Simpson to Stay Behind Bars for Some Time

EDITOR'S NOTE: Although this site is primarily geared towards Atlanta area news, we will from time to time take a look at national and world events, with some opinions thrown in. We welcome your comments at all times!

Former NFL great O.J. Simpson was sentenced today to up to 33 years behind bars for armed robbery and kidnapping during a failed attempt in September of 2007 to regain sports memorabilia from two collectibles dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Simpson, 61, who will be eligible for parole after 2017, was led away in handcuffs and shackles following the sentencing before Judge Jackie Glass.

Simpson's co-defendant, Clarence "C.J." Stewart, was sentenced to at least 15 years behind bars.

Among those in the courtroom to hear the sentencing were Fred and Kim Goldman, the father and sister of murder victim Ron Goldman.

Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson were murdered in June of 1994, a crime O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of a year later.

EDITOR'S TAKE: This verdict has nothing to do (at least we hope not) with the verdict back in 1995. The verdict also will not bring back Nicole or Ron. However, we applaud the fact that Simpson is getting his time behind bars. He escaped a prison sentence once before due to incompetence by some in the Los Angeles police force and the prosecutor's office. Simpson has basically flung his nose at society since that verdict back in 1995. Now, society is the one getting the last laugh. Many of us believe Simpson got away with two murders back in June of 1994 in California. Today, time may have finally caught up with the Juice.

15 Die in Traffic Accidents During Holiday Period

The 2008 Thanksgiving holiday travel period ended Sunday night with 4,542 traffic crashes, 1,073 injuries, and 15 traffic deaths reported over the 102-hour long period, according to the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

Rain across the state since last Friday contributed to the higher than expected number of crashes and injuries.

See dps.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2086,5635600_6640623_31707828,00.html
for more information.

Alpharetta Fire Captain Charged in Child Case

Alpharetta Fire Captain Tristen Cruz is in hot water with authorities, charged with six counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

According to authorities, Cruz, an employee of the city for seven years, has been placed on administrative leave with pay from his job as the city's fire services captain. Cruz allegedly had images of child pornography on two of his computers.

Cruz, who turned himself in yesterday, was being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Georgia Ranked 41st Healthiest State

In a disturbing development, the 2008 America’s Health Rankings: A Call to Action for Individuals & Their Communities revealed that the health of Americans has failed to improve for the fourth consecutive year.

Key factors contributing to these results included unprecedented levels of obesity, an increasing number of uninsured people, and the persistence of risky health behaviors, particularly tobacco use.

For local residents, the news was not overly inspiring. Georgia ranked as the 41st healthiest state in the U.S.

For 19 years, America’s Health Rankings™ has provided an annual analysis of national health on a state-by-state basis. The longest running report of its kind, America’s Health Rankings evaluates a historical and comprehensive set of health, environmental, and socio-economic data to determine national health benchmarks and an annual ranking of the healthiest and least healthy states.

Despite the discouraging national story, some states are making significant strides against some of the country’s biggest health challenges — demonstrating that there are workable solutions to the most prevalent health problems.

During the 1990s, health improved at an average rate of 1.5 percent per year, but improvements against national health measurements have remained flat for the last four years. Smoking, obesity, and the uninsured are the nation’s three most critical challenges. Significant reductions in the prevalence of smoking have not occurred since the early 1990s and have virtually stalled in the last four years.

America’s Health Rankings 2008 edition shows Vermont as the healthiest state for the second year in a row. A broad range of health initiatives have made it possible for Vermont to make progress in areas where the rest of the country needs the greatest improvement. Within the state, the prevalence of smoking has declined to 17.6 percent of the population, there is a slower rise in obesity than the U.S. national average, and the number of people without health insurance remains low. Vermont leads the nation for all health determinants measured.

Hawaii climbed from a ranking of third to second this year, followed by New Hampshire (3), Minnesota (4), and Utah (5) to round out the top five healthiest states.

