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There's poop in public pools, according to a new report. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found genetic material from E. coli bacteria in 58 percent of public pools they tested during the summer of 2012. This shows that "swimmers frequently introduced fecal material into pools," which could spread germs to other people, the researchers wrote in their report. E. coli bacteria are normally found in the human gut and feces. They also found genetic material from bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whichcan cause skin rashes and ear infections, in 59 percent of pools. The fecal material...

Bill Ayers, a retired professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, in no uncertain terms takes aim in this post at federal school policies that led to the Atlanta cheating scandal. Ayers, a radical activist during the 1960s and ’70s, had the national spotlight thrown on him during the 2008 presidential campaign when right-wing commentators tried, incorrectly, to say he had a close relationship with then candidate Barack Obama. In any case, Ayers is a well-known Chicago educator who worked with mayor Richard Daley on school reform and who taught and did research for years at the...

After dropping the format for Spanish Sports “ESPN Deportes” in late September, Clear Channel will return 640 WGST Atlanta to Talk on Monday, June 3. The new WGST lineup will exclusively feature syndicated programming including Wall Street Journal This Morning, Glenn Beck, Andrea Tantaros, and Dave Ramsey. Beck and Ramsey currently air in the market on “News Talk 1160” WCFO. Prior to its flip to Sports, WGST was also heard on 92.3 W222AF. The translator is now “Comedy 92.3” rebroadcasting 94.9 WUBL-HD3

<p>Authorities are investigating a possible explosion in southeast Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon.</p> <p>Fire and police crews were seen at the scene around the 1600 block of Memorial Drive SE in Atlanta.</p> <p>Georgia Bureau of Investigation officials on scene as well as a bomb squad unit, FOX 5's Justin Gray reports.</p>

The man shot while driving on Interstate 20 in DeKalb county during rush hour has died. He was driving a Maybach -- a rare luxury car that sells for upward of $400,000. Now, police are working to figure out who he was and find the person witnesses saw fire at him from a white SUV. "It sounded like a bazooka,” an unidentified witness said about the shooting. ... An off-duty Atlanta firefighter pulled over at the sight of the stopped sedan and found a man inside shot multiple times. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition, but...

So I'm sitting on the train today (with a bunch of Louisville fans, I guess the people from Michigan got closer hotels) and the little televisions on the train kept playing the same video over and over. After getting over the initial shock that the televisions on the train actually worked (thanks to a couple hundred million in renovations) I became fascinated in a slow motion wreck sort of way. Anyway, on a sad day like this I thought I'd share a bit of distraction. For maximum benefit mute the volume because of course there is none on the trains....

By now, Brian Banks is used to waiting. He sat in prison for five years, punished for a crime he didn’t commit. Freed last May after the victim admitted she had falsely accused him, the former USC recruit has been trying patiently but persistently to get a shot at the NFL. Finally, he’s getting one. Jay Glazer of FOX, who has worked extensively with Banks to get him into NFL shape, reports that the Atlanta Falcons have signed Banks to a contract. Banks, a linebacker, received tryouts last year from the Seahawks, Chargers, and Chiefs. Eventually, he joined the UFL...

Former 'Superintendent Of The Year' Could Go To Prison For 45 Years Rebecca Baird-RembaApril 2, 2013, 6:13 PM Dr. Beverly Hall arrives for her last school board meeting in 2011. Thirty-five Atlanta educators were indicted last week for allegedly participating in a cheating conspiracy involving one of America's most storied school superintendents. Retired Atlanta schools chief Beverly Hall was named "National Superintendent of the Year" in 2009 and had previously headed troubled school districts in New York and Newark. She was credited with rescuing the struggling Atlanta school system and helping it meet testing standards set by the Bush-era No...

