Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Georgia’s April jobless rate of 8.9 percent marks the first time in more than three years the rate has dropped below nine percent.

The state’s unemployment rate was 9.8 percent in April a year ago.

The last time Georgia’s jobless rate was below nine percent was in February of 2009, when it was also 8.9 percent.

Authorities say the child admitted to DeKalb County police that he and two friends were planning to burglarize homes when he shot himself.

Police say the child originally said he was shot by a man Thursday in a wooded area in the neighborhood off Buford Highway. Police put Montclair Elementary School on lockdown as a precaution.

The child later recanted his story saying he accidently shot himself in the backside while skipping school with two other teenagers, who are 16 and 17 years old.

DeKalb County Public Safety Director Wiz Miller says the child was not a student at the school.

The Celtics captain put in 24 points in Boston’s 101-91 Game 3 victory over the 76ers in Philadelphia, putting his knee injury behind him and getting aggressive when it came to pretty much every aspect of the game.

“Whether I shot the ball well or not, everything I was going to do was being with aggression,” Pierce said.

Aggressive might be an understatement. Pierce was in attack mode early on, even if his shots weren’t falling. Early in the first quarter, he missed four shots from close range, but it was the fact he fought for the three put-backs in the paint that showed he was determined to make a difference after scoring just seven points in Boston’s Game 2 loss.

He continued to go strong to the basket, following up his early misses with two ferocious dunks. Pierce finishing with nine points in the first 12 minutes of the game. He ended up hitting six of his 17 attempts from the floor, but did most of his damage at — and getting to — the free throw line. After just two trips to the charity stripe on Monday, Pierce found his way to the line 14 times in Game 3, scoring 11 of his points at the line.

Special Coverage: NBA Playoffs

He made it known to all of Philly when he was making his way to the line, following each drive to the hoop with an aggressive scream that would make Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart” jealous.

“Everything I was going to do was going to be aggressive because they were really collapsing on me on the down-screens, on my jumpers,” said Pierce. “I just tried to get to the hole and I was able to get to the line; able to get to the rim a number of times. It’s something I have to continue to do.”

“Paul is just a grinder,” head coach Doc Rivers said following the win. “He really is. You look at him at times and you wonder, ‘How is this guy getting open?’ He just has great fundamentals. He never does it with speed. He just knows how to play basketball. He’s a throwback guy, that he knows how to play basketball. We jokingly call him our ‘professional scorer’ and that’s what he is in a lot of ways.”

“[Pierce] played great for us tonight,” said point guard Rajon Rondo, who scored 23 points of his own while dishing out 14 assists. “Paul has been struggling scoring, but he has been doing the intangibles. On those [first-quarter] drives, he didn’t get some calls early in the game and thought they were fouls, so he went out and was aggressive and finished strong.”

Recap: Thunder Go Up 2-0 On Lakers

Pierce had been just 5-for-20 in the series in the first two games, but helped the Celtics send a message as they took a 2-1 series lead. While he only added four assists, he credited the team’s ball movement for getting the offense going.

“Our offense finally came alive,” Pierce said. “We moved the ball. We knew that’s what we were going to have to do to score 100 points.”

“We just wanted to come out and establish who we are as a team,” Pierce said.

They certainly did that. Now they just need to keep it going on Friday night.

Box Score | Playoffs Schedule

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

Oklahoma City trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to take a 2-0 lead.

Game 3 is Friday night in Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who came up empty on their last six possessions after Bynum’s hook shot made it 75-68 with 2:09 remaining.

Game 2 Photo Gallery (Photo:Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

After struggling throughout the second half, the Thunder suddenly came alive after Scott Brooks called timeout following Bynum’s basket that gave Los Angeles its largest lead of the game.

James Harden drove for a layup before Durant used his height advantage to reach up and tip away a pass from Bryant, who he was guarding. Durant ran out for a right-handed dunk at the other end before Russell Westbrook forced another turnover by aggressively challenging an outlet pass to Bryant along the sideline.

Harden made the next stop, blocking Bryant’s jumper on the next Lakers possession and getting a layup in transition off it to cut the deficit to one in the final minute.

Bryant couldn’t connect again, this time on a 3-pointer, to give the Thunder the ball back with the chance to take the lead and Durant was able to make it happen.

Steve Blake missed a 3-pointer from the right side with about 5 seconds left after Metta World Peace couldn’t get the ball to Bryant on the inbounds play. Durant was then fouled with 0.3 seconds left and made his first try before missing the second on purpose – failing to hit the backboard or rim for a violation.

The Lakers got a desperation try but World Peace’s long pass for Bynum was intercepted by Harden.

Westbrook added 15 points for Oklahoma City, which matched its lowest scoring total of the season but still gutted out the win.

Historically, the loss makes a huge difference. Los Angeles is 29-12 when splitting the first two games of a seven-game series and has lost 17 of 19 when falling into a 2-0 hole. The Lakers’ last comeback was in the 2004 West semifinals against San Antonio.

The Thunder have won all nine of their series after leading 2-0, dating back to the franchise’s days in Seattle.

In a game that was nip-and-tuck throughout, the Lakers started inching away early in the fourth quarter while Westbrook was on the bench.

Bryant drilled a jumper from the left wing and Blake followed with a 3-pointer before World Peace hit one of two free throws for a 69-63 advantage with 7:27 remaining – the Lakers’ largest lead to that point.

Westbrook returned then but only provided the briefest of sparks for the struggling Oklahoma City offense, and Bynum’s second straight basket – on a left-handed hook shot at the left block – made it 75-68 with 2:09 to play.

Until that point, Oklahoma City had made only 7 of 27 shots in the second half while committing eight turnovers.

After getting ripped apart by the Thunder’s pick-and-roll attack and giving up 119 points in Game 1, the Lakers made it an emphasis to put up more resistance in the rematch and it showed. Matt Barnes shuffled back and forth around three Nick Collison screens to contest Harden’s jumper and preserve the Lakers’ 22-21 lead after one quarter.

The Lakers’ defense was at its best just after halftime as they got out of a 48-45 deficit by holding Oklahoma City scoreless for the first 4 minutes and allowing just two baskets in the first 8 minutes. But Los Angeles still couldn’t create any sort of a cushion and Westbrook’s wide-open 3-pointer from the left corner – after World Peace airballed a similar shot on the opposite end – had the Thunder back within 57-56 with 3:31 left in the third.

Notes: The NBA on Wednesday fined Devin Ebanks $25,000 for actions related to his Game 1 ejection and Bynum $15,000 for failing to speak to reporters Tuesday. Bynum, who has had recent disciplinary issues within the team, talked at the Lakers’ morning shootaround Wednesday and called it a make up for skipping the previous day. “I think he’s learning. Is he going to be a perfect citizen the rest of his career? I don’t know,” coach Mike Brown said. “He’s bound to make mistakes. I think everybody makes mistakes.” … World Peace has said he supported Scott Brooks to become Sacramento’s coach back in 2007, when Brooks had been an assistant under Eric Musselman. “Little does he know, if I would have got the job, I was going to ask for him to be traded,” Brooks joked. He then called World Peace, or Ron Artest at the time, the third-best two-way player at the time behind Bryant and Kevin Garnett. … Harden caught World Peace with an inadvertent elbow to the face in the first quarter.

