37 jurors in pool so far for Andrea Sneiderman trial

DECATUR, Ga. -- After the second day of jury selection, 37 potential jurors had been chosen by the lawyers in the trial of Andrea Sneiderman.  They are choosing a pool of about 40 before selecting the final 12 and three alternate jurors.  That could happen Thursday.

FULL LIVE COVERAGE OF SNEIDERMAN TRIAL

GALLERY | Major Players in Sneiderman Trial

Monday the judge removed Sneiderman from house arrest and her GPS ankle bracelet.  The $250,000 cash bond she posted was returned.  The $50,000 property bond remains in effect.

Jury selection began Monday morning for the long awaited trial of Andrea Sneiderman.

Of the 40 jurors in the pool, both the prosecution and defense get nine strikes each and three preempts each.

Day one began with DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Gregory Adams formally dropping the most serious charges against her.

He signed "nol pros" documents dismissing charges of felony murder, malice murder and aggravated assault in the death of her husband.

Both sides agreed to the move last Friday when District Attorney Robert James said he was not "100 percent" certain of her guilt.

The 37-year-old widow still faces charges of perjury, making false statements, hindering the apprehension of a criminal and concealing material facts in connection with her husband's murder.

Rusty Sneiderman was gunned down after dropping off one of the couple's two children at a Dunwoody day care in November of 2010.

Andrea Sneiderman's former boss, Hemy Neuman, was found guilty of murder but mentally ill after his trial in March of 2012.

During that trial, prosecutors openly accused Andrea Sneiderman of having an affair with Neuman and somehow convincing him to kill her husband, which she denied.

She was formally indicted and arrested for murder a year ago.

But now that the most serious charges have been dropped, some observers wonder if she would serve much prison time if convicted of the lesser charges.

READ | Full indictment against Andrea Sneiderman

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Alleged attempted robber arrested in Morgan County

BETHLEHEM, Ga. -- Accused attempted robber, Kaleb Moss is being held at the Morgan County Adult Detention Center without bond after he led authorities on a chase through multiple counties on Monday afternoon. 

According to the Morgan County authorities, the suspect, Kaleb Jordan Moss tried to break into a home on Elise Drive in Bethlehem However the homeowner heard the suspect trying to get into the home and called the authorities; she also said Moss was armed. 

Barrow County authorities spotted the suspect near the home and chased him to Bishop, Ga. which is located in Morgan County. The suspect fled on foot. Moss was last seen in the area of Riverwalk and Price Mill Road. 

The suspect is described as about 6 feet tall, 180 lbs. wearing a black tank top and black shorts. He is believed to be armed and dangerous. 

Moss is wanted in several jurisdictions (Morgan, Barrow, Oconee and Walton) on aggravated battery and various robbery charges. 

Authorities plan to call of the foot search for Moss however Morgan County authorities have warned their residents to lock their doors and contact 911 if they see anything suspicious. 

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Owner subdues would-be robber at Alpharetta store

ALPHARETTA, Ga. -- Authorities are investigating a robbery that happened at the Sabri Guven Fine Jewelry Store Tuesday evening. 

According to Alpharetta Police, authorities arrived at the scene on Haynes Bridge Road to discover a store owner and another employee holding a suspect down in the front parking lot. 

Officers say two men entered the store and requested to see a diamond ring.  When the two received the ring, they ran out of the store, with the owner and employee chasing them. 

One of the suspects pulled a handgun but a nearby witness grabbed it.

While the employees were able to catch one suspect the other got away.

No one was hurt and the names of the suspects have not been released.

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Brenda Wood follows local group through Ethiopia

Photo Credit: Steven Boissy

WXIA -- Trachoma is one of the oldest infectious diseases known to mankind, according to the World Health Organization. The disease affects about 320 million people, worldwide. 

Ethiopia has the highest rate of trachoma infections in the world and 11Alive News Anchor Brenda Wood traveled to the country with volunteers, from the Carter Center, who are trying to put an end to the disease. 

Trachoma, which can lead to blindness, is caused by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria is oftentimes transmitted when "flies feed off of human feces" and transfer fecal matter to the ocular region or "around the eyes." 

While in Ethiopia, Brenda will be working on a series of reports that are apart the "Local People Doing Extraordinary Things" series. This edition will follow the group around to different villages while they perform corrective surgeries and provide antibiotics to people affected with trachoma. 

Look for more information on this story and other stories of "Local People Doing Extraordinary Things" in October. 

Follow Brenda Wood on Twitter for updates on future stories. 

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Andrea Sneiderman trial begins Monday

Andrea Sneiderman exits the DeKalb County courthouse

DECATUR, Ga. (AP) - Andrea Sneiderman heads to court Monday for the start of her trial, days after prosecutors dropped murder charges.  Sneiderman's husband was gunned down outside a suburban Atlanta preschool in 2010.  

REALATED | Sneiderman murder charges to be dropped

READ | Full Indictment against Andrea Sneiderman

DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James told Judge Gregory Adams on Friday that, after reviewing the evidence, he is no longer sure of Andrea Sneiderman's guilt. The judge accepted the motion and set jury selection for Monday on the remaining charges, which include lying under oath.

FULL COVERAGE OF SNEIDERMAN TRIAL 

Prosecutors had initially accused Sneiderman of arranging for her former boss, Hemy Neuman, to kill Rusty Sneiderman outside a Dunwoody preschool in November 2010. Neuman is serving a life sentence after a jury found him guilty but mentally ill.

Prosecutors say Neuman declined to testify in Sneiderman's trial.

Sneiderman has repeatedly denied any involvement in the shooting.

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Spain train driver arrested

A train passes the scene of the Wednesday train crash near Santiago de Compostela, Spain. (Photo: Miguel Riopa, AFP/Getty Images)

Police on Friday arrested the driver of the train that crashed in northwest Spain and killed 78 passengers as investigators looked for further evidence for why the train was going twice the speed limit.

Local media in Spain, including the El Pais newspaper, reported that Francisco Jose Garzon Amo boasted on Facebook about how fast he could drive his train. In 2012 he posted: "I can't go any faster or they'll give me a fine."

RELATED | One American among the dead; train driver is questioned
MORE | As it happened: Spanish train crash

A speedometer with the needle on 125 mph was also posted, the reports said.

Garzon Amo was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving. The 52-year-old driver remains hospitalized following Spain's deadliest railway crash in decades.

Authorities located the train's so-called "black box" and are examining its recordings to see if it sheds further light on the cause of the Wednesday crash.

The chief of the train operator, Renfe, defended the driver Friday, lauding what it called his experience. But the country's railway agency, Adif, said the driver should have started slowing the train more than 2 miles before reaching the disastrous turn in Santiago de Compostela.

"Four kilometers before the accident happened he already had warnings that he had to begin slowing his speed, because as soon as he exits the tunnel he needs to be traveling at 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) per hour," Adif president Gonzalo Ferre said.

In an interview with The Associated Press, an American passenger injured on the train said he saw on a TV monitor screen inside his car that the train was traveling 121 mph seconds before the crash - far above the 50 mph speed limit on the curve where it derailed. The passenger, 18-year-old Stephen Ward, said the train appeared to have accelerated, not decelerated.

Gonzalo Ferre, president of the rail infrastructure company Adif, said the driver should have started slowing the train 2.5 miles before reaching a dangerous bend that train drivers had been told to respect.

"He already had warnings that he had to begin slowing his speed, because as soon as he exits the tunnel he needs to be traveling at 80 kilometers per hour," Ferre said.

At the scene, hundreds of onlookers watched as crews used a crane Friday to hoist smashed and burned-up cars onto flat-bed trucks to cart them away. The shattered front engine had been tipped back upright but remained resting beside the tracks, just yards from the passage of resumed train traffic.

Grieving families gathered for funerals near the site of the crash in Santiago de Compostela, a site of Catholic pilgrimage that had been preparing to celebrate its most revered saint, James, but those annual festivities were canceled Thursday.

El Pais reported that Garzón's Facebook profile was deleted on Thursday morning, but a profile belonging to someone with the same name and showing a picture of the speedometer was still able to be viewed on the social network on Friday morning. It was not clear whether the account was genuine, however. A photo was being carried on The Guardian's website. That picture could also not be verified.

Investigators in Spain have now taken possession of the "black boxes" of the train that hurtled at high speed along a curve and derailed, the Associated Press reported. The AP also reported that the number of killed in the crash has now been revised down to 78 from 80.

The driver is now a focus of the investigation into Spain's worst train disaster in decades and police there said that he would be questioned "as a suspect for a crime linked to the cause of the accident."

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Weekend road work likely to cause heavy delays

ATLANTA -- The Georgia Department of Transportation will be working on a few major roadways in and around Atlanta over the weekend.

The projects will likely cause traffic congestion and delays.

"I-85 around 400 would be the place to avoid," GDOT Metro District Construction Engineer Shun Pringle said. 

Drivers planning to use I-75/I-85 north and southbound, or I-85 near SR 400 should find an alternate route. Pringle said up to three lanes of I-85 will be closed for work on the I-85/SR 400 Interchange Project. 

Up to three westbound lanes will be closed through the weekend on I-285 between Roswell Road and SR 400 for bridge repairs. Drain cleaning will impact traffic in various lanes of the Perimeter.  

To find out if your trip will be affected by construction, visit GDOT online.

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Three dead in Indianapolis bus crash

Firefighters work to extricate people from a bus crash Saturday in Indianapolis. (Photo: Michelle Pemberton, Indianapolis Star)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Indianapolis Fire Department says three people were killed when a bus carrying teens from a church camp crashed on a busy thoroughfare near Interstate 465.

The bus was carrying 40 passengers who are members of Colonial Hill Baptist Church and were returning from camp when the crash happened Saturday afternoon.

Indianapolis Fire Department spokesman Lt. Rita Burris confirms the deaths and says survivors were being taken to area hospitals. Those injured include children and adults.

Some of the victims were taken from the scene by helicopter.

An Indiana Department of Transportation camera showed the bus overturned on its side.

