Georgia News Briefly — April 25, 2016

State officials take to the air

ATLANTA (TNS) — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution took at look at who is flying in the state helicopters, thanks to Georgia’s open records laws, and found these numbers.

Two agencies, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS), offer the flights. It can cost up to $450 an hour to use one.

Office of the Governor (DPS) — 56.4 hours; Department of Economic Development (DNR) — 57.3 hours; Department of Education (DNR) — 37.9 hours; Office of the House Speaker (DPS) — 10.2 hours; Office of the Lieutenant Governor (DPS) — 8.1 hours; Office of Planning and Budget (DPS) — 4.1 hours; Aviation Authority (DNR) — 3.9 hours; Judicial Qualifications Commission (DPS) — 3.8 hours; Ports Authority (DNR) — 2.4 hours; Department of Public Safety board members (DPS) — 2.3 hours; Forestry Commission (DNR) — 2.2 hours.

Gov. Nathan Deal flew 53.4 hours. Economic Development Commissioner Chris Carr flew 0.8 hours. School Superintendent Richard Woods flew 37.6 hours. Speaker David Ralston flew 10.2 hours. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle flew 8.1 hours.

Train/truck depot draws opposition

CRANDALL (TNS) — State officials want to turn a 42-acre cow pasture into a train-and-truck depot along a lovely stretch of U.S. 411 line that abuts the Cohutta Wilderness Area near the Tennessee state line.

Hundreds of locals oppose the Appalachian Regional Port, one of a half-dozen depots planned around Georgia’s periphery. They want the jobs it may bring, but prefer the inland port be built in nearby Chatsworth or Dalton.

Supporters say the inland port will bring jobs, economic activity, speed shipments to and from the port of Savannah and reduce truck traffic, albeit mostly in metro Atlanta.

Opponents, though, are fighting mad. They’ve established a nonprofit to fight the project, hired an Atlanta attorney, enlisted environmental groups, created a Facebook page with 320 friends, convened town hall meetings and filed open records requests seeking evidence of official shenanigans in the site’s selection.

“The only places I get to are church and that porch,” said Wilma Tankersley, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and lives smack dab across from the proposed depot. “I’ll just look at those mountains. It’s one of the most peaceful, peaceful things you’ve ever seen. God has given me something nobody else can.”

Help sought in locating student

ATLANTA (TNS) — The family of a missing Georgia State University student is asking for help to find her.

Monique Priester, 21, was last seen Friday evening as she left her stepfather’s home in Dacula in a gray tank top, shorts and a backpack, according to Channel 2 Action News. She was headed to the downtown Atlanta campus in an Uber.

When Priester’s family contacted Uber, the car-sharing service told them they needed a subpoena to release information about the ride.

Priester suffers from depression and anxiety disorder and is on medication, her mother told Channel 2.

No other details were released.

Motorists drives into Lake Lanier

ATLANTA (TNS) — Fire officials rescued a man from Lake Lanier after he lost control of his SUV and ended up in the water.

According to Channel 2 Action News, the man lost control of the vehicle on McEver Road in Hall County.

He crawled onto the roof and stayed there until he was rescued, the television station reported.

He was taken to a local hospital.

Crackdown on food stamps gets results

ATLANTA (TNS) — Georgia officials are getting big results on a new crackdown on food stamp recipients. The state is demanding that able-bodied, childless adults get a job in order to keep receiving the benefits.

The work mandate only applies to three counties — Gwinnett, Cobb and Hall — but it has already cut the number of such recipients in half in those counties.

State lawmakers are already talking about expanding the work mandate statewide, but The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned that such a move could cost up to $40 million a year.

Celebrity deaths bring out scammers

ATLANTA (TNS) — Want to see the last photos of Prince before his death at Paisley Park?

Whoa! Real or no?

The BBB Serving Metro Atlanta, Athens & Northeast Georgia, Inc. is warning that the death of Prince, or any celebrity for that matter, can bring out scammers to looking to make a fast buck or to get personal information.

The BBB warns consumers to be very cautious on social media sites, especially Facebook, and texts you receive on your phone. Scams might include last photos of Prince, last words spoken by Prince on video, autopsy photos of Prince or last concert videos.

Anything that promises a “sensational” photo are most likely fake with people looking for money or to get your information through clickjacking.

Don’t take the bait. Stay away from promotions of “exclusive,” “shocking” or “sensational footage. If it sounds too crazy to be true, it is probably a scam.

The rule of thumb, said BBB spokeswoman Dottie Callina, is “never, never” send money and don’t open the file.

Hover over a link to see its true destination. Before you click, mouse over the link to see where it will take you. Don’t click on links leading to unfamiliar websites.

Don’t trust your “friends” online. It might not actually be your friends who are “liking” or sharing scam links to photos. Their account may have been hacked and scammers could be using another tactic called “clickjacking.” Clickjacking is a technique that scammers use to trick you into clicking on social media links that you would not usually click on. When clicked, it activates an invisible code where you may end up purchasing merchandise for others or having the settings on your computer changed.

Restaurant chain recalling cookies

ATLANTA (TNS) — Chick-fil-A said it has pulled its Chocolate Chunk Cookies after its supplier issued a voluntary recall.

The supplier, CSM Bakery Solutions, recalled the treats because of the potential presence of undeclared peanut allergens, Chick-fil-A said.

Chick-fil-A decided to pull the cookies because it is advertised as peanut-free. The Atlanta chicken-giant said it will keep the cookies off its menu until the issue is resolved.

Chick-fil-A said customers should discard purchased cookies or return them to Chick-fil-A locations for a full refund.