Feds grill former BP chief Hayward

AP Reporting

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show former BP chief Tony Hayward fought off accusations that he sought to prop up the company's falling share price through his subordinates' daily media briefings on the Gulf oil spill.

The documents also show Hayward defending himself against accusations that the firm failed to keep its promise to share its data on how much crude was spewing into the sea.

Transcripts of a sworn deposition by Hayward last month in London show Hayward being grilled by lawyers for the U.S. government, plaintiffs suing BP and states harmed by the spill.

An attorney for Louisiana pointed to an email Hayward sent to an aide asking him to brief the media to counter "ridiculous stories'' that were "the main reason behind the share price weakness.''

GOP presidential candidates to visit Alabama

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama will soon be visited by two Republican presidential candidates and one potential candidate.
Republican Party officials say former Godfather's Pizza chief executive Herman Cain will speak to the Shelby County Republican Party's summer dinner on July 16 at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center in Birmingham.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who's considering entering the race, will address the state Republican Party's summer dinner Aug. 12 in Birmingham. A party spokeswoman says the demand for tickets has caused the party to switch the location to a larger ballroom at the Sheraton Birmingham.
Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey says former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will hold a fundraising reception Aug. 30 at The Club in Birmingham. Tickets are $1,000 and $2,500 per person.
Alabama's presidential preference primary is scheduled for March.

Senate confirms Beck as US attorney in Montgomery

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Senate has confirmed attorney George Beck as the new chief federal prosecutor in Montgomery.
Senators approved Beck's nomination by President Obama on a voice vote Thursday night. He takes over at the U.S. attorney for Alabama's Middle District.
Beck is a former deputy attorney general for the state. He's most recently worked as an attorney in Montgomery, handling several high-profile cases as a defense lawyer.
Beck takes over the position formerly held by Republican appointee Leura Canary.

Freedom Rides Museum get national designation

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's newest museum has been added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service.
The designation is for Montgomery's former Greyhound Bus Station, which houses the Freedom Rides Museum. The museum opened in late May to honor the 50th anniversary of groups of young people who faced beatings and arson to integrate interstate bus travel in the South in 1961. One of those attacks occurred at the Montgomery station.
The national register designation was announced by the Alabama Historical Commission, which operates the museum.
The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. It is also open for groups of 10 or more by appointment. The museum uses photographs and quotations to tell the story of the Freedom Rides.

Tape shows scheme to trick Alabama senator

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A defense attorney in Alabama's government corruption trial used the prosecution's own taped evidence Friday to try to show the defendants used trickery, not bribery, to win votes for pro-gambling legislation.
He played a recording in which indicted casino owner Milton McGregor and prominent state Sen. Lowell Barron were heard making plans to trick another senator into voting for pro-gambling legislation and no bribes were involved in their plan.
"We need to figure out some kind of scheme," Barron told VictoryLand owner McGregor in a phone call intercepted by the FBI.
The phone call targeted former Sen. Jim Preuitt, R-Talladega, now on trial in federal court with McGregor, McGregor's lobbyist Tom Coker and six others on charges of buying and selling votes on pro-gambling legislation.
In the phone call from March 2010, Barron and McGregor talk about how to get Preuitt to vote for McGregor's bill to protect electronic bingo casinos. They decide they can benefit from the political enmity between Barron, who was a supporter of the bill, and Preuitt.
"Whatever I'm for, Preuitt is going to be against," Barron tells McGregor.
They develop a plan for Barron to continue supporting the bill behind the scenes, but they will persuade Preuitt that Barron is not going to vote for it. They use the pretext that Barron is angry at McGregor for being stingy in his support for the Senate Democratic Conference.
To deliver the message, McGregor would use Coker, who would not realize the scheme was phony.
"I like that, Lowell," McGregor says.
"We've got to make this thing look real," Barron says.
"I'm fixing to call Coker," McGregor says.
The FBI had to provide its recordings from wiretaps on McGregor's phone to defense attorneys for the trial. Coker's attorney, former Attorney General Bill Baxley, used the tape Friday to dispute prosecution claims that his client helped offer bribes to Preuitt for his vote.
Baxley played two other taped calls that showed McGregor called Coker and acted like the scheme was real.
McGregor tells his lobbyist to go see Preuitt and "tell him everything you know."
"Let's get Preuitt committed," McGregor says.
In another recorded call, Coker says he relayed the information to Preuitt and former Democratic Sen. Larry Means of Attalla, who's also indicted in the case, and they laughed about Barron being upset.
Preuitt, Means and Barron voted for the pro-gambling bill when the Senate approved it March 30, 2010. The FBI revealed its investigation of Statehouse corruption two days later, and the bill died without coming to a vote in the House.
Preuitt dropped his re-election bid last year after coming under investigation. Barron lost his re-election campaign in November, ending a 28-year legislative career. He was not accused of any wrongdoing by federal prosecutors.
Contacted by phone Friday, Barron confirmed what was on the FBI tapes, but he said it wouldn't be proper to comment further because prosecutors may call him as a witness in the trial.
On Tuesday, Country Crossing casino owner Ronnie Gilley, who has pleaded guilty to offering bribes, said he offered to have country music entertainers do a fundraising benefit for Preuitt in return for his vote, but Preuitt didn't accept.
An FBI agent who helped oversee the investigation was questioned Friday by Preuitt's lawyer about the McGregor tapes and thousands of others made during the investigation.
"Is there a taped conversation of Senator Preuitt asking anyone for money?" attorney Ron Wise asked.
"I don't think so," agent John McEachern replied.
Wise said the trickery against Preuitt continued when a lobbyist for Country Crossing casino, Jennifer Pouncy, told Preuitt that she would lose her job if he didn't vote for the bill. Pouncy has pleaded guilty and admitted she lied to Preuitt.
Wise said people were playing on the emotions of a 76-year-old man.
The trial will begin its fifth week Tuesday with the FBI agent back on the witness stand.