It worked twice, and the Eastern Conference finals are all even, as a result.

David Clarkson scored a tip-in goal off Adam Henrique’s shot 2:31 into the third period to break a tie and lift the Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers that squared the series at one game apiece on Wednesday night.

“It’s a very hard building to play in, and 1-1 sounds much better than down 2-0,” Devils captain Zach Parise said. “We’re happy. We would have liked to have snuck out of here with two wins, but it didn’t happen.

“We’ll take 1-1.”

For the third straight series, the Rangers are wondering what went wrong in Game 2 after they took the opener. They stressed how important it would be to grab a 2-0 lead, which would have been their first two-game edge in this postseason, but didn’t provide the necessary effort to get it done.

New York was riding high after its 3-0 series-opening win on Monday night, but now has relinquished home-ice advantage again.

“You need to improve as a hockey team every game,” said succinct and disappointed coach John Tortorella, who declined to say what areas were deficient.

Game 3 will be Saturday in New Jersey.

Clarkson built off the momentum created by Ryan Carter’s deflected goal late in the second that tied the game, 2-2. Ilya Kovalchuk had given the Devils a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first. Defenseman Bryce Salvador added two assists, and Martin Brodeur stopped 23 saves for his 108th playoff win.

Clarkson has three goals in this postseason, and every one has been a winner, including the clincher against Philadelphia in Game 5 of the second round.

“Mr. Clutch? I don’t know about that,” Clarkson said. “I’m going to skate up and down and finish the checks and just bounce off people. It’s just a great feeling to be able to contribute. To get a tip on that felt pretty good.”

New Jersey had 26 attempted shots blocked in Game 1, five more than they got through to goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The Devils cut the blocks to 16 on Wednesday and managed to get 27 on goal — two more than New York.

“That team blocks so many shots,” Clarkson said. “It’s unbelievable how many. I think we found a way to shoot it and get sticks on it, and definitely that was big for us.”

Marc Staal and Chris Kreider scored power-play goals in the second for the top-seeded Rangers, who received 24 saves by Lundqvist.

New Jersey got even at 2 when Salvador wound up for a shot at the blue line and fired a drive that Carter — with his back to the net — brilliantly deflected past Lundqvist with 1:51 left in the second. Marian Gaborik stood up straight in front of Salvador, but didn’t drop down as many of his teammates have to try to block the shot. For that, he was pinned to the bench by Tortorella, even through New York’s power play in the third.

Gaborik returned to the ice with 8:40 remaining as the Rangers pressed to tie.

The Devils kept the pressure on the Rangers at the start of the third and wiped out the good work the Rangers displayed in the second.

“It was a much different reaction when we went down by a goal than it was in the first game,” Parise said. “We didn’t change the way we played, and I think that was a big difference. We were comfortable with how we were playing.

“All I think they got was really on their power play.”

After spending much of the first trapped in their own end, the Rangers rebounded to erase their early deficit and briefly take the lead thanks to the previously inept power play.

With Alexei Ponikarovsky off for interference, Staal fired a shot that sailed wide of the net and struck the back boards before popping back in front and pinballing into the net off Salvador and Brodeur at 2:23. The goal was originally credited to Derek Stepan, who was in front, but the puck managed to miss him both on the way toward the net and on the bounce back.

“I saw most of the pucks, but the Rangers came out hard,” Brodeur said. “They were around me a lot, and there were some bad bounces. It’s such a tough place to play sometimes here. There are bad bounces, and the boards are terrible.”

Staal nearly netted another moments later when he ripped a drive that Brodeur had to lunge fully to his left to snare with his glove.

Kreider, the rookie from Boston College, scored for the second straight game to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 12:19. Anton Stralman let go a shot from above the right circle that ticked Kreider’s stick and fluttered past Brodeur for the rookie’s fourth goal. He had to wait to get it because it was first given to Stralman before being changed during a commercial break.

But that was hardly the longest delay of the night. Before Kreider’s power-play goal, the action was stopped for about eight minutes as arena workers struggled to get the door to the Devils’ penalty box opened. Travis Zajac stood patiently as he waited to have a seat in the box. He even managed to laugh as did New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer and the usually stoic and agitated Tortorella.

Zajac, who first was sent to the Rangers’ box, stayed in New Jersey’s sin bin for only 1:47 before Kreider scored the Rangers’ second power-play goal of the night.

New York registered the first six shots of the period before New Jersey had its first about eight minutes in, but the teams were even at 17 through 40 minutes.

Lundqvist had a bit of glove magic of his own midway through the second when a shot by Anton Volchenkov was deflected by Kovalchuk but tracked and grabbed by Lundqvist.

The Devils got their elusive first goal of the series, and the all-important lead in the game, when Kovalchuk connected on the power play late in the first period.

After Brian Boyle was sent off for slashing Parise, the Devils continued their puck-possession prowess in the Rangers’ end. New Jersey moved the puck all around the zone in search of a clean shot that could get past the diving New York defense and perhaps challenge Lundqvist, who made 21 saves in the series-opening win.

Marek Zidlicky curled with the puck to the center of the blue line and slid a pass down to the left circle to Kovalchuk, who calmly and patiently drifted in and snapped a shot up and under the crossbar in the upper corner of the net for his sixth goal of the playoffs and fourth on the power play.

“We had to keep going to the net, and I think we were doing some good things,” Clarkson said. “We’ve been playing some good hockey and we’ve got to continue to do it. That is a big win for us.”

The Devils didn’t record a shot on goal until 6:01 in when Patrik Elias put a wrist shot in on Lundqvist, but New Jersey finished the first period with an 8-5 edge in shots — despite having six more blocked by the Rangers.

Whether Brodeur was kidding or not about wanting Rangers to be injured by blocking shots, the home team wasn’t deterred from getting in front of drives. New York forward Brandon Prust was doing a bit of a dance in front of the dangerous Kovalchuk, trying to deny any potential drive, even though he was defending without a stick.

“We have to try to get in lanes,” Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. “Try to limit their time with the puck. If we do that, they are not going to have time to shoot.”

When Kovalchuk finally scored later in the period, he let out a big yell — part celebration and an exclamation of relief — as he skated in front of the glass behind the net.

“We have built some momentum,” Brodeur said. “And now, we have to try to take that into our building, and make our building a tough place to play.”

