Church trailer, equipment stolen in North Georgia
RINGGOLD, Ga. - When members of The Springs Church in Ringgold arrived to unpack their two trailers and set up for worship Sunday morning, they were greeted with an unpleasant surprise.
The trailer housing the equipment for their worship center was gone.
Jennifer Greene, a staff member for The Springs Church, which is a mobile church that meets at the Catoosa County Colonnade, said the missing equipment is worth more than $20,000.
The church reported the theft of the uninsured trailer to the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office.
Greene said that once other area churches heard about what happened, members were quick to offer help.
Braves choose stadium architect
MARIETTA, GA. - The Atlanta Braves have chosen an architect for the team's new stadium in the city's northwest suburbs.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the team chose Kansas City-based Populous, a firm that has designed 19 Major League Baseball stadiums.
Braves spokeswoman Beth Marshall said that the deal is still in the contract negotiation stage and will need approval from Cobb County.
Last week, the team closed on land to build the $672 million ballpark in Cobb County. It hopes to open the stadium for the 2017 season.
The project will take the team out of downtown Atlanta for the first time since it moved to Georgia from Milwaukee in 1966.
Grant focuses on ex-offenders
ATLANTA - The Governor's Office of Workforce Development says it's using a grant to prepare ex-offenders throughout the state to re-enter the workforce.
Officials say a grant of more than $107,000 will help ex-offenders complete re-entry programs in southwest Georgia, west central Georgia, coastal Georgia and in the metro Atlanta region.
Ben Hames, executive director of the Governor's Office of Workforce Development, says ex-offenders trying to re-enter the civilian workforce face serious barriers when searching for jobs. He says the programs "are equipping citizens with the tools they need to overcome those employment barriers and regain their place in the workforce."
Officials say between 10 and 15 ex-offenders from each region will participate in job training courses tailored to meet employer needs in their area.
Gov. Bill Haslam to head GOP policy group
NASHVILLE - Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has been named policy chairman of the Republican Governors Public Policy Committee.
The group is the policy arm of the Republican Governors Association. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is the chairman of the 29-member national association, in a release called Haslam "a true pioneer in the public policy sphere."
Haslam said states are flourishing while the federal government is unable to implement its own policy priorities. The governor stressed his own accomplishments in overhauling civil service rules in Tennessee and reducing what he called the government footprint in the state.
Haslam is up for re-election this fall but has yet to draw a serious opponent for the primary or general election.