Icy Roads Predicted; Some School Closings Wednesday

Slushy roads could turn into ice as temperatures plunge below freezing overnight into Wednesday morning. The Wednesday morning commute could turn dangerous for some drivers.

"Bridges and overpasses in Cherokee County and north could freeze," according to WSB Severe Weather Team 2 chief meteorologist Glenn Burns.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has crews out spreading sand on major roads, but Burns cautioned that side roads and streets in subdivisions could be very slick Wednesday morning.

Some school systems in north Georgia have closed for Wednesday classes because of the weather. Parts of north Georgia were reporting several inches of snow by noon.

Delta Air Lines canceled 250 flights due to Tuesday's snow, and AirTran has canceled 83 flights.

Atlanta city officials continue to monitor the freezing rain and sleet conditions. The City's Department of Public Works will begin pre-treating bridges and overpasses shortly after midnight Wednesday.

"We will have two spreaders dedicated to respond to emergency calls from APD and Fire. All necessary equipment will be deployed in response to this event," said City of Atlanta Media Relations Officer Jennifer Ogunsola.

Atlanta has many resources available to combat the winter weather including nine salt and sand spreaders, six front end loaders, two motor grader, six box dumps and six tandem dump trucks.

Also available is 500 tons of salt on hand, 550 tons of 89 stone on hand and 300 tons of torpedo sand on hand.

Pupils Interact in ‘living history wax museum’

Kindergartner, Gabriel Moody, told the group of first-graders, with an air of measurable authority, what exactly they should know about the black scientist, George Washington Carver.

Fellow kindergartner, Harmonie Williams, took a more subtle approach in telling students about the life of the black businesswoman, Madam C.J. Walker.

They each took part in a “living history wax museum” event Friday at Tussahaw Elementary School in McDonough, celebrating the final days of Black History Month.

“I thought it was important we celebrate black history, and that the students understand all the contributions that have been made by black Americans,” said Tussahaw School Counselor Lisset Pickens, who created the activity.

The school-wide event is the first for Tussahaw, which opened two years ago, and currently has a student body of 575 pupils. About 30 students volunteered to stand, dressed as influential black Americans in American history, telling peers about the various contributions they made to the nation’s history.

Parent Leontray Williams said he was glad to see the students interact with one another and actively portray the historic figures they have been studying. He said his daughter, Harmonie, learned a great deal from studying Madam C.J. Walker.

Williams said he supports activities that highlight different groups in American history, because they benefit students who were born into the particular heritage.

Students appeared to be impressed by second-grader, Jacob Beattie, who acted out his role as black inventor, Garrett Morgan, with seriousness and professionalism.

Youngsters, Kimberly Thomas, Ethan Marshal, and Dilan Pouliot, demonstrated to their kindergarten classmates how black astronaut, Mae Jemison, would have traveled into space some 30 years ago.

Elsewhere in the school, students portrayed famous black athletes, such as baseball great, Jackie Robinson, and basketball superstar, Michael Jordan. Others played trail-blazing black doctors of the late 19th Century, such as Daniel Hale Williams and Rebecca J. Cole.

Fourth-graders, Tyler Hall, Taylor Williams, and Samantha Curra, told students about Cole’s achievements despite being a black woman during the Reconstruction era.

Tussahaw Principal Carl Knowlton said he is encouraged to continue the activity next year.

“Making history come alive with the kids is more meaningful,” said Knowlton. “Kids need to know all history, and this adds to the history they’re being taught in class.”

Help with Newnan Cleanup Earns Free Ticket to Disney World

The annual Keep Newnan Beautiful cleanup day is coming up March 20 - and picking up roadside trash can earn you a free ticket to Disney World. The cleanup event has been approved as one of the projects for the "give a day get a day" program.

In addition to the street cleanup, there will also be a free electronics recycling drop-off in the parking lot in front of the old Kmart in Merchants Crossing at Bullsboro Drive and Greison Trail from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Representatives from CLM Sanitation will also be on hand to accept household junk. CLM will accept items starting at 9 a.m., until two trucks are full. After the two trucks are full, no more items will be accepted.

Throughout the day, the Coweta County transfer station will be accepting yard debris for free, with a coupon. Carol Duffey, director of Keep Newnan Beautiful, said she has gotten quite a lot of interest since the cleanup became a qualifier for the Disney program.

The free tickets are available to those 6 and older. You must pre-register, by signing up at www.disneyparks.com/celebrate before the event, and have your participation verified at the cleanup. Tickets are good through Dec. 15, except for Spring Break and July 4.

Volunteers should meet at Newnan City Hall at 9 a.m and will be provided with rubber gloves, "trash grabbers," reflective vests, trash bags, and water. After the cleanup, all volunteers are invited back to city hall for a hot dog lunch. The areas that will be cleaned will be determined based on the number of volunteers, Duffey said.

However, "we don't send anybody to what we consider an 'iffy' area," Duffey said.

When asked what particular areas she expects to clean, Duffey mentioned College Street, Sprayberry Road, and SummerGrove. Groups who would like to clean a particular area are welcome to ask ahead of time, Duffey said.

Some volunteers, instead of picking up trash, will help out at the electronics recycling event, Duffey said.

Items accepted for electronics recycling include: personal computers, monitors, LCD screen/flat screen monitors, VCRs, radios, stereos, DVD players, microwaves, power supplies, rechargeable batteries, vacuums, banking equipment, telephones, pagers, networking equipment, laptops, keyboards, mice, power cables, medical equipment (non-hazardous), printers, copy machines, fax machines, cell phones, transformers, scanners, portable electronic devices, servers, ink cartridges, toner cartridges, remotes, modems, projectors, and cameras.

There is a $10 processing charge for each television.

Items that are not accepted include refrigerators, washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, mercury containing devices (thermometers, fire alarms), hazardous chemicals/materials, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes and bio-waste.

Volunteers are asked to sign up before hand. It's not essential, but it allows Duffey to make sure she has enough trash grabbers, and to know how many people will eat lunch.

For more information, contact Duffey at 678-855-5058 or e-mail cduffey@cityofnewnan.org

UGA Spring Enrollment Sets Record

The University of Georgia set a record for spring semester enrollment with 33,620 students enrolled in Athens and at the university’s four extended campuses in Gwinnett County, Griffin, Tifton and Buckhead in Atlanta. Spring semester enrollment increased by 2 percent, or 652 students, over the 32,968 students enrolled for spring semester in 2009, the university said this morning.

Spring semester enrollment increased by 2 percent, or 652 students, over the 32,968 students enrolled for spring semester in 2009, the university said this morning.

UGA said 32,691 students are enrolled in Athens, while 929 students are attending classes at the smaller campuses.

Enrollment in Athens includes 24,820 undergraduates, 6,123 graduate students and 1,594 students in the professional schools of law, pharmacy and veterinary medicine. An additional 154 students are enrolled in independent study.

WSB; Henry Herald; Times Herald; University of Georgia