NOTES: The Rangers were 10 for 61 (16.4 percent) on the power play in the postseason before Wednesday. This marked the second time they netted a man-advantage goal in consecutive games, but the fourth time they scored two in a game. … The Devils returned defenseman Peter Harrold to the lineup and sat rookie Adam Larsson. Harrold replaced Larsson in the lineup late in the season and started the first nine postseason games. Larsson played in the previous five games.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Brown, widely acclaimed as the “Godfather of go-go” for his pioneering sound, died Wednesday at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore. Hospital spokesman Gary Stephenson confirmed Brown had died after a hospital stay that began April 18.

Thanks to Brown and his deep, gravelly voice, go-go music was uniquely identified with Washington. That’s where he continued to play the city’s club circuit to a loyal audience late in life.

Mayor Vincent Gray said the nation’s capital will be a different place without him. Mournful admirers of the musician were called Wednesday evening to an impromptu candlelight vigil in Washington, where a sound truck was to blast a special Chuck Brown music mix to the crowd before a prayer session for him.

“Go-go is D.C.’s very own unique contribution to the world of pop music,” he said. “Today is a very sad day for music lovers the world over.”

In 2007 Brown told The Associated Press that go-go was influenced by sounds and fast beats he heard early in life, growing up in North Carolina and Virginia, combined with his experience later, playing with a Latin band.

“Go-go is a music that continues on and on, and it’s a call and response communication with the audience,” Brown said.

Go-go was heavy on percussion with drummers as lead players, accented by guitar riffs, keyboards and horns. Sometimes the musicians would play for two or three hours without stopping. In between tunes, Brown would keep the thunk of percussion going and talk to the crowd.

Brown’s hit “Bustin’ Loose” with his group, the Soul Searchers, helped define go-go’s sound. It spent several weeks atop the R&B chart in 1979. Rapper Nelly later sampled Brown’s “Bustin’ Loose” in 2002 for his massive hit “Hot in Herre,” which won Nelly a Grammy.

Brown didn’t get credit at first, though, and “had to go through some legalities to get it right, but we knew, once we heard the song, that’s Chuck Brown,” said Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott, lead singer of the go-go band EU (Experience Unlimited.)

In 2007, rapper Eve sampled Brown’s song, “Blow Your Whistle,” in her hit single “Tambourine.”

Brown told the AP he admired such artists.

“Go-Go had some influence on rap because a lot of rap musicians come to my shows,” he said. “Some of them were students at Howard University. People like Puff Daddy, he’s been to see us when he was a young Howard University student.”

Spike Lee, a fan of Brown’s, used go-go for his movie “School Daze.”

“Chuck Brown Will Always Be ‘Bustin’ Loose’ — the Godfather of Go-Go,” Lee said through a spokeswoman.

Elliot said Brown had been a father figure since he was a teen when he aspired to be a rocker like Jimmy Hendrix but realized he wouldn’t make it that way as a young black man. When he saw Brown perform, he said he “instantly knew” what he wanted to do.

“Chuck Brown is going to live on forever. I’m going to make sure of that,” Elliott said. “When they see me, I want them to see a reflection of Chuck because he inspired me so much.”

He added: “The go-go sound is still going strong.”

When Brown was younger, he spent some time in jail. While behind bars, he traded five cartons of cigarettes for his first guitar. After he was freed in 1962, Brown played with several bands and then formed the Soul Searchers. To comply with terms of his parole, they couldn’t play where alcohol was served, so they went to churches, recreation halls and youth centers.

Brown’s daughter, Cherita Whiting, said he had died from complications with pneumonia and was gone too soon.

“I just want to tell all his fans, thank you, for lovin’ our dad,” she said. “He had the best fans in the world.”

During the crack epidemic of the 1980s, violence in some clubs affected go-go’s reputation. Brown said “we can’t blame the go-go for that,” though.

More recently, he said he had seen more grandparents at his shows, with an audience ranging in age from 18 to 60.

In 2005, he was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Washington was always his most loyal fan base, Brown told the AP, and he was happy to play here the rest of his life.

___

Associated Press writer Mesfin Fekadu contributed to this report.

___

May 16, 2012 08:36 PM EDT

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ABC News reports the medical records were part of evidence released Tuesday that prosecutors have in the second-degree murder case against Zimmerman. He has entered a plea of not guilty and claims self-defense in the Feb. 26 shooting. A message left Tuesday evening with Zimmerman’s attorney was not immediately returned.

Zimmerman was treated Feb. 27 at Altamonte Family Practice. A phone call made Tuesday evening to the practice rang unanswered.

Some of the injuries were previously reported by The Associated Press based on video of Zimmerman at a jail sally port.

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The NUMBER to the LIVE LINE is 1-877-532-5797!

Authorities say Gwinnett County Schools police arrested the 18-year-old freshman on Friday morning. She’s accused of carrying a dagger with a 2-inch blade in the waistband of her jeans at Mill Creek High School.

Gwinnett Public Schools spokesman Jorge Quintana said Lopez showed the weapon to someone else, who then reported it to administrators.

She’s charged with carrying a deadly weapon at a public gathering and carrying a concealed weapon.

The $1.4 billion addition opened Wednesday after years of planning.

The building’s wavy lines and eye-catching artwork offer a stark contrast to the boxy design of the rest of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Hundreds of passengers and airport employees milled around the terminal, checking out restaurants and watching flights from the expansive windows.

Airport managers are already expecting an increase in international travelers over the next decade, and they hope the terminal will convince airlines to route even more of their overseas flights through the city.

Playing for the sixth time in 11 days, Los Angeles gave San Antonio its toughest first half of the playoffs before fading fast. And unlike their stunning Game 1 comeback at Memphis in the first round, the Clippers didn’t have the wind this time.

Manu Ginobili added 22 points for the Spurs, who’ve won 15 in a row. It’s the longest winning streak sustained in the NBA playoffs since the 2004 Spurs won 17 straight.

“It’s the playoffs. It’s going to be physical. We knew that coming in,” Duncan said. “We just expected to attack the basket as much as possible.”

Eric Bledsoe led the Clippers with 23 points.

Game 2 is Thursday night.

That gives the beat-up and banged-up Clippers one full day of rest — which is all the time they’ve had to recover between games for the past week and a half.

Los Angeles couldn’t even fly home first after knocking out the Grizzlies on Sunday in Game 7 of a grueling series that had the Clippers hobbling next to Texas. Blake Griffin scored 15 points in 28 minutes a day after estimating his sprained left knee had him feeling “80 percent” at best.

The Clippers said the injury is bad enough that their All-Star and leading scorer might be missing up to two weeks if this were the regular season. But unlike in Game 7 on Sunday, Griffin didn’t take a seat in the fourth quarter until the Spurs were safely ahead in the final minutes.

Rookie Kawhi Leonard added 16 points, hitting all three of his 3s, and Danny Green added 15 points for the Spurs.

