WINDER, Ga. — Although Lee Perkins no longer works in the medical field, she recently was recognized by the American Red Cross as a local Nurse Hero for her actions that helped to save toddler Tripp Halstead's life.

Perkins received the recognition from the East Georgia Chapter of the American Red Cross at its eighth annual Heroes Breakfast. She was recognized along with multiple others within a 14-county region.

It has been more than two years since Perkins worked as a nurse. Now she is the owner of Constance Manor in Winder, an event facility that hosts celebrations such as weddings and receptions.

She had no idea that her 10 years of experience in the medical field would be an invaluable tool in saving 2-year-old Tripp on Oct. 29. The boy was playing outside a day care facility next door to Constance Manor and was struck in the head by a large tree limb that fell due to winds associated with Hurricane Sandy.

"I was honored, and I appreciate the nomination," Perkins said. "But I am more honored for the nurse recognition. Nurses do this (sort of thing) every day. I am just glad I happened to be in the right place, at the right time for (Tripp)."

Perkins said she was able to visit with the Halstead family a couple of days after the accident, but hasn't seen Tripp since.

"I hope I never have to encounter something like that again," she said about the incident. "It's not easy when you aren't in the (medical) environment. I didn't have any other (medical professionals) there with me."

Several people on scene, day care workers and one of Perkins' employees, were instrumental in helping her, though.

"There were a lot of people (at the scene) that tuned in to what was going on," she said. "They did what I told them to do, and an employee of mine was the one who called 911."

A booklet passed out by the American Red Cross at the breakfast banquet highlighted each hero's story.

"From her office window, Perkins could see that a child had been hurt. Instead of remaining in her office, she raced to the scene of the accident," a section about Lee Perkins read.

"With overwhelming poise, Perkins took the necessary steps to stabilize (Tripp) by applying spinal pressure, obtaining an open airway and assisting in compressions and breathing until EMTs arrived. Lee Perkins' bravery and quick decision to act saved Tripp Halstead's life, and for this, there is no doubt that she is a Red Cross Hero."

Tripp returned home March 29 after spending five months in hospital care. He has continued his recovery of ups and downs at home with his mother and father, Stacy and Bill Halstead.

The Halsteads continue to post updates on Tripp's progress on his Facebook fan page. To follow it, go towww.facebook.com/TrippHalsteadUpdates .

The Savannah College of Art and Design held thier annual New Alumni Conert Friday night in Forsyth Park.

Click here to view a Spotted® gallery of the concert

Performers included Gringo Star, The Greyboy Allstars and Mayer Hawthorne.

Click 'Play' to watch video of Gringo Star

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — Five military families will soon be moving into metro Atlanta homes that had been in foreclosure and were donated by a bank to a charity that helps former service members find housing.

The charity Operation Homefront surprised the five families with the announcement Saturday at an event in Stone Mountain. The houses were donated by Wells Fargo, which otherwise would have sold them at auction.

The houses are going to four Army soldiers and one Marine who were forced out of the military by injuries. Four of the families are returning home to Georgia from Texas, Alaska and California, and one family has been renting an apartment outside Atlanta.

In the past year, Operation Homefront has moved 110 military families into homes donated by banks with no mortgage to pay.

SMITHFIELD, Va. — You can't go far in this historic southeastern Virginia town without seeing a pig.

A herd of life-size swine statues lines its downtown, an ornament of a piglet wearing a bandanna adorns a front lawn, hams hang in storefronts and a pickup truck flaunts the license plate "PIG TIME."

The home of the world's largest pork producer and maker of famous Smithfield hams is divided in its reaction to news that the company agreed to be bought by a Chinese company. The reception is as mixed as whether the locals favor salt-cured or sugar-cured ham.

Smithfield Foods Inc. agreed to a $4.72 billion offer from Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd., the majority shareholder in China's largest meat processor. The deal, which would be the largest takeover of a U.S. company by a Chinese firm, still faces a federal regulatory review and Smithfield shareholder approval.

Steps from the site where the company was founded in 1936, residents in the "Ham Capital of the World" greet each other on a main street lined with white picket fences and Victorian-style homes, and welcome a neighbor back from a recent trip out of town. Just down the road, workers shuffle into the company's packing plants for their shifts.

Looking out on the street that's lined with antique cars every weekend, locals frequent Smithfield Gourmet Bakery and Beanery, grabbing their morning coffee and pastry. Some are shocked that "China would own our Smithfield," said Carolyn Burke, a longtime resident who owns the eatery.

"It's Smithfield ham, it's not China ham," Burke said.

And she's right: Pork produced here for more than 300 years became so popular that many places in the 1930s tried to pass off their ham as Smithfield ham, which led to branding each ham so customers knew it was authentic. The state even passed a since-revised law in 1926, stating the "Smithfield ham" moniker could only be used for cuts of peanut-fed hogs processed and salt-cured in the town limits.

The town also is home to the world's oldest cured ham from 1902 at the Isle of Wight museum — complete with its own brass collar around the hock.

As important as the pork itself is Smithfield Foods, which employs about 3,800 people in Virginia. In its most recent fiscal year, it brought in sales of more than $13 billion and made a profit of $361 million.

The company, its founding family — the Luters — and those who work there donate time and money to the community, funding parks, public restrooms and other projects.

"You either have a family member who works there, or has worked there, or you had a summer job there. It's just such a part of our community," said Sheila Gwaltney, the director of a local arts center and a more-than-40-year resident whose husband's family has been in the area since 1666. "Smithfield has been so good for the town."

With its namesake and well-being on the line, Smithfield native and Mayor T. Carter Williams, 71, hopes the pending sale doesn't compromise the town's identity.

"They say that everything's going to stay the same, and we all just hope that it does," he said. His wife, Connie, works at Taste of Smithfield, a hometown restaurant the company opened about a year ago to showcase its products. "We'll just see where it ends up, time will tell."

In an interview with The Associated Press, Smithfield Foods CEO Larry Pope said the move showed "the globalization of the world and how it affects small-town America."

"But Smithfield, Virginia, has nothing to worry about," Pope said. "We're in a mature market ... and to continue to grow we have to look at opportunities outside the United States."

Bob Barnes, who worked as an accountant at Smithfield Foods for about 10 years before retiring, sees only "good things happening" for the company that has had its share of ups and downs over the years.

Pork producers such as Smithfield have been caught in a tug of war with consumers. The company needs to raise prices to offset rising commodity costs, namely the corn it uses for feed. But consumers are still extremely sensitive to price changes in the current economy. By raising prices, Smithfield risks cutting into its sales should consumers cut back or buy cheaper meats, such as chicken. In 2009, Smithfield Foods posted its first annual loss since 1975, and again in 2010, but has since rebounded. And one of its largest shareholders had been pushing Smithfield to consider splitting itself up in recent months.

"Somebody's gotta own it," Barnes said. "It's just money. It doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't change our philosophy, our life, our politics (and) it doesn't shut down places."

Gwaltney agreed: "When you think about it, that should be very good economically for the company ... and what's good for the company is good for us."

There is at least one drawback that residents note: They'll soon be unable to own Smithfield stock — a tangible piece of the company named after the town that pork built.

Almost 300 local independent truckers attended a Savannah forum Saturday to detail inequities and injustices they say define their role within the operation of the Port of Savannah.

The key complaint, in almost every trucker's story, was the current system that allows the trucking companies servicing the port to “mis-classify” the truckers as independent contractors _ with no health or pension benefits _ rather than employees.

The truckers said that mis-classification relegates them to the bottom rung of the economic ladder at the Port of Savannah, which produces almost $16 billion a year in income, and other ports throughout the country when it comes to wages and working conditions.

BRAVO’s Annual Summer Music Camp
July 8-19. DeRenne Middle School, 1009 Clinch St. The 15th annual Summer Music Camp sponsored by BRAVO Music Company Inc. (Black Youth Reaching to Achieve in Vocal and Orchestral Music) will be Monday through Friday, July 8–19. The hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 18 through June 8 registration: For the first camper per family, registration is $50 and tuition is $360, for a total of $410. After the first camper, registration is $50 and tuition is $260, for a total of $310. Call 912-236-6681 or 912-236-1934 for more information.

Humane Society Doggie Carnival
Noon-6 p.m. June 2. Forsyth Park. The Humane Society for Greater Savannah is pleased to host its 13th annual Doggie Carnival on June 2 at the Forsyth Park bandshell. It’s kid-friendly, with bounce castles, cotton candy, popcorn, face painting and fun contests like the Pooch Smooch. It’s also canine-friendly, so bring your best friend for Doggie Derby races, contests and doggie ice cream. Plus, we’re introducing live music from some of your favorite local artists and of course, there will be raffle drawings for prizes at $5 a ticket.

‘Gun Violence, Gospel Values: Mobilizing in Response to God’s Call’
9:30 a.m. June 2. First Presbyterian Church, 520 Washington Ave. First Presbyterian Church and Butler Memorial Presbyterian Church will commence a four-part study series beginning at 9:30 a.m. June 2. The topic will be “Gun Violence, Gospel Values: Mobilizing in Response to God’s Call,” a report that was adopted at the 2010 General Assembly. The first meeting will be at First Presbyterian Church, 520 Washington Ave., and will alternate meeting locations with Butler Memorial Presbyterian Church, 603 W. Victory Drive. All are welcome.

Tybee Floatilla ‘Will Float for Friends’
9:30 a.m. June 2. The Tybee Floatilla “Will Float for Friends” in memory of Frank Schuman Sr., benefiting Coastal Pet Rescue, Tybee Beautification Association and Marine Science Center, will be June 2. The cost is $30. For more information, go to www.tybeefloatilla.com.

Gallery 209 artist of the month
June. Gallery 209, 209 East River St. Gallery 209 will feature the work of artists Sue Nichols & Katherine Riechert for the month of June. Oil painter Sue Nichols creates stunning highly textured and detailed images of beautiful flowers and landscape scenes found in Savannah and the surrounding low country area. Her color palette is vivid, her paintings draw people to them. Kathryn works predominantly in sterling silver using traditional metalsmith tools and techniques with occasional stones and pearls. Her Jewelry are true works of art. We hope you will come by and see all this beautiful art. Open daily 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Go to, www.gallery209savannah.com or call 912-236-4583.

“Sixty Shades of Blue”
June 1-July 15. Blick Art Supply, 318 E. Broughton St. The Sixty Shades Show is a one-of-a-kind exhibition showcasing the unique talent of Nicky Soh, a graduate student at SCAD majoring in Sequential Art and Illustration. In the past, Nicky has worked on collaborative projects with Mattel as a storyboard artist, and Microsoft Game Studios as an art director. The show draws from a collection of Nicky’s personal illustrations that took a year to finish, in a completely unique East-meets-West style. A reception will be held on June 1 from 6-8 p.m.

Leonard Louis White at the JEA
June 2 through June 30. The Jewish Educational Alliance, 5111 Abercorn St. Leonard White has been making art for a very long time. He knew, as did others, that by age 5 he would be an artist. Nothing else held much interest for him. At age 12 he started working professionally after school doing paste-up and mechanical artwork. The object of White’s exhibition is to entertain. Maybe it will re-kindle memories and make people remember happy times. It does for him. There will be an opening reception June 9 from 3-5 p.m.

Church anniversary
12 p.m. and 4 p.m. June 2. Abercorn Missionary Baptist Church, 500 Old Augusta Road. Pastor Ansley Harrison and the Abercorn Missionary Baptist Church family invite you to come and fellowship with them in celebrating the church’s 191st anniversary. Guests include, Rev. Rosalind Kent and the St. James AME Church, Rev. Titus Lovett and the Brampton Baptist Church, Minister Donna Curry and Greater Jersalem Baptist Church and Rev. Jonah German and the Goodwill Baptist Church of Rincon. For more information, call 912-826-4213.

74th Senior Choir Anniversary
5 p.m. June 2. Macedonia Baptist Church. Pastor Jerome Stokes and the entire Macedonia Baptist Church family  invite you to join  in for worship of our 74th Senior Choir Anniversary on Sunday, June 2 at 5 p.m. Please come and help us to lift up the name of Jesus.

Richard “Dick” Platt was passionate about music.

Platt, who died in April at age 80, was instrumental in the creation of the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra and served as its first chairman.

“He was as handsome as a movie star,” current board chair Melissa Emery says. “He was tall and impressive looking, a perfect image of a chairman of the board of a philharmonic orchestra.

“He was an old-style gentleman, always polite but very firm in his views,” she says. “He didn’t compromise.

“He was a very thoughtful person in that he didn’t make rash judgements,” Emery says. “He thought things through carefully.”

Platt was involved in several other community organizations, including the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, the Davenport House Museum, the Savannah Benevolent Society, Christ Church Episcopal and more, but it was his involvement with the philharmonic that is particularly significant.

In 2008, Platt met with Peter Shannon, then the conductor of the Savannah Choral Society. Immediately impressed, Platt made a personal donation to the chorus and joined the chorus board.

Later that year, the decision was made to create the philharmonic. Platt was one of four people present at the meeting.

“When I came to Savannah, I thought the motivation was so high to have a good symphony orchestra,” Shannon says.

“But when I went into the community, what I thought was fertile ground turned out to be burnt out.

“The previous organization hadn’t respected what the community wanted or had fiscal reliability. When you are going to make a big ask to a potential donor, it has to be chaired by someone who is respected in the community, somebody whose integrity was unquestioned, and that was Dick Platt.

“I liked him the first time I met him. I was invited to his 75th birthday, which turned out to be close family and friends. We had met two or three days earlier, but he asked me to speak at his birthday and I jumped at the chance.”

While most choruses are founded by orchestras, the Savannah Philharmonic did it the other way around. The chorus made its debut in October 2008, while the orchestra made its debut the following January.

“He was someone who was very driven,” Shannon says. “Even at 80, he would regularly get into discussions, arguments even, but there was never any doubt behind his arguments and passion.

“He wasn’t just passionate, it was fueled by a sense of doing what was right. The word integrity keeps coming up with Dick’s name.

“You have to respect someone if they have integrity,” Shannon says. “You couldn’t get away from the sense this guy meant what he was saying.”

In addition to being an inspiring leader, Platt was a charming man.

“He was very amicable, the perfect Southern gentleman,” Shannon says.

“You felt at the center of attention all the time he was talking to you. He was an impressive person on so many different levels.”

Platt always cleared the air, Shannon says. “In a difficult discussion, a high-powered executive meeting, he started off by saying, ‘We may disagree and we should disagree, but everybody should say what they want to say and at the end, we’ll all shake hands and still be friends.’ That was a very, very powerful thing.

“He definitely will be missed for all those reasons and more. There was something very particular about that man.”

When Platt was named chairman of the philharmonic board, he insisted there be several overriding principles:

• Don’t spend money you don’t have.

• Form a new board beyond the existing chorus board to serve as the fundraising arm of the organization.

• Nurture Shannon and provide the moral and financial support needed to keep him in Savannah.

• Convince community leaders this is a new and different organization from the previous symphony and worthy of their support.

• Make sure the musicians are satisfied with the new organization and the way it will be run.

“He met with various people and promised right from the beginning he would never spend a dollar we didn’t have,” Emery says.

“Dick was there, reinforcing that message. It was part of his leadership that gave us that determination to stay out of debt.”

To save money, Platt and other original board members created a fee-per-service model to pay the musicians, because not every instrument is needed to perform every piece of music, and the numbers of specific instruments may vary by repertoire. That gave the philharmonic room to grow by avoiding unnecessary expenditures.

In addition to organizational skills, Platt also promoted the orchestra to potential donors, convincing them to provide financial support. Although hiring an executive director to run the daily operations and raise funds was a risk because the funds weren’t immediately available, he realized such a person was necessary for the philharmonic to survive and grow. Platt helped select David Pratt for the position of executive director. Pratt has helped the organization increase its audience numbers, donations and corporate support and has produced annual surpluses above targets, even while introducing new programs and events.

“Dick was absolutely instrumental in the formation of the orchestra and getting it up and running,” Pratt says. “He was a real champion for the orchestra right up until he passed.

“He helped us access the people who were willing to give to the orchestra,” Pratt says. “He loved Savannah, and was one of our biggest supporters in the community, someone people trusted.”

Platt was instrumental in getting Pratt hired for his position.

“He was one of my biggest supporters, but apart from that, I’ll miss him on a personal level,” Pratt says.

For the past three years, the organization has exceeded its targets every year.

“The most concerns I heard from the community were about financial stability and what happened with the previous orchestra,” Pratt says.

“I’ve been fastidious in making sure we’re building up our financial base,” he says. “We still have a long way to go along the path, but every year, we’ve exceeded ticket sales targets.

“When you’re building from ground zero, you need to ensure that buffer,” Pratt says.

“It’s a very different business operation than the previous orchestra, a very lean organization, because the money needs to go in the artistic side of the program and we need to ensure we are saving, as well.”

As a result, the philharmonic is growing.

“A lot of orchestras in the United States are struggling,” Pratt says. “The ones that tend to do well don’t have a big budget overhead and are in touch with the community.

“They tend to have smaller budgets,” he says. “They really engage with the local community. Savannah should be proud, because this is one of those organizations.”

Since its inception, the Savannah Philharmonic has operated in the black, even in difficult economic times. Every year, the orchestra has had an operating surplus and attendance, unearned and earned income have all risen steadily.

Most concerts consistently sell out. About 94 percent of all available seats were sold during the last season.

The number of individual donors has increased, and subscriptions and corporate support tripled over the previous season. When a minimum donation was requested of each board member, Platt gave 10 times that amount.

Just two days before he died, Platt attended his last board meeting, asking the board to study each step before taking it, and to be sure before reaching any decisions.

In appreciation for all Platt did, the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus performed at his memorial service and Shannon spoke about him. The philharmonic’s October concert will be dedicated to Platt.

Even at the end of his life, Platt was conducting orchestra business.

“I had two meetings with him that week,” Shannon says. “He made some of the most valuable comments I’d heard him say since I’d known him at those two meetings.”

Platt seemed as vital as usual, Shannon says.

“I distinctly remember joking with him, ‘I don’t know what you’re on, but I want some of those tablets,’” Shannon says. “Three days later, he was dead.

“He was 80 years old, but something about Dick was so young,” he says. “With him, it was more than a shock. He was almost in his prime. There was nothing old or doddery about him.”

ON THE WEB

Read more about the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra’s upcoming season at dosavannah.com.

Savannah College of Art and Design held its 2013 commencement ceremony on Saturday at the Savannah Civic Center. 

Renowned architect and Jepson Center for the Arts designer Moshe Safdie addressed more than 1,600 graduates as the keynote speaker. 

Safdie is also known for his work on the Holocaust History Museum in Israel, Habitat 67, the Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada and the U.S. Institute of Peace headquarters in Washington.

All along River Street, heads nodded along as they watched couples dance and listened as local band Bottle & Cans shared its particular brand of the blues from the stage on Rousakis Plaza.

From his seat on the stage, lead singer and guitarist Ray Lundy looked out over the crowd as a massive container ship sailed up the Savannah River toward the Garden City Terminal.

“Thank you all for stopping by and listening to us,” Lundy said between songs as onlookers scarfed down barbecue sandwiches from one of several local vendors. “And thank you especially to the (Savannah) Waterfront Association for letting us be a part of this today.”

For the first time, the Waterfront Association hosted a River Street festival geared toward those who love American traditions like jazz and blues music and barbecue.

The Blues, Jazz & BBQ Festival is an attempt not only to attract people to River Street, but organizers also hope to increase recognition of local barbecue spots, said Bill Dickinson, with the Savannah Waterfront Association.

“Savannah has a long history regarding barbecue food, jazz and blues music,” he said. “It has been a repeated discussion to celebrate these three together on the Riverfront during a special weekend.

“We would like to see our barbecue food tradition get recognition nationwide.”

The festival continues today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jeff Beasley will perform at 1 p.m. and Velvet Caravan takes the stage at 3:30 p.m.

ON THE WEB

SEE VIDEO OF THE BLUES, JAZZ & BBQ FESTIVAL AT SAVANNAHNOW.COM.

Savannah’s flat terrain makes it easy to ride a bike here.

And if you’re downtown, there are plenty of bikeable destinations, plus some designated bike lanes and bike routes. These factors combine to give some downtown addresses a bike score of 97 out of 100 from the website walkscore.com.

