Atlanta Braves: Lowrie, Rasmus homer for Astros in 8-5 win over Braves

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Wandy Rodriguez made his latest bid to earn the final spot in Atlanta’s rotation, pitching five innings for the Braves on Tuesday night in their 8-5 loss to the Houston Astros.

Rodriguez yielded three runs against his former team. The diminutive lefty, a non-roster invitee to spring training, has a 3.13 ERA in six games. He struck out eight without issuing a walk, but also gave up a homer to Jed Lowrie.

AL batting champion Jose Altuve had three hits for the Astros, and Colby Rasmus hit a three-run homer.

Rodriguez is trying to land the No. 5 starter job — at least until Mike Minor returns from injury, perhaps in May. Rodriguez said he cringes a bit every time Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez walks past his locker.

“I’m ready to start right now,” said Rodriguez, who was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in six starts for Pittsburgh last season. “I just don’t know if I made the team.”

Gonzalez said it is time to make a call.

“I’ve liked what I have seen,” he said. “He doesn’t shy away from contact and I like that. He’s really bringing it, but I still haven’t made a decision.”

Houston starter Asher Wojciechowski, a surprise contender for the final spot in the Astros’ rotation, allowed one run over 4 1-3 innings to leave his spring ERA at 1.29. Wojciechowski spent last season in Triple-A.

“I’m just happy about how I did this spring,” he said. “I came in and competed. I had a lot of fun and I’m still glad to be here.”

Astros manager A.J. Hinch, like Gonzalez, is still waiting to make a decision.

“This was the first game he didn’t have his A-plus stuff,” Hinch said. “It was good to see him battle.”

Hinch wasn’t tipping his hand, but said he would have his 25-man roster set by Wednesday.

A.J. Pierzynski and Eric Young Jr. both had two hits for the Braves. All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel extended his spring scoreless streak to five innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: Rodriguez took a line drive off his non-throwing arm but said he was fine and stayed in the game. … INF Kelly Johnson was hit by a pitch from Kevin Chapman and came out of the game with a bruised left elbow. Johnson, however, said the ball didn’t hit bone and he isn’t expected to miss any time.

BETTER THAN EXPECTED

Pierzynski was signed as a free agent last winter, partly to mentor young catcher Christian Bethancourt. Instead, Pierzynski has looked good enough to be a starter. He’s batting .351 and has a command of his new pitching staff.

“If we can match him up right there’s no reason he can’t play 110 games or more,” Gonzalez said.

UP NEXT

Astros: Dallas Keuchel starts Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers.

Braves: Julio Teheran will make his final start before opening day when he faces the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.

Source: Rome News

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Baseball: Berry tops Covenant

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The Berry College baseball team (16-12-1) defeated Covenant College (9-15) for the second time this season at William R. Bowdoin Field on Tuesday night.

Alex McGill led the Vikings’ offense going 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Three other Berry players added two hits in the win. They were Austin Haight (2-for-4), Grant Perkins (2-for-4) and Ben Jernigan (2-for-3).

Tyler Will got the win on the mound for the Vikes, allowing only one hit and no runs in his 1.1 innings pitched. Will also struck out two Scots in the outing.

Although Covenant scored the first two runs of the game, Berry answered, scoring their first run in the bottom of the fourth, when Perkins scored on a fielder’s choice double play.

The Vikings then scored again in the bottom of the sixth when Perkins singled up the middle to score Haight and tie the game up, 2-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, Berry ensured the victory when they scored four runs to go ahead, 6-2.

The Vikings will host Centre College in their next game on Friday at 6 p.m.

Source: Rome News

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Lacrosse: Berry women lose to Piedmont, 22-7

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

Although Kim Fischer netted three goals for the Vikings, the Berry College women’s lacrosse team lost their first home game of the season to Piedmont College, 22-7, on Tuesday afternoon.

The loss dropped Berry to 7-4 overall. The win improved the Lions to 12-0 on the year.

Kelsey McAnnally tallied from Angelica Miller to open the scoring 1:46 into the match. The visiting Lions, however, scored the next six goals en route to the victory.

Claire Rosenberg dished three assists for the home team. McAnnally posted two goals for the Vikes. Miller added one goal and one assist on the afternoon, and Jones added one goal as well.

Casey Born suffered the loss in the goal. Born collected four saves in the loss.

Berry hosts Centre College at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Source: Rome News

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Baseball: RiverCats win Spring Showcase

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The Rome RiverCats competed and won the 10-and-younger 2015 Spring Showcase in Dalton this past weekend. The RiverCats went undefeated in the tournament capturing the championship in the Gold Bracket. The RiverCats are off to a 7-0 record this season.

Source: Rome News

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Star athletes appear at Shorter Invite

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

Three U.S. track luminaries were at the 2015 Shorter Invitational at Barron Stadium this past weekend. Jose Parrilla, two-time 800 meter Olympian (1992 and 1996) is a coach at Carson Newman College. Don Paige, a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, ranked No. 1 in world in the 800, beat Sebastian Coe after the Olympics (U.S. boycotted games). Lamont Smith, a 1996 Olympic gold medalist in the 4×400, who served as one of the officials.

Source: Rome News

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Floyd County Jail reports, March 31, 8 p.m.

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The Floyd County Jail releases its reports twice each day, at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Mobile users click here to see the 24-hour report.

Source: Rome News

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UPDATE: Floyd County, Northwest Georgia, under severe thunderstorm watch

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm

Watch until 8 p.m. tonight for Northwest Georgia, including Floyd, Polk, Bartow, Chattooga, and Gordon counties.

Previously posted:

A chance of thunderstorms rolls into Floyd County this afternoon, though temperatures are forecast to stay in the 70s through the week, according to the National Weather Service.

There’s a 40 percent chance of rain this afternoon, which will dip to 30 percent tonight. It’ll be partly sunny today, with highs around 74. Lows will dip to 52 tonight.

Here’s the rest of your weekly forecast:

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 a.m. Mostly clear, with a low around 55. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Friday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 9am. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Friday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.

Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.

Source: Rome News

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Indiana governor wants changes to religious-objections law

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Tuesday that he wants legislation on his desk by the end of the week to clarify that a new religious-freedom law does not allow discrimination.

Pence said he has been meeting with lawmakers “around the clock” to address concerns that the law will allow businesses to deny services to gays and lesbians.

The governor acknowledged that Indiana has a “perception problem” over the law but defended it as a vehicle to protect religious liberty.

“I don’t believe for a minute that it was the intent of the General Assembly to create a license to discriminate,” he said. “It certainly wasn’t my intent.”

But, Pence said, he “can appreciate that that’s become the perception, not just here in Indiana but all across the country. We need to confront that.”

The law signed by Pence last week prohibits state laws that “substantially burden” a person’s ability to follow his or her religious beliefs. The definition of “person” includes religious institutions, businesses and associations.

Businesses and organizations including Apple and the NCAA have voiced concern over the effect of the law, and some states have barred government-funded travel to Indiana.

Also Tuesday, the Indianapolis Star urged Indiana lawmakers in a front-page editorial to respond to widespread criticism of a new law by protecting the rights of gays and lesbians.

