Georgia law enforcement authorities say nine fatality crashes occurred in the state during the recent Thanksgiving Holiday travel period. Department of Public Safety spokesman Gordy Wright reported the numbers early Monday after the 102 hour Thanksgiving Holiday travel period ended at midnight. State Troopers say they investigated a total of 622 crashes between 6 p.m. Wednesday and late Sunday night. These wrecks resulted in 263 injuries. Authorities say alcohol is suspected as a contributing factor in four of the traffic deaths investigated by troopers. 

Floyd County firemen spend much of the weekend dousing woods and grass fires in the Floyd County area. Dry weather is sited as the culprit in the fires scattered around the county. Fires were reported at Shannon, off Highway 140 and off Blacks Bluff Road. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported. Burning leaves is a possible cause of some of the fires. 

Listed on the November 21-26 Arrest Report by the Chattooga County Jail are:

John Chandler Agan, Summervville — Public Intoxication

Kevin Morris Shripshire, Trion — Aggravated Assault

Kristin Nicole White, Summerville — Failure to Appear

Shawn Edward Bryson, Gaylesville Al — Driving with Suspended License

Patrick Caleb Bentley, Summerville — No Insurance/No Proof of Insurance; Driving With Suspended/Revoked License

Justice Wayne Wilson, Lyerly — Underage Possession of Alcohol

Steven Thomas Youngblood, Menlo — Public Drunkeness

Robert Wayne Kenney, Summerville — No charges listed

Michael Brent West, Rockmart — Hold for DOC

Patrick Drew Lindsey, Summerville — Reckless Driving; Fleeing/Attempting to Elude Officers; Speeding

Whitney Deneen Moose, Summerville — Driving with Suspended/Revoked License

Michael Dale White, Summerville — Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

 Jeffrey Donald Wingfield, Lafayette- Two Counts Failure to Appear

Thomas Jefferson Dean, Summerville — Two Counts Failure to Appear

Gary Fitzgerald Collins, Summerville —  VGCSA/Possession of Schedule II Drug; VGCSA/ Possession of Schedule II Drug With Intent To Distribute; VGCSA/Possession of Schedule I Drug With Intent To Distribute;  VGCSA/ 1000 Feet of Housing Project or Park;  VGCSA/ Possession Of Methamphetamine;  VGCSA/ Sale of Schedule II Drug

Margie Marie Collins, Summerville —  VGCSA/Possession of Schedule II Drug; VGCSA/ Possession of Drug Related Objects; VGCSA/ Possession of Less Than 1 Oz. of Marijuana; Willful Obstruction of Law Enforcement Officers; VGCSA/ 1000 Ft. of Housing Project or Park;  VGCSA/ Possession of Schedule Ii Drug (Oxycodone); VGCSA/Possession of Schedule II With Intent To Distribute Within 1000 Ft. of Housing Project; VGCSA/Sale of Schedule II Drug (Oxycodone); Possession of Substances with Intent to Manufacture Schedule I or II Drug

Todd Billy Hall, Rome — Simple Battery

 Teresa Ann Edge, Summerville — VGCSA/Possession of Methamphetamine

A local auto garage owner reported  theft of services on Wednesday of last week. According to the report from the Chattooga County Sheriff's Department, Micah Maddux of Maddux Garage, 1802 Old Highway 27, reported that he had done some repair work valued at about $100 on a 2005 Dawoo Lagonza. He said when the woman who owned the vehicle came to pick up the vehicle she asked if she could drive the vehicle to B and B Market to get money for the repairs.  She was allowed to go with the vehicle,  and never returned to pay for the repairs. According to the report several attempts were made to contact the woman via phone by Maddux. The deputy who made the report also attempted to call the woman. The incident was turned over to investigators. 

Advocates for school choice in Georgia say they aim to expand a program that uses public money to pay private-school tuition for thousands of children in the state.

Georgia law allows individuals and corporations in Georgia to divert part of their state taxes to "student scholarship organizations," which then distribute most of the money as scholarships to private schools they represent.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports  that school choice advocates hope to increase the program to $100 million.

Supporters say passage of the charter schools amendment Nov. 6 made it clear that voters want more educational choices for children, including more public money for private-school scholarships.

Critics say the scholarship program is largely unregulated and drains badly needed money from the state treasury.

Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals is recalling several doses of its generic version of Lipitor because some batches of the cholesterol fighter may contain small glass particles.

The generic drugmaker's website says it is recalling 10-, 20- and 40-milligram doses of atorvastatin calcium tablets. The recall is tied to certain lot numbers of the drug. It is not tied to an 80-milligram version of the tablets.

Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals is a subsidiary of Indian drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd.

Lipitor was the world's top-selling drug until it lost patent protection nearly a year ago. Ranbaxy is one of several companies selling generic versions of the drug.

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The Teloga Volunteer Fire Department is selling live, cut-your-own Christmas trees from 1-5 p.m. today. Proceeds support the fire department. They're on Highway 337 just before you get to the Walker County line.

The Georgia Lottery begins selling tickets online today. Games will include Powerball, Mega Millions and Fantasy 5, to start. No out of state sales will be allowed. Players must register and must be at least 18 years old to play. The online site is expected to boost sales by millions of dollars each supporting college scholarships and Pre-Kindergarten programs in Georgia.   

Calhoun, Ga.-based floorcovering maker Mohawk Industries is in advanced talks to buy the unlisted Italian ceramics maker Marazzi Group, two sources familiar with the deal have told Reuters. A source said the parties were looking at the final details. "But it's a very complex operation … Mohawk is evaluating the company very carefully," the source said. A second source said the price of the deal was around $1.2 billion, according to Reuters.

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Georgia hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts now have an app of their own, compliments of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division.

The Official Georgia Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife Guide, powered by Pocket Ranger technology, is the official app of the GA DNR. The free, mobile app gives both novice and seasoned sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts essential information in the palm of their hand.

Features include:

• Species profiles
• Weather information
• Georgia rules and regulations
• Licensing information
• Boat ramp locations
• Maps of public wildlife areas

Advanced GPS technology enhances any trek through the woods by allowing users to track friends' locations, mark trails with photo waypoints and keep track of wildlife sightings. Sportsmen can even cache map tiles for offline use.

Wildlife Resources Division manages nearly 1 million acres of public lands for wildlife and habitat in Georgia. These Wildlife Management Areas and Public Fishing Areas are featured on the app.

App updates are already in development and will include enhanced birding trails, expanded saltwater species list, a Trophy Case for posting photos and comments and universal formatting for horizontal and vertical viewing.

Download the free app now on your mobile device through the Apple App Store or the Android Market and search "GA Fish & Wildlife Guide." Visit www.pocketranger.com/apps/ga-fw/apps.php to learn more.