On the down side, Louisiana replaces Mississippi as the least healthy state this year. Challenges include a high prevalence of obesity, a high percentage of children in poverty, and a high rate of uninsured population.

Mississippi improved to 49th followed by South Carolina (48), Tennessee (47), and Texas (46). Each of these states continues to struggle with difficult socioeconomic challenges that manifest themselves in these rankings.

A comparison of state rankings from 2007 to 2008 indicates that 36 states had positive changes in their overall health scores and 14 experienced declines.

Teacher Arrested For Being in Park with Teenager

An Atlanta area teacher was arrested Tuesday evening after reportedly being caught in a public park with a 17-year-old female student.

According to authorities in Paulding County, Eric Woodworth, 42, was sitting in a parked car with the girl when police arrived on the scene. He was charged with sexual assault and obstruction.

Woodworth, who teaches physical education and coaches freshmen football at Paulding County High School, was being held on $4,250 bond.

The girl, meantime, was charged with providing a false name and date of birth to a police officer.

$110M Investment Planned to Address I-85 Traffic

Gov. Sonny Perdue and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters have announced the federal government is investing $110 million to support an innovative plan to reduce traffic congestion on the Interstate 85 corridor in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.

The plan will allow more commuters to take advantage of I-85’s HOV lanes, and will allow for the establishment of new high-speed commuter bus service into downtown. The $110 million federal grant will be matched by $37 million in state and local funds.

The project development and delivery will take two years. The first phase of the demonstration project will institute a network consisting of dynamically-priced high occupancy toll lanes on I-85, stretching from I-285 to Old Peachtree Road by January, 2011. The state will monitor the demonstration project for multiple success factors and report its performance through extensive outreach to the general public and lawmakers.

Future phases of Atlanta’s congestion plan will include a 49-mile network of additional HOV-to-HOT lane conversions along I-85, I-75 and I-20. Similar HOT lane projects have been implemented in Minneapolis and Southern California, and these areas have already seen a reduction in the amount of congestion during peak travel times.

Also included in the grant is $30 million for transit service enhancement that will operate on the newly converted expressways. The funding will go towards the purchase of new buses and the construction and expansion of park-and-ride facilities.

Georgia is the most recent state to receive federal funding from the Department of Transportation for its efforts to establish a more permanent federal program focused on innovative solutions to improve mobility and fight increasing congestion in metropolitan areas. Details on Secretary Peters’ innovative Reform Proposal can be found at www.FightGridlockNow.gov .

Sen. Chambliss Thanks Backers for Their Efforts

Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who celebrated with supporters last evening in Atlanta following his victory in the run-off race with Jim Martin, sent out the following message a day after the election.


Greetings!

The day we have been working so hard for has finally arrived! Last night we showed the rest of the country that the conservative movement is still alive!

This victory would not have been possible without all of your hard work. Julianne and I were humbled and honored to have so many people working with us for victory.

With this historic victory behind us, we need to rebuild the party and get back to our principles that made us so great.

I will fight for smaller government, lower taxes, and individual freedoms, because that is what you sent me to Washington to do.

Thank you all for helping us achieve 57% of the vote in Georgia! I appreciate the hard campaign that my opponent ran, and wish him the best.

Now we need to focus on the future, and ensure that the America we know and love remains the free, safe, and secure country for our children and grandchildren.

Again, from the bottom of my heart I thank you for helping us achieve victory!

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

Arrest Made After Dog Beaten With Hammer

DeKalb County authorities reported an arrest has been made in the beating of a dog.

According to authorities, Joseph Waters, 48, was taken into custody today and charged with one count of felony cruelty to animals.

Waters allegedly beat a dog (Murphy) with a hammer and left the animal for dead in Murphy Chandler Park.

The dog is recovering in a DeKalb County animal hospital.

Former Lithonia Mayor Arrested

The former mayor of Lithonia was arrested Monday evening, reportedly her third run-in with local police officials.

According to authorities, Joyce McKibben was arrested and charged with criminal tresspassing,
disorderly conduct, and obstruction of officers.

