Tropical Storm Emily stalls, remains a threat to Hispaniola

All afternoon, Tropical Storm Emily has remained on a westward track with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. In the 8pm EDT update from the National Hurricane Center, the storm was nearly stationary, with no forward movement. The storm gained some thunderstorm activity over its center of circulation throughout the day, but remains sheared to the east. In order for tropical cyclones to intensify (or, continue to exist at all), they need to be vertically stacked and standing straight up in the atmosphere. Emily continues to be tilted east due to 20 knots of westerly wind shear, which is apparent on satellite and also in recent satellite analysis of upper-level circulation.

Emily's tropical storm-force winds extend 115 miles to the north and east of the center, and tropical storm conditions are probably already being felt in Hispaniola. Isolated rainfall amounts of up to 20 inches are expected on the eastern side of the storm. The longer Emily tracks west before making a turn to the northwest, the more likely it is that Haiti will see the heavier rainfall amounts. In any case, Emily is a serious threat for flash flooding and mudslides on the island of Hispaniola and eastern Cuba.


Figure 1. MODIS satellite imagery from earlier today, plotted using NASA's new Rapid Response Web Mapping Service.

Forecast for Tropical Storm Emily
The forecast for Emily remains similar to this morning's update, with a slight shift to the east in track. The National Hurricane Center forecasts that the storm will make landfall in Haiti overnight tonight or early tomorrow as a tropical storm. After that, it will continue on a track to the northwest until Saturday, when it will turn to the northeast and out to sea. This is all assuming Emily makes the turn to the northwest over the next 12 hours.

This afternoon the HWRF and GFDL shifted their forecast track slightly to the east away from the Florida coast. Consensus shifted this way as well, and that change is also present in the official forecast track. As the storm moves north of Hispaniola and Cuba, environmental conditions will become more favorable, and the storm could gain some organization. But this is very hard to predict since Emily hasn't actually made a turn to the northwest, yet. Furthermore, the longer Emily tracks to the west, the more of a threat it becomes to the Florida coast.

Typhoon Muifa a landfall threat for China coast

Typhoon Muifa has sustained winds of 109 mph, with gusts up to 132 mph, and is a category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Muifa's concentric eyewalls are plainly visible on both infrared satellite imagery as well as radar, which is indicative of a mature, intense cyclone undergoing eyewall replacement cycles. Typhoon Muifa is expected to remain a category 2 with winds of at least 104 mph through mid-day Saturday, at which point it is forecast to intensify slightly to a category 3 as it approaches the China coast. As of this afternoon, Muifa is expected to make landfall south of Shanghai, near Zhoushan, Saturday afternoon or evening (local time). In addition to being a serious threat to all of the involved coastal cities, this is a particularly dangerous track for Shanghai and Hangzhou, since near-hurricane-strength winds will be out of the east, pushing water into the surrounding inlets. The forecast landfall location has been trending south along the coast, so it doesn't appear that China will be able to escape a Muifa landfall.


Figure 2. Infrared satellite imagery of Typhoon Muifa from August 3rd.

Dr. Carver will have an update later tonight should there be any interesting changes to Emily or the forecast. I'll be back tomorrow with another post.

• Garrett Allan Maddox, white male, 20 years of age inhales air duster while driving , passes out and crashes

On August 3, 2011 the Dothan Police Department responded to a crash involving a vehicle versus a building. Members of the Traffic Division were requested and responded to handle the case. The investigation revealed that the driver, Garrett Allan Maddox, ingested “Dust Off”, a can of compressed air used to air clean electronic equipment, by huffing the substance. Maddox lost consciousness and ran off the road while traveling on Honeysuckle Road.  The vehicle entered a cemetery and collided with many headstones before exiting the cemetery and crossing South Park Avenue where it ran through a fence enclosing the Stonecreek Landing Subdivision. The vehicle continued and collided with another fence within the community and exited the subdivision.  Maddox’ vehicle then crossed Moore Road and collided with the West Side of Selma Baptist Church, causing substantial damage. The driver was arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Any Substance Which Impairs the Mental or Physical Faculties.

·        Garrett Allan Maddox, white male, 20 years of age, of Brushfire Drive was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence of Any Substance Which Impairs the Mental or Physical Faculties with a $500 bond.

felony arrest following an investigation of a stolen vehicle

On August 2011 the Dothan Police Department made a felony arrest following an investigation of a stolen vehicle. Investigators say Brittney Danzey was arrested and charged with first degree theft for taking a 1995 Chevrolet Impala on July 28, 2011. The vehicle was later located in Dothan where it had been abandoned and the case has now been closed following the arrest.

·        Brittney Nichole Danzey, black female, 25 years of age, of Junaluska Avenue was arrested and charged with First Degree Theft with a $5,000 bond.