Roads near the scene were closed, and hazmat crews were in the area cleaning up diesel fuel that spilled.

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Teresa Heinz Kerry released from hospital

Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images file

(NBC NEWS) -- Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Secretary of State John Kerry and heir to the ketchup company fortune, was released Saturday from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, where she was treated for a seizure she experienced on July 7.

Doctors said they expect Heinz Kerry to complete a full recovery at home after some limited out-patient treatment, read a statement released by Kerry's spokesman Glen Johnson.

Heinz Kerry, 74, was admitted to the hospital following an experience of seizure-like symptoms at the family's Nantucket home.

"It was amazing, a miracle," Heinz Kerry said of her care and caregivers, according to the statement. 

"They are the kindest people, who love what they do and do it superbly well."
Her husband expressed his gratitude: "I'm extremely grateful for the quality of care Teresa received, from the calm and confidence of the EMTs who intervened at the house, to the amazing proficiency of the team at the ICU at Mass. General, to the focused, caring attention of the group at Spaulding. I've always known Massachusetts is blessed to have some of the greatest health care in the world, but we've just lived it, and are grateful to all."

Heinz Kerry, a breast cancer survivor, is the mother of three adult sons from her marriage to the late Pennsylvania Sen. John Heinz, who died in a plane crash in 1991.

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Brenda Wood follows local group through Ethiopia

Photo Credit: Steven Boissy

WXIA -- Trachoma is one of the oldest infectious diseases known to mankind, according to the World Health Organization. The disease affects about 320 million people, worldwide. 

Ethiopia has the highest rate of trachoma infections in the world and 11Alive News Anchor Brenda Wood traveled to the country with volunteers, from the Carter Center, who are trying to put an end to the disease. 

Trachoma, which can lead to blindness, is caused by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria is oftentimes transmitted when "flies feed off of human feces" and transfer fecal matter to the ocular region or "around the eyes." 

While in Ethiopia, Brenda will be working on a series of reports that are apart the "Local People Doing Extraordinary Things" series. This edition will follow the group around to different villages while they perform corrective surgeries and provide antibiotics to people affected with trachoma. 

Look for more information on this story and other stories of "Local People Doing Extraordinary Things" in October. 

Follow Brenda Wood on Twitter for updates on future stories. 

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Spain train driver arrested

A train passes the scene of the Wednesday train crash near Santiago de Compostela, Spain. (Photo: Miguel Riopa, AFP/Getty Images)

Police on Friday arrested the driver of the train that crashed in northwest Spain and killed 78 passengers as investigators looked for further evidence for why the train was going twice the speed limit.

Local media in Spain, including the El Pais newspaper, reported that Francisco Jose Garzon Amo boasted on Facebook about how fast he could drive his train. In 2012 he posted: "I can't go any faster or they'll give me a fine."

RELATED | One American among the dead; train driver is questioned
MORE | As it happened: Spanish train crash

A speedometer with the needle on 125 mph was also posted, the reports said.

Garzon Amo was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving. The 52-year-old driver remains hospitalized following Spain's deadliest railway crash in decades.

Authorities located the train's so-called "black box" and are examining its recordings to see if it sheds further light on the cause of the Wednesday crash.

The chief of the train operator, Renfe, defended the driver Friday, lauding what it called his experience. But the country's railway agency, Adif, said the driver should have started slowing the train more than 2 miles before reaching the disastrous turn in Santiago de Compostela.

"Four kilometers before the accident happened he already had warnings that he had to begin slowing his speed, because as soon as he exits the tunnel he needs to be traveling at 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) per hour," Adif president Gonzalo Ferre said.

In an interview with The Associated Press, an American passenger injured on the train said he saw on a TV monitor screen inside his car that the train was traveling 121 mph seconds before the crash - far above the 50 mph speed limit on the curve where it derailed. The passenger, 18-year-old Stephen Ward, said the train appeared to have accelerated, not decelerated.

Gonzalo Ferre, president of the rail infrastructure company Adif, said the driver should have started slowing the train 2.5 miles before reaching a dangerous bend that train drivers had been told to respect.

"He already had warnings that he had to begin slowing his speed, because as soon as he exits the tunnel he needs to be traveling at 80 kilometers per hour," Ferre said.

At the scene, hundreds of onlookers watched as crews used a crane Friday to hoist smashed and burned-up cars onto flat-bed trucks to cart them away. The shattered front engine had been tipped back upright but remained resting beside the tracks, just yards from the passage of resumed train traffic.

Grieving families gathered for funerals near the site of the crash in Santiago de Compostela, a site of Catholic pilgrimage that had been preparing to celebrate its most revered saint, James, but those annual festivities were canceled Thursday.

El Pais reported that Garzón's Facebook profile was deleted on Thursday morning, but a profile belonging to someone with the same name and showing a picture of the speedometer was still able to be viewed on the social network on Friday morning. It was not clear whether the account was genuine, however. A photo was being carried on The Guardian's website. That picture could also not be verified.

Investigators in Spain have now taken possession of the "black boxes" of the train that hurtled at high speed along a curve and derailed, the Associated Press reported. The AP also reported that the number of killed in the crash has now been revised down to 78 from 80.

The driver is now a focus of the investigation into Spain's worst train disaster in decades and police there said that he would be questioned "as a suspect for a crime linked to the cause of the accident."

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Husband of missing hiker searches, hopes

(WXIA-TV) -- A woman who lived for many years in Norcross, GA, who dreamed of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, disappeared last week while hiking the trail.

Geraldine Largay had made it almost all the way, she was in Maine.

Now dozens of searchers are helping her husband look for her.

Geraldine Largay -- known to all as Gerry -- texted her husband, George Largay, earlier this week from the trail in Maine.

George was just a few miles away when he received her text; he's been driving the supply car for her, supporting her lifelong goal of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, "which is a bucket-list item for her," George said. "And, you know, when you've been happily married for 42 years, even though it's not on my bucket-list, you do what you need to do."

Gerry Largay, 66, never showed up where she was supposed to meet George next.

By Friday, dozens of searchers were looking for her, along a 19-mile stretch of the trail where she is most likely to be.

Authorities are also looking for an unidentified woman who called George's hotel on Wednesday. The woman said to the person at the hotel office who answered the phone that she was hiking on the trail, and she said that she spent Tuesday night at a lean-to along the trail, and Gerry was also there spending the night.

George and Gerry Largay lived for many years in Norcross, until earlier this year.

Gerry was active in the Alpharetta-Roswell Newcomers' Club.

And she likes quilting. Once she made a quilt to illustrate one of her favorite quotes -- "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Gerry named her quilt "Appalachian Trail Dreamer."

Gerry's last leg of her long hike began in April, in West Virginia.

And she was closer than ever to the northern end of the 2,180-mile-long trail, which stretches between Georgia and Maine.

George said he is grateful to the searchers helping him find the love of his life.

"It's really like they're going about this like it's their wife or their significant other out there, I mean they're really owning this situation, so that's, that's an incredible source of comfort for me."

Gerry Largay's experience as a hiker includes extensive experience sustaining herself for extended periods of time alone in the wilderness. So searchers say there is every reason to believe they will find her safe and sound.

WCSH 6 News, Portland, ME, contributed to this article.

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Braves Pitcher Tim Hudson now in Atlanta hospital with broken fibula

ATLANTA / NEW YORK -- Braves Pitcher Tim Hudson came back to Atlanta with the team Thursday night, one night after his season-ending ankle injury during the Mets game in New York.

An ambulance took Hudson straight from Atlanta's airport to Piedmont Hospital.

He arrived there at about 8:45 p.m.

His wife, Kim Hudson, tweeted at 12:22 a.m. Friday, "Tim is resting comfortably and is scheduled for surgery on Friday afternoon.  We're overwhelmed by your prayers and well wishes.  #blessed"

The team buses took everyone else to Turner Field so they could drive home and rest up for the Cardinals series which begins Friday.

Everyone was understandably somber as they got off of the buses at the players' parking lot, worried for Hudson, and realizing they have to go on, without him, for the rest of the season.

But Braves Catcher Gerald Laird said Hudson is the one trying to cheer them up.

"I talked to him on the plane," Laird said. "He seems like he's in good spirits. The main thing is, he knows how good the season's going for us, and he wants to be out there competing with us and his teammates. And we all know he wants to be out there. But he's going to do what he can to get right. And he said he wants to be around. I'm sure you're going to see his face a lot, supporting us and watching us.... And we all feel terrible for him, but he's going to keep us in line."

Fox Sports Analyst Joe Simpson said no one's counting Hudson out, but those who witnessed the on-field accident realized right away how serious his ankle injury is.

"It was so heartbreaking for a guy like Tim to be pitching so well, and he's such an important part of the ball club to be lost for the rest of the year.... He'd just gotten back on track, you know, he'd just gotten rolling. And for a season to come to an end like that was really difficult."

Sports physicians and orthopedic surgeons say that, generally, bone injuries heal faster and better than injured tendons and ligaments, and that it is possible that Hudson could complete rehab and be back on the mound for the 2014 season. 

Hudson had to be carted off the field Wednesday when he suffered an ankle injury that can only be described as hard to watch.

The 38-year-old Atlanta Braves pitcher was in the midst of a stellar outing (7.2 innings pitched, 2 earned runs, 9 strikeouts) against the New York Mets when he ran to cover first base on a routine play. 

RELATED| Hudson injured, carted off field

PHOTOS| Tim Hudson fractures fibula 

Hudson reeled in the catch to record the out in plenty of time, but Mets left fielder Eric Young Jr. stepped on Hudson's right ankle/foot while running out the play. 

MORE|Social Media reaction to Tim Hudson injury

Hudson almost instantaneously crumpled to the ground as his ankle bent at nearly an 90-degree angle. 

Right before they took Hudson off the field, Young shook Hudson's hand. Both players then left the field in tears. 

Young later told reporters that he told Hudson he was sorry, that it was an accident and he didn't mean to hurt him. He said Hudson told him to keep his head up and to keep playing the game the hard way, the right way, and that there was nothing he could do about it. 

