1. DEADLINE FOR MORSI AS EGYPT ERUPTS

The embattled president has refused to resign by the time the military set, and all-night protests seeking his ouster have killed nearly 40 people.

2. SNOWDEN SAGA CAUSES DIPLOMATIC STANDOFF

Bolivia said its presidential plane was diverted to Vienna because of suspicions it was carrying NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

3. A LAST DISPATCH BEFORE DEADLY ARIZONA WILDFIRE

The Hotshot firefighters' lookout radioed his team that the fire had changed direction with the wind and he was fleeing for safety. The 19-man crew died in the blaze.

4. BUSINESSES RELIEVED BY OBAMACARE DELAY

A key requirement for companies to provide coverage for their workers or pay fines won't go into effect until 2015.

5. DRONE STRIKE KILLS 16 IN PAKISTAN

Two of the suspected militants killed are believed to be from a network U.S. officials say is a danger to American troops in Afghanistan.

6. GUNS WON'T FLY, BUT PASSENGERS STILL TRY

Airport security officials tell the AP more passengers are trying to bring loaded firearms onto planes.

7. WHY PROSECUTORS WANT ZIMMERMAN'S SCHOOL RECORDS

They're asking a judge to admit evidence of a college course he took that covered Florida's self-defense law — which the ex-neighborhood watch man has said he knew nothing about.

8. A COLD CASE UNEARTHED BEHIND A WALL

Police in New York found the remains of a woman reported missing 27 years ago by her husband in the house that they shared.

9. HOW MUCH A JULY 4 PICNIC COSTS

$57.20 for a party of 10, complete with hot dogs and burgers, baked beans and watermelon and potato salad.

10. BAILEY JOINS ELITE CLUB WITH NO-HITTER

The Cincinnati Red threw 102 pitches to hit his second career no-hitter, following in the footsteps of his hero Nolan Ryan.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. — A woman charged with evidence tampering in connection with the March slaying of a Brunswick baby has asked a judge to try her separately from her son, a teenager charged with shooting the child in the face.

Police say Karimah Elkins and her daughter tried to dispose of the gun used in the killing by dumping it in a pond, where investigators later found the weapon. Her attorney filed a motion in Glynn County Superior Court that argues prosecutors want to "muddy the waters" by trying the suspect charged with pulling the trigger alongside family members charged with trying to shield him from investigators.

Attorney Wrix McIlvane wrote that "the jury will have insurmountable difficulty in distinguishing the alleged acts" of the different defendants in the case, The Brunswick News reported.

Police say De'Marquise Elkins shot 13-month-old Antonio Santiago in the face as he sat in his stroller. They say the 18-year-old suspect killed the child and shot his mother, Sherry West, in the leg after she refused to give him money in an attempted street robbery. Another teenager, 15-year-old Dominique Lang, has also been charged with murder as an accomplice.

De'Marquise Elkins' mother and his sister, Sabrina Elkins, are charged with trying to get rid of the .22-caliber revolver used in the killing. His aunt, Katrina Elkins, is charged along with his mother with giving police a false alibi for the teenager.

Because of pretrial publicity in the case, Superior Court Judge Stephen Kelley has moved De'Marquise Elkins' trial nearly 330 miles away to Marietta in metro Atlanta. The trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 19.

All five defendants were indicted together and each of them except for De'Marquise Elkins has asked for a separate trial. The judge hasn't ruled on any of the requests and has set aside Aug. 1 to hear arguments from attorneys.

The free outdoor movie in Springfield will be shown starting at 8:30 p.m. tonight.

Volunteer Erin Phillips says there's a tent over the movie equipment that’s beside the Mars Theater and the movie will be shown even if it rains.

People are asked to bring blankets and chairs and come dressed as a super hero to see Captain America: The First Avenger.

Concessions will be available, with the proceeds going to pay for events in downtown Springfield. 

Renovation of the historic theater is still in progress. The movie is being shown outdoors, beside the theater.

Attorney Robert W. Attridge Jr. today pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges stemming from a May 27 domestic quarrel at his Tybee Island home

Under a negotiated plea offered by prosecutors, Attridge, 59, pleaded guilty to an accusation for charges of battery under the Family Violence Act and obstructing an emergency phone call in exchange for a 24-month probated sentence and a $500 fine.