<p>ATLANTA (AP) — Juwanna Guffie was sitting in her fifth-grade classroom taking a standardized test when, authorities say, the teacher came around offering information and asking the students to rewrite their answers. Juwanna rejected the help.</p> <p>"I don't want your answers, I want to take my own test," Juwanna told her teacher, according to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard.</p>

Atlanta (CNN) -- In what has been described as one of the largest cheating scandals to hit the nation's public education system, 35 Atlanta Public Schools educators and administrators were indicted Friday on charges of racketeering and corruption. The indictment is the bookend to a story that was once touted as a model for the nation's school districts after the district's test scores dramatically improved in some of its toughest urban schools. Among those indicted by a Fulton County, Georgia, grand jury was Beverly Hall, the former schools superintendent who gained national recognition in 2009 for turning around Atlanta's school...

Blacks officials in the rapidly deteriorating city of Atlanta decided to sue rather than allow successful White “evacuees” to incorporate prosperous new cities in the Northern suburbs of Dekalb and Fulton counties. For years government scandals, rackets, political corruption and charges of bribery have plagued a city which is becoming known as “The Detroit of the South,” all culminating in the threatened 2013 loss of accreditation for the Dekalb County School System. During that time, communities in the North Atlanta suburbs “…began the process of incorporating into cities,” with 6 having been carved out of the Atlanta hinterland by 2011...

As Detroit – beset by violence, debt and social woes – prepares to undergo a historic takeover by the Michigan state government, the city of Atlanta could be sliding toward a similar fate. Some are quietly wondering whether Atlanta is in danger of becoming “the Detroit of the South.” The city has experienced an ongoing succession of government scandals, ranging from a massive cheating racket to corruption, bribery, school-board incompetence and now the potential loss of accreditation for the local DeKalb County school system. For several years, problems of this sort have fueled political reforms, including the creation of new...

As Detroit – beset by violence, debt and social woes – prepares to undergo a historic takeover by the Michigan state government, the city of Atlanta could be sliding toward a similar fate. Some are quietly wondering whether Atlanta is in danger of becoming “the Detroit of the South.” The city has experienced an ongoing succession of government scandals, ranging from a massive cheating racket to corruption, bribery, school-board incompetence and now the potential loss of accreditation for the local DeKalb County school system. For several years, problems of this sort have fueled political reforms, including the creation of new...

ATLANTA - Animal experts say the population of coyotes is growing faster than they can keep up with. The latest example comes from Midtown Atlanta, where one resident spotted and photographed a coyote. ... "Whenever they do drop down, they rebound really quick. Sixty to 80 percent of the adult female coyotes are going to have pups every year," said Elliot. Elliot warns don't be fooled by the animal's appearance; coyotes are natural predators and small pets have become prey, so he advises to be careful especially if your pets spend a lot of time outside.

The anniversary of the killing of Trayvon Martin has led to a number of commemorative events in various cities around the country. The 17-year-old high school student was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida, on Feb. 26, 2012, sparking a national controversy. In the aftermath of the teenager’s death, there were a number of rallies in support of his family and denouncing racial profiling and gun violence. A candlelight vigil will be held on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. in New York City’s Union Square Park, with a moment of silence to begin shortly after...

Forbes put Detroit Mayor Dave Bing on its cover in 2011 for a story with the optimistic headline: “City of Hope.” The premise was that the city had hit rock bottom and was poised for a turnaround. “Right now, it’s all about survival,” Bing told Forbes. Two years later, Detroit’s problems continue to multiply, sadly. It is still dealing with high levels of violent crime and unemployment. Home prices, already at historic lows, plummeted a further 35% during the past three years to a median of $40,000 as net migration out of the city continued. The latest blow was Tuesday’s...

Prime Minister Stephen Harper Will Never Let Canada Become A Safe Haven For Zombies Says John Baird The NDP’s Pat Martin raised the question Tuesday about how the government was prepared for an attack from zombies and he actually got an answer. “I rise today to salute the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta and the province of Quebec for putting in place emergency measures to deal with the possibility of an invasion of zombies,” Martin said. “I do not need to tell you, Mr. Speaker, that zombies do not recognize borders and that a zombie invasion in the United...

<p>ATLANTA (AP) — A student opened fire at his middle school Thursday afternoon, wounding a 14-year-old in the neck before an armed officer working at the school was able to get the gun away, police said.</p> <p>Multiple shots were fired in the courtyard of Price Middle School just south of downtown about 1:50 p.m. and the one boy was hit, Atlanta Police Chief George Turner said. In the aftermath, a teacher received minor cuts, he said.</p>

Someone altered Fulton County voter records after last year’s presidential election, using a red pen to add names to tally sheets of voters using paper ballots and marking that their votes all counted. Who is responsible remains a mystery, but it happened after managers from at least two precincts had signed off on the documents and submitted them to the main county elections office. “I know for certain that these additional names were added after,” Rosalyn Murphy, who served in November as an assistant poll manager at Church of the Redeemer in Sandy Springs, told the State Election Board during...

New horrifying video footage has emerged showing a woman being Tasered by a security guard after she and her children antagonized and threatened the man outside an Atlanta strip mall. The five-minute video shows a security guard chastising young kids for making noise and playing outside the 5 Points Plaza shopping mall in downtown Atlanta. That's when the mother steps in and starts yelling profanities and threatening, 'Don’t yell at my motherf***ing kids! You’ll get beat!' The security guard then repeatedly tells them to “back it up! You better back it up!' At that point, the children, encouraged by their...

Bishop-designate David P. Talley. Credit: Archdiocese of Atlanta. Atlanta, Ga., Jan 3, 2013 / 10:54 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI has named Atlanta priest Monsignor David P. Talley, a convert to Catholicism, as the newest auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory said Jan. 3 that he announced the appointment “with great joy.� “The Holy Father has selected a wonderful member of this zealous local presbyterate for the episcopacy and I know that he will bring all of his many gifts and talents to this new office,� he said in a statement. The...

Several sources are reporting a "chemical bomb threat" at the CNN Center in Atlanta. The local FOX affiliate and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both reporting the story.morning due to a bomb threat. A caller said he had planted a chemical bomb at CNN Center, Atlanta Police Capt. Adam Lee said. Police have closed off several streets around CNN Center, including Marietta Street, Centennial Olympic Park Drive, Andrew Young International Boulevard and Walton Street.

ATLANTA — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta had told its parishes, schools and other organizations to end their support for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer charity over a lingering abortion dispute. That directive from religious leaders came in a memo Monday. It criticized grants given by some Komen officials to Planned Parenthood to support breast screenings. Planned Parenthood also provides abortions, which are against Catholic religious teachings. But that’s not the case in Atlanta. The local Komen affiliate told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that it has never given funding to Planned Parenthood Southeast. “Komen Atlanta remains...

Two races to go and the Chase slot chasers are taking it to the wire.. Who makes it and who breaks it? Bring your poncho and the squeegies.. might be wet off and on.. See ya there..

A former fifth-grade teacher implicated in a cheating scandal reportedly gave students the illegal assistance because she thought they were “dumb as hell.”... Schajuan Jones, who taught a fourth-grade class across the hall from Smith’s former room, overheard her talking to another teacher about the test. “The words were, ‘I had to give your kids, or your students, the answers because they’re dumb as hell,’” Jones was quoted as saying about the interaction between Smith and the unidentified third teacher.

Though Stonecrest Mall in Lithonia had not yet opened, Martha Hyde, Betty Moses, Sylvia Parish and Ann Whitley wanted to be among the first Wednesday to demonstrate their "appreciation" for the facility's Chick-fil-A location. "We just love Chick-fil-A, the food and the workers," the group, which meets daily to mall walk, said as they sat in the food court dining on Chick-fil-A biscuits, coffee and breakfast platters. Today is Chick-fil-A "Appreciation Day," the brainchild of former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. Huckabee last week asked fans of the Atlanta-based company to come out today to show their support...

