Local churches participate in National Back to Church Sunday Sept. 18 (Video)

MONTGOMERY, Alabama
Tomorrow is National Back to Church Sunday, when more than 7,500 churches across the country invite those who do not regularly attend church.
According to its website, the annual event is part of an effort to get underchurched, un-churched and the unsaved to church.
Those interested in going can find local participating churches through the website's search function.
There are eight registered, participating churches in the Montgomery and Prattville areas.
Organizers estimate 82 percent of those who don't attend church regularly would come if invited by a friend or family member.
More information on the event can also be found on its Facebook page.

Youtube promotional video for National Back to Church Sunday:

FINAL: No. 2 Alabama 41, North Texas 0

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama 

Alabama's predictable power was overwhelming. 

What mattered most was the Crimson Tide earned a 41-0 victory including its first shutout in two years. The last one was a 45-0 win against Chattanooga on Nov. 21, 2009.

The late-round knockout came courtesy of running backs Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy, who both had career games.

Alabama (3-0) held North Texas (0-3) to 169 yards of total offense with North Texas reaching Tide territory just once in the first half.

Richardson set a career high with 167 yards rushing on 11 carries highlighted by his 71-yard fourth-quarter touchdown, the longest of his career. He also matched his career high with three touchdowns, including a 58-yard touchdown run.

Lacy broke of the longest run of his career - a 67-yarder to put Alabama ahead 41-0 in the fourth quarter. He finished with nine carries for a career-high 161 yards while matching his career best with two touchdowns.

Alabama used two quarterbacks with sophomore AJ McCarron cementing his place as the starter. He finished with 15-for21 passing for 190 yards. Freshman Phillip Sims was 6-for-8 passing for 49 yards.

Fans celebrate life of Hank Williams

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Fans of legendary country music artist and Montgomery resident Hank Williams gathered at his grave in downtown Montgomery today in honor of what would have been his 88th birthday.

Musicians also gathered at the graveside to perform for fans.  

Representatives from the Hank Williams Museum laid two rose music note wreaths at Williams' grave at the Oakwood Cemetery Annex in downtown Montgomery. Friends and fans also gathered after the ceremony to share memories at the Hank Williams Museum.

Man sentenced to 20 years for Lake Forest home invasion

BAY MINETTE, Alabama 

Kenneth Dewight Smith

A Daphne man facing 28 counts including robbery, kidnapping and burglary for his role in the invasion of a Lake Forest home where a drug party was going on will spend 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to robbery.
Kenneth Dewight Smith, 20, who had been slated for trial this week, entered his plea Thursday in Baldwin County Circuit Court in Bay Minette, according to court documents. His sentencing was subject to enhancement because of the use of a firearm, records show.
In exchange for the plea to one count of first-degree robbery, the remaining charges were not prosecuted, records show.
He received credit for one year and two months of jail time served.
Smith was one of five men accused of bursting in on a party at a home in Daphne’s Lake Forest community in June 2010. At the party, people ranging in age from about 17 to about 23 were using "Molly," a form of Ecstasy, police have said.
Smith, Ryan Restrepo, 21; Jeffrey Lee Lahmann Jr., 20; John David Reid, 19; and an unidentified fifth suspect rounded up more than a dozen victims and robbed them at gunpoint, according to police reports. Several items were also taken from the home, police said.
Several suspects carried rifles and pistols, and the fifth suspect wore a mask, according to police.
Last month, Restrepo, a Spanish Fort resident who faced similar charges, also pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and was ordered to serve three years of a 20-year sentence, and five years of supervised probation. He must also spend at least one year in a treatment facility.
In January, Reid pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to court records.
Lahmann is scheduled to appear in court this week to enter a plea, court records show.

Covington County DTF makes marijuana bust

Covington County, Al.
A routine traffic stop netted nearly a pound in pre-packaged marijuana Wednesday and sent a River Falls man to jail.
James Allen Stallworth, 20, was stopped on Williams Street in Andalusia for a traffic violation; however, when Andalusia Police Officer and Drug Task Force Agent Roger Cender became “suspicious” of the car’s contents, he called for a K-9 assistance.

Stallworth

DTF Commander Mark Odom said when APD Officer Nic Ireland arrived with his partner Zico, the dog immediately “alerted” on Stallworth’s early 2000s model Crown Victoria.
“That’s when they found not only the marijuana, but also a firearm and a large amount of cash inside the car,” he said. “While the find wasn’t the largest marijuana find we’ve had, it’s still a good chunk, especially when considering it was separated into bags, for what we believe, was the intent to sell.”
Stallworth was charged with first-degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and carrying a pistol without a permit. He was booked into the Covington County Jail, where he is being held on a $506,000 bond.

Auburn firefighters battle blazes at restaurant, barn

Auburn, Al.
Firefighters at the Auburn Fire Division have had a busy couple of days after crews spent Thursday night and Friday morning working on two fires, an official said.

Chief Lee Lamar said crews first responded to a call at 9:47 p.m. Thursday at the Flying Goose Cafe on Shug Jordan Parkway. Lamar said the fire was discovered by an Auburn Police Division officer.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, Lamar said they found a fire in the kitchen and storage area. Crews had to force entry into the business, which was unoccupied at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries.

Lamar said it took crews approximately 5 minutes to extinguish the fire.

“We believe at this time that it was an electrical component that may have caused the fire,” Lamar said. “We’ll continue to work with the state Fire Marshal’s Office, the Auburn Police Division and the insurance company to try and verify what we believe so far.”

A message on the restaurant’s website states that the business is temporarily closed until the damage is repaired.

After extinguishing and cleaning up the Flying Goose Cafe fire, firefighters weren’t quite done. Lamar said while crews were still cleaning up after the first fire, they received another call at 8:23 a.m. Friday. This time they were sent to the intersection of Lee Road 90 and U.S. Highway 280 West to put out a fire at a barn owned by Auburn University. Lamar said the structure was fully engulfed in flames when crews arrived.

“Fire was rolling out of everywhere,” he said. “It was a great visual. When we got on scene, units went ahead and tried to control the fire and keep it from spreading.”

Firefighters were able to put out the fire, Lamar said, though the barn, which had been used for storage, was a complete loss. No one was injured in the fire.

Lamar said witnesses at the time of the fire said they heard an electrical popping noise. He said he believes the cause of the fire was most likely electrical.

No. 21 Auburn's 17-game win streak ends at Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C.
No. 21 Auburn's luck ended Saturday along with its 17-game winning streak as Tajh Boyd threw for 386 yards and four touchdowns in Clemson's 38-24 victory over the defending national champions.
Auburn (2-1) took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter before Boyd began hitting his targets over the final three periods. Clemson converted 10 straight third-down attempts as it improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2007.
Auburn may have a dynamic offense, but its was last in Southeastern Conference defense coming in and it showed at Death Valley. Clemson scored on five of six possessions at one point and gained 624 yards - its most ever against an SEC opponent.

Alabama public schools turn to Wii to help fight childhood obesity

Montgomery, Al.
Ask most third-graders whether they'd rather run laps in hundred-degree temperatures or play a video game, and it doesn't take a genius to correctly predict their answer.
What did take some brainpower, however, was figuring out how use that fondness for electronic games to get some of the same benefits as running.
Wee Can Fight Obesity is a fitness program for third-graders in Alabama public schools, and uses the Wii Fit Plus Bundle and EA Sports Active video games to improve physical fitness three days a week during P.E. class.

Wii Fit Plus

The one-year program is in 30 schools this year, and was in 30 different schools last year. The goal is to eventually offer the program to every elementary school.
Judith Ross, principal of Birmingham's Wylam Elementary School, had the program at her school last year. While it was supposed to be just third-graders who participated, it was impossible to limit it to just them, she said.
"Once the other children found out about it, they wanted to be involved, too," Ross said. "So we let them, and began using it as a behavior modification tool because kids knew if they didn't behave well, then on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, they couldn't participate."
Using the Wii video game system, students participated in aerobics, yoga, running, tennis and baseball.
"They didn't look at it as exercise and burning calories -- that part of it never even crossed their minds," Ross said. "To them, they were just playing games and having fun."
The program -- sponsored by the Alabama Department of Education, Alabama State University, the Governor's Commission on Physical Fitness and the Alabama Sports Festival -- requires each student to be measured and weighed at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the year. Each student's Body Mass Index, or BMI, also is calculated.
The year-long program culminates at the annual Wee Fit Challenge during the summer, where one student from each of the participating schools --the one who burned the most calories during the year -- is chosen to compete. This June, the challenge included two Birmingham city school children from the schools that offered the program -- Wylam and Councill elementary schools.
Nine-year-old Safiyah Muhammad, now a fourth-grader at Councill Elementary, came in seventh in the competition out of 19 who participated.
But she has no idea how many calories she burned, because she didn't really consider it exercising.
"To me, it was just fun," she said. "I got to play baseball and tennis with other people. And bowling."
Councill Principal Steve Brown said the program was a great start to fighting childhood obesity.
"We know that childhood obesity leads to a shorter life expectancy and we've got to do something to combat the problem," he said. "This program is definitely in tune with curtailing childhood obesity."

274 cited in first year of Montgomery distracted driving rule

Montgomery, Al.
During the past 11 months, the Montgomery Police Department has cited 274 drivers for violating the city's distracted driving ordinance.
The Montgomery City Council passed the ordinance in August 2010, and after a 30-day grace period, police began issuing citations.
The violation is a secondary offense, meaning a driver must be committing a traffic violation considered a primary offense, such as running a stop sign, before he or she can be cited for distracted driving.
"We have to know that the person commits a traffic violation first and then at the same time we have to see that the person is actually distracted by using a cell phone or texting or reading an email," Maj. Keith Barnett, the traffic division commander, said of enforcing the ordinance.
District 3 Councilman Tracy Larkin, who sponsored the ordinance, anticipates distracted driving becoming a primary traffic offense in the future.
Larkin said he was "very disappointed" to water down the ordinance to a secondary offense before it was approved by the City Council, but he also said the point of the ordinance is to change behavior, not punish people.
"We think it has accomplished what we want it to accomplish," Larkin said. "It continues to remind people about the dangers of distracted driving."
Councilman Cornelius "C.C." Calhoun of District 5 disagreed with the ordinance when it was first introduced and said his opinion hasn't changed. He said he "would never support" the ordinance being changed to a primary offense.
"Using a cellphone is a way of doing business," Calhoun said.
The penalty for violating the distracted driving ordinance is a fine of up to $50 or imprisonment in the city jail for no more than 10 days for a first offense. The penalty for a second offense within a 12-month period is a fine up to $100 or imprisonment in the city jail for no more than 10 days or a combination fine and imprisonment.
For a third violation within a 12-month period, the punishment is either a fine of up to $500 or imprisonment in the city jail for no more than three months or a combination of fine and imprisonment.
For now, Barnett said the Police Department is focusing on driver behavior and not the number of citations issued.
"The whole goal behind the law is safety," Barnett said. "If we can change driver behavior, it makes the roads safer for everyone."

Friday Night Football Scores

PREP FOOTBALL Addison 67, Vina 6
Akron 28, Appalachian 22
Alabama Christian Academy 34, Headland 14
Alabama School for the Deaf 44, Gaylesville 14
Alexandria 40, Jacksonville 33
Alma Bryant 21, Baker 14
American Christian Academy 70, Isabella 32
Andalusia 44, Bullock County 9
Arab 27, Madison County 21
Auburn 42, Northview 14
Autaugaville 50, Sunshine 0
B.B. Comer 44, Central Coosa 28
Barbour County 35, Houston County 26
Bayside Academy 21, Clarke County 7
Beauregard 18, Lincoln 7
Benjamin Russell 21, Stanhope Elmore 17
Berry 56, Meek 14
Bessemer Academy 21, Restoration Academy 7
Bibb County 56, Jemison 35
Blount 20, Davidson 7
Boaz 18, Scottsboro 15
Bob Jones 63, Grissom 0
Brantley 61, Georgiana 0
Briarwood Christian 45, Chelsea 34
Brilliant 21, South Lamar 14
Brooks 48, Central-Florence 27
Carroll-Ozark 40, B.T. Washington 32
Carver-Montgomery 40, Lee-Montgomery 6
Cedar Bluff 53, Valley Head 6
Central-Phenix City 40, Enterprise 25
Chambers Academy 27, Coosa Valley Academy 19
Cherokee County 45, Butler 18
Clay-Chalkville 41, Shades Valley 7
Colbert County 10, Danville 8
Colbert Heights 28, Sulligent 21
Collinsville 56, Woodville 14
Cordova 38, Winfield 20
Cornerstone Christian 53, Lyman Ward 26
Cottage Hill 35, Choctaw County 21
Crossville 28, Douglas 6
Cullman 49, West Point 14
Curry 23, Hayden 22
Dadeville 45, Munford 14
Daphne 41, Williamson 0
Decatur 31, Buckhorn 13
Demopolis 56, Wilcox Central 21
Deshler 38, Ardmore 13
Donoho 46, Coosa Christian 6
Dora 37, Tarrant 6
Dothan 28, Smiths Station 25
East Limestone 37, Russellville 28
Edgewood Academy 41, Morgan Academy 6
Elba 48, Samson 14
Elmore County 27, Calera 3
Erwin 23, Pinson Valley 20
Escambia Academy 52, Prattville Christian Academy 12
Escambia County 28, W.S. Neal 15
Etowah 35, Albertville 32
Eufaula 33, Russell County 10
Evangel Christian Academy 41, Kingwood Christian 6
Fairfield 32, Pleasant Grove 15
Fairhope 30, Baldwin County 0
Fairview 48, DAR 28
Faith Academy 47, Citronelle 20
Fayette County 27, Haleyville 14
Flomaton 54, Mobile Christian 12
Fort Payne 52, Southside-Gadsden 3
Francis Marion 30, Central-Hayneville 24
Fultondale 47, Cleveland 7
Fyffe 48, Section 0
Gadsden 25, Huffman 12
Gaston 28, Spring Garden 7
Geneva County 34, McKenzie 32
Glencoe 14, Weaver 7
Glenwood 63, Southern Academy 22
Gordo 51, Hale County 6
Goshen 35, New Brockton 28
Greene County 58, West Blocton 20
Greensboro 46, Northside 6
Greenville 32, Chilton County 7
Hamilton 45, Winston County 14
Hanceville 52, Vinemont 7
Handley 20, Clay County 13
Hartselle 17, Walker 3
Hatton 34, Phil Campbell 7
Hazel Green 38, Sparkman 17
Hewitt-Trussville 22, Pell City 17
Hillcrest 28, Tuscaloosa County 7
Hillcrest-Evergreen 27, Straughn 26, OT
Hokes Bluff 36, Pisgah 7
Holly Pond 32, Carbon Hill 8
Holt 35, Dallas County 10
Holtville 44, Childersburg 6
Hoover 41, Thompson 15
Houston Academy 21, Ariton 12
Hueytown 48, McAdory 14
Huntsville 30, Florence 18
J.O. Johnson 44, Columbia 0
Jackson 40, UMS-Wright 14
Jackson Academy 48, South Choctaw Academy 6
Jackson Olin 26, Bessemer City 10
Jacksonville Christian 35, Jefferson Christian Academy 12
Keith 49, Holy Spirit 0
LaFayette 45, Horseshoe Bend 6
Lauderdale County 34, Elkmont 14
Leeds 35, Walter Wellborn 14
Leroy 55, J.U. Blacksher 0
Lexington 39, Cherokee 6
Linden 25, Sweet Water 14
Lineville 27, Lanett 7
Loachapoka 33, Verbena 12
Luverne 33, Daleville 7
Lynn 22, Parrish 19
Madison Academy 55, New Hope 0
Maplesville 42, Shades Mountain Christian 2
Marbury 49, Beulah 0
Marengo 50, Saint Luke's Episcopal 48
Marion County 69, Hubbertville 43
McGill-Toolen 28, Foley 14
McIntosh 27, Kinston 12
Midfield 28, Corner 0
Minor 17, Gardendale 14
Monroe Academy 28, Clarke Prep 9
Montevallo 35, Sipsey Valley 7
Mortimer Jordan 55, Brewer 20
Mountain Brook 21, Homewood 14
Muscle Shoals 63, Lawrence County 7
North Jackson 23, Guntersville 21
Northridge 43, Carver-Birmingham 6
Notasulga 38, Fayetteville 7
Oak Grove 39, Good Hope 21
Oakman 56, Falkville 8
Ohatchee 28, Decatur Heritage 6
Oneonta 56, Locust Fork 20
Opp 33, Geneva 12
Oxford 40, Austin 24
Paul Bryant 33, Brookwood 0
Pelham 30, Vestavia Hills 27
Phillips-Bear Creek 54, Waterloo 20
Pickens Academy 35, Tuscaloosa Academy 14
Pickens County 53, John Essex 14
Piedmont 45, J.B. Pennington 0
Pike Liberal Arts 27, Ashford Academy 0
Pleasant Home 14, Florala 13
Pleasant Valley 36, Victory Chr. 20
Prattville 71, Wetumpka 12
Priceville 34, East Lawrence 20
Providence Christian 35, G.W. Long 21
Ragland 1, Parkway Christian Academy 0
Red Bay 35, Lamar County 14
Red Level 33, Calhoun 30
Reeltown 21, Randolph County 0
Robertsdale 49, Satsuma 20
Rogers 36, West Morgan 29
Saks 44, White Plains 3
Sand Rock 14, Westbrook Christian 3
Sardis 48, Randolph School 21
Selma 14, Central-Tuscaloosa 13
Sheffield 30, Clements 6
Shoals Christian 59, Tharptown 37
Slocomb 28, Dale County 6
Spain Park 28, Oak Mountain 10
Spanish Fort 42, Mary Montgomery 21
Springville 24, Anniston 21
Springwood School 45, Lee-Scott Academy 14
St. Clair County 28, Cleburne County 20
St. James 31, Ashford 30
St. Paul's 38, LeFlore 16
Sumiton Christian 19, West End-Walnut Grove 14
Sumter Central High School 60, Southside-Selma 0
Susan Moore 42, Ashville 21
Sylacauga 28, Moody 0
Sylvania 23, Geraldine 0
T.R. Miller 62, Montgomery Academy 14
Tanner 49, Aliceville 20
Thomasville 57, Saraland 16
Trinity Presbyterian 31, Excel 0
Valley 21, Charles Henderson 20
Vigor 36, Gulf Shores 0
Vincent 46, R.C. Hatch 30
Wadley 32, Talladega County Central 26
Washington County 42, Catholic-Montgomery 13
West Limestone 44, Wilson 20
Westminster Christian Academy 41, Cold Springs 0
Wicksburg 33, Cottonwood 28
Wilcox Academy 55, Lowndes Academy 26
Winterboro 28, St. Jude 26
Woodland 49, Ranburne 21
Zion Chapel 21, Highland Home 20

Oxford police release sketch of pizza shop shooting suspect

Oxford Police scetch

Oxford, Al.
Oxford investigators released a sketch Friday of the man they suspect robbed and shot to death the assistant manager of Papa John’s pizza parlor.

