Friday, May 15th

Athens is the epicenter of Georgia GOP politics, today and tomorrow: the state Republican Party convention takes place at the Classic Center in downtown Athens. Today’s speakers include two GOP candidates who have already announced their plans to run for president, and a third who is expected to do so: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie speaks at a breakfast session, while Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas speak later today. Delegates elect party leaders tomorrow: John Padgett of Athens is seeking a second term as Chair of the Georgia GOP. He’s opposed by Atlanta attorney Alex Johnson.

There are new national rankings for the executive MBA program in the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business: 14th worldwide, according to the Economist magazine. That's up from 22nd last year.

Today is staff appreciation day at UGA: the University President’s Office is sponsoring the day of activities that gets underway at 10 o’clock this morning on the intramural fields on Lake Herrick Drive in Athens.

Firefighters battled a massive blaze last evening in Oconee County: the fire burned the old abandoned Puritan Cordage Mill off Macon Highway. It’s an historic structure, built in 1799.

Authorities have now identified the man killed in this week’s deadly bicycle vs vehicle accident in Commerce: Michael Manley was 57 years old, from Jackson. He was hit by a car on Allen Road in Commerce. The Georgia State Patrol says the driver will not be charged. It’s the second deadly accident involving a bicycle this month in Jackson County: a pastor from Hall County—64 year-old David Fitzpatrick—was killed on May 4.

A Jackson County jail inmate walks away from a work detail. Authorities were, at last report, still searching for 36 year-old Michael Lillibridge, white male, 5-9 around 180 pounds. He was behind bars on drug charges.

There is now a date for a special election in Barrow County: candidates will qualify in June for voting that takes place on September 15. It's the race to replace former Barrow County Commissioner Steve Worley, who resigned after he was indicted. Worley is facing corruption charges stemming from his tenure as public works director in Monroe.

The state Department of Natural Resources says the first in a series of public forums on proposed changes to hunting and fishing license fees will be held one month from today in Hall County: the hearing takes place one month from today in Gainesville.

They’ll be hitting mailboxes in and around Gainesville: Hall County property assessment notices are going out today. Deadline to appeal the listed property values: June 29.

A Braselton man is now charged in connection with an officer-involved shooting that happened earlier this week in Gwinnett County: Gwinnett deputies say they fired a shot at 26 year-old Marc Blank after he tried to run them over with his car, a car that was later found to have been stolen from Florida.

The TNT Academy in Stone Mountain has a job opening: the principal has been fired. Nancy Gordeuk founded the private school in Gwinnett County. She was dismissed by the school’s Board of Directors in the wake of the controversy touched by her racially insensitive remarks delivered during last weekend’s graduation exercises.

Nobody hurt when a small plane slid off a runway at DeKalb Peachtree Airport: it happened during landing.

Former President Bill Clinton spoke to a gathering of architects Thursday in Atlanta. Those who were there say he did not mention his wife Hillary’s current campaign for the White House.

Double-homicide in Atlanta: two people, shot and killed in northwest Atlanta.

Afraid of going back to prison for violating parole, Tony Mitchell strangled his roommate, stole his car and drove to Florida. That's the word from police and prosecutors. On Thursday, a Fulton County judge and jury made sure he wouldn't have to worry about parole violations ever again. The 50 year-old Mitchell was found guilty of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault. and theft by taking. The conviction comes nearly four years after he strangled and beat to death one of three fellow parolees he lived with in a duplex in Atlanta.

A deadly crash near Marietta: one person ejected from a vehicle and killed in the accident on I-75 in Cobb County.

There is reward money in middle Georgia: $7,500 from the FBI in hopes of catching a serial rapist who has been attacking women in and around Fort Valley.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who won Georgia's Republican presidential primary in 2008, is the frontrunner in a new poll of Georgia voters. Huckabee leads Ben Carson and Scott Walker in the field of 2016 GOP White House hopefuls. It’s a poll conducted by Atlanta-based Landmark Communications for Channel 2 Action News in Atlanta.