Ga. Connections Academy accepting applications until Feb. 27

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Tuesday, January 21st, 2014, 8:24am

Ga. Connections Academy accepting applications until Feb. 27

(WXIA) -- Sometimes a student is forced to change schools mid-year.

If a child is a promising athlete, a working performer or encounters some type of health issue, online school gives him the flexibility he needs to heal, practice and/or travel.

Georgia Connections Academy, a fully accredited K-12 online school, is now accepting applications for mid-year enrollees in grades K-11. The school allows students to learn at their own pace, be it faster or slower than traditional school.

Visit connectionsacademy.com for more information about the school and to sign up a child. Parents can also call the school at 678-825-3258.

Late enrollment ends Thursday, Feb. 27.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Monday, January 20th, 2014, 1:30pm

(WXIA) -- Many metro Atlanta residents and companies chose to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by serving their communities.

Hosea Feed the Hungry estimates it will feed 10,000 families during its MLK Day meal, which began at 10 a.m. at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park.

More than 3,000 people rolled up their sleeves to serve with Hands On Atlanta, beautifying such areas as City of Refuge and Chastain Memorial Park.

Georgia Power employees spent the day volunteering at Lutheran Towers, a housing development for seniors in Midtown Atlanta. They also assembled, labeled and distributed collection boxes at Rockdale Emergency Relief in Conyers.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, January 17th, 2014, 5:00pm

(WXIA) -- Georgia Department of Transportation crews aren't letting the prospect of cold weekend weather deter them from working on road projects.

As usual, most of the work will take place overnight. However, a few projects will be completed during the day.

Work will continue along the Georgia 400/Interstate 85 interchange, which includes Cheshire Bridge Road, Sidney Marcus Boulevard and the Buford-Spring Connector. Lane closures can be expected during the day as well as at night.

One right southbound lane of the Buford-Spring Connector will be closed for bridge work daily from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Sign work will take place on I-85 in both directions between Clairmont and Lenox roads. Two left lanes will be closed in both directions from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

A new project will take place on I-20 in both directions between Highway 5 and Liberty Road in Douglas County. Minimal delays are expected daily between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

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Submitted by Georgia Lottery, The GA Lottery

Thursday, January 16th, 2014, 1:31pm

Ga. Lottery posts educational transfers totaling $15B

ATLANTA – As the Georgia Lottery Corp. celebrates its 20th anniversary, lottery officials today announced record proceeds to education for the first half of fiscal year 2014. The Georgia Lottery’s first-half transfers to the Lottery for Education Account will bring the total raised for educational programs in the state to $15 billion since the lottery’s inception in 1993.

Georgia Lottery returns to education for the first half of fiscal year 2014 totaled $462.1 million, more than $11.6 million ahead of the same period last year.

“More dollars will go to fund educational programs in Georgia than ever before as a result of our strong start to the fiscal year,” said Georgia Lottery President and CEO Debbie D. Alford. “We are proud of our accomplishments and remain committed to maximizing revenues to benefit Georgia’s students.”

The first half of the fiscal year spanned from July 1, 2013, to December 31, 2013.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Monday, January 13th, 2014, 1:26pm

Debut author to read at A Cappella Books

ATLANTA -- A fresh voice in American literature will read at A Cappella Books in Inman Park next month.

James Scott recently published his debut novel, The Kept. He will read, discuss and sign copies of the book on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.

A Cappella provided a summary of The Kept:

In the winter of 1897, a trio of killers descends upon an isolated farm in upstate New York. Midwife Elspeth Howell returns home to the carnage: her husband, and four of her children, murdered. Before she can discover her remaining son, Caleb, alive and hiding in the kitchen pantry, another shot rings out over the snow-covered valley. Twelve-year-old Caleb must tend to his mother until she recovers enough for them to take to the frozen wilderness in search of the men responsible.

Scott was born in Boston and grew up in upstate New York. He has a BA from Middlebury College and an MFA from Emerson College.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, January 10th, 2014, 4:00pm

(WXIA) -- Path2College, Georgia's 529 savings plan, has kicked off this year's $25,000 Reasons to Save Sweepstakes.

The promotion is designed to get parents thinking about saving for college while their children are still young.

Through the sweepstakes, one lucky child will be awarded $15,000 for his or her college education. The winner's school will receive $10,000.

"All you have to do is go online and enter for a chance to win," Path2College exeuctive director Mitch Seabaugh said. "There's nothing to lose by entering, and both a child and his or her school have a lot to gain."

To enter, visit path2college529.com. The sweepstakes is open to current Path2College 529 Plan account owners or non-account owners who live in Georgia and are at least 21 years old.

The contest closes on Sunday, Aug. 10.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Wednesday, January 8th, 2014, 11:15am

Scholarships available to high school and college students

(WXIA) -- The Constitutional Officers Association of Georgia is offering three scholarships to Georgia's college students and high school seniors.

To qualify for the COAG Scholarship, a student must be a high school senior or GED candidate and a Georgia citizen, and should be scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2014.

Current students at accredited Georgia colleges and universities are also welcome to apply. The scholarship is available to students majoring in government or law enforcement; political science; accounting or finance; business; or pre-law.

COAG is offering scholarships in three amounts -- $500, $1,000 and $1,500. Applicants must write a 1,000-word essay that answers the question "Who are the locally elected constitutional officers and what differentiates them from other county offices?"