Authorites investigate fatal accident at Chamblee Charter

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- Chamblee Police and Dekalb Schools Police are investigating a fatal construction accident that occurred on Wednesday night. 

The incident happened on the campus of the new Chamblee Charter High School. According to reports, a construction worker fell from the roof of the new building and died.

The company in charge of constructing the new building, Turner Construction, released a statement saying: 

We are deeply saddened to confirm that a worker died in an accident on May 7, 2013, while working on the Chamblee High School construction site. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this very difficult time and our immediate and highest priority is supporting the family in their time of need.

The incident is under investigation and we are fully cooperating with the investigation being conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Police Department. Turner is also conducting its own investigation of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The safety of our workforce is always our top priority as demonstrated by our safety record and our performance at the Chamblee High School project prior to this unfortunate accident. Prior to this incident we have not had any lost time incidents at the Chamblee High School project. Safety is a part of our culture and we take it very seriously. We are holding safety stand-down meetings with all workers on site to review safety procedures.

Grief counselors were on site today and will be available to support friends and co-workers in the days and weeks ahead and we will be collaborating with the subcontractor that employed the deceased and with his family to create opportunities to provide support to the family.

No further information was immediately released. 

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Rockdale Sheriff launches investigation, apologizes for racial slur

WARNING: The video of this story above contains a racial slur that 11Alive would normally bleep out.  But because of the nature of this story we have chosen to air it uncensored.  Press the pause button on the video above now if you do not wish to hear it.

===========================

A second metro Atlanta law enforcement agency has launched an internal investigation in reponse to our special report which exposed a DeKalb County Police detective using a racial slur during a videotaped police interrogation.

Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett tells 11Alive News he's ordered an investigation into the Sheriff's Office handling of the incident. Sheriff Levett says Rockdale County Investigator Tracy Radford was present in the interrogation room when the racial slur was used. The Sheriff says the investigation will check to see if Inv. Radford ever reported the incident to his supervisors.

 Sheriff Levett also issued an apology for the incident. "On behalf of the Rockdale Sheriff's Office, I would apologize to Mr. Dwight for those words being said." Sheriff Levett said.

The videotape shows DeKalb County Detective Michael Hellerman threatening an African-American suspect with the prospect of being convicted by a "jury full of white people," who will only see him as a "straight-up n*****."

DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander says any disciplinary action for Det. Hellerman is pending the outcome of the department's internal investigation into the incident.

In 2009, Nathan Dwight was accused of carjacking a woman in DeKalb County and then using that stolen car in a violent armed robbery of a convenience store in Rockdale County.

He was tried, convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the robbery in Rockdale.

Eyewitnesses identified him, even though the robber was wearing a disguise.

Nathan spent more than two years behind bars before DNA evidence found in the stolen car convinced a judge to overturn his conviction.

During a blistering police interrogation, the then 21-year-old adamantly maintained his innocence.

The police, however, were convinced they had their man and turned up the heat in hopes of getting a confession.  In stark, unflattering terms, Detective Michael Hellerman paints a picture of Dwight's chances before a jury.

"We're going to get a whole jury -- a whole jury full of white people," Detective Hellerman told an visibly agitated Dwight.

"I'm not confessing to nothing I didn't do," Dwight interjected.

"I'm going to put this picture," Detective Hellerman said, referring to a still image from the security cameras at the convenience store, "...next to your photo lineup and you know what they're going to see? They're going to see a straight-up n*****!"

"That's not me!" Dwight replied, his voice rising. "That's not me, sir."

Dwight sat down with 11Alive's Devin Fehely, saying "Morally, in my eyes, that was wrong.  I mean he looked me dead in my face and called me, 'a n****.' It was just blatant."

In the interrogation video you can see a desperate Dwight make one final plea to convince detectives hey had the wrong guy.

"Please. I mean this is my life on the line. I know I didn't do this. And I watch too many movies seeing folks going to jail for 20 and 30 years for some crap they didn't even do," the tape shows Dwight saying.

DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander said, "It sent a chill up my back that an investigator in this police department would use such language."

11Alive News showed the interrogation video to Chief Alexander and his reaction was a mix of embarrassment and outrage.

"Quite frankly, I shouldn't be the only person upset with this. I think anybody in the judicial system should be absolutely outraged by this," he said.

The jurors at Dwight's original trial saw parts of the videotaped interrogation, but neither the prosecution nor the defense played the segment where Detective Hellerman used the n-word.

Defense attorney Mawuli Davis said, "They needed to see how far this officer would go to get this young man to confess to something that he has always said he did not do."

The tape is controversial to be sure, but the courts have ruled police have lots of leeway in how they talk and what they say to suspects in their custody, allowing them to misrepresent evidence and even to lie, if it helps get a confession.

11Alive News asked Jessica Gabel,  a law professor at Georgia State University, to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the case.

"I think he absolutely crossed a line. He crossed a line and implied you're not going to get a fair trial in this town because you're black," she said. "What the police and perhaps the prosecution suffered from in this case was a bit of tunnel vision."

Despite Dwight's case being overturned in Rockdale County he's not in the clear yet.  He could still be charged in DeKalb where the carjacking case remains open.

The DeKalb County DA's office has not decided what it intends to do with this case.

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Suspect arrested in NW Atlanta shooting

Dominique Benton (Courtesy of Fulton Sheriff)

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Authorities have arrested a suspect they say robbed and killed a man one day after Christmas, last year. 

Dominique Benton was arrested on Wednesday and charged with armed robbery and felony murder.

Authorities discovered the victim lying beside the sidewalk near James Jackson Parkway and Northwest Drive in the Carey Park neighborhood around 1:50 p.m. The victim sustained one gunshot wound to the upper left side of his shoulder.

Benton is currently being held in the Fulton County Jail. 