Hudson is out for the season - a huge loss for the ball club.  

Thursday morning, Tim's wife, Kimberly Hudson, called into WSB radio for their annual Cancer Care-a-thon. The couple has been a huge supporter of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

"What he broke was the bottom of his fibula, so he's got a broken bone on the outside, bottom part of his leg, and then, when that happened, it shifted, everything moved, so he's got aches and sprains and tears. He did it right, he didn't leave anything out," she said.

Tweets poured in following the injury.

Chipper Jones tweeted, "Hoping and praying for the best possible news for Huddy! Didn't look good but hopefully not as bad as video showed. Luh ya bruh!"

Atlanta Braves radion reporter Kevin McAlpin wrote, "Subdued #Braves clubhouse post game. Many players asking us if we heard any updates. Tim Hudson loved & respected by his teammates."

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A burglary that could not be prevented

Suspect caught on surveillance video

ATLANTA -- Sometimes you can do everything possible to prevent yourself from being a victim of a crime and it still isn't enough.

That's the frustration an Atlanta man feels after his home was burglarized. He doesn't want to be identified but turned to 11Alive News to help him find out who broke into his Edgewood home on June 28.

"Yes, the police and the authorities have been notified and investigators are working on it but I still need some additional help," he told us.

He said he is frustrated that he was victimized after all the safety precautions he took to protect his home. He installed surveillance cameras, motion sensor lights, automatic interior lights and an alarm system.

"Everything that I was supposed to do I think I've done and that still wasn't a deterrent," he said.

Shortly before midnight on June 28, a man walked up on the back deck of his home and unscrewed all of the bulbs from four motion sensor lights. He then climbed up on a deck chair and twisted a surveillance camera to face the wall. He broke in through a back window into the home and stole several thousands of dollars worth of jewelry.

But as much as the burglar tried to hide his identity, he didn't do enough. The surveillance camera caught images of the man before he noticed it. The victim shared that video with 11Alive News. It shows the suspect look straight into the camera before he wraps a towel around his face and turns the camera.

He's hopeful someone who sees the images will know who the suspect is and eliminate the frustration he's feeling over having done everything possible only to be a victim.

"Aside from actually having an armed guard out here, I can't think of anything else I could have done," he said. 

Atlanta Police are investigating the burglary. If you recognize the suspect call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS (8477).

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kgrowson

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Home Depot recalls Soleil portable heaters

Atlanta Business Chronicle

ATLANTA -- Home Depot issued a recall on Soleil portable fan heaters because they can melt, deform and catch fire during use, causing a fire hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported Thursday.

The Atlanta-based home improvement giant got 464 reports of the fans melting, but no injuries or property damage have been reported.

The units were sold from September 2012 through May 2013 for about $15.

The recall involves Soleil portable fan heaters with model number LH-707. The model number is printed on the underside of the fan on a sticker.

The units were made by Shanghai Limach Mfg. Co. Ltd. of China.

See more pictures of the heaters at the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

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Cherokee Co. School Board to hear ethics complaints against Kelly Marlow

CANTON, Ga. -- The Cherokee County School Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to investigate one of the school board members, Kelly Marlow, on ethics complaints. Marlow, herself, voted with the others in favor of the investigation, which would include a hearing at a later date.

Marlow, a Tea Party activist, has been clashing with other school board members, and with the superintendent, since she took office at the beginning of the year. She has clashed with them over the budget and other matters, she has accused board members of being corrupt, and she has accused the superintendent of trying to run over her and two others with his car following one of the contentious school board meetings. Everyone has denied her accusations, and earlier this month Canton police charged Marlow and her two associates with filing a false report against the superintendent, which is a felony.

At Wednesday night's school board meeting, attended by nearly one-thousand people, hundreds of them were wearing yellow "SCRAM" T-shirts (Smart Citizens Rally Against Marlow) in solidarity, and they cheered when the school board members decided to hold the ethics violations hearing against Marlow.

Marlow raised her hand "aye" with the others, and did not comment, as if she's hoping the hearing will clear her name.

The last straw for members of the board was when Marlow wrote a scathing letter to the accrediting agency, SACS/AdvancED, accusing others of corruption and calling for an investigation into whether the school system should lose its accreditation.

The way she went to SACS is one of the several ethics violations Marlow has committed, according to School Board Chair Janet Read.

Parents urged the board to investigate Marlow and censure her.

"This board member will not resign," said one parent at the meeting, "this board member will not do what she must. So you must do it for her. Please, I implore you to please move forward with an ethics hearing."

"I do not like that you are jeopardizing my future" by putting the school system's accreditation at risk, said a student, a rising Sophomore at Woodstock High School, Taylor Poole, addressing Marlow.

"I expect you to be positive role models," Taylor said to board members. "Recent behavior by some board members is not acceptable. Arrests are not convictions, but are cause for concern, and an embarrassment to our system. I ask those of you responsible for the current situation to reflect upon your actions and to resign for the good of all students."

But others who addressed the board, describing themselves as Tea Party supporters, defended Marlow, saying she's only trying to get answers to budget questions and other issues, and she shaking up the status quo.

"If she's run off, the Tea Party will elect someone else," said one of the pro-Marlow speakers, "maybe a number of someone else's."

No date was set to hear the ethics complaints against Marlow.

Ultimately, according to the school board attorney, there may be nothing the other board members can do to Marlow if they find her guilty and sanction her, except maybe suspend her board pay.

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Spain passenger train derails, killing 77

UPDATE:  A Spanish court official says 77 people were killed when a passenger train derailed on a curvy stretch of track in northwestern Spain in what was one of the country's worst rail accidents in decades.

Maria Pardo Rios, spokeswoman for the Galicia region's main court, said Thursday that 73 people were found dead at the scene of the accident and four died at hospitals.

At least 140 people were injured in the derailment late Wednesday.

MADRID (AP) - A high-speed train derailed on a curve Wednesday night in northwestern Spain, killing about 60 passengers and injuring more than 125 others, according to Spanish media.

The leader of the Galicia region earlier reported up to 45 dead and 70 hurt.

Officials said initially that the crash, which occurred on the eve of a local Christian festival, appeared to be an accident, not terrorism. In 2004, Islamists blew up trains in Madrid, killing 191 and wounding hundreds.

The express train, carrying 218 people between Madrid and Ferrol, left the tracks at 8:42 p.m. (2:42 p.m. ET) about two miles from the station at Santiago de Compostela, in the Galician region, said the government-owned railway, Renfe. The number of crewmembers was not released.

All 13 carriages derailed, and four overturned, the BBC reported. TV images showed one car torn apart, another on fire and blanket-covered bodies beside the ruined carriages.

"A lot of people were squashed on the bottom. We tried to squeeze out of the bottom of the wagons to get out and we realized the train was burning," passenger Ricardo Montesco told radio station Cadena SER. "I was in the second wagon and there was fire. I saw corpses."

Early Thursday local time, state television broadcaster RTVE reported at least 60 dead and 125 injured, while radio station Cadena SER also put the death toll at 60 and said more than 140 were injured.

The casualty reports came hours after Alberto Nunez Feijoo, president of the Galician region, told radio station Cope that between 40 and 45 people had died, totals she called "provisional," Reuters reported. More than 20 people suffered serious injuries, he said, and rescuers had finished entering the carriages that were destroyed.

"There are bodies lying on the railway track. It's a Dante-esque scene," Nunez told SER, the AFP news agency reported.

Earlier, he put the death toll at 35 and said 100 had been injured.

Nunez said it was too soon to say what caused the accident.

CNN said an aide to the prime minister indicated that terrorism was not likely.

Photographer Xabier Martinez told the Associated Press that two injured passengers told him they felt a strong vibration before the train jumped the track.

A witness told Cadena SER she heard a loud explosion just before the train derailed, Reuters reported. That claim has not been confirmed.

Festivities were planned Thursday in Santiago de Compostola to celebrate St James, one of Jesus's 12 apostles whose remains are claimed to buried there. Officials said many of the travelers likely were pilgrims headed to the city, about 60 miles south of Ferrol. Officials canceled the festivities.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey, who was born in Santiago de Compostola, convened an emergency ministerial meeting late Wednesday, the BBC said. He plans to visit the accident scene Thursday morning.

"I want to express my affection and solidarity with the victims of the terrible train accident in Santiago," Rajoy tweeted.

Two weeks ago in France, six people died when several cars of a train packed ahead of the Bastille Day holiday derailed in a station outside Paris. Officials blamed a faulty track connector.

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Two arrested in shooting 13-year-old boy in Forest Park

The memorial outside Steven Diaz's home grows as police search for suspects.

FOREST PARK, Ga. -- Clayton County Police have arrested two suspects  in the shooting death of 13-year-old boy Steven Diaz.

Police say 18-year-old Gilberto Gomez pulled the trigger. 18-year-old Sergio Alvear is also charged.

Police tell 11Alive one suspect admitted to the killing. Investigators say both suspects said the motive was to steal the truck because of the specialized doors it had, which are a similar style to a Lamborghini.

Police tell 11Alive they are still searching for a third suspect.

Meanwhile, people from across the community are showing support for the family. Tuesday people delivered food, money and other goods to comfort Diaz' family. 

The shooting happened shortly before 11 p.m. Monday at the Bradford Ridge Apartments on Sylvia Drive in Forest Park.

PHOTOS | Remembering Steven Diaz

Leave condolences for the Diaz family; we'll make sure they get your kind words. 

Clayton County Police Officer Phong Nguyen said the victim, Steven Galindo Diaz, was helping his sister put air in the tire of her car when two suspects drove up and demanded keys and belongings.

The suspects stole the sister's necklace and tried to crank her car. When it wouldn't start, they began shooting, Nguyen said.

Diaz was hit by a bullet and later died at the hospital.

His football coach at Babb Middle School told 11Alive's Jerry Carnes the young man played like a giant.

"He gave his heart," the coach said. "He didn't back down to any challenge in practice, and he didn't back down in the classroom."

Friends say he loved sports, music and dressing up for Halloween. He talked to friends and family about joining the military or becoming a DJ.