The marquee matchup of the series — All-Star point guards Tony Parker and Chris Paul — was a fizzle. Paul, who ended the first round with an aching hip, scored just six points and didn’t make a single basket in the second half. Parker had seven points and 11 assists.

Caron Butler scored 15 points and Nick Young had 13 for the Clippers. Los Angeles cut the deficit to single digits with a 10-burst in the fourth quarter before San Antonio, which hasn’t lost in a month, ran away with its 11th double-digit victory during this dominating winning streak.

The Clippers didn’t even need San Antonio’s help getting more bumps and bruises: Mo Williams, already playing with his sore right fingers taped, took a lump on the head when teammate Reggie Evans kicked him with an errant foot after Williams fell on his back in the lane.

Williams wobbled when he tried standing, sat back down, and the Clippers burned a timeout. He never left the game, but the Clippers weren’t getting any fresher.

Parker, meanwhile, finally felt the hard knocks and slow-him-down shoves that Utah repeatedly promised but never delivered in the first round. Sometimes, the All-Star looked in vain to officials when the whistle didn’t blow. When that didn’t work once in the first quarter, he kept jabbering about a no-call on the last possession while lining up to shoot free throws on the current one.

Popovich, pacing and sensing an impending technical foul, silenced his leading scorer.

“Tony!” Popovich snapped from the sideline. “Shoot!”

Parker waved off the NBA Coach of the Year — he was under control. But his frustrations didn’t end there. He was 1 for 9 despite playing 38 minutes, scoring all but two of his points at the foul line.

Notes: Before this became the deepest Spurs team yet under Popovich, Butler said he came so close to signing with the Spurs after the lockout that he canceled a flight to San Antonio when the Clippers counteroffered. “They made a great pitch,” Butler said. …Leonard finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting, the highest finish for a Spurs player since Ginobili finished fourth in 2003. Said Popovich: “He’s done a good enough job to make me trust him to be in the starting lineup. I’m happy for him.”

Diallo Robbins-Brinson, a 15-year-old student at Central High School, had a fatal allergic reaction Sunday after eating a white chocolate chip cookie with Macadamia nuts at a Golden Corral restaurant.

“He thought he was eating something safe,” Larmia Robbins-Brinson, Diallo’s mother, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He loved them. If he had smelled peanut butter, he wouldn’t have picked them.”

The teenager, who had never before had an allergic reaction to Macadamia nuts, collapsed minutes after eating the cookies. His mother used an EpiPen a stranger gave her to administer to her son.

Paramedics were able to stabilize Diallo Robbins-Brinson while taking him to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, but he never regained consciousness and had no brain activity. He died Monday.

“I knew in my heart then that he wasn’t going to make it because he had been too long without air,” she told the Journal-Constitution.

Messages have poured into the “Prayers for Diallo” Facebook page.

“RIP Diallo,” one of the messages said. “You will forever be in our hearts. You are in the arms of the angels now watching over all of us. We love you and miss you already!”

Diallo Robbins-Brinson’s organs have been donated.

David West scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, George Hill added 15 and the Indiana Pacers took home-court advantage away from Miami by beating the Heat 78-75 in Game 2 of the teams’ Eastern Conference semifinal series Tuesday night.

LeBron James scored 28 points for Miami and Dwyane Wade finished with 24, but both missed big chances for the Heat late. James missed two free throws with 54.3 seconds left and Miami down one, and Wade was short on a layup that would have tied the game with 16 seconds remaining.

Mario Chalmers’ 3-pointer to tie bounced away on the final play, and the series was tied 1-1.

Danny Granger scored 11 points and Paul George added 10 for Indiana, which took advantage of Heat forward Chris Bosh’s absence and outrebounded Miami 50-40.

Game 3 is Thursday in Indianapolis.

James had a chance to give Miami the lead with 1:22 left, but his shot was blocked from behind by George, who was fouled two seconds later. He missed both free throws, keeping the Indiana lead at 76-75. And after Wade missed a jumper, James was fouled by Granger — his sixth — battling for the rebound with 54.3 seconds remaining.

James couldn’t connect on either, and the Heat didn’t score again.

Bosh is expected to miss the rest of the series with a strained abdominal muscle. Without him, James and Wade combined for 52 points — and no other Miami player scored more than five.

A dreadful third quarter by Miami — 3 for 17 shooting — allowed Indiana to lead by as much as 11, before the emotions picked up considerably in the fourth.

Wade was steaming when he missed a shot after trying to create contact with Indiana’s Dahntay Jones with 9:53 left. As Wade argued, Jones went the other way and set Leandro Barbosa up for a score that put the Pacers up 63-56.

Chalmers turned the ball over on the next possession, and as the Pacers took off for what set up as a 2-on-none break, Wade caught Darren Collison from behind and knocked him over. A flagrant-1 was called, Collison hit both free throws, the Indiana lead was nine and tensions were suddenly high.

It all seemed to spark Miami.

The Heat scored the next six points, James — who got hit in the head by Granger with 7:25 left, sparking a bit of shoving that led to double-technicals given to both players — added a putback off an offensive rebound and Wade did the same about a minute later, getting Miami within 69-66 with 5:57 left.

James missed a free throw that would have tied it with 4:30 remaining, but after George got the rebound, James dove in to create a jump ball situation. The MVP easily won the tap, sending it to Wade, whose bank shot over West put Miami back on top 72-71.

Barbosa scored on the next Indiana possession. The Pacers weren’t rattled, and left celebrating minutes later.

Indiana scored 16 points in the first seven minutes of the first half, then scored 17 in the next 17 minutes. And even after a drought like that, Miami’s lead was only 38-33 at the break.

George missed four shots in a 60-second span early on, setting the tone for an icy-cold half by the Pacers. Indiana was up 16-9 midway through the first when the Heat went to a smaller lineup that paid quick dividends.

Three baskets at the rim — a layup by Wade, then James firing a pass to Turiaf for a dunk, followed by a Wade touch pass to James for another slam — erased most of the early deficit, and defense did the rest. Indiana missed 24 of 29 shots in one stretch, and after Hibbert used his size advantage to get three shots in the first 1:11, he only got two attempts over the rest of the half.

Miami was 0-for-7 on shots that would have pushed its margin to double digits in the first half, continuing a trend from Game 1. Neither team ever led the series opener by more than nine either, and when George made a 3-pointer with 6:09 left in the third, the Pacers had pulled into a 46-all tie. A steal and dunk by George followed on the next possession, putting the Pacers back on top.

Before long, the Pacers had that first 10-point edge of the series. Collison’s jumper with 1:29 left in the third put Indiana up 59-49, and the margin was 61-52 entering the fourth.

For as bad as Indiana’s first half was offensively, Miami’s third quarter was equally dreadful — the Heat were outscored 28-14 on 3-for-17 shooting in the period, the third-worst shooting effort by the reigning East champs in any quarter this season.

