Got a question? We will try to get an answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name and city). Sorry, individual responses are not possible.

Q: In a front-page story in a recent AJC edition, the story was datelined Elmer's Island, La. I have since researched Elmer's Island, and have determined its only relation to the oil leak saga is possibly its nearness to the site of the event. What was the point of the reporter venturing there? -- Elmer K.

Q: Lucy Soto’s reporting in the May 16 AJC that our credit score can affect the rates we pay for insurance was an eye-opener. If a person’s credit report is “frozen,” can the insurance company still access your credit report? If not, what action is then taken by the insurance company? -- Earl Saunders, Social Circle A: Some states allow an insurance company access to a “frozen” file, while in other states, “frozen” means no one is able to access it, Loretta Worters, vice president of the New York-based Insurance Information Institute, told the Q&A; on the News.

Q: What steps should Jessica Colotl have taken to become a legal resident in order to attend Kennesaw State University as a legal in-state student? Should she have started paperwork at age 16, 17 or 18? Would she have had to return to Mexico and start the process then? -- Sheri Peek, Alpharetta A: There is no magic number, such as 16, to be able to start the process to become a legal resident, Charles H.

Q: During an NBA playoff game, the Phoenix Suns players wore jerseys with the words “Los Suns,” implying criticism of a new Arizona immigration law. Did they violate NBA regulations? -- Jerry Schwartz, Alpharetta A: The NBA approved the team’s request to wear the jerseys, NBA spokeswoman Maureen Coyle told Q&A; on the News.

Q: Are those presently employed by the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia and retired TRS employees covered under the TRS retirement plan like the teachers, or under some other retirement plan? -- Christopher Johnston, Atlanta A: All current TRS employees as well as all former TRS employees who retired from TRS are members of the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia, said Jeffrey Ezell, executive director of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia.

Q: How is the “no-fly list” supposed to work? Will someone be denied boarding or ticketing? Or are they considered wanted persons and subject to arrest? -- Jim Maxey, Newnan A: The “no-fly” and “selectee” lists are maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center, which was created after Sept.

Q: Which countries, and with how much financial and/or volunteer aid contributed by each country, helped the U.S. with its recovery efforts during and after Hurricane Katrina? -- D.E. Winn, Alpharetta A: Foreign allies offered $854 million in cash and in oil that was to be sold for cash, but most of the aid went uncollected, according to The Washington Post.

Q: What presidents reported the highest incomes since the introduction of income taxes? —Jeff Burns, McDonough A: The Obamas have reported the highest incomes, with the $5.5 million reported on their 2009 tax returns, the majority of which came from President Obama’s book royalties, the Christian Science Monitor reported.

Q: The Dow's going down more than 1,000-plus points in one hour on May 6 made me wonder: Has there ever been a time when the Dow went up 1,000-plus points in the same period of time? —Sarah Cooper, Gainesville A: The Dow has never gone up more than 1,000 points in one hour, said Lawrence D.

Q: The AJC Sports section recently reported that former Georgia football player and assistant coach Frank Orgel has been flying to Mexico for treatment of motor neuron disease. Why isn't he receiving treatment in the U.S.? -- Michelle Hutchinson, Marietta A: There is no cure or standard treatment for motor neuron disease in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Q: How does Arizona's new immigration law compare/differ with existing U.S. federal law, and how do those compare to Mexico's immigration laws? -- J. Cannon, College Park A: Arizona’s new law, which takes effect July 29, requires police to check documents of people they “reasonably suspect” to be undocumented and makes it a crime to be in the state illegally, according to The Arizona Republic.

Q: It was 40 years ago that the Kent State killings occurred. It’s been stated that California Gov. Ronald Reagan stated three weeks before the shooting, “If it takes a bloodbath, let’s get it over.” Did he make this statement, and if so, what did he mean specifically? -- Don White, Atlanta A: The full quote, “If it takes a bloodbath, let's get it over with.