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78-year-old man found dead, grandson and girlfriend charged

MABLETON, Ga. -- A young Cobb County couple were charged with the murder of a 78-year-old Lilburn man on Tuesday evening. 

According to Cobb County Police, 78-year-old Edward Smith was reported missing on May 5 by family members. Authorities say Smith nor his truck had not been seen by his family since May 2. 

Authorities located Smith dead inside of his truck in South Cobb County. Smith's 30-year-old grandson Casey Collins and his 23-year-old girlfriend Sarah Cook have been charged with his death. 

Cobb County authorities will conduct an autopsy to determine Smith's manner and cause of death. 

Collins and Cook are being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center. Both are being charged with one count of Felony Murder. 

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Why I put my kids in Abduction Prevention Camp

ATLANTA -- Inside the Carl Sanders YMCA in Buckhead, the kids and their instructors are sitting in chairs all facing forward, pretending they are riding in a bumpy car.

The teacher, playing the role of a child in the backseat, starts poking the six year old driver in the shoulder, whining "Mom, Mom, Mom!" 

The six year old looks over her shoulder and the instructor asks, "What just happened?" One of the kids in the back answers, "We just wrecked."

Skits like this make up the week-long camp. But the children will also spend a lot of time poking imaginary eyes, butting invisible heads, blocking potential blows. And there is lots of yelling. Yelling, "No!" Yelling, "You're not my Mom!" Commotion is encouraged.

I enrolled my eight-year-old son Jude and my six-year-old daughter Iris in the camp. Run by the national nonprofit RAD kids -- RAD stands for Resisting Aggression Defensively. My son has been preoccupied with so called bad guys breaking into our house,

"I'm afraid they're going to take me and Iris. Because we'll never see you guys again." 

The RAD kid instructors say, "We don't scare. We prepare." 

Trained instructors run these camps around the country; where children learn home safety and 9-1-1 safety, but they also hammer at noses, free themselves from imaginary arms, and jam their tiny sharp elbows into chests. 

Belise Michel,  Donna Goss, and Maureen Pierce are the instructors. Their job is not easy and for Pierce, it's personal. 

"I was abducted when I was in third grade and I was at a safe park in my small town. Broad daylight. My mom was there and I was with a friend," she said.

While her mother read a book on a nearby bench in that Kenosha, Wisconsin park, Maureen decided to pick her mother some flowers. 

"I just walked around a corner, bent over and before I know it this man had covered my eyes, covered my mouth and was just dragging me to his car," she said.

That man, Michael Knipe, drove little Maureen Pierce to a cornfield and raped her. 

"I said are you going to kill me? And he said when I'm done with you," Maureen said.

At one point when Knipe went to his car, Maureen ran another way through the cornfield and got to the road and flagged down a car. Knipe was caught and convicted and sentenced to 46 years in prison. 

But the damage was done to a little girl who returned to third grade, who grew up, got married, and had four boys. Then eight-year-old Jorelys Rivera was abducted and murdered by the maintenance man in her Canton apartment complex in December of 2011. 

"I turned on the news and they had found her body."

The death of Jorelys, who was one year younger than Maureen when she was abducted, made Pierce realize she needed to do more.  So she got certified as an instructor.

"Had I had some training I would have known, do not get in that car."  

Michel and Goss and Pierce trained together. Also in their class,  Elizabeth Smart, the Utah woman abducted from her bedroom at knife point when she was 14 years old.  

Goss says told all of them that, "She wished somebody had given her permission to fight back. She did not know she had the right to hit or strike an adult. And that just resonated with me."

That's why drills are repeatedly run, and the children urged to react quickly and loudly."You just keep on going until he lets you go!"

At the end of the week, David Resendez, a trained instructor, poses as the bad guy and it's time to put the training to action. 
The children are remarkable, fighting back, yelling and making a commotion to draw attention.

It's my son's turn and I'm shocked and impressed and stressed as I watch him fight back against the huge hulk of a man  holding him dangling above the floor. Jude gets free and runs away.

When it's Iris's turn, she fights equally hard, kicking and screaming and running away. 

It is difficult to watch, but the kids are so proud of themselves. After camp, at home, the talk of bad guys goes away. 

For Maureen -- what happened to her all those years ago will never make sense. But it led her to help her own children -- and other people's children stay safe.

 "I just feel so connected to them and want to see them become more empowered. They are special and no one has the right to hurt them," she said.

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DeKalb detective caught on tape using racial slur still on the job

WARNING: The video of this story above contains a racial slur that 11Alive would normally bleep out.  But because of the nature of this story we have chosen to air it uncensored.  Press the pause button on the video above now if you do not wish to hear it.

===========================

11Alive News has learned that a DeKalb County Police detective caught using a racial slur during a videotaped interrogation remains on the job despite an internal investigation that's been launched into his conduct.

11Alive News uncovered the disturbing videotape from a police interrogation of suspect in a 2009 carjacking and armed robbery of a convenience store.

DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander says any disciplinary action for Det. Michael Hellerman is pending the outcome of the department's internal investigation into the incident.

In 2009, Nathan Dwight was accused of carjacking a woman in DeKalb County and then using that stolen car in a violent armed robbery of a convenience store in Rockdale County.

He was tried, convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the robbery in Rockdale.

Eyewitnesses identified him, even though the robber was wearing a disguise.

Nathan spent more than two years behind bars before DNA evidence found in the stolen car convinced a judge to overturn his conviction.

During a blistering police interrogation, the then 21-year-old adamantly maintained his innocence.

The police, however, were convinced they had their man and turned up the heat in hopes of getting a confession.  In stark, unflattering terms, Detective Michael Hellerman paints a picture of Dwight's chances before a jury.

"We're going to get a whole jury -- a whole jury full of white people," Detective Hellerman told an visibly agitated Dwight.

"I'm not confessing to nothing I didn't do," Dwight interjected.

