Who has been bad on Aug 23rd in ozark, al

AUGUST 23, 2011 –TUESDAY:

@ 1:28 am. Criminal Trespass 3

rd. Pine Ave. Victim (Allison Davis) stated she heard the suspect (Curtis W. Williams) yelling in her back yard. Victim stated she had told the suspect to stay away from her residence. 

 

@ 9:09 am. Criminal Trespass 2nd/Criminal Mischief 3rd. Ozark Building Supply. Complainant (Tara Baker, BB&T) stated an unknown suspect busted the front door of Ozark Building Supply and entered without permission.  

@ 11:42 am. Harassing Communications. Highland Ave. Victim (Jimmy O. Gray) stated a black male (known as “Sushi”) sent him a text threatening him and his wife with bodily harm. 

 

@ 10:59 am. Harassing Communications/Criminal Trespass 3rd. Hwy 105. Victim (Danna Thompson) stated suspect (Sabrina T. Jordan) was banging on her door. Suspect told victim to get her boyfriend. Victim refused and told suspect to leave. As victim tried to close the door, suspect began pushing on the door, trying to gain entry.  

@ 5:15 pm. Violation of Family Violence Protection Order. N. Union Ave. Victim (Linda J. Wood) stated since the protection order was issued, suspect (Jay Dell Wood) has continuously contacted her and her son by phone and text.  Suspect has also been to her son’s school on a couple of separate occasions. 

 

@ 6:00 pm. Theft of Property 3rd.  Wal-Mart. Complainant (Sky Johnson) stated suspect (Latanya Fuller) ran out of the store with a bag containing merchandise that had not been paid for by the suspect.  

@ 9:07 pm. Burglary 3rd/Theft of Property 2nd. E. College St. Victim (Dorothy T. Reece) stated an unknown suspect entered her residence by unknown means and removed several pieces of jewelry.

 

@ 10:30 am. Unlawful B & E of Vehicle/Theft of Property 2nd. N. Union Ave. Victim (Shelby N. Horne) stated an unknown suspect gained entry into her vehicle and removed her wallet.  

ARRESTS:

Kenneth Jerome Green – Disorderly Conduct. 1010 Harris Rd. 20 YOA.

Kenneth Jerome Green – Probation Violation. 1010 Harris Rd. 20 YOA. 

Robert Lee Spargue – Failure to Appear. 330 Ryan Dr. 28 YOA.

Deepwater trouble on the horizon: oil discovered floating near source of Gulf of Mexico spill

Enlarge Press-Register staff Oil bubbles to the surface of the Gulf of Mexico within one mile northeast of BP's Macondo well on August 23, 2011.

MOBILE, Alabama -- Oil is once again fouling the Gulf of Mexico around the Deepwater Horizon well, which was capped a little over a year ago.
Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of small, circular patches of oily sheen dotted the surface within a mile of the wellhead. With just a bare sheen present over about a quarter-mile, the scene was a far cry from the massive slick that covered the Gulf last summer.
Floating in a boat near the well site, Press-Register reporters watched blobs of oil rise to the surface and bloom into iridescent yellow patches. Those patches quickly expanded into rainbow sheens 4 to 5 feet across.
Each expanding bloom released a pronounced and pungent petroleum smell. Most of the oil was located in a patch about 50 yards wide and a quarter of a mile long.
The source of the oil was unclear, but a chemical analysis by Louisiana State University scientists confirmed that it was a sweet Louisiana crude, and could possibly be from BP PLC’s well.
The oil could be flowing from a natural seep on the seafloor near the wellhead, experts said. Other possibilities include oil trapped within the wreckage of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, or oil deposited on the bottom during the spill that is slowly working its way to the surface.
The most troubling possibility, according to petroleum engineers, is that oil is leaking up through the seafloor surrounding the sealed well pipe.
Last week, in response to Internet postings by lawyers and environmental groups describing a leak, BP issued a blanket denial, stating, “None of this is true.”
Subsequently, the Gulf Restoration Network and Bonny Schumaker with On Wings of Care took aerial photographs of circles of oil floating in the area Friday. The group filed a report with the National Response Center, the federal clearinghouse for pollution incidents.

 

Oil emerges in Gulf near Deepwater Horizon well In this video shot near the site of the Deepwater Horizon accident, globs of oil are seen blooming on the Gulf surface in iridescent yellow circles. Chemical analysis of the Press-Register's samples by LSU scientists found that the oil could be from the BP well, but results were not conclusive. BP meanwhile said no oil was present when the company flew over the area Saturday. 

“We stand by what we said last week, neither BP nor the Coast Guard has seen any scientific evidence that oil is leaking from the Macondo well, which was permanently sealed almost a year ago,” BP spokesman Justin Saia wrote in an emailed statement Wednesday. “We welcome the opportunity to test any hydrocarbon sheens detected in the area of the well.”
U.S. Coast Guard officials said Wednesday that the earlier reports were investigated by flying over the site.
The Coast Guard determined that the reported sheens resulted from “natural seeps” and permitted pollution releases at other oil drilling sites. Coast Guard officials did not elaborate when asked how those determinations were made, and said that no boats had visited the well location since the reports were filed.
“I think the primary source with high probability is associated with the Macondo well,” said Robert Bea, an internationally prominent petroleum engineer and professor emeritus at the Berkeley campus of the University of California. Bea responded to Press-Register questions via email after examining photographs taken by the newspaper.
“Perhaps connections that developed between the well annulus (outside the casing), the reservoir sands about 17,000 feet below the seafloor, and the natural seep fault features” could provide a pathway for oil to move from deep underground to the seafloor, Bea said.
“Looks suspicious. The point of surfacing about 1 mile from the well is about the point that the oil should show up, given the seafloor at 5,000 feet ... natural circulation currents would cause the drift,” Bea said. “A Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) could be used to ‘back track’ the oil that is rising to the surface to determine the source. This should be a first order of business to confirm the source.”
Oil analysis 
Samples collected by the newspaper Tuesday were provided to Scott Miles, a chemist at LSU. Together with oil chemist Ed Overton, Miles conducted the chemical analysis that federal officials used to fingerprint the Deepwater Horizon oil — known as MC252.
“Looking at the fingerprinting, the samples were low concentration, so it is not giving a real good picture. It is possible it could be MC252. It’s south Louisiana crude for sure,” said Miles. “You can’t say 100 percent that it is from the spill itself, but they do need to get somebody out there to investigate further.”
Miles said he could smell the oil in the samples as soon as he opened the jars.
“The fact that it is right over the Macondo well site is pretty tantalizing,” said Overton, who was one of the first people contacted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after the spill began in April 2010.
“There is no way to say for sure whether the well is leaking, based on what is on the surface,” he said. “Of course it is suspicious.”
Overton noted that a number of natural seeps had been found within 12 miles of the well, and that those nearest the well would bear a similar chemical signature.
Phillip Johnson, author of the Standard Handbook of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering and a professor at the University of Alabama, said that photographs from the site were intriguing, but it appeared that a fairly small amount of oil was reaching the surface.
“There are two broad categories you would consider. One is leakage, and two is residual oil. I’d say leakage is pretty unlikely. That would imply that the seal on that well — which is about 5,000 feet of cement — failed. That’s unlikely,” Johnson said. “Then you think of residual oil that might be present in the 5,000 feet of riser pipe that wound up on the bottom. Large amounts of the platform ended up on the bottom. Those things could have oil in them that is slowly working its way to the high points and floating out.”
Riser pipe connected the well to the Deepwater Horizon rig on the surface. Neither the pipe nor the rig has been salvaged.
Johnson also suggested that heavier fractions of oil may have settled to the bottom during the spill. Over time, as bacteria degrade oil on the seafloor, the lighter fractions might be released and float to the surface, he said.
The Press-Register reporters located the area where the oil was rising to the surface by going to a point directly over the Macondo well and then moving in the direction of the prevailing surface current. The first blobs of oil seen on the surface were detected about a half-mile from the well. The frequency of the sightings increased gradually over the next half-mile.
In the Olympic swimming pool-sized area where the oil was rising most frequently, new sheens were erupting every few seconds on all sides of the 36-foot boat.
Marcus Kennedy, who piloted his fishing boat, the Kwazar, 115 miles from Dauphin Island to the well site, said he was stunned by the heavy petroleum scent in the air. A nearby data buoy recorded winds of less than 2 mph at the time.
Mahi-mahi and blue runners were schooling in the area. In the distance, yellowfin and blackfin tuna could be seen churning the water to a froth as they attacked bait. A 40-foot whale shark also surfaced in the area.

