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Memorial held for Valdosta State student
Parents learned of death on Facebook
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LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A large crowd gathered Thursday night at a funeral home in suburban Atlanta to remember Jasmine Benjamin, a freshman at Valdosta State University who was found dead in a campus dormitory.

Relatives and friends of the 17-year-old assembled for a private service at the Gregory B. Levett and Sons Funeral Home in Lawrenceville. Many entered through a side door, and did not speak to reporters who gathered near the building.

Benjamin, who enrolled at Valdosta State to study nursing, was found dead on a couch in a study room Nov. 18. Authorities are investigating her death as a homicide, but have not yet obtained a medical examiner's report outlining her exact cause of death.

Benjamin's friends say they'll remember her smile and upbeat attitude.

"It was a blessing to meet her. She was a real nice person," Jeremy Napier, 19, said after the service. Napier met Benjamin before the start of their freshman year. "She was a beautiful young lady. Had a kind heart, beautiful soul," he said.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the probe into the circumstances surrounding Benjamin's death. Officials say the crime lab is expediting evidence.

There were no obvious signs that a crime had occurred when Benjamin's body was found, and Benjamin's family has enlisted the help of Martinelli Investigations Inc., a private investigation firm based in Lawrenceville.

Judith Brogdon, Benjamin's mother, and James Jackson, her stepfather, learned of Benjamin's death by way of a Facebook post forwarded to them from a family friend before they were notified by authorities.

"Unfortunately, increasingly with the use of social media people will learn about the death of a loved one through things like Facebook and other forms of social media," said Nadine Kaslow, Emory University professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. "And it feels so impersonal, so objectified, so inhuman that it makes what's already an awful, difficult situation, worse."

One of the investigators probing the circumstances surrounding Benjamin's death said any surveillance video from near the scene would be helpful to the investigation.

University officials said the wiring was in place for a surveillance system in the dormitory where Benjamin died, but the cameras were on backorder and had not yet been installed when her body was found.

Thressa Boyd, a spokeswoman for Valdosta State University, said the cameras are now being installed in residence hall elevators.

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Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program announces grant
Funds earmarked for Share the Road initiatives
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Grant funding totaling $93,458 has been awarded to the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP) by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The approved funding will be used to increase motorcycle safety awareness and outreach by encouraging all motorists and motorcyclists to Share the Road.

“The need for motorcycle safety programs is greater than ever, and this support from GOHS enables motorcycle safety programs and impaired riding initiatives to reach riders and non-riders alike” said Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “Thank you GOHS for helping (the Department of Driver Services) and GMSP educate and encourage all Georgia drivers to ‘Share the Road.’”

The grant allows DDS to further develop the Motorcycle Safety Outreach Program by continuing to fund a position to promote state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP outreach coordinator researches, coordinates and helps maintain an adequate presence at industry events, local schools and colleges, regional meetings and festivals to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and provide the most current information on motorcycle safety initiatives.

Visitors to a GMSP event display are also encouraged to sign up for regular newsletters which provide additional safety information, as well as review the motorcycle safety message on other social media platforms.

GMSP regulates motorcycle training for new riders, as well as seasoned riders, who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle legally and safely. The program is based on a continuum of learning and therefore offers three entry points to rider education.

Students participating in the Basic Riders Course do not need specialized motorcycle equipment, as the GMSP provides both a motorcycle and a helmet to class participants. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a 90-day license waiver card that exempts them from both the written and on-cycle skills tests needed to obtain a Class M license in the state of Georgia.

Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov for many online services including the convenience of enrolling in a GMSP training class and accessing many licensing services.

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