Speeding up slow internet service
STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. (WXIA) -- High speed internet connections aren't considered luxuries any more. To many, broadband service is a required utility for homework and even employment.
Yet hundreds of people in Henry County have no other choice than to deal with slow connections while their neighbors stream at full speed.
Reeshard Scott emailed 11Alive's Jeremy Campbell about the issue. Scott felt frustrated because no matter what he pays, he can't get high speed internet at his home.
He moved in to a brand new house in Stockbridge in December and expected reasonable service. That didn't happen.
"None of those service providers come to us. Nobody. We are limited to DSL through AT&T," Scott said.
AT&T provided the following statement and declined an on camera interview:
"We regularly assess the balance of customer needs and the overall service experience - including expanding AT&T U-verse high speed Internet service availability and 4G LTE wireless coverage. We are committed to providing our customers with a great service experience."
Scott says he pays $55 for 3Mbps. Scott says he'd rather have the cheaper $40 deal offered by Comcast for 75 Mbps. It's available just a few streets over.
However by Comcast standards there aren't enough people in Stockbridge to build new fiber lines to his neighborhood. It's too rural. Service isn't offered there, although it does serve nearby parts of Henry County.
"That to me is just a bunch of baloney. I think they can build this infrastructure if they choose to do so," Scott said.
After all his neighborhood is currently under construction.
We found one possible solution when speaking with Comcast spokesperson Alex Horwitz. He explained when a community demands a product, and especially when a neighborhood offers to pay for the infrastructure, it can happen.
"They would sort-of split the cost of bringing the network to them. Usually it's a very reasonable fee, and it obviously pays dividends for them and that's one avenue they can go," Horwitz said.
Horwitz asked that we give Scott his cell number to get the conversation going.
Scott is on the case. He's already spoken out at a county government meeting, and now he's organizing a movement to get a full list of people who want high speed internet in Henry County.
http://mcdonough.11alive.com/news/news/1856092-speeding-slow-internet-service
http://www.gaminoritybusinessawards.com/
Dwayne Johnson - 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards - Pictures
Host Michael Strahan gets slimed during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
David Beckham with Cruz Beckham, left, and Romeo Beckham get slimed during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Cheerleaders perform during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Surfer Bethany Hamilton accepts the favorite comeback athlete award during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Tony Hawk and tennis player Sloane Stephens speak during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Gabby Douglas speaks during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Nick Cannon speaks during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Mark Davis/Getty Images
Olympic snowboarder Kelly Clark and TV personality George Lopez speak during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
NBA player Russell Westbrook and actress Megan Fox speak during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
NFL player Victor Cruz and daughter Kennedy Cruz speak during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Mark Davis/Getty Images
Michael Strahan speaks during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
NFL player Marshawn Lynch performs during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Mark Davis/Getty Images
NHL player Henrik Lundqvist and actor Will Arnett speak during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Boxer Floyd Mayweather and actor Carlos PenaVega speak during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Mark Davis/Getty Images
NBA player Kevin Durant accepts the best male athlete award during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
NFL player Earl Thomas gets dunked during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
NFL player Russell Wilson accepts favorite newcomer during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Tia Mowry-Hardrict speaks during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and actor Carlos PenaVega speak during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line perform during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
http://issuu.com/brokenrat5806/docs/1444628816561b495079b18
Will Arnett and NHL player Henrik Lundqvist speak during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Soccer player David Beckham gets slimed during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Soccer player David Beckham accepts the Legend Award during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Dwayne"The Rock" Johnson speaks during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
NFL player Russell Wilson accepts the favorite newcomer award during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Singer Pharrell Williams performs during the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Actress Tia Mowry-Hardrict attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Track and field athlete Lolo Jones attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
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NBA player Carmelo Anthony attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
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Megan Fox attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
NFL player Brandon Flowers attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
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Tia Blanco attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Bethany Hamilton attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Will Arnett attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Fayette County Group - Elon Bomani
Apolo Ohno attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
NBA player Chandler Parsons attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Actress Audrey Whitby attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Romeo Beckham, Legend Award recipient David Beckham and Cruz Beckham attend the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Musicians Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line attend the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Actress Sydney Park attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Madison Beer attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Jake Miller attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Isaac Hempstead-Wright attends the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Actors Reese Hartwig and Ryan Hartwig attend the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on July 17, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/2014-nickelodeon-kids-choice-sports-awards/24/
http://www.businessmart.com/businesses-for-sale/georgia/
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http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/economists-expect-small-jump-jobs-12063784
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Eleven former Atlanta public school educators guilty in test-cheating case | Reuters
ATLANTA Eleven former Atlanta public school educators were found guilty by a jury on Wednesday on charges of racketeering in one of the largest U.S. test-cheating scandals.
Prosecutors accused a dozen former teachers, principals and administrators of erasing incorrect answers or instructing students to change their answers to secure promotions and cash bonuses in 2009.
Henry County - Elon Bomani
Eleven of the 12 defendants were found guilty of racketeering. Some were also convicted on lesser charges.
Only one educator was found not guilty on all counts.
The educators were among 35 teachers, principals and administrators indicted in 2013 after a state investigation of 56 Atlanta public schools found cheating on standardized tests in 44 of them.
The cheating was largely prompted by pressure to meet test targets, according to the state investigation.
The 11 educators were led out of the courthouse in handcuffs and will be jailed until their sentencing later this month. They face prison sentences of up to 20 years.
The jury reached its verdict after hearing nearly six months of testimony in the case and deliberating for eight days.
