Wednesday a.m. report from www.hometownheadlines.com

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Business/Tourism

Consider it the first dividend of the NAIA championship game: The Dec. 20 NAIA national championship football game, set for noon at Barron Stadium, will have a national audience courtesy of CBS College Sports Network. The league and the network have signed a three-year agreement to broadcast live NAIA football and men's and women's basketball national championship events. First on the list: the 53rd annual football title game to be played in Rome both this year and in December 2009> Details

Voting & Politics

-VFW candidates' meet-and-greet draws mostly Democrats, handful of watchers: Ten Democrats, two Republicans and the two superior court judgeship candidates round out the attendance at the VFW forum south of Rome Tuesday night. Click Politics

-Look for absentee voting to top 4,000 by week's end: The steady stream of early voters is continuing at the Floyd County Administrative Building. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, a crowd had built both in the elections office and in the commissioners' caucus room. By end of business Monday, 3,594 Floyd voters had cast ballots in the Nov. 4 general election. Given Tuesday's turnout and the continued interest by voters, look for that total to top 4,000 by Friday--if not before. Anyone can vote absentee between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays through Oct. 24. You can vote in the elections office at 12 E. Fourth Ave. or in the commissioners' caucus room on the second floor. Advance voting begins Monday, Oct. 27, and concludes Friday, Oct. 31. Hours will be 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. (See sample ballot links below)

Campaign Watch/For additional updates, click Politics

-Rep. Reece picks up endorsements from NRA, AFL-CIO> Reece

-WRGA plans series of broadcast candidate forums: Two House seats, county commission, sheriff, district attorney included> WRGA

-Candidate Q &As with House District 11's Brady, Reece> Politics

-Absentee voting now through Oct. 24; advance voting, Oct. 27-31> Vote

-Sample ballots online: You can preview the ballot for your community online at the Floyd County Web site. The ballots are broken into state House districts:

11th District  | 13th District/City | 13th District/County | 14th District | 16th District

-Dixon & Clemons on the second presidential debate> D&C

-Final presidential debate tonight at 9. Click Hofstra

Wednesday's Buzz

-Annual Empty Bowls events begin: The Rome Area Council for the Arts' Empty Bowls Exhibition of work by area potters is set for Nov. 3-28. An opening reception is set for Thursday, Nov. 6,  from 6 to 8 p.m. at RACA's gallery, 248 Broad St. This year's Empty Bowls Dinner is Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. at  Rome Civic Center. Tickets are $20 per person and are on sale at RACA. For more, click Rome Arts

-Taste of Acworth this Saturday: Downtown Acworth is quickly becoming a hub for fine dining in North Georgia and some of the restaurants that helped win this designation are taking part in the Taste of Acworth from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday. For expanded details, click Acworth

-Perdue due in town Thursday: Gov. Sonny Perdue is due in Rome Thursday for an education event. Details will be made public on Wednesday.

-Witte latest presenter in Berry's Oxbridge Lecture Series Oct. 23

-Spur 101 closed today to through traffic: Georgia Power will replace a utility pole so look for Spur 101 to be closed between Old Rockmart Road and Nelson Street, 8:30 a.m. until 3  p.m. Use Woodruff and Jack streets.

Track today's market activity at Google Finance

Weather Center/brought to you by Katie Dempsey for State House
-Another hot one with sunny skies and highs in the mid-80s; storms possible Thursday night, Friday. Tonight's low: 52.

-For the extended forecast, click WeatherCenter

-EarthWatch/Rivers Alive cleanup set for Saturday> Click

The Football Report/brought to you by Printworks

-John McClellan's picks for this Friday; he was 20-1 last week

-Latest high school polls: Pepperell fourth in AA; Rome seven in AAAA

-Shorter prepares for North Greenville this Saturday at Barron Stadium

>For more, please see> The Football Report

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable/brought to you by Riverside Toyota: 

-Change that title to head football coach/chief executive officer Click Arey

Downtown Headlines

-DDA's Ann Arnold earns key downtown manager designation

-Busy weekend ahead with tours, exhibits and more

-Click Downtown Headlines