14 pit bulls rescued from fire in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP)
Animal control has seized 14 pit bulls that officials say were left to die in a fire set in a wooded area in Birmingham.
Officials report that the Jefferson County sheriff's office got a call around 6:45 p.m. Friday about a fire in the woods. Firefighters and deputies found what seemed to be an illegal dog fighting and training compound.
The dogs were chained to the ground. At least eight intentionally set fires burned around them.
Fire and law enforcement officers used bolt cutters to free the dogs and carried them to safety. Some received minor burns on their paws and some had cuts and scars from fighting.
Phil Doster of Birmingham-Jefferson County Animal Control says the dogs appear to be in good health and aren't aggressive.

Tropical Storm Lee's deluge to intensify tonight; spinoff tornadoes possible

MOBILE, Alabama 
As Tropical Storm Lee crept along the Gulf Coast today, emergency crews across southwest Alabama prepared for a deluge to come, and warned of sporadic bursts of tornadoes.
"They don’t last long, they’re very brief, but they do occur with very little advanced warning," National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Garmon said of the tornadoes spinning off bands of heavy rain. "They can do damage."
The storm knocked out power to nearly 500 customers in Mobile and Baldwin counties, as heavy rain and strong wind gusts drenched south Mississippi and Louisiana.
The National Weather Service predicted Lee could dump more than a foot of rain in some areas of the northern Gulf Coast.
The center of the slow-moving storm lurched over Lafayette, Louisiana, this afternoon, headed north at about 4 mph in the late afternoon.
Its maximum sustained winds were 60 mph, but their intensity was expected to decrease by Sunday. Tropical storm warnings stretched from the Louisiana-Texas state line to Destin, Fla.
In Alabama, the most rain was expected to fall Sunday and Monday.
Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency Director John Perrett said he was monitoring areas most prone to flooding, like Styx River and Fish River.
Throughout the day, intermittent bands of heavy rain mixed with dry patches, allowing water to run off roads.
Mobile and Baldwin counties could experience up to 15 inches of rain Sunday, Garmon said.

"All of Mobile and Baldwin counties are going to get a lot of water over the next couple days," he said. "The rains tonight (Saturday) are going to set the stage for the heavy rains we’ll get tomorrow."
In neighboring Mississippi, as much as 10 inches had fallen around Pascagoula, Garmon said.
Fish River-Marlow Fire Rescue Chief Gib Hixon expected flooding Monday, after the heaviest rains wash over the Baldwin community that sits between Summerdale and Point Clear.
"We have to go on and prepare for the worst, hope for the best," Hixon said. "But I am concerned. I’m real concerned that people are not paying attention to this storm. I don’t see a lot of my neighbors getting ready, even though we’ve told them and told them. ... We are definitely under a threat, and we definitely can’t ignore it.
Bayou La Batre police urged motorists to avoid the following roads because of flooding: Shell Belt Road, Hemley Street near Tapia Avenue, First Avenue, Molette Street, Alba Avenue, Mars Avenue, Lottie Avenue and Little River Road at Powell Avenue.
There were no major road closures reported Saturday in Baldwin County.
Power was briefly out in some areas of downtown Mobile, west Mobile, Saraland, Theodore, Bayou La Batre, Atmore and Jackson, according to Alabama Power spokeswoman Beth Thomas.
Only a few scattered outages were reported in Baldwin County, according to Riviera Utilities spokesman David Horton. Those were caused by fallen tree limbs, he said.
Orange Beach’s Emergency Management Director Landon Smith said double red flags were flown at the beach, indicating that the water was closed to the public. Meanwhile, the streets remained open, despite a few puddles on the roadways.
A series of rock concerts scheduled for The Wharf Amphitheater through the holiday weekend were postponed because of the storm.
Weather conditions were similar in neighboring Gulf Shores, where Public Works Director Mark Acreman warned drivers to "be careful and slow down, especially when it gets dark."
He had crews checking road conditions night and day.
"We’ve got all of our protective measures on the ready, so if we need to deploy we can," Acreman said.
Outdoor music slated for The Hangout this weekend was moved indoors.
On Dauphin Island, Mayor Jeff Collier kept an eye on the roads and the flood-susceptible west end.
"We need the rain. We don’t need it on a holiday weekend," he said. "But I can’t control that. If all we’ve got to worry about is flooding and tidal ups and downs, that’s a good scenario."
Mobile County EMA Director Ronnie Adair remained optimistic that the storm would cause little harm, though he urged residents to be aware of their surroundings.
"We’ll make up for our drought, and we won’t have damage out of it," he said.

Auburn fans celebrate at Toomer's Corner after nailbiting victory

credit: Natalie Wade

AUBURN, Alabama
It was a victory many fans didn't see coming, because they had left the stadium. But, the Auburn Tigers pulled out a 42-38 win over the Utah State Aggies scoring 14 points in the final three minutes of the game.

Those fans that left the game early ended up watching the exciting end on tailgaters' televisions and then rushing to Toomer's Corner to celebrate. Fans sang the fight song and did cheers while rolling the oaks.

FINAL: No. 2 Alabama 48, Kent State 7

(The Birmingham News/Mark Almond)

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - Alabama flexed its No. 2 ranking Saturday with a 48-7 victory against Kent State at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Crimson Tide's quarterback competition between AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims was unveiled, and both played virtually equal time behind center -- until the third quarter.
That's when Sims threw back-to-back interceptions to begin the second half. That second interception led to Kent State's only touchdown on an otherwise flawless afternoon by the Crimson Tide defense.
McCarron finished 14-for-23 passing for 226 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was not sacked.
Sims, who returned in the fourth quarter with the reserves, was 5-for-12 passing for 59 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions and two sacks. He also fumbled once.
Alabama's defense held Kent State to 89 yards of offense -- just 6 on the ground.. The defense also registered four sacks.