Irene an extremely dangerous storm surge threat to the mid-Atlantic and New England

Figure 1. The scene in Nassau in the Bahamas at daybreak today. Image credit: Wunderblogger Mike Theiss.

Irene a Category 3 over the Bahamas, headed northwest
Hurricane Irene tore through the Bahama Islands overnight, bringing hurricane-force winds, torrential rains, and storm surge flooding to Crooked Island, Long Island, Rum Cay, and Cat Island, which all took a terrific pounding. Eleuthera and Abaco Island will receive the full force of Irene's eyewall today, but the eyewall will miss capital of Nassau. Winds there were sustained at 41 mph, gusting to 66 mph so far this morning, and I expect these winds will rise to 50 - 55 mph later today. Wunderblogger MIke Theiss is in Nassau, and will be sending live updates through the day today. Winds on Grand Bahama Island in Freeport will rise above tropical storm force late Thursday morning, and increase to a peak of 45 - 55 mph late Thursday afternoon. Grand Bahama will also miss the brunt of the storm. Irene is visible on Miami long-range radar, and the outer bands of the hurricane are bringing rain to Southeast Florida this morning.

Irene is currently undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle, where the inner eyewall collapses, and a new outer eyewall forms from a spiral band. During this process, the hurricane may weaken slightly, and it may take the rest of today for a new eyewall to fully form. Satellite imagery shows a lopsided pattern to Irene, with less cloud cover on the storm's southwest side. This is due to upper level winds from the southwest creating about 10 - 20 knots of wind shear along the storm's southwest side. We can hope that the shear will be strong enough to inject some dry air into the core of Irene and significantly weaken it today, but I put the odds of that happening at only 10%. The most likely scenario is that Irene will complete its eyewall replacement cycle later today or on Friday, then begin intensifying again. Wind shear is expected to stay moderate, 10 - 20 knots, for the next three days, ocean temperatures are a very warm 29°C, and Irene has an upper-level high pressure system on top of it, to aid upper-level outflow. None of our intensity forecast models show Irene growing to Category 4 strength, though the last 4 runs of the ECMWF global model--our best model for forecasting track--have intensified Irene to a Category 4 hurricane with a 912 - 920 mb pressure as it crosses over Eastern North Carolina.

Track forecast for Irene
The models have edged their tracks westwards in the last cycle of runs, and there are no longer any models suggesting that Irene will miss hitting the U.S. The threat to eastern North Carolina has increased, with several of our top models now suggesting a landfall slightly west of the Outer Banks is likely, near Morehead City. After making landfall on the North Carolina coast Saturday afternoon or evening, Irene is likely to continue almost due north, bringing hurricane conditions to the entire mid-Atlantic coast, from North Carolina to Long Island, New York. This makes for a difficult forecast, since a slight change in Irene's track will make a huge difference in where hurricane conditions will be felt. If Irene stays inland over eastern North Carolina, like the ECMWF and GFDL models are predicting, this will knock down the storm's strength enough so that it may no longer be a hurricane once it reaches New Jersey. On the other hand, if Irene grazes the Outer Banks and continues northwards into New Jersey, like the GFS model is predicting, this could easily be a Category 2 hurricane for New Jersey and Category 1 hurricane for New York City. A more easterly track into Long Island would likely mean a Category 2 landfall there.

Category 2 landfalls may not sound that significant, since Hurricane Bob of 1991 made landfall over Rhode Island as a Category 2, and did only $1.5 billion in damage (1991 dollars), killing 17. But Irene is a far larger and more dangerous storm than Bob. The latest wind analysis from NOAA/HRD puts Irene's storm surge danger at 4.8 on a scale of 0 to 6, equivalent to a borderline Category 3 or 4 hurricane's storm surge. Bob had a much lower surge potential, due to its smaller size, and the fact it was moving at 32 mph when it hit land. Irene will be moving much slower, near 18 mph, which will give it more time to pile up a big storm surge. The slower motion also means Irene's surge will last longer, and be more likely to be around during high tide. Sunday is a new moon, and tides will be at their highest levels of the month during Sunday night's high tide cycle. Tides at The Battery in New York City (Figure 3) will be a full foot higher than they were during the middle of August. Irene will expand in size as it heads north, and we should expect its storm surge to be one full Saffir-Simpson Category higher than the winds would suggest.


Figure 2. Predicted tides for the south shore of New York City's Manhattan Island at The Battery for Sunday, August 28 and Monday, August 29. High tide is near 8pm EDT Sunday night. Tidal range between low and high tide is 6 feet on Sunday, the highest range so far this month. A storm surge of 10 feet would thus be 10 feet above Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW, the lowest tide of the year), but 16 feet over this mark if it came at high tide. Image credit: NOAA Tides and Currents.

Irene's storm surge potentially extremely dangerous for the mid-Atlantic coast
Irene's large size, slow motion, arrival at high tide, and Category 3 strength at landfall in North Carolina will likely drive a storm surge of 8 - 10 feet into the heads of bays in Pamlico Sound, and 3 - 6 feet in Albemarle Sound. As the storm progresses northwards, potential storm surge heights grow due to the shape of the coast and depth of the ocean, though the storm will be weakening. If Irene is a Category 1 storm as it crosses into Virginia, it can send a storm surge of 4 - 8 feet into Chesapeake Bay and Norfolk. I give a 50% chance that the surge from Irene in those locations will exceed the record surges observed in 2003 during Hurricane Isabel. The region I am most concerned about, though, is the stretch of coast running from southern Maryland to Central New Jersey, including Delaware and the cities of Ocean City and Atlantic City. A Category 1 hurricane can bring a storm surge of 5 - 9 feet here. Irene's large size, slow movement, and arrival at the highest tide of the month could easily bring a surge one Category higher than the storm's winds might suggest, resulting in a Category 2 type inundation along the coast, near 10 - 15 feet. This portion of the coast has no hurricane experience, and loss of life could be heavy if evacuation orders are not heeded. I give a 30% chance that the storm surge from Irene will bring water depths in excess of 10 feet to the coasts of Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.