Ala. Forestry Commission lowers some danger levels

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Forestry Commission says ground moisture levels in 12 north Alabama counties have increased enough to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire.
The commission is downgrading the counties from Drought Emergency (No Burn) to Fire Alert. The counties included are Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Marion, Limestone, Lawrence, Winston, Madison, Morgan, Jackson, Marshall, and DeKalb.
Under an alert, trash and debris may be burned with caution, as may other small fires. Any fire more than a quarter-acre in size or within 25 feet of a forested area requires a permit from the Forestry Commission. Burning without a permit is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and/or up to a $3,000 fine.
Alabama's other 55 counties will remain under the current Drought Emergency (No Burn Order).

4 people killed when car and dump truck collide

Associated Press

NEW BROCKTON, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say four people have been killed in a crash involving a car and a dump truck in New Brockton.
The Dothan Eagle reports the wreck happened Friday morning at the intersection of U.S. 84 and the 84 bypass.
Authorities say the four people killed were riding in a Buick sedan. The dump truck involved belongs to a road construction company.
Names of those who were killed were not immediately released.

Ala seeks additional time for federal cleanup

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley is asking federal officials to extend a program aimed at removing tornado debris from across much of the state.
Bentley requested a 60-day extension on Friday for a program called "Operation Clean Sweep." It's a pilot effort to provide fast, comprehensive debris removal, with federal officials paying 90 percent of the cost.
Bentley says the state has made great progress removing tornado debris since the storms on April 27, but a lot more work remains to be done. The governor's office says an extension of the program will ensure that debris is removed from private property at the same pace as public land.
Operation Clean Sweep is currently set to end on July 12. Bentley wants it to continue through September.

Officials: Gulf State Park fire finally contained

Associated Press

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (AP) — Officials say firefighters have finally contained a fire that's burned more than 1,000 acres at Gulf State Park near Alabama's main tourist beaches.
The city of Orange Beach says the fire was contained Friday nearly a week after it began in southern Baldwin County.
Fire crews are still on the scene, but they're not planning any more back burns to halt the spread of the blaze.
The fire has blackened a large section of forestland between the beachfront road and the intracoastal waterway near Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. Officials say no major property damage is reported.

Dothan Police Announces: Holiday Safety Awareness! NO FIREWORKS IN DOTHAN

As the July 4th holiday approaches, please remember that our area has

experienced drought conditions over the past month and this makes the

potential for fires much greater.

 Second, we remind our readers in the Dothan, fireworks are illegal in the City Limits of Dothan.

For those readers who may legally use fireworks at their home

 (again, this is no one in the City Limits of Dothan!!) we would like to encourage safety first!

The National Council on Fireworks Safety lists nine safety tips that

encourage firework users to celebrate our nation's heritage on the Fourth

of July safely…

Use fireworks outdoors only.

Obey local laws. If fireworks are not legal where you live, do not use

them.

Always have water handy (a hose or bucket).

Only use fireworks as intended. Don't try to alter them or combine them.

Never relight a "dud" firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a

bucket of water.

Use common sense. Spectators should keep a safe distance from the

shooter and the shooter should wear safety glasses.

Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a "designated shooter."

Only persons over the age of 12 should be allowed to handle sparklers of

any type.

Do not ever use homemade fireworks of illegal explosives!

Dothan Police Announces: Holiday Safety Awareness!

 As the July 4th holiday approaches, please remember that our area has
experienced drought conditions over the past month and this makes the
potential for fires much greater. Second, we remind our readers in the
Dothan, fireworks are illegal in the City Limits of Dothan.

For those readers who may legally use fireworks at their home (again, this is no one
in the City Limits of Dothan!!) we would like to encourage safety first!


The National Council on Fireworks Safety lists nine safety tips that
encourage firework users to celebrate our nation's heritage on the Fourth
of July safely…

Use fireworks outdoors only.
Obey local laws. If fireworks are not legal where you live, do not use
them.
Always have water handy (a hose or bucket).
Only use fireworks as intended. Don't try to alter them or combine them.
Never relight a "dud" firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a
bucket of water.

Use common sense. Spectators should keep a safe distance from the
shooter and the shooter should wear safety glasses.

Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a "designated shooter."
Only persons over the age of 12 should be allowed to handle sparklers of
any type.

