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Okay, guys, I wasn't sure what to do with this or where to post it, but I just had to share it. "KICK-OFF"!?!?!?!? What WERE these folks thinking? And I'm afraid to ask what you DO at a funeral home's Family Fun Day? The name of the place alone is a little scary.

How would you like to see this thing bearin down on you?

Gays, women seeking abortions, couples not married will be includedJust as the Christian church has done many wonderful things throughout history, says the Rev. Richard Mark Lee, it also has done many terrible things, such as targeting, judging and condemning various individuals and groups. On Sunday, Lee plans to apologize for these past wrongs in a sermon at his church, Sugar Hill Baptist, known as The Family Church. Some of the groups Lee said he'll apologize to include gays, women seeking abortions and couples who live together outside of marriage. "For too long, we're been known for the issues we're...

ATLANTA -- Judge Marvin Arrington insists he's not a racist; despite ordering white lawyers out of his courtroom on Thursday. The Fulton County Superior Court judge said he was just fed up seeing a parade of young black defendants in his courtroom. "I came out and saw the defendants, about 99.9 percent Afro-Americans, and some point time I excused some of the lawyers, most of them white, and said to the young people in here 'What in the world are you doing with your lives,'" he told WSB-TV Channel 2 reporter JaQuitta Williams. Arrington said he thought his message might...

Their weapons may not sound like much: two belts, a newspaper and a rose-pattern blanket. But six Chinese immigrants from Chamblee all but gift-wrapped an international fugitive for authorities recently, ending a five-month manhunt for a self-described martial arts expert twice featured on "America's Most Wanted." Nai Yin Xue had sought cover in Atlanta's Mandarin-speaking community. There, he encountered a scrappy band of cooks and deliverymen whose possessions, though few, include a good memory and a keen sense of justice. Now the "Chamblee Six" await final details of a sizable reward from New Zealand police. Today, the five men and...

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- I met Bonnie Turner seven years ago when I was looking for a puppy. There was just simply no one better to turn to than the eccentric grandmother who loved animals so much that her 86-acre North Georgia farm was home to donkeys, goats, high-priced show dogs and even a few wayward deer. On Saturday, nothing was left of that bucolic sanctuary after a 130-mph tornado ravaged it. Bonnie died, thrown 50 feet from her home as her husband Michael cried out her name, their neighbors Joe and Jamie Wheeler said. Her death has shaken me....

we know about last nights EF2 that hit downtown altanta (100's of million in damage)but new tornadoes are now moving in... already reports of 4 dead 30 miles NW of Atlanta..more supercells forming west of ATL http://media.myfoxatlanta.com/live/

Radar map

A wind storm caused several bolts to fall from the rafters of the Georgia Dome on Friday, temporarily delaying a basketball game between Mississippi State and Alabama. Catwalks were swaying and insulation fell from the roof as fans left their seats and huddled in the concourse looking for safety. Curtains that drape the sides of the Dome blew open. Scott Wise of Tupelo, Miss. said he was sitting in Section 107, Row 1, which are temporary bleachers courtside, when he was almost hit by the 1/2-inch long bolt. "A big old blot just fell out of the top," Wise said....

A tornado has been reported in downtown Atlanta...some injuries.

Friday morning brought rain and the kind of dark, oppressive clouds that seem to cling to the skies over Atlanta Motor Speedway. But race day promises sun and meteorological relief, something sorely needed for a racetrack that produces tremendous speeds and tremendous finishes often overshadowed by rows of empty seats. The metropolitan areas of Atlanta and Los Angeles have more in common than the residents of either city would likely care to admit. Both are freeway-strangled municipalities where two-hour commutes aren't unheard of, and drivers can encounter five lanes of stopped Interstate traffic even at 3 in the morning. Both...

. The Kobalt Tools 500 Sunday 2:00 pm ET on FOX from Atlanta Motor Speedway SPEED Race Day at 11:30 ETFOX Pre-race show at 1:30 ETGreen Flag approx 2:00 ET Please visit the FR Canteen - Dedicated to our troops, veterans, and their families: The FR Canteen God Bless Our Troops Please pray on this day, and every day, for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world in defense of our liberty, and for the families awaiting their safe return.

A proposal that would allow police to seize vehicles from illegal immigrants could help remove egregious drivers from the roads, some metro police say. "I think it has the possibility of being a good thing," said DeKalb County Police Department spokesman Officer J.T. Ware. The seizure powers might be best used to focus on habitual traffic offenders, he said. The proposed law, House Bill 978, was approved by the state House of representatives this week. It still must pass the senate. The measure would allow police to seize cars of illegal immigrants who are involved in accidents or violate traffic...

