Alabama mines find good news with projected coal industry growth

BIRMINGHAM, Al.
There is good news for Alabama's big coal miners, according to an investment report.
The Paragon Report, an independent investment researcher, said in a recent research note that coal demand is projected to increase significantly over the next 25 years due to industrial growth in emerging markets. Most analysts argue that the coal market is set to explode, the report said.
The report cited the prospects of Birmingham-based Walter Energy, a publicly traded company that operates two large underground metallurgical coal mines in Tuscaloosa County. The company also operates Walter Coke in Birmingham, Black Warrior Methane, Taft Coal Sales in Jasper and Tuscaloosa Resources, which produces steam and industrial coal.
The Paragon Report also cited a top official of Birmingham's Drummond Co., which is family owned, who said coal prospects are rising after the Fukushima nuclear incident in Japan.
"Drummond Coal sales president George Wilbanks says coal demand rose over the past decade as China led growth in Asia and may accelerate to push up export volumes after the potential shock of Fukushima to the previously anticipated role for nuclear power generation," the report, issued this month, said.
Coal-fired power plants produce slightly less than 50 percent of U.S. electricity. Electrical power generating stations accounts for more than 90 percent of U.S. coal consumption. It is an important Alabama industry, producing about 20 million tons a year and employing about 4,200 people.
Earnings are looking up. Paragon cited analyst Michael Dudas, an analyst with Birmingham-based investment adviser Sterne Agee, who said in a note to clients that earnings reports from coal companies show that demand has been stronger than expected.

Birmingham police officers read to kids to encourage love of written word

BIRMINGHAM, Al.
Thursday afternoons are a treat for teacher Amy Stubbs' fourth-grade class at Huffman Academy. That's when Birmingham police officer Montague Minnifield arrives with a big bag of books.

Minnifield is among 40 Birmingham Police Department employees who are volunteering their time to help children in Birmingham schools improve their reading skills.

Minnifield and his colleagues -- most are police officers, but a few work in the city jail or in administration -- are working through a program run by Better Basics, a nonprofit children's literacy organization, said Sherri Blank, the nonprofit's director of development and public relations.

The Motivators of Reading Enrichment, or MORE, program encourages fourth-graders to read for pleasure by providing each classroom with a library of 55 age-appropriate books. Teachers allow students up to 30 minutes a day to read books in the MORE collection, and once a week, volunteers such as Minnifield go to their assigned classrooms to help the children with their reading.

For each book they read, students complete a short report that tests their reading comprehension. The volunteers grade the reports, and readers who get at least 7 out of 10 questions right get to pick a new book to take home for their personal collection.

They earn other rewards as they achieve reading milestones, which act as good motivators, Stubbs said. Those who complete five books earn a Better Basics T-shirt. They get a wristband for reading 10, a blue ribbon for 15 and a water bottle for 20.
  "It will pull in reluctant readers," Stubbs said.

If students in the class are lagging behind on their reading, Minnifield said he encourages them to help each other out.

As Minnifield called out the names of children who qualified to pick out a book to take home last week, their classmates gave them a round of applause.

Nine-year-old Antoine Williams grinned as he returned to his desk with "Dr. Brad has Gone Mad" and "Titanic" -- books he planned to read over Thanksgiving break. The A honor roll student, whose father is a police officer in Atlanta, said he likes having Minnifield work with his class. "He reminds me of my dad," Antoine said.

Minnifield, a member of the police department's SWAT unit, said he enjoys working with the youngsters. They want to know about his job and the equipment he carries.

"They want to see the Taser, the night stick, the flashlight (ours is a lot brighter), everything that's nonlethal," Minnifield said.

The MORE program yields results, Stubbs said. It helps students improve grades and helps them become better readers.

"There's a huge difference between children who read for pleasure and those who don't," she said. "Better reading helps with other classes, like science."

