Fresh Loaf

ELECTRIC BUGABOO: Fuel costs, new plant construction and repairing an aging power grid are driving electricity prices up as much as 29 percent in some parts of the country; Georgia Power’s rate hike takes place this month.

CLAYTON: Corrective superintendent John Thompson brings in a second member of his inner circle to help lead Clayton schools out of SACS ire.

BEACH EXCEEDING GRASP: Jekyll Island beach erosion is becoming a problem.

MEX APPEAL: Mexican musical acts are enjoying growing success in Atlanta, as are Clear Channel radio stations VIVA-FM (105.7) and El Patron WBZY-FM (105.3).

SMOLTZ: Despite having just undergone surgery that has ended many pitchers’ careers, and despite being 41, he says he’ll try to pitch again.

MASCOT CASE: Future Olympic cities such as London try to do as Atlanta didn’t when picking a mascot. Says the blue pariah’s creator, graphic designer John Ryan:

I hope that I can prove that I have something else that I will be known for before I die.

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SACS ED: Although Clayton County has garnered the most publicity, enough other Georgia school systems have had accreditation-threatening SACS encounters in recent years that the state BoE requested the creation of a task force to educate school boards around the state about appropriate behavior.

SMOLTZ: Shoulder surgery is successful; doesn’t answer any questions on return to pitching, though.

GLAVINE: I don’t even want to say it.

HOT PANTS: Some “blue jean bandits” may have been caught in Dawsonville after a lengthy police chase and manhunt.

FARE ENOUGH? Atlanta cabbies say gas prices are making their trade unprofitable at current rates, ask City Council to raise them.

BRAIN PLANE: Wings Air will begin offering a 20-minute, $49 Athens-Atlanta flight Monday, with another carrier awaiting airport contracts to follow suit.

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DEFENSES DOWN: The Fulton County Superior Court’s chief judge calls the mass layoffs of public defenders — which was announced Friday with lack of state funding as the reason — irresponsible, saying it could create a legal crisis.

ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES: Major restaurants and grocery store chains are voluntarily withdrawing raw tomatoes suspected of starting a 17-state salmonella outbreak, as officials continue searching for the source. Georgia tomatoes are fine.

OLD SHOULDERS NEVER DIE: John Smoltz is having season-ending shoulder surgery today.

CLAYTON: Corrective superintendent says the school district’s mandate-meeting progress can be quantified when SACS officials visit next month.

FIREBOMBING: Gwinnett radio station is attacked by a former employee armed with Molotov cocktails; a bystander corralls him, but the two of them are injured by the ensuing fire.

VOGTLE MAJORITY: The Marietta City Council unanimously votes to spend $405 million on the $14.2 billion nuclear expansion of Plant Vogtle. Since the city won’t need the energy until 2036, it will sell it to other utilities for 20 years, reducing the overall cost to $200 million.

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CLINTON: To suspend campaign for the presidential nomination Saturday; begins campaign for the vice-presidential nomination. Jimmy Carter says Obama picking her would be “the worst mistake that could be made.”

PAIN IN THE GAS: Drivers are increasingly procrastinating buying gas as prices skyrocket go up, meaning they run out more. In Georgia, taxpayer-funded HERO trucks will give a gallon or two of gas to stranded motorists, but HERO truck drivers say they’re starting to be spread too thin.

REEF MADNESS: Since our governor prioritized a fishing initiative over sustainable development or transportation relief, it would be nice if we at least had good coastal fishing in Georgia. So the DNR is sinking old ships and building artificial reefs to build fisheries up from the bottom of the food chain.

SMOLTZ: Out for season with shoulder injury. Could be career-ending, but Smoltz is famously resilient.

HOLYFIELD: Losing $10 million home in Fayette County and falling behind on child support.

I HATE THE 90s: Temperatures will start reaching the 90s today and through the weekend, combining with a code orange smog alert to make breathing unpleasant.

