Help us dedicate December 17th to #OfficerMorgan

Submitted by Julie Wolfe, 11Alive Reporter

Saturday, December 7th, 2013, 12:46am

COVINGTON, Ga -- He's officially a Covington Police officer. This weekend, he'll lead the Christmas parade. But, Morgan Steward has bigger dreams. He's been memorizing the Miranda warning, desperately wants to write a ticket, and has a speech to deliver.

Tuesday, December 16th we want to make that happen. 11Alive is working to make that day #OfficerMorgan day in Covington. We're still collecting your ideas, so make sure to include them in the Facebook message below.

The first week of November, five-year-old Morgan wore a crisp yellow shift and striped tie. This is no ordinary day.

Smiling faces and big applause, it was no ordinary Covington City

That night, Morgan's dream came coming true.

PHOTOS | See the photos from the swearing-in ceremony

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Kohl's stores open round the clock from 12/20 to Christmas Eve

Submitted by Michael H. King, Digital Executive Producer

Thursday, December 5th, 2013, 11:32am

(WXIA) -- Kohl's Department Stores announced Thursday that the for the first time, the chain's stores will stay open for more than 100 hours straight, from Friday, Dec. 20 through Christmas Eve.

"The holiday season is an eventful time for families, and Kohl's is making it easy for shoppers to wrap up their last- minute gift giving with 24-hour access to Kohl's stores right up to Christmas Eve," said Michelle Gass, Kohl's chief customer officer. "Not only does Kohl's have the hottest gifts at incredible prices, now shoppers will have the added benefit of being able to check off their lists, day or night, whenever it is most convenient for them."

The company's stores plan to open at 6 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 20 and remain open non-stop through 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 24. Kohl's has 27 stores in metro Atlanta.

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Submitted by Georgia Lottery, The GA Lottery

Thursday, December 5th, 2013, 11:08am

Covington woman captures towering $500K lottery prize

ATLANTA – A half-million dollar Georgia Lottery prize has arrived for a Covington woman just in time for the holidays. Wanda Pitts, 49, played the instant game Right On The Money and won a $500,000 top prize.

Georgia Lottery representatives presented Pitts with an oversized check Wednesday at the QuikTrip at 11124 Highway 142 in Covington, the store where she purchased the lucky ticket.

“My niece and I were on our way home from shopping, and my niece said, ‘I feel very lucky. Let’s buy a lottery ticket,’” Pitts explained. “I stopped and purchased a ticket. When I saw the matching No. 14, I lost my mind.”

Pitts was overwhelmed with emotion when the store’s clerk confirmed the good news.

“I was crying. I was about to hyperventilate,” she said. “I was screaming and squealing, jumping up and down. I was excited.”

The lucky winner intends to financially help those in her family.

“I’m going to buy a new car and pay off my mortgage,” Pitts shared.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Thursday, December 5th, 2013, 7:49am

(WXIA) -- Registration for the 2014 General Educational Development tests is now open on the new MyGED website.

The site, located at ged.com, offers study plans, skills assessments and other resources to help adults receive the equivalent of a high school diploma.

The 2014 GED program launches on Jan. 2. It was overhauled to better prepare GED candidates for higher education and the working world, and ultimately allow them to find jobs with higher pay.

The website also features a list of GED testing centers across metro Atlanta.

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Atlanta unemployment jumps to 7.7 percent

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Saturday, November 30th, 2013, 9:23am

Atlanta unemployment jumps to 7.7 percent

ATLANTA -- Metro Atlanta's unemployment rate climbed to 7.7 percent in October, up from 7.4 percent in September.

Newton County's unemployment rate was 8.7 percent in October.

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said the reason for the increase is twofold: the number of layoffs increased, as did the number of unemployed residents.

Despite the unemployment numbers, metro Atlanta added roughly 2.4 million jobs in October, mostly in trade and transportation; education and health care; government; manufacturing; and financial services.

Metro Athens had Georgia's lowest unemployment rate in October, at 5.8 percent. The Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 10.9 percent.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, November 29th, 2013, 7:14pm

(WXIA) -- Many families choose to celebrate Christmas with artificial trees.

But for those who love having real trees in their homes -- how do you know what variety of tree to pick? The selection at stores like Home Depot can sometimes be overwhelming.

This information from the National Christmas Tree Association will help you determine the type of tree that's best for you.

SLIDESHOW | See the real Christmas tree branches to help pick the best for you

Balsam Fir
This type of tree is dark green with long-lasting needles. Its scent lasts for a long time as well.

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Submitted by Julie Wolfe, 11Alive Reporter

Wednesday, November 27th, 2013, 11:23pm

COVINGTON, Ga. -- A Covington Police Officer and his entire family were without a place to stay Wednesday night. A fast raging fire sent the man and his two children running for their lives.

The daughter had just arrived in town from college for thanksgiving. But officer Chris Smith said he still has reason to be thankful this time of year.

PHOTO SHARE | What are you thankful for this year?

The fire left nothing but the walls still standing. The place was completely charred inside out.

"I woke up to glass breaking," said Officer Smith. "My first thought was someone was breaking in the house - so I jumped out of bed from a dead sleep."

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