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Man set to represent himself at sentencing

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Morris News Service

An Athens-Clarke County firefighter walks past the wreckage of a plane crash that killed two Orlando area residents in Athens. The Federal Aviation Administration says a single-engine airplane crashed Thursday shortly after taking off from Athens-Ben Epps Airport. Authorities were investigating the crash in the backyard of a home.

Back | Next

Morris News Service

An Athens-Clarke County firefighter walks past the wreckage of a plane crash that killed two Orlando area residents in Athens. The Federal Aviation Administration says a single-engine airplane crashed Thursday shortly after taking off from Athens-Ben Epps Airport. Authorities were investigating the crash in the backyard of a home.

ATLANTA --- A man convicted on terrorism charges earlier this year will represent himself at his sentencing.

U.S. District Court Judge William S. Duffey granted former Georgia Tech student Syed Haris Ahmed on Thursday permission to represent himself at his sentencing set for Dec. 2. Mr. Ahmed was found guilty in June of conspiring to support terrorist groups.

Judge Duffey tried to convince Mr. Ahmed that representing himself would be "perilous" to the outcome of his sentencing. Mr. Ahmed could receive up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

But Mr. Ahmed said he is best able to present his own position.

Mr. Ahmed and Ehsanul Islam Sadequee were originally scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday.

Mr. Sadequee was convicted of sending videotapes of U.S. landmarks overseas and plotting to support "jihad." His sentencing was postponed to give the court time to consider his request for a new trial.

Commissioner gets probation for drugs

FAYETTEVILLE, GA. --- Fayette County Commissioner Robert Horgan has been placed on 12 months probation and fined $800 after pleading no contest to charges of misdemeanor possession of marijuana and operating a vehicle with an expired tag.

Mr. Horgan was sentenced Thursday morning as a first offender in a plea bargain. Fayette State Court Judge Fletcher Sams ordered Mr. Horgan to perform 40 hours of community service, undergo substance abuse evaluation, submit to drug testing and abstain from using drugs or alcohol while he is on probation.

The 45-year-old Mr. Horgan was arrested on May 23 after he was stopped by a sheriff's deputy for an expired tag. The deputy reportedly found 4.3 grams of marijuana and one marijuana cigarette in the car.

Wesleyan speeds up training for teachers

MACON, GA. --- Wesleyan College is beginning a new master of education program that's designed to help students complete their advanced degree work faster.

Susan Welsh, a spokeswoman for the college, says the new program will run 14 months and keep teachers in a cohesive group. She says the old program ran about 24 months.

The new program's students will start school at the beginning of next summer and finish by the end of the following summer.