Q: Has the U.S. economy officially emerged from the recession that began in December 2007? -- Scott MacLean, Forest Park A: Wall Street economists have said the economy emerged from the recession in 2009, but the National Bureau of Economic Research has not yet set an end date to the recession, Reuters recently reported.

Q: I have always wondered why gasoline is priced with 9/10ths of a penny. Why can't it just be rounded to the nearest cent? —Byron Brown, Norcross
A: According to the American Petroleum Institute, “discount” service stations started popping up in the 1930s and promoted their prices on signs.

Q: After hearing about the guy (a Morehouse student who was carjacked in late April) calling 911 from the trunk of his car, I got to thinking, can you text 911 when you are afraid of being heard by the perpetrator? —Mark Adams, Meansville A: The only place in the U.

Q: Are Georgia counties required by law to contribute a percentage of a teacher's salary to the Teachers Retirement Fund to cover the cost of pensions? Or can counties just not offer this as a retirement option for their teachers? — Nick Tucker, Marietta A: It is mandatory if the employee is in a covered position, under state law, said Jeffrey Ezell, executive director of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia.

Q: How much did the top winners of the Masters win and how much were their caddies paid? —Bob Markert, Roswell A: Phil Mickelson won $1.35 million, or 18 percent of the total purse, for winning the 2010 Masters, and Lee Westwood, who finished second, won $810,000.

Q: The chairman and CEO of General Motors, Ed Whitacre, is appearing on TV saying GM has repaid its government loan five years ahead of time. Did they use government money to make the repayment? —Ed Price, Peachtree City A: The $5.8 billion that GM announced last week it had repaid in U.

Q: Are there any companies in Georgia that offer payment protection or job loss insurance that will cover car payments in the event that one becomes unemployed? If not, where can it be obtained? —Nancy K. Samuel, Jackson A: Employment interruption coverage is available.

Q: Do you know why David Shuster is no longer seen on MSNBC? -- Alice D. Rogers, Woodstock A: MSNBC earlier this month suspended Shuster for an indefinite period. The New York Times reported that the suspension of the Emmy Award-winning Shuster, one of the network’s most high-profile anchors, followed his participation in the test of a new CNN show.

Q: Under present law in Georgia, are drivers of pickup trucks required to wear seat belts? If not, were there any bills to change this introduced in the Legislature this year? -- Claire Brown, Sandy Springs A: Drivers of pickups are not required to wear seat belts, but a bill under consideration by the Georgia Legislature could change that.

Q: How do foreign-born children who are adopted by American citizens and who become residents of the United States become U.S. citizens? Are these children automatically given citizenship, or is there a process for them to do so? -- Sarah Cooper, Gainesville A: An adopted child, immigrating to the United States, receives “automatic” citizenship, according to the Child Citizenship Act of 2000.

Q: How many passengers can Air Force One carry? -- Janet Peterson, Rome A: Air Force One, which refers to one of two customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft, can hold 79 passengers and 28 crew, according to the U.S. Air Force. The 4,000-square-foot plane has two food preparation galleys that can feed 100 people at a time, a suite for the president, a medical suite, and quarters for senior advisers, traveling press, Secret Service officers and others.

Q: For the Masters, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) asked that aircraft stay at least 2 miles away from Augusta National Golf Club. How and by whom is this type of request initiated? Can an ordinary citizen make a similar request? — Jeff Christian, Peachtree City A: The FAA initiated a voluntary flight advisory for pilots last Monday, asking pilots to remain 2 miles outside the golf course and 2,500 feet above the course because of the expected large crowds and to help minimize the distraction, said FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.

Q: Now that Georgia Power has won another rate increase, what would be the alternatives if the Public Service Commission had refused to grant another hike? -- Martin Vaeth Sr., Walnut Grove A: The recent increase in the Georgia Power fuel cost recovery rate was not a rate increase in the base rate, but allowed Georgia Power to recover the cost of fuel, said Bill Edge, spokesman for the Georgia Public Service Commission.

