Thousands enroll in Ga. Pre-K Program

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Tuesday, July 29th, 2014, 5:04am

(WXIA) -- More than 80,000 Georgia children are enrolled in the state's Pre-K Program for the 2014-15 school year.

Pre-K is open to all 4 year olds, regardless of household income. Assistant commissioner Susan Adams said that it is the first school experience for many children.

"For this reason, we take our roles very seriously, and we work really hard to provide Georgia's children with positive and meaningful experiences," Adams said in a release.

In Pre-K, students study language, literacy and math while making new friends and building foundations for lifelong learning. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning recommends parents visit their children's classrooms in advance to familiarize them with their new surroundings, and dress them in comfortable clothes and shoes every day. If students have a tendency to feel lonely, parents can send them to school with family photos to cheer them up, and blankets or stuffed animals to snuggle at naptime.

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Submitted by 11Alive News Staff

Monday, July 28th, 2014, 8:35am

BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. -- The Department of Natural Resources is investigating a drowning at Allatoona Lake.

A 25-year-old man was swimming near Allatoona Landing in Bartow County Sunday when he tried to retrieve a float that blew away. Witnesses said the victim then started having trouble and went under the water.

It is the 5th drowning on Allatoona Lake this summer.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Monday, July 28th, 2014, 8:28am

(WXIA) -- The unemployment rate in metro Atlanta climbed again last month.

June's rate was 7.6 percent, up from 7.2 percent in May, but much lower than last June's 8.6 percent.

Bartow County's unemployment rate was 7.7 percent in June.

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said the increase is due to end-of-summer job loss among non-contract school workers, an influx of graduates and students entering the workforce, and temporary layoffs in manufacturing.

So far, metro Atlanta has gained slightly more than 58,000 jobs in 2014 -- a good sign for those who are looking for work.

Metro Athens had Georgia's lowest June unemployment rate, at 6.3 percent. The highest was 10.4 percent, in the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region.

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Submitted by Don Buckindail, Director of Digital Operations

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2014, 4:55pm

Chief Thomas Culpepper of the Cartersville Police Department has advised that officers of the Department responded this afternoon to a call regarding a man threatening to jump from the Church Street bridge. Officers arrive on scene at approximately 1:25 pm to find a male subject, later identified as Christopher Jason Gay, 37, of Cartersville, standing on the ledge of the bridge over the rail. Other law enforcement officers, Bartow County Deputies, fire, and EMS personnel arrived, and assisted with blocking streets and the bridge.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, July 18th, 2014, 3:00pm

Rain could cancel road projects for the weekend

(WXIA) -- The threat of rain this weekend could provide some welcome relief for Atlanta-area drivers.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has already postponed a handful of road projects, thanks to the weather.

WEATHER | 11Alive meteorologist Tracy Humphrey has your weekend forecast

Resurfacing on Interstate 20 in Rockdale and Newton counties, and concrete replacement on the west side of I-285 have been canceled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

GDOT said it plans to move ahead with scheduled resurfacing on I-20 between Douglasville and Villa Rica, as it is very close to finishing the work -- well ahead of its projected November completion date. However, rain may briefly halt crews.

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Chick-fil-A makes 5,900 meals for kids who receive free, reduced school lunch

Submitted by Atlanta Busines... on Thursday, July 17th, 6:28 am

(ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE) -- The owners of 60 metro Atlanta Chick-fil-A restaurants provided 5,900 lunches Wednesday to children in seven counties who typically receive free and reduced lunches at school, reports Marietta Daily Journal.

The food made its way to children through MUST Ministries, whose summer lunch program has been around for 19 years. Program volunteers meet at churches in Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Forsyth, Gwinnett, north Fulton, Paulding and Pickens counties five days a week to make, pack and deliver lunches to nearly 6,000 children across eight counties for 10 weeks during the summer.

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Submitted by Associated Press

Monday, July 14th, 2014, 5:53pm

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. (AP) - A Belgium floorcovering manufacturer plans to build its U.S. headquarters in northwest Georgia.

Beaulieu International Group announced the Cartersville, Georgia project on Monday. The company says it plans to need 350 employees at the site during the next five years. The company makes a variety of floorcoverings, including carpet, vinyl and wood.

The company expects its Georgia manufacturing plant to produce 47 million square yards of cushion vinyl.

CEO Geert Roelens says the new plant will improve the company's U.S. market supply. Gov. Nathan Deal says the project will attract others to the area.

Cartersville is about 40 miles northwest of Atlanta.

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