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Tybee Island government turned into bare-knuckle politics Thursday night.

A longtime Bulloch County teacher was among three men arrested this week by police conducting a public-indecency sting at a King's Ferry bathroom facility.

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Seniors at Savannah Christian Preparatory School started the school year with a blast Thursday morning, arriving at the school to find an unusual welcome from family members, friends and classmates.

Savannah's City Council focused Thursday on getting clean and green.

About 25 people braved a downpour Thursday and turned out to hear pitches for Republican presidential hopeful John McCain.

Ron Huckaby cannot describe the pain he was suffering the morning of Nov. 5, 2006, the night a drunken driver plowed into his son's car.

About 2,100 more Savannahians looked for work in July than the previous month, the Georgia Department of Labor reported Thursday.

More than two years before the election they have in mind, candidates are lining up for a bid to claim a local state Senate seat.

Two would-be burglars early Thursday struck out after swinging a metal pipe in an attempted break-in at Home Run Video & News.

AUGUSTA - Guaranteed jobs are hard to come by, but Savannah River Site and other nuclear facilities aim to train the next generation to step in as baby boomers retire - and employment is almost guaranteed.

ATLANTA - A sizable boost in sales tax collections by local governments in Alabama could be replicated in Georgia if the state simply allows cities and counties to do the job themselves, officials from both states said Thursday at a legislative hearing.

ATHENS - The University of Georgia Chapel bell should be ringing again by Friday, in time for alumni to visit on Picture Day and students to toll in a new school year Monday.

BEAUFORT, S.C. - On July 16, Marine Capt. Garrett Lawton's wife sent him an e-mail declaring her love, devotion and awesome friendship.

When Georgia Ports Authority started converting its big ship-to-shore cranes from diesel to electric power nearly five years ago, GPA officials were looking primarily at the environmental benefits.

Savannah Air Center part of $250 million military contract

With the flip of several shovels and the hum of bulldozers getting to work, ground was broken Thursday for a facility that will bring 40 new jobs to Bryan County.

WASHINGTON - Inflation is running at the fastest pace in 17 years, the job market is under further strain and foreclosure filings are surging.

CHICAGO - Consumers might not have noticed, but their bottles of Coke are slimming down: The cap on the 20-ounce bottle is a tad smaller these days - and 24 percent lighter.

WASHINGTON - The number of homeowners stung by the dramatic decline in the U.S. housing market jumped last month as foreclosure filings grew by more than 50 percent compared with the same month a year ago, according to data released Thursday.

NEW YORK - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. raised its full-year earnings forecast Thursday after second-quarter profit rose more than expected, helped by tight inventory controls and a renewed focus on low prices that is attracting financially squeezed shoppers around the world.

Editor's Note: On July 29, Microsoft launched a Web site with results of its "Mojave Experiment." The experiment involved 140 participants who had not used Windows Vista. They were asked to try the "Mojave" operating system. The testers did not know that Mojave was actually Windows Vista.

NEW YORK - Oil prices rebounded Wednesday, jumping back to $116 a barrel after the government reported a drop in U.S. gasoline supplies. But more signs of dwindling U.S. demand cast doubt on the rally's longevity.

At the pump, a gallon of regular gasoline shed on average another penny overnight to $3.787, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. That's nearly 8 percent lower than record prices above $4 a gallon reached last month, but still 37 percent higher than a year ago.

The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said gasoline supplies fell by 6.4 million barrels to 202.8 million barrels for the week ended Friday, nearly three times more than the 2.2 million barrel drop analysts surveyed by energy research firm Platts had expected.

NEW YORK - Macy's Inc. saw its second-quarter earnings drop slightly and warned on Wednesday that full-year profits will be below Wall Street expectations as shoppers are more cautious about spending.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - A top Honda Motor Co. executive said Wednesday the company's new gas-electric hybrid will be priced lower than the Toyota Prius, its prime competitor.

WASHINGTON - As summer vacation season kicked in, Americans got out of their cars, driving 12.2 billion fewer miles in June than in the same month a year earlier.

WASHINGTON - Retail sales delivered the weakest performance in five months in July as shoppers shunned autos while they paid more for gas.

With the mass mailings of $92 billion in rebate checks now just a memory, there is concern the fragile economy could slow even more in the second half of this year.