Israel is feeling the love from an unusual constituency. A slice of evangelical Christendom, which spent decades trying to convert Jews, has organized in recent years to support them. During a local show of support last Monday, 2,500 conservative Christians gathered in a Powder Springs church to wave Israeli and U.S. flags, bow their heads as a rabbi prayed, applaud local Jewish and Israeli dignitaries and shout out support for Israel, pep-rally style. The crowning speaker was the Rev. John Hagee. "Those who fight against Israel are fighting against God himself," he told the cheering crowd. Hagee is an old-fashioned...

Photo: Robert Roethlisberger just prior to his arrest Contact: Bruce and Louise Carper, 770-579-7017 to arrange an interview from jail ATLANTA, Feb. 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- As things begin to heat up in a busy legislative session in Georgia, and state lawmakers fight over their own special interests some of these political tensions have clearly lead to the arrest of one demonstrator this week. Robert Roethlisberger Jr., of Clarkston, Georgia, was arrested on February 15, 2008, while holding a sign promoting House Resolution 536 known as the "Human Life Amendment." It is an attempt to place on this year's election...

The latest challenge for LELDF is the case of Officer Raymond S. Bunn, a 37-year old husband and father of five children who was a seven-year veteran of the Atlanta Police Department. About 3 a.m. on July 14, 2002, Officer Bunn and his partner, Officer Terry Mulkey, were in an unmarked police vehicle patrolling “Buckhead,” a tough nightclub area of Atlanta that routinely experiences burglaries, car thefts, break-ins, shootings, brawls, and riotous drunken behavior. Suddenly they heard the breaking of a car window and a vehicle alarm sounding. Suspecting a vehicle theft, they turned on the blue police flashing lights...

Five years ago today, an Atlanta college student and radio producer was gunned down in her home. Those who loved her want to know why. Atlanta police still haven't made any arrests in the Feb. 6, 2003 homicide of Quiana Knox, 24. The Los Angeles native was a visiting senior in mass communications at Clark Atlanta from Paine College in Augusta. Information: Anyone with information about the case can call Atlanta homicide investigators at 404-853-4235. Knox answered a loud banging on her door at the Northside Plaza apartments on Markham Street and Northside Drive around 10 p.m. to a man...

With former President Bill Clinton standing not 20 feet in front of her, Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin took what appeared to be a political shot at the former president's comments about Barack Obama's candidacy. Speaking at the 40th annual MLK commemorative service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Franklin said the country is on the "cusp of turning the impossible into reality. Yes this is reality, not fantasy or fairy tales." Clinton, in supporting his wife Hillary's bid for the Democratic nomination, recently took heat for using the term "fairy tale" to describe Obama's depiction of his stance on the war. Franklin...

ATLANTA - Hundreds of civil rights leaders and others crowded Martin Luther King Jr.'s Ebenezer Baptist Church on Monday to celebrate the man and his legacy. "We would be remiss if we did not commemorate Martin Luther King Jr., a champion of peace in a time of war," said Isaac Newton Farris Jr., a nephew of King. The King Center has asked the nation to commemorate his birthday for 40 years ? for more years than the civil rights leader lived, Farris said. King was assassinated at age 39 on April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of a...

ATLANTA - Two U.S. citizens accused of plotting to attack civilian and government targets shot "casing videos" of Washington landmarks that were found on a terrorism suspect's computer in Britain and met with suspects in a Canadian terrorism case, an FBI agent testified Monday. Agent Mark Richards testified that the videos of the U.S. Capitol and other Washington landmarks taken by Syed Ahmed and Ehsanul Sadequee were found on a computer belonging to Younis Tsouli, a Moroccan-born man who pleaded guilty in Britain in July to inciting others to commit acts of terrorism. Richards also said Ahmed and Sadequee, during...

ATLANTA - The 80-year-old leader of a suburban Atlanta megachurch has been charged with lying under oath, court documents show. A warrant for the arrest of Archbishop Earl Paulk, co-founder of Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church, was issued Monday, according to court documents. Paulk was making arrangements Monday night to turn himself in to authorities, WAGA-TV reported. Paulk's attorneys did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press for comment. Former church employee Mona Brewer is suing Paulk, his brother, Don, and the church for allegedly manipulating her into an affair from 1989 to 2003...