Huntsville's Amy Bishop fights to keep sealed inquest report in brother's death

Bishop

BOSTON — It was only after Amy Bishop was charged with killing three of her colleagues at the University of Alabama that authorities in Massachusetts began to wonder if the shooting death of Bishop's brother 24 years earlier might not have been an accident after all.
After an inquest was conducted, a grand jury indicted Bishop for first-degree murder in her 18-year-old brother's death.
Questions about what went wrong during the original investigation remain unanswered. But a case going before the state's highest court could eventually yield some clues.
The Boston Globe is challenging a judge's decision to keep a report and transcript of the inquest sealed from public view. The newspaper argues that releasing the documents could shed some light on what led to the decision not to prosecute Bishop in her brother Seth's death. At the time, authorities accepted Bishop's claim that she accidentally shot her brother while trying to unload her father's 12-gauge shotgun in the family's Braintree home.
Bishop is fighting to keep the documents sealed, arguing that releasing them publicly could prejudice juries against her in both Massachusetts and in Alabama, where she faces a possible death sentence.
"That increment could make the difference that tips the balance toward death," Bishop's court-appointed lawyer argues in documents filed with the Supreme Judicial Court. The court will hear the case Tuesday.
Under Massachusetts law, inquest materials are automatically sealed until either a grand jury issues an indictment, a district attorney decides not to prosecute, or a grand jury declines to issue an indictment.
The Globe contends that Judge Elizabeth Donovan made a mistake when she failed to recognize that the automatic impoundment of inquest materials in the Bishop case ended once she was indicted in her brother's death. The newspaper's lawyers also argue that the judge wrongly relied on the SJC's ruling in one of the most famous inquests in Massachusetts, the investigation into the death of a woman killed when a car driven by Sen. Edward Kennedy went off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island in 1969.
The law in effect at the time required inquest reports to be filed with the court, but did not mention impoundment. So when the SJC was presented with the issue of whether the media would be allowed to attend the inquest, the court set new guidelines for public access, ruling that inquests would be closed to the public and news media. The court also ruled that if an indictment is returned after an inquest, the transcript and report will not become public until after either a trial is completed or there is a determination that a trial is not likely to occur.
In 1992, the Massachusetts Legislature amended the inquest law. The Globe's lawyers say the amended law said the impoundment of the inquest report expires after the grand jury returns an indictment, not after the trial is completed, as the court had ruled in the Kennedy case.
"There's no longer a requirement that if a grand jury returns an indictment, you have to wait until the trial is over to release the inquest materials," said Jonathan Albano, one of the Globe's attorneys.
Inquests date to colonial days in Massachusetts but are rarely conducted today. In the early days, inquests were conducted by coroners who investigated violent deaths.
By the time of Chappaquiddick, judges were conducting inquests. After taking testimony from witnesses, a judge writes a report detailing when, where and how the person died and the name of the person who either caused or contributed to the death. The report and transcript are then filed under seal in the court where the inquest is held.
Bishop's attorney, Larry Tipton, argues that the law gives judges discretion on when inquest reports should be released. He also argues that since Bishop has already been indicted, there is no legitimate reason to release the report before Bishop stands trial.
"The fact that the grand jury has returned an indictment for first-degree murder relieves any concern that the alleged botching of the police investigation twenty-four years ago might have foreclosed forever the proper exploration of the cause of Seth Bishop's death," Tipton wrote. He declined to comment on the case.
In her ruling, Donovan said that public release of the materials could jeopardize Bishop's ability to get a fair trial.
"The court balanced the rights of all concerned including the public to avoid embarrassment by premature publicity or any potential defendant in making a defense," Donovan wrote.
The Globe, however, contends that there is great public interest in finding out what went wrong in the original investigation into Seth Bishop's death.
"There was a crime that was committed here, and there were decisions made back then that may have potentially contributed to a tragedy in Alabama. I think the public has the right to know if officials did something wrong and what the mistakes were that were made," said Jennifer Peter, the Globe's metro editor.
Last year, when Amy Bishop was indicted, prosecutors said Braintree police in 1986 failed to share important evidence, including the fact that Bishop, after she shot her brother in the chest, tried to commandeer a getaway car at gunpoint at a local car dealership, then refused to drop her gun until police officers ordered her to do so repeatedly. Those events were described in Braintree police reports but not in a report written by a state police detective assigned to the district attorney's office.
Bishop went on to become a biology professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. On Feb. 12, 2010, she allegedly opened fire on her colleagues during a faculty meeting, killing three and wounding three others.

It's a final: Auburn stages a dramatic comeback to beat Utah State in season-opener

(AP photo)

AUBURN, Alabama --Auburn reached deep, conjured up some of the magic that carried them to the national championship last season and staged  a dramatic 42-38 victory over underdog Utah State on Saturday in its season-opener in Jordan-Hare Stadium
Auburn, which rode dramatic comebacks to a 14-0 record last year, led only once before scoring the winning points on a 1-yard touchdown run by Mike Dyer with 30 seconds remaining.
It was a thriller.
Quarterback Barrett Trotter, making his first start as Cam Newton's replacement, threw nice touchdown passes to Emory Blake, Philip Lutzenkirchen and Travante Stallworth.
Trotter's TD pass to Luzenkirchen with 2:07 remaining cut the margin to 3. Auburn recovered the onside kick to set up the winning touchdown.
Trotter completed 17-of-23 passes for 261 yards and three TDs.
Dyer scored on an 11-yard run after lining up at quarterback. The Tigers also got a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by freshman Tre Mason. But Auburn's defense barely could keep up.
The Tigers led only once, at 28-24, late in the third quarter.
The defending national champions stretched the nation's best winning streak to 16 games.
That's over.
The Tigers play  Mississippi State next Saturday in Jordan-Hare.

