A large, slow-moving low-pressure system brought extremely humid air into Georgia mid-month. It triggered days of intense rainfall, producing what was estimated to be a 500-year flood around Atlanta, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The highest rain totals estimated by National Weather Service radars were 15 inches to 20 inches in Douglas County and other areas east and west of downtown Atlanta. Twenty-one counties were declared eligible for federal disaster funds. Preliminary damage estimates were $500 million to $1 billion. Thousands of homes were affected, and 500 were destroyed or significantly damaged. The flood is considered the worst since 1919, when flood waters almost destroyed West Point in western Georgia.Parts of four interstates were closed. I-20 remained closed for more than 24 hours as flood waters rose 3 feet over the pavement and inundated Six Flags Over Georgia. Following the rain, Lake Lanier rose 1.5 feet in 24 hours. Lake Allatoona rose almost 9 feet during the week after. More than 130 dams and many bridges now require stability inspections.Four water-treatment plants in Atlanta were damaged and dumped raw sewage into the Chattahoochee River. A pipe in a levee near Macon broke and discharged millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Ocmulgee River at the end of the month. Citizens were urged to stay out of the flood water. Some communities issued advisories to boil water.Ten people were killed, most while driving onto roads covered by moving water. Seven deaths were in Douglas County, where the heaviest rainfall occurred. Additional deaths occurred in Carroll, Chattooga and Gwinnett counties.The highest monthly total from National Weather Service reporting stations was 10.68 inches in Macon (7.42 inches above normal). The lowest was in Alma at 1.59 inches (1.75 below normal). Atlanta received 8.94 inches (4.85 inches above normal), Athens 9.86 inches (6.33 inches above normal), Columbus 5.30 inches (2.23 inches above normal), Augusta 3.63 inches (.15 inch above normal), Savannah 2.43 inches (2.65 inches below normal) and Brunswick 4.57 inches (1.67 inches below normal). By Pam KnoxUniversity of GeorgiaHeavy rains caused record flooding in north Georgia in mid-September, while other parts of the state experienced and normal to below-normal rainfall. Forty-eight Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network observers reported 15 inches or more total rainfall for the month. The highest single monthly total was 22.86 inches near Kennesaw in Cobb County. However, two observers in Douglas County reported overflowing rain gauges. An observer in Lilburn in Gwinnett County reported 21.79 inches. The highest daily rainfall reported by a CoCoRaHS observer exceeded 11 inches in a few hours near Douglasville on Sept. 21, when the rain gauge overflowed. The Carrollton observer nearest the area of maximum rainfall reported 10.64 inches in 24 hours ending that morning.The Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring site at Dallas in Paulding County reported 16.15 inches for the month, including 5.61 inches on the Sept. 20 and 4.54 inches on Sept. 21.Numerous daily and monthly rainfall records occurred at National Weather Service cooperative observing stations around the state. Dallas and Carrollton broke 30-year records of heaviest daily rainfall. Atlanta broke a daily maximum rainfall of 3.52 inches on Sept. 19, and Macon broke daily records with 2.32 inches on Sept. 17. No tornadoes were reported. Scattered reports of strong winds or small hail where reported four days resulting in toppled trees or scattered power outages. The heavy rains in north Georgia caused extensive damage to nurseries, vineyards and hay fields. Many counties reported rot in cotton and insect infestations. Fieldwork came to a stop in many areas. In other areas, the rain was beneficial to crops and harvesting proceeded at a good pace.Temperatures across the state were near normal in September except in Augusta where the average temperature was 75.6 degrees (1.6 degrees above normal). (Pam Knox is the assistant state climatologist and a program specialist in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
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Mountain Mama: Family Road Trip Advice