The Star’s editorial, headlined “FIX THIS NOW,” covered the newspaper’s entire front page. It called for lawmakers to enact a law that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The newspaper says the uproar sparked by the law has “done enormous harm” to the state and potentially to its economic future.

Meanwhile, Arkansas was poised to follow Indiana in enacting a law despite increasing criticism from businesses and gay-rights advocates who call the laws a license to discriminate against gays and lesbians.

The Arkansas House could vote as early as Tuesday on a proposal that would prohibit state and local governments from infringing on a person’s religious beliefs without a “compelling” reason. And unlike in Indiana — where Republicans were figuring out how to clarify that their law isn’t meant to discriminate — Arkansas lawmakers said they won’t modify their measure.

“There’s not really any place to make any changes now,” Republican Rep. Bob Ballinger of Hindsville said about his proposal. “If there are questions in two years we can fix it.”

Hundreds of protesters filled Arkansas’ Capitol to oppose the measure, holding signs that read “Discrimination is not a Christian Value” and “Discrimination is a Disease,” and chanting “Shame on You” at Ballinger after the measure was endorsed by a House committee.

“I believe that many people will want to flee the state and many people will want to avoid our state,” said Rita Jernigan, a protester and one of the lead plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit challenging Arkansas’ gay marriage ban. “I think it will hit us hard everywhere. I feel like we’re moving backwards rather than being a progressive state.”

Similar proposals have been introduced in more than a dozen states, patterned after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. Nineteen other states have similar laws on the books.

Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who had expressed reservations about unintended consequences of an earlier version of the bill, has said he will sign the current measure into law.

“If this bill reaches my desk in similar form as to what has been passed in 20 other states, then I will sign it, but I am pleased that the Legislature is continuing to look at ways to assure balance and fairness in the legislation,” Hutchinson said in a statement Monday.

Sexual orientation and gender identity are not included in Arkansas’ anti-discrimination protections. Last month, Hutchinson allowed a measure to go into law that prevented local governments from including such protections in their anti-discrimination ordinances.

Opponents of the bill hoped to target Hutchinson’s promise to be a “jobs governor” made during his successful bid last year for the state’s top office. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights group, has run ads in Silicon Valley aimed at the same technology firms Hutchinson has said he wants to lure to Arkansas.

Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post over the weekend opposing the Arkansas and Indiana measures, while retail giant Wal-Mart has said the proposal sends the wrong message about its home state. Little Rock-based data services company Acxiom also urged Hutchinson to veto the bill, saying the measure would enable discrimination and open the state up to ridicule.

“This bill is at direct odds with your position that ‘Arkansas is open for business,'” CEO Scott Howe and Executive Vice President Jerry C. Jones wrote Monday in a letter to the governor.

In Indiana, the fallout has ranged from the public-employee union known as AFSCME canceling a planned women’s conference in Indianapolis this year because of the law to the band Wilco saying it was canceling a May performance.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe issued an open letter to Indiana corporations saying Virginia is a business-friendly state that does “not discriminate against our friends and neighbors.” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel sent letters to more than a dozen Indiana businesses, urging them to relocate to a “welcoming place to people of all races, faiths and countries of origin.”

Source: Rome News

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Rockmart Middle hosts career day, technology tour

The Latest Local News from the Cedartown Standard

Rockmart Middle School played host to two recent events showcasing the future for their students and studies in the month of March as the school year moves toward Spring Break.

The school held their 8th annual Career Fair on March 18, hosting a number of local businesses and organizations who gave students a glimpse into what careers are available to them in Polk County.

Among those organizations that participated were Floyd EMS, Polk-Floyd Medical Center, Polk-Floyd pharmacy, Rockmart Fire and Emergency Services, Precious Paws Spa and Hotel, Paper Recovery of Georgia/Georgia Secure Shred, Century Bank, Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Power Company, Shorter University, Georgia Highlands College, Hon Company, Cabins For You, Razzle Dazzle Salon, Rockmart Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Department, Georgia Bureau Of Investigation, Georgia Forestry Commission, Alvis Miller and Sons Funeral Home, Northside Hospital Clinical Psychologist, Georgia State Patrol, Best Bank, Polk County Police Department and Haley Morgan Smith- musician.

Several teachers from Rockmart High School also helped out during the day by representing different career pathways available to students, including health science,law and public safety, video production, visual arts, agriculture, automotive, and the dramatic arts.

According to a release from the school, students were given questions to ask the career professionals throughout their tour of the Rockmart High gymnasium setup for the occasion.

“They really enjoyed the opportunity to learn from the Career Fair participants,” the release stated. “Participants who talked with students were also provided with lunch, courtesy The Helping Hands and FBLA Clubs at Rockmart Middle from Chick-Fil-A.”

The school also played host during the month of March for a Technology showcase, demonstrating to business and community members “how technology is used daily at Rockmart Middle.”

Guests were provided tours of classrooms to see how smartboards and iPads are playing a role in the classroom. 50 members from local business and organizations took part and show how the various programs are utilized by students.

According to the release, the visitors were interested in what they saw.

“One visitor even commented, ‘I wish we had this when I was in school.’ Another guest said, ‘This will be great when the students apply for jobs. Teaching people the technology is part of the challenge.’”

Source: Cedartown Standard

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Falcons fined, lose draft pick for pumping in fake noise

The Latest Local News from the Cedartown Standard

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has fined the Atlanta Falcons, stripped the organization of a draft pick and suspended team president Rich McKay from the league’s Competition Committee beginning April 1 following the team’s use of fake noise at home games.

In statement released Monday, the league announced that the Falcons have been fined $350,000 and will forfeit their fifth-round selection in the 2016 draft. If the Falcons have multiple picks in that round, the highest selection will be forfeited.

The NFL noted throughout the 2013 season and into the 2014 season the Falcons violated league rules that state “at no point during the game can artificial crowd noise or amplified crowd noise be played in the stadium.”

The league also said Roddy White, the team’s former director of event marketing, was directly responsible for the violation and would have been suspended without pay for the first eight weeks of the 2015 regular season had he still been with the club. The Falcons fired him.

The league determined that Falcons ownership and senior executives, including McKay, were unaware of the use of an audio file with artificial crowd noise. But as the senior club executive overseeing game operations, McKay bears some responsibility for ensuring that team employees comply with league rules. McKay can petition Commissioner Roger Goodell for reinstatement to the committee no sooner than June 30.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank told The Associated Press in early February that he had seen enough of the NFL’s investigation to acknowledge wrongdoing by his club.

“It’s not really a fine line,” Blank told the AP. “I think what we’ve done in 2013 and 2014 was wrong. Anything that affects the competitive balance and fairness on the field, we’re opposed to, as a league, as a club and as an owner. It’s obviously embarrassing but beyond embarrassing it doesn’t represent our culture and what we’re about.”

The Falcons say 101 of 103 games have been sellouts since Blank bought the team in 2002. Actual turnouts declined during losing seasons the last two years.