Both suspects are still at large. Nguyen described them as Hispanic men driving a red SUV.

Anyone with information on this crime should contact CrimeStoppers at (404) 577-8477. CrimeStoppers are offering an, up to, $2000 reward for any tips that may lead to an arrest. 

Funeral arrangements for Steven Diaz were announced on Wednesday. The visitation will be be held on Thursday from 6-9 p.m. at the Atlanta Mortuary Services at 3234 Dogwood Drive. 

The funeral service is scheduled for Friday at the Mission San Felipe de Jesus at 925 Conley Road in Forest Park. A time has not yet been announced. 

SIGN UP | Receive crime alerts for your area

Steven Diaz's tragic death inspired 11Alive to dig deeper into metro Atlanta gun crime against teens. We found twenty cases from our archives where teens were harmed. Scroll over the map to track those cases.

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CIA Investigates Car Rental Safety

ATLANTA -- Who's looking out for you and your safety on the road?Our investigation may make you think twice the next time you rent a car.

"The check engine light is on," Edwidge Mondesir said, as she showed us the problems with her rental car,"it's a cash rental company."

But does that mean the car should be unsafe?

In an email to 11Alive, Captain Johnny Jones with the Georgia Department of Public Safety stated; 'there is not an agency who specifically regulates rental car companies to ensure that the vehicles are safe.'

That's why we put three rental cars to the test. One from Hertz, another from Enterprise and the car the Edwidge Mondesir rented from Sandfly Express on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.

"It's not in any condition to rent out to anyone," Geornette Jackson said after inspecting Monzesir's rental car.

Jackson is the service manager at Katherine's Automotive Repair and Service in Atlanta, a AAA approved facility. She had her technicians inspected gave our 3 rental cars a 20 point inspection.

The 2006 Chevy Cobalt from Sandfly Express had the most issues, with 18 problems listed in the 20 point inspection. It had a broken tail light, cracked side mirror, and the airbag light was on-indicating it may not deploy in an accident. It also contained salvaged parts, which are not necessarily unsafe, but indicate prior problems.

The 2013 Dodge Avenger from Hertz had overinflated tires. The 2012 Chevy Cruze from Enterprise was low on coolant and there appeared to be transmission oil dripping from underneath.

We reported the problems to Hertz and Enterprise. Both of the companies told us they have regular maintenance procedures in place and said they'd check the issues. Enterprise thanked us for reporting it and said they rely on their customers to help identify issues, as does Hertz.

As for Sandfly Express, Mondesir returned the car and complained about the issues. She says the owner offered her a replacement vehicle and said she should never had been put in the car she rented. She was also offered compensation. Sandfly told 11Alive News that they have an onsite mechanic doing their repairs.

No state official would talk on camera about this issue of rental car safety. During our investigation we learned that it's up to you to check over the vehicle and ask a lot of questions before you rent it because if you're pulled over for a safety issue, you're the one who'll get the ticket.

There is an agency that is pushing Congress to change laws. It's called CARS - Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety. Congress is currently considering a new law that would ensure that rental car companies respond to safety recalls in a timely fashion.

In Georgia, limousines, moving trucks and buses are subject to regulations and monitored for safety but we could find no regulatory agency overseeing rental cars.

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13-year-old boy dies in Forest Park shooting

FOREST PARK, Ga. -- Clayton County Police are investigating a shooting in Forest Park that left a 13-year-old boy dead.

The shooting happened shortly before 11 p.m. Monday at the Bradford Ridge Apartments on Sylvia Drive.

RELATED | Atlanta teen shot in leg
MORE | Teen 'randomly' shot in Fulton County
MORE | 14 year old shot in southwest Atlanta

Clayton County Police Officer Phong Nguyen said the victim, Steven Galindo Diaz, was helping his sister put air in the tire of her car when two suspects drove up and demanded keys and belongings.

The suspects stole the sister's necklace and tried to crank her car. When it wouldn't start, they began shooting, Nguyen said.

Diaz was hit by a bullet and later died at the hospital.

His football coach at Babb Middle School told 11Alive's Jerry Carnes the 13-year-old played like a giant. "He gave his heart," the coach said. "He didn't back down to any challenge in practice, and he didn't back down in the classroom."

Friends say he loved sports, loved music, loved dressing up for Halloween. He talked to friends and family about joining the military or becoming a DJ. 

PHOTOS | Remembering Steven Diaz

Leave condolences for the Diaz family, we'll make sure they get your kind words. 

Both suspects are still at large. Nguyen described them as Hispanic men driving a red SUV.

SIGN UP| Receive crime alerts for your area

Steven Diaz's tragic death inspired 11Alive to dig deeper into metro Atlanta gun crime against teens. We found twenty cases from our archives where teens were harmed. Scroll over the map to track those cases.

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Stone Mountain hikers injured in fall saved by Technical Rescue team

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- Risky, treacherous, difficult: that was the rescue mission facing the specially-trained firefighters who rushed to Stone Mountain on Tuesday to extract two, injured hikers.

The hikers had slid and fallen down a steep slope.

| 2 Teens Rescued from Stone Mountain |

But Tuesday night, their rescuers could look back and call it a good day.

Any day everyone comes out of a life-threatening emergency okay, they say, is a good day.

They train for this.

They train to go into areas of Stone Mountain that are so dangerous, hikers are not supposed to be in these restricted areas, ever.

They train for this because hikers do wander off, get themselves in trouble -- which two teens, ages 17 and 18, did during their hike on Tuesday, sliding and falling, getting hurt, and unable to climb out.

"Both the patients with injuries were at the bottom, the very, very bottom of the mountain, by the stream," said Capt. Davy Duke.

The rescuers serve with the DeKalb County Fire and Rescue Department, and are part of Company 24's elite "Technical Rescue" team.

They climbed into the same, dangerous part of Stone Mountain that had just nearly killed the two hikers.

"We're walking on the same surfaces that got them in trouble to start with," Capt. Duke said. "You've got to size up the situation, see where your dangers are, overcome them by ropes, pullies, webbing, whatever you've got to get you to the patient safely."

And they pulled the hikers out to safety, safely.

"Stone Mountain Fire Engine Number Two was first on scene," Capt. Duke said, "he actually located the patients and directed us in from there, and started the patient assessment. He relayed what he had and what he needed, because he is a rope tech, as well.... We loaded each one of them on a stokes basket. You strap them in, they can't move around, it stabilizes all their injuries. And then we set up a raise-lower system, because we had a couple of obstacles to overcome, getting them out."

One obstacle, besides the steep and rugged terrain -- the rescuers ran into a swarm of yellow jackets.

But in their favor -- it just so happens the team knows this part of Stone Mountain well.

"That same spot right there, we've done numerous trainings on that spot with low-angle and high-angle rescues," said Capt. Andy Rivero. "Usually we go to that spot to train. That same spot where the two kids were is where we train a lot. So we are very familiar with the area."

They respond, on average, every couple of months to emergency calls to help rescue hikers, and they are trained to minimize the risk to their own lives so they can save others at risk of losing theirs.

"I'm just lucky to be surrounded by a group, a good group of guys like we have," said Acting Battalion Chief Melvin Carter. "They do work hard, train extremely hard, and when we do have these types of calls, I'm fully confident that they are able to handle them."

The Officers and Fire Apparatus Operators on duty, and on this call, on Tuesday: Capt. Andy Rivero, FAO Beau Lance, FAO Joel Jennings, FAO Brandon Jimerson, Capt. Stevy Duke, FAO Jake Sosebee, Acting Battalion Chief Melvin Carter, FAO Christoper Cavender.

They made this a good day.

"Our number one goal is just to go home every day, just to go home safe," FAO Lance said. "Send everybody home safe. And if we can send the people that we go to rescue home safe, that's just our job" and top priority.

One teen had head injuries, but he was conscious and talking.

The other had a lot of bruises and scrapes.

They were taken to area hospitals.

Stone Mountain Park Police concluded that the teens and the two others in their group, a father and his 12 year old son, learned their lesson the hard way; they will not be charged with going into the restricted area of the mountain.

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Flash Flood Warnings issued until 4:14 a.m.

WXIA -- The National Weather Service has issued Flash Flood Warnings for Banks, Jackson and Madison counties until 4:14 a.m.

Earlier, the NWS issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Hall County until 10:45 p.m.

Check out the 11Alive interactive radar 

Stay with 11Alive News for updates. 

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Royal baby arrives: It's a boy!

(Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

LONDON -- Get ready for a 62-gun salute, let the fireworks and street parties commence: The royal baby has arrived, and it's a boy.

Prince William and Duchess Kate's first baby, a future monarch, was born Monday in London's private St. Mary's Hospital, Buckingham Palace announced. The announcement said the baby weighed 8 pounds.

Mother and child were doing well, but a name was not immediately announced. The name may not be known for up to a week.

ONGOING COVERAGE | Royal baby arrives

The news was supposed to be first announced in the traditional manner, on fancy paper with a Buckingham Palace letterhead on an easel at the palace front gates. But it was dark by the time the birth came, so the palace sent out an electronic press release first. The and the news went up on the royal Twitter feed and websites, proclaimed from every TV and computer screen in the country.

But great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II was the first to get the news from her grandson, by encrypted phone to the palace, and just in time, too. She's scheduled to leave on her annual vacation at her Balmoral estate in Scotland at the end of this week.

MORE | Who will the new prince share a birthday with?
MORE | Interactive royal family tree

PHOTOS | Commemorative merchandise

In other words, the birth of the royal baby was a model of the careful blend of traditional and modern exemplified by this royal couple in the dozen years they've been a couple.

The baby arrives just short of 27 months since William and Kate were married in a spectacular ceremony at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. The nine months of her pregnancy have been chronicled by the British and world media with excruciating detail and growing excitement about the first royal heir to be born in 31 years, since William himself was born to Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

(In fact, the last time the easel-and-note was used to announce a royal birth was for William.)

The baby moves immediately to third in line to the throne, behind father William and grandfather Charles. The queen is 87 and celebrating her 61st year on the throne.

