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Three months ago, Dana Knight couldn't do one push-up. And on the first day of police academy training, she wept after instructors told her she might not cut it.

ATLANTA - Three members of Effingham County High School chapter of SkillsUSA placed at the state competition April 24-26.

Savannah-Chatham Public Schools officials likely will cut at least 39 jobs, general spending and some school programs in an effort to reduce costs by $20.5 million next year.

Over the last five years, I have visited more than 500 schools, including at least one in every Georgia school district. I've discovered that each of our schools is unique and has its own character and its own challenges. But there is one thing that every great school in Georgia has in

RINCON - The cause of a Wednesday fire at the Georgia-Pacific Savannah River Mill on Fort Howard Road was still a mystery late in the day.

JESUP - A judge has ordered a new trial for a Savannah man sentenced to death more than 20 years ago in the brutal slayings of three members of a Wayne County family during a home invasion and robbery.

AUGUSTA - Effingham County High School's Lady Rebel golf team finished in fifth place with a score of 172 out of 15 teams in the AAAA state tournament Monday at Forest Hills Country Club.

Savannah-Chatham police arrested a fugitive and the man suspected of harboring him Tuesday after an anonymous CrimeStoppers tip.

Robert Jewette Futch, 18, of Savannah, was wanted in a burglary in which a Glock-23 semi-automatic handgun and other property were taken April 23 from an Isle of Hope home.

Futch was arrested shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday after he led officers on a foot chase into a marsh off Whitefield Avenue, police said.

Thomas Wesley Tompkins, 18, also was arrested on charges that he harbored Futch.

Both men were being held without bond Wednesday at the Chatham County jail.

The CrimeStoppers tip led detectives and uniformed patrol officers to Tompkins' trailer in Whitfield Mobile Estates. When officers arrived, the occupants of the trailer refused to answer the door. Detectives set up surveillance outside the trailer and waited.

Mississippi State University professor Jason Phillips is looking forward to returning to the Georgia Historical Society, one of the archives that contributed material for his critically acclaimed book, "Diehard Rebels: The Confederate Culture of Invincibility."

John Stone, seeking the Republican nomination in the 12th Congressional District, doesn't live there.

ATLANTA - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation gained the power to compare crime suspects' DNA samples with a database of genetic evidence collected from 150,000 offenders and nearly 7,000 unsolved cases, under legislation Gov. Sonny Perdue signed Wednesday.

The announcement

Attorney Larry Chisolm, a former assistant prosecutor, will run for district attorney as a Democrat.

The message

"All citizens should feel equally protected by the law and the DA's office, regardless of where they live.

"The citizens of Chatham County deserve to feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods and commercial areas, especially our children and the elderly.

"Violent crime has a negative impact on tourism and the economic viability of our community and must be dealt with aggressively.

"The district attorney should lead discussion and work to foster community collaboration in finding innovative solutions to the crime problem in Chatham County.

"Attention should be given to increasing the speed by which criminal cases are processed."

Joe Herpin led Benedictine to football victories over Savannah High in 1948 and 1950. Savannah High won the 1949 game, 13-6. An article Sunday on page 1D contained incorrect information.

One random issue this week reminded me that the problem is not necessarily always with the program you expect.

A Savannah entrepreneur is aiming to take the sting out of swimming at the beach.

Construction apprenticeship program starts soon

WASHINGTON - Worker productivity rose by a better-than-expected amount in the first three months of the year while labor cost pressures eased.

WASHINGTON - President Bush and Congress are clashing over how to address the housing crisis, clouding the prospects of an election-year rescue package.

TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp., the world's second-biggest automaker by annual vehicle sales, is raising its prices on some U.S. models later this month amid increased worries about its profit growth in the American market.

WASHINGTON - The worst of the nation's credit crisis may have passed, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Wednesday, though he acknowledged rising gas prices will blunt the effect of 130 million economic stimulus checks.