Atlanta ranked 10th among the 32 NFL teams with its average home attendance of 72,130 in 2014. Construction is underway for a new $1.4 billion stadium that will replace the Georgia Dome in 2017. The new stadium will have a similar seating capacity.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://ift.tt/1jmc4og

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: Cedartown Standard

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Bids out for first One Door Polk renovations

The Latest Local News from the Cedartown Standard

The City of Cedartown has opened a bidding period for the first round of remodeling at One Door Polk for the expansion of Highland Rivers into portions of the former hospital it plans to use for healthcare-related services.

Cedartown city manager Bill Fann said the remodeling project will cover some 22,000 square feet of space, and bids will be due before the four week deadline. Fann said the city will be opening bids later in the month after the April 24 deadline to see which contractor comes in as the low bidder.

Prior to that, those who submitted bids or plan to submit bids will be given an opportunity to tour the space and figure out costs.

Much of the work on the old hospital space, Fann said, will be centered around making the space work for Highland Rivers.

“It’s just odd and assorted demolition,” Fann said. “We’ll be moving a wall here and changing out a doorway there, making some of the bathrooms ADA (American’s with Disabilities Act) compliant.”

Fann said a number of the bathrooms at One Door Polk will actually be removed during the remodeling process, allowing for more service space overall compared to the previous layout of the hospital. Fann explained the need for individual patient bathrooms as part of the former hospital infrastructure won’t be needed. Their removal will help with the cost savings for utilities, since the building won’t require as much water use.

Fann said some contractors in the area have already submitted their sealed bids for the coming project – which will get underway this year – and hopes more submissions come in before the mid-April deadline.

“We want as many local general contractors to bid on the project as possible, because we’d love to keep this project local,” Fann said.

One Door Polk’s latest announced tenant, Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Adult Education Program, will require renovations as well. Fann said those will be handled once the project for Highland Rivers is completed. Until then, the Adult Education Program will remain in their building owned by the Polk School District.

The former Polk Medical Center facility on North Main Street was taken over by the City of Cedartown in 2014 following the hospital’s move to its new facility on Highway 278 at Kelly Road.

Besides Highland Rivers, Primary Healthcare remained as feature tenants of the facility.

Source: Cedartown Standard

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Monday forecast: cloudy morning gives way to sunny afternoon, high 68

The Latest Local News from the Cedartown Standard

The sun is coming out today as the National Weather Service calls for the clouds to clear out by this afternoon and bring temperatures up to the high 60s for the day and bringing along sunshine for Tuesday as well, but a chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms.

Today’s forecast starts out with a 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before 1 p.m. Cloudy early, then gradual clearing, with a high near 68. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 8 a.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Thursday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.

Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.

Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 79.

Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Saturday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.

Source: Cedartown Standard

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Floyd County Jail report, March 29, 8 p.m.

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The Floyd County Jail releases arrest reports twice a day, at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Mobile users click here to see the 24-hour report.

Source: Rome News

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Saban dismisses Taylor from team after arrest

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama coach Nick Saban has dismissed Jonathan Taylor from the team following the second domestic violence arrest of the defensive lineman’s college career.

Saban announced the decision on Sunday, a day after Tuscaloosa police arrested Taylor when a woman reported she was assaulted by her boyfriend. Taylor signed with the Crimson Tide about six months after his dismissal from Georgia following his arrest in a girlfriend’s assault.

“Jonathan Taylor has been dismissed from the team and is no longer a part of our program,” Saban said in a statement released through the athletic department. “This will still need to go through the legal process, but when he was given an opportunity here, it was under strict guidelines and we made it clear there was a zero tolerance policy.”

University spokeswoman Deborah Lane said Sunday that Taylor has been referred to judicial affairs.

Taylor has been charged with domestic violence third-degree assault and domestic violence third-degree criminal mischief, police said.

A police news release said the woman had injuries to her neck.

The 6-foot-4, 335-pound lineman was dismissed from Georgia in July 2014 following his arrest on aggravated assault and family violence charges.

Taylor played last season at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi. He was also one of four Georgia players arrested in March 2014 for receiving double payments for checks of $71.50 issued by the school’s athletic department.

Alabama athletic director Bill Battle said the university and athletic department had “set forth very clear standards of accountability and expectations of conduct” for Taylor.

“Jonathan was afforded a chance to successfully overcome the difficulties that resulted in his departure from the University of Georgia,” Battle said in a statement. “Unfortunately, it appears that he was unable to do so, in spite of extensive efforts to assist him.

“All of us hope that Jonathan and the young lady involved can deal constructively with the issues that led to this situation, and their aftermath, so that both of them can have productive, healthy futures.

“Violent conduct by any representative of the University of Alabama athletics department will not be tolerated. More than ever, we take seriously the responsibility that all of us have to represent our university and our state in the best way possible — in competition and in daily life.”

© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: Rome News

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Things to do in Cherokee County Monday, March 30

The Latest Local News from the Cherokee County Herald

Centre Rotary Club meets at noon on the second floor of First Southern State Bank on Main Street in Centre.

The local Party Bridge Club meets Mondays at Cherokee Manor. For information call 256-927-7754.

Easter Holy Week Services begin on Monday. Monday services will be held at Centre First Baptist Church with the Rev. George Cobb bringing the message; Tuesday services will be held at Tates Chapel Baptist Church with the Rev. Wendell Dutton bringing the message; Wednesday services will be held at Centre First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Lynn Houston bringing the message; Thursday services will be held at Fairview United Methodist Church with the Rev. Greg Higgins bringing the message and Friday services will be held at St. Mary’s United Methodist Church with the Rev. Eddie Nation bringing the message. The weekday service time is noon (30 minutes for service, 30 minutes for lunch)

THE HUBERT COX MEMORIAL SINGING SCHOOL will be held in the Lookout Mountain Baptist Association Building March 30-April 2 beginning at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome including beginners, directors, choris, special singers and music lovers. Teacher will be Dylan Feezel. The singing school will be free of charge. Call 256-505-1631 for further information. The event is sponsored by the Lookout Mountain Baptist Association.

In high school baseball action, the Mountain Brook Spring Break Tournament will be held with Cedar Bluff playing Clay-Chalkville at 5 p.m. and Cedar Bluff playing Mountain Brook beginning at 7 p.m. In high school softball action Cherokee County plays Piedmont at Saks beginning at 4:30 p.m. and the Spring Garden at Glencoe Tournament, TBA.

Source: Cherokee County Herald

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Cherokee County Arrest Report Monday, March 30

The Latest Local News from the Cherokee County Herald

Local law enforcement agents have made the following arrests in recent days:

-Nicholas J. Silvers for assault in the second degree.

-Jimmy Ray Carroll for chemical endangerment, unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

-Stephanie Cherie Mize for unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and chemical endangerment.

-Gabriel Octavian Byrdsong on court order.

-Akeen Dewayne Wilson on revoked bond.

Source: Cherokee County Herald

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Hundreds make free drop-offs at Lindale dump day

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The toilet wasn’t new, but it was good and it would have made a fine addition to Ida Brown’s house. Instead it sat outside on a cold, winter’s night.

“It rained and then it froze and then it cracked,” Brown said. “Our dump doesn’t take stuff like this.”

