Ken Stanford

The stock market is closing at an all-time high a day after Washington reached a deal to avoid a U.S. default.

The discovery of a 1.8-million-year-old skull of a human ancestor buried under a medieval Georgian village provides a vivid picture of early evolution and indicates our family tree may have fewer branches than some believe, scientists say.

A retired Cornelia banker and former Habersham County school board member - George Dean Telford - will be buried Saturday.

The government unlocked its doors Thursday after 16 days, with President Barack Obama saluting the resolution of Congress' bitter standoff but lambasting Republicans for the partial shutdown that he said had damaged the U.S. economy and America's credibility around the world.

Stocks were mostly higher Thursday as investors got back to focusing on corporate earnings and economic data.

Ninth District Congressman Doug Collins and the eight other Republican members of the Georgia House delegation voted "no" Wednesday night on the bill that ended the government shutdown and avoided a threatened federal default.