Video released in Kendrick Johnson death

VALDOSTA, Ga. -- A south Georgia judge has ruled that video taken in the Lowndes High School gym on the day Kendrick Johnson died will be released.

The ruling came after a meeting in Judge Harry Altman's chambers among the judge and attorneys for Johnson's parents, the local sheriff's office and the Lowndes County School District.

WATCH | Raw Video of cameras at gym at Kendrick Johnson's Valdosta School

Evidence Documents Released in Kendrick Johnson Death Case:
* Contents Summary
* Jan '13 Incident Reports
* Mar '13 Incident Reports 
* Apr '13 incident Reports
* May '13 Incident Reports
* June '13 Incident Reports
* Call Logs
* DA Subpoenas
* Family Attorney Correspondence (including independent autopsy)
* GBI Coroner's Report
* GBI Crime Lab Reports
* Property Evidence Forms
* Search Warrants

Johnson was found dead inside a rolled-up wrestling mat in the Valdosta high school's gym in January. 

Wednesday's ruling means that Johnson's parents will finally be allowed to watch the video that may reveal how their son died -- something they've been asking to do for weeks.

The video released today with Kendrick Johnson visible in it is less than ten seconds long, and on the surface it doesn't show much. Just a normal kid going about a normal day at a normal school.

But a closer look reveals that there a lot of questions that need to be answered.
The first clip was taken at approximately 12:59 p.m. on January 10, as he walks down the hallway of Lowndes High School.

He's wearing jeans, a white t-shirt and white sneakers. He's also carrying a yellow folder or book.

The next clip is ten minutes later at 1:09 p.m., when Johnson walks into the gymnasium.

It's less than two seconds long, and what appears to be a dissolve edit has made between the video clip with Johnson in it and additional video that shows some students playing basketball in the gym.

How much time has passed between the two clips is unknown and could be critical to the investigation.

The kids could be playing ball even while Johnson is dying of asphyxiation in the mat, which is what investigators believe. If he were still alive at the time, presumably he would be calling for help. If he were, would they be able to hear him?

Athletes routinely threw their shoes into the tall mats in the gym for safe-keeping. Detectives believe Johnson was retrieving his when he got stuck. But why he would be getting his sneakers when he had another class to go to?

There's reportedly a hard-drive full of surveillance files left to view. But sources have said that none of it shows what happened to Kendrick.

However, what it may do is correlate faces with names and times and places. That may help investigators piece the mystery together.

All of the video tape should all be released in a matter of days.

Judge Altman told 11Alive's Blayne Alexander that it was a very productive meeting.

The teen's family agreed.

"This is not a home run, but it gets us on first base," said Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Johnson family who also worked on behalf of Trayvon Martin's family.

Crump added that Johnson's family will put in a formal request for the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in the case.

The video features hours of footage taken on cameras located inside and outside the gym. Altman's ruling allows the Johnsons' attorneys to view unredacted copies of all the video files.

The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office was originally reluctant to release the video, saying it featured minors who did not consent to having their images shown.

Johnson's family has also asked for a coroner's inquest into their son's death. Altman will rule on that request on Monday.

THE KENDRICK JOHNSON CASE
* Johnson's parents talk to 11Alive
* Second autopsy questions Johnson's death
* Johnson's parents ask for coroner's inquest

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School bus driver keeps 12 year old girl on bus, drives away with her

Cheryl Rodgers, at her home in Rockdale County, Wednesday, October 30, 2013

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. -- The mother of a middle-schooler is saying that what happened to her daughter on the school bus Tuesday is "bizarre," and she wants the driver arrested.

The school bus driver, for some reason, drove off with the girl Tuesday afternoon.

And the mom had to get into her car and chase the school bus, and call 911, to get her daughter back.

"You don't just take someone's child, and take 'em wherever you want," said the mom, Cheryl Rodgers, Wednesday. "It was just bizarre."

Rodgers said that on Tuesday afternoon, her 12 year old daughter did not get off of her school bus when it reached her stop.

The bus stop is right across the street from their house, in Rockdale County.

The girl's 13 year old sister rides the same bus, and Rodgers said that when the 13 year old got off the bus and walked into the house she told her that the 12 year old was still on the bus and the driver wanted to talk with Rodgers.

Rodgers walked out the front door, and, "I look, and the bus is gone."

And her 12 year old was still on it.

The 12 year old said Wednesday that the driver had asked her to stay on the bus. "She said, 'Would you mind if you stayed on the bus?'"

"She never had my consent for my daughter to stay on the bus," Rodgers said, "it's not up to her to make that decision."

Rodgers jumped into her car and sped up Salem Road, looking for the school bus, calling 911.

"I'm sure I was in a frenzy, but I told them, I said, 'I believe my daughter's just been kidnapped.' And that's really, honestly, how I felt."

Rodgers was able to flag down a Rockdale County Sheriff's Deputy a few minutes later, and by then they both had the school bus in sight.

The deputy pulled in behind the bus and stopped it, two miles from the Rodgers' home, away from its route.

He found Rodgers' daughter and other children on the bus, and they were all okay.

"I'm not even sure where the bus was going, and why she was so far off-route," Rodgers said.

And the driver's explanation?

"She just proceeded to tell one story after the next, and none of them made any sense," Rodgers said. "One was that she may have alluded to knowing me personally, like it was just mis-communication. One was, 'We were dropping her off at her grandmother's house,' and I said, 'My parents actually live with me.'"

Rodgers said the driver at one point also claimed she needed the girl to write down descriptions of all the bus stops along with their addresses in order to give the list to a substitute driver who is scheduled to take over the route for a week, and she wanted the girl to guide the substitute through the route. Then the driver said she was the substitute driver.

"She was just making 'em up as she went," the 12 year old said.

"None of it made any sense and it really rattled my cage, I was so concerned that I wouldn't see my child again," Rodgers said.

Was it a kidnapping? The Sheriff's office decided initially -- no, it's a school system matter.

The Sheriff's Office identified the driver as Jennifer Cornelia Foster, 50, of Conyers.

Rodgers said Foster has driven her daughters on that route for two years without incident, until now.

Rodgers wants the Sheriff to arrest Foster.

"I have every intent to press charges, criminal [charges], absolutely," Rodgers said.

And she has already had a long talk with her daughter.

"My mom, she was saying I'm too spontaneous, 'cause I am. I'm very spontaneous. She said you can't just go off with someone that you don't even know like that until they have permission by my mom or a trusted adult. And then the police officer, he was saying that even though the bus driver was my bus driver for two years, I could still be 'gettable.' He was saying you did not know her intentions, meaning like she could have kidnapped me, she could have killed me, whatever. I was thinking like, wow, that could have been, that was really serious."

There may or may not have been any intent to kidnap, but Rodgers is going to ask the Sheriff to file some sort of criminal charges against Foster.

11Alive News was not able to reach anyone with the Rockdale County School System Wednesday night, but Rodgers said she's been told Foster has been suspended while the incident is under investigation.

Wednesday morning, another driver pulled up to the bus stop to pick up Rodgers' daughters.

"It really makes you wonder," Rodgers said, "even if they're doing background checks on them, do they do them every six months? Or every year? What do we really know about these people that we entrust our children with?"

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11-year-old hospitalized after shooting in SW Atlanta

ATLANTA -- Authorities are investigating a shooting involving a child in SW Atlanta. 

The 11-year-old child was shot in the shoulder, shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening. 

The shooting happened on the 900 block of Coleman Street in SW Atlanta. Investigators on the scene say the child was struck in a crossfire while two groups were shooting at each other.  

After the shooting, the victim's brother carried him into their home and he called 911. 

Authorities say the victim was alert, breathing and conscious at the time of transport. The child is currently in table condition at Eggleston. 

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Federal workers must pay back jobless benefits

Because of the government shutdown, September employment numbers didn't come out as scheduled. (Photo: KAREN BLEIER, AFP/Getty Images)

The federal government shutdown cost taxpayers billions of dollars but at least a tiny fraction will be recouped: Federal employees will get paid just once-not twice-- for not working.

RELATED | Some furloughed state employees won't get back pay

All federal employees who collected unemployment insurance during the 16-day shutdown will have to return the payments because the workers are also receiving back pay, the Labor Department said late last week.

FULL COVERAGE | Federal Government Shutdown

The agency earlier this month said it expected to issue guidance that likely would result in some states allowing federal employees to keep both the jobless benefits and the retroactive pay, depending on individual state laws.

In Oregon, for instance, a law permits employees to keep the benefits even if they receive back pay, as long as they did not perform any services during their furloughs. About 730 federal workers in Oregon made an initial claim for unemployment insurance during the shutdown and received about $390,000 in benefits, the state Employment Department says. The state paid the benefits but said it expected to be reimbursed by the federal government.

But in guidance to states late last week, the Labor Department said that, because they were in "pay status," all furloughed employees "were not 'unemployed' and are thus ineligible for unemployment benefits."

The Oregon Employment Department said in a news release that it now will tell federal employees the benefits "are an overpayment and must be repaid." It added that the Labor Department changed the directive it had issued earlier this month which said that federal employees were eligible for unemployment insurance.

Nationally, about 70,000 of the 400,000 federal employees furloughed during the shutdown applied for jobless benefits, but a much smaller number took the steps required to receive them, federal and state labor officials say. They generally collected the payments for just one week because they worked during parts of the shutdown's first and third weeks.

Even before the Labor Department's recent guidance, the agency had said it was clear that federal employees in most states would have to repay the benefits.

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Georgia State Fair operators keep eye on safety

Hampton, GA -- In the wake of the arrest of a ride operator at the North Carolina State Fair, 11Alive News is looking into safety procedures at the Georgia State Fair going on through November 3.

Witnesses said Thursday night a ride called The Vortex restarted as people were getting off.

According to the Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison five people were injured including the operator Timothy Tutterrow 46 or Quitman, Georgia.

Deputies arrested Tutterrow Saturday and charged him with three counts of assault with the deadly weapon.

"Through our investigation, talking to witnesses, talking to the ride operator, we have determined that this ride was tampered with...and that critical safety devices were tampered with and compromised," Harrison said.