Record number of towns join Ala. sales tax holiday

The Birmingham News

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A record number of Alabama communities will participate in a back-to-school sales tax holiday.
Authorities will temporarily stop collecting the 4 percent state sales tax on designated school supplies and clothing from Friday through Sunday. The local sales tax will also be exempted in 272 participating communities, which is five more towns than last year and the most since the program started in 2006.
The Birmingham News reports that one notable exception is cash-strapped Jefferson County, which could become the largest-ever U.S. municipality to declare bankruptcy.
The National Retail Federation estimates that Southern shoppers will spend about $615 per family on back-to-school purchases.
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Information from: The Birmingham News, http://www.birminghamnews.com

Audubon backers papers held in Ala. archives

Montgomery Advertiser

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — John James Audubon's paintings and sketches of birds and mammals made him a legend during his lifetime, and an important link to his 19th-century success story is housed in Montgomery.
They are not Audubon's artifacts, but they do come close in the form of papers and artifacts once owned by his chief financial backer — Edward Harris.
In 1843, Harris accompanied Audubon on the Upper Missouri River expedition and brought back a treasure trove of items secured from Indian tribes along the way.
History professor and author Daniel Patterson provided a special treat for history buffs Thursday when he traced the background of both men, touching on their unique relationship as well as their pioneering contributions to the country.
"Audubon was a man of extreme commitment to his work," said Patterson, who spoke at the state Department of Archives and History. "He was a very passionate man and that was evident by his writings."
Patterson, an English and literature professor at Central Michigan University, said Audubon, who died in 1851 at the age of 65, possessed "incredible energy." He slept only a few hours a night and then continued working throughout the rest of the day.
As Audubon slowly built his reputation, he killed thousands of birds in order to sketch and paint them. Then, he sold his works for $2 or $3 each to help finance his projects, Patterson said.
"He's generally representative of one or two extremes -- either an environmental saint or the bird butcher of the world for all the birds he killed during his career," said Patterson.
Audubon's travels and paintings he derived from them during the first half of the 19th century "probably made him one of the five most popular Americans by the late 1830s," Patterson said.
"There was George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, somebody else and then Audubon," said Patterson. "He had become an international celebrity by that time."
During the Missouri River expedition, Patterson said, Harris did more than just tag along to view the wildlife. He became an active participant and made notes to help him complete his own manuscript of the trip.
"Harris' journal was the second most important eyewitness testimony to everything that happened on this expedition," Patterson said.
Most authors bring along books to sell, but Patterson did more than sign copies for those in the audience. He followed up by offering details about the artifacts that Harris brought back from the trip to the Upper Missouri River.
Archives curator Bob Bradley said the Harris artifacts, which include a bison horn used to hold Harris' gunpowder, are available to view by appointment only. The collection was donated to the state Archives by Harris' descendants.
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Information from: Montgomery Advertiser, http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com

An AP Member Exchange

Police: Officer in deadly wreck was driving 43 mph

WALA-TV

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Mobile police say an officer was driving 43 mph in a 35-mph zone while responding to a report of gunshots when his patrol car collided with two pedestrians, killing one of them and seriously injuring his wife.
Mobile Police Chief Micheal Williams said Officer Richard Brown was responding to a report of shots fired when he hit Michael Bragg and his wife, Mary, as they crossed a street Friday night.
Williams said Brown didn't see the couple until it was too late. He said the police department used the GPS unit in Brown's patrol car to pinpoint his speed.
WALA-TV reports (http://bit.ly/pfSOGT) that Brown remains on paid administrative leave.
Police said the Braggs are from Overland Park, Kan., and were on their way to Florida when they stopped in Mobile.
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Information from: WALA-TV, http://www.fox10tv.com/

AG ANNOUNCES PRISON SENTENCE FOR WOMAN WHO STOLE RETIREMENT SAVINGS FROM HER HOSPTIALIZED MOTHER

(MONTGOMERY)-- Attorney General Luther Strange announced that a woman has been sentenced to serve two years in prison for stealing $130,000 of retirement savings from her hospitalized mother. Debra Davis pleaded guilty October 18, 2010, to first-degree theft, and on July 28, she received a sentence of 10 years imprisonment, of which she was ordered to serve two years with the remainder suspended and followed by three years of supervised probation.

“A jail sentence is fitting for the crime committed by this woman, who raided her mother’s retirement accounts and then gambled away the money her mother had saved and depended upon for the later years of life,” said Attorney General Strange. “This is a tragic betrayal that continues to cause tremendous suffering and loss for the victim.”

In prior hearings, the Attorney General’s Office presented to the Court the facts of the crime: Davis’ mother, Doris Anderson, of Wetumpka, was hospitalized in critical condition in December of 2008 and remained there until March of 2009. Davis obtained power of attorney for her ill mother, and used it to access and to deplete the entire savings in her mother’s retirement accounts.

Sentencing had been set for April 6, but Davis failed to appear and a warrant was issued for her arrest. She surrendered on May 2, and has been incarcerated since then. In addition to her imprisonment, she is ordered to pay $100 a month in restitution.

According to information presented by the Attorney General’s Office at the time of sentencing, after Davis stole the money from her mother, she lost it by gambling. Furthermore, the mother not only is without her retirement savings, but faces a bill for federal taxes on the money that was stolen from her.

Attorney General Strange commended Assistant Attorney General Noel Barnes, chief of his Office of Consumer Protection, for bringing this case to a successful conclusion. He also thanked the Wetumpka Police Department for its investigation of the matter.

