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.

Riley continues to recover from motorcycle crash

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley is continuing to recover in a Fairbanks, Alaska hospital after being hurt in a motorcycle accident.
Riley's son, Rob, was in Fairbanks Tuesday at the hospital with the former governor. Riley's former chief of staff, Dave Stewart, said Rob Riley reported that his dad was in good spirits and "joking with the nurses and doctors."
Riley was injured Sunday afternoon in an accident on a dirt and gravel road near Fairbanks. Stewart said it was raining and the former governor "had to lay the motorcycle down" to avoid losing control.
A spokeswoman for Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, Lisa Johnson, said Riley remained in fair condition Tuesday.
The 66-year-old former governor was on a long planned cross-country motorcycle trip from his hometown, Ashland, to Alaska.

Ala., Ga. governors met over water dispute

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The governors of Alabama and Georgia recently met face-to-face to discuss a long-running legal dispute over regional water use.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal flew to Montgomery on June 15 and met for roughly two hours with Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley. Bentley spokeswoman Jennifer Ardis says the two men met in Bentley's office to talk over the tri-state water dispute between Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
Ardis says a court order prevents her from describing the meeting in detail. She says Bentley plans to continue discussions with Deal, but a next date has not been set.
Deal spokesman Brian Robinson confirmed the meeting but refused to describe it further.
Documents obtained using Georgia's open records law show that Deal traveled to the unpublicized meeting with his chief of staff and two attorneys.

Former AG gives lesson on country singers in Ala.

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Former Attorney General Bill Baxley brought laughs to Alabama's gambling corruption trial when he gave a history lesson about country entertainers helping with Alabama campaigns, including his own.
Baxley raised the topic Tuesday after Country Crossing casino developer Ronnie Gilley testified about offering country entertainers like Lorrie Morgan to appear at campaign events for state legislators in return for votes on pro-gambling legislation
Baxley, who's defending VictoryLand lobbyist Tom Coker, asked Gilley if he was aware that Morgan's father, country singer George Morgan, campaigned with George Wallace in one of his races for governor or that Hank Williams Jr. also helped in an Alabama campaign.
Gilley said no. Baxley said he knew because Williams assisted in his campaign for governor.
"And even with him I couldn't win," Baxley said.

Todays Storm brings down trees on roads and a home in Ozark

Photos taken by Robert Marsh, Dale County EMA

The Dale Co. E.M.A. confirmed reports of damage today in Ozark, on Lakeview and Dean Church Road areas. There were also reports of power outages around the Ozark area. Power crews are out working and hope to get the power restored soon. Terry Gillen with Dale County CERT volunteered to clear debris from some of these roads. The Dale County E.M.A. thanks Terry for the help today! No Serious damage or injuries were reported.

1971 Lakeview Rd ,Ozark, AL Tree fallen on home

SEVERE WEATHER ALERT- Dale County EXPIRED at 5:00

Severe Weather thunderstorm warning  alert for  Eastern Geneva, Houston County, Dale County and Henery until 5:00 CST has EXPIRED

Reports of Lightning just struck home on Dean Church Road ozark

We have just received reports of  lightning has struck a home in ozark, on Dean Church Road.

Conditions at this time are unknown. WireGrass News is working on sending a reporter to the scene.

Please remember Lightning can be very deadly. Please take cover and stay inside !

Power out due to storm in Ozark Al Campground Area HAIL REPORTED

We just received reports that Due to Storm Power is reported out around Campground area in Ozark.

If you have any reports please advise us on Facebook or email us at wiregrassnews@gmail.com

Some pea to marble size hail has been reported  

Man robs Opelika Wells Fargo Bank, UPDATE: PRESS RELEASE WITH PHOTOS

Opelika Police Department

Press Release

June 28, 2011

Opelika Bank Robbery

On June 28, 2011 at approximately 9:17AM (CST) the Opelika Police Department responded to Wells Fargo Bank located at 603 South Sixth Street in reference to a complaint of Robbery.  