"I'm devastated," said defense attorney Bob Reuben, representing a former elementary school principal. "I don't believe she was guilty. Errors were made that can be raised on appeal."
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said: "Our entire effort in this case was to get our community to look at our educational system. We've been fighting for the children in our community."
Defense attorneys, however, argued that there was no conspiracy to cheat and that prosecutors had pressured other educators to testify against their former colleagues.
Former Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Beverly Hall, who was named National Superintendent of the Year during the period when the cheating occurred, was among those indicted.
Hall's case was put on hold for medical reasons, and she died of breast cancer earlier this year.
(This story corrects sentencing timing in paragraph 7)
(Reporting by David Beasley; Writing by Letitia Stein; Editing Eric Beech and Mohammad Zargham)
Fayette county Ga Business
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/02/us-usa-georgia-teachers-idUSKBN0MS55O20150402
http://www.franchise.com/georgia/
What the Coastal Commission's ban on orca breeding means for SeaWorld
What the Coastal Commission's ban on orca breeding means for SeaWorld - LA Times
If there's a star at SeaWorld San Diego, it's the 11 mammoth killer whales that thrill children and parents with their magnificent grace and acrobatic tricks.
So does the animal park have a future without Shamu?
That's the existential threat the San Diego theme park is facing after this week's stunning decision by the California Coastal Commission to ban captive breeding of the park's killer whales -- as a condition of building a much larger $100-million holding facility.
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The vote, condemned by the park, comes as SeaWorld tries to fend off criticism highlighted in the 2013 documentary "Blackfish" accusing the marine park of neglecting and abusing its killer whales.
See the most-read stories this hour >>Read the story
SeaWorld has rejected those accusations but faced plummeting attendance and a constant barrage of public criticism. It planned to win back public support by building a much larger living environment for its orcas -- a 450,000-gallon pool and a 5.2-million-gallon tank in place of its 1.7-million-gallon pen.
The Coastal Commission approved the plan, but placed restrictions on the park that could mean an end to SeaWorld's orca program. Without breeding or bringing in new orcas, its animals would grow old and die in the park, ending the shows permanently.
"It means that the California Coastal Commission is asking them to manage these animals to extinction in the state of California," said Grey Stafford, director of conservation at the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium in Phoenix.
The spectacular killer whale shows that have captivated audiences for decades at SeaWorld San Diego but infuriated animal rights activists could be coming to an end.After an all-day meeting that drew hundreds of supporters and critics of the park, the California Coastal Commission moved to ban...
The spectacular killer whale shows that have captivated audiences for decades at SeaWorld San Diego but infuriated animal rights activists could be coming to an end.After an all-day meeting that drew hundreds of supporters and critics of the park, the California Coastal Commission moved to ban...
(Hugo Martin)
SeaWorld could abandon the project and allow the animals to live and continue performing in their current enclosure -- in essence thumbing its nose at a growing chorus of critics.
But few see the company pursuing either option.
The twice-a-day shows by the animals, which weigh several tons, are by far the biggest attraction at the park, which also features other marine shows, animal exhibits, a roller coaster and water ride.
The commission's decision might complicate SeaWorld's future plans, but doesn't spell the company's demise, said James Hardiman, equity research analyst and managing director at Wedbush Securities.
"A lot would need to happen for SeaWorld's business to be over," he said. "This does not mark the end of SeaWorld."
He said he doesn't expect the company to continue with its tank expansion under the current conditions, even though it was billed as a way to improve the image of SeaWorld, which drew 3.8 million visitors last year.
"It would be signaling the end of this program, so why would you then spend $100 million on it?" Hardiman said.
SeaWorld Entertainment, based in Orlando, Fla., operates 11 parks across the country, including three that are home to orca whales: SeaWorld San Diego, SeaWorld San Antonio and SeaWorld Orlando.
Bill Hurly, past president of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums, an international accreditation body, said he expects that SeaWorld will follow through on its threat to challenge the legality of the decision, a move that would be supported by the industry.
"If I were SeaWorld, I'd use my legal resources," he said.
Indeed, aquarium and zoo officials have blasted the Coastal Commission's restrictions, saying breeding programs help biologists improve their understanding of the behavior and habits of killer whales. They blamed the panel's vote on "misinformation" disseminated on social media by animal rights activists.
"Most of what is known about marine mammal reproduction has been learned by studying animals in zoological facilities," said Rob Vernon, a spokesman for the Assn. of Zoos & Aquariums.
Even so, the vote will likely give animal rights groups new momentum to call on local agencies throughout the nation to change the way animals in captivity are treated after several unsuccessful reform efforts.
A bill introduced in the California Legislature to ban killer whale shows at SeaWorld San Diego was tabled last year for further study, and its author confirmed later that he won't reintroduce it this year. In Vancouver, British Columbia, a parks board voted last year to halt the breeding program at the Vancouver Aquarium, but the ban was never implemented.
"Blackfish" director Gabriela Cowperthwaite said the commission's decision shows that the public is now taking a greater interest in how animals are treated.
"It's a sign that everyone is exercising any authority they might have over this place to force them to do the right thing," Cowperthwaite said.
Henry County Group - Elon Bomani
"SeaWorld can no longer say this is the work of activists and the animal rights community. It was a spanking coming from a much higher level," she said.
Park officials have declined to say how much of the company's revenues are generated by the SeaWorld marine parks. But the company blamed an 11% drop in attendance partly on negative publicity from "Blackfish." Since 2013, SeaWorld Entertainment shares have dropped about 36%.