Do not ever use homemade fireworks of illegal explosives!

DOTHAN POLICE REPORT: Storm drain covers and water meter covers theft

 Over the past twenty four hours the Dothan Police Department has responded to numerous theft calls that appear to be connected. Police say someone has been stealing storm drain covers and water meter covers which are 2 inch covers that look like man-hole covers, but are lighter. Investigators have compiled reports and say at this time it appears a total of thirty five covers have been taken from at least three areas; Hidden Lake sub division, a cul-de-sac off of Brannon Stand Road and the residential area behind North Side Mall.

Police are asking anyone with information about the case or identity of the suspect to call the Dothan Police Department or CrimeStoppers 334-793-7000. Residents are being asked to stay alert and call police if they see any suspicious activity near areas that have these covers.

City of Dothan/Houston County for the 28th Annual National Night Out on Saturday, July 30, 2011

The Dothan Police Department will join forces with other local law enforcement agencies, Dothan Fire Department, United States Military, Child Advocacy Center, Target, Dothan Leisure Services, and various other organizations to promote crime and drug prevention throughout the City of Dothan/Houston County for the 28^th Annual National Night Out on Saturday, July 30, 2011 at the Dothan Civic Center Arena. The National Night Out campaign involves citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses and local officials from over 10,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canada cities, and military bases worldwide bringing neighbors together to take a stand against drugs and crime.

This event is free and open to the public from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Bring your family and friends for a night of fun, games, and fellowship. Food will be available for purchase and all proceeds will benefit Fraternal Order of Police.  We will have various types of live entertainment for you and your family to enjoy.

There will be a variety of activities for children and teenagers, a dunking booth - "Dunk the Druggie", a K-9 demonstration, a gun safety demonstration, a SWAT demonstration, a roll over vehicle demonstration, a rock climbing wall, face art, DUI go-karts, helicopters, fingerprinting, a visit from McGruff, and other activities.

Sincerely,

Cpt. David Jay

National Night Out Coordinator

Former Taylor Bean Leader Gets 30 Years for Colonal Bank Fraud

  WASHINGTON — A banker was given 30 years in prison Thursday in the $2.9 billion mortgage industry fraud that sank Colonial Bank in the biggest US bank collapse in 2009, the Justice Department announced.
Lee Bentley Farkas was sentenced to jail by a Virginia court and fined $38.5 million as the orchestrator of the fraud, which also brought down the huge mortgage lender he ran, Taylor, Bean & Whitaker, in one of the most spectacular failures during the US financial crisis.
Farkas was accused of selling billions of dollars in worthless home loans -- loans that either did not exist or that had already been sold to other banks and investors -- to raise cash for TBW, of which Farkas was chairman and owner.
Meanwhile he milked TBW for funds to buy himself luxury homes and an antique Rolls Royce.
The duped customers included Colonial, government-backed home loan guarantor Freddie Mac; and Ocala Funding, a Florida entity backed by Germany's Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas of France.
TBW also also tried to push worthless assets on the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program, ironically designed to salvage the scandal-ridden home-loan industry.
"Lee Farkas was the mastermind behind one of the largest fraud schemes in history involving a mortgage lending company," Michael Stephens, deputy inspector general of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development said in a statement.
The Justice Department called it a fraud "of staggering proportions, the effects of which are still being felt by the thousands of former employees of TBW and Colonial Bank, and shareholders of Colonial BancGroup."
"From a $28 million private jet and vacation homes in Maine and Key West, to expensive antique cars and restaurants, Mr. Farkas plundered his company and Colonial Bank to prop up his failing business and to feed his ostentatious lifestyle," it said.
Over the past several months the Justice Department has steadily drawn guilty pleas from other TBW officials, including its treasurer, as it sought to build a case against Farkas, who maintained his innocence.
Farkas built up TBW even as subprime mortgage lenders began to fail in 2006 and other banks began to pull back from the overheated market.
As lenders dropped out, TBS filled the gap to become one of the country's largest private lender by the time it was shut down, also in August 2009.

Dothan police charge man with rape of teenage girl UPDATE

The Dothan Police Department Juvenile Investigative Division has made a felony arrest following a recent investigation. Due to the sensitive nature of this case limited details are being released however investigators say William Nathanial Cox engaged in sexual intercourse with a fourteen year old female acquaintance.

·        William Nathanial Cox, white male, 34 years of age, of Grandvilla Drive was arrested and charged with Second Degree Rape with a    $15,000 bond.

Canadian company to make peanut butter in Troy

Associated Press

TROY, Ala. (AP) — A Canadian company has announced plans to open a plant in Troy that will make peanut butter.
Officials with Golden Boy Foods announced Thursday the company would make peanut butter in the former Campbell Enterprises building in the Troy Industrial Park. The company is expected to employ about 65 to 75 workers by the middle of next year and as many as 130 in 2013.
Golden Boy Foods is a leading supplier of organic and conventional, store brand peanut butter.
Economic development officials said the plant is expected to have a positive impact on farmers who grow peanuts in south Alabama.

Electronic bingo returning to Dothan's Country Crossing, operating under new name of Center Stage

By The Birmingham News

(The Birmingham News/Joe Songer)

DOTHAN, Alabama -- The entertainment and bingo complex once called Country Crossing will reopen Friday as Center Stage, offering two restaurants and 500 to 600 electronic bingo machines, the Dothan Eagle reports.

The complex opening is set for 4 p.m. The restaurants are called John Anderson Cafeteria and A Delicious BBQ. The cafe will be operated by Robin Thagard, who already has restaurants in Ozark and Dothen. She'll partner with NFL player Adalius Thomas in the barbecue operation, according to the newspaper.
The complex will also be the site of Dothan's Family Family celebration, most of which will take place at its amphitheater with live entertainment. July 4 had been scheduled as the official opening of Center Stage, according to the newspaper.

Cobb: No decision on Ala governor's race

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Departing Alabama Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb says her decision to leave office early isn't linked to a possible run for governor.
Cobb says in an interview published Thursday she hasn't made a decision on whether to run for governor. But the Democratic judge also says that people all over the state are saying that she is "the one to beat" in 2014.
The 55-year-old Cobb unexpectedly announced her resignation during a news conference in Montgomery on Wednesday. She says she wants to spend more time with her family.
For now, Cobb says she wants to support Republican Gov. Robert Bentley as he leads the state.

Alabama football star Trent Richardson involved in hit-and-run accident

 By Staff Writers
 Alabama football star Trent Richardson was involved in a hit-and-run accident this morning. According to the Tuscaloosa Police Dept., Richardson was the victim in the accident and was not injured.
Although the Tuscaloosa Police Dept. would not answer questions about this accident, they did release this one-paragraph news release:

Tuscaloosa Police Department responded to a Leaving the Scene Of An Accident/ Menacing Call that occurred at 1:30 am this morning (06/30/11) in the 2300 Block of 4th Street. Trent Richardson was the victim in the incident. A citation was issued for the leaving the scene of an accident. Mr. Richardson declined prosecution on the Menacing Charge and the case has been closed. No further details will be released.

Taped call: Casino owner, senator discuss support

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A state senator on trial in an Alabama corruption trial was caught on tape telling an indicted casino owner that he wanted to help the businessman get pro-gambling legislation passed and that he needed his help in a tough re-election campaign.
"There is nothing I want to do more than help you," Larry Means told Victoryland owner Milton McGregor in the call on March 22, 2010.
Means, a Democrat from Attalla, added that he was facing a tough Republican opponent.
"I'm probably going to need a bunch of help," Means told McGregor.
"You've got me," McGregor replied. He said he would do "whatever it takes" to make sure Means got re-elected, but he never specified what that meant.
"You've never been anything but straight with me and I appreciate it," Means told McGregor at the end of the call.
Means ended up voting for the pro-gambling legislation when the Senate passed it on March 30, 2010. Then he lost his re-election campaign in November to Republican Phil Williams.
The phone call from McGregor to Means was one of several thousand the FBI recorded through wiretaps in March 2010 while McGregor and other casino operators were seeking votes in the Senate for a proposed constitutional amendment designed to protect their electronic bingo casinos from police raids. Prosecutors played about 20 of McGregor's calls for the jury Thursday.
Besides Victoryland casino and dog track in Shorter, McGregor, also owns a Birmingham dog track. He made it clear in the calls that his financial fortune was riding on the legislation's approval.
"This is survival," he told one of his indicted lobbyists, Tom Coker, in a call.
McGregor, Means and Coker are among nine people on trial in federal court on charges accusing them using campaign contributions to buy and sell votes on the pro-gambling legislation. The bill died in the House after the FBI announced on April 1, 2010, that it was investigating Statehouse corruption. McGregor's casino, once the state's largest with 6,000 electronic bingo machines, is now closed.
In another taped call played in court, Coker tells McGregor that Country Crossing casino owner Ronnie Gilley had called Sen. Jim Preuitt of Talladega to offer the use of country music entertainers in his re-election campaign. Coker said that was "icing on the cake" to get Preuitt's vote.
"Congratulations on Preuitt," McGregor said.
McGregor said credit should go to Gilley and one of his lobbyists, Jennifer Pouncy.
McGregor then called Gilley to thank him for working to get Preuitt's support.
"We've got some things lined up for him," Gilley told McGregor.
Preuitt, also on trial, voted for the gambling legislation in the Senate. He dropped his Republican re-election campaign last year after the FBI started investigating him.
Gilley and Pouncy have pleaded to offering bribes to legislators and are now cooperating with prosecutors.
In another phone call played in court, McGregor told another casino operator that Preuitt was willing to support their pro-gambling bill if the proponents could arrange for the executive secretary of Alabama Education Association, Paul Hubbert, to remain neutral in Preuitt's re-election campaign rather than helping his Democratic opponent.
"He said, 'If that's the case, you've got my vote,'" McGregor said.
Prosecutors then played another taped call, where McGregor asked Hubbert about remaining neutral.
Hubbert was polite, but made no promises.
"I'll give it some thought and maybe talk with him," Hubbert told McGregor.
Prosecutors also presented records Thursday to show that McGregor paid another defendant, Ray Crosby, $72,000 over two years while he was the Legislature's lead attorney in writing gambling legislation. That was in addition to his state salary of $160,000 annually.
The records showed that Crosby did not initially report the payments from McGregor on the annual financial statements that state employees are required to file with the State Ethics Commission, but he amended his statements to add the payments after the FBI contacted him as part of its investigation of Statehouse corruption.

Louisiana man sentenced to 32 years for kidnapping

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge sentenced 26-year-old Therral Hatfield to 32 years in prison for kidnapping his ex-fiancé and her two children.
Authorities caught Hatfield after the woman left a note asking for help on a paper towel at an Escambia County, Ala., convenience store in April 2010.
Judge W. Keith Watkins sentenced Hatfield on Thursday.
Prosecutors say Hatfield, a former high school and college football player from Jefferson, La., kidnapped the woman and children at gunpoint in New Orleans. The woman wrote the note during a bathroom stop.
A customer found the note and gave it to store workers, who alerted authorities. Hatfield was arrested along Interstate 65 just inside the Butler County line.
A young man who authorities say helped with the kidnapping hasn't been caught.

Lawmaker: Black woman should be new chief justice

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A state lawmaker has asked Republican Gov. Robert Bentley to appoint a black woman to be chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.
Democratic state Rep. Alvin Holmes of Montgomery made the request Thursday. That was a day after Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb announced she would resign effective Aug. 1 to spend more time with her family.
Holmes said he is making the request because there are currently no blacks on Alabama's three appellate courts. Cobb is one of three women currently on the nine-member Supreme Court.
Bentley's press secretary, Jennifer Ardis, said Thursday the governor's goal is to identify the "best qualified person" to be chief justice.
Holmes said appointing a black woman would send a message that Alabama "no longer tolerates racism."

Alabama officials seek drought emergency order

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Agriculture Commission John McMillan has begun the process of asking that a federal drought emergency be declared because of a drought that has gripped much of Alabama.
McMillan said Thursday he is asking federal officials to review drought conditions in Alabama and to begin the process of declaring a disaster emergency. That would allow farmers to seek federal assistance.
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows that more than 93 percent of the state is under drought conditions because of rainfall shortages in recent months. Most of the southern half of the state is listed as being in a severe, extreme or exceptional drought.
McMillan said because of the drought, many crops in Alabama are predicted to produce "poor to very poor" harvests this year.

Judge delays trial in Auburn tree poisoning

Associated Press

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — A judge said Thursday he was delaying the trial of the University of Alabama fan charged with poisoning the oak trees at Auburn University's Toomer's Corner, meaning the case could kick off during football season.
A one-sentence order said the Harvey Updyke Jr., 62, was being postponed until the next court session in Lee County at the agreement of both prosecutors and the defense.
While Updyke's trial was expected to begin this summer, officials said he probably won't go on trial now before mid-November. The Tigers will end the regular season that month with home games against Samford and Alabama.
Neither prosecutors nor a defense lawyer immediately returned messages seeking comment.
Updyke is accused of criminal mischief and other charges after authorities said he put poison around the bases of the two live oak trees at Toomer's Corner. Auburn fans traditionally roll them with toilet paper after a big victory.

Minn. MMA Fighter Rogers Charged in Wife Beating

Courtesy of  Sherrie Yates

DAKOTA COUNTY, Minn. - Major-league Mixed Martial Artist and Apple Valley, Minn. resident Brett Rogers was arrested and jailed in connection with assaulting his wife Wednesday in their south metro home. She was reportedly strangled, punched repeatedly in the head and face and lost a tooth in the struggle.
Brett Charles Rogers, 30, has been charged with assault in the third degree, domestic assault by strangulation and pattern of stalking conduct -- all felonies --in Dakota County. He was also charged with endangerment of a child, a gross misdemeanor.
His wife blacked out from being choked, suffered a golf ball sized wound on her face among smaller wounds. The couples daughter had tried to intervene after she saw Rogers strike her mother.
Rogers admits he had been drinking before an argument broke out with he and his wife. He claims she punched him and he returned force.
The local fighter made his first court appearance Thursday. Bail was set at $100,00 with conditions. He is again expected in court Friday at 11 a.m.
Rogers had competed in an 8-man heavyweight tournament for the MMA promotion Strike force on June 18, losing in the first round by tapout to an arm triangle choke.

Ex-chief justice injured in horse-riding accident

Associated Press

GADSDEN, Ala. (AP) — Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who has formed a committee to explore a possible run for president, suffered several broken ribs in a horse-riding accident at his farm near Gadsden in Etowah County.
Moore was injured on Sunday. That's the same day former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley was hurt in a motorcycle crash in Alaska. Riley defeated Moore in the 2006 Republican Primary for governor.
Rich Hobson, executive director of the Foundation for Moral Law, said the 64-year-old Moore fell while attempting to get on a horse. He said the former chief justice went to an orthopedic specialist and is now resting at home.
Moore is president of the Foundation of Moral Law and has formed an exploratory committee to run for the Republican nomination for president.
Because of the accident, Hobson said Moore has had to take time off from making campaign appearances in Iowa, South Carolina and other early primary states.
The 66-year-old Riley suffered broken ribs, a broken collarbone and a punctured lung when he lost control of his motorcycle on a highway north of Fairbanks on Sunday. Riley was listed in fair condition at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital on Wednesday.
Riley was on a cross-country motorcycle trip to Alaska that he started planning before he left the governor's office in January.