Q: Do legislators receive per diem when they are in recess? What other compensation might they receive when they are in recess? -- June Partain, Stone Mountain A: Georgia legislators do not receive a per diem, or their daily expense allowance, when the Legislature is not in session, said Robyn Underwood, legislative fiscal officer.

Q: My family has already mailed back our census. Then we received another form in the mail. What we should do? -- Lynn Satterfield, Canton A: The Census Bureau recently sent out a second batch of forms to areas with low rates of return as a reminder to complete the questionnaire.

Q: If the amount in the pot for either the Mega Millions or Powerball is the same, why is the Mega Millions payout more? -- William Beer, Dunwoody A: A fixed percentage of every Mega Millions and Powerball ticket sold goes into its cash jackpot, which is all the money that the lottery has on hand from the sale of tickets in the game, according to the Georgia Lottery Corp.

Q: Do the contestants on “American Idol” pick their own songs? —Vince Castle, Alpharetta A: “Idol” contestants are given a list of songs they can choose from that are cleared by the show in advance, based on the theme given to them, said the AJC’s Rodney Ho.

Q: How did the bobsled get its name? —Martha Hunt, Hoschton A: The origin came from how the crews bobbed back and forth to increase their speed on the straightaways, according to the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation. The sport began in the late 19th century when the Swiss attached a steering mechanism to a toboggan.

Q: Is it too late for Tiger Woods to get in the Masters this year? —Bonnie Green, Atlanta A: As a four-time winner of the Masters, Woods has a lifetime exemption to the invitation-only tournament and would need only to show up in time to register before his Thursday tee time, according to the Associated Press.

Q: I had seen that there is a pregnant woman competing in the Olympics in the curling event. It was said that she is the third pregnant woman to compete in modern-day Olympics. What other two women were pregnant during competition, and in what events/sports did they compete? -- Lori Tate, McDonough A: Yes, Kristie Moore is an alternate on the Canadian Women’s Olympic Curling Team, and her baby is due in late May, according to NBC.

Q: Last week’s AJC had a picture of U.S. Olympic athletes with American flags draped over their shoulders. Isn’t such behavior a violation of U.S. law (Title 4, Chapter 1)? -- Phil Miller, Avondale Estates A: The U.S. Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 8(j) clearly states that “No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform.

Q: During the parade of athletes at the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, who were the "extra" people who walked with some of the athletes? -- Martha Hunt, Hoschton A: They are other members of the official delegation, including the chef de mission (head of delegation), coaches, team administrators and officials from the country's National Olympic Committee, said Karen Rosen of Around the Rings, an Atlanta-based Web site that covers Olympic news.

Q: I’ve watched the Georgia Lottery flashmob welcoming Powerball. It was done at our Atlanta airport. I just love it. They did a great job! Were the dancers from Atlanta? Where did they practice? Did they get paid? Who was the choreographer? Did the airlines know ahead of time or was it a total surprise? —Marti Muchnicki, Newnan A: The Georgia Lottery Corp.

Q: It was a tragic accident when Olympic luge participant Nodar Kumaritashvili died during a practice run. How many other athletes in Winter Olympics history have been killed either practicing or participating at the Games? -- Jerry Schwartz, Alpharetta A: Kumaritashvili, who was from the country of Georgia, was the fourth athlete to die during the Winter Olympics, and the first since 1992, according to The Associated Press.

Q: Back-to-back snowstorms in the Washington, D.C., area shut down government offices for several days. How much did the snow days cost taxpayers? -- Girish Modi, Decatur A: Closing the federal government costs taxpayers an estimated $100 million in lost productivity per day, according to stories in The Washington Post and Bloomberg.

