COCHRAN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The City of Cochran is postponing its plan to consolidate the police and fire chief positions into one public safety director.

City Manager Ray Gibson tells 41NBC the idea is put on hold for now. He says there has been a lot of negative feedback coming from the public during the process and city council decided to not pursue the merger for now.

He says the city will create an advisory panel made up of community leaders, stakeholders, and citizens. It will discuss and offer input on the pros and cons of creating the new position as well as make a recommendation on what is most effective for the city. He hopes to have the process worked out by July.

For now, Police Chief Key McGuire and Fire Chief Glenn Lord will keep their respective jobs. On his Facebook page, Chief McGuire wrote:

I met with the City Manager today. We will speak more on this later, but for now, the removal of the Chief positions has been canceled. Chief Lord and I will remain Chiefs. Thanks again for the support, and lets channel this support to the entire city and county and all keep an active participation in the activities of our homes. Love, and support of our neighbors, like this is what make Cochran/Bleckley such an awesome place to live and raise a family.

This comes after they were given their two weeks notice last week when the city decided to create a public safety director to manage both departments.

Stay with 41NBC for updates on this story.

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COCHRAN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Cochran man has a stinky situation a few feet from his front door step and he wants something done about it.

Tons of chicken manure sits across the street from Kurt Miller's home in Cochran. It's been there for more than a month.

"I called the Federal EPA, the State EPA, everybody I knew to call, I'm good guy to get along with, I don't want anything, I just want it moved," Russell said.

But he can't seem to find anyone who will. The Bleckley County Sheriff's Office said the landowner isn't breaking any laws since it's on agricultural land.

The farmer across the street was contacted and asked to cover it. He did, partially, with a blue tarp.

41NBC spoke with an official from the Environmental Health Department of the South Central Health District in Georgia.

"Agricultural uses are pretty well exempt from law as far as using that, now there are some restrictions through Georgia EPD as far as whether or not state waters are contaminated," they said.

He says if manure isn't around state water, then farmers are protected.

He says officials from the Environmental Protection Division would likely handle the case, not the Public Health Department.

Miller says since the manure has been there, things around his house have changed.

"I don't come out much," Miller said. "Last Memorial Day I had family down and of course you can't grill out with this."

Miller says his next move is to go to city council and hopes they can get something done.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) - A group of middle Georgians was given a second chance and took full advantage.

50 students graduated from Macon councilwoman Elaine Lucas' E.L. Home Study Academy at a ceremony at St. Peter's Baptist Church.  The school is designed for students who never quite finished high school--it gives them a second chance to earn that coveted diploma.

Tomiko Blackmon, the head custodian at Northside High School in Warner Robins, got her diploma Saturday after 21 years.  Blackmon dropped out of high school as a junior in 1992.

Now, she's planning to work toward a college degree.  Lucas says almost all of the graduates have already applied for college or plan on joining the military.

For more information on the school, click here.

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