Figure 3. The height above ground that a mid-strength Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds would push a storm surge along the Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey coasts in a worst-case scenario. The image was generated using the primary computer model used by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to forecast storm surge--the Sea, Lake, and Overland Surge from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model. The accuracy of the SLOSH model is advertised as plus or minus 20%. This "Maximum Water Depth" image shows the water depth at each grid cell of the SLOSH domain. Thus, if you are inland at an elevation of ten feet above mean sea level, and the combined storm surge and tide (the "storm tide") is fifteen feet at your location, the water depth image will show five feet of inundation. This Maximum of the "Maximum Envelope of Waters" (MOM) image was generated for high tide and is a composite of the maximum storm surge found for dozens of individual runs of different Category 2 storms with different tracks. Thus, no single storm will be able to cause the level of flooding depicted in this SLOSH storm surge image. Consult our Storm Surge Inundation Maps page for more storm surge images of the mid-Atlantic coast.


Figure 4. The height above ground that a mid-strength Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds would push a storm surge along the New Jersey coast in a worst-case scenario. Water depths could reach 6 - 8 feet above ground level in Ocean City and Atlantic City, and up to 16 feet along less populated sections of the coast.

Irene's storm surge may flood New York City's subway system
The floodwalls protecting Manhattan are only five feet above mean sea level. During the December 12, 1992 Nor'easter, powerful winds from the 990 mb storm drove an 8-foot storm surge into the Battery Park on the south end of Manhattan. The ocean poured over the city's seawall for several hours, flooding the NYC subway and the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH) train systems in Hoboken New Jersey. FDR Drive in lower Manhattan was flooded with 4 feet of water, which stranded more than 50 cars and required scuba divers to rescue some of the drivers. Mass transit between New Jersey and New York was down for ten days, and the storm did hundreds of millions in damage to the city. Tropical Storm Floyd of 1999 generated a storm surge just over 3 feet at the Battery, but the surge came at low tide, and did not flood Manhattan. The highest water level recorded at the Battery in the past century came in September 1960 during Hurricane Donna, which brought a storm surge of 8.36 feet to the Battery and flooded lower Manhattan to West and Cortland Streets. However, the highest storm surge on record in New York City occurred during the September 3, 1821 hurricane, the only hurricane ever to make a direct hit on the city. The water rose 13 feet in just one hour at the Battery, and flooded lower Manhattan as far north as Canal Street, an area that now has the nation's financial center. The total surge is unknown from this greatest New York City hurricane, which was probably a Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds. NOAA's SLOSH model predicts that a mid-strength Category 2 hurricane with 100-mph winds could drive a 15 - 20 foot storm surge to Manhattan, Queens, Kings, and up the Hudson River. JFK airport could be swamped, southern Manhattan would flood north to Canal Street, and a surge traveling westwards down Long Island Sound might breach the sea walls that protect La Guardia Airport. Many of the power plants that supply the city with electricity might be knocked out, or their docks to supply them with fuel destroyed. The more likely case of a Category 1 hurricane hitting at high tide would still be plenty dangerous, with waters reaching 8 - 12 feet above ground level in Lower Manhattan. Given the spread in the models, I predict a 20% chance that New York City will experience a storm surge in excess of 8 feet that will over-top the flood walls in Manhattan and flood the subway system. This would most likely occur near 8 pm Sunday night, when high tide will occur and Irene should be near its point of closest approach. Such a storm surge could occur even if Irene weakens to a tropical storm on its closest approach to New York City.


Figure 5. The height above ground that a mid-strength Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds would push a storm surge in a worst-case scenario in New York City.


Figure 6. Flooded runways at New York's La Guardia Airport after the November 25, 1950 Nor'easter breached the dikes guarding the airport. Sustained easterly winds of up to 62 mph hit the airport, pushing a large storm surge up Long Island Sound. The storm's central pressure bottomed out at 978 mb. Image credit: Queens Borough Public Library, Long Island Division.

The rest of New England
The entire New England coast is at high danger of receiving its highest storm surge in the past 50 years from Irene, though the exact locations of most danger remain unclear. If North Carolina takes a bullet for us and reduces Irene below hurricane strength before the storm reaches New England, the surge will probably not cause major destruction. But if Irene misses North Carolina and arrives along the New England coast as a hurricane, the storm surge is likely to cause significant damage. I urge everyone along the coast to familiarize themselves with their storm surge risk and be prepared to evacuate should an evacuation order be issued.

Links
For those of you wanting to know your odds of receiving hurricane force or tropical storm force winds, I recommend the NHC wind probability product.

Wunderground has detailed storm surge maps for the U.S. coast.

The National Hurricane Center's Interactive Storm Surge RIsk Map, which allows one to pick a particular Category hurricane and zoom in, is a good source of storm surge risk information.

Wunderblogger MIke Theiss is in Nassau, and will be sending live updates through the day today.

Landstrike is an entertaining fictional account of a Category 4 hurricane hitting New York City.

Elsewhere in the tropics
Tropical Depression Ten in the far Eastern Atlantic will not be a threat to any land areas over the next seven days, and will probably move too far north to ever be a threat to land.

Portlight mobilizes for Irene
The Bahamas have been hit hard by Irene, and unfortunately, it appears that the Northeast U.S. may have its share of hurricane victims before Irene finally dissipates. My favorite disaster relief charity, Portlight.org, is mobilizing to help, and is sending out their relief trailer and crew to the likely U.S. landfall point. Check out this blog to see what they're up to; donations are always needed.

Jeff Masters

Irene in the Dominican Republic (DRHT)

Flooding caused by Heavy Rains from Irene making the Rivers Rise and flooding nearby communities.

Irene in the Dominican Republic (DRHT)

Flooding of the River Nigua in the Dominican Republic and people that were forced to leave their homes behind.

Hurricane Irene (LRandyB)

The sun peeking over the top of the eyewall

Hurricane Irene (LRandyB)

By the fourth pass, Irene had a pretty well developed eyewall

Categories: Tropical cyclones of 2011

Ala man charged with rape in decade-old case

Aug. 25, 2011, 1:41 p.m. CDT

The Tuscaloosa News

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Authorities in Tuscaloosa say a Moundville man is charged with rape in alleged sexual assault that occurred a decade ago.
Police say a woman now in her early 20s recently reported that she was assaulted about 10 years ago. Investigators questioned the man and found probable cause that a crime had occurred.
Police Sgt. Brent Blankley says 60-year-old Jack Doss is charged with rape and sexual abuse.
Blankley says the man has a past conviction for sexual abuse.
___
Information from: The Tuscaloosa News, http://www.tuscaloosanews.com

Judge considers issues in Ala. gambling retrial

Aug. 25, 2011, 4:01 a.m. CDT

By Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments about whether to retry the remaining defendants in Alabama's gambling corruption case all at once or split them up for three trials.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson scheduled a hearing for midday Thursday. He had originally scheduled the retrial for the seven defendants to start Oct. 3. But prosecutors want to split up the case. They say having three trials with smaller numbers of defendants in each trial will make it simpler and faster than the original trial, which lasted 10 weeks. Most of the defendants want to be tried together like they were originally.
Both sides are asking the judge to delay any trial from Oct. 3 to give them more time to prepare.

