Wednesday: Roads look OK; jobs don't.

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State's 10.4% jobless rate a record; Rome loses 700 more jobs

Rome/Floyd's labor force lost another 700 jobs in January, dropping from 40,100 positions in January 2009 to 39,400 this past January. The news statewide is even worse: The Georgia Department of Labor reports the state's unemployment rate rose to a record 10.4 percent in January, topping the previous high of 10.3 percent reported in December. The January jobless rate was up 2.0 percentage points from 8.4 percent at this same time last year.
-Getting worse:"Georgia's unemployment crisis is deepening," said State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. "I'm concerned that thousands of pending state government layoffs will further cripple Georgia's struggling private job market. Our elected leadership must come together to develop a bipartisan plan that will balance the state budget and jumpstart private sector hiring."
-State vs. nation: The national unemployment rate is 9.7 percent. For 28 consecutive months, Georgia's unemployment rate has exceeded the national average. Since the recession began in December 2007, Georgia's workforce has shrunk by 130,043, or 2.7 percent, from 4,832,698 to 4,702,655. 
-Overall job loss: The number of payroll jobs in January decreased 151,600, or 3.9 percent, from January of 2009.

-Hardest hit: The metropolitan areas with the highest percentage of job losses during the same period are Dalton, down 4.3 percent; Valdosta, down 4.2 percent; and Atlanta, down 4.0 percent. Rome was down about 1.8 percent.

-Smallest losses: The metropolitan areas with the smallest percentage of job losses were Warner Robins, 0.0 percent; Augusta, down 0.4 percent; Hinesville, down 0.5 percent; and Columbus, down 0.9 percent.

-Industries reeling: Statewide, the losses came in manufacturing and construction, trade, transportation and utilities, along with professional and business services.

-Who's hiring: Educational and health services added 6,900 jobs over the year, along with leisure and hospitality, which added 800. 

Overnight low stays above freezing (35); be careful on roads this morning

-We may have dodged another bullet, in terms of icing on local roads. Schools were opening this morning with only one delay--the Walker campus of Georgia Northwestern Technical College will open at 10 a.m. All other campuses of GNTC campuses will open at normal times. Check other areas> WSB TV

Your latest forecast

-Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47; gusts to 20 mph.
-Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30.

-Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 54. Gusts to 20 mph.

-Thursday night: Low of 28.
-Extended forecast> Click  / Regional radar

MegaMillions rises to $133 million Friday night; no winners Tuesday

-The numbers drawn: 9-12-47-48-56 and MegaBall 25.

-Tonight's PowerBall jackpot at $114 million> Lottery

State budget protests grow

-GHC rally to protest projected budget cuts: A student rally to protest the deep budget cuts proposed for the University System of Georgia is set for 10 a.m. until noon at the Floyd campus of Georgia Highlands and from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Bartow Campus. Planned are remarks from students, faculty, staff and alumni.

-Extension service joining protest over proposed budget cuts: An e-mail circulated Tuesday night asks dozens of recipients to contact Floyd's legislation delegation to protest education cuts that could doom state support for 4-H clubs, some extension service offices and other program. Says the e-mail from County Extension Coordinator's Keith Mickler's home account: "It is time that we 'unleash the 4-H/Cooperative Extension Voice' around the state of Georgia and remind our legislatures what a huge impact Georgia 4-H and Cooperative Extension has made on our state, country and world. A positive and informed voice is what we need to go to the legislatures.  The more voices that they hear the more we will be heard."> 4H

What's ahead in Bartow County:

-March 4: 7:30 a.m.  Adairsville Chamber Council breakfast at the Adairsville Inn, sponsored by the city of Adairsville. All chamber members are invited to attend. No charge for breakfast.

-March 4: Cartersville City Council, 7 p.m. Hear it live on WBHF 1450 AM or Web cast here on Bartow Headlines.

-Latest look at 'Hospitality Headlines' from the CVB> Click

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable> Arey

-There goes Tech's insurance policy; Calipari on a whiskey label; ACC tourney tickets for sale.