Supreme Court Chief Justice resigning post Aug. 1

Associated Press

Cobb

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb said Wednesday that she is resigning effective Aug. 1 to spend more time with her family after serving more than four years as state's first female chief justice.
Cobb made the announcement from the bench in the Alabama Supreme Court chamber with her husband, Bill Cobb, at her side. She read for about 15 minutes from a statement and then walked out a rear door without answering any questions from news reporters.
She said she regretted resigning at a time when the state court system faces funding shortfalls and has had to lay off staff and delay some trials.
"I desperately wanted to depart leaving the system on better financial footing than when I came," Cobb said.
She cited the need to be a "better wife, mother and daughter" as a reason for stepping down.
"My mother is 87 and my daughter, Caitlin, is 15. Another statewide race at this point in time would require me to raise millions of dollars while constantly endeavoring to appear and remain impartial and would require me to sacrifice precious time which I could be spending with my family," Cobb said.
Cobb said she was frustrated that she had been unable to persuade the Legislature to change the way Alabama elects judges. Cobb prefers a nonpartisan system.
She will make about $150,000 a year in retirement, according to Retirement Systems of Alabama records.
Cobb is currently the only Democrat on the Supreme Court and among Alabama's 19 appeals court judges. It will be up to Republican Gov. Robert Bentley to appoint someone to serve as chief justice for the remaining 18 months of Cobb's term. She urged Bentley to appoint an experienced trial judge, "someone who understands that the most important aspects in people's lives are impacted by the court system."
Bentley said in a statement that he had no timetable for appointing a new chief justice, but would do so as soon as possible once Cobb leaves office.
"My goal is to find someone with the judicial and administrative experience needed for this important position," Bentley said.
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead said the GOP was planning to target in the 2012 elections winning the chief justice's seat and presidency of the Alabama Public Service Commission, currently held by Democrat Lucy Baxley. Those are the only statewide offices in Alabama not currently held by Republicans.
"It's always been our plan to target the chief justice position and this doesn't change our plans at all," Armistead said. "We've made that known from the very beginning."
Armistead said he admires Cobb for putting family considerations ahead of political plans.
"I respect and admire the fact that she wants to spend more time with family," he said.
Alabama Democratic Party chairman Mark Kennedy said Cobb has shown an ability "to stretch the dollar" during the budget crisis.
"She has worked tirelessly to help further cost-cutting reforms such as modgel drug courts," said Kennedy, a former Supreme Court justice.
"I can certainly appreciate the magnitude of the challenges she had faced.
During the past session, Cobb pushed hard for the Republican controlled Legislature to pass legislation reforming Alabama's sentencing procedures, which she said would have saved the state millions. Kennedy criticized the Legislature for rejecting the sentencing reform legislation.
"The Republicans' crippling budget cuts and unwillingness to take up desperately-needed sentencing reforms have made administering the court system nearly impossible," Kennedy said.
Cobb was elected chief justice in 2006, defeating then Chief Justice Drayton Nabors to become the only Democrat on the high court. She has been a judge in Alabama for 30 years, serving as a district judge in Conecuh County and as a judge on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.
Supreme Court Justice Jim Main, who served as finance director under former Gov. Bob Riley, said Cobb's announcement caught him by surprise.
"I didn't know about this until this morning," Main said. "She has done a good job administering the court system."
Main praised the way Cobb has dealt with the financial crisis facing the state's courts.
"She has had to be the bearer of bad news," Main said.
Riley appointed Main to the Supreme Court earlier this year to fill the unexpired term of former Justice Champ Lyons.
Main said he would not be interested in seeking the chief justice's job and instead plans to run for a full term in his position on the court.

Young illegal immigrants arrested in Ga. protest (Six are charged in rally against strict state law)

ATLANTA — Six young illegal immigrants were arrested Tuesday after they sat down and blocked traffic near the Georgia state Capitol to publicly declare their status and to protest state policies targeting people who are in the U.S. illegally, the latest in a string of such “coming out” events in Georgia and other parts of the country.
The young people were protesting a policy that bars Georgia’s most competitive state colleges and universities from accepting illegal immigrants and they were opposing strict new state legislation. A federal judge on Monday blocked two key provisions of that law. They risk arrest and deportation for their protest.
Federal judges have now blocked parts of similar laws in Arizona, Utah, Indiana and Georgia from taking effect.
Civil liberties groups have pledged to sue to block others in Alabama and South Carolina.