 Officers met with bank employees who said at approximately 9:15AM a black male wearing blue jeans, white tennis shoes, a burgundy button-up shirt with a gray t-shirt wrapped around his face entered the bank; fired a shot into the ceiling and demanded money.  

 The suspect’s weapon was described as a small caliber weapon silver in color.  Bank employees said the suspect was approximately 6’02” tall and weighed approximately 185 lbs.  
 After the robbery the suspect fled the scene on foot heading East across South Sixth Street in the direction of Avenue E.  Prior to leaving the bank property a dye pack exploded and it is believed the suspect may have red dye on his persons.  

 Several moments after the robbery was reported witnesses saw a black male similar to the robbery suspect get into a red pick-up truck (believed to be an older model –unknown type) and drive South on South Fourth Street.

Currently there is no further information.

Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the Opelika Police Department at the following numbers:

Opelika Police Department               (334) 705-5200

Investigative Services Division          (334) 705-5220

Secret Witness Hotline                     (334) 745-8665

 CLICK ON PHOTO BELOW TO ENLARGE 

Man Robs Opelika Wells Fargo Bank, Dye Pack Explodes When Exiting Bank ,

 Tuesday morning around 9:15 a.m. the Opelika Police Department responded to an armed robbery at the Wells Fargo Bank located at 603 South 6^th Street.

 
Witnesses stated to police that a black male dressed in white tennis shoes and blue jeans and a burgundy button-up shirt with a gray t-shirt wrapped around his face  entered the bank, firing a shot into the ceiling and demanded money.

The suspect's weapon was described as small and silver hand gun 
Eye witness stated that the suspect fled on foot and headed east. After exiting the bank , a dye pack exploded. The suspect may have red dye on his body.

The subject is described as a black male around 6'2 and appx 185 lbs. Subject may be driving older model pickup 


If you have any information on this crime ,please  call the Opelika Police Department at (334) 705-5200.
 

Severe Thunderstorms possible this afternoon and evening

Showers and thunderstorms will continue to develop all across the tri-state area this afternoon and into the evening. Helping to enhance this activity will be an approaching outflow boundary left over from earlier thunderstorms across northern Georgia and Alabama.

This boundary, combined with the moist and unstable atmosphere already in place, will set the stage for a few severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening. Damaging straight line winds will be the primary threat from these storms, along with frequent cloud-to-ground lightning.

At this time, the greatest threat for severe weather appears to be across Southeast Alabama, Southwest Georgia, and the eastern Florida Panhandle, where the atmosphere is most unstable and the influence of the southward moving outflow boundary will be greatest.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch may be issued for this region later this afternoon.

Note: Red-shaded area indicates the highest threat for damaging winds.
Summary:
 Severe thunderstorms possible across the area this afternoon and evening
 Greatest severe potential is across Southeast Alabama and areas in Southwest Georgia down into the Florida.
 Primary threat is damaging straight-line winds.
Threat should diminish by late in the evening.

Fired Ala. clerk seeks additional damages

Associated Press
MOULTON, Ala (AP) — The former Lawrence County payroll clerk awarded $401,000 in back pay and damages in a wrongful termination lawsuit against the county commission is asking for an additional $650,886.40.
Baronica Warren filed a motion through her attorney, Gregg Smith, on Monday stating she has virtually no chance of finding employment equivalent to the position she held prior to her wrongful termination.
She says she should be awarded an amount in front pay to make her whole.
At a trial in federal court earlier this month, a jury ruled in favor of Warren on all five counts in her case.
In her suit, Warren accused the commission of firing her for filing a discrimination claim with the Equal Opportunity Commission. Commission attorney Dave Martin says an appeal is being considered.

Cutest Baby & Small Child & Cutest Pet Contest UPDATE

 

CUTEST BABY/CHILD /PET CONTEST:

Send us either photo or video clip of your baby posing or doing something cute! contestants must be age 3 months to 12 yrs old.

