New Alabama Education Association chief sends his children to private school

MONTGOMERY, Al.
According to a report the new executive secretary of the Alabama Education Association sends his children to a private school in Montgomery for its religious education.
Political observers state that Henry C. Mabry's choice of schools could lead to a public relations problem. But they also say the reason he was hired should outweigh those concerns.
The AEA bills itself as the voice of public school teachers and employees.
Mabry last week was chosen by the AEA board of directors to succeed retiring AEA Executive Secretary Paul Hubbert pending successful contract negotiations.

During their 42 years at the helm of the AEA, Hubbert and assistant executive secretary Joe Reed built the organization into a powerful political force advocating for public education and its employees, about 100,000 teachers, support workers and administrators. Both said they were unaware of Mabry's school choice, but were not concerned by it.

“That's a board decision,” Hubbert said Monday. “I'm satisfied with it.”

Former two-time AEA President Nancy Worley said she also was unaware of the Mabrys' school choice.

Mabry said the decision to send his children to Holy Cross Episcopal School is a personal faith issue. He said they are able to attend chapel, which is not available in public schools. “They get good religious teachings that falls in line with our family belief,” said Mabry, who lives in Montgomery.

Brewton man arrested after admitting to burglarizing his bosses car

 Brewton, Al.

A Brewton man is behind bars after police say he admitted to burglarizing his boss’s vehicle last week.
Matthew Thompson, 28, has been charged with burglary of a vehicle and Brewton Police say other charges may be pending in the case.
Brewton Police Sgt. Steven Ferguson said the burglary was reported to police last Tuesday and an investigation lead to the arrest of the Thompson as a suspect in the case.
“The owner of the vehicle, who also owns an area business, said he noticed a box with money from his business was missing when he returned to his vehicle at Walmart last week,” Ferguson said. “He told us he noticed an employee of his business in a vehicle behind him as he pulled into the parking lot.”
Ferguson said the victim explained that only he and the other employee would have known his patterns and where he placed the money each day.
“We went to Walmart and looked at security tape from the day of the burglary,” Ferguson said. “We saw the vehicle described by the victim as the one the suspect was in at the time. As we watched the tape, we saw the driver of the vehicle get out of the car and go into the store. The passenger, who is the suspect, got out of the car and went to the victim’s vehicle. After a few minutes, the suspect got out of the victim’s vehicle and ran back to the vehicle he was a passenger in.”
Ferguson said as they continued their investigation, officers made contact with Thompson to question him about the burglary.
“During our interview he admitted that he did go into the vehicle and took the money,” Ferguson said. “Thompson told us he used the money to pay old bills and threw the box that contained the money over a bridge somewhere in the county.”
Thompson was transported to the Escambia County Detention Center where he was booked on the charges. An investigation continues in the case.

Alabama farmers may turn to prison inmates to replace lost immigrant laborers

BIRMINGHAM, Al.
Alabama agriculture officials are considering whether prisoners can fill a labor shortage the agency blames on the new state law against illegal immigration.
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries is meeting with south Alabama farmers and businesses in Mobile on Tuesday. Deputy commissioner Brett Hall says the agenda includes a presentation on whether work-release inmates could help fill jobs once held by immigrants.
Hall says planting season is coming up, and some growers fear most of their workers are gone. The agriculture agency says the new law has caused a chronic labor shortage on Alabama farms.
Prison spokesman Brian Corbett says the state has about 2,000 work-release prisoners, and most already have jobs.
Corbett says the prison system isn't the solution to worker shortages caused by the law.

Alabama mail centers on chopping block in Postal Service cost cutting

MONTGOMERY, Al.
The U.S. Postal Service is moving ahead with plans to close some Alabama mail facilities, part of a nationwide effort to cut costs. Officials predict the closings would also slow the delivery of first-class mail.
The cuts would close 252 of the nation's 461 mail processing centers beginning next spring. They would result in the elimination of roughly 28,000 jobs.
The Alabama facilities in danger of closing are in Anniston, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile and Tuscaloosa.
The cuts are part of $3 billion in reductions aimed at helping the agency avert bankruptcy next year. They would virtually eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day, a change in first-class delivery standards that have been in place since 1971.

Today's Bridgeport bank robbery suspect arrested and jailed

BRIDGEPORT, Al.
The FBI says the man wanted in connection with Today's robbery of the First National Bank in Bridgeport has been arrested.
The FBI said a man robbed the bank about 10:30 a.m. this morning at 51616 Alabama 277.
FBI officials said at that time a white male, believed to be in his 30s and between 5 feet, 7 inches and 5 feet, 9 inches tall and slim build, robbed the bank armed with a pistol. He was driving a red Ford F-150, the FBI said.
That man was arrested this afternoon and has been taken to the Jackson County jail in Scottsboro, Al.
 Anyone with information should contact the Huntsville office of the FBI at 256-539-1711 or the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at 256-574-2610.
No other details have been released at this time.

9-year-old girl killed in Sunday church van accident

MONTGOMERY, Al.
A fatal church van accident Sunday afternoon left one 9-year-old dead.
The accident at the intersection of South Court Street and South Street killed Joy Carlisle.
Carlisle was riding in the Compassion 21 van, which is used on Sundays by the Inner City Church of Christ to take people to and from services. The van collided with a 1997 Pontiac Grand Am.
The driver of the car was treated at the hospital for minor injuries and cited by police for not having a drivers license or proof of insurance.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.

7 pounds of marijuana confiscated in Auburn, 2 men charged with drug trafficking

AUBURN, Al.
Several pounds of marijuana were confiscated during a traffic stop in Auburn Friday, Dec. 2.

(Auburn police photo)

Auburn Police Division narcotics officers, assisted by the Lee County Sheriff's Office narcotics officers, pulled over a Dodge Ram pickup on South College Street after receiving a tip that it was transporting illegal drugs.
Police say a strong odor of marijuana was detected inside the vehicle. Seven and a half pounds of marijuana were found wrapped in a trash bag. Nearly $400 in cash was also found in the truck.

 

   

Bradley R. Coach, 22, of Montgomery, and 23-year-old Dominique J. Watson, of Thomaston, were arrested and charged with trafficking marijuana.
Watson also had five hydrocodone pills for which he had no prescription. He faces an additional count of possession of a controlled substance.
Both men were taken to the Lee County Detention Center where bond was set at $25,000 for Coach and $28,000 for Watson.