Despite the vote, the issue is far from resolved. Legal experts said the Coastal Commission may not even have jurisdiction over whether SeaWorld can breed or move whales. The final authority, zoo and aquarium managers say, is with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, given by the 1966 Animal Welfare Act and the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Jonathan Zasloff, a UCLA law professor who has studied the Coastal Commission, said that if SeaWorld appeals the ruling, the commission would need to demonstrate that the breeding and transfer restrictions are in line with the agency's focus on preserving and protecting coastal values and resources.
"Can they make an argument that this actually assures the ecological health of the coastal zone?" he said. "If it's about animal welfare, apart from coastal resources, then it's a little trickier."
Henry County Ga Business Directory
But Richard Frank, professor of environmental practice at the UC Davis School of Law, said that in the past, courts have broadly interpreted the commission's permit approvals.
"I think the Coastal Commission's actions yesterday reflect kind of a broader skepticism of capturing and maintaining in captivity orca whales and similar marine mammals," he said Friday.
As the SeaWorld gates opened Friday morning, it was clear the killer whales were the main attraction.
Clay Marshall, 39, walked briskly through the parking lot with his family of six.
"We would not come if the orcas were not here," he said. "And we're coming from Colorado."
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-1010-seaworld-followup-20151010-story.html
http://www.franchise.com/georgia/
2 days, 2 shootings at Georgia's Paine college
Story highlightsA student was shot in the head MondayThe shooting took place inside an administration buildingSomeone fired into a dorm SundayOfficials are assuring students of Paine College that it's safe to attend classes Tuesday, after the small Augusta, Georgia, school was rattled by two campus shootings in two days.
The more serious of the two occurred Monday when a student was shot in the head inside an administration building.
The student shot was on the third floor of Haygood Hall and taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, school and sheriff's officials said.
Authorities put the college on lockdown for five hours and began a search of dorms.
Two hours later, they had their suspect: a 21-year-old student. Charges against him are pending.
Officials said the suspect and the victim had an altercation earlier.
https://penzu.com/p/e90c133c
On Sunday, a student was injured when someone fired into a dorm, Gray Hall. The student was injured by flying debris from the blast through the wall.
The shooter was not a college student, the school said.
Fayette County Ceorgia Businesses
Authorities don't think the two incidents are related.
"We're still in embryonic stages of the investigation. And we're still trying to find out all the facts," Richmond County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Patrick Clayton told reporters Monday. "But I would tell the students I think I believe they'll be safe to come to school tomorrow."
Paine College is a private, liberal arts college, with an enrollment of about 900 students.
Justices reject new challenge to concealed-carry gun laws
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/06/justice/paine-college-shootings/
http://www.georgiabta.org/
Georgia House Committee Cancels Meeting On 'Religious Freedom' Bill
"Star Trek" actor George Takei on Twitter: "Outraged over Indiana Freedom to Discriminate law, signed today. LGBTs aren't 2nd class citizens. #BoycottIndiana #Pence"
The band Wilco tweeted: "We're canceling our 5/7 show in Indianapolis. 'Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act' feels like thinly disguised legal discrimination."In another tweet it said: "Hope to get back to the Hoosier State someday soon, when this odious measure is repealed. Refunds available at point of purchase."
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard signed an executive order reaffirming that groups doing business with the city must still abide by its human rights ordinance, which bars discrimination on the basis of categories that include sexual orientation and gender identity. "Our city thrives because we have welcomed and embraced diversity," he said. "RFRA threatens what thousands of people have spent decades building. And I won't allow that to happen without a fight."
"Because of Indiana's new law, later today I will sign an Executive Order regarding state-funded travel," Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy tweeted.Another tweet added: "When new laws turn back the clock on progress, we cant sit idly by. We are sending a message that discrimination wont be tolerated."
Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted: "Apple is open for everyone. We are deeply disappointed in Indiana's new law and calling on Arkansas Gov. to veto the similar #HB1228."
Former Florida Gov. and potential Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said, "I think Gov. [Mike] Pence has done the right thing. I think once the facts are established, people arent going to see this as discriminatory at all."
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee released a statement: We stand united as San Franciscans to condemn Indianas new discriminatory law, and will work together to protect the civil rights of all Americans including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.Effective immediately, I am directing City Departments under my authority to bar any publicly-funded City employee travel to the State of Indiana that is not absolutely essential to public health and safety. San Francisco taxpayers will not subsidize legally-sanctioned discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people by the State of Indiana.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who is openly bisexual, released a statement:Indianas new law offends me. No individual, regardless of where they live or whom they love, should suffer discrimination. I urge state leaders in Indiana to take swift action to prohibit discrimination and reverse the damaging impact of this law. Oregonians continually demonstrate a strong belief in fairness and equal treatment under the law. As recently as 2013, Oregon voters have defeated proposals similar to Indianas law, underscoring our shared values and rejecting discrimination. I encourage Oregonians to join me in expressing their concerns about this erosion of individual rights in Indiana and anywhere it may occur.
"The NCAA national office and our members are deeply committed to providing an inclusive environment for all our events," said NCAA President Mark Emmert. "We are especially concerned about how this legislation could affect our student-athletes and employees."
Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com, tweeted: "Today we are canceling all programs that require our customers/employees to travel to Indiana to face discrimination."