Los Angeles dominated the opener and was even better in Game 2, withstanding Phoenix’s initial push and string of penalties for a 2-0 series lead.

Dwight King scored his third goal in two games and Quick tied a team record with his third career playoff shutout to give the Kings a dominating lead heading into Game 3 Thursday night in Los Angeles.

The Kings have won nine straight road playoff games in two seasons, matching the NHL record set by the New York Islanders from 1982-83.

The Islanders won the Stanley Cup both of those years.

Quick matched Felix Potvin’s team record for playoff shutouts and Carter finished off his first career playoff hat trick in the third period, securing the Kings’ seventh straight win overall.

The Coyotes played better early and fell apart late, becoming frustrated after being unable to contain the more-skilled Kings.

Phoenix was hit with a string of penalties starting late in the second period, including a game misconduct to captain Shane Doan for boarding Kings center Trevor Lewis. Martin Hanzal also received one for boarding Dustin Brown in the third period and the Coyotes had 13 penalties for 56 minutes — most coming after the final 5 minutes of the second period.

The Kings won the opener 4-2 by outplaying and outhustling Phoenix.

Knowing Phoenix’s makeup, the Kings figured to get more of a pushback in Game 2.

And the Coyotes were much more aggressive early, winning some of the individual battles they lost in Game 1 while creating some decent scoring chances.

Even with all of Phoenix’s hard work and a couple of line changes by coach Dave Tippett, the Kings still managed to score first. King got it, redirecting a shot by Drew Doughty that beat Mike Smith stick side late in the period.

Hard work in the corners by Mike Richards set up Los Angeles’ second goal, by Carter. He muscled the puck past Smith’s glove side as he was going down on a feed from Dustin Penner that made it 2-0 early in the second period.

“I’ve been working hard in practice to get my game where I wanted it,” Carter said.

Then things completely unraveled for the Coyotes.

Doan, who was suspended three games for elbowing earlier in the season, was given a game misconduct and a five-minute boarding penalty for ramming Lewis from behind. Defenseman Keith Yandle was already in the penalty box and Daymond Langkow joined him after a slashing penalty, giving Los Angeles a two-man advantage for more than 2 minutes.

Brown was sent off for diving on a slash by Smith, but that didn’t bother the Kings. Carter scored his second a few seconds later on a redirect of a shot by Anze Kopitar, putting Los Angeles up 3-0.

“It’s no secret we been struggling a bit with the power play and to get some goals will give us confidence on it,” Carter said. “We have some pretty skilled guys out there on the power play.”

With the Coyotes racking up penalties seemingly on every shift, Carter finished them off with his fifth career hat trick, punching in a rebound with the Kings on a two-man advantage after Hanzal’s hit on Brown.

Notes: The Kings were without D Colin Fraser, out of the lineup attending to a family matter. … Coyotes LW Ray Whitney played in his 100th career playoff game. D Michael Stone played his first with Adrian Aucoin still out of the lineup and David Schlemko still not fully healthy. … Rocker Alice Cooper, who lives in the Valley, attended the game. … The last team to win seven straight road playoff games in one season was Chicago in 2010.

Bulls general manager Gar Forman says the team will exercise its contract option on Thibodeau while trying to negotiate a new deal. The Bulls have gone 112-36 in two seasons under Thibodeau, tying San Antonio for the NBA’s top record this year after winning a league-high 62 games in his rookie season as head coach. But the Bulls were first-round losers to the Philadelphia 76ers this month.

Meanwhile, the Bulls say guard Derrick Rose will be out at least eight months and could miss the entire 2012-13 season following knee surgery.

Dr. Brian Cole says there is a chance Rose could be back sooner, but they aren’t going to rush the 2011 league MVP.

Rose suffered a torn ligament and cartilage damage in Game 1 of the Bulls’ playoff series with Philadelphia.

Get Caught Up On “What Everybody’s Talking About” In The Sports Kingdom!!! Sports Kings Radio, Saturday & Sunday 12n-4p on 1380 WAOK(Atlanta) and waok.com Follow “The Kings” on Facebook.com/sportskingsatl and on Twitter @sportskings1380.

Cueto (4-1) led the major leagues with his 1.12 ERA before giving up six runs, five earned, on eight hits in four innings. The right-hander had allowed only one earned run over 23 innings in his last three starts.

The first-place Braves moved one-half game ahead of the Nationals in the NL East.

Tim Hudson (2-1) threw six scoreless innings before giving up two runs in the seventh. He allowed nine hits and two runs in seven innings.

Michael Bourn had three hits and scored two runs and Martin Prado also had three hits for the Braves

Get Caught Up On “What Everybody’s Talking About” In The Sports Kingdom!!! Sports Kings Radio, Saturday & Sunday 12n-4p on 1380 WAOK(Atlanta) and waok.com Follow “The Kings” on Facebook.com/sportskingsatl and on Twitter @sportskings1380.

Among the players chosen are Art Monk of Syracuse, Dave Casper of Notre Dame, Jonathan Ogden of UCLA, Charles Alexander of LSU, Steve Bartkowski of California and Tommy Kramer of Rice.

Former coaches Phillip Fulmer, Jimmy Johnson and R.C. Slocum of Texas A&M also were selected.

It was announced Monday that Heisman Trophy winner and BYU star Ty Detmer was picked for the Hall of Fame.

Get Caught Up On “What Everybody’s Talking About” In The Sports Kingdom!!! Sports Kings Radio, Saturday & Sunday 12n-4p on 1380 WAOK(Atlanta) and waok.com Follow “The Kings” on Facebook.com/sportskingsatl and on Twitter @sportskings1380.

We had a HUGE and extensive conversation about this. Click the audio link to hear the conversation…..

Our first edition spotlights Dr. Gerald L. Durley, the senior pastor of Providence Missionary
Baptist Church. The interview was conducted in the pulpit of Providence Missionary Baptist
Church on May 3, 2012, just eight days before his 70th birthday. While we covered a number
of topics, Dr. Durley did not make a single mention of the Gerald L Durley Providence Manor
Senior Center on Campbellton Road, which offers scores of elderly residents a state of the art
community where which they may retire in dignity. We did cover many other areas. A synopsis
of the discussion is found in the question and answer segment below. The audio of the full
discussion may be enjoyed online and on-demand at your convenience.

Q: Dr. Durley while growing up you had some classmates in Denver, Colorado that we may be
familiar with. Who are they?
A: Of course Wellington Webb who became the mayor (of Denver) and built the big airport.
Wellington played on the Manuel High School team (basketball) with me. Another person who
went to high school there is Asa Hilliard one of the top Africanist and Egyptologist around.