The Georgia State Fair opened Friday in Hampton, GA on the grounds of the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The General Manager, Byran Ellsworth, calls the incident in North Carolina  "unfortunate and honestly, quite rare".

Ellsworth said safety is something he takes very seriously and has for years. 

"We've got a series of internal, daily safety checks we do with our operations.  But that's just the beginning. States and counties have a lot of input and standards also,"said Ellsworth.

He said the state fire marshal has to sign off on the fair, along with county officials and then Ellsworth follows through with a daily safety checklist on each ride prior to opening every day.

The fair runs daily. From Monday through Thursday the hours are Noon to 10 p.m. On Fridays' the hours are 4 p.m to midnight. On Saturday, the fair is open from 10 a.m. to midnight. 

For more information visit georgiastatefair.com.

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Rock pioneer Lou Reed dies at 71

Rock icon Lou Reed has died at 71. (Photo: Erik S. Lesser, Getty Images)

Rock pioneer and Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed is dead at 71.

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, director of the feature documentary film Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart, confirmed Reed's death Sunday to USA TODAY.

PHOTOS | Lou Reed dead at 71
PHOTOS | Notable deaths in 2013

Reed had a liver transplant in May, although a cause of death has not yet been released.

Best known for songs such as Sweet Jane, I'm Sticking With You, Sunday Morning and Pale Blue Eyes, the Velvet Underground was formed in New York by Reed and John Cale. The band released its landmark debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico in 1967, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Reed left the Velvet Underground in 1970 and began a flourishing solo career that spawned such hits as Walk on the Wild Side, Perfect Day and Dirty Blvd. Reed took home one Grammy Award during his career of nearly five decades, for best long-form music video in 1999 for Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart.

After divorcing British designer Sylvia Morales in the mid-'90s, Reed married O Superman performance artist Laurie Anderson in 2008. In recent years, he toured with his new band Metal Machine Trio and contributed vocals to Metric's 2012 album Synthetica.

Reed also collaborated with heavy-metal band Metallica on an album, Lulu, released in 2011. In an interview with USA TODAY, he said that he had received death threats from Metallica fans who were upset about the collaboration, even before the record was released.

"I don't have any fans left," Reed said. "After Metal Machine Music (1975), they all fled. Who cares? I'm essentially in this for the fun of it."

Celebrities and musicians took to social media to express their condolences.

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Hot-air balloon lands on football field during game

MARIETTA -- A hot-air balloon was forced to make an unexpected and bumpy landing on the football field at Lassiter High School after running out of fuel.

PHOTOS | Hot air balloon lands on football field during game

Jeff Robey, a parent of one of the players, tells 11Alive's Duffie Dixon the game was stopped due to a player injury at the time so none of the kids were injured in the mishap. Both teams were off the field during the balloon landing. 

The balloon was connected with the hot-air balloon event going on at Kennesaw State University. 

The Cobb County Fire Department responded to the scene and helped get the balloon off the field. 

Once the balloon was off the field, the game was between the Chattahoochee and Lassiter fourth grade teams resumed. 

The injured player suffered a broken arm during a tackle.

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Fatal wreck closes I-85 southbound near Old Peachtree Rd.

(WXIA) -- A fatal tractor trailer accident shutdown lanes on I-85 south near Old Peachtree in Suwanee Saturday afternoon. 

The fatality was a result of a passenger vehicle "involved" with the tractor trailer, according to Lieutenant Colin S. Rhoden of Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services. 

Fire crews extinguished the fire that was in the trailer of the truck.

MORE | 11Alive Traffic Jam

Road crews worked on the scene all throughout Saturday afternoon until the lanes reopened, which took place around 4:30 p.m. 

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One dead in six car accident on I-75

A fatal accident backed traffic up on I-75 southbound at DeKalb Road in Cobb County Saturday afternoon. 

MORE | 11Alive Traffic Jam

According to Marietta Police, six cars were involved in the accident. Investigators are currently looking for a seventh car that may have been involved. 

Initial on scene investigation reveals that a multicolored (champagne, tan and bluish green) box style RV with a flat front was travelling in the middle lanes of I-75 southbound when it changed lanes and struck the left rear quarter panel of a white Toyota Camry.

The driver of the Camry lost control of the vehicle and crossed all lanes of I-75 where it struck a black Toyota Prius. The Prius stuck the median wall and flipped causing the front seat passenger, who was not wearing a seat belt, to be partially ejected from the vehicle. Two other vehicles were struck by the Camry after it lost control during the accident but no other injuries were reported.

The front seat passenger of the Prius, identified as Bradley Braland, 40, of Winter Garden, Florida, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The female driver of the Prius suffered minor injuries and was transported to Kennestone Hospital. The four-year-old boy in the back seat of the Prius was not injured in the crash. The RV that caused the crash should have damage to the right front quarter panel. 

Investigators are asking anyone that may have witnessed the crash or who may have seen the RV in question to please contact Officer Nick Serkedakis at 770-794-5266.

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Freeze Warning for Friday night into Saturday morning

ATLANTA -- The National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for all of the Metro overnight.

The warning goes from 2-10 a.m. Saturday.

Find conditions in your county here.

More Local Weather Information:
- Sign up for weather alerts here
- Sign up for daily weather forecast emails
- Interactive Local Radar
- Download 11Alive Weather Apps

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High School Football Scores for Oct. 25

ATLANTA -- Here are the scores for High School Football for October 25, 2013.

Send photos of your game to photos@11alive.com

Milton High School 28 Walton High School 21
FINAL

Alpharetta High School 14 Lambert High School 12
FINAL

Salem High School 27 Apalachee High School 7
FINAL

Newton County High School 23 Lovejoy High School 56
FINAL

Walnut Grove 14 Eastside High School 42
FINAL

Dacula High School 21 Shiloh High School 7
FINAL

Clarkston High School 40 Cross Keys High School 6
FINAL

South Forsyth High School 52 Johns Creek HS 21
FINAL

West Forsyth High School 48 Chattahoochee High School 21
FINAL

North Gwinnett High School 28 Collins Hill High School 53
FINAL

Norcross High School 24 Peachtree Ridge 20
FINAL

Jefferson High School 68 Social Circle High School 0
FINAL

Towers High School 20 Decatur High School 49
FINAL

Martin Luther King, Jr. High School 6 Stephenson High School 10
FINAL

Forsyth Central High School 17 Creekview High School 21
FINAL

Pinecrest Academy 28 Athens Christian School 26
FINAL

North Forsyth High School 28 Centennial High School 24
FINAL

Meadowcreek High School 13 Mountain View High School 49
FINAL

Archer High School 48 South Gwinnett High School 31
FINAL

Parkview High School 21 Central Gwinnett High School 13
FINAL

Hebron Christian Academy 12 Commerce High School 48
FINAL

Brookwood High School 14 Berkmar High School 0
FINAL

Loganville High School 7 Heritage High School- Conyers 21
FINAL

Miller Grove High School 12 Tucker High School 55
FINAL

Whitefield Academy 28 Walker School, The 6
FINAL

Pope High School 19 Riverwood High School 35
FINAL

Marietta High School 58 South Cobb High School 46
FINAL

Carlton J. Kell High School 55 Sprayberry High School 7
FINAL

Wheeler High School 28 Lassiter High School 35
FINAL

Cherokee High School 34 Roswell High School 29
FINAL

Fellowship Christian School 24 King's Ridge Christian School 21
FINAL

Mc Nair High School 20 Blessed Trinity High School 53
FINAL

Campbell High School 49 Kennesaw Mountain High School 35
FINAL

Stone Mountain High School 7 Marist School 49
FINAL

Greater Atlanta Christian School 52 Hapeville Charter Career Academy 7
FINAL

Lovett School, The 41 Wesleyan School 13
FINAL

Sequoyah High School 31 Northview 21
FINAL

Duluth High School 27 Habersham Central High School 14
FINAL

Hiram H.S. 7 Allatoona High School 44
FINAL

Adairsville High School 7 Cartersville High School 47
FINAL

Bowdon High School 48 Bremen High School 22
FINAL

Maynard Jackson High School 8 Central High School (Carroll) 24
FINAL

Alexander High School 21 Carrollton High School 63
FINAL

Cass High School 28 Cedartown High School 54
FINAL

Lithia Springs High School 12 Rome High School 36
FINAL

Pebblebrook High School 3 North Cobb High School 28
FINAL

Hillgrove High School 40 Harrison High School 24
FINAL

North Paulding High School 42 Paulding County High School 7
FINAL

East Paulding High School 17 South Paulding High School 24
FINAL

Chapel Hill 58 Haralson County High School 15
FINAL

Douglas County High School 7 Newnan High School 21
FINAL

Johnson High School 14 Pickens High School 21
FINAL

Pepperell High School 34 Chattooga High School 0
FINAL

Darlington School 42 Mount Zion High School 7
FINAL

North Cobb Christian 7 Lakeview Academy 42
FINAL

Rockmart High School 34 Douglass High School 14
FINAL

Coosa High School 14 Model High School 28
FINAL

Calhoun High School 63 Armuchee High School 10
FINAL

Villa Rica High School 28 New Manchester High School 37
FINAL

Gilmer High School 37 River Ridge HS 13
FINAL

Etowah High School 35 Woodstock High School 28
FINAL

Bleckley County High School 7 Lamar County High School 44
FINAL

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School 41 Mount Vernon Presbyterian 0
FINAL

