WGAA 1340AM Cedartown

A 14-year-old boy in Bremen is expected to be charged as an adult in connection with the shooting death of his 18-year-old sister. Bremen Police say Nikki Parrot was shot once in the head on Dec. 21. Investigators said the boy argued with his sister, left the room, then walked back in and shot her. Police said they still aren’t sure what the two argued about. Parrot was airlifted to Atlanta, where she died. She was buried on Christmas Eve. Bremen Police delayed releasing information about the shooting out of respect for the family according to Police Chief Keith Pesnell.

Rockmart Police have arrested and Aragon man on child molestation charges. According to Polk County Jail Docket reports, 29 year old Derrick Keith Lentz of 327 New Prospect Road in Aragon was arrested back on December 9 and faces charges of aggravated child molestation and rape. Police say that a school counselor reported the incident to authorities. Detective David Gowens of the Rockmart Police Department said the suspect is believed to be involved in a separate incident involving a child under the age of 16. Investigators are awaiting a report from the Georgia Forensic Crime Lab to confirm physical evidence in the case.

The man arrested for his alleged involvement in an armed robbery has been released from Polk County Jail on a property bond. According to docket reports, 18 year old James Andrew Crawford of 210 Laurel Place in Cedartown was arrested back on December 2 and is facing an armed robbery charge in relation to a November robbery of a pedestrian. Crawford allegedly attacked Christopher Martinez while he was walking at the intersection of Brooks Street and Cobb Street. The gun Crawford used was later determined to be a toy. The two other men involved in the incident still remain at large.

A major 4-wheeler theft ring has been busted in Haralson County. Haralson County Sheriff Eddie Mixon says they’ve made 11 arrests, and are trying to match stolen ATVs to their owners. Mixon says he is trying to match VIN numbers to rightful owners. There was even a motorcycle stashed away in the crawlspace of the home. Authorities say this ring is wide reaching and that more arrests could come later as the investigation continues to unfold.

Well another major road closure in Cedartown today. This time it’s a portion of College Drive in the north end of town. According to city officials, a section of College Drive between Georgia Lane and the stop sign at John Hand Road will be closed for at least 24 hours. City crews recently completed work on John Hand Road and College Street and have more projects on their list. Stay tuned to the Big Double A for the latest. Once again, College Drive will be closed from Georgia Lane to the John Hand Road intersection. Residents and motorists can use Evergreen Lane to cut across to Cave Spring Road as a detour.

Going fast is going to cost you big. Under Georgia’s new “super speeder” law that goes into effect in on Jan. 1, speeders caught going over 75 mph on two lane roads will be hit with a special $200 fine. The “super speeder” fine will be on top of any local ticket the speeder gets. Speeders going over 85 mph on multiple lane highways will also have to pay the “super speeder” fine. The fines collected under the new law will be used to help fund Georgia’s trauma care hospital system. The new law goes into affect on Friday. So SLOW DOWN!!

More bad news for the local economy as a Rome area store will be closing its doors and leaving the Mount Berry Square Mall. According to a company spokesman, the Rome GAP stores in Mount Berry will close in mid-January due to factors such as store location, store performance and number of stores in the market. This comes as a gloomy indicator of the declining popularity of malls while internet sales and shopping centers continue to increase in the number of sales every year.

According to new U.S. Census figures Georgia’s population placed ninth in the country with a population at 9,829,211. The number shows a growth in the state of 131,373 compared to the 2000 Census. In 2000 Georgia’s population was listed at 8,186,781. The growth was substantially lower than the estimated increase of 162,447 the previous year. California remains atop the list with nearly 37 million people.

The 2010 Cedartown Little League baseball sign-ups will begin on Jan. 4. Walk-in registration will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 4-7 and Jan. 11-14 at the Cedartown Recreation Department gym for kids ages 12-and-under. On Jan. 23 and Jan. 30 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. walk-in registration will be held above the concession stand at the Bert Wood Youth and Athletic Complex. Online registration will begin Jan. 4 and will end Jan. 30. The registration fee for anyone who signs up in January is $45. Any kid signing up after Jan. 30 will be charged $65 for late registration. A sign-up date for children ages 13-and-older will be announced after the Cedartown Middle School baseball season. Try-outs will be held for kids 12-and-under in February. For more information about the sign-ups or any umpires or volunteers interested with helping the local Little League program, call Cedartown Recreation Director Johnny Morris at 770-748-7783 or Cedartown Little League President David Barrow at 770-872-4681 or visit www.playpcyb.com.

Bring One for the Chipper, the state’s annual Christmas tree recycling program, invites Georgia residents to bring their trees to local drop-off centers. For Polk County: any of the 6 convenience centers plus Home Depot in Cedartown. In Polk County, residents will receive a coupon which can be exchanged on January 9 for a free crepe myrtle seedling. Trees dropped off in Polk County in past years have been used mostly for fish habitats in local area lakes.