"I'm going to put this picture," Detective Hellerman said, referring to a still image from the security cameras at the convenience store, "...next to your photo lineup and you know what they're going to see? They're going to see a straight-up n*****!"

"That's not me!" Dwight replied, his voice rising. "That's not me, sir."

Dwight sat down with 11Alive's Devin Fehely, saying "Morally, in my eyes, that was wrong.  I mean he looked me dead in my face and called me, 'a n****.' It was just blatant."

In the interrogation video you can see a desperate Dwight make one final plea to convince detectives hey had the wrong guy.

"Please. I mean this is my life on the line. I know I didn't do this. And I watch too many movies seeing folks going to jail for 20 and 30 years for some crap they didn't even do," the tape shows Dwight saying.

DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander said, "It sent a chill up my back that an investigator in this police department would use such language."

11Alive News showed the interrogation video to Chief Alexander and his reaction was a mix of embarrassment and outrage.

"Quite frankly, I shouldn't be the only person upset with this. I think anybody in the judicial system should be absolutely outraged by this," he said.

The jurors at Dwight's original trial saw parts of the videotaped interrogation, but neither the prosecution nor the defense played the segment where Detective Hellerman used the n-word.

Defense attorney Mawuli Davis said, "They needed to see how far this officer would go to get this young man to confess to something that he has always said he did not do."

The tape is controversial to be sure, but the courts have ruled police have lots of leeway in how they talk and what they say to suspects in their custody, allowing them to misrepresent evidence and even to lie, if it helps get a confession.

11Alive News asked Jessica Gabel,  a law professor at Georgia State University, to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the case.

"I think he absolutely crossed a line. He crossed a line and implied you're not going to get a fair trial in this town because you're black," she said. "What the police and perhaps the prosecution suffered from in this case was a bit of tunnel vision."

Despite Dwight's case being overturned in Rockdale County he's not in the clear yet.  He could still be charged in DeKalb where the carjacking case remains open.

The DeKalb County DA's office has not decided what it intends to do with this case.

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An improper police interrogation?

WARNING: The video of this story above contains a racial slur that 11Alive world normally bleep out.  But because of the nature of this story we have chosen to air it uncensored.  Press the pause button on the video above now if you do not wish to hear it.

===========================

Nathan Christopher Dwight was accused of carjacking a woman and using the car in a violent armed robbery.

He maintained his innocence but was tried and convicted of the robbery. He was sentenced to life in prison.

The cornerstone of the prosecutor's case... several eyewitnesses who identified Dwight as the attacker.

After more than two years behind bars, DNA evidence found in the stolen car ruled Dwight out as a suspect. And a judge overturned his conviction.

11Alive's Devin Fehely spent months digging into this case and found a disturbing videotape of the police interrogation.

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3 missing women found in Cleveland, 3 arrested

UPDATE: -- Cleveland Ohio's police chief says three people have been arrested after three women missing for years were found in a home and one said she'd been kidnapped.

A 52-year-old man from the home was among those arrested. Police have released no names and given no details about the others arrested or what charges they might face.

Police Chief Michael McGrath says a 6-year-old also was in the home.

Dozens of police officers and sheriff's deputies remained at the scene late Monday awaiting a warrant to search the building.

Authorities say the women have been taken to a hospital to reunite with relatives and seem to be in good health. Michelle Knight had been missing since 2002, Amanda Berry since 2003 and Gina DeJesus since 2004.

CLEVELAND (AP) - Three women who went missing about a decade ago were found alive Monday in a residential area just south of downtown, and a man was arrested.

Cheering crowds gathered Monday night on the street near the home where police said Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight were found earlier in the day.

Police didn't immediately provide any details of how the women were found but said they appeared to be in good health.

Berry disappeared at age 16 on April 21, 2003, when she called her sister to say she was getting a ride home from her job at a Burger King. DeJesus went missing at age 14 on her way home from school about a year later. They were found just a few miles from where they had gone missing.

The Plain Dealer newspaper reports Knight had been missing since 2002.

Police said a 52-year-old man was arrested. There was no immediate word on charges.

In January, a prison inmate was sentenced to 4 1/2 years after admitting he provided a false burial tip in the disappearance of Berry, who had last been seen the day before her 17th birthday. A judge in Cleveland sentenced Robert Wolford on his guilty plea to obstruction of justice, making a false report and making a false alarm.

Last summer, Wolford tipped authorities to look for Berry's remains in a Cleveland lot. He was taken to the location, which was dug up with backhoes.

Berry's mother, Louwana Miller, who had been hospitalized for months with pancreatitis and other ailments, died in March 2006. She had spent the previous three years looking for her daughter, whose disappearance took a toll as her health steadily deteriorated, family and friends said.

Two men arrested for questioning in the disappearance of DeJesus in 2004 were released from the city jail in 2006 after officers did not find her body during a search of the men's house.

One of the men was transferred to the Cuyahoga County Jail on unrelated charges, while the other was allowed to go free, police said.

In September 2006, police acting on a tip tore up the concrete floor of the garage and used a cadaver dog to search unsuccessfully for DeJesus' body. Investigators confiscated 19 pieces of evidence during their search but declined to comment on the significance of the items then.

No Amber Alert was issued the day DeJesus failed to return home from school in April 2004 because no one witnessed her abduction. The lack of an Amber Alert angered her father, Felix DeJesus, who said in 2006 he believed the public will listen even if the alerts become routine.

"The Amber Alert should work for any missing child," Felix DeJesus said then. "It doesn't have to be an abduction. Whether it's an abduction or a runaway, a child needs to be found. We need to change this law."

Cleveland police said then that the alerts must be reserved for cases in which danger is imminent and the public can be of help in locating the suspect and child.