The baby comes into the world with unprecedented expectations: The rules of succession have been changed so that a first-born girl can one day inherit the throne, even if she later has younger brothers.

Thus, the stable, popular British monarchy gains even more stability with three direct descendants of the queen ready to one day reign.

The past few weeks saw rising royal-baby fever in Britain, with hopes high that the birth would provide an estimated $360 million boost in the flat British economy. Meanwhile, royal-baby doodads, such as Will and Kate masks, poured into shops for use at the street parties soon to break out all over the country.

The baby arrived , based on a mid-July due date. Unlike the majority of births in Britain, no one, not even the parents, knew the sex of the baby until the birth.

The baby was the second royal heir to be born in a London hospital, the same one where William was born in 1982 (as well as other recent royal babies not close in line to the throne). The Lindo Wing of St. Mary's is a favorite birthing destination of London's rich and famous, with estimates of the cost of a natural birth in a private suite as high as $15,000.

William was in the delivery room, as was his father when he was born. He is taking two weeks off for paternity leave.

Many details about the birth were unclear, and some of the speculation was a bit unseemly. Kate had planned a natural birth, being "not too posh to push," as the Daily Mail put it. Did she employ a "hypno-birth" or some other birthing strategy to dull pain? Will she breast-feed the baby?

It seems likely the couple will take the baby and stay for a few weeks at Kate's parents' estate in the country, where there is a nursery. The couple live in a small apartment at Kensington Palace when they're in London and are not expected to move into more palatial digs until the fall.

If they stay at the Middletons' mansion in Bucklebury, Berkshire, that would mark the first time a royal heir spent the first few weeks of life outside a royal palace or estate. These details matter to the British.

Britain learned that the duchess had gone into labor just minutes after she checked in and settled at the hospital. In the age of Twitter, it was considered impossible to keep the news under wraps for long, so the palace announced it. (The palace was forced to announce Kate was pregnant ahead of schedule when she experienced acute morning sickness early in her pregnancy and had to be hospitalized.)

Palace press officials had arranged for a theatrical ritual if the baby was born during daylight hours: After the birth, the formal notice, signed by her doctors, would be brought out the front door of the hospital, handed to a driver and then driven with a police escort through London to the front of Buckingham Palace, where it would be placed on the easel. The birth of a royal heir is rare enough to warrant the trouble, palace officials said weeks ago.

But if the baby were born in the middle of the night? No midnight runs to the palace, no police escort. The news would go out in an electronic news release and the notice on the easel set up in the morning.

(USA Today)

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Former DA says Sneiderman murder charge may be dropped

DECATUR, Ga. -- Prosecutors say Andrea Sneiderman conspired with Hemy Neuman to kill her husband Rusty outside a Dunwoody day care in November 2010. But the case against her is circumstantial and weak, says former Dougherty County district attorney Ken Hodges.

"So far, I don't know of any emails or any documents or anything between Mr. Neuman and Mrs. Sneiderman or anyone else that indicates she was in on the homicide," Hodges said. "Certainly, no eyewitness to her doing anything in the furtherance of it."

RELATED | Full coverage of Andrea Sneiderman trial

District Attorney Robert James secured the indictment against her following the March 2012 conviction of Hemy Neuman -- Mrs. Sneiderman's coworker, and a man with whom prosecutors say she had an extramarital affair. Mrs. Sneiderman denies that.

Aside from murder and aggravated assault, the indictment charges Mrs. Sneiderman with hindering the apprehension of a criminal; concealment of facts from police; making false statements; and perjury.

Hodges, who has followed the case but has no connection to it, says that DA might stand a better chance of sending her to prison if he withdraws the weakest part of the state's case before the trial starts next week.

"There's speculation out there that the state may withdraw the murder charges because they withdrew questions related to that, with the voir dire (jury questioning) coming up," Hodges said. "If I didn't have the evidence, as a prosecutor, I would rather dismiss before it gets to the jury. Because you want to maintain your credibility with the jury."

Hodges says that credibility would be essential in presenting a case against Mrs Sneiderman with all the lesser charges short of murder. A spokesman for James declined comment, citing a gag order in the case.

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Task Force arrests triple shooting suspect

Timothy Jody Chambley mugshot

POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. -- The U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Timothy Chambley in Powder Springs Saturday night.

The task force was contacted and asked to assist in locating Chambley, who was wanted by the Meriwether County Sheriff's office for a triple shooting that occurred on Saturday evening.

Within four hours of being asked to assist, the task force was able to safely locate and arrest Chambley shortly after midnight on Sunday morning. 

Upon arrival at the scene of the shooting, the responding units discovered three victims had been shot at 622 Williamson Circle in Woodbury, Ga. 

One of the victims, an elderly female, was discovered deceased as a result of her injuries. The two other victims at the scene, a white female and a white male, were discovered to be in critical condition.

The victims were transported to the Columbus Regional Medical Center in Columbus for treatment. Both were later transferred to another trauma hospital due to the severity of their injuries.

The investigation into this matter revealed that a juvenile, six years in age, had been abducted from the scene. The deceased female's vehicle was also stolen. 

The juvenile was later released unharmed by the suspect at a residence in Pine Mountain Valley, Harris County, Ga.

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Rep. Lewis touts his graphic novel at ComicCon

An image from "March," the graphic novel by Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia).

ATLANTA, GA-- With nearly a half century of hindsight, the images are very familiar: The 1965 Selma, Alabama march known as Bloody Sunday was a civil rights movement turning point.

MORE | Preview John Lewis Graphic Novel 
PHOTOS | John Lewis Graphic Novel

One of its leaders, John Lewis, became a politician, then an elder statesman. And the story, though still relevant, often seemed as dated as that grainy black and white film of marchers on the Edmund Pettus bridge.

So Rep. Lewis (D-Georgia) has freshened up the images and the story. The result is a graphic novel, called March.  Andrew Aydin, a Lovett School graduate who now works on Lewis's staff, is a co-author.  Lewis credits Aydin with hatching the idea.

"We have told the story in many ways to many different audiences," Lewis said. "But this is an attempt to reach hundreds, thousands, and millions of young people. And people not so young."

The graphic novel starts with Bloody Sunday -- with images of Lewis and Hosea Williams facing a phalanx of troopers, ordered by Alabama Gov. George Wallace to stop the march.

Lewis was beaten unconscious and 17 marchers were hospitalized according to Wikipedia. The story, Lewis told us while en route to San Diego ComicCon, lends itself to a medium that thrives on graphic images and action.

"It's not just words. It's illustrations. It's drawings. It's action. It's drama," Lewis said. "And we hope that young people will be able, by reading this book, will be able to feel, to almost taste what happened."

Though it starts with Bloody Sunday, Lewis's graphic novel spans the story of the civil rights movement-- and his own service in Congress.  Lewis is due to speak at ComicCon Saturday, and will sign copies of March there through Sunday.  March goes on sale in August.

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Texas roller coaster can't reopen until it's reinspected

An aerial photo of the Texas Giant is shown, a day after a woman fell to her death from the roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, July 20, 2013. (Brandon Wade/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT via Getty Images)

AUSTIN -- The Texas Giant roller coaster can't re-open until it gets a new safety inspection report following the death Friday evening of a woman riding the tallest steel-hybrid coaster in the world at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, said a spokesman for the state agency that regulates amusement rides.

"The ride has to be stopped and not re-opened until it's re-inspected by a certified inspector. That's what's going on now," Jerry Hagins, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Insurance, said Sunday.

RELATED | Reports: Woman killed riding coaster 
MORE | Witness: Six Flags coaster victim concerned about seat
MORE | Woman dies after fall from Texas roller coaster

Hagins said he hasn't yet been briefed on the accident that claimed the life of a woman identified by local news media as Rosy Esparza of Dallas, who was reportedly making her first visit to the amusement park. But he says his agency's oversight involves liability insurance and annual safety inspections, which result in a sticker posted on each ride. The sticker on the roller coaster was effective through February 2014. The state agency does not investigate accidents, he said.

"In addition to the annual safety inspection, amusement ride operators are required to inspect each of their rides every day and keep a log of those inspections. They don't submit (it) to us, but there's a log on premises and can be supplied to law enforcement upon request," he said.

Local authorities have completed their investigation, and now "Six Flags is the one conducting the investigation," Arlington Police Sgt. Christopher Cook said Sunday.

He says the Arlington police and fire departments responded to the call. Police "ruled out foul play and therefore we are preparing a death investigation report." The fire department "assisted with recovering the deceased."

Cook says police interviewed approximately two dozen people. "The 911 call came at 6:45 p.m. They were still interviewing people at midnight," he said.

Six Flags spokeswoman Sharon Parker said in an e-mail Sunday "we are committed to determining the cause of this tragic accident and will utilize every resource throughout this process. It would be a disservice to the family to speculate regarding what transpired. When we have new information to provide, we will do so."

The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday that Gerstlauer Amusement Rides in Munsterhausen, Germany, will investigate what led to Friday's accident.

Parker earlier had confirmed that a woman died while riding but did not specify how she was killed. The Texas Giant is only at Six Flags over Texas and not at any of the other Six Flags parks elsewhere in the USA.

Witnesses told local media outlets that the woman fell.

Carmen Brown of Arlington was waiting in line as the victim was being secured in for the ride. She told The Dallas Morning News the woman had expressed concern to a park employee that she was not secured correctly in her seat. She said the victim fell out of the ride as it made a sudden maneuver.

"The lady basically tumbled over," she said. "We heard her screaming. We were, like, 'Did she just fall?'"

Hagins says states vary on how such rides are regulated.

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, an industry trade association, said in a statement Sunday that the likelihood of being seriously injured on a ride at a permanently located park in the U.S. is 1 in 24 million.

Hagins said he expects the investigation to be swift.

"It is the highest priority for the operator and for the regulator," he said. "It's going to be very quick that this is inspected and determined what caused this tragic accident."

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Flights delayed at Hartsfield due to storms

ATLANTA -- The FAA reports the strong storms passing through metro Atlanta have forced the diversion of many inbound flights to other airports in the Southeast to Hartsfield International Airport. 