East Coweta High School 14 Langston Hughes HS 42
FINAL

Creekside High School 41 Mcintosh High School 10
FINAL

Troup High School 33 Fayette County High School 6
FINAL

Northgate High School 17 Starrs Mill High School 14
FINAL

Greenville High School 20 Hawkinsville High School 53
FINAL

Griffin High School 43 Upson Lee High School 13
FINAL

North Clayton High School 25 Spalding High School 20
FINAL

Riverdale High School 27 Jonesboro High School 37
FINAL

Mundy's Mill 24 Union Grove HS/MS 17
FINAL

Sandy Creek High School 42 La Grange High School 7
FINAL

Strong Rock Christian 6 Eagles Landing Christian 46
FINAL

Eagle's Landing HS 41 Locust Grove HS 14
FINAL

Ola HS/MS 35 Forest Park High School 0
FINAL

Henry County HS 42 Southwest High School 32
FINAL

Peach County High School 38 Pike County High School 14
FINAL

North Atlanta High School 0 Dunwoody High School 28
FINAL

South Atlanta High School 6 Grady High School 41
FINAL

Washington High School 0 Carver High School (Atlanta) 1
FINAL

Pace Academy 14 Holy Innocents' Episcopal 17
FINAL

North Springs High School 23 Cambridge High School 52
FINAL

Tri-Cities High School 7 Westlake High School 13
FINAL

St. Pius X Catholic High School 28 Woodward Academy 42
FINAL

Emanuel County Institute 29 Johnson County High School 65
FINAL

Glascock County High School 0 Riverside Military Academy 66
FINAL

Chestatee High School 42 Lumpkin County High School 14
FINAL

North Hall High School 35 West Hall High School 21
FINAL

East Hall High School 33 Banks County High School 7
FINAL

Union County High School 18 Rabun County High School 42
FINAL

Fannin County High School 8 Buford High School 45
FINAL

Franklin County High School 18 Morgan County High School 49
FINAL

White County High School 17 Dawson County High School 10
FINAL

North Oconee High School 45 East Jackson Comprehensive High School 7
FINAL

Flowery Branch High School 37 Clarke Central High School 7
FINAL

Jackson County High School 56 Oconee County High School 27
FINAL

George Walton Academy 21 Athens Academy 35
FINAL

Cedar Shoals High School 27 Winder-Barrow High School 6
FINAL

Madison County High School 14 Monroe Area High School 68
FINAL

Hart County High School 21 Elbert County Comp High School 23
FINAL

Heritage High School 3 Dalton High School 41
FINAL

La Fayette High School 32 Ridgeland High School 29
FINAL

Coahulla Creek HS 6 Ringgold High School 42
FINAL

Dade County High School 47 Murray County High School 0
FINAL

Gordon Lee High School 8 Trion High School 17
FINAL

Warren County High School 14 Aquinas High School 42
FINAL

Laney High School 41 T W Josey High School 0
FINAL

Butler High School 0 Richmond Academy 31
FINAL

Monroe Comprehensive HS 24 Crisp County High School 21
FINAL

Baldwin High School 7 Mary Persons High School 21
FINAL

Macon County High School 31 Monticello High School 18
FINAL

Thomson High School 12 Washington County HS 55
FINAL

Dooly County High School 55 Pacelli High School 28
FINAL

Windsor Academy 21 John Milledge Academy 45
FINAL

Mc Intosh County Academy 13 Metter High School 20
FINAL

Bradwell Institute 14 Richmond Hill High School 28
FINAL

Jenkins County High School 8 Savannah Christian Prep School 38
FINAL

Southeast Bulloch High School 42 A E Beach High School 21
FINAL

Ware County High School 62 Groves 6
FINAL

H. V. Jenkins High School 44 Windsor Forest High School 6
FINAL

Tattnall County High School 28 Appling County High School 42
FINAL

Clinch County HS 34 Charlton County High School 7
FINAL

Wayne County High School 34 Liberty County High School 26
FINAL

Brunswick HS 12 Camden County High School 18
FINAL

Cook High School 10 Brooks County High School 38
FINAL

Irwin County High School 26 Turner County High School 6
FINAL

Early County High School 18 Fitzgerald High School 7
FINAL

Lee County High School 44 Harris County High School 7
FINAL

Colquitt County HS 17 Valdosta HS 10
FINAL

Worth County High School 19 Albany High School 0
FINAL

Manchester High School 14 Kendrick High School 20
FINAL

Alcovy High School 33 Druid Hills High School 6
FINAL

Independence High School 29 Franklin High School 28
FINAL

Mt. Paran Christian 24 Mt. Pisgah Christian School 28
FINAL

Stockbridge High School 39 Woodland HS/MS 7
FINAL

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Visually impaired children scream in 'their' haunted house

ATLANTA -- It is haunted house season, and Friday night some very brave children, in all their costumed glory, walked gingerly through a haunted house in Midtown Atlanta that was the scariest they've ever known.

The children are visually-impaired, the halls and rooms were designed just for them, and the kids were able to experience, with delight, the gift of fright.

There was even an hor d'oeuvre table where they could help themselves to some fresh people brains, and joyously emit 500-decibel screams as they touched the gooey, jiggling mass, which was right next to a side dish of eyeballs.

The entire "house" of Halloween horrors for visually impaired children was full of treats and tricks tailored just for them by the surprisingly ghoulish -- but seasonally appropriate -- Atlanta Center for the Visually Impaired.

"I felt a person's brains! But it was actually Jello," explained Jessie James, laughing as she emerged with her mother, Christina.

"Our haunted house experience plays to all of their senses as they go through," said Heather Ferro, Program Director of the Center's STARS program -- Social Therapeutic Academic Recreational Services. "So they may be brushed along the side of the face by a spider. Or they may get to taste kidney sliders in the People Eatery."

And they could also be startled, in the halls infested with cobwebs and insects, by a roaring werewolf, somehow trusting through it all that it was all make-believe -- laughing between their screams, and clutching their parents' hands and not letting go. 

This is the fourth year in a row the Center has given a Halloween party, transforming an entire floor of offices and hallways into the haunted house and game room for the children.

Ferro said about 175 kids and parents attended this year. It was for one night only. She hopes next year to expand the annual event, perhaps extend it over several nights to accommodate even more visually impaired children.

"One of the great things about our program [all year] is that we are supporting youth and their families to be a part of the community, and to experience the community in the same way that their sighted peers can see the community," Ferro said. "And so they're having the same experiences, and they don't feel like they're missing out on anything."

Rukiya Campbell of the Center said the serious work of the STARS program "provides elementary, middle and high school students the skills and self-confidence to live with vision loss. The program provides the children that feel isolated and alone the support they need from peers with the same disability... [participating] in various blind skill activities such as computer class, cooking, music, self-defense, fitness, nutrition and braille."

And, now, the children have a Halloween Haunted House, too.

"Oh this is wonderful, Christopher has never really experienced Halloween," said Tee Buttone, who spoke of how her son didn't want to come, at first; and then he didn't want to leave.

"He's really enjoying it, it's been great. It means a lot for them."

And Jessie James loved the people brains.

"I wasn't scared at all, actually. Well, I was a little bit nervous."

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Kendrick Johnson's parents ask for coroner's inquest

VALDOSTA, Ga. -- The parents of Kendrick Johnson and their attorneys filed a formal request asking a judge to order a coroner's inquest into their son's death in January.

So far, the coroner has refused to re-open this case on his own.

Instead, he stands by the GBI autopsy that shows the 17-year-old student-athlete accidentally suffocated inside a rolled up mat in the Lowndes High School gym while trying to retrieve his sneaker.

But private investigators hired by the family said the teen was murdered.

RELATED | Kendrick Johnson's parents talk to 11Alive
WAS KENDRICK MURDERED? | Second autopsy questions death

The teen's parents, Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson, want investigators to release surveillance video taken inside the school gym on the day their son died. So far, only a short clip of the video has been made public. The Johnsons think the whole video will show exactly what happened to Kendrick.

Officials have said they must wait for consent from other minors in the video before they can release it.

The U.S. Attorney has the video and is reviewing the case.

The SCLC in south Georgia is offering a $10,000 reward for information in Johnson's death.

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Woman in stable condition after being attacked by two dogs

Police investigate dog attack in Stockbridge

STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. -- A woman is out of surgery and in stable condition after she was attacked by two dogs in her subdivision Thursday afternoon.

The woman was life-flighted to Atlanta Medical Center in serious condition after the attack had occurred. 

The owners of the two loose pit-type dogs were identified Thursday evening. No names were released. 

According to detectives, the dogs were in a fenced-in yard and managed to get out. Investigators say there is no prior history with these dogs or owner.  

Henry County Police said the woman was walking her poodle in the Windsong Plantation subdivision, when she and her dog were attacked by what officers called "pit-type" dogs.

PHOTOS | Woman attacked by dogs

They said the dogs attacked the poodle first, then attacked the woman. A neighbor who saw the incident called 911. When officers arrived, the woman was still being attacked. The officer shot and killed both attacking dogs.

Investigators said the woman suffered facial injuries and had a significant amount of blood loss.

The case is still under investigation. 

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Obamacare 'Enroll America' outreach planned despite problems

Whitney Horton of Enroll America Georgia, in her office in NW Atlanta, Thursday, October 24, 2013

ATLANTA -- The Obamacare website, healthcare.gov, will not be fully functional for weeks, at least.

Why, then, are supporters of Obamacare still planning to fan out across Atlanta and many other cities this weekend to urge people to go to the website to sign up?

There are several outreaches planned for this weekend (see below), and people will be passing out flyers and brochures promoting Obamacare and the website.

In an office near Georgia Tech in NW Atlanta, Whitney Horton is organizing the outreach in Metro Atlanta.

She works in the Georgia office of Enroll America, the non-profit organization with ties to the Obama Administration and the healthcare industry.

Horton is passionate about health care, she believes in helping the uninsured get insured, and she is undeterred by the failure of the website, so far.

11Alive's Jon Shirek asked her, "You know of all the problems that the website's been having, so how are you telling people to go to the website when it's next to impossible for people to sign up on the website right now?"

"They can still go, even if they can't sign up, they can still look at options on the website," Horton said. "And they can still call the 1-800 number (1-800-318-2596).

Shirek: "People who call the 1-800 number are saying they're on hold for hours and can't sign up. You've heard those complaints, right?"

Horton: "Actually, not in the field. Because we've even had someone who actually signed up via the phone, via the 1-800 number, last week."

Shirek: "You understand how difficult it is for people to sign up, right now."

Horton: "I understand, but there's no need for frustration, this is not a sprint. You will be able to enroll until March 31st of next year. And there are multiple ways to sign up. So don't feel as though, if you can't sign up the first week or first month, that you're out of luck or that it's not going to work for you. Take your time, learn your options, and then go from there."