Late Tuesday night, ESPN.com, citing multiple sources, reported that Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is pursuing USC coach Pete Carroll according to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. According to the story, the Falcons "might be willing to grant Carroll far-reaching responsibilities." The Falcons on Tuesday said they were extending their simultaneous searches for a new head coach and general manager. On Tuesday, the Falcons were granted permission to interview Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. That interview is slated for this week. But the team was denied permission to talk to New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

ATLANTA (AP) - Rain fell in the city for a fourth consecutive day Sunday, assuring that 2007 would not go down as the driest year on record for the drought-stricken Atlanta area. The most arid year ever recorded for Atlanta was 1954, when only 31.80 inches of rain fell. Meteorologists had feared this year would have even less rain, predicting that showers on Sunday morning would taper off. But the rain continued long enough to raise the 2007 cumulative rainfall to 31.85 inches. Dry weather was forecast for Monday. More than one-third of the Southeast is in a severe drought....

Related To Story Mayor's Daughter Guilty In Money Laundering Case POSTED: 2:14 pm EST December 17, 2007 UPDATED: 4:57 pm EST December 17, 2007 COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Prosecutors say a daughter of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin pleaded guilty today in South Carolina to helping launder money for her ex-husband, who is serving life in prison for his involvement in a drug dealing operation. U.S. Attorney Reggie Lloyd says 35-year-old Kai Franklin of Atlanta entered the plea in federal court in Greenville. Franklin's ex-husband, Tremayne Graham, was indicted in 2003 for conspiring to distribute at least 1,000 kilograms of Mexican cocaine...

Federal authorities said Friday they shut down two major Mexico-based drug operations that were using Atlanta as a hub for trafficking marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine up the East Coast. By late Friday, 88 suspects had been indicted and criminal complaints — charges brought until an indictment is returned — had been brought against another 25.

ATLANTA (AP) - For generations, Grady Memorial Hospital has treated the poorest of the poor, victims of stabbings and shootings, and motorists grievously injured in Atlanta's murderous rush-hour traffic. Now, Grady itself is in grave condition. Staggering under a deficit projected at $55 million, the city's only public hospital could close at the end of the year, leaving Atlanta without a major trauma center and foisting thousands of poor people onto emergency rooms at other hospitals for their routine medical care. "I don't have the words to describe the onslaught of health care needs that will hit the region if...

The Cobb County homeowner who used enough water during his October billing cycle to fill a backyard pool 58 times told county officials Tuesday that he was working to cut his water use. According to his October bill, Chris G. Carlos used 440,000 gallons of water at his 14,000-square-foot home, which sits on 3.8 lush acres in Atlanta Country Club and includes a pool. He was contacted by county officials on Tuesday. "He was very humble. It is my understanding he told his landscaper to stop all watering last week," said County Spokesman Robert Quigley, who called Carlos. For the...

Eighty-five bungalows dot the cul-de-sac that joins West Ontario Avenue and East Ontario Avenue in Atlanta. Twenty-two are vacant, victims of mortgage fraud and foreclosure. Now house fires, prostitution, vandals and burglaries terrorize the residents left in this historic neighborhood called Westview Village. "It's created a safety hazard. And if we have to sell our house tomorrow, we're out of luck," said resident Scott Smith. "Real estate agents say to me 'We're not redlining you, but I tell my clients to think twice about buying here.'" As defaults surge on mortgages made to borrowers with spotty credit and adjustable-rate loans,...

An Atlanta megachurch took in $69 million in 2006, according to a financial statement the church's minister released in response to a Senate investigation into him and five other well-known televangelists. The Rev. Creflo Dollar disclosed the World Changers Church International's financial information to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but said the money he spends is his own. Dollar said his income comes from personal investments, including businesses and real estate ventures. But the church gave him a Rolls Royce, which he mainly uses for special occasions, he said. "Without a doubt, my life is not average," he said. "But I'd like...

The rapidly growing metropolis' 'cavalier' attitude toward conservation is the real problem, critics say. ___ With government officials issuing stark projections that Atlanta could run out of water within three months, Georgia politicians have pleaded with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to decrease the amount of water being released. The flow has been required to save two species of mussels 200 miles downriver. Yet while Georgia's leaders try to cast the water shortage as a battle between 5 million people and a few mussels -- with the message that greater priority should be given to Atlanta residents -- there...

The Clinton Campaign today announced that Congressman John Lewis will serve as a national campaign chair. Congressman Lewis recently endorsed Senator Clinton stating he believes that “Senator Clinton is the best prepared to lead this country at a time when we are in desperate need of strong leadership.” As one of six national campaign chairs, Representative Lewis will focus his efforts on economic empowerment, health care, and poverty. Rep. Lewis is a civil rights pioneer who has devoted his life to equal rights for all Americans. From his days as a Freedom Rider and the head of the Student Non-violent...