Man pleads guilty in Ala. to killing ex-wife

Aug. 25, 2011, 9:20 a.m. CDT

TimesDaily

FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) — A 32-year-old Lauderdale County man will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing his ex-wife in 2009.
Christopher Michael Rich pleaded guilty on Wednesday to capital murder for the shooting death and robbery of 24-year-old Hollie Elizabeth Newbury. As part of the plea agreement, Rich was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The TimesDaily reports that Rich admitted to Lauderdale County Circuit Court Judge Gil Self that he killed Newbury before taking her car.
Rich provided no details about the shooting that occurred as the couple were swapping custody of their two daughters, then 6 years and 15 months, at a home on Alabama 17 in the Zip City community. The couple had divorced earlier that year.
___
Information from: TimesDaily, http://www.timesdaily.com/

Mom says her son officer Sollohub will donate organs

 

 

Aug. 25, 2011, 1:18 p.m. CDT

The Anniston Star

ANNISTON, Ala. (AP) — The mother of an Anniston police officer who was shot while on duty says her son is being kept alive by machines so that his organs can be donated to others.
Jeniffer Morris tells The Anniston Star that her son Justin Sollohub loved being a police officer. She says the 27-year-old Sollohub didn't want to sit in an office.Sollohub was shot in the head during a foot case on Wednesday.

Authorities say 25-year-old Joshua Eugene Russell is being held in the shooting, with bond set at $420,000. He is currently charged with attempted murder, and that charge could be upgraded.
Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson says Russell was transferred to nearby Etowah County to make sure he is treated fairly.
___
Information from: The Anniston Star, http://www.annistonstar.com/

Donations to this officers family can me made by clicking on the donation ad on the top right of our website.

A prayer page for Officer Justin Sollohub who was killed Wensday Aug 24,2011 in line of duty

 

RIP a fine true hero Officer Justin Sollohub Age 27

Yesterday, Aug 24,2011 Annistion Police Dept and the community has lost a hero in blue.

Officer Justin Sollohub, 27, was on routine patrol in west Anniston Wednesday morning when he came across two black males in an alley way, according to Anniston Police Chief Layton McGrady. A foot chase ensued for reasons still unknown. During the chase, Chief McGrady said one of the suspects shot Sollohub.

 This subject above named Joshua Russel In a coward manner took the life of this police officer.
We have opened a prayer page for this officer and his family and co workers at the APD.

This page is donated to this fine officer and his family and co workers and friends. If you wish to say a a prayer or a few words please click on the comments button below this article or on under the facebook post of this article. please keep it clean this page is donated to the family and APD in memory of this hero today.


Also We have opened a 60 day donations fund raiser for his family which you will see on the right side of our site you can make an online donation by credit/debit/check . All funds will be donated to the officers family.

Anniston Police Officer Justin Sollohub Dies after being shot in line of duty - CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO HIS FAMILY

Today on Aug 24th,2011 We at  Thewiregreassnews.com have been posting updates to all our viewers that was a very hard article for us to cover as one of Anniston Police officer has lost his life today in the line of duty protecting and serving his community.

As we received the last update stating that this officers condition we have shed tears among our office and have taken a moment of silence and shared a prayer for the loss of this fine officer and his family who has lost a dear loved one. 

We normally don't do this but we believe in our police officers all across the wiregrass area and our hearts go out to his dear family. and we have opened a fund raising donation campaign for this officer's family

If you would like to make a donation to Officer Justin Sollohub's family you may do so by clicking on the link underneath his photo above in the top of this header.

Again from THEWIREGRASSNEWS.COM  Our prayers are with the family and friends and all co workers of this fine officer and may God Bless them and comfort them in this time of loss.

UPDATE # 3 MAN ARRESTED Anniston Police loses life in line of duty. Our prayers are with his family

Anniston Police officer Justin Sollohub Shot in head during Foot Chase after a traffic stop.

 ----- UPDATE #3 8:33 PM -----

According to the Mayor of Anniston the officer is on Life support still so that his organs can be donated. A true hero until the end 

 We all at THEWIREGRASSNEWS.COM takes a silent moment of prayer to one of our faithful officers who today has lost his life in the line of duty today Aug 24th 2011 protecting and serving.

May God Be with his family & friends that he has left behind. Our prayers are with your family.

 To shorten this story we refer you to 

Click here for full updated story

slideshow

Think you can OUTRUN the Law?? Now's your chance...

Dothan Police Dept./Dothan Runners Club
Fifth Annual Trot with S.W.A.T.
10K and 5K Run/WalkSaturday, September 17, 2011 8:00 a.m. CDT
Downtown – Dothan, AlabamaREGISTRATION:6:30 – 7:45 a.m. – Poplar Head Park - (Adjacent to Dothan Civic Center Parking Lot- 126 N. St. Andrews St.)ENTRY FEE:Mailed by 912: 10K-$20 5K-$15 Race Day: 10K-$25 5K -$20 (Includes T-shirt).
(Pre-register to reserve your correct size race day.)5K and 10K AWARDS:Awards to - Overall Male & Female, first Male & Female Masters (40+),
Grandmasters (50+),Senior Grandmasters (60+) & top 3 in the following age groups: 0-14,15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39,
40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-up. Race walking awards to the top 3 Male & Female walkers.(Those who plan to jog and walk should register as runners. No bicycles, skates, or dogs are allowed on the course during the race.)AWARDS CEREMONY & POST RACE CELEBRATIONPoplar Head Park-Complimentary food and beverages will be provided.
Proceeds to be used for Dothan Police SWAT unit training, equipment and events.Register online ator complete the form below“Trot with S.W.A.T” - 10k Run/Walk
Registration & Waiver FormI know that running a road race is a potentially hazardous activity. I should not enter and run unless I am medically able and properly trained. I agree
to abide by any decision of a race official relative to my ability to safely complete the run.I assume all risks associated with running in this event
including, but not limited to, falls; contact with other participants; the effects of weather, including high heat and/or humidity; traffic; and the
conditions of the road, all such risks being known and appreciated by me. Having read this waiver and knowing these facts and in consideration of
your accepting my entry, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the Dothan Runners Club, the City of Dothan, and
all race sponsors, their representatives and successors from all claims or liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in the 2011 “Trot with
S.W.A.T” – 10K and 5K Run/WalkName______________________________________ Sex:
M F Age: (on 9/17/11)______________Address____________________________________ City, State &Zip________________________________
Phone#_____________________ E-Mail__________________________ Date of Birth__________________
Select One:
5K 10k Run Walk T-Shirt Size S M L XL XXLSignature _______________________________________________ Date_____________(Parent or guardian must sign if entrant is under 18 years of age)Make checks payable to:
Dothan Police S. R.T. Fund Mail to
: Dothan Police Dept. -Attn: Brian Goguen 210 N. St. Andrews - Dothan, AL 36303No entry accepted without required fee. No refunds. All entries must be signed.For more information call Carol Goguen (334) 794-9029 orcgoguen@sw.rr.com

Baby dies in hospital bed on February 14, 2011, in Minot, ND after suffering brutal abuse

 Submitted by Facebook group

A CAUSE worth supporting...a sweet angel died in a hospital bed on February 14, 2011, in Minot, ND after suffering brutal abuse. He was 19 months old...Literally held hostage in his own home, his body was brutally beaten into a coma. A broken jaw, cuts, bruises covering his precious body...his brain swollen from the beatings, no chance for recovery, his "mother" had him taken off life support.

