Family loses home in fire a day after Christmas

 Loachapoka, Al.

Norman Pitts and his wife Jacqueline are sifting through what’s left of their Christmas memories after a fire ripped through their Loachapoka home early Monday morning.

Although their Lee Road 817 home may look like rubble now, the few family pictures they have been able to pluck from the charred remains are priceless to them.

After arriving home around 10:30 p.m. Sunday night, Pitts had a meal and sat down to watch TV in the living room before falling asleep. Approximately three hours later, he awoke to the sight of fire in the kitchen.

“Something just woke me up,” said Pitts, 40, who described himself as a heavy sleeper. “I just jumped up and looked to the right and saw the whole wall above the stove on fire.”

Pitts’ wife and two children, Normesha, 13, and son, Jaquavious, 15, were asleep in other rooms.

Pitts made his way down the hallway, waking his family and getting them safely outside. Then he tried to fight the fire, first with a fire extinguisher and then a hose, but the fire was out of control.

“I’d gotten my family out of the house safe and was trying to save what I could of our house,” Pitts said. “We’d always wanted a home and that was our first.

“The only thing we made it out with were the pajamas we were wearing and our socks. Everything else burned up.”

Everything included the home’s furnishings, cash and all of the family’s Christmas gifts.

The Notasulga and Southwest Lee County Volunteer Fire departments arrived and extinguished the fire, which Pitts said may have been electrical in origin.

Pitts, a 17-year employee with the City of Auburn’s Environmental Services Department, and his wife are currently staying in an Auburn hotel, while their children are living with relatives in Valley.

Insurance will not cover the full cost of rebuilding, said Pitts, who hopes to rebuild on the same site in six months to a year.

Still he said what he is most grateful for is the fact that he and his family escaped unharmed.

“It may take many, many years but all those material things can be replaced in due time,” said Pitts, who had called the Loachapoka residence home for the past seven years. “It is only by the grace of God that we are alive.”

Since the fire, Pitts says a host of friends, family and members of his church have rallied to help.

“I had a lot of friends but didn’t know so many of them loved me like that,” Pitts said.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to assist the Pitts family may do so at any AuburnBank branch to an account set up in the name of Norman Pitts.

Two men accused of robbing store arrested in Mobile

MOBILE, Al.
Two men who are believed to have robbed a discount store early on New Year's Eve were arrested a few hours later and charged with first-degree robbery, police said.

Jomaine Howard

Justin Parker, 22, of Ardell Street in Mobile and Jomaine Howard, 25, of Hogg Road in Eight Mile, have been charged with first-degree robbery, said Cpl. Christopher Levy, a spokesman for the Mobile Police Department. While an extact dollar figure wasn't available, Levy said a portion of the money was returned to the store.
The men are accused of walking into the Family Dollar at 2998 Spring Hill Ave. and demanding cash from the register, according to information provided by a store worker who called police about the incident that happened at 9:48 a.m. today.

Justin Parker

The cashier told police both men, including one who was armed with a handgun, then ran out of the store and left in a black SUV.
Here’s what happened next, according to authorities: A short time later a police officer spotted a black Ford Explorer in the area of Edgewood Street and St. James Street with two men inside. The officer stopped the vehicle because the men matched the descriptions of those who were accused of robbing the store.

1 Sears, 2 Kmart stores in Alabama on the closure list due to lackluster sales

Three Sears Holdings properties in Alabama - two Kmart stores and one Sears - are on a list of 79 stores that will be closed due to lackluster sales.
The Sears store on Halls Mill Road in Mobile and the Kmart stores on East University Drive in Auburn and East Broad Street in Gadsden will be closed, an announcement on the Sears site said. The announcement did not specify the closure dates. The Kmart store on Milgen Road in Columbus, Ga., also will close.
The list is not complete, as the company announced Dec. 27 it would be closing between 100 and 120 Kmart and Sears stores.
The company did not say how many employees will lose their jobs, but noted between 40 and 80 associates are employed at each store.

Courtney Upshaw and William Vlachos latest Alabama players to commit to Senior Bowl

Courtney Upshaw

TUSCALOOSA, Al.

Courtney Upshaw and William Vlachos became the latest Alabama players to confirm Friday their intent to play in the Senior Bowl.

The duo will join wide receiver Marquis Maze, who confirmed Wednesday that he would also play in the game.

Upshaw has been Alabama's wrecking ball at the jack linebacker position. He had 45 tackles with 8.5 sacks, including two each against Ole Miss and Auburn. In his past 14 games dating to last season, Upshaw has 13.5 sacks.

"I'm very excited," Upshaw said. "When making my decision last year to come back, that was one of the reasons: To have a chance to play in that game."

Vlachos has started 39 consecutive games at center and is considered the pulse of the offensive line.

"It's definitely an experience and opportunity you don't want to pass up," Vlachos said. "You want to be prepared for it. It's an honor to be asked. ... I'm excited to have an opportunity to play in it."

Former Tide stars Greg McElroy, Preston Dial and James Carpenter played in last season's Senior Bowl.

This year's game will be played at 3 p.m. Jan. 28 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile. Tickets cost $24, $18 and $10. The game will be televised on NFL Network.

Barron limited: Safety Mark Barron continues to be limited during individual drills, apparently a precaution to allow the senior to recover from a rib/cartilage injury that forced him to miss most of Alabama's 42-14 win over Auburn on Nov. 26.

Barron continues to wear a crimson jersey indicating he is cleared for contact. Despite limited contact during the media viewing Friday, Barron appeared to be in good health from a physical standpoint.

Giant MoonPie to Fall from Sky in Downtown Mobile

Mobile, Al.  

The corner of St. Joseph and St. Francis Streets in downtown Mobile will be the hot spot for New Year’s fun this year. Prepare for a “Fantastic Voyage,” as Lakeside warms up the crowd before legendary rockers Three Dog Night ring in 2012, along with the MoonPie Drop, a laser show and fireworks from atop the RSA BankTrust Building and in Mobile Bay.

The events will kick off with a Mardi Gras-style parade at 7:30 that will parade through downtown. From the funky “Fantastic Voyage” to rock anthem “Joy to the World” the music will be both diverse and family-friendly taking revelers on a musical flashback. Whether you prefer RC Cola or a glass of champagne, ring in the New Year in downtown Mobile.

“We looked at several locations and wanted to bring the MoonPie Drop and stage location closer together to build more enthusiasm,” said Mayor Sam Jones of Mobile. “The combination of the great entertainment, the uniqueness of the MoonPie Drop and an anticipated large crowd have the makings of one amazing evening,” said Jones. “Our sponsors are making this possible and we are delighted that nearly 20 media markets will be counting down the new year live from Mobile, Alabama.”

The new stage location, adjacent to Bienville Square, will allow for larger crowds, better protection from the weather and great views of the MoonPie and the fireworks shows. A new VIP area on the sixth floor of the RSA BankTrust Building parking deck will enable sponsors to get a bird’s eye view of the entertainment and the falling cookie. The 12-foot-tall electronic MoonPie will descend from the 34-story RSA BankTrust skyrise as the city welcomes 2012 and the beginning of Mardi Gras season.

This year’s MoonPie Over Mobile celebration will start with a Mardi Gras-style parade double the size of the 2010 parade and will feature floats, bands and a few surprises. Afterwards, a street party of live entertainment will help draw thousands of people downtown. Downtown Mobile will be one giant street party that will last into the early hours of the New Year.

“Mobile’s New Year’s Eve Celebration featuring the MoonPie Over Mobile has become a cultural phenomenon in the entire USA,” said Mobile City Councilman Fred Richardson. “Last year we had more than 40,000 people attend MoonPie Over Mobile and we hope to make it even larger this year,” said Richardson. “I look forward to this New Year’s Eve being the best that has ever been in our city.” First started in 2008, MoonPie Over Mobile gives locals and tourists a chance to experience New Year’s Eve with a bit of Mardi Gras flavor. “It is time to ‘Celebrate,’ just like the Three Dog Night song.” Richardson is credited for creating the MoonPie Over Mobile concept.

“All eyes will be on Mobile this New Year’s Eve,” said Kent Blackinton, general manager of Renaissance Riverview Plaza and president of the Mobile Hotel Association. “We are going to make a great party even better this year, and we are looking to fill the streets of Mobile and the hotel rooms in the city. Television views throughout the Central Time Zone can watch MoonPie Over Mobile live in a 35-minute telecast on Raycom stations, but we would rather have you being part of the excitement.”

Why a MoonPie?

Mobile is the home of America’s first Mardi Gras celebration, and the MoonPie is the favored “throw” of the hundreds of Mardi Gras maskers riding the floats during the extensive Mardi Gras parade season. MoonPies were first thrown from Mardi Gras floats in 1952. Today, Mobile consumes more than four million MoonPies annually, and has adopted the delicious treat as an informal emblem. For the MoonPie Over Mobile celebration, this southern city has teamed up with Chattanooga Bakery, the maker of the iconic MoonPie marshmallow sandwich, to create the largest electronic MoonPie as the featured attraction for its New Year’s Eve celebration. This is the fourth year an electronic version of the delicious treat will light up downtown Mobile.

Mardi Gras was first discovered in the New World in 1703 at Twenty-Seven Mile Bluff, the first settlement in Mobile. The first masked parading society, the Cowbellion de Rakin society, was formed in 1830. Mobile currently has more than 50 parading and non-parading organizations. An estimated 850,000 people attend parades, parties and other organizations associated with the carnival festivities. This number will likely increase in 2012.

About Lakeside

“The Lakeside journey began when a group of high school students from Ohio formed a band made up of talented musicians and has sustained them for more than 27-years. Recording moguls Motown, ABC and Solars have felt the Lakeside vibe producing many of the "Fantastic Voyage" mega hits that took the music industry by storm. The sound of funk hits such as "All The Way Live", "Raid" and "Outrageous", are known to draw people to the dance floor like a magnet to metal. And of course, there is the Lakeside anthem that sets the band apart from all the rest. Brought back by Coolio, "Fantastic Voyage" boasts to be the only song to knock Michael Jackson's "Heartbreak Hotel" from the number one position on the Billboard Charts in 1980. The hit single "Fantastic Voyage", continues to entertain new and seasoned fans.

About Three Dog Night

Legendary music icons, Three Dog Night, celebrate their 4th decade, performing to sell-out crowds and bringing along some of the most astonishing chart statistics in popular music including 21 consecutive Top 40 hits, including three #1 singles, 11 Top 10's, and 12 straight RIAA Certified Gold LPs.

Perfectly re-creating their larger than life songs, Three Dog Night will perform their hits including “Mama Told Me (Not To Come)”, “Joy to The World”, “Black and White”, “Shambala”, “One”, “Liar”, “Celebrate” and many more songs that drive their success. Three Dog Night, which is made up of founding members Cory Wells and Danny Hutton on lead vocals, original band mates Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards) and Michael Allsup (guitar) and completed by Paul Kingery (bass and vocals) and Pat Bautz (drums), now perform for audiences spanning several generations. After nearly 40 years together, Three Dog Night continues to grow its fan base and develop new ways of doing business. Since 1986, they have performed over 2,000 shows including two Super Bowls.

Where Will MoonPie Over Mobile Be Televised?

Raycom Media will be doing a live 45-minute telecast from MoonPie Over Mobile. It will be telecast on the following stations: WAFF - Huntsville, AL; WBRC - Birmingham, AL; WSFA - Montgomery, AL; WDFX - Dothan, AL; WTVM - Columbus, GA; WPGX - Panama City, FL; WLOX - Biloxi, MS; WDAM - Hattiesburg, MS; WLBT - Jackson, MS; KAIT - Jonesboro, AR; KTRE - Lufkin, TX; KLTV - Tyler, TX; KCBD - Lubbock, TX; WAFB - Baton Rouge, LA; KPLC - Lake Charles, LA; KSLA - Shreveport, LA; WMC - Memphis, TN; KFVS - Cape Giradeau, MO and KYOU - Ottumwa, IA. Locally, WKRG in Mobile will air the telecast.

New Year's warnings: Don't drive drunk, fire guns

Montgomery, Al.
As the countdown to 2012 begins to hit full stride, public safety officials have two warnings: If you're going to drink alcohol, have a sober person drive, and don't blast in the New Year by shooting a gun.

Alabama State Troopers and other law enforcement agencies will have extra patrols and sobriety checkpoints through midnight Monday. In addition to drunk driving, officers also will target drivers who speed, follow too closely or pass improperly.
Last year, 14 people were killed statewide, including five pedestrians, during the 78-hour New Year's period. Alcohol was a factor in at least four of those deaths.
AAA Alabama will again offer free towing for impaired drivers. The Tow-for-Life service will be available from 6 p.m. tonight through 6 a.m. New Year's Day.
"We want everyone to get home safely," said Clay Ingram, AAA Alabama spokesman. "So if you or someone you know has too much to drink on New Year's Eve, just call 1-800-AAA-HELP (1-800-222-4357) and we'll get you home safely."
Towing is free for up to 10 miles. The driver or vehicle owner must be present when the tow truck arrives, because the driver will ask for identification and the keys upon arrival.
Birmingham police will again have extra officers on duty in Operation Crackdown, which targets people shooting guns from 6 p.m. New Year's Eve through 6 a.m. New Year's Day.
"A bullet fired into the air can climb up to two miles," Birmingham police Sgt. Johnny Williams said in a statement. "When it falls back to earth, it can reach a speed of 300 to 700 feet per second. A velocity of only 200 feet per second is sufficient to penetrate the human skull."
In 2008, two Birmingham residents were injured by falling bullets fired on New Year's Eve. In 2003, a Birmingham woman was in church for a New Year's Eve service when she was wounded by a stray bullet at the stroke of midnight.
Last year, Birmingham police dispatchers handled nearly 400 calls about shots fired, and the department's ShotSpotter system reported 214 instances of gunfire. Police arrested five people and seized 26 weapons.

Imprisoned day care operator sued by sex abuse victim

Birmingham, Al.
A man imprisoned for sexually abusing a child at his now-closed Cahaba Heights day care center was sued Friday by one of the victims and her mother, court records show.
The suit was filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court against Robert Eugene Frost, who is serving a 20-year sentence in the Bullock Correctional Facility in Union Springs after his conviction earlier this year for sexual abuse of a child under age 12.
The mother, identified in the suit only as LL, and daughter, identified only as KD, both have been scarred by the molestation and are mistrustful, the lawsuit said. Both require ongoing therapy, it said.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. It also claims Frost, the day care center he operated and its church sponsor were negligent in training and supervising Frost.
The suit contends Frost, 76, sexually touched the girl several times between 2008 and 2010, ending when she was 5 years old. Frost told the girl that her mother would hate her if she told anyone. The mother-daughter relationship continues to be strained because of the threats, the suit said.
Frost was arrested in 2010 at Christian's Day Care and Learning Academy, and charged with sexually abusing two girls, including KD.
Earlier this year, a Jefferson County jury convicted him on one count of sex abuse of a child under age 12, but could not decide two other charges involving the girls.

UPDATE: Woman accused of illegally transporting 112 gallons of beer - Questions Answered

A story about a Decatur woman’s arrest for transporting 112 gallons of beer from Tennessee to Alabama baffled a number of readers who did not understand why the beer run constituted a crime.

Gloria Crisantes Salazar

Gloria Crisantes Salazar, 39, of 310 Cardinal Drive S.W., Apt. 12, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of transporting prohibited liquor after Limestone County Sheriff’s Department received a tip about her. Because she was living in the country illegally, immigration officials for possible deportation will pick her up.

Sheriff Mike Blakely of Limestone County Sheriff’s Department said Salazar violated state law in three ways:

• Transporting untaxed alcohol into Alabama; the state collects 2 percent of the purchase price;

• Transporting more than 5 gallons of alcohol in her vehicle, which is a felony punishable by one to six years in prison;

• Transporting alcohol in the cab of the vehicle rather than in the trunk.

Deputy Cody Lewter arrested Salazar as she was driving south on Interstate 65 with 15 cases containing 40-ounce bottles of Bud Light in her vehicle.

Although the deputy could have charged Salazar with a felony for transporting such a large quantity of beer, he charged her only with misdemeanor transporting of prohibited liquor, the sheriff noted. He said many citizens are unaware of state laws pertaining to the transportation of alcoholic beverages.

“If you buy alcohol in a wet jurisdiction and transport it into a dry county — which includes all unincorporated areas of Limestone County — then it must be in the trunk and it can only be one case of beer or two fifths of liquor,” Blakely said.

Those who purchase a little beer, wine or liquor need not be paranoid.

“It isn’t something we are out there looking for,” Blakely said. “We don’t do beer patrols in Limestone County — we have plenty of theft and drug cases that take precedence — but a person could be arrested for it.”

The best bet is to follow the rules — buy in Alabama, buy no more than 5 gallons and store it in the trunk.

For more information on state laws relating to alcoholic beverages, including laws in dry counties, go online to the Alabama Code at http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/codeofalabama/1975/coatoc.htm and click on Chapter 28 on the left side of the screen.

Dothan Regions Bank robber crashes in Fl. after high speed pursuit

Dothan, Al.

On December 30, 2011 the Dothan Police Department responded to an armed robbery at Regions Bank (4080 West Main Street) at 1:50 p.m. Upon arrival, police were told a white male wearing a red cap and gray shirt had robbed the bank using a handwritten note advising the clerk to remain calm and provide U.S. Currency. Patrolmen quickly began to look for the suspect who was described as driving a gray van with Florida tags by witnesses.

Minutes after the robbery, an alert patrolman noticed a suspicious van traveling south on Ross Clark Circle and requested back up to conduct an investigative stop. When officers tried to initiate the traffic stop, the vehicle fled traveling southbound on South Oates Street.

Once the pursuit ensued, a tremendous multi-agency effort began during which the Dothan Police Department received mutual aid from Houston County S.O., Alabama State Troopers, Dale County S.O., Jackson County authorities and Florida Highway Patrol.

The pursuit continued into Florida and finally ended in Bay County Florida after FHP officers conducted a Precision Immobilization Technique Maneuver. The suspect lost control of the vehicle and ran off of the roadway causing the vehicle to overturn, trapping the suspect in the vehicle. The vehicle caught fire which was extinguished by a Dothan Policeman. The suspect was then removed from the vehicle and flown to a Florida medical facility where he is listed in critical condition.

 

Dothan Police have confirmed the man involved in the pursuit is the suspect from the robbery. Florida Highway Patrol have now identified him a Thomas Toothman of Southport, Florida.  UPDATE: It has now been learned that while the suspect was in possession of a Fl Drivers License  bearing the name "Thomas Toothman", he was actually in possession of his brothers id. The suspect has now been positively identified by fingerprints as JAMES TOOTHMAN.

The Dothan Police Department would like to thank all agencies involved in apprehending the robbery suspect.

Hobo Pantry robber trys to get away on bicycle, apprehended by alert Patrolman

Wesley Ray Cole Jr., white male, 33 years of age, of Headland, Alabama was arrested and charged with First Degree Robbery with a $250,000 bond.
 

The Dothan Police Department responded to an at Hobo Pantry, 2409 Reeves Street at 3:15 this morning. The clerk told dispatch a white male rode up on a bicycle and had his shirt up over his face and one hand under his shirt disguising it as a gun. He entered and stated that this was a stick up. The clerk immediately grabbed the phone and called 911. The suspect attempted to grab the phone but was unable to and fled on a bicycle. The clerk told dispatch the suspect was traveling on his bicycle down Murray Road where an alert patrolman apprehended the suspect.

The suspect was transported to the police department where he denied being in the store. Investigators confronted him with information dispatch received minutes before this robbery that a white male with the same description was witnessed at the Hobo Pantry located at 3090 Denton Road. Clerks from that location told dispatch a white male approached the front door with his shirt over his face. He looked in the door and saw customers inside after which he fled on a bicycle towards Murray Road. The suspect denied any such actions at this store as well. Investigators say this case will remain open and additional charges may be pending.