Out of prison 1 day on FEMA fraud charges, Clarke County woman commits new fraud

By Associated Press
MOBILE, Alabama — A Clarke County woman responsible for the region’s biggest personal fraud against the Federal Emergency Management Agency following Hurricane Katrina wasted no time committing a new offense when she got out of prison, prosecutors allege.
In fact, according to a federal prosecutor in Mobile, Lawanda Williams set the wheels in motion before she even got out of a halfway house Feb. 11. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Costello said Williams faxed documents to Alabama Power from a work-release job at a Taco Bell in Spanish Fort in preparation for fraudulently obtaining a loan in someone else’s name.
U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade threw the book at Williams today, rejecting the 37-year-old Jackson woman’s explanation that she intended to pay for the $3,000 worth of appliances she bought on credit.
“Frankly, Ms. Williams, I don’t believe your representations,” Granade said before sentencing her to another 2 years in prison, the maximum penalty. “The record from this court and others is that you are a con person and a fraudster. ... You have begun down a path from which there is no going back unless you decide to change.”
The judge also denied a request by Assistant Federal Defender Fred Tiemann to allow Williams to serve the sentence at the same time she serves a 10-year prison term imposed by a Clarke County Circuit Court judge for the same conduct.
According to court records, Williams got out of the halfway house on Feb. 11 and completed the purchase that same day in Jackson of a washer and dryer, a computer and a TV set from Alabama Power. A tip led Alabama Power to reclaim the items on March 4.
Williams admitted that she used the name and personal information of a woman named Tiffany Brooks, whom the defendant met in prison. Tiemann said his client knew she would not qualify for credit in her own name and had the woman’s permission to use hers.
“I wanted the court to be aware that the state is punishing her for the underlying conduct,” Tiemann told the judge.
Costello sought the 2-year maximum, noting that Williams has a string of criminal convictions dating to age 17 and that she has had only 2 months of verified employment in her life — in 1995.
“It’s the only appropriate sentence in this case. Frankly, it’s probably too little,” he said. “She had no intention of paying the money back.”
Williams pleaded guilty in 2006 to federal crimes stemming from her submission of 28 phony applications for assistance following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. FEMA approved 20 of those applications for $277,377.
Granade sentenced her in 2007 to 6 years and 3 months in prison and ordered her to pay back $267,377. The judge also ordered her to surrender 4 automobiles, real estate, televisions, electronics equipment and other items she purchased with the money.
At the request of prosecutors, Granade later chopped 8 months off of Williams’ sentence in recognition of assistance she provided in another case of FEMA fraud.

Birmingham man charged with threatening Pelham church employees

By Associated Press
PELHAM, Alabama -- The Pelham Police Department today obtained a felony warrant against a man police said threatened employees of Pelham First Baptist Church on U.S. 31 Monday morning.
David Poole Henderson, 28, of Birmingham is being sought on a charge of making terrorists threats, said Pelham Lt. Scott Tucker.
Tucker said Henderson entered the church at about 9:30 a.m., claiming to be one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse and threatened people in the church office.
Church employees contacted police as Henderson left in a 2006 blue Chevrolet Silverado, Tucker said.
Based on the vehicle description, a Pelham officer stopped Henderson and saw the suspect had a bow and arrow in his vehicle.
"Henderson was released from the scene as there was no reason to arrest him at the time without further investigation," Tucker said.
After talking with church employees, Pelham detectives obtained the warrant through the Shelby County District Attorney's office.
No arrest has been made, officials said.

Man sentenced to 20 years in 2009 Pelham stabbing death

By Associated Press
PELHAM, Alabama -- A 36-year-old Pelham man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter in the fatal March 10, 2009 stabbing of Wendy Louise Starnes, according to officials with the Shelby County Circuit Court.
 
Juan Ramirez is in the custody of the Shelby County Jail, according to the jail log.
 
Ramirez was charged with murder in the death of Starnes, a 33-year-old Montevallo woman who was slain at a home in the 100 block of Oliver Street in Pelham.
 
Pelham police responded to a medical call at the home and found Starnes dead. Ramirez was hospitalized with injuries. Police have said the stabbing stemmed from a domestic dispute.
 
A jury in June convicted Ramirez of manslaughter

State officials advise schools on immigration law

By Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala.  — Officials say the state's tough new immigration law won't prohibit any child — illegal immigrant or not — from enrolling in Alabama's public schools, and record-keeping requirements shouldn't be a burden for those registering students at local schools.
"It has nothing to do with enrollment," said Tommy Bice, deputy state school superintendent for instructional services.
Bice said the state is sending information to local schools about how to deal with enrolling students in the wake of the new law, which requires public schools to determine students' immigration status and whether they qualify for classes in English as a second language.
The law, which takes effect Sept. 1, faces several court challenges. It also makes it a crime in Alabama to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride and allows police to arrest anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant if they're stopped for any other reason. Alabama employers also are now required to use a federal system called E-Verify to determine if new workers are in the country legally.
State officials had said previously that the measure, which became law in June, was not intended to keep illegal immigrants from enrolling. Opponents say the law could have a chilling effect, for example, discouraging parents living in the United States illegally from enrolling their children — even if the youngsters are citizens.
"There's no doubt about it," said Sam Brooke, an attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center — one of the group's challenging the law. "There can be no question about that."
Brooke said the Department of Justice and the Department of Education sent a joint letter in May to schools across the country cautioning them that it is violation of federal law to inquire about a student's immigration status.
Bice said state officials were focused on being fair to students and local school personnel, as well as following the law.
He said students enrolled before Sept. 1 will not be affected, regardless of whether they are U.S. citizens or illegal immigrants. Those who enroll after that date and don't have a birth certificate can still attend school, he said.
A process has been established for their parents to secure other documentation proving their children's immigration status, he said. A code eventually will be entered in a statewide database of students if the school does not receive that documentation, he said.
Under the new law, state school officials will have to send a report to the Legislature after the school year ends detailing the cost of educating illegal immigrants. The law does not outline how to determine such costs, Bice said. Officials will be working on a way to gather and analyze that information in coming months.
Bice said there initially was a great deal of talk about the law being a burden on schools, but officials do not believe that will be the case. He noted that the vast majority of schools in the state require a birth certificate to prove a child's age before kindergarten.
"This isn't going to be a big shift," said Bice, adding that the new requirements shouldn't "seem that odd to parents."
Brooke agreed that schools can require birth certificates for questions of age and residency but contended that it is illegal to use them to determine immigration status.
"You can't be asking about immigration status for any reason," he said.

Closing arguments set in Alabama gambling trial

By Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala.  — Attorneys in Alabama's gambling corruption trial begin their closing arguments Wednesday, with defense lawyers contending that prosecutors have failed to back up their claims that state government officials were caught up in a bribery scheme "astonishing in scope."
The trial, now in its ninth week, will have two days devoted to closing arguments. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson has given prosecutors five hours and defense attorneys 10 hours to make their final pitches before jurors begin deliberations, most likely on Friday.
Federal prosecutors aren't commenting, but defense attorneys said they will argue that the government hasn't backed up its bold claims about rampant corruption.
"Some of the overt acts the government said it would prove, it did not prove. They did not offer any evidence whatsoever," said Lewis Gillis, attorney for Democratic Sen. Quinton Ross of Montgomery.
Ross is one of the nine defendants who were arrested in October and accused of using campaign contributions to buy and sell votes for pro-gambling legislation. Prosecutors said casino owners and their lobbyists offered millions to legislators in campaign contributions if they would vote for legislation to thwart Republican Gov. Bob Riley's efforts to shut down electronic bingo casinos.
On the day of the arrests, the chief of the Justice Department's criminal division, Lanny Breuer, said the corrupt scheming was "astonishing in scope ... a full-scale campaign to bribe legislators and others."
On trial with Ross are VictoryLand casino owner Milton McGregor; two of his lobbyists, Tom Coker and Bob Geddie; independent Sen. Harri Anne Smith of Slocomb; former Democratic Sen. Larry Means of Attalla; former Republican Sen. Jim Preuitt of Talladega; former legislative employee Ray Crosby; and former Country Crossing casino spokesman Jay Walker.
Before the case went to trial, Country Crossing casino developer Ronnie Gilley and two of his lobbyists, Jarrod Massey and Jennifer Pouncy, pleaded guilty. During the trial, the three testified about offering $2 million in campaign help to Preuitt, providing $500,000 in contributions to Smith, and receiving demands from Means and Ross for contributions as a vote on the legislation neared.
Prosecutors reinforced the testimony with wiretapped phone calls and secret recordings made by three Republican legislators helping the FBI.
Those recordings sometimes worked to both sides' benefit. In one recording, state Sen. Scott Beason of Gardendale was wearing a recording device for the FBI when he talked with fellow Republican legislators about keeping the gambling legislation from being put before Alabama voters in the November 2010 election because it could bring out more black voters and hurt GOP candidates' chances. In the meeting, Beason referred to customers of a casino in a predominantly black county as "aborigines."
The Senate passed the gambling bill on March 30, 2010. Two days later, the FBI announced its investigation of Statehouse corruption, and the gambling bill died in the House without ever coming to a vote.
FBI agent George Glaser testified in the trial that the FBI took the unusual step of announcing an investigation because Justice Department officials felt they couldn't allow "potentially tainted legislation to progress through the Alabama Legislature."
Walker's attorney, Susan James, said she expects defense attorneys' closing arguments will recall Beason's tape and Glaser's testimony and then use that to question the federal government's motive. She said that if the FBI really wanted to uncover corruption rather than simply kill the bill, it could have waited for the House to act and then cast a bigger net that covered both houses of the Legislature.
"You can't remove politics from this case," she said.
Defense attorneys were so confident about their case that they presented only one witness before resting Friday.
McGregor's attorney, Joe Espy, said the government's testimony showed that McGregor followed the long-standing political practice of giving donations to officeholders who shared his political views on gambling. "There wasn't one thing wrong with it," Espy said.
The trial has been the biggest government corruption case in Alabama since former Gov. Don Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy were convicted in a bribery scandal in 2006.
Siegelman attorney Vince Kilborn said defense attorneys must get jurors to focus on parts of the case they have doubts about and stress that prosecutors haven't proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
"It's real simple — reasonable doubt, reasonable doubt, reasonable doubt. It's in the Constitution. Jurors take it to heart when you emphasize that," he said.
No matter how the trial turns out, it won't change the fact that McGregor's casino in Shorter is closed. Gilley's casino in Dothan reopened last month under new management and with a new name, Center Stage. Its flashing Vegas-style games have been replaced by games played on plain computer screens without flashing lights. Its future is in doubt because the state attorney general has sent the operators a letter to cease using the machines, which is the first step toward trying to close them

Greenhill man killed his estranged wife and shot another man several times before killing himself.

