Friday, June 19th

Reality TV star Phaedra Parks is among the headliners for an event that takes place this evening at the State Botanical Garden in Athens: Parks will speak at the Hancock Community Development Corporation’s Pearls in the Garden Fundraiser. It gets underway at 6 o’clock.

Today is the fourth and final day of the North Georgia Methodists Conference, wrapping up this afternoon at the Classic Center in downtown Athens.

Athens-Clarke County Police are asking for help from the public in the ongoing search for as many as five suspects caught on camera stealing two safes from a convenience store on Newton Bridge Road.  It happened last weekend at the Quick Pantry store on Athens' north side.  Police and the local Crimestoppers group are offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to arrest and conviction. Video can be seen on our website, Classic City Today dot com.

Superior Court Judge Patrick Haggard continues to consider the change of venue motion filed by District Attorney Ken Mauldin: Mauldin wants to move the trial of accused Athens cop killer Jamie Hood. The jury selection that started June 1 was suspended earlier this week. Athens-Clarke County Police Officer Buddy Christian was shot and killed in March of 2011.

Another campus blood drive is on tap for today: it starts at 10 this morning and lasts til 3 this afternoon at UGA’s Stegeman Coliseum.

For a third straight year, the Atlanta Hawks will open training camp in Athens: the Hawks will practice in late September at Stegeman Coliseum.

It promises to be a busy Saturday at the State Botanical Garden:  the North Georgia Daylily Society is holding its annual Show and Sale. It starts at 10 tomorrow morning.

Jefferson Middle School gets a new principal: the Jefferson City School Board names Kenneth Martin, who worked most recently as a middle school principal in Gainesville.

There are now charges for a Franklin County woman: Shirley Woods faces a second-degree vehicular homicide charge in the aftermath of a deadly car crash that happened almost two years ago in Madison County. The 31 year-old Carnesville woman was driving the car that crash on Hudson River Road in July of 2013, killing her 10 year-old daughter Kaitlyn.

The Atlanta Falcons have wrapped up their three-day mini-camp in Flowery Branch.

Flowery Branch has a budget for the new fiscal year: the Flowery Branch City Council met last night, signing off on an $8.2 million city spending plan, one that will be funded with no increase in the property tax rate.

Georgia State Troopers have released the name of the woman killed in this week’s car crash on Highway 365 in Habersham County. Kendra Dover was 27 years old, from Clarkesville.

Almost a week after his body was found in an SUV that was pulled out of a pond near Norcross, Gwinnett County Police have released the name of the 29 year-old man: investigators say Jose Contreras was from Lilburn. There is still no word on how his vehicle wound up in the pond, or on how long it might have been there.

The wife of DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis was called to testify to the character and the trustworthiness of her husband of almost 14 years. Ellis is charged with extortion, bribery, and perjury for allegedly pressuring DeKalb County vendors to give to his 2012 reelection campaign and for lying to a special grand jury about his role in DeKalb's contracting. This is the second time around for Ellis; his first trial ended with a hung jury.

Atlanta has a new fire chief: Joel Baker has been promoted from the position of interim chief, a post he has held since Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed fired former Chief Kelvin Cochran last year. Cochran was dismissed after writing a book of Christian values, parts of which were seen as critical of homosexuals.

Tragedy in Douglas County: a 3 year-old boy has drowned in a swimming pool. Damien McDougal died after being taken to a hospital in Carrollton.

The welcome center for the city of McDonough gets electric car charging stations.

More new jobs for middle Georgia: First Quality Packaging Solutions Company says it will invest $68 million and create 115 jobs in Macon.

There is now a murder charge for the man a south Georgia sheriff was chasing when he crashed his truck and died: the funeral for Montgomery County Sheriff Ladson O'Conner is set for Saturday morning in the Chapel at Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon.