Across Georgia

President pardons Georgia moonshiner

ATLANTA - A Georgia moonshiner who appeared in the movie Deliverance has received a presidential pardon for his crimes.

Randall Leece Deal, 66, was convicted in 1960 and 1964 for moonshining in north Georgia.

He was one of 16 pardons announced Wednesday by the White House.

Mr. Deal said he was convicted when moonshining was common in the north Georgia mountains. He served two years probation for the 1960 conviction and two years probation for the 1964 conviction.

Churches questioned about trips to Cuba

SAVANNAH - The First Baptist Church of Savannah is among five churches questioned by federal officials about mission trips to Cuba.

U.S. Treasury officials have threatened a national Baptist organization with a $34,000 fine, citing the First Baptist Church of Savannah and four other churches for participating in banned tourist activities during mission trips in Cuba.

Since 1995, the church has sponsored 15 trips to sister congregations in Havana and Sancti Spiritus.

The Alliance of Baptists is one of a number of semidenominations formed about 15 years ago after liberal and moderate Baptists left the Southern Baptist Convention.

Woman, party guests testify in rape trial

WATKINSVILLE - An Oconee County woman testified that the county's former Information Technology Department director followed her into a basement restroom and raped her during a Halloween party at her home in 2004.

Wednesday marked the first day of testimony in the rape trial of former Oconee County IT director Christopher F. Manning, as prosecutors called the victim and several other guests at the party to testify.

Mr. Manning, 34, has been charged with rape, aggravated assault and false imprisonment stemming from an incident that occurred almost two years ago.

Mr. Manning, who worked for the Oconee County government from 2000 until just prior to his arrest Nov. 4, 2004, was one of several county employees who attended the party in Watkinsville that night.

Intersection sees six deaths in 19 months

DEMOREST - Authorities say six people, as young as 7, have died in traffic accidents at the same northeast Georgia intersection over the past 19 months.

Habersham County Coroner Don Pitts said the latest victim was 89-year-old Frank Trotter of Clarkesville, who died Tuesday at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta after a collision at the intersection of state Highway 365 and Mount Airy-Demorest Road.

Mr. Trotter was attempting a turn from the northbound lanes of 365 when his car collided with a southbound vehicle driven by Thomas Wilfred, 48, of Toccoa, the Georgia State Patrol said.

Mr. Wilfred was treated and released from Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

- Edited from wire reports