GOP presidential candidate and U.S. Sen.Ted Cruz (Texas) said in a statement:Governor Pence is holding the line to protect religious liberty in the Hoosier State. Indiana is giving voice to millions of courageous conservatives across this country who are deeply concerned about the ongoing attacks upon our personal liberties. Im proud to stand with Mike, and I urge Americans to do the same.
Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, tweeted: ".@GovPenceIN, is it going to be legal for someone to discriminate against me & others when we come to the #FinalFour?"
Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman released a statement that read in part: "It is unconscionable to imagine that Yelp would create, maintain, or expand a significant business presence in any state that encouraged discrimination by businesses against our employees, or consumers at large... Yelp will make every effort to expand its corporate presence only in states that do not have these laws allowing for discrimination on the books."
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tweeted: "Sad this new Indiana law can happen in America today. We shouldn't discriminate against ppl bc of who they love #LGBT"
Twitter's global public policy team account tweeted: "Were disappointed to see state bills that enshrine discrimination. These bills are unjust and bad for business. We support #EqualityForAll."
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted: "The Colts have always embraced inclusiveness, tolerance, and a diverse fan base. We welcome ALL fans to Colts Nation. ONE FAMILY!"
Fayette County Georgia Business Directory
Adrian Swartout, owner and CEO of the Gen Con gaming convention, wrote a letter to Indiana's governor before he signed the bill, saying: "Gen Con proudly welcomes a diverse attendee base, made up of different ethnicities, cultures, beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds. Legislation that could allow for refusal of service or discrimination against our attendees will have a direct negative impact on the state's economy, and will factor into our decision-making on hosting the convention in the state of Indiana in future years."
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said, "Laws that say you can discriminate have no place in this country."
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which is led by President Lee Saunders, said in a release: "AFSCME is pulling our Women's Conference out of Indiana this fall as a sign of our disgust and disappointment with Governor Pence's discriminatory law. We stand with the ever-growing number of corporations and associations who are taking similar action this week, and demanding fairness for all in the state of Indiana."
Angie's List CEO Bill Oesterle said he will not be moving forward with a $40 million expansion of the company's headquarters in Indianapolis. The company joined with eight other large companies headquartered in the state to write a letter to the governor and state GOP leaders. It read, in part:Regardless of the original intention of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, we are deeply concerned about the impact it is having on our employees and on the reputation of our state. All of our companies seek to promote fair, diverse and inclusive workplaces. Our employees must not feel unwelcome in the place where they work and live.
Henry County - Elon Bomani
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R) tweeted, "I stand with @mikepence4gov in defense of religious liberty and real tolerance."
NASCAR issued a statement:NASCAR is disappointed by the recent legislation passed in Indiana. We will not embrace nor participate in exclusion or intolerance. We are committed to diversity and inclusion within our sport and therefore will continue to welcome all competitors and fans at our events in the state of Indiana and anywhere else we race.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an order banning official D.C. government travel to Indiana. "Discrimination is intolerable wherever it exists. I stand with the LGBT community on #RFRA," she tweeted.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said in a statement:Denver is an inclusive city, and we take tremendous pride in that. Due to the actions taken by the State of Indiana, we will join with other cities across the nation in suspending the use of city funds for official business to Indiana. This law is just wrong, plain and simple, and we will not tacitly condone discrimination through the use of taxpayer dollars.
Nike President and CEO Mark Parker said in a statement: NIKE proudly stands for inclusion for all. We believe laws should treat people equally and prevent discrimination. NIKE has led efforts alongside other businesses to defeat discriminatory laws in Oregon and opposes the new law in Indiana which is bad for our employees, bad for our consumers, bad for business and bad for society as a whole. We hope Indiana will quickly resolve this.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/30/georgia-religious-freedom_n_6969608.html
http://uga.edu/
Close to 100 percent chance of heavy rain for Alabama, Georgia showdown
Hurricane Joaquin looks to play a role in the biggest game of on the SEC calendar this week, as the National Weather Center claims their is about "a 100-percent chance of rain" described as "heavy," according to AL.com.
Considering neither Georgia nor Alabama relies heavily on their passing game to move the ball, the weather is likely to force the two teams to lean even more on their potent running games.
http://ellisonainspgrkpa.shutterfly.com/ellisonainspgrkpa
The current forecast calls for 2-3 inches-plus of precipitation with "persistent, heavy rainfall."
Henry County Businesses
If you bet the under, which currently sits at 53.5-points, you should feel good about your chances to win that bet this weekend. Smart gamblers know what's up:
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2015/10/02/close-to-100-percent-chance-heavy-rain-for-alabama-georgia-showdown.html
http://georgiafbla.org/
Where the jobs are - TIME
MONEYWhere the jobs are
Its still a tough job market, but opportunities have been on the rise in these counties, making them great places to live and work.
Broomfield County, CO
Joel RadtkeBroomfield County is cooking up business. Its new Kitchen Coop serves as an incubator and manufacturing site for 11 up-and-coming organic and natural food businesses, including baking company Bella Gluten-Free and nut butter company Kolat. Meanwhile, Famous Brands International, the maker of Mrs. Fields cookies and TCBY frozen yogurt, relocated its headquarters, franchisee-training center and flagship shop to the county, bringing 40 jobs.
Active Network, an event registration software company, is consolidating several of its operations in Broomfield and plans to hire 200 more employees over the next five years, according to Bo Martinez, director of economic development for the county.
The countys location near the University of Colorado and 16 federal science, research and engineering centers makes it attractive to Fortune 500 companies. Indeed, Ball and Level 3 Communications are headquartered here.
