9/11 commission member says U.S. is not as safe as it should be

WASHINGTON - Al-Qaida is gaining strength and the United States is still not as safe as it should be, former Indiana congressman Tim Roemer said Saturday.

For fourth straight time, Braves top Padres

SAN DIEGO - Andruw Jones seems to have a better time hitting at Petco Park than the home team does.

Jones hit another big homer at San Diego's downtown ballpark and had three RBIs, and Buddy Carlyle pitched eight strong innings against his former team as the Atlanta Braves beat the Padres 7-4 on Friday night.

NeSmith-Bray

Jennifer Alane NeSmith and Travis Daniel Bray were united in marriage on Saturday, April 21, 2007, at 6:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Statesboro. The Rev. Donald Wheless officiated at the double ring ceremony.

Braves hold on to close out L.A. series with 8-6 win

LOS ANGELES - Sometimes when Chipper Jones hears his name mentioned alongside some of the baseball's legendary figures, he has a difficult time believing how much he's accomplished. Dale Murphy probably doesn't.

Kathy Bradley

Sometime around the first of the year, I found out about a book titled "The Intellectual Devotional." The title alone was reason enough to buy it.

For Young Readers by Lindsey & Paige Oliver

It is rare these days to find a picture book that is accessible to all ages. Even rarer is a book with unique art and unique story that engages readers. "Mirrormask," the brain child of author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Dave McKean, does all this and more. "Mirrormask" is a unique fantasy book that does not feel like fantasy. Despite the fact that much of the story takes place in an alternate world, the perspective of the main character, Helena, gives the story a surprisingly normal feeling that even people who dislike fantasy can identify with.

Henry Clay, horticulturist

If you want a tropical look in your garden, whether in containers or beds, cannas (Canna x generalis) are a perfect choice. Cannas are dramatic, with large leaves and upright growth, and flower regularly throughout our summer period.

Bulloch History by Roger Allen

With a name like that, I'm not sure if I'd like to live there. Where exactly would that be, and how did it get its name? The truth, in this case, is quite simple. At Great Lott's Creek, along the Bulloch and Candler County line, a gentleman named William Wright had bought some land. He announced on April 14, 1860, that he intended to set up a "fish trap" on the Great Ogeechee River near the junction of Great Lott's Creek.

Tobacco taxes viewed as a likely source of children’s health funding

WASHINGTON - The nation's 45 million smokers will probably help pay for the spending increase that Democrats want for children's health insurance, say analysts familiar with deliberations on Capitol Hill.

President Bush accuses Congress of failing to meet its duties

WASHINGTON - President Bush accused Democratic lawmakers on Saturday of being unable to live up to their duties, citing Congress' inability to pass legislation to fund the federal government.

Farm bill again will be battle over crop subsidies

WASHINGTON - Momentum is building in Congress for overhauling farm subsidies because of tight budgets and increasing enthusiasm for renewable fuels and conservation programs.

A few laws exist, but most states keep prep steroids a local issue

They were thinking big in New Mexico. Encouraged by the Drug Enforcement Administration, state officials staged a national summit to discuss solutions for the growing problem of steroids in high school sports.

Miniature robots play in world’s first nano-scale soccer game

ATLANTA - Exploding from the other end of the soccer field, the silver robot glinted under the light of the cameras and burst toward the lone defender standing between it and the goal.

Crosby-Ostean

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Mitch Crosby of Metter announce the engagement of their daughter, Heather Ann Crosby of Metter, to Barry Lee Ostean, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Dewayne Ostean of Sparta, Ga.

8 out of 10 Ga. schools make adequate progress under federal law

ATLANTA - About 81 percent of Georgia public schools passed muster under federal No Child Left Behind requirements this year - a slight increase over 2006.

That moment when your kid sees you naked

You're getting out of the shower early in the morning when the door opens. Standing there, staring blankly back at you, is your kid. He or she has just caught a glimpse of your naked adult body. You spring into action, help your kid out of the bathroom and then return to drying off and redressing.

Your personality might help your doctor give you better treatment

Are you an introvert or extrovert? A thinker or a feeler? A cat person or a dog person?

Missing American found dead in Mexican mountains

MEXICO CITY - Searchers on Friday found the body of an American man who had been missing in the rugged mountains in central Mexico since going on a hike four days ago.

Police: Girl, 7, survives Ky. plane crash; police ID 4 dead

EDDYVILLE, Ky. - A 7-year-old girl who survived a plane crash in Kentucky that killed her parents and two other family members has been released from the hospital, an official said Saturday.

Big Ten striking back with bowl success

The Big Ten is starting the new year with a new sense of pride.

SEC getting roughed up

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - It was bound to happen.

Bulloch blasted by Furtah

Bulloch Academy erased a 24-point halftime deficit but it wasn't enough to overcome the multi-national force of Furtah Prep Friday night.

Ducks vs. Bucks for title

Ohio State is looking for its first national title since 2002. Oregon is seeking its first, period.

Statesboro man faces murder charge in East Dublin killing

EAST DUBLIN, Ga. - Authorities say a 38-year-old Statesboro man is facing a murder charge in connection with the New Year's Eve shooting death of a man in East Dublin.

Fast-food resolution: Transform junk food image

NEW YORK - Fast-food chains have a New Year's resolution: Drop the junk.

2 officers, suspect shot in W.Va. highway shootout

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Two West Virginia police officers were injured in a New Year's Day shootout after a traffic stop involving a stolen SUV and a truck with two dead bodies inside, authorities said.

Some AirAsia victims found belted in seats

PANGKALAN BUN, Indonesia - After nearly a week of searching for the victims of AirAsia Flight 8501, rescue teams battling monsoon rains had their most successful day yet on Friday, more than tripling the number of bodies pulled from the Java Sea, some still strapped to their seats.

Ga. man convicted of killing sheriff's deputy to be executed

ATLANTA - A Georgia man convicted of killing a sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop in 1998 is set to be executed later this month, state corrections officials said Friday.

Rushing-Hardee

Mr. Jeffrey Rushing and Mrs. Denise Larisey of Statesboro, Georgia, announce the engagement of their daughter, Charlene Rushing of Statesboro, to David Keith Hardee, son of Mr. and Mrs. David W. Hardee.

Partial skeleton found in Millen

Yesterday around 7 p.m., a 14-year-old boy who was hunting on the south side of Millen off Edna Lanier Road found a partial skeleton of a man, according to Jenkins County Sheriff Robert Oglesby.