Wednesday, February 25th

Athens is a winter storm warning area. The warning, issued by the National Weather Service, kicks in at 10 o’clock this morning and lasts til 10 Thursday morning. There is the chance for snow and ice, with accumulation totals increasing farther north into the mountain counties. The 50 counties included in the storm warning area are under a state of emergency declared by Governor Nathan Deal. That begins at 2 o’clock this afternoon.

Athens Academy is closed today, as are several other schools, mostly to the north of Athens: no classes today at schools in Oglethorpe, Banks, Hall, White, Dawson, and Lumpkin counties. Other schools—including those in Clarke, Oconee, and Madison counties and the University of Georgia—are opening but are closing early this afternoon. The complete list of closures is available on our station website and at Classic City Today dot com.

Today’s Georgia Bulldog baseball game is a casualty of the winter storm warning: the Diamond Dogs were to have played Kennesaw State University at Foley Field. That game has been postponed. The Dogs were winners at Foley Field Tuesday, shutting out a team from Presbyterian 3-0.

Athens Regional Medical Center has a new CEO: Dr. Charles Peck has held the job on an interim basis since September of last year, taking over after the departure of former Athens Regional CEO Jamie Thaw.

The University of Georgia’s 2015 Majors Fair is on tap for today, underway at 2 o’clock this afternoon at the Tate Student Center. Representatives of some 20 colleges and departments are scheduled to be on hand.

It's been considered by government leaders in Athens and in other municipalities around the state: now a bill in the Georgia Senate would prohibit local governments from imposing bans on plastic bags. The bill sponsor is Ocilla Republican Senator Tyler Harper.

A man tells Athens-Clarke County Police he was robbed while walking home from downtown Athens: the man, who leaves on Dearing Street, tells police the last thing he remembers is walking on Broad Street near College Avenue. He says he woke up dirty and bloody and missing cash and other items from his wallet.

The early voting that began Monday in Watkinsville has been described as very light so far: only a handful of voters have cast ballots in advance of an alcohol referendum that will be decided by Watkinsville voters in a special election set for March 17. Early voting ends March 13.

A reception for retiring Jackson County Tax Commissioner Don Elrod is set for 3 o'clock this afternoon at the Jackson County Administrative Building in Jefferson.

We are still waiting to hear from the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, which convened Tuesday to hear the clemency plea from death row inmate Kelly Gissendaner. The Barrow County woman is due for execution tonight at the state prison in Jackson. It would be her punishment for the 1997 murder of her husband, who was killed in Gwinnett County. Gissendaner would be the first woman executed in Georgia in 70 years.

There’s a special called meeting of the Hall County Board of Tax Assessors: it's a 4 o'clock session at the Hall County Government Center in Gainesville.

Gainesville Police are investigating a report of a child injured at a daycare center. A 5 year-old girl is said to have suffered a brain fracture in a fall at a facility on Church Street in Gainesville. The state Department of Early Care and Learning is also in on the ongoing investigation.

The husband of former DeKalb County Commissioner Elaine Boyer pleads guilty to orchestrating a scheme that defrauded taxpayers of more than $80,000.

Atlanta-based Home Depot has signed off on an $18 billion stock buy-back: the move comes with a 26 percent boost in dividends.

Former Coca Cola President Donald Keough has died.

Frontier Airlines says it will add more routes into Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.

Columbus state Senator Josh McKoon says he’s confident his religious liberty bill can be resurrected from the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill was tabled last week when other Republicans started adding amendments. The bill is designed to prevent government intrusion into religion in Georgia, but critics say the legislation could be used to discriminate against gays and others.

The State Senate passes a bill that ensures people will not get sued if they break into a hot car to save a child or elderly person.

The transportation funding bill heads back to a House committee for more work after concerns raised by the Georgia Municipal Association.