Dear Road Tripper,My two-year old and I recently drove ten hours. Without a video player. Sure, when he grew sleepy, his whines turned to howls and then full on screams until he finally relented to sleep’s whisper. His discomfort tormented me from the driver’s seat. I twisted my arm to hold his foot, providing the comfort of a mama’s hand. Sometimes that worked and his cries subsided to whimpers. Sometimes it didn’t.When I told a friend who asked whether I’d used a video player that I hadn’t, her gasp led me to question whether I’d unknowingly committed a mild form of child abuse. I pointed out that I’d grown up going on road trips without the distractions of modern technology. She asked whether I found it necessary to make my child suffer in the same way given that society had come so far.Or have we. I thought back to the place where I first started writing for fun — the gas station where I worked the 5 pm to midnight shift most weekday nights. I was a junior in high school and I knew that if I wanted to go to college, I’d have to pay for it. We lived in a rural area and most nights were slow. At first I’d stare at the cars whizzing by on the highway. I started telling stories about the people driving, guessing at where they were headed. Some of those stories made me sad, others made me smile. I wrote down my favorite ones and let a teacher read them. He encouraged me to enter a writing contest. I won at the state level, beating out kids from fancy schools whose parents carted them from one after school activity to the next. I’m convinced that the stillness of working in that sterile environment nudged me to imagining a more entertaining world, whereas the kids busy taking extracurricular activities never benefitted from the same luxury of doing nothing at all.The gaps between where we are and where we dream to be can be uncomfortable, like working late nights at a gas station or sitting for a long time in a car. Inhabiting those in-between spaces requires the type of quiet that can be boring. These days we too often drown the uncomfortable spaces with the noise and distraction technology provides. But in that quiet wasteland, creativity takes root, cultivating a sense of wonder and hope. When we encourage our children to press their foreheads against the window and stare, they’ll take in plenty of strip malls and roadside construction. Those ugly and drab landscapes serve to accentuate the beauty of driving over glistening rivers and seeing the rainbow after a storm.On our road trip, my toddler learned about cranes and back hoes, tractor trailers and buses. We talked about the color of the clouds and greeted the arrival of the moon like a long lost friend. I’m pretty sure the road trip would have been easier with a video player, but then we would have missed out on scanning the horizon. Listening to my toddler’s delight at pointing out when we were going downhill or over a bridge reminded me just how often we find the extraordinary in the mundane.Road Tripper, consider unplugging and allowing your child’s mind the freedom to wander and marvel at the scenery.Enjoy your trip!Mountain Mama Dear Mountain Mama,Our young family is taking a long road trip. My wife and I are debating on whether to buy a video player to occupy our toddler during the long haul. What’s your opinion about using a video player to help children endure long periods in the car?Thanks,Road Tripper
The Controversial Truth Behind America’s Never-Ending War


The Masters: Dustin Johnson aims to continue aggressive game-plan on final day | Golf News
3:27 More recently, he was unable to hang onto a one-shot lead at the PGA Championship in August and finished two behind Collin Morikawa, but the 36-year-old insisted that Sunday would be a “good day”.“If I can play like I did today, I think it will break that streak,” said Johnson, who made a spectacular start to his third round with a towering five-iron to tap-in range for eagle at the second, backing that up with a birdie at the third and a 30-foot putt for another at the fourth before cruising to the turn in 31. Dustin Johnson says he has a plan in place that he hopes he can execute on Sunday after taking a four-stroke lead heading into the final day of The Masters “With the conditions being soft, you can be really aggressive no matter what club you have in your hand, as long as you feel comfortable with how far you’re going to fly it. I feel like the golf course is in really good condition with all the rain, and it’s just so soft so you’ve got to be aggressive and you’ve got to attack the flags.“Going into tomorrow, I think I’ve got a good game-plan and I’m not going to change it. I’m going to have to go out and play well. There’s a lot of really good players right around me, so as we all know here, if you get it going, you can shoot some low scores.”Johnson has endured more than his fair share of final-round disappointments in majors when either leading outright (twice) or tied for the lead (twice) after the third round, most notably at the US Open 10 years ago when he led by three before he triple-bogeyed the second, doubled the third and dropped another at four, setting the tone for a closing 82. Our round of day three goes to Dustin Johnson as the World No 1 takes a four-stroke lead into the final day of this year’s Masters
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“I think I’ve got a good game-plan and I’m not going to change it. I’m very comfortable with having the lead going into Sunday. I’ve been in this situation a lot of times, and I’m looking forward to the challenge” By Keith JacksonLast Updated: 15/11/20 12:13am Our round of day three goes to Dustin Johnson as the World No 1 takes a four-stroke lead into the final day of this year’s Masters Dustin Johnson vowed to continue with his aggressive game-plan as he takes a commanding four-shot lead into the final round of the Masters.Johnson insisted he was comfortable with his position despite being unable to convert four previous 54-hole leads in majors into victories, comparing his current form to his imperious performances early in 2017.He arrived at Augusta National as the clear world No 1 on the back of three successive victories, only to be denied the chance to compete for the Green Jacket when he injured his back in an unfortunate fall down a staircase at his rented home on the eve of the first round.But he is high on confidence as he looks to atone for that misfortune, and his optimism was justified following a high-quality seven-under 65 on day three which separated him from the chasing pack and matched the 54-hole scoring record of 16-under par.“I would say the game is in really good form right now,” said the world No 1, with more than a hint of understatement. “You know, it’s very similar to what it was back in 2017. It’s just very consistent.“I feel like I’ve got a lot of control with what I’m doing, controlling my distance well with my flight and my shape. I’m very comfortable standing over the golf ball right now, and obviously that’s a really good feeling. – Advertisement –
1:46 Dustin Johnson says he has a plan in place that he hopes he can execute on Sunday after taking a four-stroke lead heading into the final day of The Masters
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– Advertisement – “But it’s just 18 holes of golf. I need to go out and play solid. I feel like I’m swinging really well. If I can just continue to give myself a lot of looks at birdie, I think I’ll have a good day.“I’m very comfortable with having the lead going into Sunday. I’ve been in this situation a lot of times. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
LGPS transparency code to show investment costs ‘over £1bn’ [updated]
Investment management costs of local authority pensions in the UK are likely to be over £1bn for 2017, following the introduction of a new transparency code.The £217bn Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) paid out £805m to investment managers last year, according to LGPS annual reports.Jeff Houston, head of pensions at the LGPS Board, said the likely rise was not an increase in manager fees but greater disclosure of total costs under the board’s transparency code and accounting guidance from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA).The LGPS Board unveiled the code last month at a conference hosted by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association. It is a variant on a disclosure template from the Netherlands, adapted the scheme board, aided by Chris Sier of Newcastle University’s Business School and in negotiation with the UK’s asset management trade body, the Investment Association. The code’s introduction coincided with an investigation by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) into the asset management industry. It reports its final findings tomorrow, covering how to improve transparency, competition, and value for clients. It issued a critical interim report on the industry last November.The upwards trend for LGPS investment costs is already established – reported costs have almost doubled since 2013 – but Houston said he expected another leap this year.The FCA is rumoured to want to make the transparency code universal, but implemented by a new standards-setting body rather than the FCA itself.Although the LGPS Transparency Code is voluntary, it has momentum. So far six firms have signed up, including Baillie Gifford, Capital International, Legal & General Investment Management, and Montanaro. Other big houses such as BlackRock are expected to follow.Signatories have to report transaction costs, broker commission, exit and entry charges, and all other fees paid to third-party funds on top of investment management. Previously, they simply reported their management fee.The mandate for a third-party firm to ensure compliance with the code is due to be issued by the LGPS Scheme Board shortly. Signatories have a year’s grace to report using best estimates, but from 2018 their data will be scrutinised by the successful bidder for the compliance mandate.Houston said the purpose of the transparency code was to enable local government to measure costs, not simply to beat down manager fees. “You can’t measure costs if you don’t know what they are,” he said.He also noted that the LGPS code was constructed in conjunction with the industry, not imposed on it. The code currently applies to listed securities management only. Discussions with private equity managers are still in progress.Note: This article was updated to clarify how the LGPS transparency code was developed.