As part of the plea, Assistant District Attorney Shalena Jones said the state would dismiss a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor count of obstructing law enforcement officers.

See Thursday’s Savannah Morning News for details

ATLANTA — Several high-security Georgia prisons face threats of violence as corrections officials deal with faulty locks.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday that state prisons housing gangs and hardened criminals continue to have issues with doors that do not lock.

Three prisoner deaths have occurred at Hays State Prison in Trion. A fourth prisoner was killed after transferring to a prison in Jackson.

An internal audit last year found about 41 percent of the locks failed at Hays and Valdosta State Prison. In February, the corrections department signed a $1 million emergency contract to replace door locks at Hays.

Southern Center for Human Rights attorney, Sarah Geraghty, argues the department has allowed locks to deteriorate for years. She says faulty locks risk the lives of both officers and inmates.

A Florida man wanted on multiple sex offenses by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was arrested in Savannah by the United States Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force today. 

Johnathan Martin Lewis, 25, was wanted by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on multiple sex offenses involving a child that happened over a period of five years. He was arrested in the 200 Block of Chatham Street on Savannah’s southside this morning. 

The case was referred to the Jacksonville Office of the United States Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force to locate and apprehend Lewis in early June 2013. An extensive investigation was conducted by the Marshals Task Force and information was generated that Lewis had fled the Jacksonville area and was possibly in Savannah.  

This information was forwarded to the Savannah Office of the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force on Tuesday. The Savannah  Task Force conducted an intensive investigation and located Lewis at the above referenced address. Lewis was arrested without incident and taken to the Chatham County jail to await extradition proceedings back to Florida.

A federal court jury in Savannah last week convicted three people for their roles in a scheme to defraud the government of $8 million in two programs designed to assist low-income families.

Rashella Reed, 41, and Derrick Robinson, 41, both of Riverdale, and Tory Hardwick, 21, of Chattanooga, Tenn., each were convicted before U.S. District Judge William T. Moore Jr. of defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as the Food Stamp Program, and the Women, Infant and Children Program (WIC).

According to evidence presented during the trial, the defendants conspired to traffick in more than $8 million in government benefits from the two programs and launder the proceeds, First Assistant U.S. Attorney James Durham, who prosecuted the case with assistant prosecutor E. Gregory Gilluly, said in a prèss release Wednesday.

The scheme included 13 storefronts throughout Georgia, including stores in Savannah, Augusta, Atlanta, Decatur, Macon and Columbus. Defendants Reed, Robinson and Hardwick owned or operated the Decatur, Georgia store known as “The Baby Spot.”

The 13 stores amounted to “pretend” grocery stores, which were used as a front to buy over $8 million in food stamp benefits and WIC vouchers for cash. SNAP and WIC recipients were paid anywhere from $.10 to $.60 on the dollar for their benefits; the defendants and other conspirators pocketed the rest.

A total of 16 defendants were charged with the scheme; the other 13 defendants pled guilty.

“SNAP and WIC are food programs set up to help those who need help. These defendants scammed federal food programs and swindled American taxpayers,” U.S. Attorney Edward J. Tarver said. “Let this case serve as notice to any would-be fraudster that if you exchange food stamps and WIC vouchers for cash, you can expect your next meal to be served from the chow-line at a federal prison.”

CAIRO — Egypt's military has suspended the Islamist-backed constitution and called early elections.

The military also announced that embattled President Mohammed Morsi will be replaced.

Cheers erupted among millions of protesters nationwide who were demanding Morsi's ouster.

A raccoon in Chatham County has tested positive for rabies, according to local health officials. The raccoon was trapped after it bit a family dog outside of the pet’s home on Moss Drive on Wilmington Island, said Sally Silbermann, Coastal Health District spokeswoman. The dog is current on his vaccinations and no humans were exposed to the raccoon, she said.

Rabies is a potentially deadly virus that is primarily spread by infected animals. Residents should avoid contact with wild or stray animals, watch for unusual behavior in pets and wildlife, and get pets vaccinated against rabies.

Symptoms of rabies in animals include a change in behavior, biting, aggression, showing no fear of natural enemies (such as humans), foaming at the mouth, and paralysis.