This weekend, people can ask the Enroll America staffers and volunteers themselves about all of this, and engage them one-on-one about what's going on with the website and the sign-up and the plans, at a half-dozen events.

This is the schedule, copied from an email sent Thursday by Enroll America to 11Alive News:

Oct 26 - C4 Atlanta will be hosting a community healthcare forum where you can learn about the new health insurance options now available through the Healthcare Marketplace. Get Covered America will be presenting on the Affordable Care Act and hold a Q&A session. Certified Navigators and Application Counselors will be in attendance. Start time: 10a - 1p/115 Martin Luther King Dr. SW, Atlanta, GA

Oct 26 - Join Enroll America GA at our "Treat Yourself to Coverage" volunteer introduction and block party at CETPA where the community will meet our team and learn everything they need to know to become a volunteer. Start time: 8a - 11:30a/4650 Jimmy Carter Blvd. Norcross, GA

Oct 26 - Enjoy meet & greet opportunities with Enroll America at the annual American Cancer Society breast cancer walk. Enroll America will join this major event , family attraction, and will be clip boarding and canvassing the crowd to discuss the 'Get Covered America', the Affordable Care Act and Healthcare Marketplace benefits in GA. 8a - 12p/Centennial Olympic Park

Oct 26 - Enroll America GA will host an "Understanding the New Healthcare Law" seminar at the Roswell Library. Connecting with young moms and families during high traffic hours, EA will help raise awareness of the ACA and Marketplace Exchange facts. 10a - 2p/115 Norcross St., Roswell, GA

Oct 26 - Get Covered America Block Party at the Lang Carson Community Center 100 Flat Shoals Avenue, Atlanta, GA. 2p - 5p

Oct 27 - GCA-GA will host a Q&A Forum for the members of New Life Covenant Worldwide church in Lithonia, GA to raise awareness about the new healthcare marketplace and what it means for them. 724 Rock Chapel Road, Lithonia, GA 4p - 8p.

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Lester, Red Sox rout sloppy Cards in Series opener

David Ortiz hits a home run in the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images

BOSTON (AP) -- Given a bit of help by the umpires and a lot more by the Cardinals, the Boston Red Sox turned this World Series opener into a laugher.

Mike Napoli hit a three-run double right after the umps reversed a blown call, Jon Lester made an early lead stand up and the Red Sox romped past sloppy St. Louis 8-1 Wednesday night for their ninth straight Series win.

David Ortiz was robbed of a grand slam by Carlos Beltran - a catch that sent the star right fielder to a hospital with bruised ribs - but Big Papi later hit a two-run homer following third baseman David Freese's bad throw.

The Red Sox also capitalized on two errors by shortstop Pete Kozma to extend a Series winning streak that began when they swept St. Louis in 2004. Boston never trailed at any point in those four games and, thanks to this embarrassing display by the Cardinals, coasted on a rollicking night at Fenway Park.

It got so bad for St. Louis that the sell

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Positive pregnancy tests for sale!

We bought this positive pregnancy test for $30.

ATLANTA -- Being pregnant is no joking matter but some people think so. We discovered bizarre ads on Craigslist from people trying to sell positive pregnancy tests.

We're not kidding. Is it for fun, for profit or deception? Our Center for Investigative Action sought answers in an undercover investigation.

"How long have you been pregnant?" asked investigative reporter Ross McLaughlin, while sitting in a booth across from a well dressed young woman at an Atlanta restaurant.

"I'm 7 months," she replied.

The woman had posted an ad on Craigslist offering to sell a positive pregnancy test for $30.  Her post suggested it could be a fun Halloween prank.

"It's a sick prank. It's bad judgment,"said family law attorney, Jody Miller.

We found 8 different ads posted on Craigslist in the Atlanta area, all peddling the same thing - positive pregnancy tests. One writes; 'wanna get your boyfriend to finally pop the question?' Another is selling 'positive pregnancy test and pregnant pee'. Prices range from 20 to 40 bucks. No questions asked. Do what you please with it.

"How did you get the idea?" McLaughlin asked the seller.

"I was googling," she said, adding that she needed the money. "I just mailed one. I sent one through the mail on Saturday."

"Do they ever tell you anything?" McLaughlin inquired.

"I don't ask. I don't ask." she responded.

In fact she thinks some people want to use the positive pregnancy test as a joke. 

Miller doesn't think it's a joking matter.

"To someone who might be willing to believe that, it could be very emotionally devastating!" Miller responded.

There is potential for abuse. Someone could use the positive test to profit, by trying to get money for medical expenses, trick someone into marriage or even claim to need money to terminate the so-called pregnancy.

While it's not illegal to buy or sell positive pregnancy tests, we wondered if Craigslist has an obligation to pull the ads.

We called and emailed to find out their response because we want to hold them accountable. Though, by their own admission, they have the right, but not the obligation to regulate content. We are still waiting for their answer.

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Georgia State students robbed at gun point

ATLANTA -- One Georgia State University student has been arrested while authorities search for two more suspects after four GSU students were robbed at gun point. 

The robbery took place Wednesday night in one of the university's dorms by three unknown black males.

The suspects knocked on the door and two of the suspects pointed hand guns in the faces of the four students.  Cell phones and an iPad were stolen. 

MORE | Atlanta Crime Map 

According to Andrea Jones with GSU police, one GSU student has been arrested. Jones said she was not sure if the other two suspects are students. She did say all three suspects are acquaintances.

The first suspect was described as a black male about 5-feet-5, 150 pounds, short afro, medium build and was wearing blue jeans, black jacket with white sleeves. 

The second suspect is a black male 5-foot-10, 200 pounds and was wearing all black with a fisher man's hat. 

The third suspect is a black male, 5-feet-10, between 230 and 240 pounds, and was wearing a white sweat shirt with red writing, grey sweat pants, wearing a black skull cap.

All three suspects fled the area via stairwell.

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Rep. says white supremacist statues should remain on Capitol lawn

JEFFERSON, Ga. -- "That's a Confederate soldier," Tommy Benton says, pointing to a new bronze statue on the square in his hometown. Three years ago, the GOP state representative helped raise $50,000 to build it. New confederate monuments are a rarity, he says. "You don't get many at all because of basically the political climate," he says.

Benton says it is the same political climate that is forcing the removal of the statue of Tom Watson from the main entrance of the state Capitol. Watson was a turn-of-the-century white supremacist who served in the Georgia legislature and the US Senate.

Benton, a former high school history teacher and onetime Sons of Confederate Veterans commander, laments the statue's removal.

"I think there's room for all of it. And just because I disagree with what somebody stood for, doesn't mean that I would oppose their monument," Benton said.

Watson's background as a white supremacist doesn't disqualify the statue's placement on the Capitol's grounds "because of the good things that he did," Benton said.

Benton smells trouble for other historic figures on the the Capitol grounds. Like General John Gordon, a US Senator and early backer of the Ku Klux Klan; Senator Richard Russell, a powerful US senator who fiercely opposed civil rights legislation; and Eugene Talmadge, elected four times governor of Georgia-- and a man whose politics gave chills to the grandmother of Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta).

"She said when you grow up and start voting, you can't vote for a Talmadge," Brooks said Monday. "He was one of those men that would compare black women to milk cows. On the stump, speaking with his red suspenders and his hair flowing in the wind."

"And you say my God, how could the people elect someone like that?" Brooks said. "But they did. Four times!"

Brooks says he would like to see the statues of Talmadge, Gordon and Russell also removed from the Capitol grounds.

But Benton argues that Talmadge was merely a man of his times.

"Talmadge was the hero of the common man," Benton said. "Well, the common white man. All right. But you have to remember, that was the vast majority of the people when he was governor of Georgia as well."

Asked if the Talmadge statue's presence on the lawn was disrespectful of non-white Georgians, Benton said: "They can put up a statue if they'd like."

"I think if you start getting politically correct on everything, it will never stop."

Benton argues that if the state removed the statues of flawless Georgia politicians-- the Capitol grounds would be empty.

Some footage in the attached video used with permission from the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. 

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- Atlanta City Council race gets ugly in Post 3
- Councilwoman accused of embezzling from community center
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- More top Political Headlines

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Fulton County voter registration cards flawed

ATLANTA, Ga. -- In an email the Fulton county elections office warned residents who received new voter registration cards to check them carefully.

DECISION 2013 | GENERAL ELECTION GUIDE

It said, in part:

Due to issues with the States VoterNet system, a small percentage of residents received voter registration cards with incorrect information.

Fulton County Registration and Elections Chairman Richard Baron said the problem seemed to originate with the state's new elections software VoterNet.

"Once we got the printed cards back from the state, we did a hand audit of a 156,000 cards.  We ended up pulling about 20,000 cards out of that batch." said Baron.

He said some may have slipped through.  His office expects to send out new cards by the end of business Wednesday.

The error comes as Fulton County just settled its last election problems.

In the last election cycle, scores of Fulton County senior citizens living in a high rise were purged from the system after they were told, incorrectly, that their address was a vacant lot.

In the primary, hundreds received faulty voter registration cards and were sent to the wrong voting precincts.

As a result the elections chairman, Sam Westmoreland,  and a board member were forced out.

Baron is the new chairman. He was hired in July and is well aware of the less that stellar reputation his department has.

"I'm confident everything is going to be worked out by then and we've got plenty of provisional ballots for each precinct just in case," said Baron.

He said as one of the last counties to be added into VoterNet there were bound to be a few problems, but he believes they're being fixed as they come up.

"Anytime there's a large software implementation they are going to be issues. Everybody at the state is working hard, and my team is  working with the state to do it," said Baron.

He suggests voters call (404) 730-7072 to double-check voting information. You can also check online. 

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Johns Creek Mayor attacks investigation criticizing his conduct in office

Mayor Mike Bodker of Johns Creek

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. -- The City of Johns Creek on Monday released an interim report on the investigation into Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker. 

RELATED: Investigation into Johns Creek Mayor getting costly

In the 28-page interim report prepared, at the request of the City Council, by former DeKalb County District Attorney Bob Wilson of the law firm of Morton, Wilson and Downs, Bodker was found to be in violation of state "law, ethics and charter." 