Q: How will the rubble caused by the Haiti earthquake be disposed of? -- Hamp McGee, Decatur A: Much of the 60 million cubic meters of earthquake debris can be reused, according to a Discovery.com report and The Miami Herald . That includes using bricks, concrete blocks and timber for new construction and crushing concrete and rubble for roads, Muralee Thummarukudy of the Post Conflict and Disaster Management Branch of the United Nations Environment Program told Discovery.

Q: What happened to the mother who police said made her son kill his hamster with a hammer? -- Marilyn Moore-Buice, Fayetteville A: The mother, 38-year-old Lynn Middlebrooks Geter, remains in a Meriwether County jail, but not just because of this case, said Sheriff Steve Whitlock.

Q: What happened to all the “clunkers” that were traded in during the Cash for Clunkers program? -- Bill Wagenbrenner, Cumming A: The government on Feb. 2 extended by 90 days the time in which a disposal facility must shred or crush a trade-in vehicle.

Q: How is it that Martin Luther King Jr. gets a memorial on the mall in Washington, D.C.? I was under the impression that only presidents were entitled to have a memorial. —Andy Sims, Douglasville A: Other non-presidents have memorials on the National Mall, including founding father George Mason of Virginia, who authored the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which served as a basis for the Bill of Rights.

Q: The AJC publishes online the number of crimes, according to category, for unincorporated south Fulton and College Park, so why are Union City and Palmetto not shown? -- Rose C. Trujillo, College Park A: In the last six months, 12 police departments in the metro Atlanta area agreed to provide crime data on a regular basis.

Q: If we make a donation to the Haiti Relief Fund before March, can we take it off of our 2009 income taxes? -- Jody Garrard Smith, Vinings A: Yes, taxpayers can write off donations made to the relief efforts in Haiti on their 2009 income tax returns. President Barack Obama signed the bill, HR 4462, into law on Jan.

Q: An AJC article on Jan. 25 compared the size of the student body at Georgia State University to the student bodies at the five other largest University System of Georgia public colleges in our area. However, I did not see Georgia College & State University (GCSU) on that list.

Q: There are news reporters and crews from all over the world in Haiti. Where do their food and water come from? 
— Fredolyn Stitt, Lilburn A: The crew with Atlanta-based CNN, for example, arrived with enough water and protein bars and basic medical supplies to get them through the first few days of reporting, spokeswoman Jennifer Dargan said.

Q: Why do some NFL teams have the letter C on their right shoulder, standing for captain, and some don’t, like the Baltimore Ravens? — Sylvester Williams, Mableton A: The Baltimore Ravens, among other teams, elect weekly captains, meaning no player wears the patch that designates seasonlong team captains, according to The Washington Post and the Dallas Morning News.

Q: There was some talk about Brian Nichols being sent to the Supermax prison in Colorado. Where is he in prison? -- Walter Johns, Lilburn A: Nichols is listed as being in the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Q: Regarding the article on the death of the woman (Miep Gies) who sheltered Anne Frank, I’m curious about the four individuals, in addition to the Frank family, who she helped shelter. —Dr. Robert Derro, Duluth A: A week after the four members of the Frank family (Otto Frank, Edith Frank, Margot and Anne) went into hiding in July 1942, they were joined in the shared annex by Hermann van Pels, wife Auguste and their 15-year-old son Peter, according to an account from Gies’ on her official Web site.

Q: I watched the exciting NFC playoff championship game between Minnesota and New Orleans, which was won by the Saints in overtime. How many other NFL conference and Super Bowl championships have been won in overtime and who were the teams? —Jerry Schwartz, Alpharetta A: Two other NFC Championship games and one AFC Championship game have been decided in overtime, according to NFL.

Q: The island of Hispaniola is one-third Haiti and two-thirds Dominican Republic. Has the Dominican Republic suffered any damage from the earthquake? — Sally Segur, Douglasville A: The earthquake was felt in the Dominican Republic, which occupies the eastern part of Hispaniola, and its capital, Santo Domingo, about 200 miles from Haiti, according to The New York Times.