 By Associated Press
FLORENCE, Ala. — Lauderdale County authorities say a Greenhill man killed his estranged wife and shot another man several times before killing himself.
The TimesDaily reports (http://bit.ly/oO6D2k ) that Sheriff Ronnie Willis says the bodies of 34-year-old Sonja Faith Poss and her husband, 39-year-old Robert Jason Poss, were found on Monday in the living room of her home on U.S. 43.
Willis says both had been shot once and were pronounced dead by coroner Andy High.
Officials say 36-year-old Mitchell Hopper of Florence, who was at the residence, was flown to Decatur General Hospital where he received treatment for multiple gunshot wounds

FBI: Muslim GI Found With Bomb Makings Near Ft. Hood

By Associated Press
An AWOL Soldier who was granted conscientious objector status is facing federal charges in connection with bomb-making materials found in his motel room near Fort Hood, Texas, where a radicalized Muslim Army major killed 13 and wounded 32 nearly two years ago.

Pfc. Naser Abdo, 21, was arrested Wednesday at a hotel where he was staying. Abdo had gone AWOL on July 4 from Fort Campbell, Ky., where he was facing charges of possessing child pornography, according to reports.
FBI spokesman Erik Vasys told The Associated Press today that Abdo will be charged with possessing bomb-making components.

"I would emphasize that any threat that Abdo posed is now over," he told the AP. "Suffice it to say we're looking into all aspects of Mr. Abdo's life to determine his motivations and intentions."
According to various reports, Killeen police arrested Abdo after receiving a call from a local gun shop owner who was suspicious of a man asking about .40-caliber ammunition, bought three boxes of 12-gauge ammo and a magazine for a pistol.
CNN reported the customer then took a cab to a surplus store and allegedly bought a military uniform.
Fort Hood on Nov. 5, 2009, was the site of carnage after Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire on a room full of Soldiers at the post. Witnesses say Hasan shouted “Alahu Akbar!” just before he drew a semi-automatic pistol and began firing. Hasan wounded one civilian police officer responding to the attack but was stopped when a second officer shot him five times, paralyzing him from the chest down, according to witnesses.
Hasan was arraigned only last week on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 of attempted murder.
Abdo first made news about a year ago when he applied for conscientious objector status, reportedly to avoid deploying to Afghanistan. Already in the Army a year by then, he claimed that his military experience taught him that “no Muslim should serve in the U.S. Military.”

In an interview with ABC News last August, he claimed he entered the Army believing he would be protecting Islamic freedoms in Iraq and Afghanistan; that would make him a good Muslim, he said.
But he found was losing touch with his Muslim community and questioned if he was ready to die.
“I came to the conclusion that I wasn't ready to die and meet God,” he said.
He was granted conscientious objector status ultimately, but the Army also recommended he be discharged. His separation from the Army was delayed, according to reports, because he was being charged with possessing child porn.

Lanett child's death ruled an accidental drowning

By Associated Press

Police and emergency personnel responded to what has been ruled an accidental drowning at a Lanett residence Saturday, according to a Lanett Police Department release.

Once on the scene, emergency workers discovered a 3-year-old who had been pulled from a swimming pool at the residence.

The child, identified as Dallas Teague, was taken to Lanier Hospital in Valley, where the child was later pronounced dead, according to information provided by the Lanett Police Department.

No additional details were available as of press time Monday.

OZARK POLICE DEPARTMENT DAILY CRIME BULLETIN – Tuesday, August 2, 2011

AUGUST 1, 2011 – MONDAY:
@  8:43 am.  Domestic Violence 2nd. Washington Ave. Suspect (Jo Ann Ramsey Clark) stated she cut her
husband in the abdomen after an argument. Victim (Calvin Clark) was in the bed suffering with diabetic
problems. Victim had multiple cuts over his entire body.  

@  9:30 am. Harassment. Hull St. Victim (Alvin Thomas) stated suspect (Tammy Cooper) entered Quick
Service Cab office and started to unplug victim’s equipment from the electrical outlets.

 
@ 12:44 pm. Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. Hull St. Victim (Geneice Jackson) stated suspect (Charles
James Whitfield) took her vehicle during a domestic argument and was planning to leave the state. 

@  6:21 pm. Harassing Communications. Yancey St. Victim (Lovely B. Smedley) reported suspect (Megan
Childress) repeatedly send text and calls the victim threatening bodily harm.

 
@ 10:15 pm. Menacing/Criminal Mischief 3rd. Hull St. Victim (Arthur Lee Griffin) stated suspect (Mary
Williams) threatened him with pepper spray and damaged the paint on his vehicle with an unknown
object. 

