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Accused child molester pretended to be CIA agent, Army general
A Fayette County man faces multiple counts of child molestation, and investigators say more victims may come forward. John William Harvey, 70, was arrested Nov. 7 at his residence in a mobile home park in northwest Fayette, said Fayette sheriff's spokeswoman Lt. Belinda McCastle. Harvey is charged with nine counts of child molestation, eight of enticing a child for indecent purposes and one each of aggravated child molestation and furnishing alcohol to minors.
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Fayette honors longtime sheriff Johnson
Retiring Fayette County Sheriff Randall Johnson was declared the "godfather" of his department during a light-hearted reception Saturday honoring his 32 years in office. Johnson, who retires as the county's longest-serving sheriff, started out as the "father" of the department, said Fayette County Commission Chairman Jack Smith. "As years went by, he became the grandfather," Smith added. "Now he is soon to be the godfather."
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Fayette sheriff, one of state's longest-serving, gets big send-off
Fayette County plans a public send-off honoring one of the state's longest-serving sheriffs. Fayette Sheriff Randall Johnson is retiring next month after 32 years in the post. He was sworn into law enforcement in 1959 and worked more than 15 years with the state of Georgia, including a stint as a "revenuer" fighting illegal moonshiners, before returning to Fayette to run for sheriff. A public reception will be held Saturday, 3 p.m.-5 p.m., at Kiwanis Fair Complex at 939 Goza Road in Fayetteville. Local and state elected officials, including Fayette Sheriff-elect Wayne Hannah, will attend to pay tribute to Johnson's years with the county.
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Georgia income study: How much is bare minimum?
It costs a lot to be 'working poor' — especially in metro Atlanta. [ Post your comments below. ] A single parent of three in Gwinnett County needs to make more than $62,000 a year to avoid going on government assistance, according to the author of a new report that examines the most basic costs of living for families in each of Georgia's 159 counties.
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Clayton hospital can treat stroke patients
Southern Regional Health System is now the first hospital on metro Atlanta's Southside to be accredited to treat stroke patients. The Joint Commission, a national health care accrediting body, issued the primary stroke center certification to the Riverdale hospital this week, hospital spokeswoman Kari Hilyer said. The certification is backed by the American Stroke Association. The certification means the 331-bed hospital meets high national care standards and possesses critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke victims,
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Girl critically injured but stable after golf cart accident
A teenager is in critical but stable condition at Grady Memorial Hospital after being run over late Friday night by a golf cart, Peachtree City police said Monday. Police said the girl, who was not identified, was injured about 11:50 p.m. after falling off the front bumper of a moving 2008 Club Car inside Smokerise subdivision. Police said the cart was being operated by Allison Patricia Gair, 17, of Peachtree City. Gair, the girl who was injured and another juvenile had spent the night at a friend's house and took the cart without the owner's permission, police said.
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Study examines county incomes
A new report shows a single mother in Fayette County would have to earn over $42,000 a year — the highest amount in the state — to avoid needing government assistance. The report released by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute Monday looks at what families must earn in each county to be self-sufficient. Fayette County had the state's highest standard for a single parent, at $42,086. The lowest was in Baker County. There, one parent with one child could get by on $20,280.
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Coweta man burns home cleaning with blowtorch
SARGENT — Men take note: a blowtorch is not the same as a broom. Coweta County authorities say Galen Winchell set fire to his west Georgia home Wednesday as he cleaned cobwebs from exterior eaves with a blowtorch. Winchell noticed the blaze when he saw smoke pouring from the attic. Coweta Fire Investigator James Gantt says the fire was contained to one part of the house, but the entire home sustained smoke and water damage.
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School tax, Sunday liquor in Fayetteville OK'd
Fayette County voters narrowly approved a tax in Tuesday's elections that is designed to help keep their schools among the state's best. With all precincts reporting as of late Tuesday evening, the special purpose local option sales tax, or education SPLOST, had passed by 1,210 votes, claiming better than 51 percent (28,913) of the vote to outdistance the nearly 49 percent (27,713) of those who voted against it. The 1 percent sales tax, which will take effect on April 1, 2009 is expected to generate up to $115 million over the next five years. It means that for every $100 spent in Fayette County, $1 would go towards E-SPLOST.
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Georgia gets new child welfare chief
Georgia's state human resources commissioner on Monday announced a new state child welfare chief, the sixth person to fill the post since 1996. Mark A. Washington, 38, the former head of Kentucky's child welfare system, takes over as the agency faces severe budget cuts due to the slowing economy, which threaten staffing levels and some services to families and children. But Washington sounded optimistic during a media conference Monday morning, and said he welcomes the chance to not only maintain services, but to move the agency forward.
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Lines of 2 or 3 hours about average for Tuesday voters
Early voting wait times at polls across metro Atlanta improved slightly on Tuesday -- hovering at about two or three hours in some locations -- compared to four to eight hours at problem spots on Monday. Where to advance vote: Clayton | Cobb | DeKalb | Fulton | Gwinnett Gwinnett County elections officials added equipment and staff to polling places, and lines were running about two or three hours.
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Cellphone tracked suspects in Peachtree City chase
A cellphone helped authorities arrest two armed robbery suspects accused of leading police on a chase through two Southside cities. Peachtree City police Capt. Rosanna Dove said an employee of a clothing store was making a night deposit about 10 p.m. Saturday at the Wachovia in the Kedron Shopping Center when a man robbed her of the store's cash, her car keys and cellphone. A witness saw the gunman get into a burgundy car that headed toward Ga. 74, Dove said. Sprint activated the victim's cellphone's global positioning system, which helped police find the car in a College Park parking lot, Dove said.
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Low metro property values have broad impact
Tumbling real estate values in metro Atlanta will cut both ways in coming months, with many property owners likely due substantial tax breaks at the expense of already cash-starved local governments. Local officials fear the impact of what has so far been a localized issue — spreading in 2009 as Atlanta-area tax assessors begin capturing the downward spiral in real estate values. And the ultimate result could well be higher tax rates to offset losses. Local governments have already had to cut back on services, staff and benefits to offset lower collections for sales taxes, inspection fees, building permits and business licenses because of the economic slowdown and drop-off in development.
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Police chase from Peachtree City ends in gunfire
Police officers pursued two armed robbery suspects from Peachtree City northward through College Park and East Point early Sunday morning before the chase ended with gunfire. The suspects, Eric Moore, 37, and Rodrick Wheeler, 31, fired shots at pursuing officers along Langford Parkway, according to a College Park police statement. The suspects exited at Delowe Drive, struck a vehicle and jumped out of the car, police said. One suspect was shot in the leg by a College Park officer. The injured suspect was taken to a nearby hospital. The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.
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Evander Holyfield agrees to child support
Former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield and the Clayton County woman with whom he fathered a child reached a financial agreement Wednesday afternoon. Lawyers worked out the settlement at the Fayette County Courthouse a brief time before an appearance before a judge. Holyfield has three years to put $100,000 in the education account for the 11-year-old son he had with Toi Jenese Irvin. Holyfield additionally agreed to pay for the boy's private school education while maintaining the $3,000 per month in child support the court has mandated. "I do love my kids," Holyfield said after both parties reached the agreement at the Fayette County Courthouse. "I do want them to get a better education than I did, and I do all I can do to support them."
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