Tuesday, January 27th

The chief medical officer for the NCAA is in Athens today: Dr. Brian Hainline is the featured speaker at a college sports health summit that takes place at the University of Georgia's Georgia Center. It gets underway at 2 o’clock this afternoon.

It is being reported as possible breakthrough research at the University of Georgia, where scientists in the College of Veterinary Medicine say they are testing a treatment for rabies, one that kills the virus even when it reaches the brain. They say their vaccine appears to work in mice. Testing continues.

Athens-Clarke County Police are dealing with another recent rash of reported burglaries and break-ins, thefts or attempted thefts at houses and residences on East Broad Street, Pine Lane, Tall Pine Lane, Newton Bridge Road, and Fourth Street. Three of those appear to have been cases of copper theft.

State School Superintendent Richard Woods visited two Athens schools Monday: Woods stopped by Cedar Shoals High School and he toured Gaines Elementary School. Republican Woods is new to the job: elected last November, inaugurated earlier this month.

The Classic Center Authority meets this afternoon, a 4 o'clock session at the Classic Center in downtown Athens.

There is an afternoon meeting of the Athens-Clarke County Planning Commission, 5 o'clock at the Government Building on Dougherty Street.

Tonight's Oconee County Commission meeting is set for 7 o'clock at the Oconee County courthouse in Watkinsville.

Nobody hurt, but a building and two vehicles destroyed: a Monday fire burned an auto repair shop in Commerce. Jackson County firefighters say the blaze looks to have been accidental.

The Elbert County town of Bowman is in line for grants that could help with repairs on two city-owned buildings on the square in downtown Bowman: applications for the grants were an item on the agenda for last night’s meeting of the Bowman City Council.

The Georgia DOT says work is progressing on relocating State Route 17 at the Railroad Crossing close to the Stephens/Franklin County Line. The work requires changes between Avalon and Martin beginning this week, lasting for for about 60 days if weather cooperates.

A knife on campus in Hall County: Hall County School officials say a 17 year-old was arrested at East Hall High School, caught with the knife and a small amount of marijuana. The teenager was booked into the Hall County jail, where bond was set at $8,000.

Flights in and out of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson are impacted by that massive winter storm in the northeast: there are flight delays and flight cancellations. Georgia Power crews say they are ready for deployment into the northeast blizzard zone, if they are needed to help restore electricity in area that stretches from Philadelphia to Boston.

28 year-old Jay Towns--wanted in connection with a missing Cobb County couple who disappeared after answering a Craigslist ad in Telfair County--is in custody, surrendering to authorities in McRae. Bud and June Runion, 69 and 66 years old, are from Marietta. They were last seen last Thursday. They traveled from Cobb County to south Georgia to buy a car. Their bodies have now been recovered.

The state Board of Pardons and Paroles has heard clemency arguments in the Warren Lee Hill case: Hill is due to be executed at 7 o’clock tonight at the state prison in Jackson, his punishment for killing a fellow inmate in 1990. Hill’s supporters argue he should be spared the death penalty because they claim he is mentally ill.

It's a legislative proposal from state Representative Carolyn Hughley: the Columbus Democrat has filed House Bill 70, looking to designate the gray fox as Georgia's official state mammal.

Senator Vincent Fort is introducing a bill that would nearly double Georgia's minimum wage, taking it to just over $10 per hour. Fort is a Democrat from Atlanta. Prospects for passage of his minimum wage legislation: not good.

The Professional Association of Georgia Educators is taking exception to the Governor's proposed budget. Governor Deal wants to drop about 11,500 part time school employees from the state's health insurance plan. These are workers like cafeteria employees, custodians, and bus drivers.

Governor Deal met with mayors from across the state Monday in Atlanta, telling them Georgia lawmakers will soon be about the business of making tough choices on transportation funding. The legislative session resumed Monday after a week of recess for state budget meetings.

Georgia is getting 37 million HUD dollars: the money from the federal Department of Urban and Housing Development will be used to help homeless programs in communities around the state.

The federal government says 9 of every 10 Georgians who sign up for Obamacare coverage are getting federal subsidies. The open enrollment signup period continues through February 15.

Triple A says the average price for a gallon of gas is now officially under $2 a gallon in Georgia, checking in at $1.99. That's down from $2.01 a week ago and $3.21 from a year ago.