Across Georgia

Elderly man dies in morning house fire

DALLAS --- Authorities say an elderly man died in a house fire early Saturday.

Glenn Allen, a spokesman for Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John Oxendine, said an autopsy was being performed on the body of Windel Pressley, 69, of Dallas.

Mr. Allen said the blaze could have been caused by a wood-burning stove in the wood-frame home.

He said the home did not appear to have a smoke alarm and that no one else was at home at the time of the fire.

3 UGA fraternities will have new homes

ATHENS --- Three University of Georgia fraternities will be in new homes by fall 2009, the Athens Banner-Herald reported.

Tau Epsilon Phi, Phi Delta Theta and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity officials signed agreements to move from their South Lumpkin Street homes shortly before Christmas. and the UGA Real Estate Foundation has hired a firm to design the three houses on River Road, members of the foundation's board of directors learned Friday.

The foundation will spend $8 million to $9 million to design and build the houses, said Tim Burgess, the University of Georgia's senior vice president for finance and administration.

Grand jury indicts man in father's killing

GARDEN CITY --- A man has been indicted on charges he robbed and then stabbed his father to death in October.

A grand jury has charged Rex Randolph Jackson, 44, with armed robbery, aggravated assault, murder and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony in the killing of Andrew Randall Jackson, 68.

The suspect also is charged with elder abuse.

Police say Mr. Jackson stole about $600 from his father during the Oct. 26 robbery and killing. He remains in custody.

Ex-mayor takes on city housing authority

MACON --- Former Mayor Jack Ellis is going to court over the Macon Housing Authority again.

Mr. Ellis says he's planning to sue his successor, Mayor Robert Reichert, for forcing four of Mr. Ellis' housing authority appointees to resign.

Mr. Reichert's office declined comment because no lawsuit has been filed.

Mr. Ellis took the housing authority to court in 2005 for refusing to seat those four appointees. The authority said Mr. Ellis had to get the city council's approval before naming members.

The courts ruled in Mr. Ellis' favor, and the authority has withdrawn its appeal of the case to the Georgia Supreme Court.