According to Wilson's report:  

• "Mayor Bodker accepted a benefit from a developer, and he had a conflict of interest when he voted on at least one rezoning matter for that developer when it came before City Council.
• Mayor Bodker violated the Executive Session Confidentiality by disclosing a landowner details about an executive session in which the Council was discussing the potential purchase of land from that landowners.
• Mayor Bodker acted contrary to the directive of Council and exceeded his authority as Mayor in contacting the mayor of a neighboring city concerning matters that the Council had unanimously agreed (including the Mayor himself) to keep confidential during an executive session over potential litigation."

Representatives from Morton, Wilson and Downs said they interviewed 40 people during this investigation, including the Mayor.

____________________

Talk about hardball politics:

Forget Washington for a moment.

You don't have to go any further than the City of Johns Creek, in north Fulton County, to see how rough it can be.

The feud between the Mayor and City Council is now so bitter and so raw, some are calling it "Johns Creek madness."

Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker is seeking a third term on election day in two weeks. His challenger is the former Mayor Pro Tem, Bev Miller, who resigned to run against Bodker.

And Tuesday night, as Bodker was meeting with supporters, 11Alive's Jon Shirek asked him, point-blank, about the latest accusations against him. The accusations are included in a potentially-scathing interim report summarizing the results, so far, of an investigation, commissioned by the City Council, about Bodker's conduct in office.

The interim report was released Monday.

The City Council investigation is being conducted by former DeKalb County District Attorney Bob Wilson, and it goes all the way back to the beginning of Bodker's first term to try to show that Bodker has repeatedly exceeded his authority, violated council confidentiality, and had conflicts of interest.

The report points out, for example, that once Bodker even asked a police officer to go to his godson's elementary school for a very personal reason, to confront a boy who was supposedly bullying his godson, and then to scare him.

"My godson was getting bullied," Bodker said, "and he was getting bullied for quite a while, and I felt that it was important to stop the bullying, at least do anything I could to prevent that, and I would have done it for any child.... Would I do it differently today? Absolutely. I mean I think I learned very quickly that that was probably not the way to go about it."

And there are more serious accusations in the interim report against Bodker.

It says Bodker received reduced rent on his house, and a free, one-week beach vacation, from his landlord. His landlord was one of Bodker's campaign contributors, and the landlord was also a developer trying to get the City Council to rezone some property.

Shirek:   "Do you acknowledge or agree that there's at least an appearance of a conflict of interest if you're accepting benefits from a developer who has business before the City Council?"

Bodker:   "I agree that anyone can think anything about anything."

Shirek:   "Well, is it a conflict of interest?"

Bodker:   "No, it's not a conflict of interest unless it actually impacts the way you vote."

Wilson disagrees.

"When you start taking gratuities and then voting on matters that create a conflict for you, I think that's very serious," Wilson said in an interview with 11Alive News Tuesday, "and it goes to the very underpinnings of our government."

But Bodker insisted that his documents prove he did not get a break on his rent, but paid market rates.

The report also accuses Bodker of violating City Council Executive Session confidentiality -- once, possibly tipping off the Mayor of neighboring Roswell, Jere Wood, about a potential lawsuit that Johns Creek was thinking about filing against Roswell over a long-running dispute between the two cities.

Shirek:   "The accusation is that you agreed with the Council that you would not go to the Mayor and talk to him about this, but then you did."

Bodker:   "Well, the Mayor came to me."

Shirek:   "But you talked to him about it anyway?"

Bodker:   "You can't exactly ignore your fellow Mayor if you want to maintain relations."

Shirek:   "But you do if the council says, 'Don't talk to him.'"

Bodker:   "I said to him, 'Jere, I can't talk to you about this.' That was the conversation."

Both Mayors insist no secrets were conveyed.

Mayor Bodker said his opponents launched the investigation and timed the release of the interim report to try to discredit him two weeks before the election.

The investigator, Bob Wilson, said the investigation could have wrapped up weeks ago if Bodker had cooperated.

"The mayor's done everything he can to delay this investigation and to keep it from becoming final." Wilson said. "He has withheld information and documents from us that he told us that he would produce."

Wilson has been seeking Bodker's cell phone records, for example.

Bodker has been insisting that since it is his personal phone which he also uses for city business, Wilson has a right to see only records of official calls, not personal calls.

Bodker wants to take that dispute about the phone records to a judge, and he believes a judge would agree with him.

Bodker:   "Bob [Wilson] is not willing to go before a judge and settle it."

Shirek:   "So you want [Wilson] to subpeona the records?"

Bodker:   "I absolutely want him to subpoena the records, not because I want the records subpoenaed, but because I want to have the opportunity to get the only way that I'm going to get a fair arbiter here, and that's in front of a judge in a court of law."

So, Bodker said it's Wilson who has stalled on issuing subpoenas and on moving ahead with the fact-finding.

"We're talking about my personal cell phone," Bodker said. "To give you an example, I believe right now I'm averaging about 5,000 minutes per month on my personal cell phone. So at any given time, even if I have a few phone calls that are related to the city, the vast majority are not. And when people call me they have an expectation that I'm not announcing that I'm talking to them on the phone, they have some expectation of privacy.... If it's city related, and it's related to this investigation, I'm more than happy to turn it over once I know that my privacy and their privacy's properly protected."

This investigation is far from over -- Wilson and the City Council continue to dig into the Mayor's conduct in office and have not said how much longer the investigation will continue. 

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Cee Lo Green pleads not guilty in felony drug case

Singer Cee Lo Green (L) and attorney Blair Berk appear at his arraignment at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on October 21, 2013 in downtown Los Angeles, California. Green pled not guilty to the felony charge of furnishing ecstasy to a woman last year while dining at a downtown Los Angeles restaurant. The singer's bail was set at $30,000 and he is due back in court on November 20, 2013 for a preliminary hearing. (Photo by Mel Melcon - Pool/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Cee Lo Green has pleaded not guilty to giving a woman ecstasy during a 2012 dinner in Los Angeles.

RELATED: Atlanta native Cee Lo Green judges "The Voice"

The singer appeared in court on Monday and entered the plea through his attorney Blair Berk.

The hearing occurred hours after the singer was charged with one felony count of furnishing a controlled substance. He could face up to four years in prison if convicted.

Berk said the singer, whose real name is Thomas DeCarlo Callaway, was pleased prosecutors declined to pursue a rape charge against him.

She declined comment on the drug-related charge.

Green's bail was set at $30,000 and his case is due back in court on Nov. 20.

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Statue of "first class hater" to be removed from Capitol

ATLANTA -- Gov. Nathan Deal quietly signed an order this month to remove the controversial statue of Tom Watson from the prominent west side entrance of the state capitol building.  But not because of the controversy.

Watson was a late-19th century and early-20th century state lawmaker and member of Congress who, critics say, represented the worst of Georgia politics in the post-Reconstruction era.

Gov. Deal ordered the relocation not because of the decades-long controversy over the statue's prominent place, but because the state is planning "big renovations on the steps on that side" of the Capitol, said Deal's spokesman Brian Robinson. 

The Governor's order will relocate the statue to Park Plaza, which is across the street from the Capitol.  The State says moving the statue back to the Capitol after the renovations is not possible because it would be too expensive.

"Tom Watson was a first-class hater and it wasn't just Jewish people, he hated Catholics and Black people too," said Anti-Defamation League southeastern director Bill Nigut, in a 2010 story on 11 Alive News. 

Watson was a prominent voice in the buildup to the 1913 lynching of Leo Frank, a Jewish businessman convicted of murdering of Mary Phagan. "His anti-Semitism and racism was particularly vile," said Sen. Vincent Fort Monday.  Fort says Watson whipped up racist sentiment that led to a riot in Atlanta in 1906.

"I think Tom Watson stands out because of the impact he had on the psyche of the people of this state and the region," said Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta).   "It's appropriate to remove him from the front door of the people's capitol."

Rep. Tommy Benton (R-Jefferson) says removing the statue sets a bad precedent in the name of "political correctness," and says the state should not be removing statues and markers and other memorials that help chart Georgia's history.

"My concern would be not only statues on the Capitol grounds, but statues everywhere across the State that deal with history.  Sometimes history is not pretty.  But at the same time, it is the history.  Good or bad." 

RELATED | Atlanta statue of provocation

Some images in the attached TV story courtesy of GeorgiaInfo.

Other Stories of interest:
- Some furloughed state employees won't get back pay
- Atlanta City Council race gets ugly in Post 3
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- Kennesaw smoking ban proposal draws heat
- More top Political Headlines

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Patchy Frost Possible in Some North Georgia Counties Overnight

We do not have a frost advisory, but some north Georgia residents still might see some patchy areas of frost by morning.  The Frost Advisories are in effect in North Carolina, Tennessee, and northeast Alabama.  Those are the areas that have the better chance of seeing some widespread frost develop.

Even though we don't have a frost advisory, the local NWS Weather office issued a "Special Weather Statement" alerting north Georgia residents that some patchy frost may develop.  It doesn't look like it would be widespread, only patches of frost in some isolated areas.

It takes temperatures in the 33-37 degree range to even have a good possibility of frost.  It also requires calm wind and clear skies to allow for that radiational cooling.  That recipe will not be present for most of our viewing area.  

Here's a look at the special weather statement from the NWS:

  DADE-WALKER-CATOOSA-WHITFIELD-MURRAY-FANNIN-GILMER-UNION-TOWNS-  CHATTOOGA-GORDON-PICKENS-DAWSON-LUMPKIN-WHITE-FLOYD-BARTOW-  CHEROKEE-POLK-PAULDING-HARALSON-  1013 PM EDT SUN OCT 20 2013    ...ISOLATED PATCHY FROST POSSIBLE IN PORTIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA  FROM 4 AM EDT TO 9 AM EDT MONDAY...    THE COMBINATION OF UNSEASONABLY COOL TEMPERATURES UNDER MOSTLY CLEAR  SKIES AND CALM WINDS WILL ALLOW FOR POSSIBLE PATCHY FROST  DEVELOPMENT IN SOME ISOLATED AREAS MONDAY MORNING. THE LOCATIONS  WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF ANY FROST DEVELOPMENT WILL BE IN THE  VALLEYS OF NORTH GEORGIA AND ANY ELEVATED SURFACES. ALTHOUGH THIS  THREAT IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE WIDESPREAD...THOSE WITH SENSITIVE  OUTDOOR PLANTS IN TYPICAL COOL SPOTS SHOULD CONSIDER TAKING  PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT VEGETATION.  