January 17, 2018 Police Blotter
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IDHS issues flood response update
Aurora, In. — The Indiana Department of Homeland Security has been on the scene of severe flooding across southern Indiana. The agency has been monitoring and assisting with the county-level response.On Saturday, February 24, governor Eric J. Holcomb issued a disaster declaration for 11 Indiana counties due to flooding, including Carroll, Dearborn, Elkhart, Fulton, Lake, Marshall, Perry, St. Joseph, Starke, Switzerland and White counties. This flooding has destroyed or caused severe damage to homes, businesses, structures and infrastructure. On Monday, February 26 seven more counties were added: Benton, Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Jefferson, Spencer and Warrick counties. On Tuesday, February 27 Harrison, Jasper, Ohio and Pulaski Counties were added.The following 22 counties have issued county emergency declarations: Benton, Carroll, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Elkhart, Floyd, Fulton, Harrison, Jasper, Jefferson, Lake, Marshall, Ohio, Perry, Pulaski, Spencer, St. Joseph, Starke, Switzerland, Warrick and White counties.An emergency declaration at the county level means the commissioners have determined that conditions are such that emergency services may not be provided to the public in a timely fashion, and may be significantly delayed. A county emergency declaration initiates county emergency plans, and allows additional resources to be provided by the state to assist local response efforts.The Indiana State Department of Health is supplying tetanus vaccines to the following counties: Clark, Marshall, Dearborn, Jefferson, Perry and Carroll.The State Emergency Operations Center was activated Wednesday, February 21 and continues to respond to requests for assistance from local officials. The State EOC has directly assisted counties by coordinating the delivery of over 750,000 sandbags, two water pumps, heavy equipment and vehicles, labor crews, traffic control, UAV photography and subject matter expertise on disaster response and recovery.The Department of Natural Resources, Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana Department of Correction, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana National Guard and the American Red Cross are also providing support.Residents can report damage by clicking this link.
Main Street Greensburg director resigns
Greensburg, In. — Wendy Blake, executive director of Main Street Greensburg has tendered her resignation effective June 30, 2018. Blake has held the position since 2014 and has been a proven leader for events like the Tenderloin Throwdown, Farmer’s Market, Market to Meal Alleyway Dinner, Distinctive Places art installations and the Holiday Walk.Blake also served on the Greensburg Stellar Communities and TREEmendous Transformation communities.The board of directors is committed to finding another energetic, creative person to take over for her. Residents are encouraged to refer any qualified people to the board by calling 812-592-7326 or email pdeiwert@rivervalleyresources.com .
Wildcats CC Results At South Dearborn
Franklin County High School Girls Varsity Cross Country finishes 6th place at South Dearborn High School Invite.Every single Franklin County runner on the Girls Varsity team set a new season or career personal best at the South Dearborn Invitational. Junior, Lauren Kelley, finished 7th out of 90 runners with a season-best time of 20:33. Senior, Katelyn Meyer, finished 17th, with a time of 22:25. It was a season-best for her, and she is closing in on her career-best of 22:14 with her huge sprint to the finish. Sophomore, Katherine Apsley, finished in 30th place, with a season-best of 24:38. Junior, Josie Selm, had a season PR with her time of 24:46. Sophomore and newcomer to the sport, Emma Cabezuelo, gave her best performance, yet. She also gave a huge sprint at the finish, giving her a time of 25:35. The sixth finisher for the team, freshman Kenzie Rogers, continues to improve with her personal best of 29:43. She has improved by 11 minutes since the season started. The lady Wildcats are continuing to push their limits and drop their times this season.Team Scores: Greensburg 55, Ryle 70, Columbus East 77, Jennings County 78, Rushville 123, Franklin County 151, Lawrenceburg 164, South Dearborn 178.Franklin County High School Boys Varsity Cross Country finishes 5th place at South Dearborn High School Invite. Every single Wildcat varsity boys runner achieved a season or career personal best at the South Dearborn Invitational on Saturday, September 21st. Junior, Drew Grant, the top finisher for Franklin County, crossed the finish line with a career personal best of 18:14, beating his former best time by 26 seconds. Sophomore, Ben Maze, also achieved a career personal best of 18:50, placing 27th out of 91 runners. Hunter, Harvey, and Harmon Marshall all achieved career personal bests by almost a minute each. Hunter, a freshman, brought his time down to a 19:24. Harvey, a senior, dropped his time down to a 19:25. And, Harmon, a freshman, dropped to a 19:43. Senior, Kyle Seibert, has been gaining momentum throughout the season and achieved a season-best of 19:28. Rounding out the varsity team, sophomore Adam Grant, continued the trend of personal bests with his time of 20:29. It was a fast day for the Wildcat boys, and they plan to continue breaking their own personal records as the season continues.Team Scores: Jennings County 16, Ryle 64, Greensburg 69, Rushville 91, Franklin County 149, Lawrenceburg 201, South Dearborn 212, Madison 213.Courtesy of Wildcats Coach Stacey Nobbe.
