At a time when Georgia’s public education budget is an increasingly hot topic, it’s alarming to some that a Tax Credit Scholarship expansion bill that would divert $30 million more in revenue is making its way through the General Assembly.

House Bill 140 is an extension of the Tax Credit Scholarship Program that allows Georgians to take a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for a donation to a Student Scholarship Organization. The SSOs distribute the donations to eligible private schools as student scholarships.

The measure, sponsored by state Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, is awaiting a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee. 

State and federal wildlife officials in North Carolina and Georgia announced an undercover operation today that involved about 80 wildlife violators and some 980 violations.

Primary violations documented by Operation Something Bruin stem from illegal bear hunting but include an array of state wildlife and game law charges. Some suspects could also face federal charges.

The four-year investigation, the largest of its kind in recent years, targeted poachers in North Carolina and Georgia, with work in some adjacent states. Included in Georgia are eight defendants facing a total of 136 state charges.

An Armuchee man was jailed Saturday after he was picked up on warrants that stemmed from allegations of drug activity in July 2012.

According to Floyd County jail reports:

Cody Brand, 25, of 285 Winkle Road in Armuchee, was arrested without incident by Rome police in the wake of a drug investigation that occurred on July 19, 2012.

Brand is alleged to have sold an undisclosed quantity of methamphetamine to a cooperating witness at South Hanks Street and Shorter Avenue. Brand faces felony charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and sale of methamphetamine. He also faces one count of giving police a false name and a probation violation.

Brand was being detained in the Floyd County jail Saturday night without bond.

The Heart of the Community hosted its 5th annual Heart of the Community Walk on Saturday. The group changed things up this year with the addition of a bike ride and river paddle. According to the group, more than $8,000 was raised and the money will go towards improving bike trails in Floyd County. This year`s honoree was Bob Moore, former owner of Bob`s Cycle Shop and survivor of a heart transplant.

 A federal judge is temporarily preventing Georgia's governor from replacing DeKalb County school board members who were recommended for suspension by the state Board of Education.

Gov. Nathan Deal had scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. Monday to announce whether he would follow the recommendation to suspend 6 of the nine board members. WSB-TV reports that the order from U.S. District Judge Richard Story doesn't restrain the governor from suspending board members, but it enjoins him from implementing any decision pending a court hearing Friday.

The judge's ruling was in response to a request from the DeKalb County school board. The school board is challenging the Georgia law that allows the governor to suspend board members at the recommendation of the state Board of Education.

An East Tennessee post office has begun throwing away books sent out through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program that are returned due to wrong addresses.

Members of the Maryville Kiwanis Foundation used to be able to pick up the returned books free of charge, but recently officials with the Postal Service said they can't allow that anymore. 

David Walton, spokesman for the Tennessee District of the U.S. Postal Service, said the practice is expensive and can't be continued, especially when the agency is facing financial woes of its own. The Postal Service lost $15.9 billion last year and has announced plans to stop Saturday mail delivery in August. 

Kiwanis member Herb Meyer says it seems "a shame" to discard about 100 books a month.

 Redmond Regional Medical Center honored three individuals as the hospital’s 2012 Frist Humanitarian Award Recipients: Dr. P.J. McElhone, Physician Recipient; Lauren Lyle Employee Recipient; and Charles Carlisle, Volunteer Recipient. The Frist Humanitarian Awards were created to recognize Redmond associates who demonstrate extraordinary concern for the welfare and happiness of patients and their community.

The Frist Humanitarian Awards are given annually in recognition of the humanitarian spirit and philanthropic work of the late Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr., a founder of HCA. National. Recipients will be honored at a reception in the spring. 

The Town of Trion Council will meet for it's regular monthly work session and council meeting on Thursday.

The work session will begin at 6 p.m. with the regular meeting following shortly thereafter in the conference room of the Trion Town Hall. 

The Chattooga County Pre-K Program will be taking applications from 10:00-2:00 daily

 on March 6, 7 & 8 for Lyerly, Menlo and Summerville Pre-K classes. Children must be

 four-years old by Sept 1, 2013 and live  in Georgia to qualify. For more information call  706-857-3490.

 Lobbyists have spent less money on Georgia's state senators in the first month after a new rule imposed limits.

Still, it remains unclear whether the rule alone is responsible for the decrease.

An analysis of financial reports by The Associated Press shows that lobbyists spent roughly $91,300 on Senate lawmakers in the month since the rule passed Jan. 14. That's a decrease of about 35% from the same period a year earlier.

The Senate adopted the rule this year to prohibit members from receiving lobbyist gifts worth more than $100. But the rule left several loopholes, including junkets tied to lawmakers' official duties and events where all state legislators or members of committees or caucuses are invited.