PALMETTO, GA (CBS ATLANTA) - Three people have waived their court hearings following their arrests in connection to a 13-month-old who ingested crack cocaine. A Fulton County judge set bond at $30,000 for the toddler's mother, 17-year-old Andrica Daniel, the toddler's grandmother, 34-year-old Ebony Daniel, and Ebony Daniel's boyfriend, 22-year-old Charlie Martin, on Thursday morning. Palmetto police said the toddler, Jay'von Daniel, ate the crack cocaine when he was in the care of Ebony Daniel and Martin Saturday at Martin's house on Elm Drive. . . "He went into the room and came right back out. He was like,...

Air Leak Sparks Safety Fears at CDC Bioterror Lab CDC's Emerging Infectious Disease Lab has experienced repeated problems with airflow systems The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal agency charged with preventing the spread of infectious diseases has come under attack today for "serious" airflow problems in an Atlanta building that houses anthrax, SARS and monkeypox. Documents and emails obtained by USA Today suggest that a poorly engineered airflow system in the CDC's Building 18 could expose unprotected staff and visitors to dangerous airborne pathogens. "As the door closed a very noticeable puff of air could be felt...

19 APS educators may lose licenses over cheatingBy Jaime Sarrio The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 5:20 p.m. Thursday, June 14, 2012 The Georgia Professional Standards Commission recommended Thursday that 19 Atlanta educators caught up in the nation's largest test cheating scandal be barred from the classroom. The commission, which licenses and polices Georgia educators, voted to yank the certificates of the educators, who were implicated in a state cheating investigation report released last year. Ten educators in leadership positions had their certificates revoked; nine teachers had their certificates suspended for two years. Thursday's action brings to 134 the number of Atlanta Public...

Atlanta educator prevails in tribunalBy Daarel Burnette The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 4:50 p.m. Saturday, June 9, 2012 An Atlanta educator on Saturday became the first teacher to prevail in a series of disciplinary tribunals held as a result of a widespread cheating investigation. Now Angela Williamson, formerly of Dobbs Elementary School, awaits a decision from the Atlanta school board on the status of her employment. The board can follow the superintendent's recommendation to terminate her or vote to reinstate her. **SNIP** Where they stand now About 89 educators of 178 suspected of cheating remain on the Atlanta Public Schools district's payroll,...

Tribunals fire two in APS cheating casesBy Jaime Sarrio The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 6:51 p.m. Tuesday, May 29, 2012 Idalina Couto's blemish-free teaching career with Atlanta Public Schools ended after 20 years Tuesday when a panel of educators upheld a decision to fire her for breaking testing procedure and failing to report cheating. A decision to fire a second teacher, Vanessa Jackson, was also upheld, bringing to seven the number of educators terminated as a result of cheating allegations. Couto, a third grade teacher at Jones Elementary, allegedly told GBI agents she prompted students to reread incorrect questions on 2009 state...

Outrage over a botched raid built on lies from informants followed by cover-ups by cops who killed a frightened, innocent 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston in her home — and then planted drugs in the house — led to the birth the Atlanta Citizen Review Board. The board was given investigators, subpoena power and a mandate to provide a credible, independent and “safe and welcoming place” to bring complaints and accusations of misconduct and abuse by public safety officials. More than five years later, the oversight board’s existence is threatened by resistance from the police force, an apparent lack of interest from...

Firing of Dobbs Elementary teacher upheld for aiding students on testsBy Jaime Sarrio The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 5:59 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, 2012 The firing of a fifth teacher in the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal was upheld Wednesday by a tribunal. Derrick Broadwater, a teacher at Dobbs Elementary, was accused of helping students with words they didn't know and prompting them to recheck answers if he suspected something was incorrect. The tribunal voted to uphold APS' decision to terminate Broadwater after hearing recordings of the teacher talking to GBI investigators in March 2011. “I always tell my kids to go...