Updyke's poisoning the good name of a former Alabama player now

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- As if we need more evidence of Harvey Updyke's despicable nature, he and ESPN have supplied some.
Updyke is the alleged poisoner of the oak trees at Toomer's Corner.
What he's done since is poison the good name of a respected, wonderful gentleman with a cheap, inaccurate and hurtful comparison.
You probably know Tommy Lewis' story.
Standing on the sidelines in the 1954 Cotton Bowl, Lewis saw Rice's Dicky Maegle running for a touchdown. Lewis, reacting without thinking, took two steps onto the field and knocked Maegle down.
Later, Lewis explained, "I guess I'm too full of Alabama."
Lewis spent a lifetime being embarrassed by it. In a 2007 interview, he confessed, "I just had a rough time overcoming it. I still haven't overcome it."
He became a respected businessman in Huntsville, a proverbial pillar of the community, a family man. Now, at 79, he lives in a nursing home, a victim of Alzheimer's disease after a series of strokes. He lights up with a smile when his family visits. Memories of the 1954 Cotton Bowl have long been erased.
Updyke, who won't surrender his 15 minutes of infamy, compared himself to Lewis to justify his tree poisoning. He did so first in a mea culpa interview with Paul Finebaum, next in the shallow, contemptuous ESPN documentary "Roll Tide/War Eagle."
Smugly, Updyke says he's "too full of Alabama," too.
Imagine you've been married nearly 60 years and you hear this criminal link himself to your husband. Imagine you're a son or daughter. If you're Helen Lewis, who still treasures the 1953 Alabama-Auburn game ball her husband was awarded as the Tide captain, "It breaks my heart."
Kathy Lewis McCool, Tommy's daughter, wrote a beautiful letter she sent to me. Here's part of what she wrote:
"(O)ur family was saddened and disturbed to hear Mr. Updyke invoke the name of our father and grandfather, Tommy Lewis, as his source of inspiration and passion for Alabama football. Dad's off-the-sideline play in the 1954 Cotton Bowl has been a source of scorn, ridicule, and to many, heroics over the years, but no matter what the reaction, he responded with grace, humility and often, self-deprecating humor.
"Indeed, there is no doubt that he was 'too full of Bama' but what most folks do not know is that he was also 'too full' of our mother, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchild, nieces, nephews, children-in-law, friends, pets, customers, charities, and everything he touched. He had enough passion and love to go around for everybody.
"Dad had an abundance of beloved Auburn friends. ... He was a stranger to the bitterness the rivalry has taken on in recent years, and would have been puzzled and disappointed by it.
"Mr. Updyke's hateful act perpetrated upon Auburn's proud old oaks at Toomer's Corner would have appalled him ...
"For Mr. Updyke to compare his passion for Alabama to Tommy Lewis' is heartbreaking to us. It is our sincere hope that our Auburn friends will not associate Mr. Updyke's misguided act of 'passion' with our Dad's love of Alabama. We harbor no ill will for Mr. Updyke and hope for his continued healing and rehabilitation. But mostly, we hope for the health of the beautiful oaks at Toomer's Corner."
Lewis loved Alabama.
But he loved Auburn people. He'd admonish his children if they pulled against Auburn.
Tommy Lewis led an Alabama team. He bled for Alabama.
Harvey Updyke simply hung names on his children like Crimson Tyde and Bear Bryant.
Lewis was full of Alabama.
Updyke is full of hate and delusion and self-importance.
Shame on him as he spreads poison every time he crawls out from under his rock to find a microphone in his face.

Police in Auburn prepare for Iron Bowl

Auburn, Al.
Auburn police are ready to deal with the large crowds expected at the Iron Bowl football game.

Police say that with so many fans on opposite sides coexisting in a small town with plenty of alcohol on hand, things can get out of control.
Auburn Police Capt. Tommy Carswell says every available Auburn officer will be on duty Saturday, and officers and deputies from many surrounding communities will be in Auburn as well.
Police have set up an "eye in the sky" in Toomer's corner. It's a police watch post which positions an officer about 20 feet above the crowd to keep a bird's eye view on the action.

Speed appears to have been factor in fatal accident

 Attalla, Al.
Speed appears to be a factor in a wreck early Friday that claimed the lives of two Etowah County men, Etowah County Deputy Coroner Michael Head said.