POSSIBLY the worst examples of our species, his "mother" Cassondra Ayala and her "bf" Anthony Robinson sit in jail NOW CHARGED WITH MURDER! AS this blessed angel goes home to God, his accused killers now await trial with a 3 hots and a cot!! THESE monsters pled not guilty June 6th as prosecutors revealed the horrific injuries Conrad suffrered, the medical examiner's report SAYS THIS DID NOT come from any fall, this was blunt force trauma as seen in severe cases of child abuse. Simple? NO...these animals could do no more than 3-8 years for felony child abuse as it will be hard to prove who struck the final blow.

As this group has already raised the money that FULLY covered Conrad's entire funeral and burial (even battling Cassondra's family over money they thought "she" may need), we move ON TO RAISE Awareness and ONE HELL OF A RUCKUS... making sure Conrad is never forgotten AND that the children of ND get a better chance at life with new laws, protection bills and better reporting by the public...no one may have protected him while he was here BUT we BLUE Soldiers, now "JustUS4Justice" will honor this angel like no other, we will forge ahead in HIS name, IN his HONOR...let the world know a hero left us too soon..

.we will never know what he could have accomplished in life but in his brutal death, he has changed many of us, he has given us our purpose in life and he will live eternally in our hearts and memories.

Update August 10, 2011 - Anthony Robinson filed a motion to suppress today, honorable Judge Mattson listened, the Blue listened and of course, God listened. We will know soon enough but the opinion of those present is the Judge isn't falling for it. Pretrial conference is scheduled for Sept 13th. Barring any delays, court offices say trial is probable around the end of the year.

We at Justice for Conrad have every confidence that the State's Attorneys office, the prosecutor Mark Flagstad and the Ward County law enforcement officers have done every duty we expect and will continue to pursue Justice for our angel boy.


R.I.P. Sweet one, we will NOT FORGET and we will STOP the SILENCE!!
IF YOU SEE A CHILD BEING ABUSED, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!! CALL 911!!

GET BEHIND THE MOVEMENT THAT WILL CHANGE ND CHILD ABUSE laws and speak for the ones without a voice! Hopefully someday our own children will speak of the day "Conrad's Law" went into effect...the one that states if you kill your children IN OUR STATE...you get LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE. Period. Thank you & God Bless!!

Feel free to join the facebook group to support this cause at justiceforconrad@groups.facebook.com

Woman Accused Of Killing Newborn, Ate Brain

 This is a DO You Remember Article?

SAN ANTONIO — The scene was so gruesome investigators could barely speak: A 3 1/2-week-old boy lay dismembered in the bedroom of a single-story house, three of his tiny toes chewed off, his face torn away, his head severed and his brains ripped out.
"At this particular scene you could have heard a pin drop," San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said Monday. "No one was speaking. It was about as somber as it could have been."
Officers called to the home early Sunday found the boy's mother, Otty Sanchez, sitting on the couch with a self-inflicted wound to her chest and her throat partially slashed, screaming "I killed my baby! I killed my baby!" police said. She told officers the devil made her do it, police said.
Sanchez, 33, apparently ate the child's brain and some other body parts before stabbing herself, McManus said.
"It's too heinous for me to describe it any further," McManus told reporters.
Sanchez is charged with capital murder in the death of her son, Scott Wesley Buccholtz-Sanchez. She was being treated Monday at a hospital, and was being held on $1 million bail.
The slaying occurred a week after the child's father moved out, McManus said. Otty Sanchez's sister and her sister's two children, ages 5 and 7, were in the house, but none were harmed.
Police said Sanchez did not have an attorney, and they declined to identify family members.
No one answered the door Monday at Sanchez's home, where the blinds were shut. A hopscotch pattern and red hearts were drawn on the walk leading up to the house.

Sanchez's aunt, Gloria Sanchez, said her niece had been "in and out" of a psychiatric ward but did not say where she was treated or why. She said a hospital called several months ago to check up on her.
"Otty didn't mean to do that. She was not in her right mind," a sobbing Gloria Sanchez told The Associated Press on Monday by phone. She said her family was devastated.
Investigators are looking into Sanchez's mental health history to see if there was anything "significant," and whether postpartum difficulties could have factored into the attack, McManus said.
Postpartum depression and psychosis have been cited as contributing factors in several other cases in Texas in recent years in which mothers killed their children.
Andrea Yates drowned her five children in her Houston-area home 2001, saying she believed Satan was inside her and trying to save them from hell. Her attorneys said she had been suffering from severe postpartum psychosis, and a jury found Yates not guilty by reason of insanity in 2006.
In 2004, Dena Schlosser killed her 10-month-old in her Plano home by slicing off the baby's arms. She was found not guilty of reason by insanity, after testifying that she killed the baby because she wanted to give her to God.
Sanchez's neighbors expressed sorrow and horror Monday at the grisly killing.
Neighbor Luis Yanez, 23, said his kids went to school with one of the small children who lived at the house. He said he often saw a woman playing outside with the children but didn't know whether it was Otty.
"Why would you do that to your baby?" said Yanez, a tire technician. "It brings chills to you. They can't defend themselves."
Allen Taylor, another neighbor, said "once she gets back in her right mind, she's going to be devastated."

Dogs Nab 2 Marijuana Dispensary Robbers

Robbing medical marijuana dispensaries is a really bad idea. Two Colorado men are in police custody after being accused of robbing a dispensary in Fort Collins and tying up three employees at gunpoint. They were arrested by police and deputies after they "sustained injuries" from the two law enforcement dogs used to capture them.

Ernie Jermaine Savannah, 39, and Jeremiah Wright, 40, face charges of kidnapping, aggravated robbery, vehicular eluding and resisting arrest, i.e., it'll be awhile before these fellows see daylight again. They were arrested at Fort Collins Police Services headquarters on Sunday.

Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition Takes It To The People

State Lawmaker: 'Good Possibility' He Will Sponsor A Medical Marijuana Bill In Alabama Legislature

Did you know that the Heart of Dixie stands an excellent chance to become the first medical marijuana state in the Deep South?