Test coordinator accused of ‘ultimate betrayal' of studentsBy D. Aileen Dodd The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 6:37 p.m. Friday, May 11, 2012 A Slater Elementary School teacher allowed her colleagues to cheat as they erased stray marks on 2009 state exam sheets, resulting in the "ultimate betrayal" of students, an Atlanta Public Schools lawyer said at the teacher's termination hearing. The teacher and test coordinator, Vanessa Jackson, denied the allegations, saying she went "beyond my call of duty" in her job. The termination hearing will continue next Friday as the defense presents its case. Atlanta Public Schools officials said Jackson was responsible...

Atlanta — Georgia is the first state having its “Stand Your Ground” law scrutinized by a federal court. An Atlanta civil rights leader filed a federal case challenging the law in response to the February shooting death of unarmed Florida teen, Trayvon Martin. Here’s how Georgia’s Stand Your Ground law works: If you think someone is about to kill you, you can use deadly force to defend yourself. It’s been Georgia law since 2006. But self defense can be a legal grey area. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation the number of justifiable homicides in Georgia has increased per...

APS teacher ready to fight for her jobBy Jaime Sarrio The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 6:31 p.m. Friday, May 4, 2012 An Atlanta teacher accused of cheating says she's ready to defend herself against claims she changed student answers. Camille Neely was a third-grade teacher at Gideons Elementary, where a special state investigation claims widespread cheating took place in 2009 and other years. Atlanta Public Schools is trying to fire Neely for allegedly changing answers on state exams and lying about her involvement to special investigators. **SNIP** Atlanta Public Schools is in the process of holding termination hearings to get some 90...

ATLANTA - Fire crews were battling a four-alarm blaze at Tyler Perry Studios in southwest Atlanta on Tuesday night. The cause of the fire was not immediately known, according to Atlanta Fire Department officials. There were no reported injuries as of 9:15 p.m. According to the studio website, the 200,000 square feet facility features five sound stages, a post-production facility, a back lot, a 400-seat theater, a private screening room and designated areas for entertaining and hosting events. It was moved to its current location in 2008. It was not immediately known which area the fire was located. Fire officials...

by John HillStand With Arizona A stalwart foe of illegal immigration has won a victory over sanctuary city policies in a major U.S. city. Atlanta has repealed an ordinance that recognized a particular Mexican ID - the infamous "Matricula Consular" card - for city government transactions. The city council voted to repeal the ordinance - which was adopted in 2004 - after a complaint was filed with the newly created state Immigration Enforcement and Review Board - which was created after passage of Georgia's Arizona-style immigration law H.B. 87 in July 2010. The complaint, filed in February by longtime...

One by one, they swore to tell the truth. One by one, they sat in a witness chair and told a similar tale of suggestion, persuasion and pressure. During the first day Friday of what is expected to be a two-day tribunal, former and current teachers at Atlanta's Usher Elementary School pointed a collective finger of blame at Donald Bullock Friday as the mastermind behind test cheating at that school. Bullock's attorney, Daniel Digby, said his client did nothing wrong. Atlanta Public Schools, however, laid out a 16-point letter of charges against Bullock, who served as testing coordinator at Usher...

Minus the unfortunate sports metaphor, I think Jesse Jackson has it right: "Let's not forget that Mr. Zimmerman represents a first down, not a touchdown -- the beginning of a process. But far beyond him, the victory is not in how long he stays in jail; the victory is in repealing these draconian, Stand Your Ground, self-defense, vigilante laws," Jackson told reporters along with others attending a church conference. "These laws incentivize vigilantism, take-the-law-into-your-own hands, kill or be killed. That's beneath the civility of a great nation." If you have a moment it's worth taking a listen to the Joe...

Three more Atlanta educators face firing for cheatingBy Jaime Sarrio The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 12:01 p.m. Friday, March 30, 2012 Three Atlanta educators implicated in a widespread cheating scandal were notified of the district's plans to fire them, according to letters sent Friday and Monday. **SNIP** That brings to 19 the number of educators the district has taken steps to terminate after months of delay and millions spent in payroll and legal expenses. APS is paying about $1 million a month to some 110 educators accused of cheating who remain on leave, but the system is trying to resolve the cases...