The Chatham County Health Department offers these tips to protect you and your family from rabies:

• Avoid contact with animals you don’t know.

• Make sure your pets receive the proper immunizations. Dogs and cats should get rabies vaccines by four months of age, followed by a booster shot one year later, and another one every one or three years depending on the type of vaccine used.

• Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or by leaving pet food out at night.

• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not try to nurse sick animals to help. Call animal control or a properly licensed animal rescue agency for assistance.

• Teach children to never handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly. “Love your own, leave other animals alone” is a good principle for children to learn.

If an animal ever bites you, seek medical care immediately and contact Chatham County Animal Control at 912-525-2408 and the Chatham County Health Department Environmental Health Division at 912-356-2160.

SAN FRANCISCO — Doug Engelbart, the inventor of the computer mouse and developer of early incarnations of email, word processing programs and the Internet, has died at the age of 88.

The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., where Engelbart had been a fellow since 2005, said Wednesday that it was notified of the death in an email from his daughter, Christina. The Stanford Research Institute, where he used to work, also confirmed his death. The cause of death wasn't immediately known.

Back in the 1950s and '60s, when mainframes took up entire rooms and were fed data on punch cards, Engelbart already was envisioning a world in which people used computers to share ideas about solving problems.

He said his work was all about "augmenting human intellect," but it boiled down to making computers user-friendly. One of the biggest advances was the mouse, which he developed in the 1960s and patented in 1970. At the time, it was a wooden shell covering two metal wheels: an "X-Y position indicator for a display system."

The notion of operating the inside of a computer with a tool on the outside was way ahead of its time. The mouse wasn't commercially available until 1984, with Apple's new Macintosh.

In fact, Engelbart's invention was so early that he and his colleagues didn't profit much from it. The mouse patent had a 17-year life span, and in 1987 the technology fell into the public domain — meaning Engelbart couldn't collect royalties on the mouse when it was in its widest use. At least 1 billion have been sold since the mid-1980s.

Among Engelbart's other key developments in computing, along with his colleagues at the Stanford institute and his own lab, the Augmentation Research Center, was the use of multiple windows. Engelbart's lab also helped develop ARPANet, the government research network that led to the Internet.

Engelbart dazzled the industry at a San Francisco computer conference in 1968. Working from his house with a homemade modem, he used his lab's elaborate new online system to illustrate his ideas to the audience, while his staff linked in from the lab. It was the first public demonstration of the mouse and video teleconferencing, and it prompted a standing ovation.

"Doug pioneered network computing technologies when it was not popular to do so," Sun Microsystems' then-CEO, Scott McNealy, said in 1997.

Even so, the mild-mannered Engelbart gave deference to his colleagues and played down the importance of his inventions, stressing instead his bigger vision of using collaboration over computers to solve the world's problems.

"Many of those firsts came right out of the staff's innovations — even had to be explained to me before I could understand them," he said in a biography written by his daughter. "They deserve more recognition."

In 1997, Englebart won the most lucrative award for American inventors, the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize. Three years later, President Bill Clinton bestowed Engelbart with the National Medal of Technology "for creating the foundations of personal computing."

Douglas Carl Engelbart was born Jan. 30, 1925, and grew up on a small farm near Portland, Ore. He studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University, taking two years off during World War II to serve as a Navy electronics and radar technician in the Philippines.

It was there that he read Vannevar Bush's "As We May Think" in a Red Cross library and was inspired by Bush's idea of a machine that would aid human cognition.

After the war, Engelbart worked as an electrical engineer for NASA's predecessor, NACA, at its Ames Laboratory. Restless, and dreaming of computers that could change the world, Engelbart left Ames to pursue his Ph.D. at University of California, Berkeley.

He earned his degree in 1955. But after joining the faculty, Engelbart was warned by a colleague that if he kept talking about his "wild ideas" he'd be an acting assistant professor forever. So he left for the research position at Stanford Research Institute, now SRI International.

In 1990, Engelbart started the Bootstrap Institute, which researches ways to advance collaboration on complex problems.

___

Online:

Video of his 1968 demonstration:http://sloan.stanford.edu/mousesite/1968Demo.html

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

An estimated 90,677 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the marsh on Tybee Island Sunday when a force main broke near 10th Street and Jones Avenue.