The newest Alabama group working to allow marijuana as medicine is taking its message to the people with a series of picnic-style meetings across the state. The Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition (AMMJC) group's second event, was held Saturday in Jacksonville at Germania Springs Park.

A crowd that grew to close to 70 people was on hand for the picnic, including a state lawmaker who said there is a "good possibility" that he will sponsor a medical marijuana bill in the Alabama Legislature next year.

Photo: AMMJC

Rep. K.L. Brown (R-Jacksonville), left, chats with members of the Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition, including Ron Crumpton (seated) and Shawn Gober (white AMMJC t-shirt) at Saturday's meeting

​ Rep. K.L. Brown (R-Jacksonville) said some legislators will never get past the stigma of the word "marijuana," reports Jason Bacaj of The Anniston Star. But Brown said he showed up at the picnic to learn more about the issue and about the people involved with the coalition.

Brown has a personal connection to the use of medicinal cannabis, as he lost a sister to breast cancer in 1987. He said he didn't know much about marijuana then, but he saw how it worked to relieve his ailing sister's pain and nausea.

"I do know that marijuana tablets were very helpful to her there, especially at the end," Brown said.

According to Rep. Brown, if the AMMJC can get people to listen to stories of situations where marijuana helps people with pain and nausea, the bill stands of chance of success in Montgomery.

"They were the hardest working guys in Montgomery last year, and I think they made a lot of headway," Brown said of the AMMJC. "If we can go at it with the same energy as the past year, maybe we can have some success this time."

AMMJC Co-President Ron Crumpton agrees. 

"We worked with Represantative Brown during the last session, and when we started looking for a sponsor in the House, he wasn't at the top of the list; was was the top of the list," Crumpton told Toke of the Town. "He is great at what he does because he seems so mild mannered, yet he is surprisingly tenacious. He just calmly beats you over the head with reason and facts until you have almost no choice but to agree with him," Crumpton told me.

"People think I'm crazy when I saw we can pass our bill this year," Crumpton said, "but I can tell you that for a medical marijuana bill to pass in a Legislature state you have to do two things: You have to build relationships with legislators and you have to conquer the stigma associated with marijuana.

"We forged the relationships during the last session," Crumpton told me. "Our goal for the next session is to deal with perception. If we do that the bill will pass."

Harsh Pharmaceuticals or Organic Marijuana?

People Should Have The Choice

Photo: Chris Butts

AMMJC Co-President Chris Butts, right, speaks to the crowd Saturday while Vice-President Jody Parker looks on.

​ AMMJC Co-President Chris Butts told the crowd that a two-story fall 19 years ago left with with a spinal compression injury, slowly degenerating discs along his spine and daily pain that got him a permanent prescription for Oxycontin.

Butts said he became addicted to the prescription narcotic and it nearly ruined his life. After five years he was able to kick the habit by using medical marijuana, which Butts said he had used daily for 14 years in edible form to manage pain from the injury.

"I'm just somebody who doesn't want to feel like a criminal for doing something my doctor advised," Butts said.

According to Butts, besides the obvious legal challenges faced by Alabama residents who choose to use marijuana medicinally, there are quality control problems with black market weed. Butts said that many patients were so desperate for something that worked, that they used cannabis despite the laws.

"It's ludicrous to think that tens of thousands of patients in the 16 medical marijuana states are using marijuana to help with their conditions, and the patients in Alabama aren't," Butts told Toke of the Town Sunday night. "The difference is, our patients here are using a product that has been smuggled across our northern and southern borders and is subject to be moldy or mildewed, or have who knows what in it.

"It seems to me the better solution is to have safe access to a clean, locally produced product that is subject to state inspection," Butts told me.

He still has that Oxycontin prescription, but Butts said he now he only has to use it three or four times a year, and is able to take it when necessary without relapsing into addiction, thanks to medical marijuana.

Wide Appeal

A wide variety of people attended the meeting, from teenagers with facial piercings to a decorated Vietnam veteran who has used cannabis to treat combat-related ailments for 38 years. The veteran said he fought in the Marines in the 77-day Battle of Khe Sanh in 1968, earning a Silver Star and a Purple Heart during his tour.

It was when he returned home that he realized marijuana helped him handle the post-traumatic stress disorder, nightmares and other health problems -- including chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder due to Agent Orange -- lingering from the war.

"It helps me better than any damn pill," the veteran said. "Got to go out to the damn ghetto (to get it). That's the problem."

You Can Help

"We at AMMJC would like to thank the 60-plus people who chocked back the fear and taboo associated with this issue and attended the event," Butts said. "AMMJC will be doing these little events in every corner of the state before the end of the year and things look they they will only get bigger and better.

"We call on all Alabamians who support the therapeutic use of marijuana to join us," Butts said. "We are easy to find on Facebook and have a web presence at AMMJC.org. Please contact us if you support our efforts and want to help."

"To raise awareness we need a steady stream of letters to the editor to local newspapers and letters to your representatives and senators in the Alabama Legislature," Butts said. "We need supportive Alabamians to talk to the people in their community about this touchy subject and be honest with everyone about their support."

NASCAR penalizes crew chief for hair pulling incident at Montreal

Patrick Carpentier signs autographs for fans at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve before Saturday's race.

Jerry Baxter's venting of his anger at Steve Wallace during Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide series race at Montreal has cost him $5,000.

Baxter was the crew chief for Patrick Carpentier in the No. 99 car in what was billed as Carpentier's final race before retiring from an illustrious career in racing.

But that race ended early, not long after Carpentier was making a pass on the inside of another car going through the hairpin turn on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve course. Wallace saw a brief opening on the inside of Carpentier and decided to make it three wide through the turn. He ended up spinning out Carpentier.

Carpentier was later forced to retire from the race. He climbed out of his car and sat in the grandstands and watched until getting a ride back to the garage as the crowd gave him a huge ovation.

Baxter wasn't too pleased with Wallace, who earned his career best finish in the series. After the race Baxter confronted Wallace while the driver of the No. 66 was still in his car, reached into the car and pulled on Wallace's hair.

On Tuesday, NASCAR fined Baxter $5,000 and placed him on probation for the rest of the year

labama's state government is going to have 1,100 fewer employees by this fall due to state budget cuts

By Phillip Rawls of The Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Alabama's state government is going to have 1,100 fewer employees by this fall due to state budget cuts, the end of federal stimulus funding and different standards of care for the mentally disabled.
The state Department of Mental Health is looking at a total of 582 layoffs, including 400 from the closure of Partlow Hospital in Tuscaloosa, or about one-fourth of its staff.
The state Department of Agriculture and Industries has cut 89 employees due to budget cuts, or nearly one-fourth of its staff.
At Alabama's trial courts, 252 employees in circuit clerks' offices and 20 in state administrative offices are being laid off at the end of the month. That brings the total layoffs since spring to 423, or 20 percent of the staff.

