Top stories from the Ledger-Enquirer | Dec. 16-22

1. New Columbus business to offer up to 150 jobs early next year: A Nebraska-based company is preparing to open a new telephone captioning center in Columbus early next year that will immediately create between 50 and 100 jobs with the possibility of 150 total new jobs, according to a news release from the company. Hamilton Relay, a division of Hamilton Telecommunications, will be opening the business that provides captioned telephone services at 1501 13th St., an office building near Lakebottom Park.

2. ‘No physical record of deeds’: Columbus cemeteries audited after complaints: Two whistleblower complaints about operations at Columbus cemeteries resulted in an audit that could mean significant changes. Elizabeth Barfield, an executive internal auditor with the Columbus Consolidated Government, presented the findings at a recent Columbus Council meeting, calling for better financial oversight and record keeping, among other things.

3. Court: Columbus man beat pregnant girlfriend unconscious with clothes iron: Two years ago Deron Devon Mahone got out of jail, went straight to his six-months’ pregnant girlfriend’s home and beat her with a clothes iron until it broke, authorities said. The woman was 29 when she was attacked shortly before 10 a.m. on June 12, 2015, at Booker T. Washington Apartments. That public housing complex off Veterans Parkway since has been razed and replaced by a new set of apartments called Columbus Commons.

4. Live blog: Georgia expects heavy haul during early signing period: Here is your one-stop shop for live updates as Georgia begins to put its recruiting class of 2018 together during the early signing period. 8:30 p.m. — The rich got richer as four-star outside linebacker Channing Tindall gave his commitment to Georgia. 6:38 p.m. — Georgia flipped defensive back Nadab Joseph from Alabama in a surprise move. The Bulldogs are making quite the splash with this signing after inking six five-star prospects.

5. 13-year-old threatened to shoot up Burger King during robbery in playpen, police say: A 13-year-old with a BB gun allegedly robbed a boy Sunday afternoon at the playpen in a Burger King restaurant and threatened to shoot everyone inside, according to testimony Tuesday in Columbus Recorder's Court. The teen, who was charged as an adult, pleaded not guilty to armed robbery and terroristic threats. He was ordered held without bond in the Aaron Cohn Regional Youth Detention Center.

This story was originally published December 23, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Top stories from the Ledger-Enquirer | Dec. 16-22."