Dallas County, IA
Lynn BettsNew homes replace farmland in Dallas County, Iowa, as suburbs of Clive and Waukee grow on the west side of Des Moines.Fayette County Ga Businesses
Dallas County economic developers say theyre at the center of it all. Thats easy to say when two Interstates cut through the area, giving businesses quick access to points east, west, north and south.
Known for its dependable, productive workforce, this Midwestern county has attracted thousands of jobs from financial services firms including Wells Fargo Home Mortgages, Aviva USA and Farm Bureau Insurance.
Agribusinesses and IT companies are growing their research and development operations and looking at additional plants too. Microsoft invested $678 million and created 29 jobs there with the expansion of its Dallas County data center.
Columbia County, GA
Columbia County Georgia CVBA flood of new jobs is flowing into this county set on the Savannah River. Thanks to the strength of companies like John Deere and the Georgia Iron Works Foundry, opportunities are pouring in. Another boost comes from nearby Fort Gordon, a major employer in the area.
Love the outdoors? Bass Pro Shops is slated to open a new 50,000-sq.-ft. store in the area thats expected to create 200 cashier, associate and stockroom jobs.
Meanwhile, many smaller retailers and restaurants are bubbling up to meet new community demand. Catering to varied and new tastes, they include two steakhouses, a tapas bar, a Punjabi grill, a wine shop and a cigar lounge.
Laramie County, WY
Visit CheyenneLaramie County boasts a Rocky Mountain lifestyle and business perks like low regulation and taxes. Its also less remote than youd think: Just 90 miles north of Denver, Laramie sits at the intersection of two Interstates and two major railway lines.
A $112 million Microsoft data center complex is under construction in the burgeoning high-tech hub. Green House Data, a homegrown data center business, is breaking ground on an expansion that will triple its local operations.
Henry Fayette Group
Mining and manufacturing sectors are also strong. California-based Searing Industries is building a new 200,000-sq.-ft. facility to make welded steel tubing.
Sumner County, TN
Michael Gustafson/ Woodland GallSumner County may be called Nashvilles North Shore, but manufacturing and distribution operations, not songs, are its main job attraction. The area is near three major Interstate highways which keep goods trucking to the East and Midwest.
Business services and call center firms also are singing the regions praises. Windham Professionals, a debt-collection agency, recently announced its adding 95 new positions at its corporate headquarters.
ServPro, a fire and water damage restoration company, announced plans for a $6.7 million and 90-job expansion of its headquarters, which houses corporate, call center, warehouse, manufacturing and training employees.
Read Next
http://money.cnn.com/gallery/pf/jobs/2013/08/12/best-places-job-growth.moneymag/index.html?iid=BPL_sp_river
http://www.gabn.net/
Ga. town passes law requiring residents to own gun and ammunition
NELSON, Ga. Backers of a newly adopted ordinance requiring gun ownership in a small north Georgia town acknowledge they were largely seeking to make a point about gun rights.
The ordinance in the city of Nelson population 1,300 was approved Monday night and goes into effect in 10 days. However, it contains no penalties and exempts anyone who objects, convicted felons and those with certain mental and physical disabilities.
City Councilman Duane Cronic, who sponsored the measure, said he knows the ordinance won't be enforced but he still believes it will make the town safer.
"I likened it to a security sign that people put up in their front yards. Some people have security systems, some people don't, but they put those signs up," he said. "I really felt like this ordinance was a security sign for our city."
"It tells the intruder, the potential intruder, 'you better think twice,'" Cronic said, according to CBS Radio's Steve Kathan.
Another purpose, according to the city council's agenda, is "opposition of any future attempt by the federal government to confiscate personal firearms."
Council members in Nelson, a small city located 50 miles north of Atlanta, voted unanimously to approve the Family Protection Ordinance. The measure requires every head of household to own a gun and ammunition to "provide for the emergency management of the city" and to "provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants."
Nelson resident Lamar Kellett was one of five people who spoke during a public comment period Monday night and one of two who opposed the ordinance. Among his many objections, he said it dilutes the city's laws to pass measures that aren't intended to be enforced.
"Does this mean now 55 miles an hour speed limit means 65, 80, whatever you choose? There's not a whole lot of difference. A law's a law," he said.
Kellett also said the ordinance will have no effect, that it won't encourage people like him who don't want a gun to go out and buy one.
Henry County Georgia Business
The proposal illustrates how the response to the massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., varies widely in different parts of the country.
While lawmakers in generally more liberal states with large urban centers like New York and California have moved to tighten gun control laws, more conservative, rural areas in the American heartland have been going in the opposite direction.
Among the other efforts to broaden gun rights that have surfaced since the Newtown killings:
Earlier Monday, lawmakers in Oklahoma scuttled a bill that would have allowed public school districts to decide whether to let teachers be armed.
Spring City, Utah, passed an ordinance this year recommending that residents keep firearms, softening an initial proposal that aimed to require it.
Residents of tiny Byron, Maine, rejected a proposal last month that would have required a gun in every home. Even some who initially supported the measure said it should have recommended gun ownership instead of requiring it, and worried that the proposal had made the community a laughingstock. Selectmen of another Maine town, Sabbatus, threw out a similar measure. The state's attorney general said state law prevents municipalities from passing their own firearms laws anyway.
Lawmakers in about two dozen states have considered making it easier for school employees or volunteers to carry guns on campus. South Dakota passed such a measure last month. Individual communities from New Jersey to Colorado have voted to allow administrators or teachers to carry guns in school.