Last Saturday, authorities discovered Barbara Exum, a 56-year-old Anniston woman, shot to death in a small side room of the Papa John’s at 1225 Snow St. in Oxford.

Oxford police have spent the past week searching for the suspect, whom police Chief Bill Partridge described as a short-haired black man with a skinny build and a deep, raspy voice.

Until now, that was the only description investigators had publicly provided.

Lt. L.G. Owens said a sketch artist from the Hoover Police Department was able this week to draw a sketch of the suspect based on witness descriptions.

A poster from the police department shows a sketch of a young black man wearing a bandana to partially cover his face.

Police said the man is 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches in height with wide shoulders. The poster said the man carries a black semi-automatic pistol as a weapon.

Anyone with information on the suspect should contact Oxford police at 256-831-3121.

Mobile police arrest, charge 9 with serving alcohol to minors at area businesses

MOBILE, Alabama 
Nine people were arrested during a recent operation conducted by the Mobile Police Department Youth Services Unit, officials said Friday in a news release.
Police conducted checks at 19 businesses around Mobile to make sure that stores and restaurants are not serving alcohol to minors, officials said. Those arrested were charged with furnishing alcohol to a minor.
The arrests were made at the following businesses:

• The Bicycle Shop, 661 Dauphin St.
• Café 615, 615 Dauphin St.
• The Corner Bar, 568 Dauphin St.
• Buck’s Pizza, 350 Dauphin St.
• Hopjacks, 251 Dauphin St.
• Dauphin Market, 201 Dauphin St.
• Phat Tuesday, 119 Dauphin St.
• Sailors Lounge, 113 Dauphin St.
• The Royal Scam, 72 Royal St.

Morgan County volunteer firefighter charged with rendering false alarms

DECATUR 
Clint McAbee of Danville, a 19-year-old volunteer firefighter with the Punkin Center Volunteer Fire Department, was arrested by Decatur police Friday and charged with five counts of rendering a false alarm, a misdemeanor.

Over the course of three months, the Morgan County Central Dispatch center had received numerous false reports of structure fires and medical emergencies. The case was reported to Decatur Police.
Polcie say they found that all the calls were related to the Punkin Center Volunteer Fire Department, where McAbee had volunteered for seven months. McAbee had responded to the calls with the department.
Decatur police also say a 17-year-old made at least one of the calls. Charges against the juvenile are expected in Morgan County Juvenile Court. McAbee was held in the Decatur City Jail in lieu of a $2,500 bond.

McGregor, other defendants in Alabama vote-buying case seek dismissals

MONTGOMERY, Alabama 

Milton McGregor

Lawyers for VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor and other defendants in the State House vote-buying case are asking a judge to dismiss the case, arguing there is insufficient evidence to merit a conviction.
The defense lawyers filed briefs today asking a federal judge to enter a judgment of acquittal instead of bringing the vote-buying case back to trial in January.
McGregor's lawyers disputed prosecution assertions that the VictoryLand owner was involved in confessed efforts by Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley to bribe a state senator for his vote with $1 million. McGregor was never present when the $1 million was discussed and only talked about political allegiances and policy with the senator, McGregor's lawyer wrote.
"Mr. McGregor's discussions of the then-pending bill was his advocacy of the merits of the bill, both as good public policy and as good politics," lawyer Ben Espy wrote in the renewed motion for an acquittal.
A lawyer for Sen. Harri Anne Smith, I-Slocomb, argued in the court filing there was no evidence that Smith switched her vote as a result of campaign contributions from Gilley.
"Smith's district had the most to gain by the passage of SB380 and arguably the most to lose by its defeat. Evidence was provided that Smith had initially been opposed to the Country Crossing project in early 2008, until polls made it clear that her constituents supported the economic development the project would bring to Smith's district," Smith lawyer Jim Parkman wrote.
Former legislative employee Ray Crosby and former senators Jim Preuitt and Larry Means also filed briefs seeking an acquittal.
McGregor and eight others were put on trial on charges of offering or accepting bribes in connection with a gambling bill before lawmakers in 2010. The bill would have held a statewide referendum aimed at letting McGregor and others offer electronic bingo machines at their casinos.
The jury acquitted two defendants and returned a series of not guilty verdicts and deadlocked decisions against the other seven defendants. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson declared a mistrial on the deadlocked counts. The second trial is scheduled for January.
McGregor's lawyer also filed a motion seeking to dismiss the case based on the contention that double jeopardy prohibits prosecutors from trying McGregor a second time because they failed to obtain a conviction at the first trial. Espy wrote that he realizes the argument is contrary to current case law, but wanted to preserve the argument in case the law changes.

Police charge man in killing of Alabama student

Ricky Crooks

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Investigators have charged a Moundville man with capital murder in the Sunday early morning shooting death of James Harry (Trey) Johnson III at the Sterling Crimson apartments.
Sheriff's deputies and Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit investigators, assisted by the Sheriff's Office aviation unit, arrested Ricky Crooks, 20, at his residence on Mink Slide Road after 1 p.m. today. Crooks was being held at the Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond.
Crooks was charged on Sunday with attempted murder for a shooting that occurred at a nearby convenience store at the intersection of Hargrove Road and 10th Avenue.
Authorities say that Crooks fired a gun at someone at a gas station. One bullet traveled several blocks and hit Johnson as he walked to visit a friend. Police say surveillance camera footage show Crooks going into a store where he fought with a 28-year-old man.
Investigators say the tape also shows how many shots were fired.