. Pep Boy's 500 Sunday 2:00 pm Eastern on ABC from Atlanta Motor Speedway SPEED Pre-race show at 12:00 EasternABC Pre-race show at 1:00 EasternGreen Flag at 2:15 Eastern Please give your support to the FR Canteen - Dedicated to our troops, veterans, and their families: The FR Canteen God Bless Our Troops Please pray on this day, and every day, for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world in defense of our liberty, and for the families awaiting their safe return.

No Backup if Atlanta's Faucets Run Dry Friday October 19, 2007 9:16 PM By GREG BLUESTEIN Associated Press Writer ATLANTA (AP) - With the South in the grip of an epic drought and its largest city holding less than a 90-day supply of water, officials are scrambling to deal with the worst-case scenario: What if Atlanta's faucets really do go dry? So far, no real backup exists. And there are no quick fixes among suggested solutions, which include piping water in from rivers in neighboring states, building more regional reservoirs, setting up a statewide recycling system or even desalinating water...

Georgia Officials Threaten to Sue Corp of Engineers Over Draining Reservoirs

End of an era for TBS, Braves, fans For three decades, Braves games have been beamed around the country on TBS. They became America's Team — but Sunday, America will watch for the last time. All across America Sunday, thousands of people like Bill DeArmond of Winfield, Kan., will say goodbye to an old friend. For three decades, they have watched the national telecasts of Braves games on TBS, turning Atlanta's baseball team into — at least for a while — "America's Team." Today, America will watch for the last time. The Braves' season finale at Houston marks the end...

With some conservatives eagerly awaiting the announcement of a Newt Gingrich presidential run, the former House Speaker launched his inaugural Solutions Day in Atlanta, Georgia yesterday. The two day event kicked off with Gingrich’s opening address that outlined the problems facing America and how citizens could fundamentally address the challenges. “American people are tired of red versus blue…the American people do want red, white, blue and that means bringing us together,” Gingrich said, repeating a line he’s used to color the face of Solutions Day in the past week. He derided the concept a divided country (one of former Sen....

Investigators used a ruse to question a man later charged with aiding terrorists, an FBI agent testified Tuesday at a hearing over admissibility of the conversation and a search of the defendant's luggage. FBI agent Michael Scherck said he and another law enforcement officer approached Ehsanul Sadequee as he got off a flight from Atlanta to New York on Aug. 18, 2005, and told him they wanted to talk to him about passenger complaints that he had acted suspiciously on the plane. Scherck said that in fact there were no complaints, but investigators wanted biographical information from Sadequee as part...

ATLANTA - Richard Jewell, the former security guard who was erroneously linked to the 1996 Olympic bombing, died Wednesday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. Jewell, 44, was found dead in his west Georgia home, GBI spokesman John Bankhead said.

Associated Press Published on: 08/29/07 Two teenagers are being held without bond after being arrested in connection with a home invasion in Atlanta's Inman Park neighborhood. Police arrested Lanoriss Moore and Tremain Lovelace, both 18, on 16 charges. Authorities say the teens randomly targeted a condominium and burst through the front door while a couple and four friends were having dinner. Police say the teens fired 30 rounds into the condo. Police Major Renee said no one was shot but several people were injured as they tried to escape. She said it's a miracle no one was hit with bullets....

Santos he had tuberculosis Friday, health officials said the Gwinnett County 17-year-old refused to believe it. Then the wiry, dark-haired youth refused to submit to any treatment. Worse, he said he was walking out of the Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville and heading back to his home country of Mexico, officials said. (ENLARGE) Francisco Santos lives in Norcross with at least one parent and several younger siblings, records show. "I think he was scared," said David Will, attorney for the Gwinnett County Board of Health. Gwinnett health officials found themselves in a bind. They had a person with a case...

Atlanta Falcons Quarterback To Plead Guilty To Lesser Charges (CBS News) RICHMOND, Va. The National Football league has suspended Michael Vick indefinitely after he pleaded guilty to charges related to dogfighting on Friday. Vick filed his plea agreement in federal court Friday admitting to conspiracy in a dogfighting ring and helping kill pit bulls. He denied ever betting on the fights, only bankrolling them. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback is scheduled to formally enter his plea Monday in U.S. District Court. He signed the plea agreement Thursday. "Most of the Bad Newz Kennels operation and gambling monies were provided by Vick,"...