Located in the Appalachian foothills, Nelson is a tiny, hilly town with narrow, twisting roads. It's a place where most people know one another and leave their doors unlocked.
It used to be a major source of marble, with the local marble company employing many in town. But that industry is mostly gone now, Mayor Mike Haviland said. There are no retail stores in town anymore, and just about everyone leaves town for work now, making it a bedroom community for Atlanta, he said.
The mayor said he never dreamed his small city would be the focus of national and international media attention, but he understands it.
"It bumps up against the national issues on guns," he said.
Police Chief Heath Mitchell noted that the city doesn't have police officers who work 24 hours a day and is far from the two sheriff's offices that might send deputies in case of trouble, so response times to emergency calls can be long. Having a gun would help residents take their protection into their own hands, he said.
But the chief the town's sole police officer acknowledged the crime rate is very low. He mostly sees minor property thefts and a burglary every few months. The most recent homicide was more than five years ago, he said.
http://ellisonainspgrkpa.shutterfly.com/ellisonainspgrkpa
The ordinance is modeled after a similar one adopted in 1982 by Kennesaw, an Atlanta suburb. City officials there worried at the time that growth in Atlanta might bring crime to the community, which now has about 30,000 residents. Kennesaw police have acknowledged that their ordinance is difficult to enforce, and they haven't made any attempt to do so.
Leroy Blackwell, 82, has lived in Nelson for about 50 years and owns a hunting rifle he keeps in a closet. He said before the council's decision that he would support the ordinance even if it didn't have exemptions, but he would have preferred it to be voluntary.
"Really, I think it would be more fair to put it to a vote" so everybody could have a say, he said.
2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ga-town-passes-law-requiring-residents-to-own-gun-and-ammunition/
http://www.mgbp.com/
Georgia's Lax Gun Laws Led To Two Fatal Shootings Of NYPD Officers
Flags in New York City are again at half-mast for a fallen police officer.
NYPD Officer Brian Moore, who was only 25 years old, was shot Saturday while on patrol in Queens. He died on Monday.
NYPD https://penzu.com/p/aac8e360 Officer Brian Moore. (Photo: NYPD)
In December, less than six months before Moore was shot, two other NYPD officers -- Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos -- were fatally gunned down inside their police cruiser in Brooklyn.
NYPD Officers Rafael Ramos, left, and Wenjian Liu. (Photo: NYPD)
Both tragedies, it turns out, have a shared culprit: lax gun laws in a state hundreds of miles to the south, Georgia.
Demetrius Blackwell, the 35-year-old charged with killing Moore, was convicted of attempted murder in 2001. The conviction meant he was prohibited from buying or possessing firearms -- but that didnt stop him from getting one.
The Taurus Model 85 handgun that Blackwell allegedly used to shoot Moore was one of 23 firearms stolen from a bait and Henry County - Elon Bomani tackle shop in Perry, Georgia, in 2011, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told reporters this week.
The gun that Demetrius Blackwell allegedly used to kill NYPD Officer Brian Moore. (Photo: NYPD)
Similarly, the Taurus semiautomatic handgun that 28-year-old Ismaayal Brinsley used to kill Liu and Ramos in December was from the Arrowhead Gun and Pawn Shop in Jonesboro, Georgia. In 2010, Arrowhead was the fifth-largest source of guns used in crimes across the country. The shop was also the No. 1 source of out-of-state firearms seized by the NYPD in 2009.
A photo Brinsley posted to Instagram before he killed Liu and Ramos.
Brinsley, like Blackwell, was a convicted felon, barred by law from purchasing or possessing a gun. But he, too, was able to get one.
Guns bought legally in Southern states including Georgia, which have less restrictive gun laws, are often sold illegally in Northern states like New York. (About 90 percent of guns used in crimes in New York City come from out of state.) This lucrative black market connecting the South and the North has become known as the Iron Pipeline, in which Georgia is a major point of origin.
In 2013, nearly 3,100 guns from crime scenes in other states were traced back to Georgia, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. And between 2006 and 2009, Georgia was the leading source of firearms used for crimes in other states, according to a report from Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
Boyce added when he revealed the origin of Blackwell's gun that police have recovered eight other weapons in New York City that were stolen from the Georgia bait and tackle shop.
There are a number of ways in which Georgia's laws enable its central role in the Iron Pipeline.
The state has no penalty for "straw purchasers," people who buy guns legally in one state and then sell them to gun traffickers who cross state lines. When the weapons end up at a crime scene in another state, straw purchasers can claim that the guns were lost or stolen. Thats because gun owners in Georgia arent required, as they are in many other states, to contact the police when their guns go missing.
According to Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Georgia is also one of many states that does not require unlicensed sellers at gun shows to run criminal background checks on the people purchasing the weapons.
In addition, Georgia is home to several notorious gun-friendly laws. One law allows anyone, even felons, to invoke whats known as the Stand Your Ground defense, meaning they dont have to retreat when they feel their life is threatened, and can open fire. (A Stand Your Ground law in Florida gained attention in 2013 after the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Trayvon Martin.)
Another law, nicknamed the Guns Everywhere law, allows people in Georgia to bring their firearms into certain government buildings, college classrooms, bars and nightclubs, among other places. The law was signed last year by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R), with the support of the National Rifle Association.
Once again, a police officer has been killed with an illegal gun from Georgia -- a state that last year did the NRAs bidding and weakened its already lax gun laws, Megan Lewis, executive vice president of Everytown For Gun Safety, said Tuesday in a statement responding to Moore's death.