“Biker’s paradise. Flat as a pancake,” is the site’s report for Gaston Street, for example.

But overall, the city scored a less impressive 48, “somewhat bikeable” from the private company Walk Score, which calculates how easy it is to navigate American cities on foot and on two wheels.

This year, the company expanded its coverage of bike scores to include 122 cities, of which Savannah comes in No. 77.

Jane Love, transportation planner with the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission, provided information to Walk Score’s website to make the scoring possible.

Savannah didn’t seek to be included in the analysis, she said. But it could prove useful in planning.

The site includes a database where users can type in an address.

“If you plug in different addresses, you get different scores,” Love said. “A lot of addresses downtown fall into ‘Biker’s Paradise’ with scores in the 90s. In some respects, Savannah is doing well, but we haven’t gotten to all parts of it.”

The Savannah Bicycle Campaign, a grassroots advocacy group, concurs.

“I think it reflects we have more work do collectively to make Savannah more bikable,” said executive director John Bennett. “It speaks to the need for connected networks.

“As you get to the street level, you see the variance from street to street, even. The solution is to make it across the board more bikable or find ways to link areas.”

The campaign’s current focus is connecting Daffin Park with Lake Mayer via a dedicated bike path running alongside the Truman Parkway, he said.

24-hour jail bookings for Savannah-Chatham County are now posted. Visit booked.savannahnow.com to view photos and information.

All information has been obtained from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department.

All individuals posted have not been convicted of a crime and are innocent until proven guilty.

The 23rd Annual Richmond Hill Fishing Derby sponsored by the Exchange Club of Richmond Hill was held on Saturday at the Richmond Hill Fish Hatchery.

Prizes were awarded to children 12 and under for the first fish caught, most total pounds and heaviest fish.

Click here to view Spotted® photos

PARIS — When Serena Williams had won the final point Sunday, she paused behind the baseline to urge herself on with one last fist pump.

"Come on!" she shouted, as if her work wasn't done — which it isn't.

Williams earned a berth in the French Open quarterfinals and extended her career-best winning streak to 28 matches by beating No. 15-seeded Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-3.

It was her toughest test of the first week, but she swept the last 10 points and has lost only 10 games through four rounds.

"I just want every point," she said. "Every match I'm really focused for the whole period of time. I really want it every match."

The 15-time Grand Slam champion next plays 2009 French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova. With a victory,Williams would earn her first berth in a French Open semifinal since 2003.

She won her lone Roland Garros title in 2002.

The three other remaining Americans play Monday. Four U.S. women reached the fourth round, the most at Roland Garros since 2004.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Kuznetsova, ranked 39th but rejuvenated this year, beat No. 8-seeded Angelique Kerber 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. In men's play, David Ferrer reached the quarterfinals for the sixth Grand Slam in a row by beating Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-1, 6-1.

Vinci tried everything to get Williams off balance. The 5-foot-4 Italian played serve and volley, attempted to chip and charge and mixed the pace of her groundstrokes, including an occasional drop shot.

"She played really smart," Williams said. "I knew how she was going to play. Some of the things she did I definitely expected, and I just had to come up with an answer."

Williams answered forcefully, whacking second serves harder than Vinci's first serves, and her persistent power proved the difference.

Serving in the opening game of the second set, Williams fell behind love-30, as if trying to make it a fair fight. She then hit an ace, kissed a forehand winner off a line, won the next point with another booming groundstroke and closed out the game with a drop-shot winner.

"It was not easy to win today," Williams told the center court crowd afterward in French, "but I'm very happy, and I'm ready for the next round."

She improved to 20-0 this year on clay. Since losing in the first round a year ago at Roland Garros, Williams is 71-3, including titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the London Olympics and the season-ending WTA Championships.

Williams first reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2001, when she was 19. Now she's 31 and the oldest player in the top 10.

"She's the best in the world so far," said Kuznetsova, who is 2-6 against Williams. "She has been playing unbelievable tennis. But I believe that I have game and my good days as well. Let's cross fingers I will have a good day."

Kuznetsova won when they met in the 2009 quarterfinals at Roland Garros and went on to the title.

The Russian has now reached the final eight in back-to-back major tournaments for the first time since that year. She made the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in January before losing to eventual champion Victoria Azarenka.

"Grand Slams always bring the best out of me," Kuznetsova said. "It just comes naturally. Here it's the French Open — it says everything."

Kuznetsova whacked a forehand winner on match point, then let out a jubilant scream. She improved to 12-2 this year in three-set matches, and her winning percentage of .820 (41-9) at Roland Garros is the best among active players.

Ferrer, seeded No. 4, converted 6 of 17 break-point chances against Anderson. Ferrer held every service game and committed only 11 unforced errors to 41 for the South African, seeded No. 23.

When the Spaniard closed out the victory, he looked to the blue sky and raised both fists. His next opponent will be the winner of the match between two other Spaniards, No. 11 Nicolas Almagro and No. 32 Tommy Robredo.

Ferrer has won four matches without dropping a set. He's a four-time major semifinalist, including at Roland Garros last year, but hasn't reached a final.

ATLANTA — Ramiro Pena and B.J. Upton hit home runs, Paul Maholm won his third straight decision and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 on Sunday to stretch their lead in the NL East.