The spill, about two blocks from the Back River, is classified as major by the state Environmental Protection Division.

Tybee public works crews patched the pipe, but only after the sewage flowed for about six hours. Crews pumped sewage out of a nearby culvert and spread lime in the area to neutralize the spill and cut down on odor.

The timing of the break increased the spill’s volume, said City Manager Diane Schleicher.

“It’s the middle of our busiest season,” she said.

Regularly scheduled beach water tests at five locations on Tuesday came back clean for bacteria levels, according to David Lyle of the state Environmental Protection Division. The island benefitted from the natural flow of water dispersing the spill.

“There have been a lot of tide changes since then,” Lyle said.

Tybee crews patched the pipe Sunday and the city will look at replacing a larger section of pipe, up to 2,800 feet or more, possibly as part of a larger upcoming project to replace water lines and resurface Jones Street, Schleicher said.

Because the spill was greater than 10,000 gallons, state regulators require monitoring of the site daily for the first week and then a increasingly greater intervals over the next year.

That monitoring began as required, Tybee officials reported.

Savannah-Chatham police Wednesday apprehended a trio of robbery suspects who were involved in a car wreck on East Victory Drive after they fled from officers.

David Johnson, 19, of the 3500 block of Skidaway Drive, Reginald Lorenzo Rivers, 20, of the 100 block of Alpine Drive and Darnell Tawaun Moore, 20, of the 3300 block of April Street, were all charged with armed robbery in the wake of the about 2:20 a.m. incident.

Police spokesman Julian Miller said a man reported to police he’d been robbed in the 4700 block of Skidaway Road by a group of males who fled the scene  in a maroon Nissan Altima. An officer saw the car leaving a Skidaway Drive gas station and tried to stop the suspects, who tried to escape via the exit ramp on Truman Parkway. Their vehicle spun there and struck a Thunderbolt police cruiser and a sign, Miller said. The car sped west on Victory where it crashed into a tree near Harmon Street.

Johnson and Rivers were captured near the crash scene, Miller said. Moore was arrested later at his residence after being identified as the third suspect who ran from the scene.

Savannah-Chatham officers later found a rifle in the 1800 block of Victory and a revolver on the north side of Harmon Street while searching the area, Miller said.

Police are continuing their investigation of the incident.

Anyone with information on the Wednesday case is asked to call Crimestoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward. A confidential Tip Line also is open directly to investigators at 912-525-3124.

A man was hospitalized Wednesday evening after he was shot during an altercation at a Garden City apartment complex.

The man was transported to Memorial University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries following the about 7 p.m. shooting at the Plantation Townhouses on Denmark Street, just off Augusta Road, said Garden City police Capt. Gil Ballard.

Police are investigating the shooting, Ballard said, but have not identified any suspects.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020.

ATLANTA — Ricky Nolasco tossed seven strong innings amid persistent trade rumors, Justin Ruggiano hit a three-run homer and the Miami Marlins beat the Atlanta Braves 6-3 on Wednesday night.

Marlins manager Mike Redmond said before the game that Nolasco has not been affected by trade speculation and the right-hander supported that claim by giving up only two runs on six hits.

Nolasco (5-8) had no walks with seven strikeouts, giving him 1,001 for his career.

The Braves led 2-0 before Ruggiano’s homer off Mike Minor (8-4) in the fifth. Miami added a run in the sixth when Placido Polanco singled and scored on Adeiny Hechavarria’s double. Jeff Mathis added a two-run double in the eighth.

There was steady rain but no delay in the game.

After Chad Qualls pitched a scoreless eighth, Mike Dunn gave up singles to Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla in the ninth. Closer Steve Cishek struck out B.J. Upton before giving up a run-scoring single to Chris Johnson. Cishek earned his 16th save when Tyler Pastornicky hit a grounder to the mound to end the game.

The Marlins got their first win in five games against the Braves this season and ended an eight-game losing streak in the NL East rivalry, dating to Sept. 19, 2012.

Nolasco improved to 6-10 in his career against Atlanta. He holds the Marlins franchise record with 81 career wins.