The diversions could mean up to two hour delays in the flights finally arriving in Atlanta. 

Outbound flights are also experiencing delays. 

Check with your airline on specific flights for delays and possible cancellations.

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Thousands attend Atlanta's "Justice for Trayvon rally"

ATLANTA -- Atlanta's "Justice for Trayvon Martin" rally drew what appeared to be a crowd of thousands Saturday, even when a rainstorm covered the downtown area. The rally was organized as a part of 100 rallies across the country taking place at noon Saturday.  It was held on the steps of the Richard B. Russell Federal Building. 

"Our purpose is larger than the rain," said Ravannah Williams.

The rallies had several goals. To protest the Zimmerman acquittal last Saturday, support the Martin family, call for federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman and provoke a conversation on the treatment of black men in America.

RELATED | Many support, many oppose, Saturday's 'Justice for Trayvon' Rallies
PHOTOS | "Justice For Trayvon" Rallies Held Across The Country

"Both of my boys are college-educated kids," Jean Wiles said. "And still they've had the experience of being stopped on their way home from the gym, or stopped for no reason because they're wearing gym shorts."

Outside of the rallies, many other Americans accepted the verdict as the result of a case lacking abundant evidence. Former NBA star Charles Barkley said as much Friday. 

"He was wrong for following Trayvon Martin, but just based on the evidence, I though the verdict was fair," Barkley said.

Extra police officers were in place in case they were needed, but the rally stayed peaceful.

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Flooding in Hall County

HALL COUNTY, Ga. -- C. Rogers Road, in northern Hall County was washed out by localized flooding due to heavy rains, isolating approximately 100 families around 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Hall County public safety agencies, including the Sheriff's Office, went to work immediately assisting those who were cut-off due to the road closure.

The Sheriff's Office dive boat is being utilized to ferry residents from Clark's Bridge Park to a private boat dock at the end of C Rogers Road.

According to Sgt. Stephen Wilbanks, in all about a half mile of road is closed with a 15-foot wide section that is washed out.

There are no reports of injuries or damage to property. 

Any residents needing assistance should contact Deputies at Clark's Bridge Park, or through Hall County Dispatch at (770) 536-8812.

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Report: Anna Benson was charged with murder in 1996

(USA Today) -- Anna Benson, the former wife of big league pitcher Kris Benson, was charged with murder in 1996 and then part of a national manhunt, according to a report in the New York Daily News.

Benson, then known as Anna Warren, was charged, along with Paul Dejongh, her boyfriend at the time, with the murder of an 18-year-old man in her Knoxville, Tenn., apartment. Authorities issued arrest warrants for both in the murder of Michael Evans, a college student who was getting ready to enlist in the Navy.

MORE | Wife of ex-MLB pitcher charged with assault

However, the murder charges against the then-19-year-old Benson were dropped. The later accessory charges against Benson were also dismissed because of a lack of "sufficient proof," said Knoxville County Deputy District Attorney Bill Crabtree, according to the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

After an argument between Benson and Evans, Benson allegedly said, "Get rid of him" to her boyfriend before the slaying took place, the lead investigator told the Daily News, quoting witnesses. Evans had been shot once in the back of the head and a second time as he tried to get to the door, a forensic expert said.

Police were called to the crime scene early on the morning of Jan. 22, 1996, with Benson and Dejongh the only ones missing of the five people determined to be in the apartment at the time of the incident, according to police. The two fled, prompting a national manhunt and a feature on America's Most Wanted.

Benson would be on the run for nearly five months, before being captured June 18 in Portland, Ore. Dejongh was caught that August around Atlanta. He was convicted of first-degree murder, but it was overturned on appeal. He eventual pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years, dying while in prison.

The murder charges against Benson were dropped, as prosecutors decided to charge her with an accessory charge. It was dismissed in May 1998, according to the Daily News.

Anna Benson was recently arrested in Georgia for allegedly threatening estranged husband, Kris, with a gun and whacking his computer terminal with a baton.

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Possible HAZMAT situation at Russell Federal Building

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Fire crews are on the scene of a possible HAZMAT situation at the Richard B. Russell Federal Building in Downtown Atlanta. 

According to Atlanta Fire, a package containing a white powdery substance was found several hours ago and HAZMAT crews are testing the substance to determine it's contents. 

Four people have been transported to Grady Memorial Hospital as a precaution. 

FBI special agent Stephen Emmett says investigators believe the suspicious letter received at the Richard Russell building Friday evening is related to two similar letter received at the Herald Gazette newspaper in Barnesville Thursday and earlier Friday.

The FBI says in all three cases it was a suspicious powder with associated threatening letter that was received. 

No other details were provided. 

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Many support, many oppose, Saturday's 'Justice for Trayvon' Rallies

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, telling reporters he supports keeping the state's Stand Your Ground law as it is.

ATLANTA -- More than 100 "Justice for Trayvon" rallies are scheduled to take place on Saturday across the country, including in downtown Atlanta.

The Atlanta rally begins at Noon outside the Richard B. Russell Federal Building on Spring Street for people who object to the Not Guilty verdict that George Zimmerman received.

They will be showing their support for what they believe the government, and the nation, need to do next.

Atlanta rally organizers met in private Friday night, at Ebenezer Baptist Church, with Atlanta police and with representatives of other law enforcement agencies to complete their plans for what they believe will be large crowds at Saturday's event, just as there were for the protest march in Atlanta earlier in the week.

First, they want the Justice Department to charge George Zimmerman with violating Trayvon Martin's civil rights.

"The Justice Department must deliver justice to Trayvon Martin's family and to the rest of the nation," said the Rev. Markel Hutchins.

And they also want the state legislature to re-write Georgia's "Stand Your Ground" law next year. They believe the law should more precisely define what is, and what is not, justifiable homicide, in order, they say, to prevent confusion.

"Our Stand Your Ground law in the State of Georgia is no better than the one in the State of Florida," said the Rev. Raphael Warnock.

"Now is the time to take a serious look at these Stand Your Ground laws all around the country," Warnock said.  "And we don't have to wait until we have a Trayvon Martin case here to address this issue. We've seen the tragic implications of this kind of vision of society of every man, every woman, for him or herself. And we need to correct this while we have time. I think the Stand Your Ground law is not about self-defense. I think that it is a part of the whole marketing plan of the gun lobby. It tries to correct something that did not need to be fixed, the notion of self-defense has always been a part of our republic. But the Stand Your Ground laws go a step further. And you could see that in the confusion around this case, even as the jury tried to make sense out of whether or not Mr. Zimmerman's actions were justified or not. And so rather than have more cases like this, we ought to be pro-active and straighten this out while we can."

But Georgia Governor Nathan Deal told reporters earlier in the week that he supports Georgia's Stand Your Ground law just as it is.

"I do not see any reason to change it," Gov. Deal said, "but there again, that is the will of the General Assembly that will prevail on that issue," the Governor said. "I'm fairly certain that there will be somebody in the General Assembly who will ask us to, at least, revisit and look at the Stand Your Ground legislation that was passed in 2006. I do not see anything out of the ordinary in terms of that statute. It is very similar to the statute in other states, including the State of Florida. It would be an issue that would be very emotionally charged if it comes before the General Assembly."

Even as the protest rallies take place across the country, there is widespread support for the verdict and widespread opposition to the protest rallies.

"I agree with the verdict," Former NBA star Charles Barkley said during an interview on CNBC on Thursday.

"I feel sorry that young kid got killed," Barkley said.  "But they didn't have enough evidence to charge him. Something clearly went wrong that night. Clearly something went wrong and I feel bad for anybody who loses a kid. But if you looked at the case and you don't make it -- there was some racial profiling, no question about it. But something happened to change the dynamic of that night. And that's probably not a popular opinion among most people. But just looking at the evidence, I agree with the verdict.... The main thing I feel bad for is it gives every white person and black person who's racist a platform to vent their ignorance. That's the thing that bothered me the most. I watched this trial closely and I watched all these people on television talking about it. A lot of these people have a hidden agenda. They want to have their racist views, whether they are white or black. Their biases definitely come out. It was a bad situation. We all lost."

Atlanta police and MARTA police and the rally organizers are urging everyone who wants to participate in the rally to arrive early, and to use MARTA. The closest rail station is CNN Center.

"We're expecting tomorrow to be a powerful day," Rev. Hutchins said. "We encourage people of every color, every race, every religion, every orientation, to join us, because it's going to be a powerful, powerful witness of unity."

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14-year-old runaway located

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Police are have located a missing teenager who may have run away after fighting with her parents.

Atlanta Police announced Thursday night that they found 14-year-old Beverly Knepper shortly before a prayer vigil for her was scheduled to start.

Knepper had been missing from her Orme Circle home since around 2 p.m. Monday.

Her parents claimed they argued with Knepper the night before she vanished about her relationship with a 14-year-old boy she met on Instagram. Knepper's mother last saw her sitting on the steps outside their house.

Police called the boy, who said that he was supposed to meet Knepper at Piedmont Park, but she never arrived.

No details about Knepper's recovery were immediately available.

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Mayor foils metal thieves

Robert Wiggins (L) and Pamela Wiggins (R)

CLARKSTON, Ga. -- Criminals better beware if they're up to no good in the City of Clarkston. The mayor may be watching.

Two metal thieves are behind bars Thursday night because of Clarkston Mayor Emanuel Ransom.

Ransom was delivering letters to the U. .Post Office on Montreal Road when he noticed something suspicious at the nearby construction site for the city's new public works building.

"I saw this big huge guy putting the stuff in the truck and like I said, they should be taking it out, not putting it in," Mayor Ransom said.

He saw a man loading steel beams from the construction site into the back of a U-Haul truck. A woman was driving the truck. The 75-year-old mayor decided he had to act.

"And I said oh, they're getting ready to book and that's when I pulled out in front of her and she shot around me," the Mayor said.