Winner will be chosen and and Featured on a special page on our news site.

Submit to Wiregrassnews@gmail.com Winner will be judged, posted and announced on July 9th on our 5:00 Live broadcast show.

Tune in on our website to listen and see if your Baby/ child / pet is the winner! there will be 3 winners one for baby and one for child. and one for cute pet !

Get those cameras out and start snapping & recording Keep it clean ! No bathing pics contestants must be dressed in proper attire.


Please include the Contestants name, age, and where you are located ( city & State) and what is the contestants favorite thing to do and likes when you submit your entries ! remember each contestant can enter each category.


All entries must be turned in by July 8th at 5:00 pm

Report shows fewer crimes in Alabama in 2010

Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A report by the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center shows there was a 10 percent decrease in the overall number of violent crimes reported in Alabama in 2010.
The report by the ACJIC was released Monday and showed that fewer murders, forcible rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults were reported in 2010 as compared to the number reported in 2009. There was a 24 percent drop in the number of robberies reported.
The report also showed a 5 percent decline in the number of property crimes reported. These include crimes such as burglary, larceny and theft of motor vehicles.
The report did show an 83 percent increase in the number of arsons reported in Alabama.
The crime figures are included in the annual "Crime in Alabama" report published by the ACJIC.

UPDATE WITH VIDEO: Bentley declares state of emergency due to fire

 Associated Press
 MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has declared a state of emergency for Baldwin County due to a large fire in Gulf State Park.
Authorities say the blaze has scorched more than 200 acres in the park.
Bentley said in a statement Monday that state resources are being used to contain the fire as quickly as possible.
Bentley says the fire has not affected the beaches of Gulf Shores or Orange Beach. He said he's encouraging people who plan to travel there for the Fourth of July holiday to continue with those plans.
Bentley said he has directed the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and the Alabama Forestry Commission to provide the necessary assessment of damages and seek state and federal assistance for the affected areas.

MAY TAKE A MOMENT FOR VIDEO BELOW TO LOAD.

WKRG.com News

Outdoor burning ban remains in effect in Alabama

Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — All 67 counties in Alabama remain under an order prohibiting outdoor burning because of a drought that has gripped the state.

Alabama Forestry Commission officials said Monday they have no plans to lift the order issued June 7 by Gov. Robert Bentley.

Forestry Commission spokesman Dan Jackson said the state has not seen enough rain in recent days to ease the dry conditions that have caused the threat of fire across the state. He said the situation is particularly critical in south Alabama, where firefighters have been battling a brush fire in the Gulf Shores area.

Jackson said below average rainfall is forecast in Alabama over the next 10 days.

The order makes it illegal for any person to set an outdoor fire, build a campfire or burn trash.

Alabama Rep. Owen Drake dies from cancer

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama state Rep. Owen Drake of Leeds has died after a battle with cancer. He was 75.
A Republican, Drake was serving a second term in the Alabama House from District 45 in Jefferson and St. Clair counties. A spokesman for the Alabama House, Clay Redden, said Drake died early Monday.
A retired Air Force chief master sergeant, Drake was a former member of the Leeds City Council and served for 13 years as communications director for the Jefferson County Commission.
Drake missed much of the 2011 session as he received treatments for cancer. He was given a standing ovation when he returned to the House chamber during the final days of the session in early June.
He was vice chairman of the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.

Former Gov. Bob Riley seriously injured in Alaska motorcycle crash

  By George Talbot  
FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- Former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley was injured in a motorcycle accident in Alaska on Sunday, and is receiving treatment at a hospital in Fairbanks, according to friends and family members.
Riley, 66, lost control of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle while traveling on a gravel road north of Fairbanks. He suffered 7 broken ribs, a broken clavicle and a punctured lung, according to Rob Riley, his oldest son.
Rob Riley said he spoke to his father late Sunday. He said doctors told him his father would be hospitalized for at least several days.
"He's pretty banged up, but he's fine," Rob Riley said. "He's disappointed because this isn't the way he wanted to end the trip, but otherwise he's in good spirits."
The single-vehicle crash occurred during daylight hours. Conditions were rainy and wet, Rob Riley said.
"He basically just laid it down," Rob Riley said.
He said his father was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Riley, who retired in January after 2 terms in the governor's office, is on a cross-country motorcycle trip that took from from his hometown in Ashland to Alaska over the past two weeks. He intended to spend a couple weeks in Alaska before heading home next month.
Rob Riley, a lawyer in Birmingham, said he was leaving this afternoon to fly to Fairbanks, and that his mother, former First Lady Patsy Riley, would fly up later this week.
“God was watching out for him,” Patsy Riley said in a statement released by the family.  “We feel blessed because it could have been so much worse.”
Friends and supporters said they were encouraged that Riley would make a full recovery.
“Throughout his trip, he has been relaying to me some wonderful experiences of seeing different parts of our country, enjoying the beautiful landscape and visiting with  all the cowboys, truck drivers, mechanics, waitresses he’s encountered on the road," said Alabama Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn. "I am disappointed he won’t be able to complete his trip as planned, I am thankful that he will be okay.”
From the Press-Register

CSX officials investigate train derailment in Calera, AL this afternoon

By The Associated Press   

CALERA, Alabama -- CSX officials and Calera police are investigating the cause of a train derailment this afternoon near U.S. 31 in Calera.
CSX Spokeswoman Carla Groleau said the incident occurred at 4 p.m. Near the Calera CSX Yard. Two locomotives and one box car left the rails on a train with 65 cars carrying a cargo of maintenance rocks, which was en route to Birmingham.
about 100 gallons of fuel spilled. One rail employee has minor injuries. There are no evacuations.
By late afternoon, police, fire and railroad workers had the area around the yard sealed off as cleanup work began.

Gambling trial highlights fees paid to legislators

By Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's gambling corruption trial has exposed a little-known source of income for some legislators: thousands of dollars in referral fees from lobbyists.
Testimony in the case shows that Republican Rep. Barry Mask of Wetumpka and former Democratic Rep. Terry Spicer of Elba were paid for referrals for years.
Mask testified he has been receiving more than $10,000 a year from lobbyist Steve Windom for referring Computer Associates to him as a client. Mask said the referral fees started before he was elected to the Legislature in 2006.
Former Country Crossing lobbyist Jarrod Massey testified in a pretrial hearing that he paid Spicer $1,000 to $2,000 per month for six or seven years for referring clients.

Memorial service held in Selma for Kathryn Tucker Windham

Family and friends gathered Sunday at Church Street United Methodist Church in Selma to remember Kathryn Tucker Windham. The legendary storyteller died earlier this month. (The Birmingham News/Matthew Busch)

By The Associated Press   SELMA, Alabama -- A spray of yellow sunflowers, Kathryn Tucker Windham's favorite, stood next to Donald Davis in the sanctuary of Church Street United Methodist Church on Sunday as he eulogized his longtime friend and fellow professional storyteller.
Davis told story after story about Mrs. Windham, including one where she asked him to give the eulogy when she died. Davis said he balked at the idea.
"I said I might cry if I get up there," he said to her. Mrs. Windham replied, "Have you ever seen a ghost?" After a moment's silence, staring at the church's crowd in front of him, Davis shared what so many remembered about Mrs. Windham, her humor. "If you cry, you'll see one," Mrs. Windham said.

The memorial service for Kathryn Tucker Windham, who died June 12 at age 93 at her Selma home, drew hundreds. The main sanctuary, which holds around 300 people, was full and another side section was nearly as crowded.