ATLANTA — The new $1.4 billion international terminal at the world's busiest airport will be a sleek launching pad for millions of passengers that's designed to help Atlanta grab a growing share of the lucrative market for global travelers. Its wavy lines, expansive windows and eye-catching artwork offer a stark contrast to the boxy design of the rest of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Airport managers are already expecting an increase in international travelers over the next decade, and they hope the terminal set to open May 16 will convince airlines to route even more of their overseas flights through the...

Suspicious test scores in roughly 200 school districts resemble those that entangled Atlanta in the biggest cheating scandal in American history, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows. The newspaper analyzed test results for 69,000 public schools and found high concentrations of suspect math or reading scores in school systems from coast to coast. The findings represent an unprecedented examination of the integrity of school testing. The analysis doesn’t prove cheating. But it reveals that test scores in hundreds of cities followed a pattern that, in Atlanta, indicated cheating in multiple schools. A tainted and largely unpoliced universe of untrustworthy...

Hearings first step to firing educators9 accused Atlanta educators to go before tribunals next week By Jaime Sarrio The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 5:38 a.m. Friday, March 9, 2012 Atlanta Public Schools next week will hold the first in a series of hearings necessary to fire educators accused of cheating, the district confirmed Thursday. After months of delay and millions spent in payroll and legal expenses, nine educators suspected of some of the most egregious of the school system’s widespread test cheating are scheduled to go before a tribunal. For the school district, it’s a chance to bring resolution to a case...

Those American flags and welcome signs won't be needed at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport anymore. Every day, for the past eight years, at least one chartered plane carrying U.S. soldiers heading home for two weeks of rest and recuperation from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan has touched down at both Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airports. *snip* But the drawdown of troops in Iraq and the shift to shorter deployments means there are no longer two full planes of R&R-bound soldiers returning home each day. So the U.S. army has decided to consolidate the "Welcome Home a Hero"...

11 APS educators notified: You're going to be firedBy Nancy Badertscher The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 6:55 p.m. Friday, March 2, 2012 Atlanta School Superintendent Erroll Davis took the first steps late Friday to fire 11 educators suspected of some of the most egregious of the school system's widespread test-cheating. **SNIP** A state investigation, completed last summer, uncovered evidence that 180 APS educators were involved in systemic cheating focused on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test, a standardized test that's been a pivotal measure of a school's achievement. The investigation concluded some APS staffers, for perhaps as long as a decade, worked in secret...

Few teachers in Atlanta cheating probe willing to resignBy Jaime Sarrio The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 5:34 a.m. Thursday, March 1, 2012 A last-ditch attempt to push Atlanta educators accused of cheating off the payroll has so far failed to convince many to resign, partly because they have little incentive to go. That means taxpayers will be on the hook for what is shaping up to be a costly firing process. The district has spent $6.2 million paying the salaries of suspended educators, an expense that increases $600,000 a month. Legal fees have cost the district at least $700,000 and will likely...

APS firing process could begin next weekby Atlanta Journal Constitution 1 day ago Educators accused of cheating in Atlanta Public Schools could be notified as soon as next week of the district's plans to fire them, Superintendent Erroll Davis said Friday. Two have resigned since the district put educators on notice Thursday that terminations were imminent. A state investigation released in July accused 180 Atlanta educators of cheating; about 120 remain on the payroll at a cost of $600,000 a month to the city school district.

APS and Dougherty Co. facing high costs for CRCT fall outBy Jennifer Emert Updated: Feb 23, 2012 6:35 PM EST ALBANY, GA - Teachers named in the CRCT cheating report in Atlanta were told Thursday to resign or be fired. The school system is meeting with 180 employees and giving them until Friday to make their decision. Both Atlanta and the Dougherty County School systems are under pressure to deal with those implicated in the state's investigations by May 15th. That's when they must decide whether to renew contracts for those named in the state reports on cheating. "The law...

Police today arrested a second suspect in connection with the videotaped beating of a gay man outside an Atlanta convenience store.