The Braves won two of three from the Nationals and lead Washington by 6.5 games — the biggest advantage for any first-place team in the majors.

The Nationals (28-29) fell below .500 for the first time since they were 13-14 on April 30. The Braves are 7-3 against Washington this season.

Ian Desmond, a former Savannah Sand Gnats infielder, hit a homer for Washington in the sixth inning to cut Atlanta's lead to 4-3. Freddie Freeman answered with a bases-loaded, two-run double in the bottom of the inning.

Paul Maholm (7-4) allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits in six innings. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his 17th save.

Washington rookie Nathan Karns (0-1) gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Karns allowed two homers. He has given up four homers in his two starts.

Upton, who had the game-winning hit in the Braves' 2-1 win over the Nationals in 10 innings on Saturday night, hit a second-inning homer off Karns to give Atlanta a 3-2 lead.

The Braves led 2-0 before Karns recorded an out. Ryan Zimmerman's 10th error on a wild throw to first allowed Andrelton Simmons to reach base. Pena hit Karns' next pitch about five rows deep into the right-field seats for his third homer.

Washington tied the game with two runs in the second. Adam LaRoche doubled and moved to third on Desmond's bunt single. Tyler Moore's single to left field drove in LaRoche. With two outs, Karns hit a grounder to first baseman Freeman. Maholm dropped Freeman's toss to first base for an error as Desmond scored.

Karns was pulled after giving up a single to Justin Upton and a two-out walk to Evan Gattis in the fifth. Brian McCann's single off Zack Duke drove in Upton for a 4-2 lead.

Desmond's seventh homer cut the lead to 4-3 in the sixth before Freeman's bases-loaded double off Duke in the bottom of the inning pushed the lead to three runs.

Freeman's drive hit the yellow line on the top of the left-field wall. Three umpires left the field for a video review to confirm the on-field ruling the hit was a double.

Washington right-hander Erik Davis, recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings in his major league debut.

The Humane Society of Greater Savannah hosted their 13th annual Doggie Carnival today in Forsyth Park.

Click here to view a Spotted® gallery of the carnival

The days events included a owner and dog look alike contest, raffle drawings and a contest for the best dog trick.

Click 'Play' to watch video from the carnival

LOS ANGELES— Jean Stapleton's Edith Bunker was such a dithery charmer that we had to love her. And because she loved her bombastic husband Archie, we made room for him and TV's daring "All in the Family."

It took an actress as smart and deft as Stapleton to create the character that Archie called "dingbat," giving a tender core to a sitcom that tested viewers with its bigoted American family man and blunt take on social issues.

Stapleton, 90, who died Friday of natural causes at her New York City home, was the sweet, trusting counterpoint to Carroll O'Connor's irascible Archie on the 1970s groundbreaking show from producers Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin.

"No one gave more profound 'How to be a Human Being' lessons than Jean Stapleton," Lear said Saturday.

While Edith faced problems, including a breast cancer scare, with strength, it was the demanding Archie who presented her greatest challenge. Stapleton made her much more than a doormat, but the actress was concerned about what the character might convey.

Edith's flighty manner, cheerfully high-pitched voice and family loyalty enchanted viewers, while Stapleton viewed her as oppressed and, she hoped, removed from reality.

"What Edith represents is the housewife who is still in bondage to the male figure, very submissive and restricted to the home. She is very naive, and she kind of thinks through a mist, and she lacks the education to expand her world. I would hope that most housewives are not like that," Stapleton told the New York Times in 1972.

Her character regularly obeyed her husband's demand to "stifle yourself."

But Edith was honest and compassionate, and "in most situations she says the truth and pricks Archie's inflated ego," Stapleton added.

"She was unforgettable in that role," Bette Midler posted on her Twitter account Saturday.

Roseanne Barr lauded Stapleton in a tweet as a "great actor whose range was unbelievable, deep and majestic."

The stage-trained actress was little known to the public before "All In the Family," the top-rated CBS sitcom that also starred Sally Struthers as the couple's daughter and Rob Reiner as their liberal son-in-law Mike, aka Meathead.

"Jean was a brilliant comedienne with exquisite timing. Working with her was one of the greatest experiences of my life," Reiner said in a statement.

Stapleton was surrounded by family and friends when she died.

"It is with great love and heavy hearts that we say farewell to our collective Mother, with a capital M," said her son and daughter, John Putch and Pamela Putch, in a statement. "Her devotion to her craft and her family taught us all great life lessons."

She proved her own toughness when her husband of 26 years, William Putch, suffered a fatal heart attack in 1983 at age 60 while the couple was touring with a play directed by Putch.

Stapleton went on stage in Syracuse, N.Y., that night and continued on with the tour. "That's what he would have wanted," she told People magazine in 1984. "I realized it was a refuge to have that play, rather than to sit and wallow. And it was his show."

She received eight Emmy nominations and won three times during her eight-year tenure with "All in the Family." The series broke through the timidity of U.S. TV with social and political jabs and ranked as the No. 1-rated program for an unprecedented five years in a row. Lear would go on to create a run of socially conscious sitcoms.

Stapleton also earned Emmy nominations for playing Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1982 film "Eleanor, First Lady of the World" and for a guest appearance in 1995 on "Grace Under Fire."