The second parasail accident in Gulf Shores this month left at least two people injured

GULF SHORES, Alabama -- The second parasail accident in Gulf Shores this month left at least two people injured.
The owner of Perdido Key Parasails, Steve Vrondran, said the tow line "separated" in a sudden gust of wind Monday.
The two injuries -- to a deckhand aboard the boat and one parasailer -- occurred when the line snapped back, according to Ensign Tim Williams with the U.S. Coast Guard.
The parasail made a soft landing in the water and three parasailers were picked up by the boat, Williams said.
"It was a rare, freak thing," said Vrondran, whose business is stationed at 401 East Beach Blvd. "I've been in the business 23 years, and I've never had anything like this happen."
The parasailer was given stitches, treated and released at a nearby hospital, according to Beach Safety Supervisor Scott A. Smothers.
The deckhand on the boat at the time complained of a minor knee injury, Vrondran said.
The 37-foot parachute that was being used is designed to withstand 17 mile-per-hour winds, according to Vrondran. A 33-foot parachute can withstand about 22 mile-per-hour winds, and Vrondran said he won't take people for rides if winds are stronger than that.
The rope that was being used was about a week old, Williams said.
The 30-40 mile per hour gust lasted about 2 or 3 seconds Monday, when the wind shifted from the south to the north, Vrondran said.
"There were no squalls, no clouds in the sky," he said. "This was unavoidable."
Smothers said beach umbrellas were blown around "at the exact time" he received a call about the parasail incident.
The U.S. Coast Guard continues to investigate Monday's incident, Williams said, along with another case from Aug. 6, when a parasail's tow ropes were cut by a low-flying seaplane.
It has yet to be determine whether the plane was too low or the parasail was too high, Williams said.
That incident occurred near the main beach at Gulf Shores. No major injuries were reported.
The engine of the aircraft, an Aerofab Inc. model Lake LA-250 "Lake Amphibian," was damaged when the tow line caused a propeller to break apart. It made an emergency landing in the water farther down the beach. The pilot was uninjured, according to police.

The next two weeks will be vital for many farmers in the Wiregrass.

The next two weeks will be vital for many farmers in the Wiregrass.

According to William Birdsong, an extension specialist for the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center in Headland, good rainfall in July has been counteracted for many farmers by poor rainfall totals in August.

Due to an extremely dry spring, the still-drought-plagued Wiregrass crops were planted later than usual.

Now, a steady rain is needed to help the cotton and peanuts in their race against the clock.

“It’s too early for me to say we’re gonna have a good crop or a poor crop. It all really depends on what has happened on these various farms in the Wiregrass area last week, this week and next week,” Birdsong said. “We’re at very critical stage here.”

The historical freeze date in Alabama is Nov. 20, and Birdsong said any more delays in peanut and cotton development will be devastating to the crops, which are now in the reproductive stage.

“What’s gonna happen is we’re gonna be out of time,” he said. “If it’s another two weeks before we get a rain, and the crop goes back to growing, it’s really just gonna be out of time. Unfortunately, because of the dry spring, a lot of crops were planted later, so those crops are gonna be needing more late-August, September and early October rain to finish development of those crops, whereas if they had been planted earlier, a July, August and early-September rain would have worked.”

While cotton and peanuts’ respective fates are up in the air, corn did not fare as well.

“Dry-land corn was a total disaster,” Birdsong said. “Here on the station, we had a demonstration with irrigated corn compared to dry-land corn. The irrigated corn made 100 bushels per acre, which is less than we expected, while the non-irrigated made 10 per acre. Dry-land corn was disastrous.”

Birdsong said many farmers have had to replant their crops multiple times this year due to poor stands.

A stand refers to the ratio of successful plants to seeds planted.

“Once you get to around a 65 percent and less germination and establishment for those seedlings, that would be what we call a poor stand,” Birdsong said. “A farmer has to put out the same amount of fertilizer, herbicide and insecticide if it’s a 90 percent stand or a 30 percent stand, regardless of how many of the plants will actually be productive.

Female escapees behind bars again

By StaffWriters

Panama City - Two women, who escaped from a county road crew Monday, are back behind bars. Their brief taste of freedom didn't last very long. The women were part of an inmate work details, cleaning the Bay County Sheriff's Office Cedar Grove Crime Prevention Office.
Investigators say they made a run for it as they were taking out a load of trash. Around 12:30 Monday afternoon Janet Barefoot and Michelle Marcinkewicz saw an opportunity, and took it. They ran from an inmate work program. A by-stander spotted the woman running away from the facility and alerted the guards.

 

"This was absolutely no one's fault. You can't blame it on anyone except the two girls that were stupid enough to run out the back door," said Sheriff Frank McKeithen.
With a chopper in the sky and K-9 dogs on the ground, deputies scoured the wooded area where the women ran. They had some help from witnesses. Brian Kuczenski and his son were playing in their front  when they spotted the two women who had removed their stripped shirts and we're now heading for the woods next to his home.
"We saw two girls running through the woods. I ran over told the sheriff that I saw them run that way and about two or three minutes later they had them in custody," said Kuczenski.
"It was quite thick, quite bushy, briers, wet, nasty, so they paid for they little hike, their pretty nasty and cut up," said McKeithen.
Both the women were originally in jail for misdemeanors, violating probation and battery, but both now face felony escape charges.
"We've been researching a statue for felony stupid, but unfortunately we can't find one, so we're just going to have to charge them with escape right now," said McKeithen.
School officials locked down Cedar Grove Elementary during the 45 minute search. The sheriff's office says they are still investigating whether or not the women had planned the escape ahead of time.

Sexual Abuse of a Child leads to Arrest in Covington Count

Covington County Sheriff’s Deputies received a call of an apparent

Sexual abuse case on Friday August 20, 2011 in the Opp area. 

CLICK HERE FOR FULL DETAILED PRESS RELEASE

Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated buildings across the East Coast Today after a moderate earthquake in Virginia

Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated buildings across the East Coast on Tuesday after a moderate earthquake in Virginia that was also felt as far south as Chapel Hill, N.C. No tsunami warning was issued, but air and train traffic was disrupted across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

                              CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO REPORT

 In the Washington, D.C., area, parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were among the areas evacuated. All memorials and monuments on the National Mall were evacuated and closed.

At the Pentagon, a low rumbling built and built to the point that the building shook. People ran into the corridors of the government's biggest building and as the shaking continued there were shouts of "Evacuate! Evacuate!"

The quake even broke a water main inside the Pentagon, flooding parts of two floors, NBC reported.

Initial damage reports from Washington included the central tower at the National Cathedral and Ecuador's embassy. Three pinnacles on the 30-story-tall tower broke off.

Centered some 90 miles south of the nation's capital, the quake was a magnitude 5.9, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Two nuclear reactors near the epicenter were taken offline as a precaution, officials said. No damage was reported at either.

At the U.S. Capitol, light fixtures swung and the building shook for about 15 seconds while the tremor hit, NBC News reported.

At Reagan National Airport outside Washington, ceiling tiles fell during a few seconds of shaking. All flights were put on hold and one terminal was evacuated due to a gas smell.

In New York City, NBC reported debris fell from the attorney general's office, causing a brief panic as people ran from the area.

Airport towers and government buildings in New York, including City Hall, were evacuated. The 26-story federal courthouse in lower Manhattan began swaying and hundreds of people were seen leaving the building.

