Bonus pay for teachers revealed in cheating case

ATLANTA (AP) - Atlanta educators accused of crimes in connection with the school system's cheating scandal earned bonuses that totaled as little as $750 and averaged $2,600.

Chris Kelly of 1990s rap duo Kris Kross dies

ATLANTA (AP) - Chris Kelly, half of the 1990s kid rap duo behind one of the decade's most memorable songs, "Jump," has died at an Atlanta hospital of an apparent drug overdose, authorities said. He was 34.

Gunshot at rattlesnake leads to school lock down

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) - A gunshot intended for a rattlesnake led authorities to briefly lock down an elementary school in northeast Georgia.

Gary Michael Hilton gets 4 life sentences

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - A drifter previously convicted of killing and beheading hikers in Florida and Georgia was sentenced Thursday to four additional life sentences in federal prison for kidnapping and murdering a North Carolina couple in a national forest.

Boston Marathon bombing suspect out of hospital

BOSTON - The surviving Boston Marathon bombings suspect has been released from a civilian hospital and transferred to a federal medical detention center in central Massachusetts.

Former Ga. PTA treasurer charged with theft

CANTON, Ga. (AP) - The former treasurer of a metro Atlanta elementary school's PTA is accused of stealing more than $12,000 from the organization and more than $5,800 from another school's booster club.

Napolitano: Men of interest seen in bomb video

WASHINGTON (AP) - Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the FBI wants to speak with individuals seen in at least one video from the Boston Marathon but says she isn't calling them suspects.

Gun control backers: Senate defeat won't stop us

WASHINGTON (AP) - One day after the demise of gun control legislation, Senate supporters of the measure vowed to try again, while a leading opponent accused President Barack Obama of taking the "low road" when he harshly criticized lawmakers who voted against key provisions.

Miss. man arrested for mailing suspected ricin

Image leads to hunt for Boston bombing suspect

BOSTON (AP) - The painstaking work to identify a bombing suspect from reams of Boston Marathon footage yielded a possible breakthrough as investigators focused on a man seen dropping off a bag, and then walking away from the site of the second of two deadly explosions.

Feds seek suspects, motive in Boston bombings

BOSTON (AP) - The bombs that blew up seconds apart at the finish line of one of the world's most storied races left the streets spattered with blood and glass, three dead, including an 8-year-old boy, more than 140 wounded and gaping questions of who chose to attack at the Boston Marathon and why.

Official angered by story on 'state secrets' bill

ATLANTA (AP) - Emails show that a Georgia juvenile justice official was angered by a writer's coverage of a bill that would keep some reports of problems in juvenile lockups secret, and she worried that news coverage could derail the legislation.

Plan for cameras in city vehicles raises concerns

ATLANTA (AP) - A plan to install cameras in city-owned vehicles in Atlanta is raising privacy concerns from the workers who will be videotaped.

State agency struggles with computer outage

ATLANTA (AP) - Authorities say the Georgia Department of Driver Services has been struggling with a statewide computer outage at licensing and testing centers across the state.

US couple in jail after fleeing to Cuba with kids

MIAMI (AP) - A Florida couple accused of kidnapping their two young sons and fleeing by boat to Cuba were handed over to the United States and imprisoned and their children were returned to their maternal grandparents, who have official custody, authorities said Wednesday.

Hearing under way nuclear Plant Vogtle

ATLANTA (AP) - The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission began hearing testimony Tuesday that will help it decide in coming months whether to allow the Atlanta-based Southern Co. to build a $14 billion nuclear power plant in eastern Georgia.

Sagging pants ban nets Albany $4,000

ALBANY, Ga. (AP) - City officials in Albany say they've collected nearly $4,000 in fines in less than a year from people they've cited under the town's ban on pants that sag.

To run MARTA needs $2.3B during decade

ATLANTA (AP) - The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority's chief executive says MARTA faces $2.3 billion in maintenance needs in the next decade.

Ga. police dog hit by vehicle, dies

MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) - Authorities say a highly trained Marietta police dog has died after being struck by a vehicle.

Coca-Cola to invest $3 billion in Russia

NEW YORK (AP) - Coca-Cola Co. and Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company SA, plan to invest $3 billion in Russia over the next five years as part of an ongoing push into emerging markets.

Suspicious fire destroys Gainesville home

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) - Firefighters say a suspicious blaze has destroyed a Gainesville home and damaged two others.

State peanut crop smaller than average

ATLANTA (AP) - A combination of drought, disease and an economic shift to other crops could make Georgia's peanut harvest one of the smallest in more than two decades and increase the price of peanut products.

Protesters criticize deal in fish kill case

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Protesters are criticizing a settlement that requires a textile firm to spend $1 million on environmental projects after investigators found its pollution likely contributed to a fish kill in the Ogeechee River.

Walton deputy killed in wreck

A Walton County Sheriff's Office lieutenant was killed Saturday night in an accident in North Hall and the other driver faces several charges .

Ga. executes Davis

JACKSON, Ga. (AP) - Strapped to a gurney in Georgia's death chamber, Troy Davis lifted his head and declared one last time that he did not kill police officer Mark MacPhail. Just a few feet away behind a glass window, MacPhail's son and brother watched in silence.

Treasure seekers must give back silver

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A federal appeals court has ruled that Florida deep-sea explorers must give 17 tons of silver coins from a sunken 19th century Spanish galleon back to the government of Spain.

More young people have health insurance

WASHINGTON (AP) - At least one part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul has proven popular. With the economy sputtering, the number of young adults covered by health insurance grew by about a million as families flocked to take advantage of a new benefit in the law.

Angel Food Ministries to shut down

ATLANTA (AP) - Angel Food Ministries is going out of business after 17 years of providing discounted groceries to needy families across the country, citing the economic downturn affecting many of the organization's customers as its downfall.

Runoff election set to fill Georgia House seat

ATLANTA (AP) - Two Republicans who garnered the most votes in a Tuesday election will now meet in a runoff for a state House seat representing part of Cobb County.

Men distract owner, steal cash at Athens farmers market

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - Police say a group of thieves swarmed a farmers market in northeast Georgia, where they distracted the owners and got away with $8,000 from a money drawer.