Carl Henry Sunderman, 43, was driving a 2010 Hyundai Accent when the wreck happened about 2:50 a.m. Friday, five miles north of Attalla, according to Alabama State Troopers.
Daniel Lee Nelson Jr., 32, was riding in the car and both men were killed in the wreck. The men both live in the Boaz area of Etowah County, Head said.
Head said the car was headed south on U.S. Highway 431, going down the mountain, when it left the roadway and hit an embankment.
The car went about 230 feet further on the shoulder of the road and flipped one time, landing right side up near the old scenic overlook.
Nelson was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car through the passenger door window, Head said.
Sunderman was wearing a seat belt, but the door came open and the seat belt did not completely keep him inside the car.
The Etowah County Sheriff's Office and the Mountainboro Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the scene of the wreck with the coroner's office and state troopers.

New industry to bring jobs to Andalusia, Al. area

 Andalusia, Al.
GreenSteel Homes, LLC plans to locate its new factory in Andalusia, Al. Although city officials said they don’t expect the Santa Rosa Beach company to occupy the spec building in the new industrial park until about March of 2012, the company is already receiving inquiries about jobs.
A company spokeswoman said GreenSteel will begin accepting resumes starting early 2012 and is expected to employ 50 people locally in its first year of operation.
 AIDT will provide training for employees who join the company.
 The company builds architecturally-designed “green” steel homes with a completely wood-free recycled structure. Their homes deliver hurricane-rated sturdiness and resistance to fire, storms, mildew, mold, termites and noise.
For general information and upcoming employment information visit their website www.greensteelhomes.com

Auburn Police find missing man's body near home

UPDATE : to earlier story published Tue. 11-22   

Auburn authorities & family seeking help in finding a local man who has been missing since last week

AUBURN, Al.
Auburn police and EMS received a call about 3:30pm central time about a body found in an overgrown area just off of Harmon Drive near Rosie Street.
Auburn Police have identified the body as that of 44 year-old Owen Scott Scarborough. He was reported missing from his residence on Rosie Street on Nov. 19.
Harris says the body has been sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for positive identification and to determine the possible cause of death.
The coroner says foul play is not suspected and the case is under investigation.

Four injured after ambulance, car collide in Opelika

 Opelika, Al.

One person was airlifted to a hospital in Columbus, Ga., and three others were taken to East Alabama Medical Center after an ambulance collided head-on with another vehicle early Friday.

The collision occurred at about 6:20 a.m. on Marvyn Parkway in Opelika, according to EAMC spokesman John Atkinson. At the time of the collision, the ambulance was already transporting a patient to EAMC.

The patient, the driver of the ambulance and the attending paramedic were all transported to EAMC with what appeared to be minor injuries, Atkinson said.

The driver of the other vehicle was taken by helicopter to Columbus as a precaution. The driver’s injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

“We’re very thankful this morning that this accident didn’t turn out any worse than it did, and we’re very hopeful that the patient riding in the ambulance and the driver of the car experience quick recoveries,” Atkinson said.

The Opelika Police Department said the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to the collision. The sheriff’s office could not release any additional details Friday afternoon.

Black Bears Are a Protected Species in Alabama

After a picture a of a black bear that was hit by a car in Dale county showed up on facebook and several people reported sightings in Barbour County, Alabama State News decided to check with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources about Black Bears in Alabama. Here is their press release:

Alabama Black Bear

 Black bear sightings in Alabama outside of their primary range of Mobile and Washington counties have increased in 2011. While hunted in other parts of the country, black bears are a protected species in Alabama and no hunting season is established for them through a regulatory process by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (WFF).
During the spring and summer of 2011, bears were reported in several locations throughout Alabama. A male bear was tranquilized in Jefferson County and relocated to suitable bear habitat in another part of the state. Another bear was seen on multiple occasions as it traveled across north Alabama toward Mississippi. Several other bear sightings occurred in Macon and Chambers counties. Recently an adult bear has been the subject in several game camera images taken in Barbour County. Two bear cubs have also been seen in Barbour County.
According to Ray Metzler, Assistant WFF Wildlife Section Chief, the black bear represents an important wildlife resource in Alabama woodlands. “If you do see a black bear, do not panic,” Metzler said. “Consider yourself lucky because you are one of the few people in Alabama to have experienced such a sight.”
Alabama’s black bear population is relatively low, but appears to be increasing as evidenced by the higher than normal sightings. The increase in sightings may indicate that bears are establishing home ranges in other regions of Alabama outside their core areas in Mobile and Washington counties. Changes in bear range and movements may be the result of a combination of factors such as altered habitats due to development and a possible increase in black bear numbers.
Habitat loss, human disturbance, vehicular collisions and illegal killings are substantial obstacles that the black bear must endure to continue to sustain and increase its population levels throughout Alabama. An informed and educated public is essential to the survival of the black bear. Additional information on Alabama black bears can be found at websites such as the Alabama Black Bear Alliance, www.alabamablackbearalliance.org, the Alabama Wildlife Federation, www.alabamawildlife.org and the ADCNR website, www.outdooralabama.com.
For additional information or questions regarding black bears in Alabama contact WFF Wildlife Biologist Keith Gauldin at the WFF District 5 office at 251-626-5474 or keith.gauldin@dcnr.alabama.gov.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.