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Austell student missing from MGSC campus

Jmaal Malik Keyes (Courtesy WMAZ)

MACON, Ga. -- A metro-area church is organizing a search party on Monday evening for a 19-year-old college student missing in Middle Georgia. 

According to WMAZ-13, Jmaal Malik Keyes went missing about two weeks ago from the Middle Georgia State College campus in Cochran.

RELATED | 19-year-old MGSC student still missing 

Reportedly, Keyes' belongings are untouched in his dorm room on campus; he was last seen leaving the room about two weeks ago without them. Keyes does not have a car. He was last seen wearing a yellow and white shirt, black jeans and black and white shoes. 

On Monday evening, Destiny World Church in Austell is gathering to organize a search effort to find Keyes or to learn more about his disappearance. According to WMAZ, the Keyes family are members of the church.

Wilbur Purvis, pastor of Destiny World Church says the church plans to organize a search party that will travel to Cochran, via bus, on Tuesday to search for the missing student.

The Destiny World Church in Austell will also be offering a $2,000 reward. The church is located at 7400 Factory Shoals Road in Austell.

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Flooding, trees down, power out after three days of rain

ATLANTA -- Power crews, police and firefighters scrambled overnight on Sunday to respond to a series of emergency calls about flooding, fallen trees and power outages after three days of steady rain.

One car stalled out on the entrance ramp to I-285 at Jonesboro Road after the driver tried to go through high water.

In DeKalb County, firefighters requested help from Georgia Power after a transformer caught on fire at Oak Forest Drive and Ashwoody Trail just South of I-285.

Crews with 11Alive News found trees down on Cahaba Drive, Harwell Road, Rock Springs Road NE and Charlotte Place NW in Atlanta.

Atlanta firefighters and police responded to a tree down on the road at Peachtree Battle Avenue and Old Field Road. The tree brought down a power line.

Another tree fell early Sunday at 529 Gresham Avenue SE near Glenwood. 

In Marietta, crews responded to a tree across the road on Polk Street.

Georgia Power sent out this Tweet late Saturday night: "Today's rains have left heavy, wet trees in soggy ground. A wind gust can bring them down."

At last report, 2100 Georgia Power customers were without service, with 1400 of them in metro Atlanta.

Peachtree Creek in Buckhead remained several feet below flood stage early Sunday, but there was ponding on nearby Northside Drive.

The National Weather Services reports Big Creek is now above flood stage in South Forsyth County and continuing to rise, causing minor flooding.

The Big Creek Greenway is closed with up to four feet of water in some areas.

The NWS has also issued a flood warning for Suwanee Creek near Suwanee from Sunday morning until Monday morning.

Areas behind Suwanee Elementary School and George Pierce Park could flood.

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Heavy rain on Cinco de Mayo weekend

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A Remarkable Prom Queen

JEFFERSON, Ga. -- Dakota Bray never thought she could be prom queen. But her fellow students disagreed and thought she was the perfect choice. 

    She is a straight talking girl who has battled health issues her entire life. Born with a tumor that could only be partially removed, Dakota is developmentally delayed. 

    But she has no shortage of friends. And her mother has the home video from the night she was named Jefferson High School's prom queen. 

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Flood watch for North Metro areas through Sunday evening

ATLANTA -- Flood watches have been issued for the northern portion of Georgia, including the northern parts of Metro Atlanta through Sunday evening.

More than two dozen counties are under flood watches, including Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Fannin, Gilmer, Union, Towns, Chattooga, Gordon, Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Floyd, Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Banks, Jackson, Polk, Paulding, Cobb, Gwinnett and Barrow -- along with the northern half of Fulton County.

RELATED | 11Alive Weather Information Zone

11Alive Meteorologist Allison Chinchar says rainfall amounts of up to an inch will be possible over eastern portions of the state, primarily east of the Athens area. As you move westward, Chinchar says  2.5 to 3.5 inches of rain is possible over the course of the weekend, with higher amounts possible in some isolated areas. Localized flash flooding is possible, especially if heavy rains move repeatedly over the same areas.

Some flooding of creeks and rivers is possible with the rains.

In addition, forecasters said a flood warning remains in effect for the Coosa River in Floyd County, near Plant Hammond until further notice, where minor flooding is already occurring.

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Orb wins the 139th Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE -- Orb won the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

The Derby had a maximum 20-horse field, but it was reduced to 19 Friday morning when Black Onyx, 50-1 on the morning line, was scratched due to a chipped bone in his front left ankle. Black Onyx had been in the No.1 position in the starting gate, which was left open for the Derby.

Rain fell steadily Saturday afternoon during the undercard, and the track was officially listed as "sloppy." The downpour had many women scrambling to cover their fancy Kentucky Derby hats with plastic. But some younger fans body-surfed on the muddy infield.

The scratch came too late for alternate Fear the Kitten to get into the race. Fear the Kitten had been 21st in the new point standings used to determine this year's qualifiers. The deadline for him to get in the race was 9 a.m. Friday.

The race was run 40 years after the historic 1973 win by Secretariat in a record winning time of 1:59 2/5. The time still has not been equaled.

The Triple Crown series now moves on to the May 18 Preakness in Baltimore, followed by the June 9 Belmont Stakes in New York. No horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.

Among the many celebrities in attendance were quarterback Robert Griffin III of the NFL's Washington Redskins, former NBA stars Scottie Pippen and Julius "Dr. J." Irving, former major league baseball player Ken Griffey Jr., former NFL quarterback Warren Moon, entertainer Joey Fatone (N Sync) and actress Jane Seymour.

Fans, employees and media entering Churchill Downs were subject to increased security in the aftermath of the bombing at the Boston Marathon. New measures included bans on coolers and large purses.

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HELP DESK | Newnan homeowners get free smoke detectors, batteries

NEWNAN, Ga. -- Fifteen hundred smoke detectors with batteries were part of a giveaway campaign in Newnan this weekend, geared toward helping prevent tragedies like the one last week that claimed the lives of four children.