These are the same laws that the gun lobby is now trying to force on other states nationwide. Americans have to decide what kind of country we want to live in, Lewis continued. Its past time for common-sense solutions to gun violence.
The NRA -- which previously gave Deal an A rating for his opposition to gun control measures -- did not respond to The Huffington Post's request for comment Wednesday.
A spokesperson for Everytown For Gun Safety told HuffPost that a forthcoming report from the group will show that, of the fatal shootings of law enforcement officers in 2013, more than half were committed by people who were prohibited from possessing guns in the first place.
A funeral for Moore, remembered for his "selflessness and courage," is scheduled for Friday at St. James Roman Catholic Church in Seaford, New York.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/06/6-months-2-guns-from-georgia-and-3-nypd-officers-shot-dead_n_7226260.html
Police believe one car, two suspects connected to several metro crimes
ELLENWOOD, Ga. -- Police believe two gunmen may be robbing stores in the Atlanta metro area before getting away in the same stolen car.
11Alive spoke to investigators in Henry County about the incident.
The two suspects are accused of robbing a pizza place in Ellenwood during a busy part of the day - around 5 p.m.
It was during a shift change so there were several employees there when ithappened.
Two suspects had their faces covered, one with a black mask and the other with what looked like a white towel. They walked in with guns pointed at the employees.
Police said they cleaned out the cash register and also walked out with an armful of the employees' purses.
And police believe it's not the first time the two have been involved in local crime.
Police are asking people to concentrate on the car they were driving - a black Volkswagen Golf. It was stolen out of Lawrenceville in January and, since then, has been used in two or three other robberies.
It still had the original South Carolina plates on it.
So far, no one has been hurt in the robberies.
"In the past, through experience, it's that they will continue to do that until they get caught," Capt. Joey Smith of the Henry County Police Department said. "We just hope it doesn't escalate."
Since January, they've been using that car in as many as three other robberies - one of them in Cobb County.
That's unusual since criminals usually ditch a stolen vehicle after one crime.
That's why police are hopeful someone sees, or has seen, the car and that they call Crime Stoppers.
http://mcdonough.11alive.com/news/news/1856542-police-believe-one-car-two-suspects-connected-several-metro-crimes
http://www.gabusy.com/
Zachary Hammond Police Shooting: Shocking New Details In Lawsuit By Family Of Slain Unarmed Teen
Zachary Hammond Police Shooting: Shocking New Details In Lawsuit By Family Of Slain Unarmed Teen
The slain body of Zachary Hammond, a 19-year-old South Carolina teen with no criminal record and who was unarmed when he was gunned down by a police officer on July 26, was left to lie on the ground for a full 90 minutes after he was killed -- allowing swarms of ants to "ravage" his dead body, according to a lawsuit by the dead boy's family filed in federal court on Monday.
The lawsuit reveals a series of shocking details, some of which had been reported in eyewitness statements in the weeks following the killing of Hammond in the parking lot of a Hardee's fast food restaurant in Seneca, South Carolina. At about 8:30 in the evening that night in late July, a shooting resulted from a badly botched attempted marijuana "sting" arrest by the Seneca Police Department, according to a report in the Anderson, South Carolina, Independent Mail newspaper.
The lawsuit alleges that a Seneca police officer desecrated Hammond's body by lifting up the dead boy's limp arm and giving the corpse a "high five."
The target of the horribly mishandled pot sting was Hammond's date that evening, a 23-year-old he had never dated before that night, Tori Morton. The woman was arrested, allegedly with 10 grams of marijuana -- but not before Seneca Police Lieutenant Mark Tiller fired two shots into Hammond's 2002 Honda Civic, killing the skinny, 121-pound teenager.
Tori MortonTiller and the Seneca police claimed that as they pulled in to the parking lot with cruiser lights flashing, Hammond accelerated straight at Tiller in an attempt to run the officer over, forcing the officer to fire two shots through the driver's side window to defend his own life.
But an autopsy showed that Hammond was shot from behind, in the side and back.
According to the lawsuit, Tiller approached Hammond with his service weapon drawn and shouted, "I'll blow your f*****g Henry Fayette Group head off!" at the boy before shooting him.
The family's lawsuit paints a haunting picture of a stunned and confused Hammond turning to stare at Tori Morton for a moment after the first shot struck him. After an apparent pause, Tiller fired again, killing Zachary Hammond with his second shot.
Seneca Police Lieutenant Mark TillerMorton has said that the car was not moving when Hammond was shot, and the lawsuit http://wallinside.com/post-55044774-bitfury-is-acquiring-a-privatized-land-plot-in-the-republic-of-georgia-to-build-a-technology-park.html flatly denies that Hammond drive his car toward Tiller.
"Zachary took no action that could reasonably be perceived as threatening toward Lt. Tiller. Because the Seneca PD had the reckless and unsafe policy for its officers to come with guns drawn, Lt. Tiller escalated a routine drug stop into an officer involved shooting."
According to an Associated Press account of the lawsuit's allegations, as Zachary's lifeless body was on the ground, Tiller went to his police cruiser, removed an unknown item from the trunk and placed it underneath Hammond's slain corpse.
A bag of white powder which police said was cocaine was found on Hammond's body -- an allegation challenged by the family in the lawsuit, which also notes that even if Hammond was in possession of cocaine, merely possessing a small amount of drugs does not warrant death by police gunfire.