Brown was one of hundreds who went Saturday to the Free Residential Dump Day at the old Lindale Mill, disposing of old toilets, washers and TVs for free. Vehicles breezed through when the collection began, but started to line up as the day progressed. At one point the line extended along South First Street and onto Park Avenue.

Michael Skeen, the county’s Public Works director, estimated that 10 bins — each 30-cubic yards — were filled. That’s about 25 tons worth of junk.

“We’ve had these for years, and we’ve never had the turnout that we had from this one,” Skeen said.

Skeen wants the next dump day to happen in June. He’s looking at the Shannon area, but has made no specific plans.

Chase Dover waited about 15 minutes Saturday before he got close enough for volunteers to pull an old microwave and other refuse from his vehicle.

“It’s a bunch of junk, really,” Dover said. “If I took this up to the landfill, it’d be about $30.”

Anna Stanley, who worked at the event, counted Dover’s vehicle as it passed. She said 270 vehicles drove by her checkpoint by 11:55 a.m. By then the line was onto Park Avenue.

“I think it’s a good idea,” she said. “It’d keep the community cleaner.”

Both Dover and Brown said they’d return to a future cleanup day.

“This is great,” Brown said. “I wish they’d have this more often. I could have probably filled this car and another.”

Click here to find a recycling site in Floyd County.

Source: Rome News

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Floyd County Jail renews efforts against sexual assault

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The conviction of a Silver Creek man in a case of sexual assault on an inmate at the Floyd County Jail is seen by officials as a new stand against predatory behavior at the facility.

Jail Administrator Bob Sapp said the successful prosecution of Charles Ladell Akins, 35, is evidence of the how the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office approaches such acts against inmates.

“Hopefully his conviction and forthcoming sentence will send out a strong message to anyone who would commit predatory acts within the Floyd County Jail that we will not tolerate predatory behavior of any kind and intend to investigate and prosecute each instance to the fullest extent of the law,” Sapp said in a statement.

Akins was convicted of false imprisonment, terroristic threats and acts, possession of drugs by an inmate, sexual battery and one count of aggravated sodomy in Floyd County Superior Court on Wednesday.

The charges stem from an incident that happened in the two men’s cell on May 30, 2014, after a lockdown.

According to jail officials, Akins climbed into the 23-year-old victim’s bed and grabbed him, choking him and threatening to hurt him if he cried out or resisted.

The victim confided in a family member by phone later that day. That person then reported the assault to the sheriff’s office.

Akins’ sentencing is scheduled for May 5 following a pre-sentence investigation.

He could potentially be sentenced to life, Sapp said.

“People don’t really hear about it, and it’s not a pretty business, but if it was someone you care about, you wouldn’t want it to happen to them,” Sapp said.

“We have a legal obligation and duty to protect inmates held within the jail’s walls, just as we do for our citizens who live outside the jail’s walls, in the free world,” Chief Deputy Tom Caldwell said in a statement.

Sapp said standard operating procedures in the jail include protocols that make security of inmates an important duty for deputies.

Precautions include face-to-face roll call and having personnel in areas where they are immediately available for assistance and video monitoring.

This incident that led to Akins’ conviction happened in a maximum security area of the jail, according to Sapp, and the victim was being held on a probation violation.

“Those are held mostly in maximum security because they are being held for another agency and cannot bond out,” Sapp said.

No other active cases of sexual assault are being investigated at the jail, according to Sapp.

The victim has been boarded out to another facility and is no longer being held at the Floyd County Jail.

Source: Rome News

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Dentist buys Garden Lakes practice

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

Monday’s Roman Record Small Business Snapshot is focused on a new dentist in town. Dr. Kazem Sadati has established his practice at 103 Elliott Drive Drive, at the end of a small strip commercial center.

Sadati purchased the practice of Dr. H. Wendell Vandine.

The Word on the Street column features details about Lavender Mountain Hardware and Garden Center, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary.

Only three real estate transactions valued in excess of $100,000 were recorded in the Floyd Superior Court last week.

The largest transaction involves the sale of a home at 8 Amberwood Trail for $200,000.

Roman Record appears inside the Rome News-Tribune every Monday and contains a wealth of information available from public sources.

Source: Rome News

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Filming of "The Kingmakers" to disrupt today’s downtown traffic

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

Continued filming of a television pilot in Rome is expected to disrupt traffic on some downtown streets today.

The crew for the ABC Television production of “The Kingmakers” has been filming in Rome and Floyd County for the last two weeks.

Today the process is focused on downtown Rome.

West First Street, between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, and the left turn lane from Broad Street, southbound onto Second Avenue will be closed to traffic today from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The south side of West Third Avenue will be blocked to accommodate tractor-trailers, and parking behind the Rome Area History Museum, 305 Broad St., will be blocked for production trucks.

Traffic will flow as usual on Broad Street, but there may be brief delays when crews are actively filming on the southbound side only.

On-street parking on the west side of Broad Street in the 200 block will be closed. The Third Avenue Parking Deck will be open.

Source: Rome News

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Application process for South Rome Early Learning Center continues

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The South Rome Early Learning Center won’t be a head start, it will be a jump start, according to one of the organizers.

Jacqueline McDowell, dean of the Charter School of Education and Human Sciences and professor of education at Berry College, has been a key part in the development of the center to be housed at the new Anna K. Davie Elementary School .

Now that the school is about to be handed over to Rome City Schools and is set to open in August at the start of the new school year, McDowell has started taking applications.

“We started enrollment March 1,” she said. “There is room for 20 3-year-olds in the first classroom. If we have more demand, we plan to open another class in December.”

The applications are available by emailing srlec@berry.edu or by calling 706-236-2247. First preference will be given to children in the Anna K. Davie enrollment area, but they do plan to open spots to other enrollment areas in Rome City Schools if there are spaces available after June 1, said McDowell.

“Michael Buck, Rome’s superintendent, doesn’t want any empty seats,” said McDowell. “We are very, very excited about that. We are starting slow with just one classroom and will grow as we can. Our ultimate goal is to have three classrooms with 60 children, total.”

As soon as the school building is made available, which is expected to be sometime in mid-April, McDowell and the staff for the early learning center will begin moving furniture in and decorating, she said.

“We also plan to have open houses in April, May and June,” said McDowell. “We want to introduce the community to the school and hopefully inspire interest.”

Each class will be staffed by a full-time teacher, a full-time teacher’s assistant and college-student assistants.

A lead teacher, Allyson Chambers, has already been hired for the first class. Ann Tankersley, director of Berry College’s Child Development Center, will serve as director at the South Rome center as well. Kirsten Lund will serve as an office manager and community liaison, McDowell said. They are still searching for an assistant teacher.

“We are interviewing as we speak,” McDowell said. “We will hire another lead teacher and assistant teacher when we add another room.”

Financial support is available for families, she said.

“Tuition is based on the family’s ability to pay and includes breakfast, lunch and snacks,” she said. “Some scholarships are available based on family size and income.”

A baseline for tuition has not been established.

