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Tony Dungy's speech focuses on faith, family, football

Tony Dungy, as historic as he is humble, talks from the heart and soul to more than 2,000 people at The Cage on Thursday night. Photo courtesy of Berry College.

More than 2,000 people packed Berry College's Cage Center Thursday evening to hear NFL great Tony Dungy deliver a message of hope and perseverance. The recently retired head coach of the Indianapolis Colts used story after story from his football playing and coaching days to urge listeners to push themselves to be better even when times are at their toughest. The message was well received by a crowd almost evenly split by the extended Berry College family as well as business and community leaders from Northwest Georgia.

>Dungy delivers critical message: Don't surrender to adversity> Campus

>Web cast of Tony Dungy's news conference prior to his speech Thursday night at Berry College, courtesy of Berry> Video

Some of Dungy's comments while at Berry on Thursday:

-On absent fathers: "Our kids are bombarded with messages of what's important and what isn't.  As we're finding out now, there are so many young men growing up without that positive male influence. We've got to fill that void.  Being a dad isn't just a financial responsibility.  For young men during their formative years, they get messages from everywhere, but they need to come from dads."  

-On his son's loss: "Even in tough situations in life, I've really tried to rely on the Lord.  Losing a child is touch. I've learned that when you get real adversity, it either pushes you further from the Lord or draws you closer.  We've tried to draw closer."

-When asked to name the favorite person he's coached:   "I like them all, but Warrick Dunn was probably the player I was closest to.  His mother passed away when he was a teenager, and he raised his siblings.  On top of being a great player and buying homes for single mothers, he was raising five kids as a 22 year old."

Rome Braves pummeled in 10th inning as RiverDogs win, 7-2> Sports

Rome Braves catcher Braeden Schlehuber stands tall as Riverdogs second baseman

David Adams heads for the plate. For a stunning six-photo sequence of the play by Rome photographer Mills Fitzner, please click Sports

Rome man held in Ala. accused of plotting to have 7 killed: Al.com reports that Alabama authorities have arrested Dwight Herschel Green, 54, of Rome. and charged him devising a murder-for-hire plot against seven people. Green was taken into custody between Cedar Bluff and Centre around noon EDT, an FBI spokesman tells the news service> Suspect

A hint of better times?

State's jobless rate holds at 9.2% in March; Georgia picks up 3,000 jobs:

(Media release) The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.2 percent in March, unchanged from a revised 9.2 percent in February, the state Labor Department reports. The March report is significant because it was the first time in 20 months that the rate did not increase over the previous month.

"With apologies to Sir Winston Churchill, the better-than-expected March jobless rate does not represent the end of this recession," said State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. "It is not even the beginning of the end. However, it may be the end of the beginning of the most severe economic downtown since the Great Depression."

A year ago, the jobless rate was 5.6% in Georgia.  The number of payroll jobs in March decreased 185,900, or 4.5 percent, from March of 2008. The over-the-year losses came in manufacturing and construction, trade, transportation and warehousing, along with professional and business services, including temporary employment agencies.

However, Georgia added 3,000 jobs in March, the first monthly increase since October. A majority of the new jobs were created in the retail and hospitality sectors. During the first two weeks of April, initial jobless claims in Georgia, which have sustained over-the-year triple-digit increases, grew at about one-half that pace. Initial claims are generally considered to be a leading indicator of future economic activity.

-County to charge for some yard waste collection fees: Floyd County commissioners adopted a new yard debris ordinance which goes into effect immediately. Debris needing to be picked up more often than once a quarter or an amount of debris of more than three cubic yards will require payment to the County Public Works department> Details

-Reece, Doss help secure $1.3 million in upgrades at airport> Buzz

-Shorter inducts 22 students into Sigma Deta Delta Honor Society: The Shorter College Professional Studies Program inducted 22 students into the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society on April 15> Details

What's ahead at this weekend's Waterfest IX> Details

WeatherCenter/brought to you by Roman Court
-Friday: Sunny, with a high near 72. Gust as high as 15 mph.
-Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42.
-Saturday: 20% chance of showers; thunderstorms after 2 p.m. High of 71.
-Saturday night: 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms, low of 52.
-Sunday: 60% chance of showers, thunderstorms, high near 70.
-Sunday night: 40% chance of showers, thunderstorms. Low around 52.
-Live radar views:  Click The State or The Region

-For more, click WeatherCenter

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota

-Surely Animal Planet will stay away from Vick reality series> Arey

Rome Braves' updates

-Braves pounded by RiverDogs in 10th inning, lose 7-2.

-Next game: Tonight at 7 vs. Charleston

-Latest roster moves

-Game photos courtesy of Mills Fitzner> Click

Downtown Headline

-Big entertainment weekend ahead with River Days, International Festival, other events> Click Downtown

-Updated/Stargazer's newsletter posted: "Wednesday morning, before sunrise, we have a chance to see a beautiful meteor shower (Lyrid)" Stargazers

-Updated/Latest library newsletter now posted> Link