Friday, January 23rd

Former Atlanta Mayor, U.S. Congressman, and U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young is in Athens this morning: Young is the keynote speaker at today’s Martin Luther King Junior Freedom Breakfast, which gets underway at 7:30 in the University of Georgia’s Tate Student Center.

Researchers in the University of Georgia’s College of Education will use a five-year, $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to create a new science curriculum.

The University of Georgia hosts the 2015 Sustainability Science Symposium, underway at 9 o’clock this morning at the Georgia Center.

Oconee County Commissioners are meeting again today in Athens: this is day two of a two-day planning session; it gets underway at 8:30 at the offices of the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission. They’ll go til around 5 o’clock this afternoon.

The Barrow County Sheriff's Office is asking for help from the public in finding two men accused in a summer theft at a cabin off Dee Kennedy Road, theft that results in the loss of antiques and other collectibles. Sheriff's Office investigators say they have obtained photographs of the suspects.

The DOT has reopened, five days ahead of schedule, a stretch of highway in Braselton: a detour had been in place on State Route 347 in Braselton, which is the scene of an ongoing road reconfiguration. It’s a 7.9 mile, $38 million project due for completion by this time next year.

A ruling from an administrative law judge is a blow to operators of the Wilbros plant in Stephens County: the judge has upheld a state Environmental Protection Division ruling that revokes the Wilbros operating permits. The bio-mass facility is accused of pumping an unlawfully foul odor into the air near Toccoa. Residents have been complaining about Wilbros for years.

The University of North Georgia, with its four campuses in Gainesville, Watkinsville, Dahlonega, and Cumming, is reporting a record spring semester enrollment of more than 15,700 students. UNG says that is up 5 percent from spring of last year.

A Hall County woman faces arson and insurance fraud charges after allegedly setting fire to her house in Flowery Branch: 34 year-old Jaclin Lance reported the December fire to Hall County firefighters, who now say she set the blaze herself. Lance had a first court appearance earlier this week; she is now free on bond.

Hall County Tax Commissioner Darla Eden has been appointed to a post on the Technology Development Council of Georgia.

The first week of early voting in the House District 120 runoff wraps up today: Greensboro City Councilman Trey Rhodes and Putnam County State Court Judge Jesse Copelan are racing toward a February 3 election day. The winner replaces former Greene County state Rep Mickey Channell, who cited health reasons in resigning his legislative seat earlier this month.

The Atlanta Hawks will try to enter the record books tonight: the Hawks can set a new franchise mark with a victory over the Indiana Pacers by extending their winning streak to 15 games. The Hawks and Pacers tip at 7:30 in Philips Arena.

Five teenagers arrested in Polk County: police say they used a B-B gun to shoot out storefront windows in the historic district of downtown Cedartown.

Former Crawford County Commissioner Harold Spillers is being treated for gunshot wounds after gunfire at a welding shop in Roberta. Another man was also shot: he has been treated and released. Spillers was removed from office by Governor Sonny Perdue a decade ago after a theft conviction, a conviction that was later overturned on appeal.

A Tybee Island City Council member is talking about a possible ban on smoking on Tybee Island beaches. Councilman Rob Callahan says he’s tired of seeing cigarette butts on the beach.

The Georgia jobless rate is down again: the state Labor Department reports a 6.9 percent unemployment rate for December. That is down from 7.2 percent in November.

Hundreds of pro-life demonstrators staged a Thursday rally at the state capitol in Atlanta, marking the 42^nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial Roe vs Wade decision.

Georgia lawmakers wrap up a week of House and Senate budget hearings beneath the Gold Dome in Atlanta.

Governor Nathan Deal is back in Atlanta: he spent much of the week on a trade trip to England.

In the wake of police shooting controversies in Ferguson Missouri and Staten Island New York, a Georgia Congressman is introducing a measure that would reform the grand jury system. DeKalb County Democrat Hank Johnson's bill now has 21 co-sponsors and would require a special prosecutor and public hearings whenever a law enforcement officer kills someone.