ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) has been named a national leader in helping unemployed citizens get back to work and for the efficient management of its unemployment insurance program.

The American Institute for Full Employment (AIFE) recently presented the 2008 “Full Employment Award” to the Georgia Department of Labor. This prestigious award is presented annually to the state employment security agency that “best exemplifies commitment and dedication to re-employment of unemployment insurance claimants through proactive policies and innovative programs.”

“The on-going transformation of Georgia’s employment security system continues to pay large dividends for employers and workers,” said State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. “These awards recognize our commitment to helping jobless Georgians find jobs and being good stewards of the public’s money and trust.”

The AIFE noted that a key component of Georgia’s success was Commissioner Michael Thurmond’s “vision” and “dynamic leadership” in developing innovative “programs and policies that focus on reducing the time it takes for UI claimants to return to work.” According to the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) data, Georgia’s labor department helped laid-off workers get new jobs in an average of 11.6 weeks, one of the shortest benefit duration periods in the nation and nearly four weeks faster than the national average.

The shorter benefit period has resulted in significant savings to the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund. This has helped reduce employer taxes by $1.74 billion since 1999. During that same period, the maximum weekly benefit amount has been increased from $244 to $330.

In addition, USDOL recently recognized the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) division as one of the most efficient in the nation. In November, the USDOL presented Georgia with two 2008 National Unemployment Insurance State Performance Awards for achieving “the best performance nationally” in providing accurate tax operations and timely and high-quality UI appeals decisions.

FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA

GAC015-055-057-115-123-129-227-071330-
/O.NEW.KFFC.FA.W.0002.090106T1346Z-090107T1330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
846 AM EST TUE JAN 6 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* COUNTY FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS IN…
  CHEROKEE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
  GILMER COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
  PICKENS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
  BARTOW COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
  CHATTOOGA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
  FLOYD COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
  GORDON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA

* UNTIL 830 AM EST WEDNESDAY

* AT 840 AM EST…OCCASIONAL MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO MOVE
  ACROSS THE AREA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES HAVE ALREADY
  OCCURRED AND ANOTHER 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED THROUGH
  WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* MANY STREAMS AND CREEKS ARE RISING RAPIDLY AND SOME HAVE SPILLED
  OUT OF THERE BANKS. EMA OFFICIALS IN THESE COUNTIES HAVE REPORTED
  NUMEROUS DRAINAGE PROBLEMS ON ROADS DUE TO DEBRIS BLOCKAGE.
  WIDESPREAD MINOR FLOODING OF CREEKS AND RIVERS IN THE WARNED AREA
  ARE EXPECTED.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH…ON FOOT OR IN AN
AUTOMOBILE. DO NOT DRIVE AROUND BARRICADES…MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR
IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER
BEGINS RISING.

STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR
WARNINGS.

IF YOU SEE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING…WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE STORM HAS
PASSED…AND THEN CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1 8
6 6 7 6 3 4 4 6 6

Chattooga County Public Works Director Lamar Canada has notified AM 1180 Chattooga County Radio that the following roads have standing water over the roads.  The county has put up signs on the following roads:

Haywood Valley

Poplar Springs

Sardis Church

Perennial Springs

Please use extreme caution when travelling due to standing water on roadways.

Joshua Dale White of Trion, Charged with Superior Court Probation Violation

Daryl Wayne Watts of Summerville, Charged with Simple Battery FVA

Bobbie Michelle Campbell of Trion, Charged with Parole Violation

James Melvin Bentley of Lyerly, Charged with DUI and Probation Violation

Gustava Edwardo Miranda of Trion, Charged with Driving Unsafe or Improperly Equipped Vehicle, Drving without a valid License

There are currently 61 imates housed in the Chattooga County Jail with 32 housed in Floyd County and 1 at Dade County and 1 in the Rome Youth Detention Center for a total of 95 inmates in the custody of the Chattooga County Sheriffs Department.

Jr. Girls Unit 6688 will hold their regular monthly meeting January 13th at 5:30 PM at the Chattooga County Library.  All members are encouraged to attend.  Girls between the age of 6-15 are eligible if they have a family member eligible for the VFW.

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the appointment of Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner James E. Donald to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. He will replace Garfield Hammonds, Jr., whose term expired December 31, 2008.

Hammonds was originally appointed to the Board by Governor Zell Miller and was re-appointed by Governor Roy Barnes in December 2001. Donald’s appointment is effective today, January 5 and expires on December 31, 2015.

“Commissioner Donald’s experience in the state’s prison system makes him an excellent addition to the Board of Pardons and Paroles,” said Governor Perdue. “He has demonstrated strong leadership skills during his tenure at DOC and I am confident that he will continue his commitment to public service in his new role.”

Governor Perdue will recommend DOC Assistant Commissioner Brian Owens to the Corrections Board as Commissioner Donald’s replacement.

“Brian has served the agency in a number of leadership roles over the past decade and is ready to take on this new challenge,” Governor Perdue said.

Owens began his career in the criminal justice system as a Parole Officer. He achieved the rank of the Assistant Chief Parole Officer and eventually became the Chief Parole Officer of Fulton County. In 1999, Owens accepted a position with the Department of Corrections where he spearheaded the Office of Planning and Analysis. In 2002, Brian Owens was selected to the position of the Executive Assistant to Commissioner Wetherington. He sustained that position with the appointment of Commissioner Donald and was appointed to the position of Assistant Commissioner in March 2005. Mr. Owens is a graduate of the University of Georgia.

Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, a Republican, has voiced his opposition to easy restrictions on where Georgians can carry concealed weapons.  Cagle said that lawmakers should be "content where we are" in regards to concealed weapons laws.  Cagle cited a battle with the National Rifle Association as reason to keep the loosening of Georgia’s concealed weapon’s laws off the agenda when the State Legislature meets begginning next week.

State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond

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Issued by The National Weather Service
Atlanta, GA
5:02 am EST, Tue., Jan. 6, 2009

… FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON…

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA… NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND NORTHWEST GEORGIA.

* THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

* A FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS STALLED OVER NORTH GEORGIA. WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE WILL RIDE ALONG THIS FRONT TODAY… BRINGING SHOWERS… SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN ACROSS NORTH AND NORTHWEST GEORGIA. THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST TODAY… WITH HEAVY RAIN SINKING FURTHER SOUTH AS WELL INTO MUCH OF NORTH GEORGIA. RAINFALL OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE FLOOD WATCH AREA THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS LATE TUESDAY MAY RESULT IN LOCALIZED RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF 4 INCHES.

* THIS HEAVY RAINFALL WILL LIKELY CAUSE SOME RIVERS… STREAMS AND CREEKS TO RISE TO LEVELS THAT RESULT IN MINOR FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS ALSO POSSIBLE IN URBAN AREAS AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN DUE TO RAPID RUNOFF.

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLOODING ESPECIALLY ALONG LARGER STREAMS AND RIVERS. IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA… CHECK YOUR PREPAREDNESS REQUIREMENTS… ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE INTERESTS ALONG AREA RIVERS. KEEP INFORMED… AND BE READY FOR ACTION IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR IF A FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED.