Dining: New menus, post-race specials for downtown restaurants. Inch of rain Monday, freeze warning tonight.AJC: Gingrey changes gun, Akin stance. Pepperell Middle's Pollitz among state Teacher of the Year finalists.

For these and today's top stories, please see www.hometownheadlines.com:

 

Dining

-Downtown restaurants, retailers offering Leprechaun-a-thon racers, walkers special discounts Saturday afternoon.

-Rome among cities offering bar coasters with QR codeslinking you to drivers to get you home safe over St. Patrick's Day weekend.

-New menu/menu items for Harvest Moon, Brewhouse Music & Grill (heart attack burger) and Curlee's Fish House & Oyster Bar.

-Johnny's New York-Style Pizza celebrates three years Thursday by slicing prices 30%.

-Monday's Public Health restaurant inspection scores.

-New Cave Spring steakhouse plans grand opening April 17.

 

Politics:

-Gingrey changes stance on gun clips; backs off Todd Akin comments: AJC says update looks to be another sign of U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey's decision to run for Senate.

-Chambliss launches Instagram: The retiring U.S. senator among first to turn to photo-based social media.

 

Today's Buzz

-Cochran Design Collaborative continues year of change, from new address to new name, Cevian Design Lab.

-U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss goes new wave, adds Instagram service.

 Regional headlines
-Pepperell Middle's Shannon Pollitz among the 10 finalists for Georgia Teacher of the Year announced by State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge. Pollitz, right, an eighth grade gifted English language arts instructor. The winner will be announced May 3. For more on the nominees, click Teacher / Floyd honors
-19 more high school athletes commit to the Berry College football team. Viking Head Coach Tony Kunczewski says the student-athletes will join the program for its inaugural football season this September. They join 28 others who previously committed. Vikings
-Booth Western Art Museum announces winners from weekend's golf tournament, Chuck Wagon Cook-off, Writing Through Art Literary Contest and Open Music Contests. Booth

 

After an inch of rain Monday, clear skies  rest of the week

-Freeze warning from 2 until 11 a.m. Wednesday.

-Tuesday: Mostly sunny, high of 60, low of 33.

-Wednesday: Sunny, high of 56, low of 26.

-Thursday: Sunny, high of 60, low of 35.

 

Latest jail reports. 

 

Hometown Headlines Radio Edition, WRGA 1470 AM, 7-9 a.m. weekdays. Listen live online

-Please join our guests  including:

-Deacon Stuart Neslin of Saint Mary's Catholic Church on the selection of a pope.
-Layla Shipman of the Floyd County Republican Party on last week's officer elections and what's ahead.
-Dr. Brian Carroll, Berry College communication professor, on what's next for magazines as Time spins off namesake publications.