“We want to keep it as low and as within reason as possible,” said McDowell. “We are a not-for-profit, but we felt it is important that some contribution from the families was made. We will work with all of the families to make sure they only pay what they can afford.”

McDowell said she feels that the benefits of the early learning center will be huge for the school system and the community.

“It is probably the most unique education reform initiative I’ve ever been involved with,” she said. “This partnership between a private college, a public school and a community organization is unheard of.” The South Rome Redevelopment Corporation is also a partner in the project.

The new Anna K. Davie Elementary at the corner of South Broad and East Main streets is being built with $11 million in education local option sales tax project, is set to open in August 2015.

Source: Rome News

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Garrett 65th Anniversary

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

John and Patty Garrett recently celebrated their 65th anniversary with a party at Fuddruckers hosted by their children.

The couple first met when he was 12 and she was 9 years old. He had been playing ball in South Lindale and he came to her back porch and asked for some water from the well.

They were married on March 27, 1950 in Lindale by Judge C. W. Bramlette.

Mrs. Garrett is the former Patty Poole. Both Mr. and Mrs. Garrett and Floyd County natives. He was a union welder and also worked for Lockheed. She worked in several manufacturing companies in Rome.

The Garretts have six children — John, Andy, Darrell and Nathan Garrett as well as Barbara Cohenour and Sue Lloyd. They have 14 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren.

The couple enjoys traveling. Mr. Garrett likes to fish and Mrs. Garrett enjoys gardening and flowers. According to her children, she can grow absolutely anything.

When asked their secret to a successful marriage, the couple simply said that the Lord has blessed them with 65 wonderful years together.

Source: Rome News

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Floyd County Jail report, 8 p.m. Friday, March 27

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The Floyd County Jail issues arrest reports twice daily, at 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Mobile users should click here to see the 24-hour report.

Source: Rome News

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Fourth Shorter Invitational returns to Barron

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

Nearly 600 athletes representing men’s and women’s track teams from 24 colleges and universities will gather at Barron Stadium and the Riverside Throws Center on Saturday when the 4th annual Shorter Invitational takes place.

“We’re very excited and blessed to have so many teams and student-athletes coming to Rome to compete,” Shorter head coach Scott Byrd said about this year’s day-long Invitational that begins at 10 a.m., “and we’re looking forward to hosting them.

“This is the time of year when teams want to see their athletes begin making strides forward,” he said, “to prepare for their conference and postseason meets that aren’t that far away.”

Joining host Shorter includes fellow Gulf South Conference members Alabama-Huntsville, Lee and West Georgia as well as a talented group of NAIA and Division III teams, including Rome’s other NCAA program, Berry College.

Shorter enters the meet having grabbed the attention of the nation on the wake of an historic appearance at the NCAA Division II National Indoor Championships – this is the first year the university is eligible to compete in NCAA postseason events – and a solid showing in the Hawks’ and Lady Hawks’ first outdoor outing last week when the team divided to run in two premier meets.

Taking the John Maddox Track at Barron for the first time this year will be Lady Hawk Ayana Walker, who Shorter’s first-ever NCAA national champion when she won the national indoor 400 meters breaking the tape in 53.29 seconds.

While Walker was claiming gold and the accompanying NCAA All-America honor, the Hawks were well-represented as well at the national meet as Alfred Chelanga took a fourth-place finish in the 3,000 with a time of 8:05.10 – the lone freshman in the field led the race of veteran runners with three laps to go – to become the program’s first male athlete to earn NCAA All-America recognition.

Both runners took last week off when Shorter began its outdoor season, but the men and women who took part in the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and at the Emory Invitational in Atlanta turned in strong performances.

At the Alabama Relays running in a field that included Division I programs, Ashley Ballard and Kemor Anderson provided sixth-place finishes, respectively, while Hawks Christian Smith, Wake Roberds, Cole Rice and Gregory Roachford, Jr. combined to post a fifth-place in the 4×400 relay.

Also turning in top 10 finishes for the Hawks in Tuscaloosa was Rice (400), Roberds (400 hurdles), Supun Randeniya (110 high hurdles), Bradley Moon (100) and Roachford (400 open).

At Emory, Breondra Steele emerged as the women’s high jump champion when she bested the field by clearing the bar at 5 feet, 3 inches to lead the Lady Hawks in the field, where teammate Anelise Aldana also had a strong outing by finishing seventh in the long jump going 16-10.5, and on the oval Jasmin Ellis earned a fifth place in the 400 with a time of 59.38.

Daniel Alexis had an outstanding two-event day at Emory, finishing third in the hammer throw with a throw of 131-5 and fifth in the discus with a heave that went 135-10; Jonathan Willman was seventh in the long jump going 21-9; and Lane Fletcher was eighth in the pole vault with a 12-1 effort.

“We know we’ll be going up against some great athletes this weekend,” said Byrd, “but we have to concentrate on what we do to continue to work harder. The best thing is that after being on the road for so long (during three-month indoor season) it’s nice to finally be at home.”

The Invitational, presented by Coach O Management of Knoxville, Tenn., is the first of three home meets Shorter will host during the outdoor season. On May 1-2, Barron will be the site of the National Christian College Athletic Association National Outdoor Championships for the second straight year and on May 15-16 The Coach O Last Chance Invite will be held.

Following this weekend’s meet, Shorter will turn its attention to one of most notable events in the nation on April 2-4 when the Hawks and Lady Hawks head to Gainesville, Fla., to run in the Florida Pepsi Relays.

Source: Rome News

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Hubbard resigns as Public Works director for Polk County effective April 10

The Latest Local News from the Cedartown Standard

Polk County will be looking for a new Public Works director in the coming weeks following Karen Hubbard’s announcement during the county’s public works committee meeting.

Hubbard gave her two weeks notice during the midway point of the committee meeting, handing letters to commissioners Jennifer Hulsey and Ray Barber, along with both county manager Matt Denton and assistant county manager David McElwee.

She said in a phone interview that in her letter to the county, she stated that she’s been in the department for more than four years, and tried to implement changes in the department during her tenure.

“That doesn’t seem to be a change that everyone is particularly favorable with,” she said.

Hubbard said she felt as other department heads were given more freedom in their decision making, her own decisions faced greater scrutiny.

“It’s a constant struggle to make Polk County a better place,” she said. “Having every decision questioned, overturned or undermined, it’s just a difficult situation to be in.”

Hubbard said she has found a new job, but declined to say where she was going after her final day.

“I think Karen Hubbard made positive changes at the Pulbic Works department during her tenure, and I hated to see her resignation and wish her the best in the future,” Denton said.

“I secured a position where I think my knowledge skills will be appreciated,” she said. “I love the goodness of the people in Polk County. I grew up here, and a majority of my family still lives here. I’ll miss many of my employees who are good workers.”

She said despite her feeling of sadness at departing from her job, she still wants to see improvements happen in her native county.

“I wish for the best for the citizens of Polk County and all my employees,” she said.

Source: Cedartown Standard

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Berry College Annual Spring Concert set for April 12

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

ROME, Ga.— Berry College is hosting its spring concert at 3 p.m. Apr. 12. in the College Chapel.