ARRESTS:
Amanda Kay Hughes – Failure to Appear (3). 883 S. Hwy 123. 21 YOA.

UPDATED: 10:15 am EDT, August 2, 2011 Emily's track has turned

click on photos to enlarge.

Emily remains a weak and fairly disorganized tropical storm this morning. Although there are some very cold cloud tops seen on IR satellite imagery, the inner core of the storm is not very well defined. Until and unless this changes for the better for Emily, it will not strengthen much. This won't matter too much for Hispaniola where a lot of rain is going to fall. Flash floods and mudslides are a near certainty as the storm drops several inches of rain on the region. Also consider the orographic lift of the mountains. They will act to squeeze out the moisture and enhance the tropical rains leading to excessive amounts in the end. Of course, Haiti is still dealing with the terrible earthquake from last year and will need to take measures to mitigate effects to life and property in this fragile nation. The faster Emily can move in and out, the better. So far, it looks as though it will be a quick passage with no stall or major slow down anticipated.

Of course the rugged terrain will also take a bite out of Emily as its circulation will become disrupted to some extent. How much so depends on how well organized it is in the first place. A weak, disorganized storm cannot get much more weak where as a stronger, well developed storm or hurricane would suffer more and have more energy to lose. We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out but Emily is not expected to be much of a storm once it passes over Hispaniola.

The track has changed which is always expected. Now it looks as though Florida will not have to deal with direct effects from Emily. There will be an increase in waves and rough surf once Emily crosses Hispaniola. In fact, if the forecast models verify and Emily turns away from the coast, missing completely, I assure you there will still be a dangerous surf issue to deal with all across the Southeast. It is too soon to know if Emily will ever make landfall along the U.S. mainland but it could be close. Let's first see if the storm survives its trip out of the Caribbean over the next couple of days. We will post updates this evening.

Dothan Police Department responded to an armed robbery at Citgo, 814 South Oates Street

UPDATE: AUG 2,2011

We have had issues with the video from Citgo. Technicians with DPD and WTVY have worked with us to try and open the file but unfortunately there is a problem that is preventing us from running it. Investigators returned to the store and were able to capture 2 still photographs of the suspect which are actually pretty good

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

On July 31, 2011 the Dothan Police Department responded to an armed robbery at Citgo, 814 South Oates Street. Upon arrival, police learned a black male wearing a red Alabama baseball cap, gray tee shirt, blue shoes and blue jeans entered the store armed with a handgun. The suspect demanded and received U. S. Currency before fleeing on foot. 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.






Gregory J. Benton
Chief of Police

Alabama Settles Parents’ Lawsuit Over Prepaid-Tuition Plan

Parents who bought contracts in Alabama’s Prepaid Affordable College Tuition program have settled a lawsuit they filed against the state after the program began running out of money, according to the Associated Press. Under the terms of the agreement, approved Wednesday by a state judge, the program will pay state-college tuition at the fall 2010 rate, with students and their families covering anything above that level. Last year the Alabama Legislature agreed to provide $547.6-million to keep the program afloat, but that wasn’t enough to fulfill all its obligations. “You can’t get blood out of a turnip,” a lawyer for the parents said. “This settlement at least got the turnip.”

Study: Small changes could prevent twister damage

Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A new study of tornado destruction in Tuscaloosa found that relatively minor changes in construction — things like better shingles, more anchors and thicker vinyl siding — could have prevented much of the damage to houses on the fringes of the twister.
Researchers said nothing could have saved structures that were in the direct path of the EF-4 tornado, which skirted the University of Alabama campus with winds up to 190 mph on its way through the city. Forecasters said it was one of the strongest twisters to hit the state during the severe weather outbreak that killed more than 240 people statewide on April 27.
"The winds are so high that a wood-frame structure is not going to withstand them. In those cases, you need a safe room," said researcher Andy Graettinger of the University of Alabama. "But the vast majority of the area (experienced) lower wind speeds that you can engineer for. You need to have the roof tied to the walls and the walls tied to the foundation to prevent major damage."
Homeowners on the fringes of the tornado would have been spared at least some damage with different construction methods or improvements to existing homes, Graettinger said. In some cases, he said, homes could have been saved from catastrophic damage by metal clips or straps that cost about $1 each.
"You're looking at a few thousand dollars for these clips that hold everything together," Graettinger said in an interview Friday. "It's a very small amount compared to the cost of the house."
The final report is being released Monday. The Associated Press obtained a copy in advance.
A research team funded by the National Science Foundation assessed more than 150 homes along the nearly six-mile path of the tornado in Tuscaloosa, looking at everything from homes that were leveled to those that weren't damaged at all.
The most serious damage was at the center of the path of destruction, where the swirling winds were strongest and the most debris flew through the air. Homes on the edges of the storm received far less damage because the storm was weaker on its edges, and the team focused on how to reduce damage in that zone.
Researchers found that basic changes like using wind-rated shingles; additional anchors at the bottom of porch columns; metal straps to link roofs with walls; and higher-quality vinyl siding could have made a huge difference in how well some homes survived the storm.
"We would have saved a lot of rebuilding cost if that had been done," said Graettinger, who worked with Alabama engineering professor John W. van de Lindt and other researchers on the project.
Researchers didn't determine how much the needed changes would add to the cost of a new home, or the cost of retrofitting existing homes to make them stronger. But they hope the findings will lead to better construction techniques in tornado-prone areas, much as coastal areas have adapted building codes and methods to help structures withstand hurricanes.