Tropical Storm Lee closes Port of Mobile

GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) — Rough seas forced the Alabama State Port Authority to close the Port of Mobile Saturday as the center of Tropical Storm Lee moved toward the Gulf Coast.
Officials said the port would reopen as soon as conditions allow for safe transit.
Pockets of heavy rain pounded the beaches Saturday and strong winds whipped up the surf and bowed palm trees. But just a couple miles inland, wind and rain dropped significantly.
Beaches that would normally be packed with Labor Day tourists were nearly empty. Melinda Fondren, who moved to Gulf Shores from Birmingham about three months ago, visited the beach to experience her first tropical storm.
"I'm excited but a little afraid of the storm surge," she said, adding that her middle name is Lee. "I've been telling my family that I hit Gulf Shores twice."
At the Hangout, a beachside bar and restaurant, a crowd gathered to watch the University of Alabama and Auburn University football season openers. Manager Matt Dagen said there should be more people on a holiday weekend.
"Obviously, it's not as good as we want because of the weather," he said, but added that rough weather sometimes gives his business a boost because people can't go to the beach.

Governor to lead Ider Mule Day parade in Idler, Al.

Gov. Robert Bentley will be the grand marshal of the Ider Mule Day parade Monday morning.
This is the 25th anniversary for the annual event, which kicks off at 8 a.m. Monday with the Wheels of Time Cruisers Open Car Show at 8 a.m.
The parade, which will feature mules, horses, carriages, antique cars and tractors, will begin a 9:30 a.m. The starting location for the parade will be Cornerstone Chapel.
A mule pull will be at 10:30 a.m., and a draft horse pull at 1 p.m. A mule and draft horse show will be at 11 a.m. All the events will take place in or near Ider Town Park.
The all-day event will also feature an antique engine and tractor display, an antique tractor pull, arts and crafts and games for children.
There will be bluegrass and gospel singing from 10 a.m. until 4 pm. and there will be barbecue and other types of food vendors set up throughout the day. The Ider Rescue Squad will offer homemade ice cream.
Admission is $2 per person. Children under 6 are admitted free. This event is held in Ider, Al. in DeKalb Co which is located in the N.E corner of the state. For more information, call DeKalb Tourism at 888-805-4740 or visit discoverlookoutmountain.com.

Tropical Storm Lee's winds now at 60 mph; some evacuations ordered

High waves from Tropical Storm Lee hit Gulf State Park Pier as it approaches the Gulf Coast Saturday morning, Sept. 3, 2011, in Gulf Shores, Alabama. (Press-Register/Mike Kittrell)

The National Hurricane Center reports that as of 10 a.m. Tropical Storm Lee's winds were at 60 mph. Although Lee's center is not due to cross the Louisiana coast until later this morning or early this afternoon, wind gusts to near 60 mph were reported in the New Orleans metropolitan area this morning.
Parts of Jefferson Parish in Louisiana were placed under a mandatory evacuation on this morning, according to TV station WDSU. Mayor Tim Kerner issued the mandatory evacuation order for residents of Jean Lafitte, Crown Point, Barataria and areas outside the levee protection system.
The storm also prompted tornado warnings in Louisiana and Mississippi, including warnings in Jackson and Hancock counties.
Forecasters say a few tornadoes will be possible through tonight over portions of southern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and the far western Florida Panhandle.
After Lee crosses the Louisiana coast, it is expected to move slowly across southern Louisiana tonight and Sunday. The storm's effects could be felt over a wide area. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles from the storm's center and a sustained wind of 49 mph and a gust to 54 mph were recently reported at the NOAA buoy about 50 miles east of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
A storm surge of 4 feet was recently reported at Shell Beach, Louisiana, a surge height of 3.5 feet has been reported in Lake Pontchartrain at the New Canal station and a surge height of 2 feet has been reported as far east as Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Rainfall amounts up to 7 inches have occurred thus far across portions of southeastern Louisiana.
Tropical Storm Lee is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 10 to 15 inches over southern Louisiana, southern Mississippi and southern Alabama through Sunday night, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches. The rains are expected to cause extensive flooding.
Rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches will be possible over the Florida Panhandle through Sunday night. The storm's minimum central pressure was recently reported by an Air Force reserve reconnaissance aircraft at .29.32 inches.
In the New Orleans area today, toads along Lake Pontchartrain were closed in St. Tammany Parish, and officials reported power outages in Mandeville and Slidell as Tropical Storm Lee pounded the area with heavy thunderstorms.
Officials reported downed trees in the Slidell, Covington and Lacombe areas and water from rainfall flooding was standing on some roads.
Late Saturday morning, bands of heavy rain from Lee were pushing across St. Tammany and the other Florida Parishes north of New Orleans.

Choctaw Co. football player dies in accident

COFEEVILLE, Ala. (AP) 
Officials in Clarke County say an accident between a school bus and a car left a high school football player dead and injured at least 26 other people.
Roy Waite, director of the Clarke County Emergency Management Agency, says the bus was hit by a car around midnight in Coffeeville as the Choctaw County High School football team was returning from a Friday night away game.
State troopers say the accident is under investigation and declined to release the name of the 15-year-old player who died.
Waite says one person in the car was taken to a Montgomery hospital by helicopter.

