Wednesday, June 24th

The jury selection that ended Tuesday in Elberton will give way to a death penalty trial that will begin Thursday in Athens: a jury from Elbert County will hear the case of accused Athens cop killer Jamie Hood. Hood, who plans to act as his own attorney, could go to death row if found guilty of the March 2011 murder of Athens-Clarke County Police Officer Buddy Christian.

Today is a groundbreaking day at UGA: shovel meets dirt on new turf grass research facilities at the University of Georgia campus in Griffin. It’s set for 2 o’clock this afternoon.

There is another campus blood drive today: it starts at 11 and lasts til 5 at the University of Georgia’s Tate Student Center.

Athens-Clarke County Police are dealing with another rash of reported burglaries and home break-ins: residences have been hit on Cherokee Road and Laurel Drive; also on Old Winterville Road and at the Kings Bridge mobile home park.  Police say cash and electronics were stolen; also a gun taken from the home on Laurel Drive.

There are sexual assault charges for a man in Madison County: Garry Chatham of Danielsville has been indicted after allegedly soliciting prostitutes on-line and then attacking them, at least three such cases over the past two years. One of the attacks is said to have been at knifepoint in a motel in Athens.

It is a special camp for children who have suffered severe burns: firefighters from Winder and Barrow County will take part in a parade through downtown Winder this morning, marking the opening of the camp that is operated by the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation. The parade starts at 10:15.

The first in a series of public hearings on the Elbert County Budget for fiscal 2016 is set for 5 this evening at the Elbert County Government Complex in Elberton. Elbert County Administrator Bob Thomas says he thinks the county can find enough spending cuts to balance the budget without an increase in property taxes. The budget must be passed by July 1.

The dates are set for qualifying in the Bowman municipal elections come November. Mayor Pete Gibbons says he hopes the council's consideration of raises for Bowman elected officials will generate interest among more potential candidates. Council members stand to make $1,500 a year, if a raise resolution is passed next month. Candidates have between August 31 and September  2to qualify for the upcoming elections.

There are now arrests in this week's robbery of a Wal Mart store in Oakwood: two men and a woman, all from Gainesville, are accused of swiping a 50-inch flat screen.

It is now a murder investigation in Newton County: the 19 year-old who was shot earlier this week in a subdivision in Covington has died.

He says it's very disturbing: Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett says KKK fliers are being distributed in and around Conyers. 

The latest from the Burrell Ellis retrial: DeKalb County's suspended CEO, on trial for leaning on county vendors for campaign contributions, wraps up four days of testimony and now gets ready for the closing arguments that are expected today.

Music Midtown announces the lineup for this year's festival in Piedmont Park in Atlanta: Elton John, Van Halen, and Drake are among the headliners. Show dates: September 18-19.

Atlanta police are searching for suspects in a crime spree that includes a carjacking and robberies at gunpoint.

Today is closing day for the Atlanta Hawks: billionaire Tony Ressler is head of an investment group that is buying Atlanta's NBA franchise.

Republican Presidential candidate Ben Carson made a Tuesday stop in Atlanta.

Sentencing September 1 for an Alpharetta man who collected $800,000 in grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation: it was a scam for a company that didn't exist and for work that was never done.

Investigating in Cobb County: police at Kennesaw State University say four men are accused of sexually assaulting a student on an on-campus KSU apartment complex.

There is an ongoing investigation in Carroll County: a man’s body has been found off Interstate 20 in Villa Rica.

We have today the name of the Richmond County man who was killed in a 50-foot fall at the International Paper Facility in Augusta: the Richmond County Coroner says 44 year-old Michael Hill was not wearing a safety harness at the time of the accident.

Governor Nathan Deal is calling for re-design of a state-sponsored license plate with a Confederate flag theme.