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Social worker Tammie Lovett spent an hour on Wednesday facing the challenges many of her clients experience every day.

An Imperial Sugar Co. executive's lawyer says the company put U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss up to harassing his client at a subcommittee hearing.

On Saturday, musicians and merchants who ply their trade in Savannah will combine their efforts and talents for an all-day fundraiser geared toward helping Jason Statts and Dave Williams, two musicians who were shot in Ardsley Park after their band's debut appearance in June.

Insurance agent John W. King, 28, was arrested Wednesday in Metter on state charges that he forged the signatures of an elderly couple on applications for Medicare Advantage.

Boaters and marine mammals off the coastline of north Florida and south Georgia could experience fewer "live" explosives at a training range complex if a proposal by the U.S. Navy gets the green light.

An oak tree toppled over late Wednesday, blocking the Barnard Street ramp to River Street and slowing traffic on Broughton Street in downtown Savannah. The tree damaged one car, and branches engulfed another but inflicted no damage. "Lady Luck was on my side tonight," said Samantha Klepper, describing her car that was unscathed and all but hidden among the tree's branches - some of them 6 inches in diameter. One westbound lane of Bay Street, between Jefferson and Barnard, and the Barnard ramp will be closed indefinitely while city crews work to cut up and dispose of the massive oak.

The husband of a Savannah woman killed in a 2003 rollover accident settled a lawsuit Wednesday against Ford Motor Co. and a local auto dealer.

A former Statesboro stockbroker was sentenced Tuesday to five years in federal prison for defrauding her clients.

About 40 people braved late afternoon thunderstorms Wednesday to pay respects to the victims of a recent church shooting in Knoxville, Tenn.

RINCON - Tips from residents helped police make two arrests Wednesday in the thefts of air- conditioning units, copper wire and the burglary of a business.

ATHENS - U.S. Rep. Paul Broun's chief of staff resigned Monday, a Washington newspaper reported.

AUGUSTA - A 12-year-old boy who killed a man earlier this year will be confined in a secured juvenile justice facility until he turns 21, a judge ruled Wednesday.

ATLANTA - Organized labor and the Rev. Joseph Lowery, a longtime civil rights leader, endorsed Jim Martin on Wednesday in his battle with Vernon Jones for Georgia's Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in the Aug. 5 primary runoff.

Prima, I need help.

An international ingredients and consumer foods company has opened a facility in Savannah.

WASHINGTON - Alarmed by a year of recalls targeting millions of tainted toys, the House voted overwhelming Wednesday to ban lead and other dangerous chemicals from items such as jewelry and rubber ducks that could end up in kids' mouths.

Decreased sugar production and increased energy costs led to a third-quarter loss for Imperial Sugar Co., which continues to feel the impact financially of the Feb. 7 explosions and fire at its Port Wentworth refinery.

WASHINGTON - President Bush signed a housing bill Wednesday intended to rescue about 15 percent of the cash-strapped homeowners in fear of foreclosure in the next year or so.

NEW YORK - Oil prices shot up Wednesday, jumping as much as $5 a barrel and halting a dramatic two-week slide after the government reported a surprise drop in gasoline supplies.

Chatham County Hospital Authority

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve has auctioned another $75 billion in loans to squeezed banks to help them overcome credit problems.

NEW YORK - Mortgage application volume tumbled last week to its lowest level of the year, a trade group said Wednesday, as many homeowners found they don't have enough equity to refinance their homes.

Savannah-area conventions and meetings

As minor league baseball players all around him quietly race against the clock to advance to higher levels, time is on Francisco Pena's side.

ATLANTA - There's an interesting experiment going on at Georgia Tech, where Paul Johnson is intent on proving the option offense his teams ran so well at Navy can work in a major conference.

FLOWERY BRANCH - Emmitt Thomas understands exactly what Brent Grimes is trying to accomplish with the Atlanta Falcons.

Youth Fishing Tournament

ATLANTA - Tim Hudson is likely headed for surgery after two doctors found the Atlanta Braves ace has major ligament damage in his pitching elbow.

Georgia's controversial plan to sell fishing and hunting licenses exclusively on the Internet and over the phone - at a higher cost to sportsmen - will be amended to give traditional vendors an opportunity to participate.

ATLANTA - The St. Louis Cardinals gushed over the return of Chris Carpenter, who gives their playoff hopes a major boost.

Stanton Barrett can sit in the middle of a busy restaurant filled with race fans and few, if anyone, seems to notice him.

Fishing action along the Georgia coast remained fair to good this past weekend, but slowed this week, mostly due to the advent of spring tides and high daytime temperatures.

ATLANTA - Casey Kotchman is thrilled to be with the Atlanta Braves.

BEST TIMES FOR ANGLERS

WEDNESDAY'S SCORE: Savannah Sand Gnats 7, Hickory Crawdads 6

LOCAL/AREA

For Savannah's Mike Neal, the trip of a lifetime began with a simple trip to Augusta.

BEIJING - Olympic organizers are backtracking on another promise about coverage of the Beijing Games, keeping in place blocks on Internet sites in the Main Press Center and venues where reporters will work.

This is not a recipe that makes demands. Follow the basic formula or toss in your favorite ingredients. You can use regular corn or organic sprouted-corn tortillas: the staler, the better. "The ones in the fridge that are a little hard around the edges" are perfect for this because they crisp in the oil so well, says Lynne Rossetto Kasper, the maven with the radio show "Splendid Table."

Mark Streeter

You've got to hand it to the corporate lobbyists for the Imperial Sugar Co., based in Sugar Land, Texas.

JOURNALISTS ARE neither police officers nor spies, and federal officials should not force them to act as either.

On July 25, the Georgia Department of Education released the Adequate Yearly Progress results for all public schools. These measurements and standards are outlined in federal statutes found in No Child Left Behind.

I mean no disrespect, but the Imperial Sugar Refinery worker and his family decrying OSHA's citations and fines (July 26) reflects a basic misunderstanding of how corporate America functions today.

Tax-free weekend is upon us in Georgia. Do you know where to find your back-to-school supplies?

More than 80 girls are attending Cheer Camp at Richmond Hill High School this week. The camp is sponsored by the Richmond Hill High School Cheerleader Booster Club.

PEMBROKE - A Bryan County man has been arrested on charges of aggravated assault and battery after he allegedly beat his mother because she would not give him money to buy beer.

"If the people of Piercefield and Bryan County would support a no-kill shelter and/or neuter or spay their animals, I wouldn't have to feed your throw-aways, including the small kitten who turned up on my doorstep a month ago."

PEMBROKE - Bryan County Middle School was the lone school in the Bryan system to fail to meet 2008 Adequate Yearly Progress, according to a report released by the Georgia Department of Education.

There will be someone missing from the sidelines when fall sports practices begin Friday at Richmond Hill High School - a medical trainer.