The complaint filed in February by anti-illegal immigration activist D.A. King was the first complaint received by the board, which was also created by the anti-illegal immigration law enacted last year.

The seven-person panel has the power to investigate complaints, hold hearings, subpoena documents and witnesses, and take disciplinary action. If the board finds a “knowing and willful violation or failure to enforce an eligibility status provision,” a public employee or agency could be removed from the list of qualified local governments, lose state funds, and could be ordered to pay a fine between $1,000 and $5,000.

“I’m happy to hear about the common-sense repealing of the ordinance,” King said Monday.

In talks Wednesday with state officials, the team said it was no longer pursuing a new $700 million open-air stadium, instead proposing the construction of a $947.7 million, state-of-the-art stadium.

Under the previous plan, the Georgia Dome would have remained intact to host other events, such as concerts and the Final Four. The new plan would mean the 20-year-old dome would be torn down, which may not sit well with state residents.

Frank Poe, executive director of the state authority that operates the dome, said negative public reaction to tearing down the Georgia Dome is a “valid concern.”

Metro Atlanta prices dropped for the seventh straight month in the Case-Shiller Home Price Indices report, which tracks 20 metro areas. The average annual decline for all cities in February was 3.5 percent. For metro Atlanta it was 17.3 percent — double the decline in Las Vegas, the next worst city.

“Atlanta continued its downward spiral, posting its (steepest) annual rate of decline in the 20-year history of the index . . .,” said David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at SandP Indices.

The survey gives a big picture view, while real estate experts note that price trends depend heavily on specific location. They also say dropping inventory and the state’s falling unemployment rate are positive signs.

“I know in the first quarter we established a new bottom, but the numbers toward the end were more stable,” said Steve Palm of SmartNumbers, a Marietta real estate data firm. “New construction is up 20 percent. I think April is going to be the truth-telling month in our market.”

The Case-Shiller report uses repeat sales to arrive at an index figure based on a value of 100 for January 2000. Metro Atlanta’s index peaked at just over 136 in mid-2007, dropped when the housing bubble burst and then stabilized just above 100. But Atlanta’s index dropped below 100 last September and has slid further each month since.

Metro Atlanta prices dropped for the seventh straight month in the Case-Shiller Home Price Indices report, which tracks 20 metro areas. The average annual decline for all cities in February was 3.5 percent. For metro Atlanta it was 17.3 percent — double the decline in Las Vegas, the next worst city.

“Atlanta continued its downward spiral, posting its (steepest) annual rate of decline in the 20-year history of the index . . .,” said David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices.

The survey gives a big picture view, while real estate experts note that price trends depend heavily on specific location. They also say dropping inventory and the state’s falling unemployment rate are positive signs.

“I know in the first quarter we established a new bottom, but the numbers toward the end were more stable,” said Steve Palm of SmartNumbers, a Marietta real estate data firm. “New construction is up 20 percent. I think April is going to be the truth-telling month in our market.”

The Case-Shiller report uses repeat sales to arrive at an index figure based on a value of 100 for January 2000. Metro Atlanta’s index peaked at just over 136 in mid-2007, dropped when the housing bubble burst and then stabilized just above 100. But Atlanta’s index dropped below 100 last September and has slid further each month since.

In February it reached the lowest level since October 1996.

Only one city in the Case-Shiller report — Detroit — had a lower index than Atlanta in February, although nine of the 20 posted new post-housing bubble lows, Blitzer said.

Local media quoted police as saying that Easterling committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

He was one of seven former NFL players who filed a lawsuit against the league last year, accusing it of concealing links between football and brain injuries.

“My new release,” she joked with reporters backstage after the ceremonies at the historic Fox Theatre.

Among the honors for her ballad “Blessings” was overall song of the year.

Her wins came at the 43rd annual Dove Awards, which presented honors in more than 40 categories from rock to bluegrass.

Story, who will be performing at the Big Ticket Festival at the Allegan County Fairgrounds in June, also won a Grammy Award for “Blessings,” which she wrote in the wake of her husband’s serious illness and continuing recovery.

“I would rather have written a song about winning the lottery,” she said. “But people are a lot more interested in how you have faith in the tough times. That’s where we’ve seen God show up.”

“After four solid seasons of helping Bravo build the show into its most successful Housewives franchise, I have decided to leave,” Whitfield tells Wetpaint Entertainment. “The direction the show is going in is no longer a fit for my lifestyle. I’m tired of the fighting and the cattiness.”

Whitfield, an original member of the cast, was a vocal combatant on the show, often getting into loud altercations with castmates NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak, whose wig she pulled in a dramatic season 2 fight.

During season 4 of the show, which recently wrapped, she was locked in a battle for child support with her ex-husband, former NFL player Bob Whitfield.

But the streak dissolved Tuesday afternoon, a day when the Mets could have used a restorative performance, as Dickey struggled in rainy conditions to achieve a level of comfort with his signature pitch.

The Braves, one day after battering Johan Santana, pummeled Dickey for nine extra-base hits, including three home runs, and surged to a 14-6 victory at Turner Field.

The Mets, who are off Thursday, started this trip with two wins in three games against the Philadelphia Phillies. They then won their first game in Atlanta on Monday. But they were outscored in the last two games, 23-9, while featuring their two best pitchers.

“Any time, you’ll take .500 on the road,” Mets Manager Terry Collins said. “But because we got started on the trip so well, it’s a little disappointing the way it ended the last two days.”

Collins said it was clear that Dickey was having trouble in the wet conditions, and while he did not say the game should have been delayed, his nonverbal cues communicated that he was not entirely happy that it was not.

Dickey got off to a promising start, retiring the Braves in order in the first. But as the rain intensified, his performance spiraled. He gave up a two-run homer to Juan Francisco in the second inning and one to Dan Uggla during a four-run third.

Dickey’s day ended in the fifth after Freddie Freeman blasted the Braves’ third two-run homer of the game, which put them ahead, 8-4.

“They were doing what they do with B.P. fastballs,” Dickey said.

“The Big Kahuna was built on bringing out the best of the best in the motorcycle world and having Rickey in attendance will make a lot of fans happy,” said Cameron Gray, CEO of M1 PowerSports.

The Brewers were swept in the three-game series, and Roenicke said there were few bright spots.

“We’re not playing the type of game that we want to play,” Roenicke said. “On both ends. Pitching and offensively, we’re just not doing the things that we need to do.”

Chipper Jones hit a three-run homer in his return after missing two games and Brandon Beachy gave up no earned runs in seven innings for Atlanta, which has won five straight.

Jonathan Lucroy had a two-run homer in the ninth after driving in Milwaukee’s first run with a second-inning single.

The Brewers scored three runs in the ninth off Chad Durbin after trailing 7-1.

“I don’t know why you go through these little funks,” Roenicke said. “We started off not playing good last year and I don’t want to do that again.

“We’ve got to kick it in gear a little bit earlier than the ninth inning.”

Jason Heyward also homered for Atlanta, which has surged since losing its first four games. Beachy gave up three hits and one unearned run in seven innings.

Jones, whose 40th birthday is April 24, had arthroscopic surgery March 26 to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He missed the first two games of the series after having the knee drained Friday. Jones hit what he called a hanging curve ball from Narveson for the three-run homer in the third inning that gave Atlanta the lead.

“It was a pretty cool moment,” said Jones, who announced in spring training he will retire after the season. “This year is going to be filled with a lot of moments, I hope. I’ve had two so far.”