Alabama Medicaid Warns Recipients of Potential Scam

The  Alabama Medicaid Agency has sent out a Press release warning of a new potential telephone scam. the release is as follows:


A new telephone scam aimed at obtaining personal and bank information from Medicaid recipients has been reported in Alabama. The recent fraud attempts involve calls from people posing as Medicaid eligibility workers who ask for personal and financial information in order to send out a new identification card, according to Medicaid Deputy Commissioner for Beneficiary Services Lee Rawlinson.

"All Medicaid recipients should be aware that the Alabama Medicaid Agency workers will never call and ask recipients for bank account numbers, cash payments over the telephone," Ms. Rawlinson said. "Recipients should never give this information to anyone who calls on the telephone."

Any fraudulent contacts or any questionable activity should be reported to the Agency's Fraud Hotline by calling 1-866-452-4930 toll free.

To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, Medicaid recipients should:
• Always keep personal information, such as a Medicaid and/or Medicare number, safe. Treat it just like a credit card or bank account number.
• Remember that Medicaid cards are replaced free-of-charge. Medicaid will never call a recipient and tell them that they will lose their benefits if they do not pay for a new card.  To replace a Medicaid card, call toll-free 1-800-362-1504.
• Never allow anyone to come in your home uninvited.
• Call Medicaid at (334) 242-5000 if you have any questions or concerns.

Black Friday: Police use stun gun on man at Alabama Walmart

FLORENCE, Al.
Authorities say a shopper was subdued with a stun gun at an Alabama Walmart store as shoppers gathered for Black Friday sales.
Police said they used a stun gun twice to gain control of 22-year-old Christopher Blake Pyron before arresting him at a Walmart in Florence. A phone listing for Pyron could not be located.
Authorities said he is charged with public intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Police said they made the arrest around 11 p.m. Thursday, about an hour after the Walmart opened its doors for late-night and early-morning shopping.

Elkmont woman indicted for aiding escapee from Limestone County Jail

ATHENS, Al.
An Elkmont woman has been indicted for aiding a Limestone County Jail inmate after he escaped in January.

Claudia Patricia Arispe, 30, was charged by a grand jury with promoting facilitating first-degree escape for helping inmate Jose Fernandes, 26, after he escaped from a patrol car after a court appearance.
Fernandes jail coveralls and a cutting torch used to remove his handcuffs were found in the home Arispe shared with Efrian Salgado, the newspaper reported. The couple initially denied any contact with Fernandes before admitting to driving him to Huntsville.
Deputies found Fernandes a few days later in a mobile home in west Athens.

Report: Online sales hurting state's tax revenue

TUSCALOOSA, Al.
  Authorities say that Internet shopping is hurting revenue collections for state and local governments in Alabama.
The Alabama Department of Revenue reports that the lost revenue comes from Internet shoppers ignoring Alabama's state use tax, the equivalent of a sales tax levied on Alabama residents' out-of-state purchases where the seller does not collect Alabama sales tax.
Curtis Stewart, director of the tax policy and research division of the Alabama Department of Revenue, said estimates like those from a University of Tennessee study indicate that a substantial amount of tax revenue is being lost.
The 2009 study predicted that the growth of Internet shopping will result in at least $11.4 billion in lost sales tax revenue nationwide by next year.