The female driver took off, leaving the male suspect behind. Mayor Ransom followed the truck into a nearby apartment complex and tried to block the exit so the truck couldn't leave. Eventually he flagged down a patrol car and the woman was arrested.

"That they had the audacity to come to our site and take the materials from us," the Mayor said. "That's what really made me angry and that's why I went after her."

Pamela Wiggins, 41, was arrested. After a short search, Clarkston Police Chief Christine Hudson tracked down the male suspect, 47-year-old Robert Wiggins, the woman's husband.

They were both charged with misdemeanor theft and felony interference with government property.

"We're a small police department and we need everybody's eyes and ears out here on the street, even the mayor's," Chief Hudson said.

Mayor Ransom said he was simply doing what any mayor should do. "He needs to be involved, he needs to show his citizens you need to get involved too," he said.

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kgrowson

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Thieves steal cancer survivor's iPad

MARIETTA, Ga. -- Lindsay Simmons has battled cancer half her life -- a disease that's stolen her health, her hair and any hopes of a normal, carefree childhood. But she's never felt like a victim until Wednesday night.

"I went to the door and I saw glass on the floor. And then I looked up, and there was a broken window," 14-year-old Lindsay said. 

Someone had smashed the window of the family's SUV and stolen Lindsay's iPad, an item with sentimental value for the young cancer survivor.

"A foundation gave that iPad to me when I relapsed and it was special to me," she said.

RELATED | Faces of childhood cancer
RELATED | Lindsay looking for bone marrow match

Lindsay had filled the iPad with inspirational songs and photos of her time in treatment. 

Her reaction to its theft was unexpectedly emotional.

"She usually handles everything with such grace and dignity. And she is so strong all the time. But as soon as she realized she was violated -- that someone had been taken from her -- she just broke down," Lindsay's mother, Sara, said.

"I was just shocked and I was crying," Lindsay added. "And for a minute, I just stopped talking. I was just scared. My knees were shaking. I just couldn't believe that something like that could happen to me or my family."

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Flash Food Warnings until 3:15 a.m.

WXIA -- Flash Flood Warnings remain active in Lumpkin and Union counties until 2:45 p.m. And for Newton County until 3:15 a.m. 

RADAR | View Interactive Radar Here

WEATHER ALERTS | Sign up for severe weather alerts for your county

When safe to do so, send your weather pictures to photos@11alive.com

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T'storms roar through metro area

Photo submitted by Stephanie Ray

ATLANTA -- Late Wednesday afternoon, a line of storms roared through the area residents people without electricity, homes damaged and many commuters stuck in nightmarish traffic. 

PHOTOS | July 17 storms

City officials reported assorted damage around Atlanta due to the thunderstorms and residual flooding. Homes were damaged by fallen trees on Beecher Street, Cascade Avenue and Oglethorpe Avenue in southwest Atlanta and trees blocked roadways on Donnelly Avenue and Hartford Avenue. 

Other residents reported loss of power due to downed power lines, like Fraser Street in southwest Atlanta. Areas without physical damage, also, lost power like Buckhead and parts of DeKalb County.

Residents in the historic Olde Town Conyers neighborhood were rerouted due to flooding and "significant" storm damage. City officials reported downed trees and power lines.  

In addition, Union City retirement community "Hill Top Acres" on Lester Road was hit by lightning and caught on fire. The fire was contained quickly and no injuries were reported, on the scene. 

PHOTOS | Waleska House Fire 

And a home in Waleska was destroyed by a fire that was started by a lightening strike. The fire happened near the 900 block of Land Road; flames completely engulfed the home. The owners of the home were out shopping at the time of the incident. No injures were reported. 

Travelers departing from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, also, experienced delays, up to 90 minutes long, due to the passing thunderstorms. According to the Associated Press, about 20 flights were also cancelled. 

Despite the reported damage, no injuries have been reported at this time. And only about 13,000 in the state experienced Georgia Power service interruptions. Most of the outages affected the metro Atlanta area.

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Two people run into burning apartment, save two-year-old child, babysitter

Johnny Smith, Milko Reese, on Wednesday, July 17, 2013, in front of the unit where they saved two people from a fire on Monday.

ATLANTA -- Two people jumped into the fire -- literally -- on Monday to save a two-year-old boy and his 70-year-old babysitter.

I met the rescuers in the rain Wednesday evening:

Johnny Smith, a security officer with Protect Security; and Milko Reese -- she works at "Columbia Parkside at Mechanicsville" apartments, on McDaniel Street in southwest Atlanta.

And in the apartment complex's parking lot they told me about the moment at about 4:30 Monday afternoon when they realized that one of the units was on fire.

"I smelled the smoke and was like, oh my God, I know it was a senior citizen and a baby that's inside of the unit," said Reese, a Grounds Monitor for the apartment complex.

Reese knew that the 70-year-old resident babysits a two-year-old boy in that apartment every weekday.

"I kicked the door and I grabbed the handle, I pushed the door open and as I pushed the door open, that's when all the smoke met me in the face."

Reese, somehow, found the woman first.

"And I had to get her out, and then start asking her, 'where's the baby, where's the baby?' Went back in there to try to get the baby and couldn't see and couldn't get through the smoke, and started screaming for help."

"Milko yells at me, it's a two-year-old in the apartment," Smith said. "So I go back in the apartment, and trust me, when we read and hear stories about people saying about how thick the smoke is, trust me, you really can't see your hand in front of your face. Got to the bedroom, patted along the king-sized bed, patted along the bed for the little boy. And he was still sleeping. We both came out."

It turns out that it was a grease fire, in the kitchen, that had quickly filled the entire apartment with blinding, suffocating smoke. The unit's sprinkler system activated and helped minimize the spread of the fire.

I wasn't able, Wednesday, to contact the woman, or the two-year-old and his family, to speak with them.

The woman and child are both okay on this rainy night, when I met the two people in a parking lot who, in an instant on Monday, gave no thought of themselves, and transformed four lives.

"It wasn't about me," Reese said, "it was about getting the lady and the baby out of the apartment at that time."

"I need to give thanks to God," Smith said, "because if it wasn't for Him, we wouldn't have made it."

Atlanta firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire, and rescue crews tended to all four people.

"We was in the back of the ambulance," Smith said, speaking of himself and the babysitter, "her blood pressure was sky high. And just with the look on her face, I knew what she was saying -- Thank You."

"We are thankful no one was hurt in this incident," said Noel Khalil, the Chairman and CEO of Columbia Residential, in an email to 11Alive News. "I cannot express my gratitude to our noble team members who so seamlessly risked their lives" for others.

"The quick actions of these two individuals saved lives...."

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Person rescued from house fire in NW Atlanta

ATLANTA -- One person was rescued from a burning house in NW Atlanta on Tuesday night. 

According to Atlanta Fire, the fire broke out on the 1300 block of Northwest Drive in Atlanta shortly before 10:30 p.m. 

Crews pulled one person from the house and worked to resuscitate the person until their pulse was restored. 

No word on the condition of the victim or the status of the fire, at this time. 

In addition, two firefighters were transported to a  hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

No further information was immediately released. 

11Alive News

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Man fatally shot in NW Atlanta

ATLANTA -- Authorities are on the scene of a fatal shooting on the 3700 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in northwest Atlanta. 

According to Atlanta Police, a male and a female were shot around 10 a.m. on Tuesday evening. 

The male was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting. The unidentified female was transported to a local medical center. 

No further details were immediately available. 

11Alive News

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Zimmerman verdict sparks kitchen table conversations

ATLANTA -- The George Zimmerman not-guilty verdict has sparked countless kitchen table conversations across the country about self-defense, the criminal justice system and race.

But nowhere have those conversations been more pointed than in African-American households where parents and children alike are grappling with what lessons young black teens can learn from the tragedy of Trayvon Martin's death.

For mother Toni Batiste, those conversations can be summed up in a single word: survival.

"You've got to make it home," Batiste says she explains to her children. "And trust that your mom and dad will deal whatever -- or whomever -- may be following you."

11Alive News spoke with a panel of a half dozen African-American parents, teenagers and educators to get their perspective on the controversial case and its implications for their everyday lives.

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Panel recommends suspension of Ellis

ATLANTA -- A special three-person panel made a unanimous recommendation Monday that DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis be suspended from office.

The final decision is now up to Governor Nathan Deal.

Earlier in the day, Ellis appeared before the panel to try and keep his job.

Governor Deal appointed Rockdale County CEO Richard Oden and Clayton County Commission Chairman Jeff Turner to serve on the special panel along with Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens.

A surprise witness was DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James who recommended suspension.

James read from a 15-count extortion indictment handed down against Ellis last month.

The district attorney argued Ellis used his position as Chief Executive Officer to strong arm campaign contributions from several companies doing business with DeKalb County.

"He would not have been able to accomplish these alleged acts unless he had the power of the CEO and the power of the office of the CEO," James argued.

With his wife by his side, Ellis' attorney argued campaign contributions had nothing to do with official duties.

His attorney also said Ellis insists he's innocent of the criminal charges.

"Without any doubt whatsoever, let us be clear that Mr. Ellis fully denies each and every one of these allegations," said attorney Craig Gillen.

As the committee adjourned to make its ruling, Ellis' only comment was that he was glad to present his side.

"I appreciate the opportunity to be here and appear before the commission and to make our argument. I think our lawyers did a very good job of articulating our position," he told reporters.

But in the end, the panel unanimously recommended that the Governor suspend Ellis.

After learning the panel's decision later on Monday, Ellis said he will accept whatever Governor Deal decides about his fate, but that he will continue to fight the legal battle to clear his name.

"I've done nothing wrong and I look forward to making that case with my lawyers against not only these charges, which are unsubstantiated, but unprecedented in nature," he told reporters outside his CEO office.

Also on Monday afternoon, Governor Deal told 11 Alive News he will make a decision on Ellis' political fate by the end of the week.

He said he didn't want to make a split second decision on an issue that's so important to Georgia's third largest county.

"That's an important position and I want to make sure that whatever I do is going to be in the best interests of the citizens of DeKalb County," Deal added.

