GA Execution Dates Set After Drug Switch Approved:  Russ Bynum of the Associated Press reports that after numerous delays, Georgia officials have set execution dates for Warren Lee Hill, 52, and Andrew Allen Cook, 38. The scheduled executions come a day after the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the use of a new drug for execution. While serving a life term for the 1985 murder of Myra Wright, Hill bludgeoned inmate Joseph Handspike to death with a nail-studded board. Cook earned his death sentence for the 1995 killings of Mercer University students, Grant Patrick Hendrickson and Michele Lee Cartagena, who were shot in a car in an act of random violence. Hill will face lethal-injection on Feb. 19, and Cook will be executed on Feb. 21.

Violent Crime Up in Sacramento After Realignment:  The Sacramento Bee reports that the Sacramento area is experiencing a surge in violent crime. Last year, reports of murders, robberies, rapes and thefts increased, ending a trend of declining criminal activity. In the city of Sacramento, violent crime rose 5 percent. In the county sheriff's jurisdiction, it rose 12 percent. Folsom, Roseville, and Rancho Cordova all saw violent crime increase by at least 15 percent. West Sacramento experienced the sharpest increase, with property crime up by 30 percent, and violent crime up by 32 percent. The statistics represent a disruption of the long-term crime drop seen across the Sacramento region and the nation. The surge in crime follows the passage of AB 109 in 2011.

NY Cop-Killer Impregnates Prison Officer:  The New York Times reports convicted cop-killer Ronell Wilson impregnated correctional officer Nancy Gonzalez in a federal jail in Brooklyn. Wilson, convicted of the 2003 murders of two undercover detectives, faces a possible death sentence pending a judge's ruling on an appellate decision. During the time of the trial, he told another inmate that he wanted a child to pass on his legacy. Gonzalez, 29, who has had at least one other romantic relationship with an inmate in addition to Wilson, was arraigned Tuesday in a federal court on charges of sexual abuse of a person in custody. If convicted she faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Flash Mobs Turned Violent Wreak Havoc in NYC:  CBS New York reports that violent mobs of teenagers are becoming increasingly problematic in New York City. Neighborhoods and businesses are growing frustrated as large groups of teenagers, sometimes upwards of 40, converge out of nowhere. The flash mobs conduct acts of vandalism and theft on convenience stores and newsstands. They disperse as quickly as they appear, usually before police are able to respond, often injuring people in the process. One newsstand reports that in one of four attacks over the past few weeks, an employee was sent to the hospital due to injuries. Some newsstands have taken to shutting down afternoons, as it is no longer cost effective to risk losing thousands of dollars as a result of flash mob activity.

IL Prison Attack Leaves 3 Staff Members Injured:  David Mercer of the Associated Press reports three prison staff members were injured in a prison assault Tuesday in Illinois. Union officials say it is part of a recent trend of violence amongst the state's incarcerated. The violent assault, involving 10 to 15 inmates, began when an inmate lured a guard into the prison chapel. A wave of convicts then attacked him. Another guard and a chaplain were also injured in an attempt to intervene. Increased security concerns have arisen in the Illinois prison system, due to Gov. Pat Quinn's decision to close several prisons around the state. These policies have left the prisons approximately 16,000 inmates over capacity, and prompted protests from prison union members.