The Georgia Court of Appeals has temporarily halted Thursday's execution of death row inmate Andrew Cook. Cook is one of two Georgia inmates scheduled for execution this week. Warren Lee Hill's execution was put on hold Tuesday, less than an hour before he was to die by lethal injection.

The Bibb County Democratic Party fired off a blistering letter to federal officials Wednesday, calling a new state law affecting local elections there a “veiled attempt to thwart democracy.” Governor Nathan Deal signed legislation last week that will make most local elections in Macon and Bibb County nonpartisan when the two governments merge in 2014.

State regulators have approved Georgia Power's costs so far to build two nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Georgia Public Service Commission gave the approval at a meeting Tuesday.

A federal appeals court has halted the execution of a Georgia man who killed a fellow inmate in 1990. Defense attorney Brian Kammer said that the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of execution to Warren Lee Hill, who had been set to die Tuesday. Kammer said in an email that he was greatly relieved by the ruling.

A Georgia man has pleaded guilty to burglary and other charges as part of a deal requiring him to cooperate with authorities as they prosecute members of what they describe as a Georgia militia group. Randall Blake Dearman is not charged in murders at the center of the militia case. Rather, he pleaded guilty Tuesday to several counts stemming mostly from burglaries and car break-ins.