McKibben, who was ousted earlier from office, was booked into the DeKalb County jail.

Georgia Tech to Play in Chick-fil-A Bowl Dec. 31

Georgia Tech is staying home for the holidays, opting to be the ACC representative in the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta.

The Yellow Jackets are 9-3 following a 45-42 win over rival Georgia last Saturday and will receive their first invite since 2000 to the game at the Georgia Dome.

Chick-fil-A president Gary Stokan said Georgia Tech’s “great TV football brand” and “passionate fan base” make the team a good fit for the game.

Stokan’s committee also looked at Florida State and the loser of this Saturday’s Virginia Tech-Boston College ACC championship game.

UPDATE: Jackson Found Alive in Florida

On Monday, Dec. 1, at approximately 11 p.m., Christy Jackson alerted Law Enforcement in Hamilton County Florida, that she had been kidnapped in Lee County Georgia, and escaped from her captors.

Law Enforcement were able to confirm Jackson's identity and notified the Lee County Sheriff's Department of Jackson's location. Jackson is being treated for minor injuries and will be interviewed by GBI Agents who will try and obtain details concerning Jackson's whereabouts for the past 6 days.

Jackson who resides in Leesburg was last heard from on Nov. 26, 2008, shortly after 4 p.m., while on the phone with a relative when her phone went dead. The relative said that right before the phone went dead, Jackson had told her a man was standing outside her residence. She also said the man, whom she said was white, may have been driving a white Cadillac.

At this time no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with any information concerning this investigation is asked to contact the Lee County Sheriff's Office at 229-759-6012 or the GBI Tip Line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).

See related story at: goatlanta-ga.blogspot.com/2008/11/search-on-for-leesburg-woman.html

UPDATE: Chambliss Retains Senate Seat

Georgia Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss is headed back to Washington after winning the state's run-off election against Democratic challenger Jim Martin.

With just over 90 percent of the precincts reporting this evening, Chambliss, 65, held a 58 percent to 42 percent lead over Martin.

The win prevents Democrats from gaining a 60-seat majority in the Senate which would have prevented Republican filibusters.

The state of Minnesota is still up for grabs in the recount between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken. Even if Democrats were to win that seat, they would fall one short of 60 seats in the senate.

Defendant Faces Court in Murder of Carson

Demario Atwater, one of two individuals accused in the death of Georgia native Eve Carson, was in U.S. District Court in Greensboro, N.C., today to face charges in her death.

Atwater, who could face the death penalty if convicted, faces charges that include carjacking resulting in death. Co-defendant Laurence Lovette cannot be executed if convicted because he was 17 at the time of Carson's death.

Carson, who was the student body president at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was gunned down back in March not far from her campus residence.

Carson was an Athens native and a graduate of Clarke Central High School.

State to Pay Webb Family $1M to Settle Case

Georgia will open up its checkbook and pay a million-dollar settlement over the death of 59-year-old Michael Ernest Webb, a Vietnam veteran from Gwinnett County who was a patient at a state-run psychiatric hospital.

Webb's family will receive $1 million for agreeing not to pursue a lawsuit against the state, which admitted no fault. Webb died in December of 2006, after approximately three weeks without a bowel movement at Georgia Regional Hospital/Atlanta.

The family reportedly filed the claim after failing to get state officials to accept responsibility for Webb's death.

Voters Back to the Polls to Decide Senate Race

If it seems like you just did this a month ago, you're right.

Voters return to the polls today to hopefully bring an end to the U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss and Democractic challenger Jim Martin.

In last month's election, Chambliss fell just short of the 50 percentile needed for victory, therefore creating today's run-off.

While turnout will likely be less than on Nov. 4, both sides are fighting hard for the seat. Republicans want to hold on to the seat to prevent Democrats from gaining the magical 60 mark in the Senate where they could stop GOP filibustrers.

The polls are open until 7 p.m.

