The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • B1

Filename: B1-METRO-AJCD1228-AJCD DateTime created: Dec 27 2012 Username: SPEEDDRIVER14 Magenta Black IB AJCD I Friday, Dec 28, 2012 METRO IB The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday, Dec. 28, 2012 Bus company shut down for safety violations. News: newstipsajc.com or 404-526-7003 Delivery: ajc.comcustomercare or 404-522-4141 LEGISLATURE PREVIEW Pre-k days, FBI checks considered Lawmakers look at bills to lengthen school year, fingerprint all workers. provided $900 million for HOPE and pre-k, $55 million more than the previous year. Cagle is expected to lobby to change state law to require all day-care employees to have background checks based on FBI fingerprint records.

Currently, only center directors are subject to the FBI checks, which can uncover records of crimes in any state, Cagle said. All other day-care Early education continued on BIO sively on lottery-ticket revenue. Deal said changes were needed because rising costs and flattening lottery sales threatened the programs' long-term viability. But in the last legislative session, at Deal's request, lawmakers added back 10 of the 20 pre-k days that were cut in 2011, a move that partially restored teacher salary cuts and slowed job turnovers. This session, they'll be asked to add 10 more days, returning the pre-k program to its original 180-day calendar.

Bobby Cagle, who oversees pre-k as commissioner of Bright from the Start: the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, said he's "cautiously optimistic" the governor's recommendation will be approved. The financial picture for pre-k is better, largely due to the Georgia Lottery banner year with $3.8 billion in ticket sales, Cagle said. That to come before lawmakers in January. The nationally lauded pre-k program saw a mass teacher exodus in 2011 after Gov. Nathan Deal pushed through budget cuts to it and the HOPE scholarship, popular programs that rely almost exclu By Nancy Badertscher nbadertscherajc.com Georgia's pre-kindergarten program would be 180 days a year again, and all day-care workers would be subject to FBI fingerprint checks, under early-childhood initiatives set HOLIDAY HERO: JOANNA SNIDER A friend of the poor Former teacher raises funds to provide students with food.

Agency relies more on private donations. By Howard Pousner hpousnerajc.com Some congregants at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation on Clairmont Road have been known to turn in a different direction when they see Joanna Snider heading their way. But she hardly takes it personally. Starting her fourth year as leader of a chapter of Philoptochos, the national Greek women's charitable society, Snider recounts with an utterly untroubled laugh, "They land of run the other way when they see me coming. Because (they say), 'You're always asking for In English, Philoptochos means "friend of the poor," and Snider, 56, is passionate about her organization's mission, particularly when the people she's lending a hand are hungry.

She was nominated as a 2012 AJC Holiday Hero by Communities in Schools of Atlanta, the local affiliate of a national nonprofit dropout-prevention network that helps students overcome obstacles. During the recession, hunger grew as an issue for many metro students. Snider and Philoptochos raised $5,000 to help pilot a Blessings in a Backpack program at Mary M. Bethune Elementary School in College Park. The Louisville, Blessings provides weekend nourishment to students on Herocontinued on B6 Truth-O-Meter PolitiFact Georgia Joanna Snider (right), president of Philoptochos, a women's charitable group at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, hugs Sonja Duboise after giving her family Christmas presents Dec.

19. At left is Duboise's daughter Shanteria Brown, 18. bita honarvar bhonarvarajc.com IMMIGRATION ID law creates license backlog Insurance industry workers won't face renewal late fees. By Jeremy Redmon jredmonajc.com A key part of Georgia's new immigration law has created a massive backlog in licensing renewals for thousands of insurance agencies, salesmen, counselors and others in the industry, state officials said. But the Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner said those who apply for their renewals as required by Dec.

31 should not worry. They won't face late fees and may continue to do business as usual even if they don't have their new licenses in hand as state officials continue to work through the backlog. At issue is a part of the law that requires people applying for public benefits such as professional licenses, grants and loans to submit a "secure and verifiable" form of identification. That identification could include a state-issued driver's license or passport. State legislators approved the law last year with an eye toward blocking illegal immigrants from getting public benefits they are not entitled to receive.

But the law is having some unintended consequences. For example, state insurance officials said it is forcing them to inspect all the forms of identification applicants are License continued on B7 "He thought everyone should be a chiropractor," said former athletic director and basketball coach Roger Kaiser. "I told him I was too old, but he did convince my daughter. He really just wanted to see people become better people and for him, the way to do that was to become a chiropractor." Sid Williams, 84, suffered a stroke a year ago and had more recently battled pneumonia, said Jean Riley, his personal secretary for more than 40 years. He died early Thursday morning from complications of pneumonia at his home in Powder Springs.

Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced by Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home, Macland Chapel. For nearly 30 years, Williams was the public face of the private university that began with a three-person faculty and two dozen students in a cluster of rented trailers near Williams continued on B6 Joanna Snider and her daughter Maria Snider carry some of the items they gave a family at the West End Performance Learning Center in Atlanta on Dec. 19. bita honarvar bhonarvarajc.com SID WILLIAMS, 84 Life University founder dies Roundup checks the pundits vs. the facts ABOUT THIS SERIES The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Holiday Heroes stories highlight the work of 15 community members who make our neighborhoods and towns better, safer, kinder and healthier.

They are among the best, but certainlynotonly, examples of metro people who practice the holiday spirit of giving year round. Each gets a $150 gift card from PNC Bank. You can read their stories daily through Sunday, and you can find them all at ajc.com. Dr. Sid Williams flashes a smile as the chorus from Life College sings the national anthem prior to an Atlanta Braves baseball game.

The college later became Life University. ly forced to leave the school 10 years ago after an accreditation controversy, Williams' dedication to his field never changed. School became largest chiropractic college. Friend, colleague described him as 'a strong By Michelle E. Shaw mshawajc.com Dr.

Sid E. Williams wanted to convert the world to chiropractic care. To that end, the Life University founder created a place that could educate and train anyone who believed in his vision. Along with his wife, Dr. Nell Williams, he started Life Chiropractic in 1974, which became Life College and is now Life University.

The school, while under Williams' direction in the 1990s, became the largest chiropractic college in the world with an 89-acre campus and more than 3,500 students. Though he was eventual- MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell: Says critics called the original I Bill "welfare." O'Donnell made this claim in a promotional spot for his MSNBC program "The Last Word," during which he spoke proudly of his father attending college on the World War II program known as the GI Bill. It aired in January. The act provided millions of veterans with up to four years of education or training, a monthly subsistence allowance and benefits such as federally guaranteed home loans and unemployment compensation. Experts told us that some considered the law a step toward the U.S.

embracing more social welfare programs. A few fretted that the unemployment provisions would AJC PolitiFact continued on B6 By Willoughby Mariano wmarianoajc.com When pundits tangled with facts in 2012, the facts often left the ring worse for the wear. Opinionators on the left and right roughed up the facts, mangled them or neglected them completely. Today, we give you a blow-by-blow account of four of these matchups, featuring New York Times columnist Gail Collins, commentator Ann Coulter, ra dio host Rush Lim-baugh and MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell. For full versions, go to www.politifact.comgeorgia.

Want to comment on our rulings? Go to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com politifact.georgia) or find us on Twitter (http: twitter.compolitifactga). Black IB AJCD File name: B1-METRO-AJCD1228-AJCD DateTime created: Dec 27 2012 Username: SPEEDDRIVER14 Magenta.