Exposed boxer shorts and thongs would be illegal in any public place in Atlanta if the City Council approves a proposed amendment to the city's indecency laws. The target is young men who wear their pants low off their hips to show off the two pairs of boxers they wear beneath their saggy pants, said Atlanta Councilman C.T. Martin, a college recruitment consultant who sponsored the ordinance. Saggy pants are an "epidemic" that are becoming a "major concern" in cities and states around the country, the ordinance reads. "Little children see it and want to adopt it, thinking it's the...

ISPs in the U.S. experienced a service slowdown Monday after fiber-optic cables near Cleveland were apparently sabotaged by gunfire. TeliaSonera, which lost the northern leg of its U.S. network to the cut, said that the outage began around 7 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday night. When technicians pulled up the affected cable, it appeared to have been shot. "Somebody had been shooting with a gun or a shotgun into the cable," said Anders Olausson, a TeliaSonera spokesman. The damage affected a large span of cable, more than two-thirds of a mile [1.1 km] long, near Cleveland, TeliaSonera said. The company...

RICHMOND, Va. -- Michael Vick agreed Monday to plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, a deal that leaves the Atlanta Falcons quarterback facing up to 18 months in prison and puts his NFL career in jeopardy. Under the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend Vick be sentenced to between a year and 18 months in prison, according to a government official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms have not yet been made final. That would be a higher penalty than is usually recommended for first-time convicts, and reflects an attempt by the government...

A federal appeals court on Monday gave NASCAR a huge victory in the racing organization's ongoing battle with AT&T. In a reversal of a lower court's decision, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled that AT&T doesn't have the right to sue NASCAR over a sponsorship disagreement. The upshot: NASCAR is close to being able to require that AT&T logos be stripped from the No. 31 car, which is driven by Jeff Burton. That finding is a big switch from May, when Judge Marvin Shoob of U.S. District Court in Atlanta granted AT&T a preliminary injunction that...

Metro Atlanta's Roman Catholic churches are keeping their pulpits filled better than many regions of the country.Across the nation there is a shortage of priests, but the Archdiocese of Atlanta's 95 churches and missions have 262 priests and more than 50 seminarians in training. RELATED: • More Atlanta news "We have one of the strongest vocational programs in the country," said Father Luke Ballman, the director of vocations.About 600 Serrans, lay Catholics dedicated to supporting and educating those choosing church vocations, are in Atlanta this weekend for a national conference.Serra clubs across the country raise money for scholarships, organize prayer...

We worshiped. A glorious worship service. See the Order of Service on lcna.org or goodsoil.org. My words are not adequate to describe it. First, we were in a very large dining room in the hotel. The color of the day was red, Vigil of Pentecost texts. Banners of red, paraments too. Soloists with crystalline voices. Flute, piano, organ (a wonderfully full throated organ – did not know that something that powerful could be portable, … well, moveable). A choir put together from amongst us – clearly knew what it was doing. There were 650 people for the service. There were...

A man neighbors described as a retired factory worker shot three people to death and wounded two others before killing himself in a southwest Atlanta home Monday, authorities said. All of the victims were believed to be related, Atlanta police spokesman Eric Schwartz said. The gunman was identified by police as Abdulaziz Ibrahim, 52. Officers also found the bodies of Hana Yusuf, 26, and Luna Tesfaye, 24, Schwartz said. Another victim, Mohammad Ibrahim, 28, died at Grady Memorial Hospital. Three-year-old Amir Abdulhakim was in critical condition at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, and Yusef Ibrahim, 27, was in stable...

From the Department Of We Sure Didn't See This One Coming, consumer talk radio kingpin Clark Howard is seriously considering a move into political office. Could the notoriously cheap bargain hunter become a future Georgia governor or Atlanta mayor? In a new interview with the AP's Shannon McCaffrey, the syndicated host is opening the door to that kind of move. But where does the king of coupon clippers stand on the issues? That's a tough one, as we see in the piece: ...

The following is posted today on the Southeast Synod's web site. July 5, 2007 A Pastoral Letter for Immediate Public Release – July 5, 2007 The Committee on Appeals of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has upheld the decision of the Discipline Hearing Committee that the Rev. Bradley E. Schmeling be removed from the clergy roster of the ELCA. The Committee on Appeals ruling was effective July 2, 2007, and therefore, as of that date, Bradley Schmeling is no longer a pastor on the roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. My decision to seek Pastor Schmeling's removal...