Flights from the New York area's John F. Kennedy and Newark airports were delayed while authorities inspected control towers and runways. Philadelphia's airport also halted flights for inspections.
Video: Quake halts Strauss-Khan press conference (on this page)

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg reported "no reports of significant damage or injuries in New York City at this time."

A mild tremor was even felt by NBC reporters with President Barack Obama during his vacation on Martha's Vineyard, an island off Massachusetts.

In Charleston, W.Va., hundreds of workers left the state Capitol building and employees at other downtown office buildings were asked to leave temporarily.

"The whole building shook," said Jennifer Bundy, a spokeswoman for the state Supreme Court. "You could feel two different shakes. Everybody just kind of came out on their own."

In Ohio, where office buildings swayed in Columbus and Cincinnati and the press box at the Cleveland Indians' Progressive Field shook. At least one building near the Statehouse was evacuated in downtown Columbus.

In downtown Baltimore, Md., the quake sent office workers into the streets, where lamp posts swayed slightly as they called family and friends to check in.

Amtrak reported train service along the Northeast Corridor between Baltimore and Washington, was operating at reduced speeds as crews inspected the lines.



The earthquake’s epicenter was near Mineral, Va., the USGS reported. It was a very shallow quake, less than a mile deep, which would explain why it was so widely felt.

In Mineral, the roof of the town hall collapsed in the quake.

The East Coast gets earthquakes, but usually smaller ones than the West Coast and is less prepared for shaking.

At NBC's Washington bureau, it took a few seconds for staffers to realize what was going on, with people asking one another if it was an earthquake.

No alarms sounded but people then began rushing out, congregating in front of the building as they would for a fire drill.

Outside the building, people tried making calls, but no one could get service.

Next door, staffers for the Department of Homeland Security evacuated their building.

"I was probably in three earthquakes in Los Angeles," said NBC news producer Mark Miano, "and this was by far the strongest I’ve ever felt."

The D.C. area's previous record for an earthquake was on July 16, 2010, when a 3.6 magnitude quake was felt.

Tuesday's quake makes it the largest to hit anywhere on the East Coast in recorded history, the USGS said. The previous record was a 4.8 magnitude in 1875.

The USGS said the quake was not related to one in Colorado on Monday.

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Dale County DA Asks Schools To Bring Back Paddling

DA Asks Schools To Bring Back Paddling
By Michelle Mann
When Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams said he would pursue reinstatement of corporal punishment in Ozark City Schools, he didn’t expect a standing ovation.
But that’s what he received from nearly 100 parents, counselors and educators attending a recent gang awareness seminar held at D.A. Smith Middle School.
“That’s the way this request got started,” Adams told city school board members at a meeting Aug. 9.
Adams told the board that during the seminar he had been asked about student behavior during school hours and had responded that he believed corporal punishment should be reinstated in Ozark schools. “From what I can best determine, our city schools are the only system in the surrounding area that does not have a corporal punishment policy.”
He said he discussed the issue with Ozark City Schools Superintendent Michael Lenhart and had followed up that discussion with a letter and a request to address the issue, including legal ramifications, at the convenience of the school board.
“It is my understanding that the Dale County School System has in place a procedure to administer corporal punishment,” Adams said. “There should be no reason why the Ozark City School System cannot follow that example.”
“As the district attorney, I see the need for corporal punishment in our schools,” Adams said. “Today’s students have no fear of causing trouble or disruptions in school.”
“Break detention does not provide any deterrent from starting a fight or disrupting a class,” he added. “As a student, I feared a paddling from (former principals) Robert Steed, Louie Tamplin or Larry Johnson.”
Lenhart said the current behavior policy is one in which corporal punishment could be incorporated. “I am not against that,” he said. “But it has to include training our administrators on how to administer it and include strict guidelines to be followed.”
He asked school administrators to email their thoughts on the matter to him and to school board members.
The board unanimously approved Lenhart’s request to research and draft a policy for their consideration. “This is new ground for us,” Lenhart said. “We will have to have very rigorous training.

Burglary 3rd Degree Arrest Troy, AL

Troy police responded to a reported subject in a building (New Beginnings) on West Madison Street at approximately 12:15 a.m. Friday according to information released by Chief Anthony Everage. TPD arrested a 48-year-old black male Leonard James Junior, Sr. from Troy as he came out of the New Beginnings Styling Salon on Madison St. Friday morning. The officer also observed the front glass broken out of the business and this is how the suspect gained entry to the building. The officer observed the suspect putting merchandise from the business in a plastic bag. When Junior exited the New Beginnings Styling Salon he was taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Troy Police Department for further investigation. Police recovered two plastic bags containing hair salon products. They also recovered the bricks used to break the window where entry was made to the building. A warrant was obtained form the Pike County Circuit Clerk's Office Friday for Burglary third degree. Junior was transferred to the Pike County Jail and his bond was set at $2,500.00. Chief Anthony Everage thanks the person who called police when they observed the crime being committed. This is the kind of action that is a great help to police and it instills community pride.

For Further Information Contact:
Sgt. Benny Scarbrough
Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police
Troy Police Department
334-566-0500 Fax 334-566-2469

Huntsville Senator Paul Sanford to introduce change to immigration law regarding licenses

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- A state legislator from Huntsville said today he will introduce a bill in the next legislative session to tweak a part of the new immigration law concerning the renewal of car tags.
The drawback is that the Legislature isn't scheduled to reconvene until Febuary 2012, which means the proposed change won't have an immediate impact and that motorists will still have to renew their car tags in person and not via mail or the Internet.
Sen. Paul Sanford, R-Huntsville, said he requested a bill be drafted that wouldn't require annual renewals in person. That provision in the immigration law has come under criticism from state licensing officials.

Sen. Paul Sanford, R-Huntsville, is introducing a change to the immigration law to ease the process of renewing car tags

"What I've requested is to require physical verification on an initial tag issue to a vehicle," Sanford said. "And then at that point, you would be deemed legal status so there is no need for me the following year to go back down there for the same tag and somebody phuysically check my driver's license and make sure I'm a legitimate citizen."
At issue is Section 30 of the law, which states that those conducting business with the state must demonstrate their citizenship or legal status in the United States. That translates into an annual exercise for renewing car tags.
Violation of that section is a Class C felony.
But licensing officials say it's an unnecessary provision because that verification of citizenship is already on record and no new information is being gathered from the annual renewals.
"It would allow subsequent renewals occur via mail or some counties are doing it via the Internet," Sanford said. "It would allow that as long as that vehicle and the registered owner stay together."
As for the long lines and congestion that could result from this newly-mandated verification of citizenship, it remains a byproduct of the law unless something changes.
"Probably nothing," Sanford said when asked what could be done before his bill could be enacted. "We'll probably have to follow the law unless the federal court that's hearing the case stays the bills and stops it from being enacted or unless there is a possible temporary waiver issued by the governor or the attorney general.
"If it's me and I'm in the license department, I'm going to require it at this point. I'll probably fall victim. My tags renew in September."