Q: When there's a disaster such as the one in Haiti, does it help or hurt when (so many) television anchor people rush to the scene? — Jim Miller, Hoschton A: On one hand, it helps focus the audience’s attention and the news organizations’ resources on the story and point out its importance, said David Hazinski, associate professor and head of the broadcast news department in the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Q: With production of the 2011 Kia Sorento under way, are guided tours available at the state-of-the-art assembly plant in West Point? How many authorized Kia dealers are there in the state of Georgia? — Scott MacLean,
Forest Park A: Kia plans to offer free factory tours this spring, but the dates have not been determined, Kia spokeswoman Joanne Mabrey said.

Q: Who is allowed to properly dispose of state and United States flags? — J. Maddox, Jackson A: The laws don’t specify who can dispose of the flags. The U.S. code says: “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

Q: Does the Georgia Lottery have to pay for the time used on TV to announce the winning numbers each day? — John B. Womack,
Oxford A: Georgia Lottery Corp. does not pay for television time to broadcast drawings. In addition to televised drawings, Georgia Lottery winning numbers are available online at www.

Q: Maps on MARTA trains now show that the lines have been color-coded. Directions of the lines are apparently being phased out, and the station numbers have been eliminated. When and why did MARTA make these changes, and are the signs on the trains and in the stations going to be changed? — Richard H.

Q: How did the “tradition” of pouring Gatorade on the winning coach get started? — Martha Hunt,
Hoschton A: The tradition started when defensive lineman Jim Burt of the New York Giants dumped a Gatorade cooler over coach Bill Parcells after a regular-season victory over the Washington Redskins in 1985, according to the book “First in Thirst: How Gatorade Turned the Science of Sweat Into a Cultural Phenomenon.

Q: This is the 121st year for the Rose Parade. Is that consecutive or were no parades staged during some years of World War I or World War II? — Lee Ballew, Marietta A: The Rose Parade has been staged every year since 1890, including the years the United States has been involved in the world wars, according to the Tournament of Roses organization.

Q: How many letters does the president receive daily? — Stephen Smith, Atlanta A: President Barack Obama requested in his first week as president to see 10 letters from Americans every day. Mike Kelleher, director of the Office of Presidential Correspondence, said the president receives about 65,000 paper letters every week and about 100,000 e-mails, 1,000 faxes and 2,500 to 3,500 phone calls per day.

Q: How much does the head of the Georgia Lottery Corp. earn, including a bonus, as compared to other states?
 — S. Powell, Lilburn

A: Georgia Lottery Corp. president and CEO Margaret DeFrancisco received a $286,000 salary in 2009. She also received a $204,034 bonus, the AJC reported in November.

[The following was published Dec. 28, 2009, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.] Q: Whatever happened with the Louise Egan Brunstad case? I saw she was indicted, but did she ever have to face trial? — Joe Morr, Auburn, Ala. A: Brunstad’s case has not been scheduled for trial, according to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.

[The following was published Dec. 27, 2009, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.] Q: Back in the early ’70s the drinking age had dropped to 18. When did that happen and how long did it stay 18 until it went back up to age 21? — Johnny Flowers, Lilburn A: Georgia lowered the minimum legal drinking age to 18 in 1972.

[The following was published Dec. 25, 2009, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.] Q: Where did the Christmas tree originate? — Eddie Webster, Dallas A: The first decorated Christmas tree was in Riga, Latvia, in 1510, according to the Chesterfield, Mo.-based National Christmas Tree Association.

[The following was published Dec. 24, 2009, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.] Q: I was married in August 1986 and rented Atlanta’s Academy of Medicine building on West Peachtree Street and 7th Street. Is the chandelier from “Gone With the Wind” still hanging in the building? — Frank Gonzales,
Kennesaw A: The Czechoslovakian chandelier used in “Gone With the Wind” hangs from the domed ceiling in the rotunda of the Historic Academy of Medicine building, which was designed by architect Philip Trammell Shutze and completed in 1941.