Trey Johnson

Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit commander Loyd Baker said  investigators have probable cause to believe that a shot fired by Crooks caused Johnson's death. A warrant was obtained by investigators after physical evidence, witness testimony and audio and video surveillance recordings were reviewed.
Johnson, a 25-year-old University of Alabama graduate student studying Operations Management, was struck by gunfire in the parking lot of the Sterling Crimson apartment complex after 2 a.m. Sunday morning and died shortly after arrival at DCH Regional Medical Center.
Baker said it appears Johnson was walking to a friend's apartment when he was shot.

Alabama State Bar reprimands Saraland lawyer over stolen money

MOBILE, Alabama 
The Alabama State Bar today publicly reprimanded Saraland lawyer Johnny Lane, whose longtime assistant stole about $180,000 from his law firm’s trust account.
Susan Pack, Lane’s assistant, pleaded guilty earlier this year to theft and forgery charges for siphoning money away from Lane’s firm through hundreds of bank withdrawals and debit card transactions.
One lawsuit pending in Mobile County Circuit Court claims that Pack stole money that was intended for the families of asbestos victims in legal settlements.
“Mr. Lane, you did not make reasonable efforts to insure that measures were in place that would give reasonable assurance that Ms. Pack’s conduct was compatible with your professional obligations,” the State Bar wrote in its reprimand, reported during the bar commissioners’ meeting in Montgomery on Friday.
“Specifically, the investigation revealed that as early as 2008, you had reason to know that Ms. Pack may have misappropriated funds and fraudulently used your credit cards, yet you took no action to investigate the matter.”
Lane also serves as municipal judge in Satsuma and Chickasaw. He declined to comment Friday.
The reprimand does not affect Lane’s license to practice law.
Court records indicate that Lane reported the thefts to police in April 2010.
Lane acknowledged that Pack failed to produce records of his business’s trust account — where legal funds are kept in holding — even though he repeatedly asked for them, according to the reprimand. Also, Lane couldn’t explain how she got access to the PIN number for his debit card.
Trust account records showed almost daily withdrawals by Pack as early as 2009, according to the reprimand.
Pack also stole $26,000 in State Farm insurance money in that was intended for Lane to pay for Hurricane Katrina damage to his home, according to court records.
Under a plea agreement, Pack is serving five years probation.

Alabama Supreme Court blocks lawsuit over Chickasaw bingo hall

MOBILE, Alabama 
The Alabama Supreme Court today tossed out a lawsuit seeking to block Mobile County prosecutors from permanently seizing 2 dozen bingo machines confiscated from a Chickasaw gambling hall last year
The court ruled that a circuit judge in Montgomery attempted to interfere with a criminal proceeding in Mobile by ordering that the machines be moved to his jurisdiction and threatening prosecutors with arrest.
The ruling quoted the judge, Johnny Hardwick, declaring, “I’m not going to let anybody — you can tell the governor, the chief justice, district attorney for Mobile County — I’m not going to let anybody run roughshod over me. And I do think I’ve got the authority to hold the governor in contempt if we need to go there.”
The now-defunct state Task Force on Illegal Gambling took the machines from the Chickasaw Municipal Auditorium in a nighttime raid in February 2010.
The machines were temporarily transferred by law enforcement to a secured location in Montgomery. Bingo hall operator Jesse Griffin then sued in Montgomery County Circuit Court, claiming the property was wrongly seized and asking a judge to decide whether the machines were, in fact, legal.
Today, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that the civil lawsuit would interfere with a criminal proceeding in Mobile, constituting a violation of the separation of powers of the judicial and executive branches of government.
The ruling reversed Hardwick’s decision in a March 14 hearing to order the machines back to Montgomery and to proceed with the lawsuit.
Prosecutors argued that Hardwick lacked authority to take such action.
At that hearing, Hardwick threatened to send prosecutors to jail for contempt of court while they tried to explain their case, according to the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The judge was apparently perturbed that the machines had been returned to Mobile.
At one point, Mobile County Assistant District Attorney Martha Tierney tried to explain that the Chickasaw raid occurred at night, and Montgomery had the only available law enforcement warehouse where evidence could be stored.
“You think the Mobile (district attorney) will come and get you out of jail?” the judge asked Tierney, according to the transcript.
“Well, I don’t expect to go to jail, judge,” she replied. “I will obey your orders.”
Earlier in the hearing, Hardwick also threatened Solicitor General John Neiman Jr. and Assistant Attorney General Henry Reagan.
“I’ll hold one, two, three in contempt this morning, and if you think I’m playing, you need to ask somebody,” he said.
After the hearing, Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich appealed to the Supreme Court, challenging Hardwick’s decision to move forward with the lawsuit.
The Supreme Court ruled “that the machines were temporarily stored in Montgomery County after they were seized is immaterial in this case.”
Hardwick’s actions — including “threatening the attorneys for the executive branch with arrest” — constituted an attempt to interfere with prosecutors seeking to enforce state laws, the Supreme Court wrote.
The court ordered Hardwick to dismiss the lawsuit.
This afternoon, Rich said that her office would now seek to have the machines forfeited and destroyed.
Rich said that Tierney was an effective advocate in the courtroom that day, and “in the end, we prevailed.”
No one associated with the bingo hall was charged with a crime, Rich said. The prosecution’s forfeiture case, similar to having illegal drug property seized, is viewed as a criminal proceeding, Rich said.
According to the ruling, the Supreme Court asked Hardwick for a formal response, but the judge “did not favor us with an answer or brief.”

Lawrence County High School suspends students for flag

Three Lawrence County High School students were suspended two days each after waving rebel flags during last week’s homecoming parade, school officials said.
Superintendent Heath Grimes said it was an unfortunate incident that overshadowed what was otherwise an excellent homecoming week.
School officials said the students pulled the flags out after the truck they were riding in left school property.
Officials said in the future school staff members would watch along parade routes to make sure this kind of incident did not happen again.
“As a school system, we are regretful this incident happened,” Grimes said. “As always, it is our goal to see our system reflected positively because of our events as opposed to our events bringing attention to our system in a negative and harmful light.”