“I think Ricky’s been a pro,” Redmond said before the game when asked about the trade rumors. “I’ve said that the whole way. I know it probably weighs on his mind but we’d never know it around here.

“He’s been exactly the same as he was since the start of the season, the way he’s conducted himself, the way he’s gone about his business.”

Minor couldn’t overcome a key walk.

Donovan Solano led off Miami’s fifth with a double to right field before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Minor struck out Hechavarria and Jeff Mathis before walking Nolasco. Ruggiano’s homer to left field gave the Marlins a 3-2 lead.

B.J. Upton led off the third with an infield single and scored on Andrelton Simmons’ single to right. Brian McCann pushed the lead to 2-0 by using a golf swing to line a low pitch from Nolasco over the right-field wall with one out in the fourth.

Minor gave up four runs on six hits and three walks in six innings. He has only one win in six starts since posting a 4-0 record and 1.98 ERA in May.

Each of Ruggiano’s 12 homers has come on the road. According to STATS and the SABR Home Run Log, that is tied for the seventh-most consecutive road homers to open a season. The record is 17 by Washington’s Goose Goslin in 1926. The Dodgers’ James Loney also hit his first 12 homers on the road in 2009.

Notes

Redmond said 1B Logan Morrison was given a rest because his back was stiff following a collision at first base with Kris Medlen on Tuesday night. ... Braves OF Jordan Schafer hit a groundout to second base as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. He said he can jog but not run on his sore right ankle after fouling a ball off the ankle on June 26. He was limping after a pinch-hit single on Tuesday night. ... Upton said he had no lingering symptoms after leaving Tuesday night’s game with left forearm spasms. ... There is a forecast for more rain Thursday night when RHP Henderson Alvarez is scheduled to come off the disabled list and make his 2013 debut against Atlanta’s Julio Teheran. Alvarez has been recovering from right shoulder inflammation.

The city of Savannah needs to fill two of three seats on the Savannah Ethics Committee after an alderman brought to light a prohibition against members participating in political activity.

Committee Chairman Matthew Southall Brown Sr. submitted a letter last week requesting that his application for re-appointment be withdrawn ahead of his four-year term’s expiration in late August. Brown said he had been unaware of the provision during his term and when he had applied to remain on the committee.

Brown, pastor emeritus of St. John Baptist Church, said he had endorsed the campaign of former Mayor Otis Johnson and possibly current members of the city council.

Brown said he had been considering resigning even before learning of the provision and was not disappointed that he could no longer chair the group.

“I have served this community for many years in several capacities,” he said.

Committee member Helen Downing said Wednesday she was not aware of the provision either and had donated to the campaigns of current city council members, including Mary Ellen Sprague, Tom Bordeaux and Mayor Edna Jackson.

Downing said she had been considering applying to be reappointed before learning of the prohibition.

“It’s not a big deal,” she said. “I just felt like it was a service to the community that I wanted to do.”

Jackson said the previous administration, of which she was a part, had appointed the committee members and didn’t know about the provision of the new ordinance.

“Those are people who have provided impeccable leadership and guidance,” Jackson said.

The committee’s third member, Wanda Andrews, is a Georgia Legal Services Program attorney who was prohibited by her employer from participating in political activity and will be allowed to remain on the committee, Jackson said.

Andrews said Wednesday she was not prepared to discuss the matter.

Alderman John Hall questioned the need for the prohibition during a workshop on June 27. In light of there being “no teeth” in the ethics ordinance, Hall said he saw nothing wrong with a person on the committee contributing to a campaign.

Hall said Wednesday he believed the members would abstain from any vote concerning a member they may have supported politically.

“I feel like that (provision) should be dropped out of it,” he said. “It’s hard enough getting people to run.”

Jackson said the council may amend the ordinance but has to abide by the provision until then.

“As it stands now, that is the law and we don’t want to do anything that is against the law,” she said.

City Clerk Dyanne Reese said that the city’s ethics ordinance was based on a model created by the Georgia Municipal Association.

“It was created to be named one of the (association’s) ethical cities,” Reese said.

Amy Henderson, GMA spokesman, said that the political activity prohibition is apparently a local addition, however. Henderson did not know how common such provisions are, but she said it is not unusual for cities to adapt model ordinances to fit their communities.