This concert will prove extra special as the Berry community bids farewell to longtime Music Lecturer and Director of Choral Activities Harry Musselwhite. Musselwhite has been a part of the Berry family for almost 30 years and under his leadership, Berry students have performed in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington D.C., Carnegie Hall in New York City, Regent’s Hall in London and Sacre Coeur in Paris among other locations.

Musselwhite’s guidance has helped students reach their potential and go on to perform with a number of groups including the New York City Opera and the London Philharmonic. Personally, Musselwhite has received The Rome Arts Council’s Artist of the Year Award in 2003 and the Voice of Berry Award in 1998.

This performance will feature the concert choir, the Berry Singers and a number of Berry music alumni. The concert choir, comprised of over 90 members, is a historical part of Berry College and has experience with a large variety of classical compositions. The Berry Singers are a select group of vocalists that regularly perform with the Rome Symphony.

Source: Rome News

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‘For Better or Worse’ presented live in Rockmart tonight, Saturday

The Latest Local News from the Cedartown Standard

Rockmart Pastor Davilyn Williams Gospel stage play, “For Better or For Worse?” will be live in Rockmart on Friday, March 27 and Saturday March 28.

The play, written and directed by Williams, will also star Williams. The play is also going to be recorded live.

“For Better or For Worse?” is Williams’s first production. Despite that fact, it was well received by the Northwest Georgia communities and debuted to a standing-room-only crowd at the Rome City Auditorium in July 2012. Williams said she is excited to bring this tale of love and restoration back to the stage.

“When I wrote this play, I knew that God had a message that he wanted to share,” she said. “It’s more than a Gospel stage production, it is a ministry. I was overwhelmed with the support we received in our debut and I’m excited to share with my hometown the revised and improved version of my first stage play. I believe the audience will laugh, cry and rejoice with the characters and leave the theater humming a tune from one of the production’s original songs. It’s a total experience.”

The show centers around a couple preparing to celebrate ten years of marriage and it also looks at their friends and family, who all have their own day-to-day issues they are dealing with as well. When it debuted nearly three years ago, the show premiered to an eager audience who, after the show, exited the venue astonished, having a great passion for the original production.

Williams said she has since found time to rewrite and rework the script and even those who have seen it will want a second look.

“It’s the same title, but a different play,” Williams said. “This production has a special place in my heart because it was my first. Since the premiere I have tweaked a few things here and there to improve, what I believe is a story divinely inspired. There’s a message in “For Better or For Worse?” that is universal. Whether you are married, seriously dating or single, this is a production that is a must see because it has the power to change lives.”

“For Better or For Worse?” also stars Rome’s own Kevin Wright and Cartersville’s Jessica Dennis and Sheddericka Braziel. Also in the production are Rockmart natives Courtney Rowland, Kirston Monroe and Quitta Sanders, Cartersville’s Rev. Carlos Calhoun and Erin Jones and former Romans Mikey Jones and Daverica Williams.

“For Better or For Worse?” will play for two nights at the Arts Center Theatre in Rockmart. The March 27 show starts at 7 p.m. and the March 28 show is at 6 p.m. Doors open one hour before showtime, tickets are $25 and are already available for purchase. Tickets may be purchased at Church of Lord Jesus in Rockmart, 928 Martin Luther King Street, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, or online at http://ift.tt/1F2RMec.

For more information about “For Better or For Worse?” visit http://ift.tt/1CWLD4n or call (770) 548-1696.

Source: Cedartown Standard

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Friday forecast: cloudy and cooler, high 57

The Latest Local News from the Cedartown Standard

Overnight showers moving through brought with them cooler temperatures as Polk County heads into the last days of March, with temperatures set to dip below freezing during the overnight hours this weekend as the National Weather Service calls for one more round of cold before April begins.

Today’s forecast calls for partly sunny skies, with a high near 57. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 52. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 60. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.

Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.

Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.

Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.

Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55.

Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73.

Source: Cedartown Standard

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Gun, cash stolen from Tolbert St. apartment

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

Rome police are investigating the theft of a firearm and cash from a Tolbert Street apartment , reports state.

According to police:

Someone broke into 215 Tolbert St., Apt. B, between 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The thief took a .22-caliber revolver, valued at $100, $500 in cash and $1,000 in loose change. Sixty Valium and 60 Xanax also went missing.

There have been no arrests.

Source: Rome News

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Chance of dime sized hail tonight, colder temperatures start tonight

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The National Weather Service has issued a significant weather advisory for dime sized hail and 35 mph winds in Polk and Floyd counties until 10 p.m.

Previously posted:

There is a 60 percent chance of rain today with a possibility of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5 p.m., according to the National Weather Service . We’ll see mostly cloudy skies today with a high near 79.

Click here to view an interactive weather map on Weather.com.

Tonight rain showers are likely with an 80 percent chance of precipitation and a low around 46. We can expect new rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday A slight chance of showers before 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 58. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 30.

Sunday Sunny, with a high near 60. Sunday Night A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.

Monday A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Monday Night A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.

Tuesday A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Tuesday Night A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Wednesday A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 73.

Source: Rome News

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Floyd County Jail report, 8 p.m. Thursday, March 26

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The Floyd County Jail issues arrest reports twice daily, at 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Mobile users should click here to see the 24-hour report.

Source: Rome News

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Teachers spend Saturday learning tech tips at first EdCamp Rome

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

Teachers in the area gave up their Saturday last week to learn valuable technology tips from other teachers in a new format called EdCamp. These are volunteer learning experiences put together for teachers, by teachers where the educators share information that interests the participants. More than 120 gathered for the first EdCamp Rome held Saturday, March 21 at Rome High School.

The EdCamp was organized by Instructional Technology Specialists, Lee Green, from Floyd County Schools and Terrie Ponder of Rome City Schools. The idea was born from a presentation at last year’s GAETC, Georgia’s premier EdTech conference. “I was blown away by a session where Fayette County teachers were using the EdCamp model for professional development and how empowered they were using the process,” commented Lee Green. “I turned around in the session and saw Terrie from Rome City and we immediately started talking about how we could hold our own EdCamp here.”

At EdCamp, participants come together to learn from one another without a set list of presenters. There are session times posted but the topics and presenters are determined by the participants willing to share ideas or practices that work in their classrooms. The event was free to the participants and breakfasts, lunch and t-shirts were provided by donations from local technology companies.

Sessions included: Robotics and coding, Pop Culture in the Classroom or “I Kanye do technology”, Transformational Leadership in Technology, and many more. “The beautiful thing about this day is that we have shown two school systems what can happen when we work together to advance learning,” Green added. “There are more opportunities to learn and grow in our future as EdCamp Rome II is already being planned.”

Other organizers of the event included: Cat Flippen, from Georgia Gwinnett College; and Craig Ellison, director of technology for Floyd County Schools. Special thanks to Chris Carey of Logical Systems; Jeff Bunch, RRW; Amie Briggs, EDCO; Dr. Tygar Evans, principal of Rome High and Superintendents, Dr. Jeff McDaniel, Floyd County Schools; and Dr. Mike Buck, Rome City Schools.

