WDEF News 12 - Covering Georgia

Ga. man sentenced in death of girlfriend's son

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:34:56 -0400

JESUP, Ga. (AP) — A southeast Georgia man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the death of his girlfriend's 3-year-old son.

Trevor Foster, of Jesup, was sentenced Wednesday in the May 2012 beating death of Elisha Jones. The Florida Times-Union (http://bit.ly/18cAvRF ) reports 24-year-old Foster was caring for his girlfriend's son while she was at work and left the boy at home when he went to pick her up.

District Attorney Jackie Johnson says when the couple returned, the child was unresponsive and later died. Authorities found the boy had suffered massive blunt force trauma to the front and back of his head.

Southern Co. team weighing changes from renewables

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:34:37 -0400

ATLANTA (AP) — The Southern Co. is brainstorming ways it can more widely incorporate renewable energy such as solar power into its traditional business model.

CEO Thomas Fanning said this week that the utility has assembled a team to study how distributed generation, particularly solar power, might be used as it becomes cheaper and more efficient. Unlike large, centralized fossil fuel or nuclear plants, solar panels could generate electricity from many places spread around an electric system.

Fanning says a brainstorming team is expected to issue an initial report later this summer. No firm decisions have been made.

In one approach, Fanning says customers with solar panels could get a credit toward their electric bill or a payment for their power.

Another approach would have Southern Co. lease solar panels directly to consumers.

NYC lawsuit over alleged Brett Favre texts settled

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:34:30 -0400

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City lawyer for two massage therapists who sued retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre over racy text messages says the case has been settled.

Lawyer David Jaroslawicz said Friday that the lawsuit has been resolved. He would not comment on the terms of the settlement.

Massage therapists Christina Scavo and Shannon O'Toole said Favre sent sexually suggestive texts to another therapist when he was with the New York Jets in 2008.

The women said they lost their part-time jobs with the Jets after they complained about the texts. They sought unspecified damages from Favre, the Jets and a team massage coordinator.

Lawyers for Favre and the Jets did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

Ex-Ga. prison guard guilty in contraband scheme

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:34:23 -0400

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A former east Georgia prison guard has been sentenced to more than two years of probation for trying to smuggle contraband into the Augusta State Medical Prison.

The Augusta Chronicle (http://bit.ly/18ol6vd ) reports 25-year-old Lance D. Driggers pleaded guilty Thursday in Richmond County Superior Court and was sentenced under the First Offender Act.

Assistant District Attorney Falin Syms says Driggers was caught in early February with four quart-sized and two gallon-sized bags of loose tobacco and 15 packages of cigarette rolling papers.

___

Information from: The Augusta Chronicle , http://www.augustachronicle.com

NC State beats Miami 7-1 in ACC tournament

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:34:16 -0400

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Trea Turner and Bryan Adametz each drove in two runs to help North Carolina State beat Miami 7-1 on Friday in pool play at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Turner had a two-run single in a four-run second inning for the fourth-seeded Wolfpack (44-13), who improved to 2-0 in Pool A in Durham. N.C. State beat Clemson 6-3 on Thursday.

Reliever Andrew Woeck (6-1) earned the win, allowing no hits in three scoreless innings of work.

Starter Chris Diaz (6-5) took the loss for the eighth-seeded Hurricanes (35-23), who also lost 10-0 to North Carolina on Thursday and stand at 0-2 in pool play.

For Miami, Tyler Palmer had two hits while Brad Fieger brought in the Hurricanes' only run by taking a bases-loaded walk in the third inning.

Both teams play Saturday, with N.C. State facing top-seeded UNC and Miami facing fifth-seeded Clemson.

Ga. woman arrested in death of 3-year-old son

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:34:09 -0400

MACON, Ga. (AP) — The mother of a Macon boy who died earlier this week has been arrested after an autopsy revealed he suffered blunt force trauma to his head.

Jameshia Desiree Reid has been charged with felony murder in the death of her 3-year-old son, Jakarie, who died early Friday morning.

Investigators have said 24-year-old Reid told police her son passed out and may have swallowed hazardous chemicals.

Police found numerous bottles of bleach and other cleaners in several rooms in the home, but didn't smell chemicals on the boy or in the home. Officers did notice several bruises on the boy's body.

It was unclear whether Reid had an attorney, and information on whether her bond had been set was not immediately available.

Ex-Ga. PTA president sentenced in embezzlement

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:33:55 -0400

ATLANTA (AP) — The former president of an elementary school PTA and educational foundation has been sentenced to jail and probation for stealing at least $80,000 from the groups.

Fulton County District Attorney's spokeswoman Yvette Jones says 48-year-old Maryam Arjomand pleaded guilty Thursday to forgery and theft by taking.

Jones says Arjomand, of Atlanta, was the president of the E. Rivers Elementary School PTA and the E. Rivers Education foundation. Jones says the money was embezzled from both groups between 2010 and 2012.

Investigators found the money was diverted to an unauthorized account where Arjomand once worked.

Arjomand was sentenced to 10 years in prison and is ordered to serve 90 days in jail. Jones says Arjomand is ordered to serve the rest of her sentence on probation.

Ex-Ga. doctor sentenced in drugs-for-sex scheme

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:43:05 -0400

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Department of Justice officials say a former Savannah psychiatrist has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for trading addictive prescription medications for sex.

William Ellien was sentenced Thursday in federal court and is also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his prison sentence. The former psychiatrist is also ordered to surrender all of his medical licenses.

U.S. Attorney's spokesman James Durham, of the Southern District of Georgia, says Ellien traded hundreds of prescriptions for oxycontin, hydrocodone, Xanax and other addictive drugs for sex with multiple women.

Durham says Ellien exchanged drugs for sex between 2009 and 2012. None of the women were his patients and many became addicted to the drugs he gave them.

Ga. woman runs over son during attempted getaway

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:42:58 -0400

CENTERVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Police say an accused shoplifter ran over her 4-year-old son while running from a loss prevention officer.

Authorities say 25-year-old Arkebia Albury is charged with child cruelty, reckless conduct and theft by shoplifting in the Thursday evening incident. Centerville police say the boy is hospitalized with critical injuries to his head and internal organs.

Police Chief Sidney Andrews tells The Telegraph of Macon (http://bit.ly/14ZA9cK) one of Albury's children got into the passenger side of the car, but the 4-year-old boy was run over as the loss prevention officer approached.

Andrews says Albury put the boy in the back seat, ignoring the officer's plea to leave the child where he was and wait for an ambulance.

She was arrested soon after. It's unclear if she has an attorney.

___

Information from: The Macon Telegraph, http://www.macontelegraph.com

Delta ups the ante in battle for NY travel market

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:42:52 -0400

NEW YORK (AP) — Delta Air Lines is opening a $1.4 billion terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport, strengthening its hand in the battle for the lucrative New York travel market.

The expanded concourse offers sweeping views of the airport, upscale food and shopping options and increased seating.

It replaces a decrepit terminal built by Pan Am in 1960 that was an embarrassing way to welcome millions of visitors to the United States.

Delta CEO Richard Anderson said his customers "and the residents of New York now have the international hub facility that they expect and deserve."

Travelers will appreciate the little touches in the new facility. The concourse houses local restaurant favorites like Blue Smoke and Shake Shack and 75 percent of seats at the gates have access to electric outlets.