The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that retail sales fell 0.1 percent last month, the first decline since a 0.5 percent tumble in February. It was a worse showing than the flat reading economists had been expecting and followed a revised but still weak 0.3 percent reading for June.

Analysts said retail sales would have been more feeble without the $92 billion in rebate payments the government sent out in May, June and July. Those checks helped to counter plunging home prices, rising unemployment and soaring gasoline prices.

NEW YORK - Best Buy Co. will start selling the iPhone on Sept. 7, becoming the first chain to do so outside of Apple Inc.'s and AT&T Inc.'s own stores.

Next week's U.S. Amateur is about redemption for one Savannah golfer, exemption for another.

BEIJING - Michael Phelps hung on the lane rope in a familiar pose, admiring another world record while his rivals gasped for breath. Make it 6-for-6 at the Beijing Games.

FLOWERY BRANCH - Joey Harrington's teammates in Detroit sometimes called him "Joey Sunshine" for staying upbeat after another crushing loss.

ATHENS - It became rather vogue in football last season for coaches to try and ice opposing kickers by calling timeout at the last second before the ball was snapped.

ATLANTA - The Chicago Cubs are proving they are more than just Wrigley Field winners.

Henderson to host demo day

ATHENS - Brannan Southerland is hoping to play for the first time in 2008 in Georgia's nationally televised road game the fourth week of the season. After two surgeries already on his left foot, the senior fullback isn't in a rush to return.

LOCAL

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - In his annual training camp review Thursday, Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said the "the only really disappointing aspect" of camp this season was rookie Derrick Harvey's holdout.

ATLANTA - Slumping right fielder Jeff Francoeur is taking a fresh approach to salvaging the rest of his season.

KEY SAL FIGURES

THURSDAY'S SCORE: Lakewood 3, Savannah 2

Savannah College of Art and Design men's lacrosse coach Michael Cummings has announced the addition of 12 players for next season.

Coastal fishing activity has improved a great deal since last week, although recent hot days have kept many anglers in search of shade more than fishing opportunities. Offshore and inshore areas still offer a variety of species, with kings and Spanish mackerel at the top of the offshore list, and spotted sea trout, flounder, whiting and red and black drum headlining the list for inshore waters.

Tarpon, too, are on the list, but the catch reports are isolated.

As far as the offshore picture goes, some interesting reports have filtered in this week. Capt. Judy Helmey of Miss Judy Charters, who has kept us abreast of what charter fleets have encountered, found a lot of tackle busters in the live bottom area this week when she ran into a school of very large jack crevalle.

Georgia and Florida are rivals with much in common.

Both have a talented junior quarterback, a dynamic playmaker and a youthful-looking coach with a ridiculous career winning percentage.

One of them is also the hot Southeastern Conference team du jour. Which one depends on who's picking.

They both fit the bill, but coach Urban Meyer, quarterback Tim Tebow and the Gators already have a national title and a Heisman Trophy.

The Bulldogs have averaged a hair above 10 wins in coach Mark Richt's seven seasons, but they haven't added to the SEC's expanding trophy collection.

Might this be their year? Richt's peers think so, picking Georgia preseason No. 1 in the coaches poll. League media, on the other hand, picked Florida to win both the SEC East and the overall championship.

WE ASKED AND YOU RESPONDED

Those looking to update their living space for fall without going all-out might want to consider some of today's smart, sophisticated new side tables.

SATURDAY

Gardening is nothing if not cyclical. Its actions are determined by the seasons and seeds of wisdom passed from generation to generation. Our grandparents referred to the moon and dog-eared almanacs for planting advice. Today, a younger generation of homeowners' only connection to the moon is a memorable fraternity stunt and Cosmo's Bedside Astrologer.

Poppy and her two teenagers live in a dream home: a huge estate complete with a billiards room, swimming pool and squash court.

The following pets are available from Georgia Animal Rescue and Defence, 100 Dichroic Dragon Drive, Pembroke, GA 31321. You can view other animals at the shelter at www.gardonline.org/. For appointments and to learn about Georgia Animal Rescue and Defence, call Joy Bohannon at 653-2480. Small Dog Adoption Day will take place from 4-8 p.m. Saturday at PetSupermarket.

I had my doubts when the HydroSurge RapidBath pet bathing system people contacted me to take a test drive of their new product for home dog washers.