Snow Headed To North Georgia; Rain For Atlanta

Snow, sleet and freezing rain are headed to north Georgia; as a result, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the north Georgia mountains from Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon for sleet and ice accumulations from freezing rain.

So, It appears most of metro Atlanta will dodge the snow bullet, with just a slight chance of snow flurries or freezing drizzle.

With the threat of snow, ice, sleet and freezing rain, school officials in two north Georgia counties were prompted to dismiss school early on Friday.

Gilmer County schools will close at 2 p.m. Students in Towns County will be dismissed at 1:30 pm. In Gilmer County, all after school activities, including After School Care, were also canceled, according to officials. Lumpkin County canceled all evening classes and weekend activities.

Man Snaps Picture Of Atlanta Cop Surfing Facebook

An Atlanta man claims he was arrested for catching an on-duty officer chatting on Facebook. Chandler Brown told WSB-TV that he has since filed a formal complaint with the Atlanta Police Department and the mayor's office.

A copy of that complaint shows startling accusations made about the officer allegedly chatting on Facebook when he was on the job.

"It was Thanksgiving night … my friend called me and said, ‘I've been in an accident,'" said Brown, and he immediately hailed a cab and went to the scene on Interstate 85 near Cheshire Bridge Road.

Brown said his friend wanted to leave, and as they pulled off, they were stopped by police because she couldn't leave the scene of an accident. So they were put in the back of an Atlanta police car, and that's when Brown said he noticed something.

"The police officer was chatting on Facebook," said Brown. "I think that's wrong."

So Brown took out his cell phone and took a picture. That's when he claims the officer arrested him.... "Pulled me out of the car, grabbed my phone, and I said I don't think I'm breaking the law here … I'm not under arrest," said Brown.

Brown said the officer then said "Well, you're under arrest now."

Brown said the officer handcuffed him, took the phone and hauled him off to jail.

Brown claims he was never read his rights and the officer wouldn't give him his name. As for that picture, Brown said when officers returned his phone, the picture was gone.

Brown was charged with giving false information to an officer, even though he wasn't involved in the accident.

Brown went to court last week.... "The judge said, ‘There's no evidence here, this is a joke and threw it out," said Brown. That's why now, Brown has filed a formal complaint and hopes to shed light on what he calls a misuse of time and taxpayer money.

"I can't sit on Facebook at work all day and neither can you. Why should someone whose salary is being paid by the taxpayers," he said.

Atlanta Police Department stated they've forwarded the complaint on to the division of professional standards and are looking into it. Late Thursday, Brown, got a call from police saying they are taking his complaint seriously.

Psychologist Accused Of Billing For Fake Sessions

An Athens psychologist will spend two years in prison for defrauding the state's Medicaid program out of more than a half million dollars. A federal court judge in Atlanta sentenced 62-year-old Paul D. Mangum Thursday.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, he submitted thousands of fraudulent Medicaid claims between May 2003 and April 2009, for treatment he never provided.

As part of his scheme, officials say Mangum submitted claims for patients younger than 21 who at one time had received treatment from him but had stopped.

In one case, he saw one child once a week for only a few months, but then submitted over 100 fraudulent claims for the patient over five years and received thousands of dollars in Medicaid payments for therapy sessions he never performed.

Military Explosive Found In North Fulton

Fulton County Sheriff's Office officials say a mortar round that turned up in Chattahoochee Hill Country Thursday is not a threat. Chattahoochee Hill Police requested assistance after receiving a call from a citizen who reported finding what he believed to be an explosive device inside a cylindrical container underneath a house at along Mixon Road.

When the Fulton County Bomb Unit arrived, bomb technicians determined the device was a military mortar round. After consulting with federal authorities about the condition of the round and the markings on it, the officers removed the device. The mortar round will be turned over to a military explosive ordnance disposal team.

Senate OKs Handsfree Phones While Driving

The state Senate has approved a bill legalizing the use of handsfree cell phone devices while driving.

The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Bill Heath, said the measure brings the state up to speed with current technology, like BlackBerries and Bluetooth devices. Heath, a Republican from Bremen, sponsored the bill after he was contacted by a citizen who was cited under the old Georgia code for the use of a handsfree device.

Current law prohibits driving while using headphones that would impair one's ability to hear. The bill passed unanimously on Thursday. It was the first to win approval in the Senate this legislative session.

WSB; Reuters; National Weather Service