Firefighters say that if a fire breaks out in a home, a key to survival is a working smoke detector and a well-defined escape plan. Having home fire drills can also help residents know what to do to save their lives.

Saturday, the Newnan Fire Department, working with 11Alive's Help Desk, went door-to-door through neighborhoods in Newnan to make sure residents have the right tools to save their lives in the event of a fire.

"We want to try and make sure everybody is equipped with a good working smoke detector and here is a spare battery and just make sure when it starts chirping you can replace the old battery," said Newnan firefighter Cornell Rollins.

One homeowner said it was a wakeup call to check the batteries.

"I have one up but I have not checked it this year," he said.

"If you don't mind you need to check it every six months and make sure the batteries are good and operating," a firefighter told the homeowner. "I'm going to give you a couple of extra batteries just in case you need them."

One point that firefighters were quick to point out to homeowners was that just pulling a low battery to stop the alarm from chirping is not best way to approach the situation.

"A lot of people just take the battery out because it will make an alarm sound of a chirp which may keep them awake and they may just forget to get the battery once they pull it out." said Newnan Fire Battalion Chief Stephen Brown. 

To make sure that every homeowner who needs a smoke alarms or battery gets one, the Newnam Fire Department will give them out at a special Fire Safety Day on Saturday, May 18, at the Westside School. Newnan homeowners can also call the Newnan Fire Department, at 770-253-1851 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. to arrange to get a free smoke alarm and free batteries.

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Flood watch for North Metro areas through Sunday evening

ATLANTA -- Flood watches have been issued for the northern portion of Georgia, including the northern parts of Metro Atlanta through Sunday evening.

More than two dozen counties are under flood watches, including Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Fannin, Gilmer, Union, Towns, Chattooga, Gordon, Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Floyd, Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Banks, Jackson, Polk, Paulding, Cobb, Gwinnett and Barrow -- along with the northern half of Fulton County.

RELATED | 11Alive Weather Information Zone

11Alive Meteorologist Allison Chinchar says rainfall amounts of up to an inch will be possible over eastern portions of the state, primarily east of the Athens area. As you move westward, Chinchar says  2.5 to 3.5 inches of rain is possible over the course of the weekend, with higher amounts possible in some isolated areas. Localized flash flooding is possible, especially if heavy rains move repeatedly over the same areas.

Some flooding of creeks and rivers is possible with the rains.

In addition, forecasters said a flood warning remains in effect for the Coosa River in Floyd County, near Plant Hammond until further notice, where minor flooding is already occurring.

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'I told you so,' says Atlanta homeowner who blames City for tree on his house

ATLANTA -- The flood watch for north Georgia this weekend means that the trees that are unstable may be even more likely to fall because of the saturated soil.

Just ask the frustrated homeowner who received word while at work Friday that a giant hardwood was on its side across his house, sunken into what had been his roof.

For months, with dread, he'd seen it coming.

"I knew it was going to happen."

Paolo Rubolo somehow knew that the tree in the lot next to his was about to fall, and fall into his house in northwest Atlanta.

Just before Noon, Friday, while he was at work, it did.

"And with the soil being so wet, of course it's going to happen," Rubolo said, standing in front of his heavily damaged home, waiting for crews to arrive to begin cutting away the tree.

Rubolo said that for months the tree had been leaning -- slowly leaning over at an increasingly frightening angle -- obviously stressed.

And he said he did everything he could all of that time to convince the owner of the property to take down the tree.

The owner, he said, is the City of Atlanta.

His latest call to the city was on Friday morning, less than three hours before his foreboding came true.

"I called the lady and left a voice mail saying that I wanted to have an update of what was going on with the tree."

He said that as of Friday night, he still had not heard back.

And as of late Friday, 11Alive News had not heard back from anyone with the city for a response.

There's more.

There's another tree, a giant, dead hardwood, standing right next to where the tree that just fell had been standing.

"That one is going to fall, as well," Rubolo predicted.

Rubolo moved into the house, off of Bolton Road, in December. Soon after, he said, he saw the tree begin to lean.

He said the tree was on a 20-foot wide strip of city-owned land between his house and his next-door neighbor's house.

The city, he said, had originally planned to build a street between the houses, in order to connect his street with the street behind his house.

Rubolo is insured, and incredulous -- forced out of his dream house for reasons out of his control.

"I mean, we put so much effort in it, and it's not nice to see your house destroyed like that. Especially for something that could have been prevented."

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Henry Co. mother warns parents about hiring limos for prom

ATLANTA -- Holly Cobb of McDonough has a warning for anyone thinking about hiring a limo for prom night or for any other occasion.

"It was not at all what we were expected and what we had paid for," Cobb said, as she showed us pictures of prom night for her 17 year old daughter, Mallory, a junior in high school. "They were an hour and a half late."

She says a group of 30 boarded what should have been a 30 passenger bus. That is what was stated on the contract.

"Kids had to sit in each other's laps and stand for the duration of the ride," Cobb said, "and because the bus was late they missed their dinner reservation."

Cobb showed us the contract she had with Country Club Limousine.  She had paid $1900 dollars for a bus that should have arrived at 5 p.m. on April 13 and stayed through 11 p.m.

However, the bus that arrived didn't look like the one she saw on the company's website and according to the state a 30 passenger bus should seat 30 people.  

She says, because of her trouble, the company promised a $450 refund and even sent her a confirmation email showing that it had been posted to her credit card on April 15.  On May 2 she still hadn't received it. 

We went looking for the owner of the company. The address on the contract took us to a luxury condo building in Buckhead and we didn't see any sign of a limo company.

When we called the contact name on the contract, Adrian P, a man who told us his name was Adrian said he parked his limos nearby.  The 'P' stood for Paul and Adrian Paul said he owned a condo in the building.