Kathryn Tucker Windham was a beloved storyteller whose wrote the "Jeffrey" series of ghost stories. (The Birmingham News/Michelle Campbell)

  Windham's friends The Dill Pickers, a vocal band with bluegrass instruments, played one of her favorite songs during the memorial, "I'll Fly Away," as the crowd tapped and sang along. It was a celebration filled with laughter and story-swapping. The reception in the church's fellowship hall, which is named after Mrs. Windham, after the service continued that theme. Dilcy Windham Hilley and Ben Windham, two of Mrs. Windham's children, were approached by an endless line of people sharing their condolences and stories about Mrs. Windham.

In a small glass case beyond the main area lay memories from Mrs. Windham's life: her Bible, an old Brownie Target Six-16 camera used in her early days as a journalist, photographs and a small blue bottle used to warn off evil spirits. The same blue bottles were resting on the branches of a tree in her backyard when family members and friends gathered before the service.
Charlie Lucas, Mrs. Windham's neighbor and artist known as "Tin Man," recalled the time when he and Mrs. Windham went to chop down a Christmas tree in a nearby forest.
When they pulled off Bell Road and parked their truck behind a nearby church, they went out to search for trees. Of course to cut down the tree they needed a saw, so Lucas carried one with him. When a local woman driving by saw a tall black man carrying a saw, and walking with an older and much smaller white woman into the woods, she spread the news quickly, Lucas said.
"It just went all over Selma that we went to the woods to cut her all up," Lucas said with a laugh. "We just wanted to have some Christmas cheer."
Ron Harris, a long-time family friend, remembered cooking with Mrs. Windham and looking for some utensil. When asked about the status of her kitchen, Mrs. Windham replied, "There's nothing in this kitchen that wasn't invented before 1950."

Prior to the service, family and friends gathered for lunch at her home. It is filled with photographs from her long life. They depict her as a young newspaper woman, an adventurist and a wonderful storyteller. Hung on a bookshelf is a photograph of Jeffrey (a shadow of him anyway), the ghost who inspired so many stories in Mrs. Windham's long career including the book, "13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey."
On the day she died, Mrs. Windham had already written out her burial plans, almost like a PowerPoint, Harris joked. She wanted to be buried quickly and with simple ceremony.
Right before the memorial service was to begin, Harris described his last moments with Mrs. Windham.
"I was holding her hand when she died," he said. "OK, let's go celebrate her."

BREAKING NEWS: Pilot Dies in Plane Crash at the Andalusia/Opp Airport

By The Associated Press   ANDALUSIA, Alabama --  WTVY in Dothan confirms a plane has crashed at the South Alabama Regional Airport this evening, killing the pilot.

The station quotes Covington County Chief Deputy David Anderson in reporting the crash three-quarters of a mile from the runway in a densely wooded area
WTVY says the call came to emergency crews at 5 p.m.

Officials investigate Birmingham church fire

By The Associated Press   BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Authorities are investigating a fire that broke out in a Birmingham church.
Firefighters were called to the blaze at First African Missionary Baptist Church in east Birmingham about 8 a.m. Sunday. Battalion Chief C.W. Mardis with the Birmingham Fire Department says about 20 percent of the church was damaged by the fire and there is smoke damage throughout the building.
Mardis said the fire is believed to be an accident but it is still under investigation.
No injuries were reported

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Battalion at Alabama National Guard armory in Dothan to be inactivated

By The Associated Press  
DOTHAN, Alabama — A portion of the Alabama National Guard stationed at the Third Avenue Armory in Dothan is being inactivated and soldiers are being moved to other armories.
The Headquarters Support Company of the 1203rd Engineer Battalion will inactivate formally Aug. 31 as part of an Army-wide reduction of Engineer Battalion headquarters. The 55 soldiers in the battalion will be moved to armories throughout the Southeast.
The Alabama Army National Guard has 183 units with about 11,400 soldiers and 2,300 airmen.
Officials say the Dothan armory will continue to be used for training and be available to the community.
The Dothan unit was established in 1955. It has been deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in the last few years.