Mobile real estate investors agree to plead guilty to manipulating foreclosure auctions

MOBILE, Alabama 
Two real estate investors from the Mobile area have agreed to plead guilty to federal bid-rigging charges accusing them of manipulating auctions of foreclosed properties.
According to plea agreements filed this week in U.S. District Court in Mobile, Harold M. Buchman and the company he co-owns, M&B Builders, conspired with Allen K. French and others to suppress bids at foreclosure auctions. Prosecutors allege that the conspiracy dated to May 2001 and lasted until at least March of last year.
Buchman agreed to serve jail time and pay fines, while French could be eligible for probation.
The Obama administration has made prosecuting financial and real estate fraud a priority, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Sharis A. Pozen praised the investigation in a prepared statement from Washington.
“The Antitrust Division continues to vigorously pursue bid-rigging conspiracies at real estate foreclosure auctions, and will work with its law enforcement partners to ensure that the process is fair and open so that consumers will benefit from competition,” Pozen stated.
Donald Briskman, who represents Buchman and M&B Builders, said he did not want to comment until the plea hearing, which likely will be scheduled for the next couple of weeks.
An attorney for French, Walter Honeycutt, said he expects indictments against other investors. The plea agreements for Buchman and French both reference their cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
Foreclosure auctions typically are held at the county courthouse and allow mortgage holders to recoup the money they lose when homeowners default on their loans. Prosecutors contend that Buchman, French and others who have not been charged decided among themselves who would bid on various properties, while the others agreed not to compete.
“When it started out, it was kind of a gentlemen’s agreement,” Honeycutt said.
Then someone else took over the operation and implemented a formal scheme, Honeycutt said.
After one investor would get the property cheaply, according authorities, participants would hold a secret second auction among themselves. The winning bidder would make payoffs to other investors for not competing at the public auction, according to the allegations. The money would be paid out based on predetermined specifications.
“It’s a complicated formula,” Honeycutt said.
Foreclosure auctions typically are held at the county courthouse and allow mortgage holders to recoup the money they lose when homeowners default on their loans. Prosecutors contend that Buchman, French and others who have not been charged decided among themselves who would bid on various properties, while the others agreed not to compete.
After one investor would get the property cheaply, according authorities, participants would hold a secret second auction among themselves.
Lewis M. Chapman, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Mobile office, said in his own prepared statement that the complex investigation required perseverance.
“This investigation sends the message that real estate fraud including antitrust violations will continue to be pursued in these tough economic times, no matter how intricate the scheme,” he stated.
The plea agreement calls for M&B Builders to plead guilty to violating the Sherman Antitrust Act and attempted mail fraud conspiracy. The company will pay a $250,000 fine and restitution in the amount of $18,345.20, under the agreement.
Buchman and French agreed to plead guilty to one count each of antitrust violations. Buchman will serve 6 months in prison and pay a fine of $21,141 and at least $30,000 in restitution. The plea document requires him to do all of his time in a minimum-security prison and not home confinement or a halfway house.    
French, meanwhile, agreed to pay a $20,000 fine and at least $23,000 in restitution. Under the terms, the judge would be required to sentence him to 6 months or less in prison.
Neither man would have to be on supervised release after their prison terms.

Convicted child killer from Atmore gets October execution date

MONTGOMERY, Alabama 
An Atmore man who admitted beating his 6-month-old son to death is scheduled for execution on Oct. 20.
The Alabama Supreme Court announced the execution date today for Christopher T. Johnson.
Johnson served as his own attorney at his trial in Escambia County in 2006. He testified that he intentionally hit and suffocated his son, Elias Ocean Johnson, on Feb. 20, 2005, because he hated his wife.
He asked for the death penalty. The jury and judge obliged.
Assistant Attorney General Clay Crenshaw says Johnson declined further appeals after the Alabama Court of Criminals Appeals upheld his death sentence in December 2009.

Phenix City deals with 3 murders in just 1 week

PHENIX CITY, Alabama
Residents in the east Alabama town of Phenix City say they're concerned about violent crime after 3 homicides in the past week.
The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports that the slayings push the city's total for the year to seven, which is up from five homicides in 2010.
By comparison, the much larger city of Columbus, Georgia, just across the state line, has had 14 homicides this year, compared to 15 in 2010.
Phenix City police Lt. Jason Whitten said the recent slayings were random acts of violence, and it is difficult to prevent those type of crimes.
Phenix City police increased its neighborhood patrols earlier this year. Whitten said the department has no plans to change the patrols.

PETA calls for Auburn University to retire eagles from pregame flights (Video)

AUBURN, Alabama 
Following Spirit's eventful flight Saturday, representatives for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are speaking out against Auburn University.
The traditional pregame flight went awry when Spirit, the university's bald eagle, flew into a luxury box window in Jordan-Hare Stadium and skimmed the crowd before landing at center field.
Lindsay Pollard-Post wrote a letter to the editor of the Montgomery Advertiser condemning the school for dragging the eagle into a stressful environment.
"Animals aren't performers or party decorations, and they don't deserve to be frightened, hurt or even killed just so we can have a momentary thrill," Pollard-Post wrote in the letter.
She then said the school should retire the birds to sanctuaries.
Pollard-Post calls the eagle a mascot, but Auburn fans know the birds are representative of a battle cry. Aubie the tiger is the school's mascot.
The university's College of Veterinary Medicine's Southeastern Raptor Center works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to promote wildlife conservation and education. According to the SRC's website, the USF&WS allows the center to house eagles and use them in educational presentations, including Auburn home football games.
Spirit is one of three flighted eagles housed at the SRC. He is the only bald eagle ever to be flown in Jordan-Hare Stadium, as Tiger and Nova, the other two eagles, are golden eagles.
Spirit was found injured in Florida in 1995 and was brought to Auburn in 1998. Spirit made his first flight in Jordan-Hare in 2001. He is not releasable because of his damaged beak.
Auburn's eagles aren't the only live animals used at college sporting events. The University of Georgia has Uga, a bulldog; the University of Tennessee has Smokey, a bluetick coonhound; Louisiana State University has Mike, a half Bengal-half Siberian tiger; and the University of Texas has Bevo, a longhorn steer.
Recently, Sports Illustrated named Auburn's pregame eagle flights the second-best tradition in college football.