Only two ethics complaints were submitted since the committee formed in 2009. The most recent complaint came from local activist and radio show host Chester Dunham, who alleged Alderman Tony Thomas had shouted obscenities at him during Savannah-Chatham day at the state Capitol. The complaint was dismissed by the committee on May 10.

Thomas said he had brought the prohibition to the mayor’s attention due to concerns he had with how the committee handled complaints, specifically one submitted by James Dewberry in 2011.

Dewberry, who made a failed bid for mayor that year, claimed a $50,000 city payment to Alderman Mary Osborne for a flood damage claim was an abuse of taxpayer funds.

The committee never filed a report on its findings, even though the city charter requires such reports to be submitted to the mayor and city council within 60 days after the complaint. The committee never considered the complaint because Dewberry dropped it, Brown said. The city and Osborne had defended the legality of the payment.

Savannah Ethics Committee provision:

“Board members shall be prohibited from engaging in city election, political activities and from making campaign contributions to candidates in city elections during their terms as board members.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. companies stepped up hiring last month, a private survey showed Wednesday. And the government says fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week.

The latest data point to steady job growth, an encouraging sign ahead of Friday’s government report on June employment. The brighter hiring outlook also helped stocks end the day higher. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 56 points.

Further job gains could lower the unemployment rate, which is still high at 7.6 percent, and help economic growth rebound in the second half of the year. If growth accelerated and unemployment fell, the Federal Reserve might start to scale back its bond purchases before the year ends.

“The labor market remains one of the healthiest parts of the economy right now,” Ethan Harris, global economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said.

Economists forecast that the June jobs report will show employers added 165,000 jobs. That’s roughly in line with the average of 175,000 jobs a month the economy has gained in the past 12 months. The unemployment rate is expected to remain 7.6 percent. That’s down from 8.2 percent a year ago.

Wednesday’s reports had some economists suggesting that the June job gains could be higher than forecast.

Payroll provider ADP said businesses added 188,000 jobs in June, up from 134,000 in May and the most since February. Construction firms added 21,000 jobs, a sign the housing recovery is boosting hiring. Small businesses — those with less than 50 employees — added 84,000 jobs.

ADP’s survey has frequently diverged from the government’s figures. In three out of the past four months, it has been lower than the official figures. That could be a sign that Friday’s figure will be much higher than forecast. But it could also simply mean that ADP’s figures are “catching up” with gains reported by the Labor Department in the previous months.

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 343,000 last week, the Labor Department said in a second report. The less volatile four-week average dipped 750 to 345,500 and is 9 percent lower than a year ago.

Weekly applications for unemployment benefits are a proxy for layoffs. The current level is consistent modest but steady hiring gains.

A third report from the Institute for Supply Management points to stronger hiring by services firms last month. A gauge of employment jumped to 54.7, up from 50.1 in May. That’s the first increase in five months and suggests services firms hired more briskly in June.

The ISM’s overall index of service-sector activity fell to 52.2 from 53.7 in May. While any reading above 50 indicates expansion, it was the lowest in more than three years. Steep drops in new orders and a measure of the business outlook lowered the index.

Despite the hiring gains, the economy is growing at a sluggish pace. It expanded at a 1.8 percent annual rate in the January-March quarter. And most analysts expect it grew at roughly the same subpar rate in the April-June quarter. If so, that would mark the third quarter of growth below a 2 percent rate.

Still, recent reports have raised hopes for a stronger second half of the year.

A survey by the Institute for Supply Management showed that manufacturing activity expanded in June after shrinking in May. Measures of new orders and production rose.

The Commerce Department said U.S. factories fielded more orders for computers, machinery and other goods in May. And a measure of business investment increased for the third straight month.

The housing recovery is strengthening, which should help boost construction jobs.

Consumers continue to help the economy with their spending, despite higher taxes that have reduced their take-home pay this year. And a measure of their confidence rose last month to its highest point in 5½ years.

A stronger second half fueled by continued job gains could be enough for the Fed to begin tapering its stimulus. Chairman Ben Bernanke said on June 19 that the Fed would slow its bond purchase later this year and end it next year if the economy continued to strengthen.