COLUMN: Men’s basketball moving up in Pac-12
The third year of coach Andy Enfield’s tenure at the helm of the USC men’s basketball program is underway, and for the first time in the last four years, the Trojans look like a competitive Pac-12 basketball team. This is not to say that the team is going to contend for a conference title this year or make a run to the tournament — though they could surprise some people — but this year’s squad [will] be in most of their games.This is a wild improvement from where they have been, especially over the first two years of Enfield’s time at USC. This is not a make-or-break season for the young coach if they show some positive signs of improvement. However, if there is no upward trajectory and they again finish in the bottom of the Pac-12, I don’t think he makes it to his fourth season.The good news for him, and Trojan basketball fans in general, is that this team has shown some signs of forward progress. The team is currently 1-0, with a 40-plus point blowout win over the University of San Diego in its opener. A big win over a weak non-conference opponent normally isn’t cause for celebration, but USC’s players flashed major glimpses of potential on Friday.Part of the problem in Enfield’s first two seasons was an absolute dearth of talent on the roster. The Men of Troy did not field a team the last two years that was filled all Division I caliber players. This year, they finally have. Enfield’s last two recruiting classes are finally starting to pay some dividends for the program.The two highly touted freshman recruits, Chimezie Metu and Bennie Boatwright, both appear to be immediate contributors to the Trojans’ front court. Metu, a local product out of Lawndale, has the length and raw athleticism to be a potent force on both offense and defense. With a 6-foot-11 frame and great speed for his size, Metu fits Enfield’s offensive mold perfectly. He still needs to fill out and add some bulk, but that will come with time. His raw skillset allows him to be a contributor from day one.The other half of the freshman duo, Boatwright, is another tall and lanky forward. Unlike Metu, who does most of his work down low, Boatwright has the ability to space the floor and score from outside as well. For years USC has floundered from beyond the arc, but the combination of Boatwright and an improved Katin Reinhardt and Elijah Stewart may allow the Trojans to finally space the floor a little bit more.If the first game is any indication, sophomore swingman Elijah Stewart is vastly improved. Stewart closed last season out on a run, playing phenomenally well in an upset over Arizona State in the Pac-12 tournament. Last season, the versatile swingman demonstrated a knack for lockdown defense while also demonstrating his ability to beat his man off the dribble and attack the paint. This year, it appears he has added a reliable jump shot to his arsenal, making him even more effective.In addition to Stewart, sophomore point guard Jordan McLaughlin also has added new dimensions to his games. The most prized recruit of the Enfield era thus far, McLaughlin dealt with injuries and struggled to adjust to the speed of the college game last year. Even so, he still managed to put together a respectable debut season, and now that he has a better feel for the nuances of Division I basketball, he can put his considerable talents to better use.Rounding out the Trojans’ squad are some of the now upperclassmen who have been around for a few years. Reinhardt, guard Julian Jacobs and big man Nikola Jovanovic all have developed nicely in their time at USC. Reinhardt appears to have added muscle over the summer and worked on his shooting mechanics with Enfield. If he can develop into a consistent and reliable threat from deep, the Trojans will greatly benefit.In addition, Jovanovic gives them a formidable presence who the Trojans can feed for some easy baskets in half court offensive sets. The forward has developed a couple of excellent moves in the paint, and will be a double-double threat every time he steps onto the court.This early part of the season is a pivotal stretch in Enfield’s time at USC. He doesn’t need USC to compete with Duke and Kentucky. He just needs to lead a competitive team that has shown marked signs of improvement. If he can do that, most of the rational Trojan fan base will be happy with his work.Jake Davidson is a junior majoring in accounting. His column, “Davidson’s Direction,” runs Mondays.