"At worst, and assuming that [the bag] was not placed on his person, Zachary was in simple possession of drugs," the Hammond family suit reads. "For his offense, he was tried, convicted and executed by Lt. Mark Tiller, a misguided and improperly trained Seneca Police Department law enforcement officer."
The suit also states that Zachary Hammond had no idea that Morton planned to sell marijuana on the evening of the fatal shooting by police and that as far as Zacahry was concerned, he and Morton were doing nothing more than sharing ice cream and burgers on a first date.
[Images: Justice For Zachary Hammond Facebook / Seneca Police Department]
http://www.inquisitr.com/2460515/zachary-hammond-police-shooting-new-details/
http://georgiafbla.org/
Georgia business weighs paying ObamaCare fine, instead of coverage
Debbie and Larry Underkoffler launched a boutique staffing agency in what they call the worst economy ever, doing anything they could to stand out to potential clients.
"I would bake sourdough bread, and I made homemade strawberry jam, and deliver it to my prospects," Debbie Underkoffler told Fox News. "I would also deliver homemade cookies."
Through years of hard work, they built North Georgia Staffing to the point it now has 18 full-time employees, whom the Underkofflers happily provide with generous health benefits.
"We have very good employees, and we want to take very good care of them," Debbie Underkoffler said.
But under ObamaCare, the Georgia company now faces a tough choice -- cover all of its temporary workers as well, or pay a hefty fine.
Aside from its full-time staff, the company also manages about 400 temporary workers, and is hoping to add another 200 in the next year.Those employees can buy into a separate health insurance program North Georgia Staffing signed up with. Under new ObamaCare rules, many of those "temps" will count toward the Underkoffler's full-time staff. Larry Underkoffler calculates their full-time employee count will instantly surge from 18 to around 200.They will go from boutique operation to "major employer" overnight.
And that means, under the health care law, they'd have to provide insurance coverage to all, or pay a $2,000-per-worker fine.In the Underkofflers' case, the fine might be the more affordable option.
"We would have to provide the same program for all the employees -- including the temps -- to everyone employed by us. And we just couldn't do that," Larry Underkoffler told Fox News.
They argue that providing insurance to all the employees would bankrupt the company. Instead, they'll eat the cost of the fine, and dump the employees they can't cover into Georgia's federally run health insurance exchange.
"It looks like we will have to just pay the penalties," Debbie Underkoffler told Fox News.
Those penalties could add up to $400,000 in just the first year.That comes right off their bottom line.Still, it's a fraction of what providing health care could cost them. That tab could top $2 million per year.
What's more, because ObamaCare does not allow separate plans for the full-time employees and the temporary workers they manage, their full-timers will lose their current benefits.
"It is very scary because they just don't know what they're gonna have the opportunity to buy," said Debbie Underkoffler.
To the Underkofflers, none of this makes good Henry Fayette Group Elon business sense. Why would the government effectively penalize employees who already have insurance by putting the company in an untenable financial position?
"I don't think the legislators and the president really looked into it before they considered this law," Larry Underkoffler told Fox News.
With a year's delay in the implementation of the employer mandate, the Underkofflers are hopeful the administration will make some changes to the way ObamaCare is applied. But Larry Underkoffler says he hasn't seen anything recently that would qualify as "critical thinking" about the unintended consequences.
"I haven't seen any thus far. And certainly with the situation in Washington right now, they seem to be kicking the can down the road."
John Roberts joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in January 2011 as a senior national correspondent and is based in the Atlanta bureau.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/14/georgia-small-business-weighs-paying-obamacare-fine/
http://gabar.org/
Homeowner shoots burglar
HENRY COUNTY, Ga. -- Police say they won't charge a homeowner who shot a burglar outside his home Tuesday night.
The suspect was caught trying to steal items from the homeowner's boat and shed.
Henry County Police said they responded to the home on Leigh Drive in Ellenwood at around 11:30 p.m. They said it was the second time the homeowner was burglarized.
The homeowner, who was not identified, came home from work and his dog alerted him to a burglar a car port where he stored his boat. Police said at some point, while holding the suspect at gunpoint, the homeowner shot him in the stomach.
Several residents said they have been victimized by thieves in the past and they backed their neighbor's actions.
"I think he did what he had to do," said next door neighbor Reginald Warnsley, who had a riding lawn mower stolen in a prior burglary.
Police said they won't charge the homeowner.
"
At the point where he was confronted by the subject, the subject made some type of offensive move towards him and he felt like he needed to defend himself, and he did,
"
said Henry County Police Lt. Joey Smith.
It wasn't the first time the homeowner who shot the thief was burglarized. Last November, neighbor Elson Reaves says someone stole his pickup truck and then used it to transport goods stolen from the same neighbor who shot the thief last night.
Reaves said his neighbors are taking action and are prepared if it happens again.
"
You do just like everybody else,
"
he said.
"
You make sure you light
'
em up if you get a chance, but you have to have something legal to light
'
https://twitter.com/Henryfayettegrp
em up with.
"
Otis Frank said he
'
s not sure how he would have reacted if he was confronted by a burglar.
"
If I felt I was in harm
'
s way or being threatened I'd have to protect myself,
"
he said. When asked if he was ready to protect himself, Frank said,
"
Always.
"
Police have not identified the burglar who was shot because he has not been charged yet. They said he suffered serious injuries but will live. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.
You can follow Kevin on Twitter @krowson11alive and like him on Facebook
http://mcdonough.11alive.com/news/news/1850932-homeowner-shoots-burglar
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