Small quake shakes north Alabama Thursday night

ADDISON, Al.

A 2.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded about 8 miles from Addison last night at 7:18.

The "microquake" was measured at a depth of 1/10 mile, according to the Southeast U.S. Seismic Network.

The U.S. Geological Survey has more on the Thanksgiving quake.

Small earthquakes are not rare in Alabama, with more than 270 recorded since 1971 through the fall of 2011.

Alabama is in the Southern Appalachian Seismic Zone, also called the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone. The earthquakes here are related to the faults that run through the Appalachians.

The largest earthquake on record in Alabama was an estimated magnitude 5.1 with an epicenter in Irondale in 1916 that collapsed chimneys, cracked foundations and broke windows. The largest Alabama earthquake actually picked up by seismographs happened in 2003 in Fort Payne. The 4.9 magnitude quake was felt in 13 states.

There have been other earthquakes in Alabama this year: a 3.0 quake in Jefferson County in September; a 2.1 magnitude was reported in August in Fayette; two earthquakes -- one a 2.2, the other a 2.5 -- were detected in one week in March in Limestone County; and in February a magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck just south of Fort Morgan in south Alabama.

Alabama man sues over tribe's refusal to pay jackpot

MONTGOMERY, Al.
A man is suing an Alabama Indian tribe over what he claims is its refusal to pay a more than $1 million jackpot he won at a casino near Montgomery.
Lee County resident Jerry Rape is suing the Poarch Band of Creek Indians over the dispute.
Rape claims that lights flashed and sirens went off at Creek Casino Montgomery when he won more than $1 million on a 25 cent bet in November 2010. He says workers congratulated him, and one told him not to let the tribe cheat him out of the money.
The suit claims the tribe later claimed the slot machine had malfunctioned, and it refused to pay the jackpot.
Tribal officials declined comment on the lawsuit.

Report: Extreme drought continues in Alabama

OPELIKA, Al.
A report released this week shows that extreme drought conditions in east Alabama remain unchanged, despite recent rains.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows much of eastern and central Alabama is still suffering from extreme drought, the monitor's second-highest designation.

A report released this week shows that extreme drought conditions in east Alabama remain unchanged, despite recent rains. Click photo for full size. (Photo courtesy the U.S. Drought Monitor)

In all, almost one-third of Alabama is experiencing extreme drought.
Anthony Artusa of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wrote in the report that recent rainfall helped to increase soil moisture in Alabama and likely prevented drought conditions from worsening.
Much of Alabama has experienced at least abnormally dry conditions for the past 18 months.
The U.S. Drought Monitor classifies drought conditions in five stages, from least to most severe: abnormally dry, moderate drought, severe drought, extreme drought and exceptional drought.

Chase ends in crash, injury and arrest

 

Kwasi McMillian

MOBILE, Al.

Kwasi McMillian

  A police chase this morning ended in a crash, after which 1 of 2 men suspected of stealing a catalytic converter from a car was arrested, Mobile police said.
Spokeswoman Ashley Rains said Kwasi McMillian, 37, was charged with 2nd-degree theft of property and possession of burglary tools. He was taken to Mobile County Metro Jail after treatment for minor injuries at University of South Alabama Medical Center, Rains said.
The call came in at 10:48 a.m. at the Cracker Barrel on Schillinger Road after the men were reported taking a catalytic converter from a car. Officers arriving spotted the men’s car, and after a brief chase police laid out spike strips on Howells Ferry Road, Rains said.
The car crashed, and both McMillian and the driver ran, Rains said. The driver remained at large Wednesday evening.
Online court records indicate McMillian has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 1993, with charges including theft of property, receiving stolen property, gun charges and bail jumping. 

Purchase saves 275 jobs in Dothan

DOTHAN, Al.
The recent purchase of a Dothan business thought to be on its last leg will allow 275 jobs to stay in the area.

Twitchell president Jeff Register announced Wednesday that the company was bought Tuesday, allowing it to restructure debt and stay in Dothan.

“This puts us in a much stronger financial position,” Register said. “Now, our future is as bright as ever. This allows us to continue in our existing markets and hopefully expand into new ones.

 "It’s safe to say the deck was stacked against Twitchell as an ongoing entity without this purchase,” Register said.