Denton Road man arrested and charged with Second Degree Theft of Propert

Kenneth Morris Jr.                                              Credit: (D.P.D.)

Dothan, Al.
Kenneth Morris Jr., black male, 28 years of age, of Denton Road was arrested and charged with Second Degree Theft of Property with a $2,500 bond.

On September 15, 2011 the Dothan Police Department made a felony arrest as a result of a recent investigation. According to police, Kenneth Morris Jr. was charged for theft and an investigation revealed he recently took a wallet containing cash and credit cards. Police say the wallet was briefly laid on the counter at a local convenience store by the victim during which time Morris entered the store and took the wallet. The case has now been closed following yesterday’s arrest.

WANTED: By Dothan Police, Domini Carson for Second Degree Theft of Property

Domini Carson

Domini Carson, white female, 29 years of age, of Slocomb, Alabama is WANTED for Second Degree Theft of Property. 

On September 15, 2011 the Dothan Police Department signed a felony warrant following the investigation of internal theft at a local jeweler. According to investigators, Domini Carson took several pieces of jewelry from her employer, Zales Jewelry, earlier this month. Police were unable to make contact with Carson and have received information that she may have fled the area in an attempt to avoid prosecution. Police are asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of Carson to call the Dothan Police Department or CrimeStoppers 334-793-7000.

Alabama unemployment rate drops in August

MONTGOMERY, Alabama

Tom Surtees

Alabama's unemployment rate dipped to 9.9 percent in August, down from 10.0 percent in July.
The counties with the lowest unemployment rate, according to Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees, were Shelby at 6.8 percent, Coffee at 7.4 percent, and Madison at 8.1 percent.
Counties with the highest unemployment rates were Wilcox at 22.3 percent, Perry at 18.9 percent, and Dallas at 18.7 percent
August's rate, Surtees said, represents 213,412 unemployed people, down from 215,631 in July.
There were 28,000 more jobs statewide in August than there were at the beginning of the year.
Last month, state employment stood at 1,949,824 compared to 1,921,819 in January.

Postal processing facilities in Anniston, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile and Tuscaloosa could close

ATLANTA, Ga.
The U.S. Postal Service could close 5 mail processing facilities in Alabama as part of a nationwide cost-cutting effort as it struggles with finances.
The Alabama facilities are among 252 mail processing facilities across the nation that will be reviewed over the next 3 months for possible closing.
They are in Anniston, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile and Tuscaloosa.
The Postal Service is looking at consolidating operations as part of its nationwide effort to trim costs at the financially strapped agency.
Postal officials say their studies will be finished in early 2012 and that it's too soon to say how many jobs might be affected.

VictoryLand seeks Alabama's OK for new liquor license

MONTGOMERY 
VictoryLand is seeking state permission to serve alco­hol again after surrendering its liquor license last year.
A spokesman for VictoryLand said the business applied for a new license to serve alcohol in the area where pa­trons bet on simulcast races. The li­quor license will allow the business to better serve customers in the simul­cast area and to hopefully provide for more jobs at the track, he said.
VictoryLand currently only offers gambling on simulcast dog and horse races. Electronic bingo machines and live dog racing are currently not of­fered at the track.
Lt. Darrick Wilson of the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board said track officials met with the state this week to discuss the license. He said VictoryLand officials indicated the li­cense was for the simulcast area.
VictoryLand voluntarily surrendered its liquor license last year during the controversy over electronic bingo ma­chines.
State law allows enforcement offi­cials to inspect liquor license holders without a warrant. At the time, then-Gov. Bob Riley's gambling task force was trying to gain entry to the facility in an effort to seize thousands of elec­tronic gambling machines in opera­tion there.

Hoover teen, 14, killed in wreck on way to school

Golson         (Hoover Police Department)

HOOVER, Alabama 
A Hoover High School freshman was killed, and two others injured, on the way to school Thursday.
Dallas Virginia Golson, 14, was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival at Children's of Alabama hospital.
Her mother, Barbara Wood, said the accident is devastating.
"She was a precious, sweet girl that was loved by everybody who knew her," Wood said. "It's so sad to see such a promising life cut short."
Wood said Thursday started out just like any other day. Dallas left their Lake Crest home to walk down the street to catch the school bus. Instead of riding the bus, however, she accepted a ride from a 16-year-old friend who is a junior.
The girls, along with a 15-year-old passenger, were making a left turn from South Shades Crest Road onto Brocks Gap Parkway about 8 a.m., when they turned in front of an oncoming dump truck, authorities said.
The truck struck the 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier on the passenger's side, where Dallas was sitting in the back seat.
The other two teens were also taken to Children's with non-life-threatening injuries, said Hoover police spokesman Capt. Jim Coker. The other passenger was undergoing surgery Thursday afternoon.
The 65-year-old truck driver wasn't injured.
Wood said Dallas liked to be with friends and had a passion for the outdoors. She was in the choir for three years at Simmons Middle School and attended Shades Crest Baptist Church.
She was close to her younger sister, a seventh-grader at Simmons.
"She was a beautiful girl, inside and out. She was much loved by her family," Wood said. "It's one of those things we don't understand, but have to trust there is a greater plan."
School officials told students about the accident mid-morning.
Hoover City Schools spokesman Jason Gaston said the system's Hoover Emotional Assistance Response Team immediately went to the campus.
HEART is a district-level group of counselors, teachers and administrators who help students needing emotional support during a time like this, he said.
"We are saddened to hear of the loss of one of our students this morning," Gaston said. "It's a tragedy for the entire Hoover community. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family."
Coker said the department's Crash Reconstruction Team will investigate all aspects of the circumstances that led to the collision. Dallas was wearing her seatbelt, authorities said, and there was no early indication that cell phone use had anything to do with the accident.
Coker said the requirements of the Alabama's Graduated Driver's License law will be considered in the investigation.
Under the 2010 law, it is illegal for a 16-year-old driver (and 17-year-old drivers who have been licensed less than six months) to drive with more than one non-family member passenger.
"This crash will have profound effects on not only all of those involved, but their families as well," Coker said. "It is our duty to fully investigate the crash, in order to find answers."