Albertville woman accused of stealing from graves

The Sand Mountain Reporter

ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (AP) — An unemployed Albertville woman has been accused of stealing bronze vases from graves and selling them to a local scrapyard.
Assistant Police Chief Jamie Smith says 30-year-old Laura McDill has been charged with theft of property and desecration of a burial ground. Her bond was set at $60,000. A phone listing for McDill could not be located.
Smith told The Sand Mountain Reporter that 11 urns were reported stolen from Marshall Memorial Gardens on July 18.
An officer who pulled over McDill for a traffic stop noticed an urn in her vehicle. Smith says that McDill confessed to stealing the urns and selling them to a scrapyard for $79 each. Detectives were able to recover those urns, but Smith says that more have gone missing.
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Information from: The Sand Mountain Reporter, http://www.sandmountainreporter.com/

FEMA: Ala. tornado debris mostly removed

Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Federal officials say more than 90 percent of the millions of cubic yards of debris left by the April 27 tornadoes have been removed.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday that the storms left more than 10 million cubic yards of debris.
FEMA says an effort by volunteers and local, state and federal agencies has gotten rid of the great majority of the debris.
FEMA says that to date, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has hauled away more than 4.7 million cubic yards of right-of-way, waterway and private property debris and deposited it in landfills. Private contractors and crews in counties and cities have removed an additional 4.3 million cubic yards.

Ex-lawmaker facing charges fired from school pos

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Wilcox County Board of Education has voted to fire former state Rep. James Thomas from his job as principal of Wilcox Central High School in Camden. Thomas faces criminal charges that he sexually abused a 17-year-old student.
Wilcox Superintendent Rosa Ashmon said Friday the board voted to begin the legal process of firing Thomas. She said his pay would stop once the process is complete.
School board member Darryl Perryman said through a private Facebook message that the board voted Monday to fire Thomas. He said the action was taken during a specially called meeting of the school board.
On Tuesday, Wilcox County District Attorney Michael Jackson said Thomas had been indicted by the county grand jury on the felony charge of third-degree sex abuse and the misdemeanor charge of having sex with a student under 19.
Thomas has been on paid leave from his principal's job since he was charged in November with abusing a student.
He is free on bond. His bond was raised from $15,000 to $45,000 in December after he was accused of violating the terms of his bond, which prohibited him from attending Wilcox Central school events. He was accused of violating the court orders by attending Wilcox Central basketball games in Hayneville and Selma. Thomas said he misunderstood the court's original order and thought it was okay for him to attend road games.
Thomas' attorney, Lewis Gillis, said Friday he was considering taking action to get Thomas' job back. Gillis said he would meet with Thomas and discuss options for fighting his dismissal and the indictment. Thomas said earlier this week that he was expecting the grand jury indictment and expected to be found innocent when the case goes to trial.
Jackson said an arraignment for Thomas would be held in several months.
Thomas served for 28 years in the House, representing Autauga, Dallas, Lowndes and Wilcox counties in the economically disadvantaged Black Belt region in southwest Alabama.
The Alabama Legislature this year passed a bill streamlining Alabama's teacher tenure law to make it easier for schools to fire teachers and other school employees.
Republican House Speaker Mike Hubbard said situations like the one involving Thomas are why the new tenure law was passed. He encouraged Wilcox school officials to take action to remove Thomas from the payroll.
"Considering the new flexibility school systems now have, it would be a shame for them to not use it when it's needed the most," Hubbard said.

Ala moving investments in case of debt limit bust

Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The state is moving some of its investment funds to cash to guard against possible losses should Congress and the White House fail to reach agreement on an extension of the debt ceiling, the governor's office said Friday.
Jennifer Ardis, a spokeswoman for Gov. Robert Bentley, said department heads also had been asked to move as quickly as possible to bring in any federal funding their agencies may be due. They also were told to prioritize payments to protect the "most essential government services" in case federal funds stop flowing from Washington to Montgomery, Ardis said.
"The state is closely monitoring the debt limit issue in Washington and is developing a contingency plan in case the debt limit is not raised," she said.
Some analysts are predicting a sharp downturn in markets if the federal government fails to raise the debt ceiling, leading to a potential default and downgrade of the nation's credit rating. That could hurt investments and increase costs for cities and counties that go to the bond market to borrow money.
David Bronner oversees an investment portfolio worth more than $27 billion as CEO of the state's pension fund, the Retirement Systems of Alabama, but he said there's little he can do but watch and wait to see what happens with the debt ceiling debate in Washington.
About 61 percent of the pension fund's investments are in stock, and even a 10 percent drop in the stock market could cost more than $1.5 billion on paper. But unlike a small investor who could cash out, purchase short-term securities or buy gold that's already high-priced, Bronner said the pension fund must wait out the debt ceiling debate in Congress and see what happens.
"There's nothing you can really do of substance unless you want to take a bunch of derivatives," Bronner, the longtime chief executive of the fund, said in an interview. "The problem with that is that if you guess wrong you can get your head handed to you, too."
State Treasurer Young Boozer said officials have been monitoring the situation in his office, which manages state investments. Boozer, a first-term Republican, said the biggest potential impact is on the investments his staff oversees, but he is hopeful.
"We don't think it's going to have a significant impact on us," Boozer said.
Gov. Robert Bentley's press secretary, Jennifer Ardis, said the administration was preparing a contingency plan in case the debt limit is not raised. With the deadline approaching Tuesday, the state's plan was not far enough along to discuss specifics, she said.
The debate is being watched particularly closely in Huntsville, where about half the economy is tied to the Army or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at Redstone Arsenal. Mayor Tommy Battle and Finance Director Randy Taylor said the city could suffer through credit downgrades and a decline in tax revenues should government operations slow down or grind to a halt, but the effects wouldn't be immediate.
"The worst-case effect is a trickle-down effect, and it will take a while for it to trickle down from Washington to Huntsville," said Battle.
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AP reporter Jim Van Anglen in Montgomery contributed to this report