Twitchell Corporation - which has been in operation continually in Dothan since 1922 manufacturing synthetic fabrics, yarns and coatings - was purchased Tuesday by Capital Partners, LLC of Greenwich, Conn. The deal will allow the company to refinance and remain in Dothan.

IRS reminds Alabamians affected by April tornadoes about special tax benefits

HUNTSVILLE, Al.
The Internal Revenue Service is reminding Alabamians affected by the April tornadoes that they may be eligible for special tax benefits, including filing an immediate claim for a refund due to storm damage losses.
Affected taxpayers with property in the 43 Alabama counties declared federal disaster areas after the April tornadoes and storms generally can claim storm damage losses on their 2010 tax returns now instead of waiting to claim them on their 2011 tax returns next year, said IRS spokesman Dan Boone.
"We want people to be aware that option is there," Boone said. He recommended checking with a financial adviser to figure out which is the best option.
The affected taxpayers can claim a casualty loss now by amending their 2010 tax returns, Boone said. However, the option of claiming the storm losses on 2010 returns expires after April 16, 2012.
"We can help prepare the casualty loss claims," Boone said.
The Huntsville IRS office is located at 5123 Research Drive in northwest Huntsville and its hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office is closed on federal holidays.
Boone suggested making an appointment; the office number is 256-539-0642.
"December would be a good time to do this," Boone said.
The IRS provided some common questions and answers about disaster tax relief:
Q: Who is considered eligible for IRS disaster tax relief?
A: Generally, at the time of the storms, if you lived in, owned a business in or had necessary tax records stored in a qualifying county that was federally declared, you are considered by the IRS to be "affected" by the disaster and eligible for tax relief.
Q: Is there anything special I should write on my correspondence with IRS to be sure it's processed quickly and correctly?
A: Yes, to receive expedited service from the IRS, affected taxpayers must put the disaster designation, "Alabama/Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding," at the top of any tax return or disaster-related correspondence sent to the IRS.
Q: Since I lost all my tax records in the storms, can I get a copy of my 2010 tax return from the IRS?
A: Yes. Affected taxpayers can get expedited copies of prior year tax returns at no cost. Fill out and file IRS Form 4506 and write the disaster designation across the top to get the fee waived.
Q: What is a casualty loss claim and how do you calculate it?
A: A casualty loss can be claimed for damage or loss of property due to storms, tornadoes, floods, fires or even theft.
It requires some calculating, but in simple terms, a casualty loss is the difference between the value of your property right before the disaster and right after it, less any damage reimbursements.
There are also other factors that are taken into consideration, so we suggest you visit our website, IRS.gov, for more information, or call the IRS Disaster Hotline toll-free at 1-866-562-5227.
Q: What types of receipts and documents are needed to file a casualty loss claim?
A: Pictures of the property before the storms and after them are always helpful to document the damage.
Also, be sure to keep receipts from repairs and rebuilding of your property as they are helpful in calculating the casualty loss.
Remember, too, that if you replace heating and air systems and other energy-related items, you may be eligible for a tax credit for those when you file your 2011 taxes next year, so keep those receipts and energy certification labels.
Q: Who can benefit most from claiming a casualty loss?
A: Before you claim a casualty loss, you have to deduct any damage reimbursements from insurance and other sources.
So, people who had little or no insurance coverage at the time of the disaster and who got no other reimbursements usually benefit the most from claiming a casualty loss.

Fired Elba superintendent could lose $550,000 in retirement benefits

ELBA, Al.
An Alabama Retirement Systems official says former state Rep. Terry Spicer could lose $550,000 in retirement benefits after being fired as superintendent of Elba city schools.

Terry Spicer

The school board terminated Spicer on Monday. Spicer is ineligible to serve as superintendent after pleading guilty to bribery charges.
Spicer will be sentenced April 23 for accepting more than $100,000 from a casino developer and lobbyist to provide political favors at the Legislature.
Spicer has 23 years and eight months of service to the state.
Chris Townes, retirement systems' benefits director, says if the 46-year-old Spicer had kept his job into 2013, he would have completed 25 years of service and would be collecting about $50,000 in annual retirement benefits.
Instead, Spicer won't collect until he turns 60.