Up-dated with video: Old Navy ad has some Auburn fans calling for boycott

Some Auburn University fans have called for a boycott of Old Navy after the retailer aired a television commercial that shows an Auburn fan bringing pizza to a University of Alabama party. The Auburn faithful believe the Tigers fan in the commercial -- dressed in a Tiger costume and riding a four-wheeler -- is portrayed in a foolish manner or as a pizza delivery man.
A Facebook page calling for the boycott had 299 endorsements by Friday night, and a manager at the Old Navy store nearest the Auburn campus said she's hearing from lots of angry Tigers.
"The Auburn fans have not been very happy about it, because they think it portrays Auburn in a bad light, as kind of a joke," said Katlyn Peters, assistant manager of the Opelika Old Navy store. "The Alabama fans love it, though."
The commercial, which began airing last week, shows a group of Alabama fans gathering in a garage to watch a game, clad in UA T-shirts and sweatshirts from Old Navy. As the fans sing about Old Navy college- and pro-branded clothes to music from the Night Ranger song "Sister Christian," a man in an Auburn T-shirt and Tiger costume arrives astride the four-wheeler -- also decorated like a Tiger -- while carrying a stack of Domino's pizzas.
"He brought pizza, he's all right," sings a boy sporting a Crimson Tide shirt.
The commercial set off an avalanche of criticism on Auburn Internet message boards and led to the creation of the Facebook page advocating the boycott, which declares, "This is just plain wrong!!!"
Efforts to reach officials at Old Navy's corporate offices were not successful. The CEO of the company is Birmingham native Tom Wyatt, who once ran the Parisian department store chain. Wyatt, a graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and former student at Jefferson State Community College, did not attend Auburn or Alabama.
Efforts to reach officials in the offices of advertising agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky, which represents Old Navy and Domino's, also were not successful.
The commercial, which is airing nationally, is not a departure from form for Old Navy or Crispin Porter, said Mark Ervin, chief brand officer for Birmingham-based Big Communications. Crispin Porter, with offices in Los Angeles, Miami and Boulder, Colo., has a reputation for edgy ads that stir controversy, he said.
But in this case, Ervin said, the agency may not have fully understood just what it was getting into.
"They delved deep into a battle in which they don't know the turf," he said. "I don't think they have any clue how deep the division is between the two schools. They probably could have done better homework to understand the passion that the two fan bases have."
Still, Ervin said, the commercial is likely to go viral on the Internet and generate just the sort of buzz that advertising executives hope for.
"I think they'll get their money's worth," he said.
While the commercial has definitely ruffled some Tiger fur, it has done nothing to dent sales at the Opelika Old Navy, Peters said. Eighty-five percent of that store's customers are Auburn fans, and it doesn't even carry Alabama clothing, she said. Customers have expressed their displeasure with the commercial, she said, but they've not stopped coming.

Cleanup crews race Tropical Storm Lee to clean up oil spill

MOBILE, Alabama -- Cleanup crews swarmed across Gulf Coast Asphalt Company’s riverfront property Friday, racing to scoop up tens of thousands of gallons of heavy fuel oil before the arrival of Tropical Storm Lee.
With as much as 15 inches of rain predicted over the weekend, officials worried that the thick oil filling roadside ditches and covering a large area of the asphalt company’s property would wash into the Mobile River and the bay. U.S. Coast Guard officials said the agency was working on a contingency plan to deal with the weather.
The asphalt company overfilled a giant storage tank in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday, causing the spill, according to the Coast Guard.
Heavy equipment dug up oil contaminated soil from the property and loaded it onto dump trucks all day Friday. Vacuum trucks sucked oil from roadside ditches and areas where it had pooled at the tank farm. Three skimmer vessels sucked oil from the Mobile River.
Officials with Gulf Coast Asphalt did not respond to calls seeking comment on the cleanup effort.
"A lot of progress has been made in the last 6 to 8 hours with boom placement and maintenance, oil recovery, and oil removal along with sediment removal," the Alabama Department of Environmental Management’s Jerome Hand wrote in an email midafternoon Friday. "Oil-absorbed boom and pads are being carefully placed into clear plastic bags for disposal. Every effort is being made to get all of the product out of the ditches in advance of the projected rainfall."
Water and oil flowing from the company’s property drained into a ditch along the Cochrane Causeway. The ditch flows to the Mobile River, though an earthen dam had been constructed to prevent oil from reaching the river. Friday afternoon, thick oil coated grasses and plants along the ditch.
A half-empty fuel barge remained tied to the company’s dock Friday morning, the empty front end of the vessel riding about 4 feet higher than the stern, which was apparently still loaded with oil.
Tank farms like Gulf Coast Asphalt’s facility on Blakeley Island are required to have containment dikes around each storage tank to prevent oil from spilling into the environment in the event of a tank failure. For unknown reasons, the asphalt company left a rainwater drain valve on the containment dike open, according to the Coast Guard. That allowed the spilled oil to flow to the river and the roadside ditches.
Fuel companies are typically required by law to keep drain valves closed. According to people who work in similar facilities, many firms also keep the drains locked and keep a written log documenting each time the valves are opened to allow rainwater to drain out.
Coast Guard officials said the investigation into why the drain valve was open was ongoing. The valve is now closed.
By Friday afternoon, 33,000 gallons of oil had been removed from the containment dike around the tank, and 54,000 gallons of oily water had been removed form the roadside ditches and the river surface, the Coast Guard said. There was still no official word on how much fuel oil had spilled.
Four backhoes and a small bulldozer could be seen working on the property, digging up contaminated soil and covering some areas with tarps to prevent rain from spreading oil.
A layer of black oil clung to mooring pilings, rocks, sticks and grasses along the affected shoreline on the east side of the river. Barges and tugboats near the company’s dock sported black rings of oil at the waterline, and each vessel had a slick of rainbow-colored oil spreading away from it.
Tim O’Leary, a contractor working with the Joint Information Command set up to handle the spill, said that barges and other vessels would have to be cleaned before they would be allowed to leave the port. It was unclear Friday when the Mobile River would be fully reopened. Thursday morning, the Coast Guard closed an area between the Cochrane-Africatown USA bridge and the McDuffie Coal Terminal.
O’Leary said cleanup work would continue unless weather conditions deteriorated to the point that the safety of the workers was threatened.