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Obama confronts Obamacare criticism

President Obama (Photo: Jacquelyn Martin, AP)

With the government re-opened and the debt ceiling dispute deferred, President Obama and his team now face another big story this month: The error-ridden rollout of the new health care law.

FULL COVERAGE | The Affordable Care Act 

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew went on NBC's Meet The Press on Sunday to say that officials are working around the clock on Internet problems that are preventing people from signing up for new health care exchanges.

RELATED | Making Improvements to HealthCare.gov

"I think that there's no one more frustrated than the president at the difficulty in the website," Lew said.

Obama himself plans to discuss the challenges Monday at what the White House is billing as a "health care event."

USA TODAY reported that "the Federal Healthcare Exchange was built using ten-year-old technology that may require constant fixes and updates for the next six months and the eventual overhaul of the entire system."

On Meet The Press, Lew said that "the huge outpouring of interest shows how important it is that we get this right. There are millions of Americans who want health insurance. It's important for our economy for them to have health insurance."

The "real test," the Treasury Secretary said, comes in January, when officials learn how many people are enrolled in health care exchanges, and the quality of care that they're receiving.

Said Lew: "If we get that right, everyone will regret that the early weeks were choppy on the website -- but the test is, are people getting coverage and are they getting the care that they need? And we're confident we're going to be on track to do that."

In the meantime, congressional Republicans who opposed Obamacare are spotlighting its early problems.

The office of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., sent out an e-mail Sunday featuring a June 7 quote from Obama: "I think it's important for us to recognize and acknowledge this is working the way it's supposed to."

Appearing on CBS' Face The Nation, McConnell said Obamacare is "the worst piece of legislation passed in the last half century ... we need to get rid of it."

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Police blame speed for an early morning crash that killed 3 men

Michael Haynes, Jacolby Lowe, and Jerod Lowe. All three were killed in a crash Sunday morning.

AUSTELL, Ga. --  Families are planning the funerals for three young men, killed when the car they were riding in lost control and veered off the road.

It happened around 12:30 Sunday morning on Clay Road just West of Flint Hill Road near Austell.

Police have yet to say how fast the car was going or whether any of them were wearing seatbelts, but you can see by the skid marks the car went into oncoming traffic before slamming into a tree on the other side of the road. 

Friends gathered just hours later to remember the driver, 20-year old Michael Haynes, and the two brothers riding with him, 24-year old Jacolby Lowe and 21-year old Jerod Lowe.  Police say the brothers were living in Marietta.

"We came out here to show love and we miss you, we're going to love you though. Ride in peace," said Shawn Williams, a member of Haynes car club.

Jerry Emile says he was with the three men shortly before the crash.  They had all planned to meet back up at his house to hang out.

"It just kind of breaks your heart, makes you, honestly it makes you double think about driving," said Michelle Stanford who attended South Cobb high school with Haynes.

Friends say they men who died had dreams.

"Jacolby was a real good person he was working in the studios trying to get contract deals," said Emile.

For Haynes, his passion was cars.  He was a member of the Crown Vic Boys of Atlanta, a group of car enthusiasts.

But friends say his new love, was his son. A little boy they all now promised to help protect.

"We love him like a brother. All of us is all family, we've all got to come together," said Williams.

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$10,000 reward in Georgia student's death

VALDOSTA - The SLCL is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the mysterious death of a Valdosta teen. Two autopsies were performed on 17 year old Kendrick Johnson with conflicting results. The first ruled his death accidental, but the second, commissioned by his family, ruled he died from blunt force trauma.

Johnson's body was discovered inside a rolled up gym mat at Lowndes County High School in January. The school's attorney says security camera video shows other students were in the gym before Johnson died, but, because they are minors, the video cannot be released. So far, investigators have only released still photos from inside the gym, which give the appearance that the 17-year-old was alone the day he died. Johnson's family is now demanding the full video be released.

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More problems with Affordable Health Care website

ATLANTA - Frustration continues to grow over the new Affordable Health Care website. The site was down for repairs this weekend, as experts tried to fix the bugs.

Millions have tried to access the site over the past two weeks, but the White House said Saturday that less than 500,000 people have actually been able to successfully file applications. In fact, there have been so many problems, Congress is set to hold hearings on the matter next week.

Even local navigators who are in charge of signing up Georgians admit they've run into problems. One told 11Alive some people managed to get all the way to the last step, but then couldn't submit their application. The navigator says the issue is expected to be fixed by Monday.

On Saturday, the White House was still on the defensive as complaints continued. "Those challenges are being addressed, and progress is being made and people are enrolling across the country," said White House press secretary Jay Carney.

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City of Atlanta salutes Dr. C.T. Vivian

ATLANTA - The city of Atlanta is wishing Dr. C.T. Vivian the best, as he gets ready to travel to Washington, D.C. to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Mayor Kasim Reed was among those saluting the civil rights leader Saturday during a sendoff ceremony. Dr. Vivian was a close friend of Martin Luther King, Junior. He will be one of six honorees to receive the medal next month.

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Bulls arrive to run with 3,000 daredevils in Conyers

CONYERS, GA - About 40 bulls and steers from Kentucky arrived at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers Friday afternoon for Saturday's Great Bull Run.

It's the second of nine planned in the United States before next June.

SEE WHAT TO EXPECT | Get your bull running questions answered and see photos from the Virginia run

The animals were given a test run around a quarter-mile track lined with barricades that they'll be sharing with about 3,000 humans in several heats.

The humans will pay $75 each to take part in what organizers admit is a dangerous sport.

"There is a risk of very serious injury, but it's no different than sky diving or race car driving or any other extreme sport that involves serious risk or injury," organizer Rob Dickens told 11 Alive.

Two of the 4,000 people who ran in the first Great Bull Run in Virginia last August were hospitalized.

But Dickens said the bulls that chased them are not nearly as dangerous as the ones used in Spain's famous Pamplona run.

"Rodeo bulls are bigger, but they're not nearly as insanely aggressive as a Spanish fighting bill would be," Dickens said.

"Their horns are about as dull as your fist, so it makes it pretty difficult to gore someone," he added.

Despite protests from several animal rights groups, the Great Bull Run adds that while Spain's bulls end up fighting to the death in a ring after their run, the American rodeo bulls will be safer than the humans they'll be chasing.

"Humans can use animals as long as they're not being abused and we're certainly not abusing our bulls," Dickens insisted.

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"Pillowcase Bandit" caught on video

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Police released security camera footage of a man that could be connected to several burglaries in Buckhead.  He's known as the "Pillowcase Bandit."

It's not what the man is wearing that makes him a prime suspect.  The tell is what's in his hand.  He is carrying a stolen pillowcase, mostly filled with sentimental jewelry.  It was taken from a home on Spad Avenue on October 11th, and it was all caught on video.

"People in the neighborhood are kind of concerned," said Greg Bowman.

RELATED | Burglars using pillow cases during crimes in Sandy Springs

It's a neighborhood that decorates for Halloween and takes their kids to the park.  Lately, residents are looking over their shoulders.

"A lot of neighbors have gotten security systems," Bowman said.

The homeowner showed us their security system.  It's composed of three high definition cameras and cost $250 for the full set up. The images it took are invaluable to solving this case 

TRACK CRIME WHERE YOU LIVE | Interactive community crime map

"If he was walking around the neighborhood you'd know who he was," Wesley Ward said.

The still frames from the video made the neighborhood newsletter.  Neighbors are ready to report any thing they see.

"When you see somebody in a different car or someone you don't normally see around it kinda makes you want to call people and say keep an eye out," Ward said.

The police report mentions a black BMW that may have been used as a get away.  If any of this sounds familiar Atlanta police want to hear from you.  Any information on the case can be submitted anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477), online www.crimestoppersatlanta.org or by texting CSA and the tip to CRIMES (274637)

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Students injured when slide collapses in LaGrange

LAGRANGE, Ga. -- Seven injured children were out of the hospital and back home Friday night after a frightening and potentially life-threatening accident at their elementary school.

They were part of a group of students playing on an inflatable slide when the slide collapsed.

Everyone wants to know why it collapsed.

At about 1:00 p.m. Friday, 5th Graders entered the gym at Rosemont Elementary School in Troup County for a celebration -- a reward for the students who completed their accelerated reading goals.

Games were set up on the gym floor, along with a tall, inflatable slide.

When the kids started climbing and jumping on that slide, it collapsed.

"Everybody started screaming," said one of the 5th Graders, Isaiah Duke.

Isaiah said he and his classmates had just walked into the gym when more than a dozen of them went straight for the slide.

"There was lots of kids jumping and screaming on the slide. And the teachers kept on trying to get them in a straight line. But everybody started jumping on there. And there were some kids that were jumping and pushing the slide over. I think one of the cords that was holding the slide popped I think, I heard something pop."

What happened next was a blur of children tumbling down, on top of other children.

"Some were, like, on the bottom when it happened, but there were some on the top that really got hurt. The slide tipped all the way over and kids started screaming, one girl started -- she was on top of the slide -- started screaming."

Tina Duckett, the spokesperson for the Troup County School System, said seven children were taken to hospitals and later released; eleven others who were hurt were checked out at the school.

Duckett said a local business had set up the inflatable slide for the school celebration.

"It collapsed when the children were on it," Duckett said. "We've had celebrations in the past and this is the first time this type of incident has occurred.... It's totally frightening to us because our focus is children on a daily basis, and to have any injuries to any child is absolutely devastating."

Isaiah Duke's aunt, Morgan Orantes, whose own child also attends Rosemont Elementary, wants the school and the Sheriff's investigators to find out soon why the slide collapsed.

"I don't know exactly how it happened, so I don't know if there were too many kids on it or if it wasn't being monitored correctly," Orantes said. "I mean I haven't gotten all the information, so I don't know."