WASHINGTON - Consumer borrowing rose in March at the fastest pace in four months, more than double the increase of the previous month, in what was seen as a sign of rising economic stress.

SAN FRANCISCO - Just how serious was Microsoft Corp. about raising its bid to $47.5 billion for slumping Internet pioneer Yahoo Inc.?

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Legislation that would suspend business licenses of South Carolina employers who knowingly hire illegal workers has been approved in the House.

If you're cashing your paycheck and purchasing money orders at a check-cashing outlet, using payday lending agencies for small loans, or have acquired all your cars from buy-here-pay-here dealers, it's time to consider a full-service bank.

When Rachael Ellis got a new job at a department store, she headed to Plato's Closet to buy clothes to wear to work.

She didn't bust her budget on new attire but left the clothing reseller with a large bag full of gently used designer clothes and shoes.

"I can buy name brand clothes for a lower price, instead of having to spend all that money," Ellis said.

With higher prices for essentials eating up consumers' discretionary income, some are starting to turn to thrift, resale and consignment stores to free up room in their budgets.

According to the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops, the industry is growing at approximately 5 percent each year.

Rita Ray, manager of Plato's Closet in the Savannah Center off Abercorn Street, said inventory and sales at the store have increased tremendously over last year.

WASHINGTON - If you think times are tough, it now costs more than a penny to make a penny. And the cost of a nickel is more than 7.5 cents.

WASHINGTON - The outlook for the housing market darkened further Tuesday as the nation's largest buyer of home mortgages said it racked up more than $2 billion in quarterly losses and forecast a steeper drop in home prices this year.

A public hearing coming up in the Savannah area will be of major importance to the region's commercial and recreational fishermen. The goal is to end overfishing of gag grouper, vermillion and red snapper, which has been stressing the fishery for several years.

The result could be a ban on fishing during spawning season.

The hearing, sponsored by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, is scheduled for 3-7 p.m. Monday at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler. The public is invited to attend any time during those hours.

Two amendments

Two amendments recommended to the fishery council, numbered 16 and 18, suggest measures to deal with the overfishing. Among other things, what Amendment 16 presents would close commercial and recreational fishing during the January-to-April spawning season.

Twice Wednesday evening, the Saint Andrew's Saints rallied from a deficit. They couldn't do it a third time, however, as The King's Academy scored in the first minute of overtime and held on for a 5-4 win in a SCISA Class AA/A boys soccer semifinal.

Daniel Wilson is an all-star athlete and scholar at Bethesda Day School. He's headed to Savannah State University this fall on a football scholarship.

ATLANTA - Greg Norton was brought to Atlanta to provide some punch in a pinch.

BEST TIMES FOR ANGLERS

PEMBROKE, N.C. - Armstrong Atlantic State junior Jacquie Crane came one out away from throwing a no-hitter to lead the seventh-seeded Pirates to a 5-0 softball victory over second-seeded North Carolina Pembroke on Wednesday night in the opening round of the NCAA South Atlantic Regional.

The second annual Tybee "DAC" Kids Fishing Tournament held last Saturday had lots of winners among the 70 youngsters who competed.

Held out of Tybee Marina, which is located on Lazaretto Creek, the event featured dock and boat fishing as well as cast net and casting contests.

Sponsored by Donald and Arelene Cowart, who have put on local youth fishing events for 22 years, the catch list covered several species, including whiting, croaker, flounder and spotted sea trout.

Ansleigh Toomer, 4, led the field of those fishing from the docks in the 0-6 age group, catching the most fish with 10. Britany Bauman had the largest fish for the group with an 8-inch croaker.

Jadon Hendrix landed 11 fish to lead the same age group for the most fish, while Dalton Pagan was a close second with seven.

DARLINGTON, S.C. - During the 2-hour break between practice and qualifying last Friday, Kyle Busch seemed calm and relaxed. He talked of making peace with himself and his fellow competitors and learning to enjoy his place as one of the premier drivers in NASCAR.