Dothan Police Dept's Black Friday safety check list

Dothan, Al.
A decade ago we thought it was awfully early to get up on Black Friday for 6:00 a.m. door busters yet fast forward a few years and we are gearing up for 12:01 a.m. shopping calls! We wish everyone the best of luck in getting the item your heart is set on!

As you prepare to brave the crowds, there are a few safety tips that can make your shopping trips a positive experience! Have a great time but don’t get in such a hurry that you forget or forgo any of the following;

In Parking Lots:

• Plan to leave stores early to avoid walking to your vehicle after dark. Park in high visibility areas with sufficient lighting in case it is dark when you leave. Before you leave lock all your valuables in the trunk.
• Be cautious of people handing out fliers or asking questions in the parking lot, walk briskly and directly to your vehicle.
• Pay attention inside as well as outside for people who may be following you. Report to security immediately if you suspect someone is following you.
• Be aware of vehicles with dark tinted windows and avoid parking directly beside them.

• We recommend you shop with a friend but even if you are shopping alone it is possible to leave the store with others. Wait until you see others walking out of the exit before you walk to your vehicle. If no one is leaving when you are ask security to escort you to your vehicle. Have your car keys ready in hand before leaving the store.

While Shopping:

• Stay alert to your surroundings and the people around you. Remember safety in numbers, shop with a friend.
• Take only your driver's license, personal checks, or necessary credit or debit cards. Do not carry large amounts of cash, plan ahead so you pay for purchases with a check, credit or debit card.
• Watch shopping bags and packages while eating in the mall to avoid bags being switched or taken.
• If you shop with a purse, do not put it in the basket of a shopping cart or lay it down for any reason. Do not wrap the straps of a purse around your arms or shoulders; instead carry it by clutching it tightly under your arm.

Lovetown, Al. man arrested for making Terrorist Threats

 Dothan, Al.
Irby Jordan, white male, 67 years of age, of Lovetown, Alabama was arrested and charged with Terrorist Threats with a $15,000 bond.

On November 21, 2011 the Dothan Police Department Juvenile Investigative Division signed a warrant against Irby Jordan for making terrorist threats following a recent investigation. Investigators say they were recently called to a local business after the caller located questionable materials on a computer and agreed to turn the computer over to authorities for further investigation. Upon arrival, investigators came into contact with Jordan who appeared agitated by police presence and became increasingly disorderly when presented search warrants for his work space and residence. Jordan shouted threats at officers stating “You better call them off, or they are going to die!” after which officers attempted to take Jordan into custody. Jordan then became combative initiating a physical fight with police during which one investigator was violently shoved and one patrolman suffered a broken ankle. Officers were able to detain Jordan who again threatened investigators stating the electronics being evaluated would “explode in their faces”, causing alarm and cautionary procedures to be taken. At this time, investigators say they have evidence to charge Jordan for the threats and say the investigation into the original complaint remains open.

Trooper holiday blitz begins today at 6 p.m.

MONTGOMERY, Al.
Alabama State Troopers today will kick off their own holiday tradition: increased patrols on the state's roadways to help prevent crashes, injuries and fatalities.

The annual traffic blitz will begin at 6 p.m. and run through midnight Sunday. The 102-hour initiative will put added troopers on patrol and ready to help motorists.
Travel forecasts call for more people on the roadways this Thanksgiving holiday -- as much as a 4 percent increase.
"We expect traffic to be heavier than usual during this year's extended holiday period, and we will aggressively enforce traffic laws," said Col. Hugh B. McCall, director of Public Safety, in a news release.
Troopers will target such dangerous behavior as driving under the influence, speeding, distracted driving and following too closely.
"Not only can these driving behaviors cause crashes, but they can contribute to more severe crashes," McCall said.
Over last year's long Thanksgiving weekend, troopers investigated 412 crashes that left six dead and 185 injured.
Another six people died across the state during the same period last year in crashes that were not handled by troopers, for a total of 12. Of those, alcohol was a factor in seven of the deaths, and 10 of the 12 fatalities were not wearing seatbelts.
"Our goal is to make a positive difference on our state's highways," McCall said. "It's about saving lives and preventing crashes."