GNB Update

Here's what making news for Thursday...

A former governor believes there's a need for a lobbyist. Read what he has to say.

No Sunday alcohol sales. That's what state Insurance & Fire Commissioner John Oxendine wants to see when he makes run for governor in 2010. He says that he'll oppose any attempt to legalize the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sundays, citing family values and religious reasons. Georgia lawmakers are considering legislation that would let retailers sell alcoholic beverages on that day. Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle says he'll let the state Senate decide issue with a vote.

Add another candidate to the growing list running for Georgia's gubernatorial post. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that state Representative Austin Scott of Tifton plans to run for the GOP nomination come next year. He's the fourth Republican to announce a candidacy for the state's top elected position. If elected, Scott says he wants to use a management style that's different from current Governor Sonny Perdue.

For the past month, the southwest Georgia town of Blakely has been in the national spotlight, for the wrong reasons. The Associated Press reports that the ongoing salmonella outbreak has not only gotten more than 500 people sick, but also cost the people who work at the troubled Peanut Corporation of America plant their jobs. Still, Mayor Ric Hall is optimistic Blakely can get through this crisis.

That's the news for this Thursday. As always, you can log on to GNB at georgianewsbeat.blogspot.com. Have a great afternoon, and evening.