Gambling trial near end as defense calls 1 witness

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The federal gambling corruption trial of Alabama casino owner Milton McGregor and eight others neared its end when defense attorneys made a surprise decision Friday to rest their cases after calling just one witness and the trial judge gave jurors stern instructions that some say may have been inspired by another high profile Alabama trial.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson scheduled closing arguments to begin Wednesday. Defense attorneys said resting their cases was a gamble, but said they thought the government did not prove its cases and one attorney expressed concerns that jurors were ready for the case to wrap up.
The defendants include McGregor, four current or former state senators, two lobbyists, a legislative employee and a former spokesman for the Country Crossing casino. They are accused of buying and selling votes on a proposed constitutional amendment in the Alabama Legislature in 2010 to legalize electronic bingo games at some locations in Alabama.
Before sending jurors home Friday for what would be a long break before returning on Wednesday, Thompson told them they would be sequestered in a hotel for the remainder or the trial, beginning Wednesday, and would have no contact with the public. He told the jurors not to discuss the case with each other and to avoid websites or blogs.
Several attorneys felt that instruction was at least partly inspired by the 2006 federal trial of former Gov. Don Siegelman and former HealthSouth chief executive Richard Scrushy, who were convicted of bribery. In that case, Siegelman was accused of appointing Scrushy to an important hospital regulatory board in exchange for Scrushy arranging $500,000 in contributions to Siegelman's campaign for a lottery.
Siegelman and Scrushy partly based their appeals on claims that jurors discussed the case through emails and did research on the Internet.
Attorney Susan James, who represents indicted former Country Crossing casino spokesman Jay Walker, said she believes the Siegelman case "could have influenced" the judge's warning to jurors. James, who represented Siegelman in the sentencing phase of his trial, said instructions about using email and the Internet have become common since the Siegelman trial.
Attorney Joe Espy, representing McGregor, said he thought the Internet instructions were a reminder of the Siegelman case, but that the decision to sequester jurors during closing arguments and deliberations was something judges have to consider "in any big case."
Lewis Gillis, the attorney for indicted Democratic Sen. Quinton Ross of Montgomery, answered "yes," when asked if the Siegelman case influenced the judge's instructions to jurors.
"I'm sure it had something to do with it," he said.
Jim Parkman, attorney for indicted independent Sen. Harri Anne Smith of Dothan said the Siegelman trial was a learning experience on dealing with juries in the age of the Internet.
"We learned a lesson about texting and things like that," said Parkman.
Parkman said he had been looking forward to putting on a defense and that Smith had been anxious to testify. But he said he thought there was no evidence that his client had done anything wrong and he said he feared jurors were getting tired as the trial approaches its third month. He cited an incident on Monday when testimony ended at about 3 p.m. and some jurors cheered when Thompson told them they would be going home early.
"When I saw that reaction it told me they have had enough," Parkman said.
Prosecutors have declined to talk to reporters during the trial.
Espy said he met with McGregor and members of McGregor's family before deciding to rest.
McGregor's defense team felt that government had not proven that there were bribes offered and "we could not see going any further," Espy said.
Much of the case was based on telephone wiretaps and recordings of conversations defendants had with three legislators who wore taping equipment.
Attorneys said they expect closing arguments to last as long as two days. The judge will then give the jurors instructions on law — which could be lengthy because of the complex case that involves a 39-count indictment. Attorneys indicated jurors could begin deliberations sometime Friday.

Ozark Police looking for WHite SUV with Michael Jordan Sticker on back

There has been many fights break out in ozark and Activity at the Quality Inn, Ozark Police is now looking for a white SUV from Dothan, that has a Michael Jordan Sticker on back. Ozark Police believes that this person is involved with all the fights and issues at the quality inn.

Shots fired on ROSS DRIVE

Ozark Police is enroute to ROSS DRIVE in Ozark , Multiple 911 calls received  that shots has been fired one possible injury.

Ozark police responds to QUALITY INN SHOTS FIRED !

Sat July 30 11:45 pm Ozark Police responded to Quality inn  to a fight that end in shots fired. Ozark Police is on scene , parking lot has been cleared. police is on foot. we will keep you posted as we are informed.