The Georgia Legislature kicked off its 2011 session on Monday with snow blanketing the Capitol's gold dome and dozens of new faces among the House and Senate lawmakers that took the oath of office.
Freshman State Sen. Steve Gooch of Dahlonega, was appointed Monday as a Deputy Whip by Sen. Cecil Staton (R-Macon), who serves the Senate as Majority Whip.
Hundreds of traffic accidents were reported across north Georgia overnight and this morning because of the snow-covered roads... and many motorists whose cars were parked outside overnight spent several minutes clearing them of several inches of snow before they could hit the road.
On the eve of a legislative session that's expected to be heavy on budget-cutting, state lawmakers, lobbyists and other elected officials on Sunday indulged in some pork.
With the state facing a winter storm Sunday night and Monday, the Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) Sunday night issued a list of tips for safely driving on icy roads.
Gov. Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in Georgia on his final night in office as the state braced for a blast of winter weather expected to dump snow and coat roadways with ice.
Several inches of snow and freezing rain are making the Monday morning commute for those forced to venture out nearly impossible in parts of the South, including north Georgia.