Court tileMan sentenced in death of friend
ROME, Ga. - A Northwest Georgia man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in his best friend's shooting death.
Shane Bryan Crider was sentenced Tuesday in Floyd County Superior Court. The Rome News-Tribune reported Crider apologized for shooting 23-year-old Jason Darren Puryear and asked the judge for leniency.
Prosecutors have said Puryear, Crider and another man were working on a car in a garage in December 2011. Crider heard noises from outside the garage after Puryear and the other man left. Prosecutors said Crider grabbed a gun and fired four shots into the dark. One struck Puryear in his back and exited through his chest.
Crider was ordered to serve five years of probation after his prison sentence.
Catoosa library sets book sale
RINGGOLD, Ga. - The Friends of the Catoosa County Library will hold a book sale at the Benton Place facility on June 29-30 to raise money for projects to support the library, a news release states.
The sale will be in conjunction with the group's ongoing sale, which is open daily at the library.
It will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the library, 108 Catoosa Circle.
Worker training gets federal grant
ATLANTA - Georgia is set to receive $717,000 in federal grants for workforce and training programs after the state exceeded its goals for helping unemployed residents find jobs.
The Governor's Office of Workforce Development announced the grants this week, saying Georgia was one of 15 states to receive the funds.
Gov. Nathan Deal said the grants show "Georgia is on the right path to building a strong workforce."
The funds must be used during the next two years. The goals used to determine the grants include how many residents began employment after training and how many stayed employed.
Police dogs get more protection
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Gov. Robert Bentley said a new state law provides important protection to police dogs and rescue dogs, because they are like officers safeguarding the public.
Bentley held a ceremonial bill signing for the legislation Wednesday at the Capitol. He was surrounded by dogs and handlers from the Homewood Police Department and the Autauga County Rescue Squad. The bill by Republican Rep. Paul DeMarco, of Homewood, passed on the Legislature's last meeting day May 20.
DeMarco said Alabama had a law against killing a police dog, but nothing other than animal cruelty laws when a police or rescue dog was injured. The new law provides a range of penalties from a maximum of a year in jail for a minor injury to a maximum of 10 years for a serious injury.