Friday's Scores PREP FOOTBALL

Abbeville 28, Luverne 26
Addison 61, Tharptown 21
Akron 45, Jefferson Christian Academy 6
Albertville 53, Southside-Gadsden 23
Alexandria 28, Oneonta 27
Aliceville 39, Sipsey Valley 14
American Christian Academy 40, R.C. Hatch 7
Andalusia 26, Alabama Christian Academy 7
Anniston 49, Cleburne County 35
Appalachian 54, Jacksonville Christian 20
Ariton 28, Cottonwood 21
Ashford 38, Bullock County 0
Ashville 40, West End-Walnut Grove 15
Athens 41, J.O. Johnson 24
Auburn 17, Dothan 14
Austin 63, Huffman 33
Autauga Academy 48, Cornerstone Christian 13
Autaugaville 27, John Essex 0
Baker 13, Theodore 7
Bayside Academy 28, T.R. Miller 27
Beauregard 55, Calera 7
Benjamin Russell 23, Sidney Lanier 20
Bessemer Academy 34, Hooper Academy 6
Bibb County 58, Holt 23
Billingsley 34, Isabella 22
Blount 28, Alma Bryant 0
Boaz 18, Madison County 17
Bob Jones 52, Hazel Green 7
Brantley 42, Kinston 6
Briarwood Christian 39, Moody 14
Brindlee Mountain 27, Randolph School 20
Brookwood 44, Wilcox Central 6
Carroll-Ozark 28, Russell County 26
Carver-Montgomery 29, Jeff Davis 24
Cedar Bluff 53, Woodville 8
Central-Florence 42, Priceville 14
Central-Phenix City 34, Opelika 7
Chambers Academy 24, Abbeville Christian Academy 0
Charles Henderson 28, Tallassee 12
Chelsea 35, Sylacauga 13
Choctaw County 32, J.U. Blacksher 20
Citronelle 14, LeFlore 12
Clay County 58, Beulah 0
Clay-Chalkville 31, Hewitt-Trussville 15
Colbert County 20, Clements 12
Collinsville 41, Spring Garden 25
Corner 44, Good Hope 7
Crenshaw Christian Academy 47, Sparta Academy 21
Cullman 40, Hayden 0
Curry 28, West Point 20
Dadeville 36, Childersburg 0
Daphne 45, Baldwin County 7
Demopolis 23, Chilton County 20
Deshler 35, Brooks 19
East Lawrence 48, Wilson 42
East Memorial Christian Academy 28, Restoration Academy 22
Elba 26, Goshen 12
Elkmont 31, West Morgan 6
Enterprise 17, Northview 0
Erwin 46, Shelby County 14
Etowah 21, Fort Payne 14
Eufaula 47, B.T. Washington 6
Evangel Christian Academy 37, Lyman Ward 0
Fairfield 24, Parker 7
Fairview 28, Cherokee County 21
Fayette County 33, Dora 26
Flomaton 35, Southern Choctaw 7
Florence 27, Buckhorn 0
Foley 34, Robertsdale 6
Francis Marion 68, Thorsby 28
Fultondale 48, Sumiton Christian 7
Fyffe 13, North Sand Mountain 10
G.W. Long 12, Barbour County 7
Gardendale 18, Bessemer City 14
Gaston 33, Gaylesville 13
Georgiana 42, Florala 40
Glencoe 46, J.B. Pennington 14
Greene County 48, Southside-Selma 7
Greensboro 38, Montevallo 13
Greenville 33, Central-Tuscaloosa 7
Grissom 26, Sparkman 9
Guntersville 49, Crossville 0
Hale County 26, Northside 20
Haleyville 21, Tarrant 7
Hamilton 42, Carbon Hill 8
Hanceville 41, Winston County 6
Handley 43, B.B. Comer 13
Hartselle 54, Brewer 0
Headland 38, Hillcrest-Evergreen 19
Highland Home 25, Samson 22
Hillcrest 49, Jackson Olin 13
Homewood 24, Thompson 14
Hoover 20, Spain Park 0
Houston Academy 33, Houston County 22
Hubbard 56, Phillips-Bear Creek 20
Hubbertville 40, South Lamar 33
Hueytown 39, Wenonah 12
Ider 24, Sand Rock 15
Jackson 57, Saraland 7
Jacksonville 46, Locust Fork 12
Jemison 57, Dallas County 0
John Carroll Catholic 47, Pleasant Grove 19
Kingwood Christian 24, Coosa Valley Academy 17
Lamar County 49, Cherokee 13
Lee-Huntsville 35, Columbia 6
Leeds 42, Marbury 10
Lincoln 14, Elmore County 13
Linden 64, Fruitdale 0
Lineville 31, Ranburne 13
Lynn 47, Berry 40
Macon-East 34, Pike Liberal Arts 28
Maplesville 40, Keith 6
Marengo 38, A.L. Johnson 0
Marion County 55, Brilliant 7
McAdory 14, Woodlawn 6
McGill-Toolen 35, Fairhope 34
McIntosh 32, Saint Luke's Episcopal 3
Midfield 34, Oak Grove 14
Mobile Christian 32, Millry 7
Morgan Academy 45, Prattville Christian Academy 18
Mountain Brook 28, Vestavia Hills 17
Munford 23, Holtville 14
Murphy 48, Mary Montgomery 12
Muscle Shoals 42, East Limestone 6
New Brockton 54, Red Level 0
New Hope 26, Geraldine 20
North Jackson 48, Douglas 7
Northridge 35, Tuscaloosa County 21
Notasulga 32, Loachapoka 20
Oakman 55, Cold Springs 12
Opp 36, Daleville 20
Oxford 14, Gadsden 13, OT
Parrish 39, Meek 0
Patrician Academy 15, Monroe Academy 14
Paul Bryant 34, Selma 33
Pelham 16, Oak Mountain 7
Pell City 41, Shades Valley 33
Pickens County 58, Shades Mountain Christian 7
Piedmont 40, Susan Moore 14
Pinson Valley 49, Talladega 7
Pleasant Home 24, McKenzie 12
Prattville 34, Stanhope Elmore 7
Ragland 46, Donoho 13
Randolph County 30, LaFayette 29
Red Bay 24, Lexington 7
Reeltown 22, Lanett 20, OT
Rogers 23, Lauderdale County 0
Russellville 38, Lawrence County 12
Saks 27, Hokes Bluff 0
Sardis 28, Madison Academy 14
Scottsboro 21, Arab 14
Sheffield 40, Danville 0
Shoals Christian 51, Vina 30
Slocomb 21, Pike County 0
South Montgomery County Academy 37, Ellwood Christian Academy 8
Spanish Fort 35, Gulf Shores 16
Springville 41, St. Clair County 18
St. James 20, Straughn 0
St. Jude 56, Talladega County Central 12
Sulligent 9, Hatton 6
Sumter Academy 55, Meadowview Christian 16
Sumter Central High School 37, West Blocton 14
Sumter County 24, Gordo 21
Sunshine 38, Holy Spirit 25
Sylvania 49, Section 14
Tanner 56, Falkville 0
Thomasville 49, Monroe County 6
Trinity Presbyterian 25, Clarke County 22
Tuscaloosa Academy 42, Southern Academy 3
UMS-Wright 37, W.S. Neal 6
Valley 41, Rehobeth 0
Valley Head 38, Decatur Heritage 0
Vincent 40, Central-Hayneville 6
Wadley 27, Verbena 20
Walker 45, Mortimer Jordan 21
Walter Wellborn 65, Central Coosa 0
Weaver 39, White Plains 7
West Limestone 40, Ardmore 7
Westbrook Christian 25, Pleasant Valley 24
Westminster Christian Academy 35, Cleveland 2
Wicksburg 34, Providence Christian 14
Williamson 28, Satsuma 7
Winfield 41, Vinemont 6
Winterboro 39, Fayetteville 6
Woodland 42, Horseshoe Bend 28
Zion Chapel 47, Calhoun 0