[The following was published Dec. 23, 2009 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.] Q: Atlanta’s yearly rainfall average is approximately 49 inches. Two years ago, Atlanta had the driest year on record at 31 inches. This year we already have about 67 inches of rain.

[The following was published Dec. 22, 2009, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.] Q: In last week’s AJC in the article about Warrick Dunn buying a minority share in the Falcons, it mentioned that there were seven owners of minority shares. Who are the others? — John Titus, Stone Mountain.

Q: When did centigrade become Celsius, and are they the same thing? 
— Steve Warren, Atlanta A: They are the same, said Glenn Burns, chief meteorologist for WSB-TV. It became Celsius in 1948 because centigrade, meaning 100 degrees, also was a unit of measurement in the French and Spanish languages.

Q: The recent 70th anniversary of the Atlanta movie premiere of “Gone With the Wind” reminded me that the emergency room at Grady Memorial Hospital used to be called the Margaret Mitchell Emergency Room. Who dropped the title and why? — Sam Newcom, Atlanta A: A plaque at the entrance to the old Grady SEC (Surgical Emergency Center) bore Mitchell’s name and was in memory of the author, who was brought to the SEC after the accident that caused her death, said Denise Simpson, a spokeswoman with Grady Health System.

Q: The federal government allows up to a $1,500 energy tax credit for homeowners for certain investments such as additional insulation or upgrading from single-pane to double- or triple-pane windows. Can a homeowner take a tax credit of $1,500 for tax year 2009 and an additional credit of $1,500 for tax year 2010, or is the $1,500 the maximum allowed for both years combined? — Jason Davis, Lilburn A: The $1,500 federal tax credit is the maximum amount offered over a two-year period, for 2009 and 2010, according to the Energy Star program, a joint effort of the U.

Q: In the recent news of Falcons player Jonathan Babineaux’s arrest, one of the traffic violations was the window tinting on his vehicle. Georgia has a law regarding this, but are county-owned vehicles exempt from this law? Paulding County has many vehicles that cannot be seen into during the brightest midday sun.

Q: Does the Triple A baseball club for the Braves have a limited number of players on its roster? If so, does it have to release a player or send one to AA when the parent club sends a player to their team? — Bryant C. Mitchell, Atlanta A: The number of players on a Triple A roster is 38, the number of contracts that can be assigned during the offseason, said Bill Blackwell, assistant general manager-operations for the Gwinnett Braves.

Q: What is a provisional ballot and what criteria exist for issuing one? — Ursula Cox, Canton A: A provisional ballot may be issued for a number of reasons, said Matt Carrothers, spokesman for the Georgia secretary of state. Voters who do not present a photo ID in person; first-time absentee voters who do not provide a form of ID required by law; and voters who believe they are properly registered but who do not appear on the list of registered voters all may be given a provisional ballot.

Human trafficking is never an easy topic to discuss, particularly when it involves the sexual exploitation of children and women. But Meg Beyer, a senior at Agnes Scott College, will be spending the next few years studying ways to combat the crime. Beyer was one of two Georgia students recently awarded a coveted Marshall Scholarship, which annually gives a small number of American college students the opportunity to study at any university in the United Kingdom.

Q: Do city of Atlanta employees get the day off for city elections? I noticed my trash collectors came a day late during both the week of the November election and the runoff in early December. — Chris Coffee, Atlanta A: City employees did not receive the day off for the elections, and the days referred to in the question were not scheduled off days for the city’s solid waste services workers.

Q: The State Quarters program ended in 2008, but the U.S. Mint has been issuing quarters for the territories in 2009. However, we don’t seem to see very many in circulation. Why has the Mint cut back on the number of 2009 quarters distributed? — Richard H.