Her big-screen films included a pair directed by Nora Ephron: the 1998 Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan romance "You've Got Mail" and 1996's "Michael" starring John Travolta. She also turned down the chance to star in the popular mystery show, "Murder, She Wrote," which became a showcase for Angela Lansbury.

The theater was Stapleton's first love and she compiled a rich resume, starting in 1941 as a New England stock player and moving to Broadway in the 1950s and 60s. In 1964, she originated the role of Mrs. Strakosh in "Funny Girl" with Barbra Streisand. Others musicals and plays included "Bells Are Ringing,"''Rhinoceros" and Damn Yankees," in which her performance — and the nasal tone she used in "All in the Family"— attracted Lear's attention and led to his auditioning her for the role of Archie's wife.

"I wasn't a leading lady type," she once told The Associated Press. "I knew where I belonged. And actually, I found character work much more interesting than leading ladies."

She confounded Archie with her malapropos — "You know what they say, misery is the best company"— and open-hearted acceptance of others, including her beleaguered son-in-law and African-Americans and other minorities that Archie disdained.

As the series progressed, Stapleton had the chance to offer a deeper take on Edith as the character faced milestones including a breast cancer scare and menopause. She was proud of the show's political edge, citing an episode about a draft dodger who clashes with Archie as a personal favorite.

But Stapleton worried about typecasting, rejecting any roles, commercials or sketches on variety shows that called for a character similar to Edith. Despite pleas from Lear not to let Edith die, Stapleton left the show, re-titled "Archie's Place," in 1980, leaving Archie to carry on as a widower.

"My decision is to go out into the world and do something else. I'm not constituted as an actress to remain in the same role.... My identity as an actress is in jeopardy if I invested my entire career in Edith Bunker," she told the AP in 1979.

She had no trouble shaking off Edith — "when you finish a role, you're done with it. There's no deep, spooky connection with the parts you play," she told the AP in 2002 — but after O'Connor's 2001 death she got condolence letters from people who thought they were really married. When people spotted her in public and called her "Edith," she would politely remind them that her name was Jean.

Stapleton was born in New York City to Joseph Murray and his wife, Marie Stapleton Murray, a singer. She attended Hunter College, leaving for a secretarial stint before embarking on acting studies with the American Theatre Wing and others.

Stapleton had a long working relationship with playwright Horton Foote, starting with one of his first full-length plays in 1944, "People in the Show," and continuing with six other works through the 2000s.

"I was very impressed with her. She has a wonderful sense of character. Her sense of coming to life on stage — I never get tired of watching," Foote told the AP in 2002. He died in 2009.

Her early TV career included guest appearances on series including "Lux Video Theatre,"''Dr. Kildare" and "The Defenders."

Her post-"All in the Family" career included a one-woman stage show, "Eleanor," in which she portrayed the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Stapleton spent summers working at the Totem Pole Playhouse near Harrisburg, Pa., operated by her husband, William. She made guest appearances on "Murphy Brown" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" and even provided the title character's voice for a children's video game, "Grandma Ollie's Morphabet Soup."

For years, she rarely watched "All In the Family," but had softened by 2000, when she told the Archive of American Television that enough time had passed.

"I can watch totally objectively," she said. "I love it. And I laugh. I think, 'Oh,' and I think, 'Gee, that's good.'"

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Associated Press writers Jake Pearson in New York and Nedra Pickler in Washington contributed to this report.

Hundreds of people and their four-legged friends showed up at Forsyth Park on Sunday for the Humane Society of Greater Savannah’s 13th annual Doggie Carnival. The carnival was originally scheduled for May 5 but was postponed due to weather.

“We were able to get a few more food vendors to sign up during that time, and we’ve had a really great turnout so far. And thankfully the weather is a little nicer today,” said Guinn Friedman, director of operations for the humane society.

The carnival aimed to appeal to both children and adults with a few new aspects this year, including beer sales, live music and acrobatic performances from Fly Fitness Studios.

“We’ve had a lot of local support, and we wanted to make it a bit more carnival-like,” Friedman said. “It’s just a day for pet owners to get together and show off responsible pet ownership and to show people that don’t have pets that owning one can be fun.”

Showing off her unicorn face painting, along with her bullmastiff Rupert in tow, 5-year-old Jaia Mitchell says she enjoyed getting her face painted and of course the puppies.

“This is my first time, and I think I like the puppies the best because I really like puppies,” said Mitchell.

First time carnival-goer Lacey Nichols got into the spirit of the day by entering the owner/dog look-alike contest with her 3-year-old beagle Digby.

“It’s a really good chance for the dogs to mingle. I wasn’t planning on entering the contest, but he has big ears and I’m wearing pig-tails, so why not?”

Nichols and Digby came in second to Jada Godbee and her Shih Tzu poodle mix Bandit.

“My strategy to win was my gray hair,” said Godbee. “We go to the Pup Crawl every year, but this is my first time at the carnival. It’s a great way for the dogs to socialize.”

The Georgia Supreme Court today rejected a Savannah attorney’s petition for voluntary discipline in a dispute over a $4,500 fee.   

Attorney John V. Lloyd had urged the high court to issue a review panel reprimand for admitting violations of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.