MORE | Full coverage of Burrell Ellis

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Federal agents arrest 255 suspected on-line predators of children

Brock Nicholson, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Atlanta, in his office, Monday, July 15, 2013

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Federal agents announced Monday they arrested 255 people -- three of them in the Atlanta area, and three of them elsewhere in Georgia -- suspected of victimizing at least 61 children on-line.

The suspects were arrested in June during a nationwide crackdown against the exploitation of children on the Internet.

"There's a tremendous amount of it out there," said Brock Nicholson in Atlanta, one of the top investigators in charge of the operation, who said agents were "finding the worst of the worst."

Nicholson is Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Georgia and the Carolinas. His agents joined other agents across the country in the operation, called "Operation iGuardian."

"We rescued 61 victims of abuse, which is our main focus," Nicholson said.

Agents who conducted the sweep said one of the ways predators lured children is through "sextortion."

"Sextortion is one of the tools," Nicholson said, "where basically an individual will, through the Internet, meet children at various websites, whether it be through a video game website," or social media sites. "They're going to where the kids are," he said, and they befriend the kids.  "And they get the child comfortable with them... convince the child to do something they know that's going to seem wrong, then threaten the child... then this sextortion thing comes in, 'Hey look,' you know, 'I'll tell your parents you're looking at this unless you do A, B, C,'" and the predators ultimately make their demands, such as demanding that the children take sexually-explicit photos of themselves, or demanding that the children meet them. The children comply because they are too frightened to say no.

"You have to remember, they're going after a very young mind," Nicholson said, and the predators "are very skilled at getting children to do things that are absolutely heinous."

Nicholson said Homeland Security Investigators are launching "an aggressive outreach program, with schools and parents' groups, and anyone that will listen," an education campaign that will begin in about a month; they will take every opportunity to meet parents to underscore the urgency of keeping their children out of harm's way on-line.  One way of protecting them:  monitoring their children's Internet use constantly. A tall order, but possible, he said.

"It's so important that parents not worry about their child feeling like [the parents are] overdoing it with checking on them. You can't overdo it enough, you need to not only see what your child is doing on the Internet, you need to teach them what to look for, and warn them that there are very bad individuals. I have two daughters, and trust me, I have had that conversation with them ad infinitum -- 'It's not that I don't trust you, I don't trust the other folks that are out on the Internet.'"

The charges against the suspects are felonies, and "some sentences even go up to life," if convicted, Nicholson said. Investigators continue to work the cases they developed in June. "we'll follow up with the folks that we've arrested and see if we can determine if there are any more victims. We'll certainly use every bit of energy we have to see if there are other folks that the guys were working with, or exchanging with. But we do this every day," not just during special sweeps like the one in June.

"We get a great feeling of accomplishment when we can get one of these people off the street."

For more information on Operation iGuardian: http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSICE/bulletins/837fef

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Authorities search for missing Cherokee Co. woman

WOODSTOCK, Ga. -- Cherokee County Sheriff's Office deputies have been searching for a missing female since 9:30 p.m. Monday.

The boyfriend of 25-year-old Starla Holloway Triplett of Canton told deputies the couple  was arguing in a car at the entrance of the Taylors Farm subdivision. He said she cut her wrist and fled into nearby woods.

Lt. Jay Baker with the Cherokee Sheriff's Office said because of the small amount of blood found at the scene, deputies do not believe Triplett's wounds are life threatening. Baker says the woman also has active misdemeanor warrants for her arrest for Failure to Appear.

Several agencies have been searching for the woman using tracking dogs as well as a helicopter.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

11Alive News

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Friday storms result in more damage

ATLANTA -- It's a story everyone around metro Atlanta is tired of hearing about - thunderstorms causing property damage.

Even though the storms lasted only a short while in some cases, their presence could still be felt. 

Friday night's storms resulted in more trees falling as well as flooding. The National Weather Service issued Flash Flood Warnings for DeKalb and Gwinnett counties for most of the night.

Buffington Road between Flat Shoals Road and Jonesboro Road was closed due to a downed tree and downed power lines.

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Tripp Halstead to move into donated home on Saturday

JEFFERSON, Ga. -- Tripp Halstead and his parents will move into their new home on Saturday, thanks to countless donors from around the world who have been following Tripp's progress on social media.

"Saturday afternoon's going to be a tremendously emotional day for everybody involved," said the project's organizer, Holly Ranney of the charitable organization "Sunshine on a Ranney Day."

In just three and a half months, volunteers have transformed a foreclosed house in a Jefferson subdivision into a place that two-year-old Tripp Halstead can call home.

"Basically we gutted the entire house," said Pete Ranney Friday evening, "so from the sub-floor up, it's a new roof, new shingles, everything on the inside, new appliances, it's amazing."

The house is now accessible, a home where Tripp will be able to grow, where he'll be able to get around, where he will be comfortable during his long recovery.

"Hallways widening, doors widening, bathrooms are much bigger than the standard bathroom," Pete said.

Tripp suffered a brain injury on October 29 when a tree limb fell on him at the playground of his daycare.

Tripp's parents, Stacy and Bill Halstead, have documented his long, slow recovery on Facebook, and Tripp has captured the attention and the hearts of people worldwide.

The Halsteads will see their newly-renovated home for the first time Saturday afternoon during an invitation-only celebration with the volunteers and donors who gave of themselves -- for Tripp.

"A lot of vendors stepped up for the labor," Pete said, "and then they had their suppliers step up for the materials.... The donations just kind of passed right on down the line, so it worked very well."

The Ranneys describe the project as one of the largest home makeovers in Georgia history.  Just the renovations to make it accessible would have cost the family $200,000, in addition to all the other renovations.

"They've been living with Stacy's parents, because they had to sell their other house because there were no bathrooms on the main floor," Holly said, and that house could not be remodeled to accommodate Tripp's current and future needs.

"It's going to be exciting for everyone to be able to see their progress in their new home," Holly said, "because there are so many more surprises that we can't even say right now of what they're going to see in their house, tomorrow. And all of it has to do with helping Tripp's recovery."

Where there is life there is hope, and now Tripp will have a home, a home built on the hopes and prayers of people around the world whose support has helped bring him this far, helped bring him home.

"So it's going to be neat to see, in the future," Holly said, "like how he adapts in his home, and the progress that he has."

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Country, Atlantans eagerly await Zimmerman verdict

Atlanta -- More than a hundred people attended a rally in support of Trayvon Martin and his family as jurors began to decide the fate of the man responsible for the Florida teen's death.

For many, Trayvon Martin's death and the trial of George Zimmerman remains as captivating, polarizing and controversial as when the crime first occurred.

Several people who attended Friday's rally say they're concerned the trial will end with an acquittal and that no one will be held accountable for Martin's death.

"I think some people will feel an injustice as occurred," rally organizer Rev. Timothy McDonald said about the possibility of an acquittal.

Jurors have begun deliberating whether former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman is responsible for the killing of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed 17-year-old shot to death in February 2012.

Judge Debra Nelson told jurors must find beyond reasonable doubt that Zimmerman is guilty of a crime. "You must presume innocence...Zimmerman is not required...to prove anything,'' she said. "The state must prove the alleged crime was committed. It's up to the state to prove his guilt."

MORE | Continuing coverage of George Zimmerman trial

JOIN THE SOCIAL DISCUSSION | Gavel-to-gavel live coverage, your tweets and more

Deliberations in the high-profile second-degree murder case began shortly before 2:30 p.m., after Mark O'Mara, one of Zimmerman's lawyers, argued in a lengthy closing statement that his client is a conscientious citizen who fired a fatal bullet into a teen in self-defense while fighting for his life.

O'Mara used several visuals in his closing, including a chart about reasonable doubt, self-defense and a computer animation showing Trayvon walking up to Zimmerman and punching him.

Nelson had ruled the animation couldn't be entered into evidence, but could be used in closing arguments. Jurors watched intently as the animation, which resembled a video game, showed Trayvon in a dark hoodie on top of Zimmerman before being killed. The video was overlaid with a 911 call that recorded the fatal shot.

Soon after, O'Mara paused silently for four minutes. That's how long Trayvon had time to get home, O'Mara told jurors.

The defense attorney said Zimmerman was not the aggressor and the state's case that Zimmerman cursing on a police call was ill will doesn't make sense.

"The fact that he was willing to say it on a call with law enforcement is evidence of non-guilt," O'Mara said, explaining Zimmerman saying "f--king punks" and "a-- holes" after spotting Trayvon.

The lawyer also argued that no evidence supported Zimmerman following Trayvon after a dispatcher told Zimmerman he didn't have to.

Assistant State Attorney John Guy gave the state's rebuttal statements to jurors, saying "that child had every right to be afraid of a strange man following him." .

Guy repeated a sentence he delivered in his opening statement in the rebuttal: "The defendant didn't shoot Trayvon Martin because he had to, he shot him because he wanted to," he said.

Guy later summarized the trial: "This case isn't about standing your ground. It's about staying in your car."

Zimmerman, 29, faces up to life imprisonment if convicted of second-degree murder. If he's found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter, he faces a prison term of up to 30 years.

Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda told the jury Thursday that Trayvon was an innocent teen now dead because Zimmerman wrongly assumed he was a criminal. Prosecutors throughout the trial have portrayed Zimmerman as a lying "wanna-be cop" who followed Trayvon even after a police dispatcher told him via cell phone that pursuit was not necessary.

"A teenager is dead. He's dead through no fault of his own," de la Rionda said to jurors. "He's dead because another man made an assumption."

Zimmerman's defense team maintained that Trayvon was the aggressor and that Zimmerman shot him in self-defense during a struggle in which Zimmerman's head was repeatedly bashed into a concrete sidewalk.

The case has gripped the nation since the Feb. 26, 2012 incident and Zimmerman initially was not charged with a crime.

Protests ensued in several cities, including New York, by supporters of Trayvon's family. Many protesters voiced the opinion that Trayvon was targeted and killed for racial reasons. Trayvon is black and Zimmerman is Hispanic. Later, State Attorney Angela Corey stepped in and charged Zimmerman with murder.

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