Across Georgia

Pupils evacuated after crew ruptures gas line

MARIETTA --- A gas leak forced 180 children to leave Primary Prep Academy.

Kelli Milz says a construction crew hit a gas line Tuesday morning.

The children were being relocated to nearby Cornerstone Baptist Church.

Ms. Milz is one of the owners of the preschool and child care facility for children six weeks old through age 12.

Senator vows to push for network funding

SAVANNAH --- State Sen. Eric Johnson said Tuesday that House Speaker Glenn Richardson pulled the plug on a last-minute deal that would have established a permanent funding source for treating critically injured people.

Mr. Johnson, the Senate president pro tem, discussed the issue with reporters in front of Memorial University Medical Center, which operates one of the state's four level 1 centers.

The Savannah Republican said he'll continue working with fellow legislators to find a solution next year and noted that the General Assembly approved more than $58 million in stopgap funding to keep the 15-center network alive.

Quarry owner injured in crane accident, fall

VESTA --- A quarry owner is in critical condition after being thrown through the windshield of a crane and falling nearly 80 feet into an Oglethorpe County quarry.

Oglethorpe County sheriff's officials say 51-year-old Bob Adams was airlifted to Medical College of Georgia Hospital in Augusta on Monday after the accident.

Oglethorpe County emergency medical services director James Mathews says Mr. Adams suffered fractures of his legs and arms.

Taxi rides lead police to robbery suspect

EAST POINT, Ga. — Police say they easily caught a bank robbery suspect after he had a taxi take him to and from the scene of the crime.

East Point police Capt. Russell Popham says officers arrested Marcus Chisholm at his apartment just a few hours after a SunTrust Bank was robbed. Authorities say Mr. Chisholm had a cab pick him up at his apartment, take him to the bank and then take him home after the robbery.

The cab driver gave officers Mr. Chisholm's address and identified him in the bank's surveillance video.

-- Edited from wire reports