Q: What did you decide to major in at Tennessee State University in the early 1960’s?
A: Psychology

Q: Was it during that time that the Freedom Rides (movement) began?
A: I got to Tennessee State and one of the things that coaches said was ‘don’t any of you fellas
go downtown’. So I went downtown one day to buy a cap (against my coaches’ advice). I went
to a store and put on a hat and it was a little tight. So I put it back on the shelf. Then the lady
who worked there said ‘that’ll be $6.50’ (three times). I told her that the hat didn’t fit. Then
the manager came out (after learning Durley tried the hat on) and said ‘Nigger let me tell you
one thing’, took the hat and slapped me across my face, took the money out of my pocket and
through me out on the street from the department store. And I stood there confused, angry,
hurt and embarrassed…and that’s what keeps me speaking truth to power this day. There is
always a moment in your life that changes your destiny.

Q: Did you go to the March on Washington?
A: I was standing there. We would work in Atlantic City during the summer to make money
to come back to school in the fall. That was August and we were all gung ho, then all of the
sudden Kennedy was killed. It was fearful in that a great leader was gone. We understood
we had to be more committed and fight stronger. It also convinced us that we had to be non-
violent.

Q: Compare and contrast student movement activities in the sixties to that today.
A: I think we need an organization today like SNCC (the Student Non Violent Coordinating
Committee). I want young people today to understand that there is a life and a living larger
than themselves that will make a difference in what they will do for themselves and their
children and our community. That does not exist. In those days there were two words that we
were not afraid to utter…sacrifice and risk. I don’t see the same kind of sacrificial discussion
going on in our schools and campuses today.

Q: After graduating from Tennessee State you decide to leave the United States. Where do
you go, why and what happens in this phase of your life?
A: A man came to the campus and asked me three questions…who do you know, where have
you been and how much money do you have. The man said if you go into this program in
two years you will know some people, you will have been somewhere, and you’ll have some
money. That man’s name was Samuel DeWitt Proctor and he convinced me to join the Peace
Corp. I was in the first Peace Corp group to go to Nigeria. The group was 75 (members) and
only 7 were black. There I saw a black airline pilot, black people on billboards, black police
officers…the president of the country was black…very powerful experience.

Q: It’s 1966 you’re coming back from Nigeria…where do you go now and what do you do?
A: I was still feeling that I would get right back in the movement and my passport got twisted
up (I couldn’t get back) and I got a little frustrated with America and ended up going to
Switzerland and living there for a year. A guy named Tom Morgan (one of the Peace Corp
members who finished Howard [University]) said the only place to go to find freedom for a
black man is Switzerland. He said ‘man let’s go to Switzerland’. There was a young lady I met
there named Muriel there (Durley’s future wife) who finished Fisk University.

Q: April 4, 1968, you’re getting your masters at Northern Illinois University, and Dr. King is
killed…
A: I said where do we go, what’s happening to the world. I was ready to give up on the civil
rights movement…just quit and find a job and then a guy said come to Washington and work
with COP (Career Opportunities Program) and I’m right back in motivating young people on the
campuses.

Q: It’s 1984, you are a grown man. You’re born in ’42 and you are 42 at that time. You have
left DC and you’re thoroughly lettered. You make a transition to Atlanta, Georgia…what do you
come here to do?
A: Dean of Clark College. I came with Elias (Blake the President of Clark College)…Dr. Proctor
told me to call Bill Guy (pastor of Friendship Baptist Church) and Joe Roberts (pastor of
Ebenezer Baptist Church)…before long I’m teaching Sunday school, I become a pulpit associate,
I get ordained at Ebenezer…this is ’84.

Q: Did you begin to think you had a call to ministry?
A: No, no, no, no… (laughter).

Q: Something happened to get you pastoring?
A: There was a small church on Larkin Street looking for a pastor. This was Benjamin Mayes’
church…every pastor had been a Morehouse man…Providence Missionary Baptist Church in
Atlanta…Joe Roberts put my name in.

Q: At 45 years old most people are planning to find the exit strategy…you are taking on a whole
new career. You begin your pastorate at 45. You don’t immediately quit your (day) job?
A: I don’t think anybody begins what they’re gonna do until at least 49. No one. The first 22
years you’re just trying to get it together. From 22 to 40 you’re exploring a lot of things…maybe
a family…then about 40 you say I better start getting serious…from 40 you start really getting
serious…around 49 you say this is what I’m going to do.

Q: You began at Providence with 50 members…you began to see growth. What do you
attribute that to?
A: I believe that anytime a person is following a compelling force in their life…if they pursue it
with integrity and humility…it will have the foundation…love what you do and be willing to do
what you ask others to do…that brings the growth.

Q: You don’t look 70…what say ye regarding the importance of health and fitness?
A: Absolutely essential in any profession. The sickest people I know physically, mentally and it
adds to their sickness spiritually…are pastors. We have poor diets…sedentary lifestyles and we
live under constant stress…those are factors that will destroy one’s health.

Q: You could not have fulfilled God’s plan for your life without Mrs. Durley (I presume).
A: Absolutely impossible! I could not have stayed married to me for three weeks…I would not
have married me…I could not have married me…I could not have done it. I say to any person
going into ministry…have a (spouse)…you need someone who can be very honest with you,
someone you can trust, someone who can laugh with you and cry with you…simultaneously…
and, you don’t have to explain why you’re crying or laughing. They just know it.

Q: What would you like to see in the next generation as someone succeeds you at Providence?
A: That’s easy. A servant of God comes in…the candidate should not say I want to start off with
$100,000 a year, I want to do seven revivals a year, I want to bring my own music director, a
house allowance of $5,000 a month and a car leased from the church. I would love for them to
ask how deeply engrained the church is in helping the community…the education system…the
health and welfare of members…do we have proper programs in place…are we concerned
about the environment and the political people. I can do this…I have a family and can live and
exist on this kind of money.

Q: Your happiest moment?
A: Unspeakable joy was when I came out of Dr. Talbert’s office and he said come back in 2016
because I don’t find any cancer in your body. Why don’t you go and enjoy the rest of your
beautiful long life with your wife. I met my wife in the lobby with tears of joy.

Q: When you retire in August what’s next?
A: I’m through with this. This phase is over. I’ve been preaching on the last three Sundays
on knowing what to relinquish. The time is now. Things are falling into place in miraculous
ways…two things must be apparent. It must be fun and it must make some money.

Q: Many, many years from now you will be eulogized…what would you like said?
A: Do you know something I don’t know (laughter)…as I’m talking to you right now I’m a father,
a husband, a pastor, a brother, an uncle, an interviewee…I would like to be remembered the
same by all of those people (I serve in those respective roles)…’he desired to want to make
somebody else’s life more enhanced’…let the life I live speak for me that my living not be in
vain. All the other things come and go…that’s the kind of legacy I would like to leave.

Wednesday WindDown
Centennial Olympic Park
265 Centennial Olympic Park Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 222-7275
www.centennialpark.com

Price: Free
Hours: Every Wednesday April – September
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Notes: Coolers, backpacks and picnic baskets are subject to search. High-back chairs, grills, pets and glass containers are not allowed.