Source: Rome News

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Traffic schedule for 'The Kingmakers' filming on Sunday

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

ROME, GA. — Filming for ABC Studios production of “The Kingmakers” scheduled for Wednesday, April 1 has been moved up to this Sunday, March 29.

Portions of roads will be closed to thru traffic from 5 a.m. – 11 p.m. to include West First Street between Second and Third Avenues. The south side of Third Avenue at Mitchell Plaza will be blocked to accommodate tractor trailer trucks. Additionally, parking behind the History Museum will be blocked for production trucks.

Access to the parking deck will be accessible from Third Avenue.

Traffic will flow as usual on Broad Street, but there may be brief delays when actively filming on the southbound side only.

For questions related to the filming traffic schedule, please contact Ann Hortman at the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau at 706.295.5576 or ann@romegeorgia.org.

Source: Rome News

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Shorter University freshman wins Atlanta Music Club scholarship

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

Rome, Ga. — Shorter University freshman Chandler Stone, a piano performance major from Dublin, Ga., placed first in the undergraduate keyboard division of the Atlanta Music Club’s scholarship competition. The event, which was held Saturday, March 21 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Decatur, Ga., is open to high school, undergraduate and graduate students.

For his performance, Stone played “Nocturne in F Sharp Major Op. No.” by Frederic Chopin and “Sonata in F Major Op. No.” by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Earlier this month, Stone was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for his performance in the 14th annual William and Mary Ann Knight Performers Scholarship Competition at Shorter University. He said winning the two competitions so close together has been an inspiring component of his first year at Shorter.

“It is very exciting to have won this past weekend. Winning the Atlanta Music Club Competition right after winning the William and Mary Ann Knight Performers Competition is almost like a dream come true,” he said. “It is very encouraging to be the winner of these two competitions. It makes me want to push deeper into the music that I love.”

Stone, who previously studied with Shorter alumna Nancy Claxton, is a student of Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Keyboard Studies Dr. Jerico Vasquez.

Dr. Vasquez said both scholarships are a great financial help to Stone and have given him an extra confidence boost as a musician and a performer.

“Chandler is naturally endowed with a beautiful, deep sound and quick fingers,” Dr. Vasquez said. “He is certainly one of our most promising young pianists.”

Source: Rome News

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Berry's Segarra named all-region by D3hoops

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

Berry women’s college basketball player Chanlir Segarra was named to the D3hoops.com South Region Third Team.

A senior from Cooper City, Florida, Segarra led the SAA in scoring (17.5 PPG) and assists (6.3 APG).

A guard, she closed her career with 1,608 points, good enough for sixth all-time at Berry College.

Her 554 career assists is a Viking benchmark. Also a team co-captain, Segarra led the Vikings to an 18-9 season and a 9-5 record in the SAA.

Segarra has a 3.82 grade point average. She is majoring in exercise science, and minoring in chemistry and psychology at Berry.

Segarra has been accepted — and plans to attend — the school of medicine at Florida State University.

Segarra earned D3hoops regional honor last season, too. Earlier this year she was picked to the SAA first team and was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American.

Source: Rome News

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Floyd County ranks 101 out of Georgia's 159 counties for health, suburban counties rank highest

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The suburban versus rural health divide remains the key theme in the latest ranking of Georgia’s healthiest counties. Floyd County ranked ranked in the lower third of counties at 101 out of 159 counties.

The rankings were reported in the sixth annual County Health Rankings, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Here’s a link to Georgia’s rankings.

Forsyth is ranked the healthiest county in 2015, just as it was in the previous two years. It was followed by Gwinnett, Fayette, Cobb and Oconee.

All are in the northern or north-central part of the state, and all are in the Atlanta metropolitan area except for Oconee, which is in the Athens metropolitan area.

Rounding out the top 10 in the 2015 rankings are Cherokee, Columbia, Harris, Coweta and Lumpkin.

The five Georgia counties in the poorest health category, starting with the least healthy, are Early, Taliaferro, Warren, Randolph and Crisp. All are mostly rural.

Early, in southwest Georgia, has high levels of premature death, smoking, STDs, low-birthweight babies and teen births.

Meanwhile, Forsyth County, in the affluent northern Atlanta suburbs, has low levels of each of those factors, plus a much lower rate of uninsured residents.

Nationally, the authors of the rankings pointed out that the rates of premature death (death before age 75) have declined for 60 percent of counties.

But the report also found that one out of four children in the U.S. lives in poverty. Rates of poverty are more than twice as high in the unhealthiest counties in each state compared to the healthiest ones.

And unemployment rates are 1.5 times higher in the least healthy counties in each state compared to the healthiest ones, the report said.

The healthiest counties have higher college attendance rates, fewer preventable hospital stays, and better access to exercise opportunities. The least healthy counties have more smokers, more teen births, and more alcohol-related car accidents.

Source: Rome News

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Police seeking assistance in Hwy. 411 hit and run, victim in critical condition

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

Rome police are seeking assistance in a hit and run incident on Hwy. 411 on Wednesday night that has left a man in critical condition.

According to the Rome Police Department:

On March 25, 2015, at approximately 11:55 p.m., the City of Rome Police Department received a 911 dispatch call from a passerby who observed a 56-year-old male lying on the side of Hwy 411 near Callier Springs Road, between Walmart and Tractor Supply.

The man was lying next to a bicycle. This man was seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle, apparently while riding his bicycle. The vehicle continued on, leaving the injured man on the side of the road, without reporting the accident or the man’s injured state.

The Rome Police Department Selective Enforcement Unit is actively investigating this hit and run incident and is seeking any information from the public regarding the incident or any suspect/s and/or suspect vehicle.

The man suffered serious and life threatening injuries and is currently in critical condition. Information obtained at the scene leads us to believe that the vehicle that struck the bicyclist sustained damage to the right front corner area, and may have blue paint transfer on it from the bicycle.

If anyone knows anything about this incident please contact Sgt. Joe Costolnick at 706-238-5138, or any investigator or police officer immediately. Anonymous information is welcome and can also be left at this number, as well as 706-238-5111. Thank you for your assistance in this investigation.

Source: Rome News

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Berry College student awarded scholarship

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

ROME, Ga. — The Georgia Independent College Association has chosen a Berry College education major to receive the Aflac Teacher Education Scholarship for 2014-2015.

Senior Alex Contant, of Marietta, Ga., was one of only two selected recipients for the award. She was selected based on her excellent academic and co-curricular activities records.

Candidates are nominated by the Dean of Education and are eligible with a 3.0 GPA and financial need. They must write a statement regarding their professional goals in becoming a teacher and include their community service, service to the profession, awards and honors, and future professional goals.

The scholarship awards $2,500 per year to support educational expenses associated with enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate teaching program.

Source: Rome News

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Young’s Grove students visit Jacksonville State for field trip

The Latest Local News from the Cedartown Standard

Fifth Grade students and teachers at Young’s Grove Elementary (Heather Ball, Laura Cox, Colette James, Kelley Maddox,and Sandy Wood) took a field trip to Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Ala., on Tuesday, March 17.