Huntsville pharmaceuticals company recalls birth-control pills

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama
Qualitest Pharmaceuticals is recalling multiple lots of birth-control pills because of a packaging error that could lead to incorrect dosing and unintended pregnancies.
The company says the error caused the weekly tablet orientation to be reversed and obscuring the lot number and expiration date on certain packages. The problem could lead to inadequate contraception if women don't get the proper daily regimen of the drug.
The recall affects certain lots of Cyclafem, Emoquette, Gildess, Orsythia, Previfem and Tri-Previfem. Doctors, pharmacists and patients seeking more information can contact Qualitest at 1-877-300-6153.
Qualitest Pharmaceuticals is a unit of Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc.

Man dies after crashing car into Prattville tire store and refusing medical treatment

PRATTVILLE, Alabama 
Police are looking into the death of a man who crashed his vehicle into a storefront Tuesday morning, refused medical treatment and died later that night.

According to police, 45-year-old Donald Ian Lee drove his 2003 Ford F-150 into the Big Ten Tire store on East Main Street around 2:10 a.m., causing extensive damage to the exterior of the building.  Lee refused medical treatment on the scene and returned to his home. Tuesday evening, paramedics responded to a call at his home and took him to a Montgomery hospital, where he later died from his injuries. 

Lee was pronounced dead at Baptist around 10:30 p.m. Police say that the investigation is ongoing and the body has been taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. 

Mother, son arrested on drug charges

Brewton, Al.

Officers examine one of the 13 marijuana plants found

A mother and son were arrested by officers with the Narcotics Division of Brewton Police Department Wednesday morning at their home on Old Castleberry Road.
Joann Downing and her son, Joseph Aaron Downing, were arrested after officers received a tip that marijuana plants were being grown in the yard of their home.
Officers obtained a search warrant and confiscated 13 marijuana plants growing in plane view in the back yard with most of the plant being grown in pots.
A search of the home resulted in the discovery of marijuana, numerous pills and drug paraphernalia. Some evidence consistent with the sale of marijuana was also recovered at the scene.
Both Downings were transported to the Escambia County Detention Center where they were booked on the charges against them. Brewton Police are continuing their investigation into the case

Sheffield woman accused of slapping child

SHEFFIELD, Al.
A Sheffield woman faces child abuse charges amid allegations that she hit her 6-year-old daughter in the face hard enough to bloody her nose, police said Wednesday.

Jo Ann Barranco

Jo Ann Barranco, 39, 406 Austin Ave., Sheffield, is charged with torture, willful abuse of a child under 18 years old. Sheffield police Capt. Scott Wallace said several witnesses saw Barranco slap her daughter in the face.
“The child was not injured other than the bloody nose, but she could have been hurt a lot worse,” Wallace said. He said the incident occurred Friday, and arrest warrants were issued Wednesday morning.
Witnesses told police Barranco was walking on Second Street, near the Sheffield Fire Department, with three of her four children.
“She was pushing her 2-year-old daughter in a stroller and her 6-year-old twin girls were walking ahead of her,” Wallace said. “At some point, one of the girls either walked into or ran into the street.”
Witnesses said Barranco caught up to the girl, grabbed her by the head, put one of her hands at the back of her head and then slapped the child in the face.
Wallace said the Colbert County Department of Human Resources investigated the allegation. When completed, all three of Barranco’s children, along with a 12-year-old girl who was left at home alone, were placed in foster care.
“After we completed our investigation, the case was presented to the Colbert County District Attorney’s Office and Barranco was charged,” Wallace said.
The charge is a Class C felony, which is punishable by 1-10 years in prison should she be found guilty.
Barranco is being held in the Colbert County Jail on bail totaling $20,000.

Man charged with trying to sell stolen jewelry

RUSSELLVILLE , Al.
A Franklin County man is in jail after police said he tried to sell stolen jewelry to the jewelry store that is owned by a co-worker of the person who owned the jewelry.
Cody Ray Anderson, 28, 2197 Franklin 624, Russellville, is charged with first-degree receiving stolen property, Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett said this morning.
Reports indicate Anderson was charged late Wednesday afternoon after he tried to sell a wedding ring set to the owner of Artistic Jewelry in Russellville.
The owner, Neil Willis, is also a fireman and the jewelry was identified as being taken from Fire Chief Joe Mansell’s house during a burglary Monday, Russellville police investigator Lt. Scotty Lowery said.
“Neil was suspicious when the man brought the jewelry to the store,” Lowery said. “He called Mansell, who came to the business and identified the items as being his wife’s.”
Lowery said police were notified and Anderson was taken into custody. He said the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the burglary that occurred on Franklin 624.
Lowery said at the time of the arrest, Anderson was out of jail on bail for misdemeanor theft charges, so he is being held in the Russellville City Jail without bail at this time.

Brewton man charged with rape

Brewton, Al.
Brewton Police are continuing an investigation into an alleged sexual assault case involving a 4-year-old victim.
Sgt. Steven Ferguson with Brewton Police said a Brewton man was arrested after a mother suspected something wrong with her daughter.
Jessie Porterfield, 33, of Sowell Road in Brewton, was arrested and charged with first-degree rape in connection with the allegations against him.
“The mother called our office and said her daughter wasn’t acting right and she said she suspected that she had been sexually assaulted,” Ferguson said. “We responded to the call and reported the allegations to the Department of Human Resources.”
Ferguson said workers with DHR responded to the case and officials with the Regional Child Advocacy Center also became involved in the investigation of the case.
“The victim was taken to the hospital where she was examined and treated,” Ferguson said. “She was also interviewed by staff members at the Child Advocacy Center. Actually, our arrest was based on the evidence from that interview and our investigation.”
Ferguson said the incident is believed to have occurred during the morning of Sept. 8.
“We received the call that afternoon and immediately began our investigation,” Ferguson said. “Once everyone got on board with the investigation, we took about two days to gather evidence and information in the case.”
Ferguson said Porterfield was arrested Friday afternoon and was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center on the charges. He was released on $25,000 bond Monday, he said.
Ferguson said an investigation into the case is continuing.
“We want to make sure we have all our information correct and true,” Ferguson said. “This investigation is certainly not over.”