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CAMPAIGN RELIEF: Clinton is expected to concede the delegate race to Obama today. * She’s saying she’ll “do whatever it takes” to put a Democrat in the White House, which was taken by Obama supporters as a hint she’d accept a VP offer.

* UPDATE: Now the Clinton campaign denies AP reports that she will concede the nomination tonight. Sigh.

WATER RETENTION: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approves plan to keep more water in Lake Lanier and other Georgia reservoirs.

CHAMBLISS: “Amazed” by public support for the U.S. Homeland Security Department’s National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility in Athens.

KSU PROF: Gets $201,000 grant, seen as boon to smallish university’s research cred.

SMOLTZ: Comes off DL, blows save.

BORDER TOWNS: Would lose their edge, literally, if that Georgia/Tennessee border change ever happened.

A TAX TO GRIND: Mayor Franklin proposes 4.8 percent shortfall-alleviating property-tax increase, which is palatable to some City Council members compared with her original estimate of 20 percent or more, but still too much to others.

WHAT ALES US: Beer prices are rising as ingredients cost more and production is down. Apparently, beer may not be recession-proof.

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‘WITHIN REACH’: Obama gives a quasi-victory speech in Iowa without actually declaring victory, after Clinton runs away with Kentucky and he wins Oregon, leaving him about 70 delegates shy of securing the nomination.

HAMILTON JORDAN: The right-hand man of President Jimmy Carter, and part of the “Georgia Mafia,” dies at his home in Atlanta at the age of 63.

TED KENNEDY: Massachusetts senator’s malignant brain tumor is likely life-threatening, although no treatment plan has yet been announced. Reuters examines the prospects of the Kennedy legacy after his tenure.

TESLER GUILTY: Rookie cop involved in Kathryn Johnston shooting is found guilty of lying to investigators, but is cleared of two more serious charges.

BEYOND THE SHADOW OF A DROUGHT: Some Georgia pols seem unaware that being in a drought doesn’t mean it never rains.

MATT RYAN: Signs with the Falcons for $72 million over six years.

SMOLTZ: Shuts us out of his life.

AUTISM AND VACCINES: Georgia Supreme Court considers whether suits alleging vaccines caused autism are pre-empted by a federal law.

HARTSFIELD SATISFACTION DOWN: Canceled flights, lost luggage and waiting in lines while holding their shoes doesn’t satisfy airline passengers as much as it used to.

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CAMPAIGN IN THE NECK: Clinton wins Pennsylvania by 10 points, likely meaning we get to delight in this campaign all summer.

SPECIAL K: Smoltz gets 3,000th strikeout, Braves lose.

CHAMBLEE SIX: Sextet of Chinese immigrants who subdued and hogtied an international fugitive in February are now giving away their $10,000 in reward money.

CIVIL UNIONS: Delta and Northwest pilots unions to resume negotiations about merging their workforces.

DAVID POLLACK: Retires from the NFL at age 25 due to the neck injury he suffered two years ago.

DOUBTING THOMAS: UGA President Michael Adams defends his choice of Clarence Thomas as the 2008 commencement speaker amid faculty complaints that the university’s sexual harassment problems this year make Thomas a bad choice.

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PENNSYLVANIANS: Vote today to determine which candidate’s cable-news-fueled faux controversies have most distracted them.

COMIC RELEAF: Hagar the Horrible, Snuffy Smith and 43 other comic strips unite for Earth Day-themed strips today.

STUNNING: Byron, Ga.-based company indicted for allegedly relabeling and selling faulty stun grenades to the FBI.

TESLER TRIAL: Judge closes jury selection to media and public, sans explanation.

REVOLTING DEVELOPMENT: Hall County would like the drought to end so it can start sprawling again.

SMOLTZ: Four strikeouts away from No. 3,000; could get it tonight in Atlanta.

ANDRUW JONES: Flailing.

PANS: Being handled more often in Atlanta, according to ACVB study.

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’: Truck crashes into bank branch in Gainesville. And in case you can’t quite picture what this looked like from the driver’s point of view, AccessNorthGa has you covered.

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