Governor signs $49B budget, including employee raises

Ellen Whatley McCombs

Mrs. Ellen Whatley McCombs, 61, of Rome, Georgia passed away Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at her residence surrounded by her loving family members. Service for Mrs. McCombs will be held Saturday, May 6, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. at Life of Jesus in Action Holiness Church, 218 Old Airport Rd. NW, Rome, Georgia 30165, with Bishop Grier officiating. She will lie in state from 12:00 noon until the hour of service. Wright Memorial Mortuary, Inc. has full charge of the services for Mrs. Ellen Whatley McCombs.

Ellis Eugene Carter

Mr. Ellis Eugene Carter, age 64, of Rome, Georgia passed away on Friday, April 28, 2017. Services for Mr. Carter are incomplete and will be announced at a later date. Wright Memorial Mortuary, Inc. is in charge of the arrangements for Mr. Ellis Eugene Carter.

ST. LOUIS — Several southern states braced for more severe weather Monday in the wake of storms, tornadoes and flooding that claimed 16 lives and left authorities in Arkansas searching for two children swept away by raging waters.

The outbreak that began Saturday over much of the U.S. Midwest and South included at least four tornadoes in Texas and severe flooding after more than a foot of rain fell in parts of Missouri. The storm even spawned a rare midspring snowstorm in Kansas.

It’s not over yet. More flooding and tornadoes are possible as storms roll eastward in a band stretching from Alabama into the Ohio River valley. A wind advisory was in effect over much of the South. Parts of the Florida Panhandle could be affected by severe thunderstorms or high winds and dangerous rip currents.

In Missouri, docile creeks swelled to dangerous levels, and river levels jumped after the downpours.

The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency counted 143 water rescues statewide but acknowledged that countless others probably weren’t reported. Hundreds of people were evacuated, a levee was topped in a rural area northwest of St. Louis, and a 57mile stretch of Interstate 44 was closed.

The Mississippi River was well above flood stage at several points, including Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where it is expected to crest later this week within a half-foot of the all-time record of 48.9 feet.

Near Cape Girardeau, residents of tiny Allenville were urged to evacuate, but many did not, even as the town was surrounded by water. The only way in or out was by boat.

“The old-timers, they know how the river reacts,” Cape Girardeau County emergency management director Richard Knaup said. “They’re old swampers, let me tell you. They’re good country folks. They’d sooner take care of themselves than depend on the government.”

Hundreds of people spent Monday sandbagging Missouri towns along the Meramec River, just 16 months after record flooding along the suburban St. Louis waterway. Eureka police Sgt. David Sindel said 30 to 50 homes in his town are endangered, along with about a dozen businesses as the river is expected to reach within half-afoot of the 2015 record.

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia teachers will get a 2 percent salary increase while state employees who handle child welfare cases will see a 19 percent raise under the state budget.

Gov. Nathan Deal highlighted the increases for child welfare case managers at a Monday ceremony to sign the $49 billion spending plan.

Of the total, nearly $25 billion comes from the state, with the rest coming from federal sources.

The plan continues previously announced 20 percent raises for state law enforcement. It also includes more than $1 billion for projects around the state, including upgrades valued at nearly $161 million for local schools, $73 million to complete the move of Lanier Technical College in Deal’s home base of Hall County and $36 million for a new crime lab in Savannah.