GTPD, Parking/Transportation Improve Operations

The Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD) and Parking and Transportation Department have joined forces to improve university towing management and simplify vehicle recovery through the Complied Logic Corporation (C:LOGIC) Georgia Towed Vehicle Locator Initiative.

“Sharing towing information between the Police Department, Parking and Transportation, and our contract towing operator will connect the dots between the time a car is towed to its subsequent recovery by the owner,” states Georgia Tech Police Chief Teresa Crocker. “With Georgia Tech’s participation in the Georgia Towed Vehicle Locator Initiative, students, faculty and Georgia Tech visitors will have a single place (www.ga.towedcar.com) to search for a missing vehicle regardless of who and where it was towed in the Greater Atlanta Metropolitan Area.”

The partnership leverages C:LOGIC’s Vehicle Information-sharing and Notification Service (VINS), delivering a comprehensive Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that streamlines dispatching and towing operations, enabling electronic information sharing among area Law Enforcement, the Towing and Storage Industry and the general public.

VINS-enabled communication between the university departments and their contract tower, A TOW, will lower GTPD officer workload by eliminating paper towing reports and automating wrecker dispatch. VINS also enables vehicle owners to locate a towed vehicle through a searchable public Web site. VINS linkage with university parking and Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) IT systems will also facilitate the collection of outstanding parking tickets and automate the retrieval of owner and lien holder information necessary to comply with state notification requirements.

The Georgia Towed Vehicle Locator Initiative connects the dots and enables disparate law enforcement agencies to easily locate vehicles that have been towed in neighboring jurisdictions, dramatically lowering the number of erroneous stolen vehicle reports, as well as the time required to locate a missing vehicle.

Nelson Police Chief Killed in Three-Car Collision

Authorities reported that the 33-year-old police chief of Nelson was killed and three others injured in a car accident this afternoon.

According to authorities, Clay Adams died when his vehicle crashed on a snowy road in Blue Ridge. Adams was apparently heading north on 515 shortly before noon with one passenger when a woman in a pickup truck heading southbound crossed over the center line and hit Adams' car head-on.

The passenger with Adams was listed in critical but stable condition, while the female driver of the F250 was listed in critical condition.

A third car was also involved in the accident and that driver was transported to Atlanta Medical Center.

The City of Nelson released a statement Monday evening noting, “The City of Nelson is currently mourning the loss of their Police Chief Clay Adams. It is the Cities understanding he was involved in a three car wreck in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Chief Adams has been with the City of Nelson Police Department full time since January 2007 and has been the Police Chief since November 2007. Chief Adams will be greatly missed by all.”

Ebix Completes Purchase of San Diego Corporation

Atlanta-based Ebix Inc., an international developer and supplier of software and e-commerce solutions to the insurance industry, has completed the acquisition of San Diego-based Insurance BPO - Confirmnet Corporation.

The acquisition supplements Ebix’s market share in the certificate tracking business and puts Ebix in a leadership position on both the issuance and tracking side of insurance certificates.

The acquisition is expected to be accretive to Ebix earnings per share in the near and long term future.

Palin Campaigning for Chambliss in Runoff Race

Alaska Governor and former Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin is in town today to campaign for Senator Saxby Chambliss. The Republican senator is in a runoff with Democratic challenger Jim Martin.

Palin was slated to make four stops for Chambliss, starting off in Augusta. Palin is scheduled to make an appearance at the Gwinnett Center at 4 p.m.

Both Chambliss and Martin are in a runoff after neither managed to cross the 50 percent margin in the Nov. 4 general election.

Republicans hope to hold onto the seat as Democrats inch closer to the 60 votes they would need to prevent Republican filibusters.

Suspicious Package Found at Courthouse

Authorities closed down several roads around the federal courthouse this morning after a suspicious package was uncovered.

According to investigators, a guard discovered the package and called for assistance.

Homeland Security and the Atlanta Police Department bomb squad ruled out explosives, but were not sure what was in the package.

Employees and visitors at the federal courthouse and surrounding businesses were evacuated, while the package was moved outside city limits to investigate.