Q: Why are there so many newsstands in front of Woodruff Park? There are at least four on one block. Who owns them? — Brenda E. Jefferson, Decatur A: The newsstands are part of the new City of Atlanta Street Vending Program, a public-private partnership between the city and General Growth Properties.

Q: How many sets of Rockette dancers are there, since there are shows that go on in different cities at the same time? — Martha Hunt, Hoschton A: There are three sets each of about 22 Radio City Rockettes in the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular” theatrical tour, one set of 18 in the national arena tour and two sets each of 36 dancers in New York, said Lauren Loeb, a spokeswoman for New York-based MSG Entertainment.

Q: You always see, in pictures or on TV, Mayor Shirley Franklin wearing her giant flower corsages. I was just wondering where she gets them from and if they are real. They are cool and unusual. —Anthony Lewis,
Atlanta A: Most of the flowers, which are worn on her right shoulder, are not real, said Beverly Isom, Franklin’s spokeswoman.

Q: Who are the members of Jekyll Island Authority and by whom were they appointed? Did the agreement choosing a developer and the financial terms require approval by the state Legislature and our governor? — John Sanford Foy, 
Atlanta A: The nine-member Jekyll Island Authority board of directors is appointed by the governor.

Q: I was wondering why they altered the route for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. —Marilyn Manecke, Mableton A: The parade’s new route bypassed Broadway for the first time in its 82-year history because of the new pedestrian plazas at Times Square and Herald Square, which are no longer open to traffic, including floats.

Q: What is the status of the investigation into the swastika painted on Rep. David Scott’s campaign headquarters sign? — James Doppelheuer, Snellville A: The investigation into the August incident outside the congressman’s Smyrna office is still under way, said David Johnson, Scott’s district director.

Q: What is the total cost to the city of Atlanta for the Macy’s Great Tree? —George Cannon,
Cumming A: The city does not pay for the tree at Lenox Square. It is a gift from Macy’s, said Melissa Goff, the company’s vice president of media relations and cause marketing.

Q: How many years did each Uga serve as a Georgia mascot, and what was the won-loss record of each? — Herman L. Moore, Dunwoody A: Uga I served from 1956 to 1966 and was 53-48-6, according to University of Georgia Athletics records. Uga II served 1966-72 and was 42-16-3.

Q: After all the rain we have had over the last several weeks, how long will it take our saturated ground to return to a normal state? — David Stone, Powder Springs A: We are now in the cool season recharge period when evaporation and plant water use is at a minimum, said state climatologist David Emory Stooksbury.

Q: As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a COBRA subsidy plan was enacted to reduce the COBRA premiums for up to nine months for unemployed workers laid off between September 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009. Has this subsidy plan been extended, or is there any discussion in Congress to do so? — Susan Wilkes, Atlanta A: A few bills introduced this fall propose an extension of the COBRA subsidy.

Q: In a recent AJC, there was a blurb that said a Civil War shipwreck was identified as the CSS Appomattox. What fame did it have prior to being the location where Grant and Lee met to end the Civil War to have a ship named after it? — Bob Sullivan, Canton A: The ship is probably named for the Appomattox River, a commercially important tributary of the James, well known to Virginians of the day, said Stephen Berry, an associate professor in the history department at the University of Georgia.

Q: What is the status of “cash for appliances” money for Georgia residents? — Karen Fuerst, Atlanta A: The Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority applied in mid-October to the U.S. Department of Energy for the residential Energy Star appliance rebate program (Georgia will receive up to $9.

Q: Did police ever find the woman who was kidnapped from a MARTA bus last year? — Leah Young, East Point A: The incident happened in May 2008 near Snapfinger Woods Drive and Wesley Chapel Road in DeKalb County. A man drove his car in front of a bus, forced it to the side of the road and pulled a woman off at gunpoint.

