No one hurt in pipe bomb explosion

COLUMBUS - A pipe bomb exploded next to an empty trailer that was parked under a bridge.

No one was injured when the small device went off Sunday evening, and Columbus Fire and Emergency Medical Services Battalion Chief Jim Bryant said that whoever put it there probably did not intend to hurt anyone.

Scott Ressmeyer was unloading his truck when he heard the blast.

Mr. Ressmeyer said when he turned to see what happened, he saw "a big cloud of blue smoke."

He contacted police, who notified the bomb squad and representatives of Homeland Security.

Authorities arrived at the scene and searched for more explosives.

Mr. Ressmeyer said he did not see anyone run away after the explosion.

"I think some kids just threw it off the bridge for fun," he said.

Governor launches re-election campaign

MARIETTA - Gov. Sonny Perdue on Monday launched a 20-stop re-election tour and took the wraps off the first television advertisement of his campaign.

"I am fired about doing this again," Mr. Perdue said at a kickoff rally in Marietta Square in Cobb County.

The event drew more than dozen protesters waving Confederate flags and signs proclaiming Mr. Perdue a "liar."

The demonstrators are angry at Mr. Perdue for failing to follow through on his 2002 campaign pledge to allow a public vote on restoring the Confederate battle symbol to Georgia's flag.

Presence of old data halts computer sales

ATLANTA - The state is halting the sale of government surplus computers, after private citizens' personal information turned up on computers bought by a bargain hunter.

Joe Kim, the director of legal service for the state Department of Administrative Services, said the sale of government surplus computers has been put on hold.

Credit card numbers, birth dates and Social Security numbers were still on the hard drives of computers, which state workers neglected to erase before they were sold, WSB-TV reported. More than 150 surplus computers were in one man's work shed.

Instructor charged in sexual assault

STATESBORO - A Georgia Southern University instructor was charged Monday with sexual battery and aggravated sodomy after a 19-year-old man accused him of forcing himself on him.

Juan Antonio Serna, 44, an instructor of foreign languages and a private tutor, was a guest at a gathering at the alleged victim's apartment Saturday, Statesboro Detective Tommy Brown said.

Mr. Serna was being held without bond at the Bulloch County jail, according to jail officials.

- Edited from wire reports