Lloyd was paid $4,500 to represent a criminal defendant in an appeal, then refunded only $375 to the client after he did not act promptly and the appeal was dismissed, the court found.

The justices noted that Lloyd’s assertions were “in conclusory fashion and without a bit of explanation or documentation” that he is unable to refund any more.”

Read Tuesday's Savannah Morning News for details.

BUFORD, Ga. (AP) — Authorities say a 55-year-old suburban Atlanta woman drowned in Lake Lanier after the tube on which she was riding flipped and she went under the water.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says the accident happened shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday in the Shoal Creek area of the lake northeast of Atlanta.

DNR spokesman Rick Lavender said three children were riding with the woman on the tube, which was being pulled by a pontoon boat. He said the three children were wearing life vests but the woman was not.

Lavender tells The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she went to assist the children after the tube flipped and went under in the process.

The Times of Gainesville reports that authorities identified the woman as Becky Wallace of Suwanee.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The remnants of a violent storm that claimed 13 lives in Oklahoma sent punishing winds and torrential downpours to northern New England and a tornado to South Carolina. And there could be more coming, though meteorologists say the worst is over.

The National Weather Service said the work week could begin with storms bringing showers to the Northeast and mid-Atlantic and large hail and high winds to the Great Plains.

But it won't be like Sunday, when storms flattened trees and utility poles in parts of northern New England, delayed flights in New York City and caused a tornado to touch down in South Carolina.

The weather service issued a rare tornado warning as a line of thunderstorms raced through New Hampshire into western Maine. It said a tornado warning was issued as radar indicated a possible tornado moving from Kingfield, Maine, to Bingham, Maine. The tornado was not immediately confirmed.

By early Monday, nearly 12,000 customers were still without power in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, down from more than 40,000 outages at the peak.

Weather service meteorologist Bill Goodman said a slow-moving cold front across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic could bring more rain on Monday. "We could get repeat showers over the same areas. It's a recipe for flooding," he said.

In northwestern South Carolina, a tornado knocked a home off its foundation and blew part of the roof off, said Taylor Jones, director of emergency management for Anderson County. Some trees were blown down and there was heavy rain, but no widespread damage. No injuries were reported.

"It was an isolated incident," Jones said.

The stormy weather in the New York City region shortened the Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees game to 5½ innings and produced backups at major airports. But by early Monday, delays were down to 15 minutes or less at airports on the East Coast.

Patrick Herb, 34, was traveling from Washington Dulles International Airport with his 1- and 3-year-olds to his home in Wisconsin, and had his departure time for a connecting flight in Detroit moved back three times. He described the mood at Dulles as "frustration and fatigue."

In other parts of the South, thunderstorms, high winds and hail rolled through as part of a slow-moving cold front.

In Texas, the Coast Guard said its crews saved or helped rescue 17 people caught in storms along the Gulf Coast. Lt. Matthew J. Walter of Coast Guard Sector Houston/Galveston cited "the devastating effects of strong winds and heavy rains" as the reason for three separate boats capsizing.

Meanwhile, residents in Oklahoma cleaned up after the storms there killed 13 people, including three veteran storm chasers. Tim Samaras; his son, Paul Samaras; and Carl Young were killed Friday. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said the men were involved in tornado research.

Authorities said five children and two adults remained missing and aren't expected to be found alive.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin toured damage in El Reno, about 30 miles from Oklahoma City. She said the death toll could rise as emergency workers continue searching flooded areas for missing residents.

The state Medical Examiner's Office spokeswoman Amy Elliott said the death toll had risen to 13 from Friday's EF3 tornado, which charged down a clogged Interstate 40 in the western suburbs. Among the dead were two children — an infant sucked out of the car with its mother and a 4-year-old boy who along with his family had sought shelter in a drainage ditch.

In Arkansas, five people died in flash flooding late Thursday and early Friday in the rugged Ouachita Mountains near Y City, 125 miles west of Little Rock, authorities said Monday.

In Missouri, areas west of St. Louis received significant damage from an EF3 tornado Friday that packed estimated winds of 150 mph. In St. Charles County, at least 71 homes were heavily damaged and 100 had slight to moderate damage, county spokeswoman Colene McEntee said.

Northeast of St. Louis, the town of Roxana, Ill., also saw damage from an EF3 tornado. Weather service meteorologist Jayson Gosselin said it wasn't clear whether the damage in Missouri and Illinois came from the same twister or separate ones.

Five tornadoes struck the Oklahoma City metro area on Friday, the weather service said. Fallin said Sunday that 115 people were injured.

The storms formed out on the prairie west of Oklahoma City, giving residents plenty of advance notice. When told to seek shelter, many ventured out and snarled traffic across the metro area — perhaps remembering when a tornado hit Moore on May 20 and killed 24 people.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Betsy Randolph said roadways quickly became congested with the convergence of rush-hour traffic and fleeing residents.

"They had no place to go, and that's always a bad thing. They were essentially targets just waiting for a tornado to touch down," Randolph said. "I'm not sure why people do that sort of stuff, but it is very dangerous."

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Associated Press writers Thomas Peipert in Denver, Jim Suhr in St. Louis, Sean Murphy in El Reno, Okla., Tom McElroy in New York and AP Radio correspondent Julie Walker contributed to this report.