Driver killed in Salem wreck identified as Smiths teen

The driver of a stolen truck that slammed into road-construction equipment early Thursday has been identified by the Lee County Coroner’s Office as a Smiths Station teenager.

Lee County Deputy Coroner Charlotte Patterson said the driver, pronounced dead at the scene, was later identified as 17-year-old Justin Edward Stafford.

Patterson said Stafford’s body was taken to the state forensics lab for an autopsy, and the case remains under investigation by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Capt. Van Jackson of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the case was still being investigated and said the truck was reported stolen from a residence that was part of a series of burglaries that took place Tuesday and early Wednesday in eastern Lee County.

The accident occurred on Lee Road 379 at the bridge over Wacoochee Creek, according to a release from the sheriff’s office. Stafford is believed to have been the only occupant of the truck.

Armed robbery suspect's bail reduced

Nye

Dothan, Al.

A Dothan judge reduced the bond for a Dothan woman charged with the robbery of a man who allegedly refused her services as a prostitute.

Attorney Valerie Judah asked the court to reduce the bail for her 29-year-old client, Amanda Nye, who faces a felony first-degree robbery charge.

District Court Judge Benjamin Lewis reduced the bail for Nye from $10,000 to $2,500 and ordered her to the Haven to receive drug treatment.

The police statement said the charge included the following allegations: a man told police a woman robbed him at knife-point on Sunday at the Beeline Motel. The victim told police he went to the motel to pick up a friend. While waiting, he was approached by Nye who invited him into her room at the motel. Once inside the room, Nye allegedly offered herself to him as a prostitute in exchange for some money. Police say after he refused her services she held a knife to his stomach and demanded money.

The victim gave the woman his money, and left the motel. He flagged down the first police officer he saw and reported the robbery. Police found Nye in the motel room and charged her with armed robbery.

Former child advocacy center worker arrested

Dothan, Al.

Authorities recently arrested a former employee at the Southeast Alabama Child Advocacy Center on a charge he sexually molested a juvenile girl.

Sgt. Donna Mackey, a spokesperson for the Montgomery Police Department, said police arrested Chadwick “Chad” Christopher Wright, 34, of Dothan, on Tuesday, and charged him with felony first-degree sex abuse.

