal analysis show on the Headline News Channel. Grace has her bachelor's and law degree from Mercer. Wesleyan College also gave out 98 masters and bachelors degrees Saturday morning. Cassandra King was the guest speaker. She’s a novelist known for her southern stories. Sun, 11 May 2008 01:15:47 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52217 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52216 The city of Macon may consider some of their older property trash, but Saturday afternoon they hoped someone else would call it a treasure. The city auctioned off old cars, TV’s, furniture, and several other supplies. Samuel Hughley works for the city and he said hundreds of people came to bid on things the city can't use anymore. Hughley said most of the money they make from the auction will go to the city's general fund. He estimated they could make more than $80,000. Sun, 11 May 2008 02:45:33 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52216 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52198 By: Carly Flynn Morgan Gas hit a new high in Macon Friday. According to AAA, gas here costs $3.60 a gallon, but that's still 7 cents lower than the national average. That's 26 cents more than a month ago, and nearly 60 cents more than a year ago. But according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, some people have hopped out of their car and onto smaller vehicles. They say scooter sales are up 24 percent so far this year, compared to this time last year, and other on- and off-road bike sales are also up. Daniel Harvill spent the afternoon eyeing some new toys. "I've always liked bikes any ways. So, it's more of a reason if I enjoy it and it's going to save me gas. It's just a sensible thing to do," he said. He says he can't handle his '51 Chrysler's 10 miles per gallon, and wants to make the switch to a smaller tank. Scooters and other two-wheel bikes get anywhere from 40 to even 100 miles per gallon. At Capitol Cycle on Mercer University Drive, Donny Banks says he sees people like Harvill everyday. "Motorcycle sales and scooter sales are all way up," he said. He says scooter sales have doubled from two or three a week a few months ago, to about six a month over the past few months. At today's prices, it costs about $11 to fill up a scooter with gas. You can go up to 240 miles on one tank. "We've had a ton of people in here that all they want is something that's awesome on gas," said Wesley Wood of Town & Country Motorsports in Warner Robins. Last year, they sold about 70 bikes during a good month. But last month, 100 customers rode home on new cycles. Wood says he sees different kinds of customers, because of fuel prices. "We have grown men now coming in and buying scooters that probably never would've even looked at them before. And now they're sitting on there looking at them saying I need something that I can save money on," he said. "I don't see any end in sight right now in the gas prices, so that means motorcycle sales are going to go up," said Banks. Harvill admits a bike isn't cheap, but he says with rising gas prices, he'd trade a new payment for pain at the pump. Sun, 11 May 2008 02:52:31 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52198 News http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52182 After tragically losing two children, one Central Georgia family opened their hearts and their home to adopting a child. It was an emotional decision that changed their lives in ways they could have never imagined. The NeSmith's home is the perfect place to raise boys. A quiet neighborhood, a huge yard to play in and even some goats and a pig! So, when Deby NeSmith got a call about a little boy looking for a family, she knew where he belonged. Deby said it all started with a phone call. "The foster parent that had him said, "Let me let you meet him. He's a hand full, I don't know if you can manage him and he just turned five." He walked in and he was like a spinning top. But, you know, to me he was just a little boy. A typical little boy." It took only seconds for the NeSmith family to fall in love with this energetic little boy with big dimples and lots to say. "You see them trophies over there? I won them! But I think one head fell off, but my momma fixed it. That's why she's the best!" With a smile from ear to ear, Triston recalls the day that changed his life, "I was so happy that time we went to the judge, 'cause my momma and dad really wanted me and I was so happy." Deby says the unconditional love Triston has for her and her husband, Ray, is nothing short of amazing. "He'll tell you he's just so glad to have a family. He's so glad to have a momma. To have a child tell you that - how glad they are to be here - it just touches you in places it's hard to explain." Eight-year-old Triston was one of many children in the state of Georgia waiting for a family to adopt him. Rose Chambers, with the Jones County Department of Family and Children Services, says many children are older and some have siblings. She says in Georgia, 2,200 children are waiting to be adopted. Fri, 09 May 2008 15:14:34 GMT http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=52182 News