Across Georgia

Roofers accidentally set fire to building

ATHENS - Roofers using hot tar to replace the roof of a federally owned research center accidentally set the roof on fire Friday, fire officials said.

Managers of the Richard B. Russell Research Center evacuated the building after the fire, which happened at about 4 p.m. There were no injuries.

Fire crews needed about a half hour to control the fire on top of the eight-story building, said Fire Officer 3 Doug Stutter of the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department.

About 300 people work in the building, but some had already left for the day, said Darrell Cole, the director of the South Atlantic Area Agricultural Research Service, a unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that occupies the building.

Man hurt after losing control of motorcycle

SAVANNAH - A Rincon man is in critical condition after he crashed his motorcycle on Georgia Highway 204 on Friday.

Edwin Schaffhauser, 29, was driving west near the Forest River Bridge when he lost control of his motorcycle shortly after noon, Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police spokesman Sgt. Mike Wilson said.

Mr. Schaffhauser then struck the rear of a Toyota 4Runner and was thrown from his motorcycle, Sgt. Wilson said.

The man was rushed to Memorial Health University Medical Center with serious injuries.

As of Friday evening, he was in critical condition, hospital spokesman Michael Notrica said.

Police reduced traffic traveling west to one lane on the highway while they cleared the wreckage. Police are investigating the cause of the crash.

Macon's police ditch baseball-style hats

MACON - Baseball caps have become yesterday's fashion for Macon police officers.

Macon police Chief Mike Burns decided his officers would return to wearing campaign hats, the wide, circular-brimmed style commonly worn by state troopers.

"We're not a baseball team," Chief Burns said. "We want to look more professional."

The hat switch is part of Chief Burns' new plan to change the image of his department.

Donna Pierson, the director of marketing and communications for the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors, said it is not uncommon for new police chiefs to require uniform changes.

A good uniform - the first thing a criminal sees - can be intimidating, she said.

Baseball hats typically are used by specialized squads such as bike patrol or K-9 units, she said.