The Music

There is no better cure for the stress of the work week than listening to live music. Wednesday WindDown takes place at the Southern Company Amphitheater in the heart of Centennial Park.  Again this year, the musical genres are expected to range from jazz to blues and contemporary. Past acts have included Ken Ford, Melvin Miller, Indigo Sunset and Jfly & Friends. These are great regional acts and they play to sold out halls and concert venues throughout the year. Centennial Park is a great setting for meeting friends and relaxing, the music makes it even more perfect.

Related: The Best Jazz Clubs in Atlanta

The Food and Beverages

You’ll have the option of bringing your own food into the park or enjoy the local food vendors and food trucks that will be in the park making sure you don’t hungry.  Different vendors are expected each week and the quality of this food is excellent. Although you can’t bring alcoholic beverages into the park, they will be available for purchase at Wednesday WindDown. It’s a great combination of music and some of Atlanta’s tastiest food. Bon appetit!

The Sights

Left as part of the legacy of the 1996 Olympic Games, Centennial Olympic Park dominates Downtown Atlanta.  486,000 engraved bricks were put in the park leading up to the Olympics and they remain to this day.  It’s the largest downtown park in the country developed over the past 25 years and there are numerous paths for taking an afternoon stroll and benches to rest your body and mind. The Fountain of Rings is the largest interactive fountain in the world, so cool off or watch the kids having fun. The park covers 21 acres an is home to many concerts, festivals and one of South’s largest fireworks displays on the Fourth of July.

Related: The Best Live Music Venues in Atlantra

The People

The Wednesday WindDown draws a diverse crowed and people from all over the Atlanta area.  Regulars get their early and claim their spot. Centennial Park has always been a great place for people watching and that sure holds true on Wednesday nights. Come on out and enjoy the best Atlanta has to offer.

Rick Limpert is a freelance writer/photographer in Atlanta. His work can be found at Examiner.com.

WHEN: Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.

WHERE:Greenbriar Mall, 2841 Greenbriar Parkway S.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30331

WHO:  Gate City is the oldest African-American Bar Association in the State of Georgia. The association was formed under the premise of providing educational, social and community involvement to African-American lawyers who were not being afforded the same opportunities as their counterparts

For more information, you can log onto GatecityBar.org or call 404-419-6627

Aimee Copeland remained in critical condition at an Augusta hospital, unable to speak because of a breathing tube in her throat as she continued to fight the life-threatening disease that took hold after she gashed her leg in a fall from a broken zip line.

Doctors had to amputate most of the 24-year-old woman’s left leg to save her life, and her father says she’ll likely lose her fingers too. But he told AP that doctors now believe they’ll be able to save not only the palms of his daughter’s hands but her right foot as well.

Days ago she faced losing both of her hands and feet.

“This doctor can’t fathom a reason for why she’s improved the way she has,” Andy Copeland said in a telephone interview. “Her spirits are extraordinarily high. I am absolutely amazed.”

Copeland’s father said his daughter seems aware that she’s in the hospital after an accident. But for now, they’re sparing her the details of her condition until after she has been removed from a respirator and is breathing on her own. That could come any day now.

“I’m not sure how much (she knows) as far as the leg and the hand amputations. I don’t have those discussions with her,” Copeland’s father said. “… But if she asks we will tell her.”

He said the family also wants to make sure a hospital counselor is available to help Copeland once she is informed of her condition.

Losing a limb is extremely difficult emotionally, and can be particularly difficult for young people, said Dr. Nadine Kaslow, chief psychologist at Grady Hospital in Atlanta.

“There is a process that they go through, a grief process,” said Kaslow, who is not involved in Copeland’s care. “There is shock, disbelief, anger, sadness and then a period of reconciling one to the situation and healing and figuring out how they are going to move forward in their life.”

A graduate student in psychology at the University of West Georgia, Copeland contracted the rare infection called necrotizing fasciitis. It happened days after she suffered the deep cut May 1 when the zip line snapped over rocks in the Little Tallapoosa River.

Doctors at the local emergency room in Carrollton closed the wound with nearly two dozen staples, but it became infected within days. On May 4, she was diagnosed with the rare infection and flown 200 miles to Augusta for treatment by specialists at Doctors Hospital.

Copeland’s father said she faces a long recovery not just from her amputation but also from kidney failure and other organ damage caused by the infection.

“She’s going to be here for months,” he said. “She’s going to need to regrow skin that was removed. She’s going to need to learn to use prosthetics. She’s going to still be on dialysis for a while.”

Infections by flesh-eating bacteria are rare but sometimes can run rampant after even minor cuts or scratches. The bacteria enter the body, quickly reproduce and emit toxins that cut off blood flow to parts of the body. The affliction can destroy muscle, fat and skin tissue. Affected areas may have to be surgically removed to save a patient’s life.

The bug that infected Copeland, called Aeromonas hydrophila, is found in warm and brackish waters. Many people exposed to these bacteria don’t get sick. When illnesses do occur, it’s often diarrhea from swallowing bacteria in the water. Flesh-eating Aeromonas cases are so rare that only a handful of infections have been reported in medical journals in recent decades.

Some news reports have said Copeland was recently diagnosed with lupus, a chronic disease that compromises the immune system, but her father told The AP that’s not true.

Andy Copeland said his daughter had sought treatment for a skin rash. Doctors initially feared it might be a symptom of lupus, but tests revealed Copeland had a food allergy.

“She was a vegetarian and she had a soy-based diet,” Copeland’s father said. “And it turned out she was allergic to soy.”

More than 50 people lined up in the first hour for a blood drive Tuesday at the gymnasium at the University of West Georgia, where Copeland attends school 200 miles from the Augusta hospital. Some students walked to the blood drive, while others drove from other parts of the state.

Kara Dermo, a chemistry student who worked with Copeland at the Sunnyside Cafe, was one of the first in line. She was among the friends invited to try the zip line that sent Copeland plunging to the rocky river, but declined.

Dermo said Copeland’s illness has been weighing on the minds of people on campus. Even the slightest amount of good news has been enough to raise the hopes of fellow students.

“It’s very close to home. It makes you realize anything could happen at any time,” Dermo said.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

A similar previous law was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge, so lawmakers rewrote the provision, hoping tightened language could stand up to judicial scrutiny.

The House gave final passage to the rewrite Tuesday with a 93-0 vote that sent it to the governor, who supports the measure.

The bill sponsored by Rep. Ledricka Thierry, D-Opelousas, will more narrowly define what sites are prohibited. News websites, e-mail pages and online shopping sites aren’t included in the ban.

Banned will be websites whose primary purpose is “facilitating social interaction with other users of the website and which allows users to create web pages or profiles about themselves that are available to the public or other users.”

