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Vets fight the V. A.

ALBANY, GA (WALB)- Lawmakers called on President Obama to improve the massive backlog in disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Nearly 900,000 claims are waiting to be processed.

Two veterans have waited years for the VA to come through for them. Millions of men and women have risked their lives to defend our freedom. "I was in the army for three years," said William Crawley.

Shot in face, Cordele man drives to police

CORDELE, GA (WALB)- Willie Jackson, 56, was sitting in his truck on 25th Avenue West last night about 9:30 when a man shot him once in the face.

 Jackson managed to drive himself to the Cordele Police station and banged on the door, where officers called EMS, and he was taken to Crisp Regional Hospital for treatment. He is having surgery to remove the bullet.

Jackson said he was just sitting in the truck when a man tapped on the window.  He rolled it down, and the man shot him, without saying anything.

Florida crooks break into Cordele cars

This type of device is used to shatter car windows

CORDELE, GA (WALB)-  Crisp County investigators are working to catch some Interstate identity thieves who are targeting their victims by breaking into their cars.

The thieves worked quickly to break into vehicles at a recreation department complex Saturday night. Surveillance video outside the Crisp Youth Sports Complex shows a Buick Enclave pulling in the parking lot around 10:30 Saturday night.

Special Report: Watertown Locked Down

Police are staking out the whole area (SOURCE: Naomi Muchiri)

WATERTOWN, MA (WALB)- The city of Watertown, Massachusetts, has been effectively shut down as a manhunt is underway for the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing.

Naomi Muchiri a former employee of our Raycom station in Birmingham is in Watertown and explains the scene there.

Residents were awakened overnight by heavy police presence and a dramatic shootout in Watertown that ended with the death of one of the Boston marathon bombing suspects while the second is still on the loose.

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GSW Observatory hosts open house

AMERICUS, GA (WALB)- News release Georgia Southwestern State University

Georgia Southwestern State University's Edgerton Observatory will host an open house from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. Friday night, April 19.

This event is free. Members of the public are invited to observe Jupiter, Saturn and the moon.

The Agerton Observatory is located on the roof of the Roney Building on Perimeter Road. Parking is located in the lot between the Roney and Business buildings.

Group report: Flint River #2 most endangered

(SOURCE: Christopher Drummond)

ALBANY, GA (WALB)- An environmental group declares the Flint River the second most endangered river in the United States.

American Rivers says mismanagement by state officials is the reason the Flint River is endangered.

The group says over-permitting by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has caused flow rates in the lower Flint to decrease by 40-percent since 1975 and by more than 70-percent in its tributaries.

Crisp Co. baseball team honors late sheriff’s deputy

CRISP COUNTY, GA (WALB)- A baseball team honored a sheriff's Deputy who died last year from cancer, Tuesday.

The Crisp County High team held Michael Sangster night.

He died a year ago from Melanoma.

Family members threw out the first pitch.

They're happy to see the community come together to honor Sangster.

"Its, truly inspiring just to know that so many people cared about Michael and cared about us, and you know, that they still do," said Melissa Sangster.

T-shirts were also sold at tonight's game.