Thursday, June 18th

It's a decade away, but the Georgia Bulldog football team has lined up a new non-conference final: the Dogs will play the UCLA Bruins in Athens and in Los Angeles in 2025 and 2026.

The editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the featured speaker at today's Terry Third Thursday event in Atlanta: Kevin Riley speaks in a session that starts at 7 o'clock this morning at UGA's Terry Executive Center on Lenox Road in Atlanta.

The University of Georgia looks into the purchase of 16 electric buses at a price tag of around $11.5 million. UGA hopes to secure funding through a federal grant.

Today is another midterm day at UGA: midterm for the University’s extended summer session classes, and the last day for students to withdraw from those classes.

The Northeast Georgia Regional Commission meets this afternoon in Athens: it’s a 12 o’clock session at the downtown Holiday Inn.

Today is day 3 of the four-day conference of North Georgia Methodists, the annual gathering that is taking place at the Classic Center in downtown Athens. It's an event that typically brings more than 3,000 visitors.

The Georgia DOT says there will be more blasting this morning in Watkinsville: it's part of work on the Mars Hill Road widening project; it's set for around 11:30 this morning. The DOT is in the early phases of work on the $26.3 million job that is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2018.

They were on parole from drug charges in Barrow County: now two women are facing charges in Banks County. Amanda Garner and Tiffany Wheeler are from Winder. They're accused of leaving the scene of an automobile accident, leading Banks County Sheriff's deputies on a foot chase near Highway 323.

Hoschton needs a new City Clerk: Jacqueline Crouse has submitted her resignation to the Hoschton City Council.

A student at North Hall high school has been indicted for making a bomb threat at the school in Hall County: the charges are for 18 year-old Emilio Avalos of Gainesville, who is accused of leaving a bomb threat on the wall of a restroom at the school. It happened back in February.

There are drug and weapons charges for a man who was arrested in Lumpkin County: drug agents raided a residence in Dahlonega, confiscating marijuana and two firearms and arresting 65 year-old Alton Grimes.

Georgia State Troopers say one person was killed in a Wednesday afternoon crash in Habersham County: the single-vehicle accident happened on Highway 365 near Mount Airy. The victim is said to have been a 27 year-old woman from Clarkesville.

The DeKalb County School Board, meeting in Decatur, signs off an $874 million DeKalb County School System budget.

It was one year ago today: the hot car death of Cooper Harris, the Cobb County boy whose father is now charged in his murder. Ross Harris is due for court hearings later this year in Marietta.

A Monroe County man gets a life sentence with no possibility of parole after pleading guilty to a murder charge in the death of a 5 year-old girl. 35 year-old Roderick Butler was sentenced after agreeing to a plea deal in which he avoids a death penalty trial. Monroe County investigators say Heaven Woods died of blunt force trauma.

Investigators in Troup County now say an explosion and fire at a motel in LaGrange was sparked by chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine.

The funeral for Montgomery County Sheriff Ladson O'Conner is set for Saturday in the chapel at Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon. O'Conner was killed earlier this week, crashing his truck during the pursuit of burglary suspects who are now behind bars. He was a 42 year-old father of four, two years into his first term as Sheriff in Montgomery County.

A boy from Georgia is the latest shark attack victim: the 10 year-old was bitten Wednesday near Daytona Shores Florida, suffering what officials in Volusia County say were minor lacerations.

Governor Nathan Deal’s trade trip to Brazil lands at least one new business and 400 new jobs for Georgia: the software firm Stefanani will expand its office in Atlanta.

The state Labor Department reports an increase in the Georgia jobless rate: 6.3 percent unemployment in May, up from 6.2 percent in April.

There is no end in sight for Georgia's ongoing late spring heat wave. In fact, some forecast models are predicting even higher temperatures next week.