Spring tides have slowed much of the inshore fishing action along the Georgia and South Carolina coastline, but most indicators continue to point to an upswing in activity, both offshore and inshore.

Dolphin, billfish, wahoo, amberjack, cobia, sharks and even barracuda have shown up in the offshore reports. Inshore and near the beaches, it is large spotted sea trout, small Spanish mackerel, bluefish, pompano, flounder and red drum.

There also have been reports of tripletail activity in the St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island region, and large sheepsheads around the channel and buoys leading into the Savannah River.

Capt. Judy Helmey of Miss Judy Charters said dolphin bites for the blue-water area of the Gulf Stream continue to be excellent, with fishermen in that area getting strikes on artificial and frozen trolling baits.

LOCAL/AREA

Savannah State running back Antwan Edwards, the Tigers' leading rusher last season, has quit the team over a dispute about the length of his hair, SSU first-year head coach Robby Wells confirmed Wednesday.

Edwards, a 5-foot-9, 177-pound freshman from Miami, ran 126 times for 440 of the Tigers' 899 yards last season. He scored one of SSU's five rushing touchdowns during the 1-9 season.

"I will not be returning ... the reason being is because I refuse to cut my hair," Edwards wrote in an e-mail to the Savannah Morning News on Wednesday morning.

Edwards is among several SSU players who wear their hair in dreadlocks. But his hair is "about 2 inches too long," Wells said, and in violation of the team's policy.

SSU's coaching staff allows players to wear their hair in dreadlocks - and it can even poke out from underneath their helmets - but it has to remain off the jersey collar.

HICKORY, N.C. - The Savannah Sand Gnats collected 10 runs on 16 hits, then held on for a 10-9 victory over host Hickory on Wednesday night.

ATLANTA - Former Georgia Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton resigned from his position at the school Wednesday, a day after he was charged with marijuana possession, driving under the influence of alcohol and hit-and-run.

The Georgia Outdoor Writers Association bestowed its annual awards last weekend to the lucky hunters who took the top-scoring deer in Georgia last season.

In the next two days, the Savannah College of Art and Design softball team will try to keep intact a streak of three consecutive berths in the NAIA national tournament.

I thought my avoidance of wine labels bearing cute animals was an eccentricity. Then, I spoke to others, including several wine retailers, who also tend to dismiss animal labels - as well as any other trendy label that attempts to sell the juice inside the bottle.

"Cyclists understand that they are not cars, but they don't always need to 'keep to the right' as a recent Vox caller suggests. State law permits bicyclists to move to the center of the lane when turning left, when avoiding roadside hazards and when a lane is too narrow for another vehicle to safely pass."

Beer multipacks are a great option when you're having a crowd over, or if you're curious about some of the styles offered by leading craft brewers.

Many brands offer these packs, and I honestly found it difficult to pare down the possibilities. My decisions were not based on any sort of research, but more on gut reactions.

For instance, if it's late April, and I'm wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of shorts to the store, the prospect of me buying a package that includes an Oktoberfest beer is pretty thin. Likewise, a box with an oatmeal stout and a brown ale seemed too heavy for a tasting session on a warm Savannah evening.

Eventually, I chose multipacks from Lakefront Brewery, Flying Dog Brewery, Samuel Adams and Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. Joining me to judge them were fellow permanent Brew U panelists Tim Rutherford and Cynthia Creighton-Jones, along with Alan Barnes of Barnes Restaurants, and Page Hanson, the sales manager at Thunderbolt Marine Inc.

How to get your event in the calendar:

Mark Streeter

ONE LITTLE expects to see many Savannah officials frequenting the local club scene, or even the late-night entertainment at establishments that blur the lines between restaurants and bars.

GEORGIA'S TWO senators should support legislation in the Senate that would make sure that fuel surcharges get to America's workers who need them most - the nation's independent truckers.