First, several pieces of breaking news (UGA and sports), then a wrap-up of the week’s news for the University of Georgia.
Breaking news:
- UGA President Michael Adams sent an email out to UGA faculty and staff today, announcing that employees might be required to take three unpaid furlough days next year, in addition to the three unpaid days this year. The Athens Banner-Herald has coverage and the Red and Black has Adams’ email. Adams also said layoffs are a possibility.
- The preseason USA Today Coaches’ Poll was announced this morning, and UGA is ranked 13th. Four Southeastern Conference teams are ranked ahead of UGA in the top ten, while Georgia Tech is ranked 15th (USA Today, AJC, ABH, R&B, GSB).
- Today Forbes Magazine and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity announced that the University of Georgia ranks #12 among “America’s Best College Buys.” Forbes ranked UGA 211 overall and 29th of public schools (R&B).
- Late yesterday Coach Mark Richt announced that Kwame Geathers, a top-ranked lineman from South Carolina, has been certified as eligible and will join the Bulldogs football team in practice today (AJC, ABH, BB, R&B). Geathers’ approval means that all spring signees have been approved as eligible by the NCAA.
- Redshirt junior and starting safety Reshad Jones missed practice yesterday with a tweaked hamstring. He will likely miss playing time. This happened on the same day that Jones was named to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes to the nation’s best defensive back. Quintin Banks took reps in Jones’ place (AJC, R&B, BB).
- Also yesterday, the UGA Police Bomb Squad removed and detonated what appeared to be a live grenade that was sitting on the floor of an unoccupied house (AJC, ABH).
News items from this week:
- Former Georgia baseball star Gordan Beckham (now with the Chicago White Sox) was named American League’s Rookie of the Month for July on Tuesday. The Bleacher Report speculates that Beckham could be named the Rookie of the Year. The Georgia Sports Blog has further coverage of Beckham.
- Fall football practice began this week for the Bulldogs. The Red and Black has a good overview of the first practice in pads.
- The Red and Black reported earlier in the week that the Athens-Clarke County Police Department is asking for citizen help in responding to a “crime emergency,” mostly of residential burglaries. The crime in Athens has gotten so bad that ACC Police are working with nearby jurisdictions, including Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, to stop the crime. An alarming statistic the Athens Banner-Herald notes: “Burglary reports have soared in Athens-Clarke County in the past three years, with police working 1,306 cases in 2007 and 1,706 in 2008. This year, police have worked 1,247 burglaries, and are on track to work more than 2,000 if the trend doesn’t change.”