School parents like Tabitha Nation are grateful that all the injured kids were able to go home.

"I'm praying for the children that got injured," Nation said, praising the way the school responded.

"It's an accident, and it could have happened anywhere. It could happen at a birthday party."

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$50,000 reward for solving Duluth woman's murder

Monique Marlowe, 24, was shot and killed Sept. 21, 2012

DULUTH, Ga -- It was a murder that never made sense and still doesn't more than a year after it happened. Monique Marlowe, 24, of Duluth, was shot and killed at her job September 21, 2012. Thirteen months later, police are hoping a $50,000 reward will encourage someone with information about the case to come forward.

Marlowe was shot and killed behind the Hertz rental car company on Satellite Boulevard near Gwinnett Place Mall. She was cleaning a rental car when someone approached her and shot her. Before she died, she was able to give police a very vague description of the suspect. "She said it was a black male wearing a light blue shirt and 'I didn't know who he was'," said Gwinnett County Police Corporal Jake Smith.

Thirteen months later, police and her parents, Dan and Maria Marlowe, still don't know who killed her. "Why would someone do that?" Dan Marlowe asked. "It just baffles us."

The rental car company is in a very busy area and the murder happened during the evening rush hour, the busiest time of day. Monique Marlowe's body was found by co-workers partially inside the car she was cleaning.

"She had no enemies, she was not participating in any kind of illegal activity," Cpl. Smith said. "She was purely a victim of whatever happened there and we would very much like to be able to solve this crime."

A motive has been elusive. Her parents say a clue might be her favorite necklace from Disney that she loved to wear. They said they couldn't find it after she was killed. "Possibly the person who did this may have snatched it, just grabbed it," Her father said.

Police said the motive may have been robbery. "She was not wearing it when she was discovered and no one can say whether or not she was wearing it earlier in the day," Cpl. Smith said.

Dan Marlowe said he doesn't think the killer will ever turn himself in because he doesn't care. "He should feel guilty about a beautiful life that's destroyed," he said.

Police believe someone may have heard or saw something they didn't realize was important and they're hoping the sizeable reward of $50,000 will encourage them to come forward.

We're hopeful that maybe that (reward) will attract some attention and maybe we'll get a tip," the victim's father said. "I won't give up. I'll keep trying. I will not give up."

Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS (8477).

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @krowson11alive

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Some furloughed state employees won't get back pay

ATLANTA -- The end of the federal government shutdown is good news for federal employees. They're returning to work, and they'll get back pay.

But for some state employees, the news isn't so good.

The Georgia National Guard has 223 employees who are paid with a combination of state and federal funds. Though a spokesman says the Guard has welcomed them all back to work -- they won't get back pay. A web site created by the Guard, devoted to furlough information, cites the Georgia Constitution as the reason.

FULL COVERAGE | How the shutdown impacted Georgia and the nation

"Unlike the federal government, Georgia cannot pay employees for time not worked," the site says. The best the Guard can do is offer leave time and comp time to those furloughed state employees.

The Guard is one of four state agencies that had to furlough state employees because of the federal government shutdown. The Georgia Department of Labor furloughed 24 employees in its workforce statistics division --- the section that produces its high-profile unemployment data, released monthly.

"They work very closely with the US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The funding for those positions comes from the US Department of Labor," said Sam Hall, communications director for the Georgia Department of Labor.

Those Labor department employees did not return to work Thursday, the day after the end of the government shutdown. Hall says the department is awaiting guidance from other state and federal agencies -- to see when their job funding is restored, and whether they can get back pay like federal employees are getting.

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Cobb County District Attorney: end 'zero tolerance' weapons ban in Georgia schools

MARIETTA, Ga. -- The top prosecutor in Cobb County says it's time for Georgia to put an end to the no-excuses, "zero tolerance" weapons-ban in the public schools.

District Attorney Vic Reynolds believes state law should be changed, in order to give students a break when, for example, they forget they have, say, a pocket knife in their backpack, or maybe a hunting knife locked in their car in the parking lot.

As it is, just about every school year, there are students across Georgia who are suspended or expelled, and convicted of felonies, because of innocent mistakes like that. Not because they were trying to harm anyone.

So, Reynolds is going to ask the state legislature to re-write the zero tolerance weapons ban, to give police and school adminstrators more control over which violations should be dismissed, and which ones should be handled within the school system -- on a case by case basis -- instead of having to throw the book at every student, with handcuffs and suspension/explusion and jail and felony records, for even the smallest violation.

"There has to be some discretion, some wiggle room built into these laws," Reynolds said Thursday, "to where an administrator, if he or she knows the kid, knows he's a good kid, does well in school, hasn't been in trouble, [and the kid] comes to an administrator, says, 'Oh by the way, I inadvertently left this small knife in my backpack from camping trips,' or whatever, they have some room to do something besides saying, 'Lock him up.'"

But school administrators have always been the biggest supporters of "zero tolerance." They say, for example, a bad kid could grab the knife that a good kid accidentally brings to school, and stab somebody.  So they are eager to send the message that even a tiny mistake will be punished like a big crime. No excuses and never any exceptions.

"That is telling other students that we're trying to keep their school safe and that we're trying to keep them safe at school," said Gwinnett County Schools Spokesman Jorge Quintana during an interview in 2012.

Reynolds said that over the next several weeks he is going to work with some legislators from Cobb County to draft some proposed changes in the law, and then try to put the revisions to a vote in the legislature early next year.

"Certainly, based on what we've seen around campuses, the horrific incidents of violence, nobody wants even the remote chance of that happening," Reynolds said. "All we're trying to do is to make sure that, in the end, as with any law, there's some level of common sense exhibited."

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Another suspect charged in kidnapping of 14-year-old girl

Mugshot of Tony Maurice Graves (aka Tony Ware) alongside police sketch (FBI)

ATLANTA - The FBI has arrested a 28-year-old Atlanta man in connection with the abduction of 14-year-old Ayvani Perez in Clayton County in September.

In a release, the FBI says they arrested Tony Maurice Graves - aka Tony Ware - on a federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant charging him with conspiracy to kidnap. Graves, along with Wildrego Jackson, 29, of Atlanta, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to kidnap and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

RELATED | New evidence expected at Wildrego Jackson hearing
READ | FBI report details abduction of Ayvani Perez

PHOTOS | Mugshots: See 'em to believe 'em
MORE | Metro Atlanta crime reports and maps

Jackson had been previously arrested on September 18, 2013, along with Juan Alberto Contreras-Rodriguez, and charged with taking the teen from her home in the middle of the night.

Graves was one of two suspects the FBI said matched police sketches of suspects issued shortly after Ayvani was taken from her home in mid-September.

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Congress passes deal to end shutdown, raise debt limit

WASHINGTON - Congress approved a bipartisan deal to reopen the federal government and avert an unprecedented debt default, ending a bitter and partisan 16-day impasse.

WATCH LIVE COVERAGE | And join the social conversation

President Obama said he will sign the bill as soon as it reaches his desk.

The Senate voted 81-18; The House voted 285-144. Only Republicans opposed the deal in each chamber.

MORE | Full Coverage of Government Shutdown 

Both chambers then adjourned for the rest of the week.

House GOP leaders accepted the Senate deal to end the partial shutdown and avert a Thursday deadline to raise the nation's $16.7 trillion debt ceiling, that risked the nation's economic standing.

"The compromise we reached will provide our economy with the stability it desperately needs," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who negotiated the agreement with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

"This has been a long, challenging few weeks for Congress and for the country. It is my hope that today we can put some of those most urgent issues behind us," McConnell said.

After the Senate vote, President Obama made a brief statement praising leaders of both parties for accepting the deal. "My hope and expectation is everybody has learned that there is no reason why we can't work on the issues at hand, why we can't disagree between the parties while still being agreeable, and make sure that we're not inflicting harm on the American people when we do have disagreements," Obama said,

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who led the unsuccessful GOP effort to dismantle the president's healthcare law in the fight, announced early Wednesday that he would not block the Senate deal and he urged GOP lawmakers to support it.

"The House has fought with everything it has" in the latest budget fight, he said, but he would not allow the risk of default to occur. Boehner said Republicans were committed to keeping up their fight to rein in the Affordable Care Act but would use "smart, targeted strikes" and aggressive oversight in the future. "Our drive to stop the train wreck that is the president's health care law will continue." Republicans remain opposed to new taxes, he added.

Republicans initially had demanded delaying or defunding President Obama's signature health care law before they would agree to raise the debt ceiling or fund the government, but those demands faded over several weeks. The final deal does not include any significant revisions of the Affordable Care Act.

The narrow deal includes a stopgap measure that would fund the government through Jan. 15, suspend the debt ceiling until Feb. 7 and establish a framework for formal budget negotiations to begin. Negotiators would be tasked with reporting out by Dec. 13 recommendations for longer-term spending levels and deficit reduction.

The package will also provide back pay to the 800,000 federal workers affected by the shutdown, and keep in place a pay freeze for members of Congress through the upcoming budget year.

Senate Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash., and House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., were scheduled to meet for breakfast Thursday morning to begin talks.

Senate leaders reasserted control of negotiations after Boehner failed Tuesday to corral GOP lawmakers behind a competing budget proposal that would have eliminated federal subsidies for lawmakers, administration officials, and their staffs to buy insurance under the new system.

House Republican leaders relied on House Democrats to provide the votes to pass the Senate package.

The conservative activist group FreedomWorks railed against the deal as a "complete surrender" to Democrats. The group joined a trio that includes Club for Growth and Heritage Action in advising lawmakers to oppose the plan because they will use it to rank Republicans in their annual scorecards.

The shutdown and debt ceiling fight have been politically bruising for the GOP, but White House spokesman Jay Carney declined to say the end result was a victory for Democrats.

"There are no winners here," he said. "We said that from the beginning, and we're going to say it right up to the end because it's true. The American people have paid a price for this. And nobody who's sent here to Washington by the American people can call themselves a winner if the American people have paid a price for what's happened. And the economy has suffered because of it, and it was wholly unnecessary."