On Country Club Limousines website it claims it is fully licensed.

However, they're not listed here, on the Georgia Public Safety website, where all authorized limos and party buses are required to be.

Regulators have now opened an investigation and won't comment until it's complete - as for Holly's promised refund? She's still waiting.

"I simply want to prevent this from happening to someone else's prom."

Adrian Paul of Country Club Limousines said he would meet us to do an interview. Our last two calls to him have not been returned.

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ACLU of Georgia to investigate Lumpkin Co. HS prayer meeting

Lumpkin County School Superintendent Dewey Moye, in his office, Thursday, May 2, 2013.

Read one of the recent federal court orders prohibiting certain religious activities on public school property during school hours.  This is a 17-page consent decree in the case of two, unnamed Florida students who sued the School Board of Santa Rosa County (near Pensacola):

 PDF Document: santa rosa amended consent decree

LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. -- Teachers and students at Lumpkin County High School have been told by their school superintendent -- they cannot hold any more prayer meetings at school during class time.

Not everyone agrees with the superintendent's decree.

And similar cases that have ended in lawsuits, no matter what religion was involved, have all ended with court orders prohibiting the religious activity.

Wednesday morning, at Lumpkin County High School, before classes had started for the day, about 50 students met with at least one faculty member, a coach, to pray.

The school superintendent, Dewey Moye, said Thursday he found out about it later. He said the prayer meeting lasted at least two hours, and the students missed some class time.

So Moye has told everyone -- don't do that again during school.

"It's a strong belief of mine that students have a Constitutional right to pray," Moye told 11Alive News. "But during the school day they need to report to class." 

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation designating Thursday, May 2, as 2013's National Day of Prayer.

People in Lumpkin County and beyond are rallying in support of students and teachers participating in voluntary religious activity, on school grounds during school hours, on the National Day of Prayer and every other school day.

"If they're feeling that they need to talk to the Lord and if they want to go down there and pray with their friends, I think they should be able to, they should," said one student.

People are speaking out on Twitter:
"50 teens took a stand for Jesus."
"Props to Lumpkin High School, 15 people got saved during school."
"Seeing souls saved is the greatest feeling ever."

The ACLU of Georgia is investigating whether the school violated the U.S. Constitution.

For example, courts have ruled that students recruiting other students on school grounds during school time to convert them to Islam, with the permission of school officials, might not meet with such overwhelming approval in the community, but would have to meet the same Constitutional tests as students converting others to Christianity during school. 

And the courts have ruled that it is not a matter of local control, or local ordinances, or state law, it is a matter of federal jurisdiction since the Constitutional separation of church and state is the issue involved.

A federal court order from Florida two years ago, for example, in the case of two unnamed students versus the School Board of Santa Rosa County (near Pensacola) makes it clear: "School officials shall not participate in any way in a prayer with students" during school. And, "School officials shall not orally express personal religious beliefs to students" during school.

"We had met with the coach this morning," Superintendent Moye said, "and told him... that when a student comes to see him and wants to pray, or seek his guidance, they can do so before school or after school."

Moye decided there is no reason to discipline anyone. He considers the matter closed.

What do you think about what the students and coach did? Vote in our poll here.

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April report to show whether weak hiring persisted

WASHINGTON -- Most analysts say the employment data due out Friday will show an uptick in job creation last month over March's meager 88,000, but it won't be a big increase.

The data could be an indicator of whether weak hiring in March marked a temporary lull or the fourth year in which a slumping economy has slowed job growth.

Economists say they think employers added more than 100,000 jobs in April but far fewer than the 196,000 that were added on average from September through February.

The unemployment rate is expected to remain unchanged at a still-high 7.6 percent.

The Labor Department will release the report at 8:30 a.m. EDT.

(Associated Press)

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Roswell teen scores role in Jackie Robinson bipopic, "42"

ROSWELL, Ga. -- It is slated to be one of the biggest movie hits of the year.

42 is the story of Jackie Robinson and his remarkable life 66 years ago when he became the first African-American to break the so-called "color line" of Major League Baseball.

And 13-year-old Henry Friedman from Roswell has made a name for himself in the movie.

The Friedman family has lived in Atlanta for generations.

You might best know the last name from the world famous Friedman's shoe store downtown that has catered to athletes from all over the planet.

Grandfather Friedman sold the store in the 1950's but the name has remained.

Now in 2013,  there is another famous Friedman making his mark here.

"When I was little,t my grandparents' house I would get my brother and cousin and we would put up magic shows," Henry said.

After the magic shows, Henry's grandfather would call him "Hollywood." Maybe he knew something.

Henry has a pivotal scene in the hit movie about baseball great and civil rights hero Jackie Robinson.

"I didn't want to do the audition for it. Because I read the script. I've done auditions where I've said bad words but not that."

Henry's character attends a Reds game in Cincinnati, a joyous, happy experience, but his mood changes for a moment when his father and other fans start shouting racial slurs at number 42. His character sees everyone doing it --  then starts shouting racial slurs as well.

Says Henry, "Chadwick Bozeman who plays Jackie Robinson came in and said he understood I was just acting ."

The Friedmans are an artistic lot, mother Jennifer is a painter, father Ben is a musician with a wicked sense of humor and writes for music for TV shows.  He works on the series Café Racer.

Father Ben said, with tongue placed squarely in cheek, I'm jealous of him. He pops up and he gets this movie- - (Hullinger laughing) and I've quit talking to him, I've had enough."

Reviews have been kind to Henry's performance as he captures the moment that helps lead to the famous scene of teammate Pee Wee Reese putting his arm around Robinson in front of a hostile Cincinnati crowd.

"It's a little scary how much publicity that scene has gotten and I didn't expect that,"  Henry added.

As for his father Ben, " I'm honored that he's in it and I'm honored he had the part he did, it's an important part- - it shows how racism is passed down from others."