The prohibition will apply to anyone convicted of a sex offense against a minor or of video voyeurism. Conviction of the crime of unlawful use or access of social media would carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years. A second conviction would mandate a prison sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years.

A federal judge threw out a law passed last year that made it a crime for the same list of sex offenders to use networking websites, chat rooms and peer-to-peer networks. The Baton Rouge-based judge said the law was too broad and would effectively ban those sex offenders from the Internet.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Click below and enjoy:

The NUMBER to the LIVE LINE is 1-877-532-5797!

Authorities say the gunfire rang out late Tuesday morning in the parking lot of a Bank of America branch on Lee Street.

Atlanta police Officer Kim Jones says that one person was shot in the chest and another was shot four times.

Atlanta police Lt. Bryan Paden says the three male victims were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, all in stable condition.

Investigators were still trying to sort out what happened, but said there was “possibly a carjacking involved.”

Take a listen to the interview.

Allen West #1: 

Allen West #2: 

Take a listen.

Eddie Levert #1:

You can purchase Eddie Levert’s new album I Still Got It at all major record retailers and online via iTunes.

DeKalb County police say the man was shot and killed at the Starlight Drive-In Theatre off Moreland Avenue early Tuesday morning.

Officers investigating the shooting say they spotted the suspect’s vehicle on a nearby interstate and pursued it into Gwinnett County. Authorities say the suspect eventually crashed near the intersection of Lilburn Stone Mountain Road and Old Tucker Road and fled the scene on foot.

DeKalb County police were questioning a passenger in the suspect’s car.

Aimee Copeland’s left leg has been amputated, and her parents say she will likely lose her fingers as well after the infection spread rapidly through her body.

The 24-year-old graduate student has been in critical condition at an Augusta hospital after the bacteria took hold in a cut she received while zip-lining over a river.

Gary Duke, Copeland’s boss at the cafe where she works in Carrollton, tells WSB-TV that townspeople are doing all they can to help her. The blood drive is planned for 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the school gym.

Officials say the school system could cut nearly 500 positions next year in an effort to curb spending by $47 million.

The school board approved a plan Monday to cut up to 475 jobs, including about 230 teachers, 90 custodians and 14 bus drivers and transportation staffers. Officials say that some of the layoffs are a result of a recent school redistricting plan, and others because of declining revenue.

School system officials haven’t decided who will get a pink slip. A tentative budget was adopted Monday. A final version is expected to be adopted in early June.

Wednesday WindDown
Centennial Olympic Park
265 Centennial Olympic Park Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 222-7275
www.centennialpark.com

Price: Free
Hours: Every Wednesday April – September
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Notes: Coolers, backpacks and picnic baskets are subject to search. High-back chairs, grills, pets and glass containers are not allowed.

The Music

There is no better cure for the stress of the work week than listening to live music. Wednesday WindDown takes place at the Southern Company Amphitheater in the heart of Centennial Park.  Again this year, the musical genres are expected to range from jazz to blues and contemporary. Past acts have included Ken Ford, Melvin Miller, Indigo Sunset and Jfly & Friends. These are great regional acts and they play to sold out halls and concert venues throughout the year. Centennial Park is a great setting for meeting friends and relaxing, the music makes it even more perfect.

Related: The Best Jazz Clubs in Atlanta

The Food and Beverages

You’ll have the option of bringing your own food into the park or enjoy the local food vendors and food trucks that will be in the park making sure you don’t hungry.  Different vendors are expected each week and the quality of this food is excellent. Although you can’t bring alcoholic beverages into the park, they will be available for purchase at Wednesday WindDown. It’s a great combination of music and some of Atlanta’s tastiest food. Bon appetit!

The Sights

Left as part of the legacy of the 1996 Olympic Games, Centennial Olympic Park dominates Downtown Atlanta.  486,000 engraved bricks were put in the park leading up to the Olympics and they remain to this day.  It’s the largest downtown park in the country developed over the past 25 years and there are numerous paths for taking an afternoon stroll and benches to rest your body and mind. The Fountain of Rings is the largest interactive fountain in the world, so cool off or watch the kids having fun. The park covers 21 acres an is home to many concerts, festivals and one of South’s largest fireworks displays on the Fourth of July.

Related: The Best Live Music Venues in Atlantra

The People

The Wednesday WindDown draws a diverse crowed and people from all over the Atlanta area.  Regulars get their early and claim their spot. Centennial Park has always been a great place for people watching and that sure holds true on Wednesday nights. Come on out and enjoy the best Atlanta has to offer.

Rick Limpert is a freelance writer/photographer in Atlanta. His work can be found at Examiner.com.

Turner finished with 10 points, including his layup that put the Sixers up 76-75. He added two free throws with 12 seconds to go.

Jrue Holiday scored 18 points and Andre Iguodala added 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Sixers, who blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter as the Celtics won Game 1.

Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 12 rebounds and Ray Allen scored 17 points for the Celtics.
Game 3 is Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia won its first playoff game in Boston since 1982 despite committing a playoff-high 19 turnovers and getting outrebounded 47-36.

Spencer Hawes finished with eight points and 10 rebounds and Lavoy Allen scored 10 points for the Sixers.
Brandon Bass had 12 points for the Celtics, who couldn’t quite repeat their comeback in the series opener. The Sixers led by 10 points early in the fourth quarter of Game 1 before the Celtics rallied for a 92-91 victory.

It was starting to look familiar for Philadelphia on Monday, but the Sixers were able to hold off the Celtics down the stretch in a tight finish.

Philadelphia led 57-49 entering the fourth, but Boston tied it twice before going up 72-71 on Avery Bradley’s 3-pointer, setting off a series of shots from beyond the arc.

Holiday answered with a 3 for the Sixers, then Ray Allen got the lead right back for the Celtics on a 3-pointer with 1:40 left. The Celtics had a chance to extend the lead after forcing the Sixers into a 24-second shot clock violation, but Rondo missed a shot and Iguodala got the rebound, leading to Turner’s layup to put the Sixers up 76-75 with 40.4 seconds to go.

Rondo and Allen both missed shots that would have put Boston ahead, then Rondo fouled Turner with 14.4 seconds left as the shot clock was winding down.

The Celtics fouled Turner again with 12 seconds and he hit both free throws to extend the lead to 78-76.
Fans grew restless as the second half opened with sloppy, choppy play by both teams. Boston led 38-36 at halftime and nearly 7 minutes into the third quarter the score was just 43-41 with the Celtics still ahead.

When the shots finally started falling, they were all for Philadelphia. The Sixers scored 14 straight points, turning a 47-43 deficit into a 57-47 lead in the final minute of the period. Boston went without a point for 4:40, finally scoring when Pierce made two free throws with 2.4 seconds left in the period.

The Celtics committed seven turnovers during the quarter and made just 4 of 17 shots.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)