Initially, House Republican leaders sought a broad package of spending cuts and financial changes to raise the $16.7 trillion debt limit. But they never put forward the plan, and the lack of direction exposed cracks between House Republicans and their Senate counterparts, who voiced increasing frustrations about the lack of a unified strategy.

A series of public opinion polls in the past two weeks showed the Republican Party tanking in popularity, which Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., recently called "devastating."

"I think it's obvious that we are now seeing the end of this agonizing odyssey that this body has been put through, but far more importantly, the American people have been put through," McCain said Wednesday, "It's one of the more shameful chapters that I have seen in the years that I have spent here in the Senate."

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Mama bear, three cubs, making themselves at home in Forsyth County subdivision

(SUWANEE, Ga.) -- A family of bears is wandering around a neighborhood in North Metro Atlanta, in the Johns-Creek and Suwanee area, and there are four of them.

Of course, it's not unheard of for bears to venture into residential areas of Metro Atlanta, looking for food.

But it's never happened in this neighborhood, and it's causing more excitement than concern or fear.

"It's amazing," said Rob Moravek, who lives in the Shake Rag Farms subdivision off of Kemp Road and McGinnis Ferry Road, near the Chattahoochee River in Forsyth County.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the bears appeared in a field of trees and tall grass next to Shake Rag Farms.

There were one large bear and three small ones -- apparently the mama bear and her three cubs.

They were just wandering around, hanging out.

One of them climbed a tree while the others strolled and rolled onto their backs.

Drivers stopped their cars, got out, took pictures, like this was a natural habitat zoo.

Children played soccer nearby.

"I'm not sure if they were searching for food or what they were doing," Moravek said. "They could have just been trying to find a way out of the subdivision."

Moravek has lived in Shake Rag Farms for ten years. He's never seen bears there until now.

His home surveillance cameras recorded the four bears strolling down his street, through the subdivision.

Then they made a u-turn, running up the street. The mama bear paused to let the slowest cub catch up, then she led them away, between the houses across the street from Moravek's house.

"There are a lot of kids in this neighborhood, so it is a little scary," Moravek said.

The Forsyth County Sheriff and State DNR rangers said they're just going to leave the bear family alone. This is a semi-rural area that is slowly becoming residential.

"I never in a million years thought that I would ever see bears coming down the street, fifty feet from my house," Moravek said.

In September, not far away in Milton, in North Fulton County, people spotted a mama bear and at least two cubs walking through a subdivision there.

The DNR said the bears are simply attracted to the smells of food and cooking.

And rangers said if you see bears in your neighborhood and you feel you're in any danger, slowly back away, and make a lot of noise; the bears will most likely want to get away from YOU.

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Foulmouthed parking attendant caught on tape

The video is rude, raw and foulmouthed. And a Stone Mountain woman claims not only was her car illegally booted but she was subjected to a profanity-laced tirade from the parking attendant.

"Get that f****** camera out of my face, b****," the attendant is caught screaming on the video.

Vandreena Cotton says she paid to park her car in the lot next to the Greyhound Station in downtown Atlanta Sunday night. But after she dropped her aunt off at the station, Cotton says she was surprised to find her car booted.

"I felt like he was basically doing a shakedown like this was the Old West, " Cotton said.

Cotton says she started documenting what had happened -- snapping photos and shooting video -- which apparently angered the parking attendant.

The owner of Advanced Booting Services says the employee's conduct was not acceptable but insists the video doesn't tell the whole story.

"I can't defend that kind of language. It's against our rules. It's completely inappropriate, " Michael Jacob said. "But my question is, 'What did she say to push a man to that?'"

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Coca Cola's Diet Coke plan: keep aspartame in it, prepare new drinks without it

(ATLANTA) -- Coca Cola's top executive for North America and Latin America made an amazing and public admission Tuesday.

Steve Cahillane acknowledged during a conference call with industry analysts that sales of Diet Coke -- the Number Two selling soft drink in the U.S., second only to Coke itself -- were down three percent last year because of consumers' concerns over artificial sweeteners.

So, here's what that mighty global company on Atlanta's North Avenue is doing about the Diet Coke "artificial sweetener" controversy -- it's playing aggressive offense while toughening up its defense.

And Wall Street likes the Diet Coke playbook that it sees emerging from the Atlanta headquarters, even if increasing numbers of consumers in the U.S. don't, right now.

First, Coke is sticking with aspartame as the sweetener in Diet Coke, and promoting Diet Coke more than ever, convinced it can boost slipping sales.

| August, 2013: Coke Defends Aspartame |

But Coke also continues to develop new drinks that could take Diet Coke's place as a top-tier brand, if and when Diet Coke joins the ranks of Tab.

Dominic Chu, Markets Reporter with CNBC, told 11Alive's Jon Shirek that has been Coke's trademark strategy for decades.

"I mean, Coca Cola went from a one-product company back in its founding, just selling Coca Cola, all the way to what it is today. You've got all different kinds of products. You've got Dasani on the water side of things. You've also got big teas like Honest Tea, you've also got the Fuze drinks. What you're seeing is maybe, perhaps, a slow down in the soda side of sales, but they are seeing double-digit growth, rapid growth, in things like those teas, the tea market. So as consumers start to change their buying patterns, their buying proclivities, what you're seeing is Coca Cola trying to add products to the mix where customers are. Now, none of those products even comes close to the sales volume of a traditional Coca Cola, or even a Diet Coke, but what it does show you is big companies like Coca Cola are always looking for where those consumer trends are, and they're looking to make acquisitions to make sure they always have a product that people want to drink.... The controversy around sweeteners, artificial sweeteners in diet sodas, has been around for years, and what happens is a lot of these companies, they typically go and they evolve their product mix. If customers start to pull back on those products, they find other products to substitute for those. So with Coca Cola and other big-name soft drink makers, you're talking about, yes, some controversy. But we've yet to see any real, solid impact to sales just because of those concerns."

Coke is experimenting with a natural sweetener, stevia, from the stevia plant, and using that in Diet Coke sold in Argentina. Not anywhere else, yet.

| 11Alive Web Poll: What do you think about artificial sweeteners? |

But Chu said sales of the aspartame version of Diet Coke remain relatively strong worldwide, despite some consumer resistance in the U.S.

"About 60 percent of its revenues, its sales, comes from outside the U.S. So as much as we're focused a little bit on what's happening with Diet Coke and the possible consumer issues that they have with sweeteners, you've got to look around the world in places like emerging markets -- all those growth markets -- Coca Cola products still sell very heavily there. And where the sales growth is, is outside the U.S. borders. So even though there's this issue right now, perhaps, a small one, at best, in the United States and North America, you still have to see where the patterns are all over the world, because that is where Coca Cola sells the majority of its product. You've got to look outside the U.S. borders."

Even if increasing numbers of U.S. consumers reject Diet Coke and other sodas containing artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, Chu said Wall Street is still bullish on the big Coke brand.

"Generally speaking, a lot of the traders and analysts and experts that we talk to, fund managers, all say that Coca Cola is a solid, blue chip company. It's an iconic brand, one that has very stable cash flows, one that pays a pretty decent dividend to investors. So when it comes to Coca Cola, there's always going to be a share-holder base who's in there looking to invest in the company that may not be growing as rapidly as some big internet company, but is certainly one that's got a lot of brand recognition, and one that provides slow and steady returns and even payments in terms of dividends for its investors. That's the reason why a lot of investors invest in a company like Coca Cola. They're not looking for rocket-sized gains in the stock, they're looking for a slow and steady performer."

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POLL: Should Diet Coke change eliminate artificial sweeteners?

(AP) -- Diet Coke, the country's No. 2 soda, may be losing some of its pop. During a conference call with analysts Tuesday, a Coca-Cola executive noted that Diet Coke was "under a bit of pressure" because of people's concerns over its ingredients, alluding to the growing wariness of artificial sweeteners in recent years. 

Steve Cahillane, who heads Coca-Cola's North American and Latin American business, noted that the issue wasn't specific to Diet Coke, but that many diet foods and drinks in the U.S. are facing the same concerns. 

BACKGROUND | Coca-Cola defends use of aspertame

"We believe very strongly in the future of Diet Coke," Cahillane nevertheless stressed, noting that the drink was still the No. 2 soda in the U.S, after knocking Pepsi from that perch in 2010. The company still sells twice as much regular Coke as Diet Coke.

Cahillane also noted that the company is investing in boosting Diet Coke's performance, pointing to recent promotions with singer Taylor Swift as an example. 

| Coca Cola's Diet Coke Plan: Keep Aspartame In It, Prepare New Drinks Without It |

Soda has been under fire from health advocates for years now, and Americans have been cutting back on sugary fizz for some time. But in a somewhat newer development, diet sodas are falling at a faster rate than regular sodas, according to Beverage Digest, an industry tracker. 

Last year, for example, sales volume for Coke fell 1 percent, while Diet Coke fell 3 percent. Pepsi fell 3.4 percent, while Diet Pepsi fell 6.2 percent. Those figures aren't going unnoticed in Coca-Cola's Atlanta headquarters. 

This summer, the company launched its first ad addressing the safety of aspartame to ease concerns people might have. It has also distributed fact sheets on the topic to its bottlers and retailers who sell Coke products. 

The Food and Drug Administration says aspartame may be safely used in foods as a sweetener, and the American Cancer Society has said that most studies using people have found that aspartame is not linked to an increased risk of cancer. 

Still, the broader trend in the U.S. has been toward foods and drinks people feel are natural or organic. And Coca-Cola is clearly aware of the shift; the company is working on producing sodas made with natural, low-calorie sweeteners. It also launched a version of its namesake drink sweetened with stevia in Argentina this summer. Stevia comes from a plant of the same name. 

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola said that sales volume for regular, full-calorie Coke rose 2 percent in North America in its latest quarterly results reported Tuesday. Coke Zero, which is made with artificial sweeteners and targeted more toward men, rose 5 percent. The company didn't break out Diet Coke's performance, but overall soda volume for the region was flat. 

Do you think Diet Coke should change the formula?

COCA-COLA NEWS FROM 11ALIVE ARCHIVES:

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