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Morehouse students face rape, other charges

Lucien Kidd, Chukwudi Ndudikwa, Tevin Mgbo, Malcolm Frank

ATLANTA -- Three Morehouse College athletes have been accused of rape and other charges.

Chukwudi Ndudikwa and Malcolm Frank face rape and aggravated sodomy charges.  Tevin Mgbo is looking at charges of aggravated sodomy, kidnapping and reckless conduct.

According to court documents the incident involving those three suspects happened March 8 at the East Suites.

The victim told police there was a party celebrating Spring Break and then they went to a club.

The victim says she admits drinking some alcohol but says she did not use drugs, and does not remember much of what happened at the club or afterward.

Several witnesses say the victim did have sex with several men in several rooms, and one witness says the victim used a drug.

One witness also said the victim was drunk, dancing, fell and hit her head.

One of the victim's friends says he tried to help her but she would not allow it. He told police she kept hitting him and even picked up a knife and tried to stab him saying she knew what she was doing. He says the next morning the victim was unaware of what happened and he took her to the hospital.

Another witness says some of the suspects came and confronted the victim about the rape accusations. That witness said he told them "no one forced her to do it but she was not fully aware of where she was or what she was doing".

Once campus police were told of the incidents, they identified and arrested the men.

As reported from Morehouse College, students who violate the school's code of conducts and the law will receive disciplinary actions, which could mean dismissal from the college.

In an unrelated incident, Lucien Kidd was arrested and charged with rape in April.

Head football coach Rich Freeman said Kidd tried out for the football team in 2010, but he never made the cut. Kidd came out during Fall camp that year, but by the time the 2010 season started, he did not make the roster.

11Alive News contacted the Maroon Tigers Athletic Director, Andre Pattillo Wednesday afternoon. He refused to comment.

Morehouse College police and the Fulton County District Attorney's Office are working together to investigate each case.

Meanwhile, several students 11 Alive spoke with in the Atlanta University Center complex didn't know about the incident.

Many, especially women, were upset the dorm incident happened on March 8th and the university still hadn't told them.

"I guess the school's trying to keep it on a low key thing; they did a great job of doing it 'cause no one found about it, no one," said Morehouse student Richard Washington.

"That's terrible, you know, you send you child to school for education and a safe environment...make connections and friends," said Morehouse student Jonathan Saxon.

"It's sad that something like that...happened on campus," he added.

"I feel like we should all be informed about what's going on in the community, seeing as there's three colleges here," said Clark Atlanta student Deshemika Benton.

"The public safety in the area is more reactive than proactive, which leaves us to defend ourselves," said Clark Atlanta student Marquet Cross.

Veteran prosecutor Al Dixon spent 27 years in the Fulton County District Attorney's office, many of them as deputy DA. He said this case is a complicated one.

"If you voluntarily drink to the point that you're still conscious, that's one thing," he said. "But if you drank so much to the point that you pass out and then someone takes advantage of you, that's a different thing."

"In this particular case, it appears that she was conscious and not unconscious. That would be tough for the prosecution. What this boils down to is whether the defendants in this particular case thought that she had given a valid consent."

Dixon said the district attorney's office will likely investigate over the next few months and re-interview eyewitnesses before deciding whether to indict.

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Rapper Chris Kelly of Kris Kross dead at 34

ATLANTA -- Rapper Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly of 1990's hip-hop group "Kris Kross" was pronounced dead at a local medical center on Wednesday evening. He was 34.

Fulton County Police were dispatched to Kelly's home on Stoneleigh Drive, shortly after 4:30 p.m. Upon arrival officials discovered Kelly was unconscious and non-responsive. Emergency technicians administered CPR on the scene before Kelly was transported.

RELATED | So So Def Records celebrates 20 years

According to the Fulton County Medical Examiner's office, Kelly was pronounced dead at Atlanta Medical Center -- South Fulton around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening.

The cause of death appears to be a drug overdose, according to Fulton County PD however the Fulton County ME's office will not confirm the actual cause of death until a toxicology report is performed.

Kelly and his bandmate Chris "Daddy Mack" Smith" were discovered by music producer and Atlanta native Jermaine Dupri at a local mall in 1992. During performances, Kris Kross wore their clothes backwards -- it later became their signature look.

The group is most famous for their single, Jump. In 1992, Jump ranked No. 3 on the Billboard Top 100 list. Most recently, Kelly performed at the So So Def 20th Anniversary Concert in February.

Kelly's mother, Donna Kelly Pratte, along with The So So Def Family released a statement early Thursday morning, saying:

"It is with deep sadness that we announce that our beloved Chris Kelly has passed away on May 1. To millions of fans worldwide, he was the trendsetting, backwards pants-wearing one-half of Kris Kross who loved making music. But to us, he was just Chris - the kind, generous and fun-loving life of the party. Though he was only with us a short time, we feel blessed to have been able to share some incredible moments with him. His legacy will live on through his music, and we will forever love him."

Funeral arrangements have not been set at this time.

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Man hit by car in critical condition

ATLANTA -- A pedestrian is in critical condition after being hit by a car near the Fox Theater on Wednesday evening. 

The incident happened on the 600 block of Peachtree Street in Midtown. 

Atlanta Police say the man was transported to a local medical center. He is expected to survive. 

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Cobb detectives seek public indecency, battery suspect

Sketch of suspect (Cobb County Police Department)

COBB COUNTY, Ga. -- Cobb County detectives are investigating an incident that happened Tuesday in Marietta near Cheatham Hill Road.

Two females were walking in Kennesaw National Park, when they saw a man standing in the woods, nude from the waist down. They told investigators that the man was acting inappropriately, and when he saw the women look at him, he chased after them.

Investigators say one of the women was knocked to the ground.