Court records indicate the offense allegedly occurred earlier this year on July Fourth. Records also indicate Wright was released from custody after he posted $15,000 bail.

If convicted of the class C felony crime of first-degree sex abuse Wright faces one to 10 years in prison.

Houston County District Attorney Doug Valeska, who serves on the board of directors for the child advocacy center, said Wright recently resigned from his position at the center. He said Wright worked as a forensic evaluator who interviewed children.

“I still believe in the presumption of innocence until proven guilty,” Valeska said. “As a board member I have complete confidence and trust in our Child Advocacy Center. I think we got the best center in the country, and I have no concern about the protection and safety of the children at the center.”

Tropical Storm Lee's winds at 50 mph; expected to make landfall today (morning update)

NEW ORLEANS — Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Lee were falling in southern Louisiana and pelting the Gulf Coast on Saturday as the storm's center trudged slowly toward land, where businesses were already beginning to suffer on what would normally be a bustling holiday weekend. The storm could bring as many as 20 inches of rain to some areas.
Tropical storm warning flags were flying from Mississippi to Texas and flash flood warnings extended along the Alabama coast into the Florida Panhandle. The storm's slow forward movement means that its rain clouds should have more time to disgorge themselves on any cities in their path.
On the Mississippi coast, tornado warnings were issued Friday night and this morning in Jackson and Hancock counties. The latest warning, in Hancock County, expires at 7 a.m.
Tropical Storm Lee's maximum sustained winds were at 50 mph as of 4 a.m. this morning, where it would provide the biggest test of rebuilt levees since Hurricane Gustav struck on Labor Day 2008.

By the evening, 2 1/2 inches of rain had fallen in some places on the Gulf Coast, including Boothville, La., and Pascagoula, Miss. In New Orleans, rainfall totals ranged from less than an inch to slightly over 2 inches, depending on the neighborhood.
The coming storm began washing out Labor Day weekend festivities, with cancellations of parades and other events in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Ala. In Louisiana, programming was canceled at state parks and historic sites in the southern part of the state.
Monday's performance by Kid Rock at The Wharf in Orange Beach was canceled Friday evening.
Merchants worried the storm would dampen the Southern Decadence festival, an annual gay lifestyle fixture that rings cash registers on Labor Day weekend. Ann Sonnier, shift manager of Jester's bar, said receipts were disappointing so far.
"People are probably scared to death to come here after Katrina," she said.
Lee comes less than a week after Hurricane Irene killed more than 40 people from North Carolina to Maine and knocked out power to millions. It was too soon to tell if Hurricane Katia, out in the Atlantic, could endanger the U.S.

The storm's biggest impact, so far, has been in the Gulf of Mexico oil fields. About half the Gulf's normal daily oil production has been cut as rigs were evacuated, though oil prices were down sharply Friday on sour economic news.
Federal authorities said 169 of the 617 staffed production platforms have been evacuated, along with 16 of the 62 drilling rigs. That's reduced daily production by about 666,000 barrels of oil and 1.7 billion cubic feet of gas.
The National Hurricane Center said the center of Lee was about 95 miles south of Lafayette and moving north-northwest at just 7 mph. It was expected to cross the Louisiana coast by Saturday night and pass into the southern portion of the state on Sunday.
Governors in Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as the mayor of New Orleans, declared states of emergency. Officials in several coastal Louisiana and Mississippi communities called for voluntary evacuations.
The Army Corps of Engineers was closing floodgates along the Harvey Canal, a commercial waterway in suburban New Orleans, but had not moved to shut a massive flood structure on the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet shipping channel.
City officials said they expect some street flooding but no levee problems. Lee's storm surge, projected around 4 to 5 feet, is far short of the 20-feet-plus driven by Katrina. Billions of federal dollars have been spent on new levees and other flood protection.
The water-logged Lee was tantalizingly close to Texas but hopes dimmed for relief from the state's worst drought since the 1950s as the storm's forecast track shifted east. Forecasters said it could bring drenching rains to Mississippi and Alabama early next week.
On the Mississippi coast, tourism officials said there was no spike in cancellations for the holiday weekend at hotels and casinos.
The rain, however, had a silver lining. In New Orleans, it was helping to tamp down a stubborn marsh fire that for several days has sent pungent smoke wafting across the area.

Southern Louisiana needs rain — just not that much, that fast.
"Sometimes you get what you ask for," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. "Unfortunately it looks like we're going to get more than we needed."

PETA plans Montgomery billboard alluding to Alabama immigration law

MONTGOMERY, Alabama
The animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) says it will soon place a billboard in Montgomery playing off the Alabama immigration law debate and furthering its policy of promoting the adoption of stray animals.
The ad, which will read, "No One Should Need Papers-Adopt an 'Undocumented' Mutt Today," likens the plight of mixed-breed shelter animals lacking in pedigrees to the undocumented immigrants who are the focus of the new Alabama law, currently on hold due to a federal court challenge.
PETA has a history of controversial marketing tactics for its positions, including several ads featuring porn stars in the nude promoting a vegan diet, and has a porn site in the works.  
"Alabama, like every other state in the nation, has more 'undocumented' dogs and cats than it has good homes for," said PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "Lineage papers or not, the heart and loyalty of each companion animal is the same. Anyone who is considering welcoming a dog or a cat into his or her home should always adopt and never buy."
While U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn reviews the case against Alabama's Act 2011-535, the non-profit organization, is hoping to tap into the hearts of Capital City billboard motorists.  
"We're hoping that the message takes a sympathetic stance with anyone who is suffering just because they lack some papers," said Alicia Woempner, PETA's senior special projects coordinator.
Woempner said the organization is working with a Montgomery ad agency, Bell Outdoor, and will have the billboard in place sometime soon

Tropical Depression 13 now Tropical Storm Lee; coastal officials on alert

Coastal Alabama emergency management officials in Mobile and Baldwin counties are urging residents in low-lying areas prone to flooding to keep tabs on Tropical Storm Lee and be ready to take action if water starts rising.At noon, the National Hurricane Center upgraded what had been Tropical Depression 13 into Tropical Storm Lee, which continues linger off the Louisiana coast. Heavy rainbands from the storm continue to spread across much of southeastern and south-central Louisiana.
The storm is centered southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. It is now moving northwest at 2 mph and has a minimum central pressure of 29.62 inches.