Students toured the campus and received information about the college. Teachers wanted to extend a special thank you to: tour guides Tracy Phillips and Haley Colbert and football players Calen Campbell and Joel McCandless.

Source: Cedartown Standard

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Baseball: Berry beats Emory at State Mutual Stadium

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The Berry College Vikings defeated the Emory University Eagles 9-2 on Wednesday night at State Mutual Stadium, home of the Rome Braves.

With the win, the Vikings move to 14-10-1 on the year. The Eagles, ranked 19th in the current D3baseball.com national poll, dropped to 13-9 on the year with the loss.

Berry’s offense was led by Ryan Smith, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI. Alfred Francis also contributed to the cause with his 3-for-4 night. Sam Joyce was 2-for-3 and scored two runs.

The Vikings used nine pitchers throughout the game, rotating every inning. Austin Loper (1-0) pitched in the fourth and got his first win of the season.

Emory’s offense was led by Wes Peacock’s two hits. Eagles’ starter Matt Randolph (1-1) took the loss.

Berry will play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 28 at Rhodes College. First pitch of game one is at 1 p.m.

Source: Rome News

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Baseball: Early outburst lifts Shorter over Falcons

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

The Shorter baseball team put together a five-run outburst in the second inning that set the tone for the Hawks, as they claimed a 6-5 non-conference against visiting Montevallo on Wednesday afternoon at the Ledbetter Baseball Complex.

The win gives the Hawks an 11-11 overall record heading into another Gulf South Conference series this weekend when they face Mississippi College.

Shorter found the offense early as the Hawks unloaded for seven hits to plate five runs.

Ian Redetsky started the run parade, driving home a run on an infield single. Tyler Trenery followed with a run-scoring double. Brian Cabrera delivered a double to bring in two more runs, and Taylor Cato closed out the rally with an RBI single.

The Hawks came up with what proved to be the winning run in the fifth inning when Zach Santos led off with a double, moved to third when Bryan Matthews hit a deep sacrifice fly to center and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Dustin Lawson.

The Falcons (14-13) closed the gap in the top of the sixth with a three-run stanza and pulled to within a run of the Hawks thanks to a two-run eighth inning, but reliever Brandon Reynolds took the mound in the ninth to shut down the Falcons to notch the save.

The Hawks ended the game scattering 14 hits, with Cato collecting three hits and the RBI, Cabrera finished with two hits and the two RBIs and Santos and Redetsky had two hits each.

Starter Justin Machado went six innings to record the win allowing four hits and three earned runs. Chadd Felder and Christian Champion pitched an inning each to set the table for Reynolds in the ninth.

Source: Rome News

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NASCAR: Elliott heads to Martinsville to attempt 1st Sprint Cup race

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Of all the places Hendrick Motorsports could have picked for Chase Elliott’s first Sprint Cup Series race, the organization landed on historic Martinsville Speedway.

The Virginia race track has hosted so much Hendrick success — the organization has 22 Cup wins at Martinsville — but is also a place of tremendous tragedy: In 2004, a Hendrick plane crashed en route to the track, killing all 10 on board.

The history of Martinsville and the place it holds in Hendrick lore is not lost on Elliott, who will turn his first real laps in a Cup car Friday. The 19-year-old will have to qualify on speed to make Sunday’s race.

“The Hendrick history at Martinsville, that’s something that will never be forgotten,” Elliott said. “That’s such a special place for HMS, they’ve had a lot of success there, and it’s a place that everyone always wants to step up and do well at, and they certainly have done that as an organization, no matter who is driving.”

Elliott will drive the No. 25 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet for Hendrick. It’s the first of five races he has scheduled this season as he prepares to transition from reigning Xfinity Series champion to the replacement driver for four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon. Elliott in January was picked to replace Gordon in the No. 24 Chevrolet when Gordon retires at the end of this season.

The Hendrick affinity for Martinsville aside, on paper the track might seem a curious choice for Elliott’s first Cup event.

He has very little experience at the track — just two Truck Series races in 2013 — and the odd paper-clip layout with its long straightaways and flat, narrow turns makes it a challenge for drivers.

Elliott isn’t sure how his schedule was set by the Hendrick braintrust, but isn’t complaining. He always enjoyed watching races at Martinsville, and at just .526 of a mile, the length suits him.

“I kind of look at it as it’s just a short track,” said Elliott, who prepared for NASCAR racing short tracks across the Southeast.

“I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of short-track racing over the last several years, and that place definitely has its differences from a lot of short tracks I raced in Florida and Georgia and North Carolina and Alabama. But at the same time, you are still short-track racing … you don’t want to reinvent the wheel. You still want to race with the same goals, and you are still going to be looking for the same things. The key is going to be to try to marry the excitement of the weekend and your first Cup attempt with the fact that you are still going short-track racing. That’s going to be important.”

___

UNCONTROLLED TIRE: Denny Hamlin made his overdue return to Auto Club Speedway last weekend and had a strong run until a late-race pit road penalty ruined his race.

Hamlin, who broke his back in a 2013 crash at the California track then missed last year’s race when he was not medically cleared to compete because of a piece of metal in his eye, led two times for 56 laps on Sunday. But he was penalized when his Joe Gibbs Racing crew lost control of a tire during a late pit stop, and the punishment contributed to his 28th-place finish.

Hamlin crew chief Dave Rogers argued vehemently with a NASCAR official over the call, but a television replay eventually showed the tire indeed did get away from the No. 11 crew.

Still, Rogers believed it was a subjective call on NASCAR’s part.

“I saw it on TV and certainly the right-front (tire) rolled away and out of our box a little bit,” Rogers said. “In years past, that would be a common sense rule and the tie goes to the (team).”

Rogers said teams were concerned with NASCAR’s new electronic monitoring of pit road, which debuted this season, because it removed any wiggle room in the rule book.

“NASCAR emphasized this offseason when we expressed our concerns over this system — black or white, ball or strike type of a deal,” Rogers said. “NASCAR assured us that they would use common sense and things wouldn’t change and I can certainly tell you that last year that wouldn’t have been called.

“I don’t know if it’s me getting used to a new system or NASCAR pushing harder for the ball or strike. It’s frustrating.”

___

FOX SPORTS-VIRTUAL REALITY: Fox Sports is exploring virtual reality with NextVR, a technology company that captures and delivers live and on-demand virtual reality experiences.

The network tested the experience last weekend at Auto Club Speedway in California, where NextVR enabled the live streaming of the race in virtual reality. NextVR’s software application, which is embedded in a mobile phone that is then connected to a Samsung Gear VR headset, enables viewers to experience the event as if they were there.

The footage was streamed to Fox Sports executives and producers working from the at-track television compound. Two cameras captured 180-degree and 360-degree views from an area on pit road and a second spot between the track and the pits.

“NextVR has spent the last six years perfecting their VR technology, which made them the logical first choice for Fox Sports to partner with for this test,” said Mike Davies, Fox Sports senior vice president of field operation. “NextVR currently is one of the only companies with the ability to transmit live in VR, and their technology is built on a broadcast platform, making it infinitely scalable.”

Source: Rome News

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