Monday, January 12th

The Athens-Clarke County Republican Party meets this evening, 6 o’clock at the Country Inn and Suites on Old Epps Bridge Road. The featured speaker is Mike Beatty, former head of the state Department of Community Affairs, now president and CEO of the Great Promise Partnership. That’s an organization aimed at helping at-risk youth in Georgia.

The Athens-Clarke County Commission’s Lexington Road corridor study group meets this afternoon, 5:15 at the Government Building on Dougherty Street.

Today’s campus blood drive: 11 til 5 at the University of Georgia’s Tate Student Center.

A new study from researchers the University of Georgia finds the black bear population in middle Georgia is only about half what they thought it was. UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources finds only about 140 bears in central Georgia. Previous estimates had hovered around 300.

Today is an open house day in Clarke County elementary schools: activities get underway at 9 o’clock this morning in schools in and around Athens.

The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission meets this evening: it’s a 6 o’clock session at the Hancock Avenue headquarters of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce.

Athens-Clarke County Police are investigating cases of car vandalism: police says vehicles were spray-painted in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Gaines School Road.

Athens-Clarke County Police investigate a reported assault at a home on Sarsen Circle: a police report says an argument over a football game featured one man hitting another with a hammer; the man who was hit leaving the home, then coming back with a gun. Police say no shots were fired. Both men say they will look to press charges in the case.

The GBI is joining police in Gainesville in a homicide investigation after a gruesome weekend discovery: the dismembered body of a murder victim was found in a room at an extended stay hotel on Jesse Jewell Parkway in Gainesville. The name of the victim has not yet been released. Police were, at last report, looking for a man described as a person of interest in the case.

Hall County Congressman Doug Collins is pushing his bill to defund a presidential executive order on illegal immigrants. It would prevent using fees to pay for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Republican Collins also targets amnesty for illegals. He hopes to attach the measure to a Homeland Security bill.

There were no injuries in the Sunday fire that caused extensive damage to the home of Dawson County Sheriff Billy Carlisle. The Sheriff was not home at the time; his 17 year-old son was. Dawson County fire investigators say the blaze appears to have started in a laundry room. They say foul play is not suspected.

Starting today, the Atlanta Falcons begin selling personal seat licenses for the new stadium that is scheduled to open in 2017. And there is a report that Hank Aaron is part of a group that is looking to buy the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.

There is a new push for a vacant hospital building in Smyrna to become a V-A medical center.

Larry Church, the former Kennesaw mayor who now serves on the Kennesaw City Council, was behind bars over the weekend. The 66 year-old Church was indicted last week on child porn and child molestation charges.

Funerals today for the victims of last week’s triple murder-suicide in Paulding County: Paulding County Sheriff’s Office investigators say 21 year-old Felix Almonte shot and killed 52 year-old sheriff’s deputy Sam Driskell and Driskell’s wife and 12 year-old daughter before shooting and killing himself. Services are the West Ridge Church in Dallas.

44 people arrested in Spaulding County: methamphetamine trafficking charges, capping a 4-month investigation by the Spaulding County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI.

Crawford County Sheriff’s deputies are looking for a grave robber: somebody dug up a 148 year-old grave in a Crawford County cemetery, a grave holding the remains of a Confederate soldier.

Prosecutors say a Brunswick pharmacy technician stole 48,000 prescription pills. 37 year-old Wayne Memorial Hospital pharmacy worker Buffy Bradford admits conspiring to distribute the pain meds illegally. Stolen pills include Xanax and Hydrocodone.

Nathan Deal begins his second term as Governor today: his inauguration is set for 2 o’clock this afternoon in Atlanta. The inauguration activities have been moved inside because of the threat of rainy weather.

The 2015 legislative session begins this morning in Atlanta. Georgia lawmakers are expected to tackle a long list of tough budget issues, maybe the most difficult being the thorny issue of funding for transportation infrastructure. House Speaker David Ralston says all options are on the table: that appears to include a possible increase in the state’s motor fuel tax.