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The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) Savannah Chapter is seeking groups from across the area to participate in the first ever National Day of Civic Hacking on June 1-2, 2013.

The event will be held at ThincSavannah, at 35 Barnard St and will be sponsored by TAG Savannah and The Creative Coast.

National Day of Civic Hacking will bring together citizens, software developers, and entrepreneurs to collaboratively create new solutions using publicly-released data, code and technology at events all across the nation. Savannah communities along with 80 other communities, will be able to leverage the expertise and entrepreneurial spirit of those outside of government to drive meaningful, technology-based solutions to solve issues that are important to their local area.

“Civic hackers are engineers, software developers, designers, entrepreneurs, activists, and concerned citizens who collaborate with the government and others to invent ways to improve quality of life in their communities,” said Tino Mantella, TAG President and CEO.

Activities for National Day of Civic Hacking Savannah will include: An introduction into civic hacking; demos of civic apps; a discussion with City Of Savannah reps about issues and opportunities; a brain storming session on leveraging technology to solve local issues; and a full day of civic hacking with Savannah area participants.

Interested individuals or groups may see examples of challenges or submit their own here.

Savannah Hackers interested in participating in events in their local area should go here.

The FBI Violent Crime Task Force and Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police investigators have released photos of a man who tried to rob the Carver State Bank branch on Skidaway Road this past Friday, and are asking the public to help identify and locate him.

At about 10:30 a.m. officers responded to reports of a man armed with a pistol attempting to enter the branch on the 7100 block of Skidaway Road. The suspect tried to open a door on the building’s eastside. "The doors, however, were locked by employees prior to the suspect’s arrival, preventing him from gaining entry," police say.

The suspect was described as a black male wearing a dark blue hoodie, baggy blue jeans and white tennis shoes. He is about 5-6 with a slim build. He fled the scene on foot traveling eastbound. No money was taken.

Anyone with knowledge of the gunman’s identity or location, or with any other information on the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers 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.

For the second time in three weeks, Savannah Sand Gnat’s RHP Rainy Lara has been named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for May 13-19. He was also named Pitcher of the Week for April 22-28.

Lara threw eight innings in his start versus the Augusta GreenJackets on May 16. He allowed only two hits and one walk while striking out nine. Although the win was awarded to teammate Bret Mitchell, Lara’s performance helped the Sand Gnats break a four-game losing streak coming out of Charleston.

Lara’s next start comes tonight against the Charleston RiverDogs at home at Grayson Stadium. The series is an opportunity for the Sand Gnats to regain the lead in the SAL after falling 0.5 games behind the RiverDogs during the long road trip last week.

In his seven starts this season, Lara is 4-1 with a 1.17 ERA. The Bani, Dominican Republic native joined the Mets organization in 2009 as a non-drafted free agent.

In an effort to control the amount of left-behind personal items as SCAD students leave town after graduation, starting Friday, May 31, the City of Savannah is partnering with SCAD, Goodwill and Keep Savannah Beautiful to help students recycle, put into reuse, or properly dispose of these items.

During this period, SCAD students can take advantage of free pickup of items such as furniture and appliances, from Friday, May 31 to Tuesday, June 4. Residents should place such items where they normally place refuse carts.

Staff will also set up in the old Sears building parking lot on Henry Street, between Bull and Drayton, from 9:00 am to 2:30pm, where students can also bring items for pickup. Dump trucks will make rounds from Habersham to MLK and Henry Street to East Waldburg.

Goodwill will be at the site to collect reusable goods.

Brandon Mackey, 26, was taken into custody by Savannah-Chatham Metro Police investigators and the Fort Worth Police Department in Watauga, Texas, last night.

Mackay is charged with the murder of Wesley Franklin, who was shot and killed during a robbery at Deb’s Pub and Grub on Norwood Avenue in June 2012.

Despite multiple video captures of the assailant, it seemed as if there would be no concrete leads.

More details are pending.

A 22-year-old Savannah man is charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor after instigating a neighborhood search by telling Metro Police he was shot in a robbery.

Dennis Gregory Johnson, 22, of the 1100 block of East 55th street, actually shot himself, police say. He has been charged with false report of a crime, false statements and writing and possession of marijuana.

He was treated at Memorial University Medical Center and then transferred to the Chatham County Detention Center.

Johnson initially walked up to an officer conducting a traffic stop at East 58th and Guatemala streets and reported he was walking to the hospital because he had been shot by two males who tried to rob him on his front porch.

Detectives, however, confirmed patrol officers’ suspicions by determining he had shot himself and repeatedly insisted he was injured in a robbery.

Bea Wray has been named the new executive director of The Creative Coast. She will begin May 20.

Wray's application was one of about 300 for the job previously held by Jake Hodesh, who returned to his native Ohio.

Wray, however, has Savannah roots. Both parents are Savannah High grads and "both of her grandmothers worked on Broughton Street," according to the announcement.

Creative Coast board president Dana Braun said, “The Board is confident that under her direction, The Creative Coast will be taken to the next level.”

Wray has contributed to Savannah’s Creative Coast for more than a decade. She brought investors and entrepreneurs to StartUp Lounge, served as a FastPitch coach, has been a featured speaker at the brown bag lunch series on the Georgia Tech Savannah campus, and contributed to the ATDC Executive Roundtable.

She is part of the StartupChicks Savannah leadership team encouraging female entrepreneurs and served on the board of the Coastal Venture Investment Forum. She has also participated in the Ariel Savannah Angel Partners and partnered with Seacoast Synergy.

Wray has an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a B.A. from Emory University.

The District Attorney's office announced that on May 9, 2013 a jury found Raynard Lamar Lexie, 20, Savannah, guilty of: three counts of Aggravated Assault, Kidnapping, Aggravated Sodomy, Burglary and Armed Robbery for his involvement in the home invasion and assault of two SCAD students in 2012.

On the evening of September 21, 2012, the victim, a student at SCAD, arrived home at 7:25pm to her Waldburg Street address in downtown Savannah.

"As she approached her front door, she was assaulted by two men wielding guns. The men forced her into her home and led her into a back bedroom. The pair then began ransacking the house for items to steal; finding a phone, laptop computers, a camera and cash money. While being held in the back bedroom against her will, one man sexually assaulted the victim at gunpoint," a spokesperson relates.

As the men were exiting the residence, the victim’s roommate was arriving home. The fleeing men burst through the front door; running into the roommate. The roommate subsequently fell backwards onto the sidewalk, breaking her leg. The roommate’s cries for help were heard by a neighbor, who called police.

Lexie was apprehended minutes later at a friend’s apartment in Frazier Homes and positively identified by the victim.
Sentencing will be at a later date.

Police are trying to identify the name and gender of the driver in a single-vehicle crash this morning that killed both occupants.

Jennifer M. McLaughlin, 30, died at Memorial University Medical Center where she was transported after an officer pulled her out of her burning car about 5:30 a.m.

The driver of the tan Oldsmobile 88 also died in the fiery crash.

The car had sped away from an officer who approached it on foot when he saw it parked at the Islands Expressway boat ramp moments earlier. It "narrowly missed a patrol car on Goebel Avenue and crashed into several trees at Foster Street, erupting into flames," a spokesman says.

The SCMPD Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) continues to investigate the crash.

Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting death of a 47-year-old Savannah man outside a Montgomery Street bar this morning.

Darin Manigo was transported from Sharon’s Lounge in the 600 block of Montgomery Street to Memorial University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives said he was in front of the bar when a man walked up and shot him, then ran away at 2:23 a.m.

Anyone with information on the 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.