Fresh Loaf

A MILLION TO ONE: Natural-gas discoveries in northwest Louisiana have sent the price of an acre in some places from a few hundred dollars to $30,000 in a few months, creating a sudden class of millionaires in the middle of nowhere.

LYNCHING RE-ENACTMENT: The victims’ surviving family members say they’re “troubled” by an Atlanta civil rights group’s four-year-old re-enactment of the 1946 Moore’s Ford lynching, and especially by this year’s installment.

CLAYTON: The BOE barely approves its official response to send to SACS regarding the accreditation stripping.

RETENTION: A report released today details the problems the Atlanta Police Department is having retaining officers; 9 percent of the 1,600-member police force left last year, and on one day last August, each zone of the city had one uncovered beat.

SIX-LEGGED DEER: Will go to live with an Athens woman who has a permit to keep unusual animals.

KANGAROO ATTACK: A Zoo Atlanta visitor records on cell-phone video a kangaroo attacking a zoo worker over the weekend.

JASON ELAM: The metro Atlanta native, who’s spent the last 15 years in Denver as one of the NFL’s premier kickers, says he’s happy to now be a Falcon.

JOE HORN: Probably not a Falcon for much longer.

STOLEN THUNDER: Angry at a local radio station for leaking its new Oklahoma City team’s mascot (the Thunder), the NBA hurriedly registers a list of alternates, one of which is misspelled.

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NBA FINALS: Doc Rivers’ Celtics beat the Lakers in Game 6 of the Finals, demolishing L.A. by five more points than they demolished Atlanta in that first-round Game 7.

DROPPING OUT LIKE IT’S HOT: In Georgia, where the graduation rate is 12 percentage points below the national average, class of 2008 dropouts will cost the state economy about $15.5 billion during their lifetimes.

GOLDEN RETRIEVEE: A Gainesville family’s golden retriever is returned to them after going missing five years ago, when they lived in Powder Springs.

A ROUNDABOUT SOLUTION: Roundabouts like the one at North Decatur and Lullwater keep traffic moving at busy intersections, resulting in less wasted gas from idling and saving drivers time.

ATLANTA TRAFFIC NO. 10: But we were just told we’re the worst.

TAKING SURCHARGE: Atlanta City Council passes a resolution, similar to one recently passed in Holly Springs, that would allow a $10-$15 gas surcharge to traffic ticket fines and could help offset the budget shortfall.

JIMMY WILLIAMS: Cut by the Falcons.

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MALIGNANT RUMORS: Obama goes against political tradition of ignoring unsubstantiated attacks, creates website to combat rumor-mongering e-mails.

I WANNA TAKE YOU DRIER: The drought is still getting worse.

CLASSICAL GAS: Gas is cheaper in South Carolina; maybe we should look into annexing it.

BLAIS UNDER PRESSURE: Richard Blais is still the top chef to us even though he “choked” and then choked up last night.

GSU: Hires former Ga. Tech coach Bill Curry to head its nascent football team, which will begin play in 2010 at the Georgia Dome.

DRIVIN’ THAT TRAIN: Casey Jones pulled over, charged with marijuana meth and Xanax possession.

HOOP SCHEMES: Disgraced former NBA ref with plenty of incentive to make up such a story nonetheless weaves an intriguing tale of playoff-rigging NBA execs and bought-out refs.

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In today’s AJC, Hawks beat writer Sekou Smith predicts the team will draft 19-year-old center Yi Jianlian, a 7-footer from China. Under Smith’s scenario, Memphis will then draft Al Horford rather than Ohio State point guard Mike Conley, allowing Conley to still be available at the No. 11 spot, where the Hawks will nab him.

One presumes Smith’s picks are “informed,” since he covers the Hawks. I actually like the way this could shake out. Jianlian has very nice physical skills and Conley has the potential to be an impact player. Plus, the Hawks’ two glaring needs are at center and point guard.

If the Hawks do go in this direction — and most mock drafts have them selecting Horford with the No. 3 pick and Memphis selecting Conley at No. 4 — it could well be the draft that finally turns the team around.

Or am I just being overly optimistic?

Here’s Jianlian at his NBA workout:

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