Various charges

“It’s time to stand up and let the world know that we need to fight for what we believe in,” said Nataly Ibarra, a 16-year-old high school student.
Four of the young people arrested are high school students, one is a recent high school graduate and one is a 24-year-old college graduate. All six face charges of reckless conduct, obstructing law enforcement and obstructing the street. The three who are under 18 were to be released to their parents. Two 18-year-olds and the 24-year-old were to be taken to the Fulton County Jail.

Barbara Gonzalez, press secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, issued a statement after the arrests: “ICE takes enforcement action on a case by case basis — prioritizing those who present the most significant threats to public safety as determined by their criminal history and taking into consideration the specific facts of each case, including immigration history.”

Fox Defends Controversial AL Immigration Law While Largely Ignoring Critics' Concerns

By associated press
Fox & Friends recently defended Alabama's controversial new immigration law, which, among other things, makes it illegal to knowingly give an undocumented immigrant a ride and requires schools to check students'  immigration status. However, while Fox & Friends acknowledged that some provisions of the law may be unconstitutional, the show largely failed to address any specific criticisms of the law, including that the law could lead to racial profiling.

Alabama Passes Controversial Immigration Law

AP: "Ala Illegal Immigration Law Considered Toughest In US; Schools Must Check Status Of Students." On June 9, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley signed an immigration law that an Associated Press (AP) article said is "being called the nation's most restrictive against illegal immigration." From the article:

Alabama schools will soon have to check if students are in the country legally and people stopped for any reason could be arrested on suspicion of immigration violations under a sweeping law being called the nation's most restrictive against illegal immigration.
[...]
In addition, it requires all businesses to check the legal status of workers using a federal system called E-Verify and makes it a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride.
[...]
Among other things, the law makes it a crime for landlords to knowingly rent to an illegal immigrant.
Another provision makes it a crime to transport a known illegal immigrant. Arizona's law appears narrower: It includes language against human smuggling and makes it illegal to pick up laborers for work if doing so impedes traffic.
Alabama's law also goes further in requiring schools to check the immigration status of their students. The measure does not prohibit illegal immigrants from attending public schools; lawmakers said the purpose instead is to gather data on how many are enrolled and how the much the state is spending to educate them. [AP, via The Washington Post, 6/10/11]

Fox & Friends Applauds AL Law As A Necessary "Frustration Plea" With "The Federal Government"

Johnson Applauds AL Law As A "Frustration Plea" With "The Federal Government"; Kilmeade Agrees That AL Is "Fed Up With Its Illegal Immigration Problem." During the June 10 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade and Fox News legal analyst Peter Johnson Jr. discussed Alabama's new immigration law. While Johnson acknowledged that "[t]here are some legal issues that need to be explored" with regard to the law, he also said the law was a "frustration plea" with "the federal government" and later concluded, "There's a need for action, and Alabama is stepping in to see what they can do." During the segment, on-screen text acknowledged that "opponents say [the] new law is motivated by bigotry" and that civil rights groups were "outraged." From the show:

KILMEADE: Peter, this is a state that is fed up with its illegal immigration problem and is desperate to change it. They don't hate people or -- but the illegals are destroying their economy.
JOHNSON: What this is, is a cry. This is a frustration plea that the federal government has done nothing. But what Alabama has done is tried to regulate in every way, every contact, every illegal immigrant will have with commerce, with education, with the voting system. They're moving that -- the governor signed a law that you need to show ID at the time of voting. It's --
KILMEADE: So look at the groups that are against it. I mean the ACLU is against it, [Southern] Poverty [Law] Center --
JOHNSON: Well, the usual groups are against it. The ACLU and SPLC --
KILMEADE: But do they have a legal case?
JOHNSON: There are some legal issues that need to be explored. But I think this is part of a national conversation that we need to have about the inadequacy of federal laws. And so what you see are states across the country responding in ways to remedy a situation that they find to be untenable, immoral, illegal and very expensive. So there are certain provisions that may not meet muster in this particular law. It's a 72-page law. And so it goes beyond Arizona, it goes beyond any other state in the country. I'd like to hear what people are thinking on this.
KILMEADE: So we should Twitter you directly?
JOHNSON: You can get me on Twitter; you can get us at Fox News. Let's talk about this. Let's have a national discussion and debate. Let's see whether it's legal or it's constitutional. I think a lot of the provisions are. Some may be questionable, but clearly there's a need for action, and Alabama is stepping in to see what they can do. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 6/10/11]

But Fox Failed To Note Specific Criticisms Of The Law, Even While Acknowledging It May Face "Legal Issues"

AP: SPLC, ACLU, Alabama Appleseed, National Immigration Law Center Oppose Law, Warn Of Legal Challenges. From the AP article:

