Ken Stanford

Tens of thousands of tourists and Christian pilgrims packed the West Bank town of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations Saturday, bringing warm holiday cheer to the traditional birthplace of Jesus on a raw, breezy and rainy night.

It's that time for caroling, eggnog, holiday cheer - and for some, a frantic dash to the mall.

James K. "Jim" Jones, who led Habersham Central High School as principal for many years, died Friday.

A federal judge on Thursday blocked several provisions of South Carolina's tough new immigration law from taking effect New Year's Day, including a requirement for law officers to check the immigration status of people they pull over if they suspect they are in the country illegally.

Barely beating Santa's sleigh, Congress delivered a last-minute holiday tax-cut extension to 160 million American wage-earners on Friday, just when it looked like they and millions of unemployed workers were going to be left with coal in their stockings.

Georgia transportation officials say they will use about 120 electronic billboards to display emergency messages about severe weather.

Stove fires are one of the most common residential fires in this country, and especially around holidays.

Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has scheduled a series of community forums to give people a chance to learn more about about plans for the new hospital in South Hall, to be known as River Place, and to offer a chance for public input into the campus' development.

Consumers spent at a lackluster rate in November as their incomes barely grew, suggesting that U.S. households may struggle to sustain their spending into 2012.

The White County Board of Commissioners has approved new voting district maps for the commission and school board.