But Bernanke added that if the economy weakens, the Fed won’t hesitate to delay its pullback or even step up its bond purchases again. The bond purchases have kept long-term interest rates low.

Several Fed members have since tried to clarify Bernanke’s remarks by saying that the tapering would depend on the strength of the economy — not the calendar.

The Fourth of July in Savannah always promises to pack as much bang into the holiday weekend as possible, and this year is no different.

From concerts to barbecue to River Street’s annual Fourth of July celebration, locals will have no problem finding something patriotic to partake in over the next few days.

Click here to view an interactive timeline of 4th of July events in Savannah

And if you’re scared of that dreaded downtown parking but still want to check out the festive fireworks show on the river, be sure to catch our live coverage online after 9 p.m. July 4 at www.savannahnow.com.

So, slap on the sunscreen and head downtown, or to surrounding areas, and enjoy the best Independence Day celebrations the Lowcountry has to offer.

River Street events

July 4-7: Savannah Riverfront’s Fourth of July Festival on the River

Come out to historic River Street and enjoy artists, local entertainment and fun for the entire family. Live music and food and beverage vendors will also be featured throughout the weekend. All events are free and open to public. Regular First Friday and First Saturday festivities will be going on all weekend, too.

July 4: 4 to 11 p.m.

Live music: The Accomplices perform at 8:30 p.m.

Fireworks start at 9:30 p.m.

The Savannah International Trade & Convention Center will open its main parking lot from 4-11 p.m. July 4. Parking fees are $5 per vehicle and military personnel can park free with valid military ID.

July 5: Noon to 11 p.m.

Live music: Keith & Ross at 3 p.m.

The Sh*tkickers at 6 p.m.

Chuck Courtenay at 8:30 p.m.

July 6: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Rock 106.1 sponsors its first Cornhole Tournament, and games begin at 11 a.m. Participants must register online with Rock 106.1 before the tournament. Second- and third-place winners will get tickets to see Trapt at Wild Wing Café on July 8. First-place winners will also get tickets to the show and a meet-and-greet with the band.

Live music: The Positions at 3:30 p.m.

Domino Effect at 6 p.m.

A Nickel Bag of Funk at 8:30 p.m.

July 7: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Live music: Magic Rocks at 1 p.m.

Other Savannah events

July 4: Barbecue at Brick House

Support the Humane Society at 11 a.m. at the Brick House, 514 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Proceeds from the Fourth of July barbecue benefit the Humane Society of Greater Savannah.

July 4: Patriotic Big Band Salute to support Savannah’s WWII monument

Enjoy the big band sounds of local artists and support the WWII monument at a patriotic performance featuring Jeremy Davis and the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra, Clay Johnson, Adam Jones and Huxsie Scott. Show begins at 6 p.m. at The Savannah Theater, 222 Bull St. Tickets are $30.

July 4: Fourth of July at Tricentennial Park

The Tricentennial Park sites will host special programming from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 4. Historians will read the Declaration of Independence and discuss the 1779 Battle of Savannah. Guests can see the exhibit on the battle in the Savannah History Museum, tour the battlefield with a Revolutionary War soldier and see a musket demonstration. Steam train rides and activities continue at the Georgia State Railroad Museum. Admission prices vary. Call 912-651-6840 for more information.

Surrounding areas

July 4: Fort McAllister Fourth of July celebration

Fort McAllister will host a special Fourth of July event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 4. The program will feature re-enactors, musket and cannon firings, old-fashioned games, history and family fun. Admission for adults is $6.50, seniors $6, youth ages 6-17 $3.75 and children 5 and younger get in free. For more information, call 727-2339.

July 6: Richmond Hill celebrates Fourth of July

Richmond Hill will celebrate Independence Day from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. July 6 at J.F. Gregory Park. The event features food, entertainment, kids’ games, fishing and fireworks. It is free and open to the public.

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.

Click here to view Spotted® photos of families and friends gathered at Ft. Stewart to welcome their special soldiers back from Agfhanistan.

Fleet Feet Sports hosted a Watermelon Crawl on Thursday at Lake Mayer. The event was not a race but served as a fun group run that everyone can participate in.

After completing the course, participants enjoyed tons of watermelon provided by the event organizers. 

Click here to view Spotted® photos by Daryle-Lynn Roberts