Advocacy groups promised to challenge the sweeping measure signed by Gov. Robert Bentley on Thursday, which they call even more severe than the one in Arizona that is being challenged in court.
[...]
"It is clearly unconstitutional. It's mean-spirited, racist, and we think a court will enjoin it," said Mary Bauer, legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center.
[...]
The Alabama measure instantly puts the state at the forefront of the immigration debate. Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center agreed that it is the nation's toughest crackdown on illegal immigration.
Linton Joaquin, general counsel for the National Immigration Law Center in Los Angeles, said the Alabama law covers all aspects of an immigrant's life.
"It is a sweeping attack on immigrants and people of color in general. It adds restrictions on education, housing and other areas. It is a very broad attack," Joaquin said.
[...]
Alabama's law also goes further in requiring schools to check the immigration status of their students. The measure does not prohibit illegal immigrants from attending public schools; lawmakers said the purpose instead is to gather data on how many are enrolled and how the much the state is spending to educate them.
Jared Shepherd, an attorney for the ACLU, warned that because of that provision, some immigrant parents may not send their children to school for fear of arrest or deportation.
Activists such as Shay Farley, legal director of Alabama Appleseed, an immigrant advocacy group, said the bill invites racial profiling not only by law enforcement officers but by landlords and employers.
"It's going to make us profile our neighbors and our church brothers and sisters," Farley said. [AP, via The Washington Post, 6/10/11]

ACLU Says Law "Invit[es] Racial Profiling Of Latinos," Plans To File Suit Against The Law. The ACLU announced in a June 9 press release that it will file a lawsuit challenging Alabama's law:

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Alabama said today that they will file, in coalition with other civil rights groups, a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Alabama's draconian anti-immigrant law before it goes into effect Sept. 1. HB 56, even more restrictive than Arizona's SB1070 which it was inspired by, was signed into law this morning by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley.
The law's key provisions sanction discriminatory and unconstitutional practices by police officers, landlords and employers by inviting racial profiling of Latinos and others based on how they look or talk, violating the First Amendment and interfering with federal law.

The press release also quoted Cecillia Wang, director of the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project, as saying: "This law is an outrageous throw-back to the pre-Civil Rights era, going beyond the discriminatory and unconstitutional police practices that we've seen in other states. ... By signing this bill into law, Gov. Bentley has codified official discrimination in the State of Alabama." [ACLU, 6/9/11]
SPLC: "Alabama Bill Sacrifices Citizens' Safety, Perpetuates Bigotry." A June 3 press release from the Southern Poverty Law Center said the Alabama law would face legal challenges, as a similar law in Georgia is currently facing. The press release, released after the Alabama legislature passed the law but before Governor Bentley signed it, concluded that "[i]f the governor does not veto [the bill], the SPLC will challenge the law in court." From the press release:

Yesterday, the Alabama Legislature fell into the same costly trap as neighboring Georgia by following the ill-fated footsteps of Arizona and passing harsh anti-immigrant legislation. The bill, H.B. 56, will not only set back years of progress on civil rights in the state but will also add considerably to Alabama's existing budget crisis.
If Gov. Bentley signs H.B. 56 into law, Alabama, already struggling financially, will waste hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of taxpayer dollars to defend this racist law in court.
We joined a number of other civil rights organizations in a lawsuit challenging the Georgia law because it is unconstitutional. The courts have already blocked the notorious Arizona law, which served as a model to Georgia and Alabama, and the courts also blocked a copycat law in Utah last month. These laws have been consistently declared illegal and unconstitutional by the courts.
This cost will threaten the safety and security of all Alabamians by diverting already limited resources away from law enforcement's primary responsibility - protecting and promoting public safety. It will also result in an increase in crime if undocumented immigrants who are crime victims are afraid to contact local police.
[...]
The Southern Poverty Law Center will continue to fight against laws that create a climate of fear for immigrants. If the governor does not veto H. B. 56, the SPLC will challenge the law in court. Illegal and harmful bills like this will not go unchallenged. [Huffington Post, 6/2/11; Southern Poverty Law Center, 6/3/10]

NILC: Alabama "Rolls Back Civil Rights For Countless Children And Families." From a June 9 press release from the National Immigration Law Center (NILC):

Alabama Governor Bentley today signed into law what may be the harshest state-level, anti-immigrant measure to date. Inspired by Arizona's notorious racial profiling law, SB 1070, the new Alabama law imposes a draconian immigration enforcement scheme that will subject immigrants and people of color to scrutiny in every aspect of their lives, including when renting homes, taking their children to school, and even entering into contracts. The law would hinder schools from fulfilling the vital task of educating our youth and require them instead to verify the immigration status of children in attendance, as well as their parents, and report the information to state authorities. The law also criminalizes basic, daily interactions between U.S. citizens and other lawfully present individuals and undocumented immigrants. Below is a statement from Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center:
"Today, Alabama effectively turned state workers, peace officers, and school teachers into de facto immigration agents. Immigrants and people of color will be subjected to additional, unconstitutional scrutiny when they take their children to school or interact with local law enforcement officers. Friends and family members of undocumented immigrants will face criminal charges simply for driving them to church or to the grocery store.
"By passing HB 86, Alabama's legislators have deemed an entire class of people not worthy of the most fundamental rights, which were carefully prescribed to all people by our Founding Fathers. This law effectively makes immigrants the latest group of people to suffer a legalization of discriminatory behavior against them, and threatens to turn back the clock on our hard-won civil rights."

The press release also quoted Hincapié as saying that NILC will "join our colleagues from other civil rights organizations," including the ACLU and SPLC, in challenging the legality of Alabama's law.