The man ran to a faded red 1990's Ford Dually pickup truck, and he was last seen driving west on Dallas Highway, in the direction of Paulding County.

Chief of Police J. R. Houser reported that similar incidents may have previously happened.

A sketch was released from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations after meeting with the two women and detectives. The suspect is wanted for public indecency and simple battery.

Houser described the man as either white of light-skinned Hispanic, 6'2" - 6'3" tall, 25-35 years old and around 230 pounds. He has a goatee with stubble, and his hair is shaggy or curly, and either dark brown or black in color.

The suspect's eyes are believed to be hazel. He was last seen wearing a light blue t-shirt with writing on it and gray cargo shorts.

Anyone within information on the suspect is asked to call Cobb police at (770) 499-3945.

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Some Bank of North Georgia customers say money's missing

NEWNAN, Ga. -- Investigators in Coweta County says thieves have drained the accounts of more than 100 bank customers, and they're still not sure how they did it.

All of the customers had debit cards associated with their Bank of Coweta accounts, which merged earlier this year with the Bank of North Georgia.

Investigators aren't sure when the security breech took place, but say somehow thieves managed to get the debit card numbers and PINs for at least 105 customers. According to the investigation, the information has been used to make duplicates of the customers' debit cards, and use them at ATMs in Florida, Texas and Louisiana.

One victim, who asked not be identified, says he noticed something wrong early Friday morning, when he went online to check his account balance.

"First thing I noticed is there had been an ATM withdrawal for $602.95. Within two hours I noticed there'd been two more withdrawals," he said.

The bank customer says thieves got away with $1,000 before the bank was able to put a block on his debit card. While he says the bank has promised to refund the money, he's had to beg the cable company and other debtors for more time to pay his bills as the matter gets worked out.

"It probably started several weeks ago but many of the victims are just finding it now, either they're getting a statement or going to the ATM and they're seeing their balance is way down," said Coweta County Sheriff Mike Yeager.

This isn't the community's first problem with identity theft. Less than a year ago, thieves installed skimming devices on gas pumps to record credit and debit card numbers. There were more than 100 victims then, too.

But Yeager says this is something different, especially when you consider many of the victims hadn't used their debit card in months.

"I don't know if somebody was able to breech Bank of North Georgia's computer or records ,but somehow they were able to obtain all this information," said Yeager.

The bank has yet to comment on the extent of the breech, or even to say there was one. It would only tell 11Alive it was "aware of the situation."

Yearger says at least $45,000 has been stolen so far and he believes there are more victims are out there. Investigators are asking anyone who used to have a Bank of Coweta account, to check their account and call Newnan police at 770-254-2355 or the Sheriff's Department at 770-253-1502, if they realize money is missing.

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11Alive's Valerie Hoff's Battle Against Breast Cancer

ATLANTA, Ga. -- The route Valerie Hoff drives to get her boys at their afterschool program is one she has done hundreds of times.

The after school routine is the same.

MORE | Join the Atlanta Pink Ladies team and learn more about breast cancer

But for Valerie, it all feels different now.

"I have a lot more ups and downs than I did in the beginning."

She keeps doing the normal things, as a mother, as a television anchor, but it's always there, the realization she has breast cancer.

"It was almost unreal. Kind of like an out of body experience. I didn't get all shaky or say 'Oh my God,' I was just like, 'Really?'"

This is a woman who has spent more than half her life in front of a camera. And she hasn't been shy about sharing personal journeys, blogging about her over 40 pregnancy with Nicholas, sharing her and her husband Derrick's trip to Russia to adopt their second son, Jhenya.

But this is different. She doesn't know how this journey will end.

"It's really scary. When you think about, I have this potentially fatal disease. Then it's not just a little lump being taken out. It becomes a bigger deal."

Valerie found the lump in her left breast just three months after she had a clean mammogram.

"I was just getting into the shower one morning and I was like what the heck is this?"

What she thought would be a routine follow up exam was not routine.

Valerie remembers when the doctor told her, "I'm just going to tell you point blank, I'm pretty sure you have cancer."

Derrick was getting the boys ready for a baseball game that day and Valerie was late getting home.

"I got a text, and then she calls, and then I talk to her and I'm like, 'What just happened?'"

Derrick and Valerie have confronted health issues before. He's recovering from knee surgery and two years ago Valerie underwent major spinal surgery, a four level cervical fusion.

And they always looked at the bright side.

"The underlying statement was at least it's not cancer," Derrick says. "And then, it's cancer."

Doctors say Valerie's cancer is Stage 2. They recommended a lumpectomy. Soon after she found out, she made the announcement on air.

The reaction to her announcement showed her she had to keep sharing this journey publicly.

"I have heard back from hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of other women who are overdue for their mammograms or who haven't done self exams and that part of it is so gratifying."

Derrick and Valerie told their boys.

They reassured Nicholas and Jhenya that Mommy will be fine. For Valerie it's not that easy.

"Everyone in the medical community or people that I meet, when I tell them that I have two small children that are 6 and 8 -- everyone is like, 'Oh no.' A lot of the studies are 'The five year survival rate is 80 percent' and things like that and I'm like five years? What's the 20 year survival rate?"

On the day before her surgery, she savors every hug, every moment with her three men.

The next morning at The Women's Center at Northside Hospital it's five hours of prep before surgery.

Today they will learn if the cancer has spread.

Doctor Brenda Simpson tells Valerie, "If those lymph nodes are negative I close you back up and we're done." Valerie says, "I hope that's what happens." Doctor Simpson says, "I hope so too."

Surgery gets underway and the lymph nodes are removed. They're negative for cancer. A huge relief.

Derrick says, "Obviously getting lots of good news along the way that helps. We can fight this."

Eight hours after she arrived, Valerie is headed home. Cancer treatment begins soon. An unwanted journey, but one she is facing head on.

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