Q: Why was the Washington sniper John Allen Muhammad executed so quickly, when it takes some prisoners many more years before being executed? — Carolyn Sanders,
Atlanta A: The Christian Science Monitor reported that Muhammad’s 68 months between sentencing and execution was about half the typical duration for death-penalty cases.

Q: I believe I saw that there are 237 millionaire congressmen in office today. Is this true? — Martin Vaeth Sr.,
Walnut Grove A: The information was from the Center for Responsive Politics, which recently updated its report from 237 millionaires to 238 millionaires in Congress.

Q: How did Georgia members of the House of Representatives vote on the health care bill that passed the House? — Ben Shapiro, Atlanta A: Democratic Reps. Sanford D. Bishop, John Lewis, Hank Johnson and David Scott voted yes to the bill, which passed the House last week in a 220-215 vote.

Q: I thought companies could repossess property, like cars, without court orders only if it did not cause a breach of the peace. Wasn’t the owner’s initial protest when two men attempted to repossess a Mustang recently a breach of the peace? I am not excusing the use of excessive force, but aren’t there standards for repo men to follow? — Tom McFarland,
Americus A: Creditors are allowed to repossess a vehicle at any time and without notice and are allowed to come onto your property, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Q: Who is the last military draftee still serving? 
—Ray Christian, Loganville A: Army Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Mellinger, who was drafted on April 18, 1972, is believed to be the last active-duty draftee serving in the Army. “I’m a relic,” Mellinger told Time magazine earlier this year.

Q: Is it true that the world gains 250,000 people every day? If not, what is the net gain? — Don G. White, Atlanta A: It’s typically more than 200,000 a day. The International Program Center, part of the U.S. Census Bureau, estimated the world population to be 6,787,570,618 on Oct.

Q: There are Afghanistan, Pakistan and other "stans" in the area. What is the meaning or significance of "stan" in a country’s name? — Roy Graham,
 Sandy Springs A: The suffix “Stan” is an ancient Persian word meaning country, nation or domain, said Islamic law expert Jack F.

Q: Why is there such a long delay of the closed captioning during live TV broadcasts? Surely voice recognition software or someone typing could keep up better than what we see. During the Falcons game, the delay was an average of 10 seconds. —Tom Cotton, Senoia A: With pre-produced programs, closed captioning can be imbedded early.

Q: The mayor of Boston has been the mayor for 16 years and won another term Tuesday. In Atlanta and other cities, a person can only serve two terms. Why the huge differences in the states? — Robert Brooks, East Point A: Cities have charters, which are similar to constitutions and identify the structure of the municipal government, establish terms of office, define the distribution of power and name elected positions, said Michael Leo Owens, an associate professor in the Emory University department of political science.

Q: With all the rain we’ve had recently, why have North Georgia lakes Nottely and Blue Ridge remained so far below normal? — Jim Dillon, Atlanta

A: The Tennessee Valley Authority is currently drawing down the water on its reservoirs, including Nottely in North Georgia near the North Carolina border, and Blue Ridge, on the Toccoa River in the Chattahoochee National Forest of North Georgia, to winter flood control levels by Jan.

Q: I just read an article about chickens being one of the largest exports in Georgia. Why can’t the countries these chickens are sent to grow their own chickens instead of exporting so many from the United States? — Bob Markert, Roswell

A: The U.S. exports chickens mainly because we produce more than we consume, said Scott Hansohn, manager of technical communications for the Stone Mountain-based USA Poultry & Egg Export Council.

Q: Was Omar Ismael (who died at the Habitat for Humanity construction site) from the Atlanta area, did he have family here, and has any fund been set up to help with expenses his family incurred? What is the status of the investigation? — Marian Lee, Senoia

A: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is continuing its investigation and has up to six months to complete it.

Q: When the Northwest Airline pilots overshot their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles, how many minutes did that take? —Fran Jordan, Norcross A: Flight 188 overflew Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport at 7:58 p.m. and landed at 9:05 p.