At this time, coastal Alabama is not included in a tropical storm warning that extends from Pascagoula, Mississippi, westward to Sabine Pass, Texas.
Projected heavy rains of as much as 15 inches will bring the threat of inland flooding, John Kilcullen, director of operations with the Mobile County EMA, said.
At the coast, strong rip currents and high surf are expected and coastal flooding is possible along Dauphin Island’s west end and in the Bayou La Batre and Coden areas, where elevation is from 0 to 10 feet, said Kilcullen.
The EMA is reviewing plans and resources, sharing information with other organizations and keeping local officials updated on the situation, he said.
Currently, there are no plans to open evacuation shelters unless the situation changes, he said.
In Baldwin County, emergency management officials are likewise keeping tabs on the system and placing people and resources on standby in case they are needed, according to county spokeswoman Paula Tillman.
“It looks like we’re going to be on the outer edges of the rain bands,” she said.
Tillman also said there are no current plans to open shelters.
With dangerous rip currents and heavy surf expected, both she and Kilcullen urged people to stay out of the water at area beaches. They urged people living in low-lying area prone to flooding to monitor forecasts and be prepared to leave if necessary.
Kilcullen also urged people to avoid water-covered roadways and take alternate routes.
A flash flood watch, high surf and rip current advisories are in effect through the weekend for Alabama’s coastal counties.
At 10 a.m., the depression’s winds were near 35 mph and forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami projected that winds could reach tropical-storm strength of 39 mph later today.
Jeff Garmon with the National Weather Service in Mobile said parts of coastal Alabama could get up to 15 inches of rain through Wednesday or Thursday, with some spots possibly seeing higher totals.
Forecasts from the Hurricane Center call for the system to move inland early Sunday as a tropical storm. The storm is expected to weaken gradually as it jogs northeast and moves north of Mobile through west-central Alabama, Garmon said.
Tides up to 3 feet above normal are predicted and breaking waves in the surf zone could increase from 4 to 6 feet, to 5 to 8 feet through the weekend, according to forecasters.

Lee County wildfire approaches many homes

LEE COUNTY, Ala. 

  The fire started around two o'clock on Friday, September 2nd. With the help of the wind in a matter of minutes flames were quickly approaching homes. There were two structures that caught fire, one of which was a vacant home.
Three different fire departments from two counties responded to fight the blaze. Residents estimate that about fifteen acres were scorched by the fire. Nikki McClain said she called 9-1-1 when she pulled up with her children and saw the flames.
McClain said, “I’ve never seen anything like this. It scares me. Even when we did fires out here we constantly, somebody is always there. Even when we're done with it we water it until it's not even smoking anymore.”
McClain's family cemetery was burned, but her home managed to escape the fast moving flames.
The Salem, Crawford, and Ladonia Fire Departments circled the farm land in water trucks as they tried to keep the charred ground from re-igniting.
A firefighter on the scene said there was at least one injury. The supervisor said one homeowner had a heart attack while battling the flames. That firefighter said first-responders were able to save the homeowner.

Update: Brothers engaged in crime spree arrested in Dothan

Christopher Kelly Keyes

           George Alexander Keyes

Update: Two additional counts of Second Degree Theft have been added to each suspect following an incident which occurred in August on Hartford Highway. As with previous incidents, catalytic converters were stolen during this offense.

Christopher Kelly Keyes, white male, 32 years of age and  George Alexander Keyes, white male, 31 years of age, of Timbers Drive were arrested and each charged with seven counts of Second Degree Theft and one count of Unlawful Breaking and Entering a Vehicle with bonds totaling $120,000.

The Dothan Police Department Investigation Division has made a sixteen count felony arrest following a recent investigation that landed the two brothers in jail facing eight counts each. Investigators say the brothers engaged in a crime spree during the month of August that left nine vehicles victimized after having the catalytic converters cut off. The incidents occurred at numerous Dothan locations including Headland Avenue, Hodgesville Road, West Carroll Street, Barrington Road, Roney Road, Montgomery Highway and Ross Clark Circle.

Brothers engaged in crime spree arrested in Dothan

Christopher Kelly Keyes

           George Alexander Keyes

Christopher Kelly Keyes, white male, 32 years of age and  George Alexander Keyes, white male, 31 years of age, of Timbers Drive were arrested and each charged with seven counts of Second Degree Theft and one count of Unlawful Breaking and Entering a Vehicle with bonds totaling $120,000.

The Dothan Police Department Investigation Division has made a sixteen count felony arrest following a recent investigation that landed the two brothers in jail facing eight counts each. Investigators say the brothers engaged in a crime spree during the month of August that left nine vehicles victimized after having the catalytic converters cut off. The incidents occurred at numerous Dothan locations including Headland Avenue, Hodgesville Road, West Carroll Street, Barrington Road, Roney Road, Montgomery Highway and Ross Clark Circle.