Reporter's Notebook: Beverage Buzz – I Had No Idea Alcoholic Energy Drinks Were Such A Big Deal

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I remember the very first time I tasted an energy drink. As a long-suffering veteran of media jobs that came with odd hours, I thought anything that could potentially carry me through a dreaded overnight shift was certainly worth a try. When I finally took a sip of the product that was all the rage at the time, I thought it tasted like a flat cream soda and, quite frankly, I never went back for more. Now many moons later I’m shocked and, well, appalled to learn that the accusations abound that the makers of these sugary caffeinated concoctions have now added alcohol to their mix and have allegedly set their sights on young people as their target market. My story about the Cobb Alcohol Taskforce’s efforts to stop these potent drinks from getting in the hands of young people was a real eye opener for me personally.

Cobb Alcohol Taskforce Targets ‘Cocaine In A Can’

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On two separate occasions this year Cathy Finck lined up energy drink cans before a group of teenagers and their parents and asked them to point out which ones did or did not contain alcohol. Neither crowd passed the informal test. (Take our test here)

“Very few got all of the answers right because the packaging for both look very much the same,” she recalls, noting that both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions typically are packaged in brightly-colored cans with eye-catching graphics. “It’s really hard to tell the difference. That’s very disturbing considering the fact that the majority of those who drink these drinks are young people.”

Finck and fellow Cobb Alcohol Taskforce members say that the outcome of their exercises conveys one of the many reasons why the caffeine-laden alcoholic energy drinks often marketed to young people should be permanently pulled from Georgia store shelves.

Bishop Eddie Long Responds To Young Accusers

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The day after an Atlanta rally calling for his resignation, embattled megachurch bishop Eddie Long formally responded to allegations that he engaged in sexual relationships with four young men. In the documents filed late yesterday afternoon in Dekalb County State Court, Long admitted that he took the former New Birth Missionary Baptist Church members on trips, but he denied ever seducing them. Long said he occasionally shared a room with members of his congregation, but the claims of sexual misconduct "are not true." Long said he mentored the men and that they, like other members of his church, called him "daddy," "bishop" and "granddaddy," according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Maurice Robinson, Anthony Flagg, Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande – all now in their early twenties – claim Long seduced them when they were teens (from 16 to 18 years of age) attending his church.

Truett’s Truth: Chick-fil-A’s Founder Speaks

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He is credited with creating the chicken sandwich and his company is known for the wildly popular “Eat Mor Chikin” ad campaign. When Truett Cathy, 89, isn’t busy with his duties helming the Chick-fil-A fast food chain empire he founded, he’s busy serving as “grandpa” to hundreds of needy children. Since 1987 his WinShape Homes have served more than 300 kids in three states. The Georgia Council of Juvenile Court Judges has presented him with the Martha Glaze Service Award for his efforts. JJIE’s Chandra Thomas sat down with Cathy (who donned a burgundy tie plastered with his signature Chik-fil-A cows) to discuss the honor named for a retired Clayton County judge and his lifelong commitment to serving children.

Three Mill Creek High School Students Face Armed Robbery Charges

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Three 16-year-old Mill Creek High School students have been arrested and charged with armed robbery. Police say two of the students who attend the Gwinnett County school robbed a Little Caesar's Pizza shop in Buford on Oct. 11, and that all three robbed a Shell convenience store in Braselton later the same night. Two masked suspects reportedly entered the Little Caesar's on Buford Highway, near the Hall County line, with pistols and took cash from the safe. A short time later, Braselton Police received a call about a similar robbery at a Shell convenience store.

Ga. Appleseed's Rob Rhodes and Sharon Hill present at the truancy conference.

Ga. School Discipline Report Findings Shared At Statewide Truancy Prevention Conference

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The clock is ticking for the Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. Administrators for the Atlanta-based public interest law non-profit are hoping to wrap up the second phase of its Effective School Discipline: Keeping Kids in Class report by Dec. 15. 

Despite the looming deadline pressure, the report’s primary author, Rob Rhodes, took time out Thursday to share  phase one of the study results with community stakeholders attending the 2010 Georgia Truancy and Delinquency Prevention Conference. The three-day event hosted by the Truancy Intervention Project (TIP) wrapping up today in Marietta, is the non-profit truancy prevention agency’s first-ever statewide conference. Presenters at the Governor’s Office for Children and Families funded conference have included TIP co-founder and former Fulton County Juvenile Court Chief Judge Glenda Hatchett and Judge Michael Key, president of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

Truancy Intervention Project: "Why Don’t They Go To School?"

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Seven years ago, South Atlanta High School student Faydren Battle had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Problems at home and problems with her boyfriend kept her on edge and out of school. She says her life turned around when truancy charges landed her in court and introduced her to the Truancy Intervention Project, co-founded by former Fulton County Juvenile Court Chief Judge Glenda Hatchett and Terry Walsh, then President of the Atlanta Bar Association. The non-profit works closely with children who skip school (and their families) to address the underlying problems that keep them out of the classroom. Battle, now 25, is one of thousands of success stories the organization has celebrated over its 19-year history.

Not Your Average Schoolhouse: Inside Ga.’s Largest Detention Center

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In many ways it looks like a typical school building – the non-descript tan brick exterior, the packed parking lot and the flagpole with the American and Georgia state flags thrashing in the wind out front. The majestic arched fence topped by a mass of coiled barbed wire is the first tipoff.  And the fact that you have to step inside and a guard must view you on a surveillance camera, before buzzing you into the fenced-in walkway confirms it. Clearly this isn’t your average schoolhouse. Welcome to the Metro Atlanta Regional Youth Detention Center, a 200-bed facility (maximum capacity of 150 boys and 50 girls) where Georgia youth who are in trouble with the law live and learn while they navigate the criminal justice system.  On this day, the population is down, 132 students are onsite.

Judge Hatchett Brings Juvenile Justice Message To Atlanta Twice This Month

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Judge Glenda Hatchet is most widely known for her nationally-syndicated television show, but many people don’t know that before she claimed fame on the tube, she served as Chief Presiding Judge of Atlanta’s Fulton County Juvenile Court. Over the years the former senior attorney for Delta Air Lines and Emory University School of Law alumna, has built up quite a reputation as a passionate advocate for parents, children and families.  The author and in-demand speaker is scheduled to take her expertise and no-nonsense commentary to metro Atlanta  audiences twice this month during addresses October 16 and October 28.  It's no surprise that  Hatchett has a lot to say about the juvenile justice system. She spoke to JJIE.org’s Chandra Thomas about an array of issues, including her concerns about Georgia’s system, why fighting truancy matters and the focus of her new book. What do you consider the number one juvenile justice issue in Georgia? Hands down it would be the lack of resources.

DJJ Lands Historic Dual Accreditations

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Apparently more than just students are thriving in Georgia’s Department of Juvenile Justice School System – the instructors, staff and administrators too have made the grade. DJJ’s school district has officially been recommended for accreditation from both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Correctional Education Association (CEA). The recommendations were announced Wednesday following an intensive four-day visit from representatives from both accrediting bodies. “I’m happy,” gushed DJJ Commissioner Garland Hunt soon after the announcement. “I inherited a great system, with great people.