Marshall FEMA payments

In what he calls "a good start," the chairman of the Marshall County Commission reported Monday on reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. James Hutcheson says the county has received almost two and a half million dollars, including one-point-nine million last week. That's mostly to pay for debris removal that followed the tornado outbreak on April 27th. Hutcheson says that's about half of what FEMA owes Marshall County and he's hopeful the rest will come in over the next few months.

Rainbow City Xmas Tree Lighting

Santa Claus will arrive by truck and the John Jones Elementary School Joyful Juniors will sing at tonight's Rainbow City Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. It takes place at 6 PM at City Hall. Later, the festivities move to the Rainbow Community Center, with refreshments, a performance by Strut USA and a chance for kids to visit with Santa.

Gadsden clerk assaulted

Gadsden police are looking for three men who assaulted a convenience store clerk just after midnight last Friday morning. It happened at Discount Mart on Ewing Avenue. The clerk said he was closing up the store when three men emerged from behind a garbage bin and broke out his car windows with a hammer. They tried to steal property from the car but the clerk refused to let them and he got hit in the head with the hammer. The suspects fled on foot without taking anything.

Occupy Gadsden

The Occupy Birmingham movement will be on the move this weekend, traveling from Birmingham to Gadsden on Saturday. Organizers are planning to gather outside the Etowah County jail to protest Alabama's illegal immigration law. The jail is used by federal authorities to detain people being held for possible deportation. Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin says he expects the demonstration to be peaceful. Organizers met with officials of the city of Gadsden, which issued a permit for the protest.



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DOT realignment

Several counties will be shifted within divisions of the Alabama Department of Transportation on Thursday but a DOT official says it should not be noticeable to the motoring public. Limestone and Morgan counties will be moved from Division 1 to Division 2, and Blount and St. Clair counties will be moved from Division 3 to Division 1. Division 1, which is based in Gunterville, also includes Marshall, Cherokee, DeKab and Etowah counties. The realignments are designed to provide relief to Division 3, which has seen growth in Jefferson and Shelby counties.

Convenience Store Clerk Assaulted

Word of a convenience store clerk being assaulted in Gadsden... this happened at Discount Mart on Ewing Avenue early Friday morning. Police say three men broke the clerk's car window to try to steal items from inside... but the clerk wouldn't give them the items. The clerk ended up being hit in the head with a hammer. Police have not identified any suspects. The assault happened as the clerk was closing up the store.

Attalla Christmas Open House

Downtown Attalla's Christmas Open House is scheduled for this Friday and Saturday. It will begin at 5 PM Friday with youth and choir groups singing Christmas carols, followed at 6 PM by the lighting of the city's Christmas tree at the gazebo. A full day of entertainment at the gazebo begins Saturday morning at 11.


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Etowah crash kills two

A car crash in Etowah County took the lives of two Boaz men. It happened shortly before 3 AM Friday on Highway 431 just north of Attalla. State troopers identified the victims as 43-year-old Carl Henry Sunderman and 32-year-old Daniel Lee Nelson Junior. No other people or vehicles were involved in the crash, which is under investigation.

Snow in the forecast

Snow is on the way. The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for an area including Marshall and DeKalb counties and a winter weather advisory for an area including Etowah, Calhoun, Blount and Cherokee counties. You can expect periods of light to moderate rain throughout today. Flash flooding is not expected but the additional rainfall might result in rivers and tributaries rising to the point of producing minor flooding. This evening, the rain will begin to mix with snow starting in higher elevations around midnight. The rain will transition entirely to snow for the rest of the area early tomorrow morning.

Plane slides off runway at Northeast Regional Airport

A plane with trouble with a tire on the front of the plane - slid off a runway at Northeast Regional Airport on Wednesday night. Gadsden Fire Department Assistant Chief Bob Cross tells the Gadsden Times, crews got a report of a plane that was nose down in a field near the airport. The plane with the tire trouble got stuck in the mud. The problem prompted air traffic at the airport to be diverted for about an hour, while the plane was moved. Another pilot who landed in Calhoun County called in a possible crash after seeing the plane, but serach crews did not see any other crashed airplanes.

Arab senior complex

The mayor of Arab announced Monday that a new assisted-living facility is coming to the city. Gary Beam said it will bring 27 new jobs to the area. The 22-unit complex, designed for senior citizens, will include a diabetic clinic.

Credit card fraud arrest

An Anniston woman is accused of using a stolen credit card. The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office says 21-year-old Chelsea Lamae Burdett was arrested last Friday after using the card to make several purchases at local businesses. Burdett was booked into the Calhoun County Jail and later released on bond with a court date of January 5th.

Commandments judge

The man who refused to remove the Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama Supreme Court and wants his old job back. Ray Moore has announced he plans to run for Chief Justice in 2012. Moore was originally elected to the post in 2000 but removed in 2003 for failing to abide by a federal judge's order to take down the Ten Commandments display. Two others are seeking the Republican nomination but no Democrat has announced plans to run.

Gas prices, lane closures

If you're planning to hit the road for the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend, here's some good news: prices at the pump are down. According to TripleA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the statewide average price for regular gas is three-17 a gallon today. That's down six cents a gallon from last week and down 15 cents from one month ago. A check of gas-buddy-dot-com finds gas prices in Albertville ranging from three-09 a gallon to three-21.

And more good news for motorists. The Alabama Department of Transportation says there will be no temporary lane closures on Alabama interstates this weekend. That runs from noon today through Sunday. Transportation officials say other road construction projects will also be limited during this time.

Arab meth lab bust

The discovery of a meth lab in Arab led to the arrests of five people last Wednesday. Marshall County drug agents found the lab in a home on 1st Avenue Northeast. Charged with unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance were 34-year-old Tonya Michelle Reliford, 66-year-old Helen Marie Jones and 44-year-old Sonya Jones Caswell, all of Arab; 29-year-old Jathon Matthew Huckabee of Union Grove and 36-year-old Patrick Shane Flowers of Blountsville. Huckabee and Flowers face additional related charges. A child found in the home was taken into state custody.

Alabama and local unemployment

A state representative from Albertville says recent declines in state and local unemployment rates can be directly attributed to Alabama's new immigration law. Republican Kerry Rich says the law has resulted in illegal immigrants moving out and opening up more jobs for legal residents. Statewide, the jobless rate went from nine-point-eight percent in September to nine-point-three percent in October. Locally, all counties saw their jobless rates fall. Marshall went from eight-point-eight percent to eight-point-one percent, DeKalb, 11-point-six to 10-point-six; Etowah, nine-point-nine to nine even; Calhoun, nine-point-six to eight-point-seven; Blount, eight-point-eight to eight-point-one and Cherokee County's unemployment rate went from nine-point-one percent in September to eight percent in October.

Fraud trial

The former marketing director for the Alabama Small Business Development Consortium has testified at the trial of the group's former director. Lauren Young she used a check card from the Alabama Small Business Institute of Commerce to pay for travel and hotels on trips to University of Alabama football games in Atlanta and New Orleans. Maurice Campbell Jr. of Rainbow City is on trial for fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. Campbell is accused of using state money for to benefit himself and others, including women he called "Little Sisters." Young testified that the women attended the events primarily for Campbell's entertainment.

Body found in Etowah

A 56-year-old man was found dead Monday in a condemned house in Etowah County. The body was discovered around 4:30 PM and had apparently been there for several hours. Etowah County Deputy Coroner Michael Head said the man is believed to have died from a drug overdose.

Campground fee increase

During their Monday meeting, Marshall County commissioners approved an increase to campground rental fees at Marshall County Park Number 2. According to the Sand Mountain Reporter, the increase will go into effect next year, and is expected to generate as much as 300 dollars per month to support operations and training at Georgia Mountain Volunteer Fire Department. The increase is five dollars for monthly rentals and one dollar for daily rentals.

Albertville budget meeting

The Albertville City Council will discuss its current fiscal year budget this Friday. The council meeting is scheduled for 9 AM.

Burglar shot

A Marshall County man shot a suspected burglar. The sheriff's office says the homeowner had returned to his house off Simpson Point Road to find several of his belongings loaded into the suspect's vehicle and called 9-1-1. Before anyone got there, 22-year-old Travis Latrey Banks of Guntersville left the residence and got into an argument with the homeowner, which wound up with Banks getting shot. He was treated and released at an area hospital and arrested for burglary.

Albertville troublemaker

An Albertville man is accused of causing disturbances at three different homes in Marshall County. Deputies were responding to a complaint concerning 25-year-old Jimmy Roy Rodgers Junior on Anthony Road in Alder Springs when they were called to Sharon Circle, where a man accused Rodgers of assaulting him and pulling a knife on him. At that point, deputies heard at least a half-dozen gunshots fire behind another residence. They found a .22 caliber rifle with blood on it and found Rodgers hiding in a wooded area. Rodgers was arrested on charges of menacing, reckless endangerment and public intoxication.

Warrants no, drugs yes

DeKalb County sheriff's deputies attempting to serve an outstanding felony warrants on Sunday night didn't find the people they were looking for, but they didn't come back empty-handed. Invited to look inside a home on County Road 641, deputies detected a strong odor or burning marijuana and found a small bag of marijuana. 48-year-old Dewey Clyde Scott and his 22-year-old son, Justin Leslie Scott, were both arrested. In a separate case, another set of deputies searching a home on DeKalb Road 1821 in Dawson found meth and an active meth lab. They arrested 34-year-old Darrell Louis David.

Stolen RV

DeKalb County authorities are looking for a stolen RV. Sheriff Jimmy Harris said a man entered North Alabama RV in Rainsville and, according to surveillance video, spent about two hours there. They say he took computers, TVs and other office equipment as well as a 2006 Ford E450 Lexington RV. The vehicle is burgundy and gray with possible rear-end damage. If you know anything, contact the Dekalb County Sheriff's Office.

Landers Soon Done as Superintendent

Attalla City Schools superintendent Ray Landers will soon be out of the job. He has a three-year contract that expires June 30th, and his last day will be January 31st. The Attalla Board of Education approved a memorandum of understanding with Landers, outlining that he would not renew his contract, according to the Gadsden Times.

Earthquake

A small earthquake centered in Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama Sunday morning registered one-point-nine. The United States Geological Survey says probably nobody even noticed the very small quake. However it did quickly follow a two-point-seven quake last Wednesday and a three-point-oh quake near Trussville in September.

Guntersville music video wins

A music video shot in Marshall County won an award at this week's 2011 UK Music Video Awards. The video was filmed in Guntersville by a directing duo known as the Daniels. It's for a song called Simple Math by the indie band Manchester Orchestra, based in Atlanta.

Check for 911

The Marshall County 911 board was recognized this week with a check from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Jason Harper of Guntersville, a community relations manager for TVA, presented the board with a check for 12-hundred dollars. That's for efforts during the tornado outbreak on April 27th. Harper said that, living in the area, he could appreciate what 911 did to continue their operations under difficult circumstances.

Bice is New State Schools Superintendent

Deputy Alabama schools superintendent Tommy Bice is being promoted.... the state board picked him to be the new K-12 state schools superintendent, according to the Gadsden Times. He has served as superintendent in the Alexander City school system. Bice replaces Joe Morton, who retired.

Veterans Day services

Veterans Day services are planned tomorrow in Marshall County. In Albertville, they'll begin at 11 AM in Graham Park behind Albertville Public Library at 200 Jackson Street. And, in Guntersville, services will also start at 11 AM. They will take place at the Marshall County Courthouse Veterans Monument at 424 Blount Avenue.

Burglary arrests

A burglary was reported Tuesday at a home on County Road 528 in the Grove Oak area. Stolen were a chain saw, pressure washer and tools. Acting on information from witnesses, authorities found those items, along with four people who had been identified as suspects. Arrested for third-degree burglary were 43-year-old Hoyt Rowell Junior, 19-year-old Jessica Diane Rowell and 19-year-old Stephen Wayne Gray. A 43-year-old woman was also arrested on drug charges.

Operation Last Call

The called it Operation Last Call. On Wednesday afternoon, the Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit, along with U.S. Marshals, the FBI and Gadsden police, conducted a drug roundup. According to the Gadsden Times, they were mainly going after repeat offenders for drug trafficking, distribution and manufacturing charges, plus a few wanted for drug possession. Methamphetamine and crack cocaine were drugs involved. By late in the day, 27 people had been arrested on 43 felony warrants.

Runaway relocated

A 14-year-old girl who had gone missing in DeKalb County was relocated within a few hours. Authorities say Mia Alexandria Lamunyon had run away after school Tuesday afternoon. Geraldine police, with help from other local law enforcement agencies, were able to find Mia safe and unharmed Tuesday night and return her to her family.

Chase leads to arrest

A chase in DeKalb County Tuesday night resulted in the capture of a wanted man. A deputy spotted Anthony Wells, sought for a probation violation near Highway 75 and County Road 400. Wells sped away onto County Road 843 and the deputy gave chase through Hammonds Crossroads, Gilbert's Crossroads and Dawson. The two cars collided several times as Wells kept slamming on his brakes. Eventually, he abandoned his car and ran into a wooded area near County Roads 304 and 57. State troopers and officers from several other law enforcement agencies arrested him following a scuffle. Wells is facing several charges in addition to the probation violation and is being held in the DeKalb County jail without bond.

DeKalb sex abuse arrest

A Dawson man has been arrested in connection with the sexual abuse of two girls under the age of 12. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office says 61-year-old Clarence Casper Hale faces one count of first-degree sexual abuse; an additional account could be added by a grand jury. Hale is a convicted sex offender, having been found guilty in 1995 of sodomy, also involving victims under the age of 12. Sheriff Jimmy Harris says his agency began investigating the current case on Sunday and interviewed the two girls on Monday. Harris says Hale had known the victims' family for several years and the alleged acts took place at his home.

Gadsden chief applicants

Police chief of Gadsden, Alabama, is a popular job. So far, there are half-a-dozen applicants. And city Personnel Director Jerry Gladden is expecting more before next Tuesday's deadline. Gladden told the Gadsden Civil Service Board Tuesday that one application has come from within the police department, three others are from elsewhere in Alabama and one each came from Florida and Louisiana. Richard Crouch has retired and, among those still expected to apply, is acting chief Roy Harbin.

Coroner pleads guilty

A former Cherokee County coroner has pleaded guilty to felony theft of property. Don Rogers had also been charged with fraudulent use of a credit card and several counts of second-degree forgery last November. Those charges were dropped and, last Friday, Rogers was sentenced in circuit court to five years in prison and ordered to pay more than 28-thousand dollars in restitution to Bob Perry at Perry Funeral Home in Centre.

High school football playoffs

It took a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court to get Gadsden City into the state football playoffs, but the Titans needed more than that as they were blanked in the first round by Mountain Brook, 21-to-nothing. Elsewhere in Class 6-A, Oxford outscored Spain Park , 42 to 34. Other winners included: in Class 5-A: Etowah and Fort Payne. In Class 4A: Oneonta and Anniston. And in Class 3A, Glencoe.

Cherokee burglar

In another burglary case, Cherokee County Sheriff's deputies have arrested a Piedmont man. 34-year-old Jeremy W. Studdard is accused of burglarizing a residence in Rock Run on Wednesday. Studdard was spotted in a vehicle described by the person reporting the burglary and arrested on County Road 122. Stolen property was recovered.

Boaz burglar

A Boaz man is allegedly a burglar. The Marshall County Sheriff's Office says 28-year-old Steven Edward Cobble was caught on somebody else's property on Needmore Road last Wednesday. The homeowner said a 200 dollar cell phone and 50 dollars' worth of tools had been stolen. Deputies say they were able to recover those items when they found Cobble at a home in Boaz. He's charged with third degree burglary and theft of property.

United Way record

The United Way of Etowah County held its annual celebration Thursday at Gadsden Convention Hall and there was plenty to celebrate. The organization's campaign has raised more than one-million, 362-thousand dollars, well above its record goal of one-million, 345-thousand dollars. The funds raised by United Way go to more than two dozen programs and agencies in Etowah County.

Gadsden City in playoffs

A ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court has put the Gadsden City High School football team back in the playoffs . The court upheld last week's decision by the Alabama High School Athletic Association to force Clay-Chalkville to forfeit nine wins for using an ineligible player. That took the Cougars out of the Class 6A state playoffs, with the open spot going to Gadsden City. The Titans have tall order in their first game tonight--they're on the road, visiting Moutain Brook, the top-ranked team in the state.

Small biz counseling

If you're the owner of a small business or you want to be, you have some help on the way. The Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce and The Jacksonville State University Small Business Development Center are teaming up. They will offer one-on-one counseling for prospective and existing small business owners at no charge. That will take place on Thursday, November 17th, from 1 to 4 PM at the Chamber office at 1316 Noble Street in Anniston. You are requested to make an appointment. For more info, call (256) 782-5271.

Murder court date

A man accused of killing his father in DeKalb County has a date in court. Tony Stone is charged with murder in the stabbing death of 48-year-old Barry Stone. The elder Stone's body was found last month by a group of teenagers off County Road 51 near Fort Payne. Police say the father and son had been in an argument right before the stabbing.

Georgia lottery winner

A Fort Payne man matched all five winning numbers in the Georgia Lottery's Halloween Fantasy 5 drawing, scoring a jackpot prize of 108-thousand-38 dollars. Thomas Mclemore claimed his prize on Tuesday, his 54th birthday.
He said he had found out that morning. Said McLemore: “I got an e-mail from the lottery with the winning numbers on my cell phone. I woke up my wife (and told her. She’s the one who screamed.” He plans to use the money to pay off bills. McLemore bought his winning ticket at the US Food Mart on Albama Highway in Rome.

Councilman arrested

Police arrested a member of the Anniston City Councilman Wednesday . John Spain is accused of violating the council-manager act. Only the city manager can give direct orders to an employee. The "Anniston Star" reports Spain allegedly issued orders to a city policeman. Officials say Spain is free on bond and could lose his council seat, if convicted.

LSU-Alabama

Some people are calling it the game of the century and tickets for LSU at Alabama this Saturday night are going for a premium. A check of StubHub-dot-com finds the price of a ticket to see the number-one ranked Tigers take on the number-two Crimson Tide currently range from 379 dollars to more than 12-hundred dollars. With tickets these popular, counterfeiting can be a problem. That's why the Alabama ticket office took precautions. Real tickets have a script "A" on the back which is revealed by lightly rubbing with a coin. They also have a moving hologram on the front and tickets out of season pack come with perforated edges on the top, bottom, and right side, the left side is smooth. On game day, university officials will be at gates to verify tickets.

Etowah County Judge Rules on Football Playoff Dispute

An Etowah County judge granted a temporary injunction against the Alabama High School Athletic Association, and its director, over their decision to disqualify Gadsden City's football team from the Class 6A playoffs. The AHSAA originally decided that Clay-Chalkville High School was disqualified from the playoffs for use of an ineligible layer for the first nine games of the season... and that decision let Gadsden City into the playoffs. A Jefferson County Circuit Court judge later decided to let Clay-Chalkville BACK into the playoffs - which would mean Gadsden City is out. The Etowah County judge said that until a final hearing can be held on the matter.... the defendants, including the AHSAA, are banned from taking any further action to change the earlier ruling that disqualified Clay-Chalkville, according to the Gadsden Times. The conflicting judge's decisions means the AHSAA will likely ask the Alabama Supreme Court for an emergency hearing. If Gadsden City stays in the playoffs - the team would go to Mountain Brook on Friday.

Police Looking Into Attalla Woman's Death

Attalla police are investigating a woman's death. Police say the 78-year-old woman was found upside down in a garbage can last night, after she'd taken the garbage out, according to the Gadsden Times. Her husband found her in the garbage can, after she did not come back in after a few minutes. Police say it is possible she died of natural causes. An autopsy will be done to determine exactly how she died.

Standoff suspect identified

The Marshall County Coroner says a preliminary autopsy has confirmed the identification of a man killed Monday night in an explosion and fire at a house in Albertville where he had been engaged in a standoff with police. He was 26-year-old Charles Thomas Richards of Albertville and it's believed he died from smoke inhalation. The explosion and fire were apparently triggered by vapors from a can of paint thinner. The standoff had begun two hours later when police came to talk to Richards, who was a suspect in some burglaries. He took two people inside the house hostage but eventually let them go. Richards died before police could convince him to surrender.

New Etowah supermarket

Residents of Etowah County and surrounding areas have another grocery-shopping option. A new Johnson's Giant Foods has opened at Alabama Highway 77 and U.S. Highway 11. The store had been on Fourth Avenue in downtown Attalla and moved last week. The new 43-thousand square foot building includes twice the shopping space and three-thousand more items. The Johnson family is expecting the store to do nearly 20-million dollars a year in sales.

ICE lease approved

Etowah County Commissioners have voted to let some new neighbors move in, approving a lease agreement with the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I-C-E will pay about 60-thousand dollars a year to lease 35-hundred square feet of office space in the county courthouse. That's in addition to space that I-C-E already leases at the county Detention Center.

Red flag warning

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for an area including Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee and Etowah counties. The warning is in effect for this afternoon. It means fire weather conditions are critical--a combination of low humidity and warm temperatures iks creating explosive fire growth potential.

Cherokee County fatality

A single-vehicle accident in Cherokee County Monday morning left the driver dead and a passenger injured. State troopers say 37-year-old Donald Edward Nelson the Second of Attalla was driving a pickup truck on County Road 36, just north of Leesburg, when the vehicle ran off the roadway and struck a tree. Nelson died at the scene and another person was transported to Huntsville Hospital.

Manslaughter plea deal

A woman has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of her two-year-old daughter. 25-year-old Tabitha Sheneal Martin was originally indicted for murder after driving drunk, speeding and wrecking her car on Section Line Road in Albertville in May of last year. Two-year-old Emily Brooke Walls was pronounced dead at the scene. Martin was allowed to plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter but her sentence will be totally up to a judge.

Standoff and explosion

Albertville police detectives, investigating some burglaries, went to a house at 305 Coleman Street on Monday afternoon. When they arrived, a man took two people in the house hostage. Communicating via text message, police convinced him to release the hostages, but the suspect, believed to armed and dangerous, slammed the door and remained inside. At that point, off-duty officers and the Special Operations Team were called in. As they continued to communicate with text messages, there was an explosion inside the house, blowing out front windows and sending debris into the front yard. The house burst into flames and was a total loss by the time the fire was contained. The suspect's body was found inside and later taken by the Marshall County Coroner for indentification. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.