2 escape Auburn house fire uninjured

Auburn, Al.

The cause of a fire that heavily damaged an Auburn home Monday remains under investigation.

Firefighters were called to a residence in the 500 block of Bryant Avenue and upon arrival observed fire coming from the front windows of the home. Auburn Fire Division Chief Lee Lamar said responders discovered the fire had spread to other areas of the home, including the attic.

While the fire appears to have started in a hallway of the home, fire officials do not suspect foul play as the cause of the fire, Lamar said.

Firefighters were on the scene approximately three hours. Lamar said two people were in the home at the time of the fire, but were able to escape uninjured.

Alabama Crimson Tide declared unanimous champion

John Affleck, Sports Enterprise Editor for the A P, presents the AP college football trophy to Nick Saban

NEW ORLEANS, La.
 The University of Alabama was officially declared the champion of college football Tuesday by all of the organizations who name a winner, including the BCS and the Associated Press.

Head coach Nick Saban accepted the trophies during a ceremony Tuesday morning in New Orleans. Alabama was voted the overwhelming favorite in all of the polls after defeating the LSU Tigers 21-0 in the BCS Championship game Monday night in the Superdome.

"It's a great honor and a privilege for the University of Alabama, our football team, our program, to accept these trophies on behalf of the entire team," Saban said. "There's a lot of people who contribute to the success of the program: our administration, Dr. Witt, Mal Moore, our athletic director, and our administration... certainly and probably the people who get the least amount of credit that deserve a lot more is our coaching staff and the people who work with the players on a day-to-day basis to help them be successful personally, academically, and athletically, so that they can take advantage of their gifts and be all that they can be... and, lastly, those who made the commitment to make this accomplishment together as a team, our football players."

Saban said he was very proud of this championship win... maybe even more so than the win two years ago.

"I'm very proud of the togetherness, the teamwork," Saban said. "This team was a special team, not that the 2009 team was any different.  And certainly an honor and a privilege to be with a group that sort of, I don't know, made the kind of commitment that you look for from a competitive character standpoint and intangibles that you always strive to try to get as a coach in a group, whether it's togetherness, the positive attitude, the responsibility and accountability they took for each other and themselves and the hard work and discipline that went in sort of the development of this team.

"It was a really special group.  And I feel very privileged to have been a part of that."

Theft Investigation nets two Arrest

Birmingham, Al.
Matthew Williams, W/M, 24 and George Mendiola, W/M, 27, were both charged with Theft of Property and warrants have been obtained against the suspects.

 The Birmingham Police Department reports that two suspects are in custody and charged in connection with a theft investigation.  The suspects were found to have taken multiple metal beams and structures from a construction site over an extensive period of time.  The items were sold to an iron and metal scrap yard in Sumiton.  The recovered items were identified by logo and serial numbers and totaled $383,000.00.  The first suspect, Williams was working as a security guard at the construction site when the items were stolen.

Burglary call results in one arrest - Read for the twist!

This was shared with us from the Anniston Police Dept.

Responding to a residential burglary call, a C Shift officer found this fledgling cannabis "flower" clinging to life in the window of the resident's 21yr old son who lives with them. The same window (coincidentally) that the suspect entered the house through. A baggie of marihuana was also found in the room. The 21yr old admitted to possessing the contraband was charged with possession of marihuana 2nd degree. Yes...sometimes it just falls in our lap. ;-)

Anniston police investigate rape report

 Anniston, Al.
Anniston police Monday were investigating a 21-year-old woman’s report that she was raped at her home early on the morning of Jan. 6.

The Anniston woman filed the report last Friday, Jan. 6 around 10:42 a.m., police records show.

She told officers that multiple people were at her Coleman Road house in eastern Anniston for a get-together on the night of Jan. 5.

Sometime between 10:40 p.m. and 10 a.m. the next day, the woman was raped, according to a police report. Anniston police Sgt. Josh Doggrell said the woman provided police with the names of multiple men who were at her house for the party that night and participated in raping her.

Investigators Monday declined to disclose any other details about the crime, suspect identities or the relationship between the victim and alleged suspects. Doggrell said police wanted to conduct a more thorough interview with the victim before releasing any more information about the case.

Historic grist mill at Childersburg threatening to tumble, officials fear

CHILDERSBURG, Al.
Authorities say a historic mill on the banks of Talladega Creek could easily crumble unless something is done to save it.

Kymulga Grist Mill manager Ron Smith says that if the creek floods like it did last spring, the mill could fall.
Time and water damage have taken their toll on the mill, which was constructed in 1859.
Martha Little, director of the Childersburg Historic Preservation Commission, said the mill is the oldest retail grist mill still in operation.
Little said a Birmingham engineering firm has evaluated the mill's foundation and the commission is waiting to hear on firm estimates for replacing the foundation. Little said the commission hopes to finance the foundation's replacement with grants, corporate gifts, and fund-raisers.

Dothan Food Depot robbers arrested in Fl.

Dothan, Al.

On December 30, 2011 the Dothan Police Department responded to an armed robbery in progress just after 7:00 p.m. at Food Depot (1357 Fortner Street). Employees told police the suspect entered the business and walked around the store for awhile before he finally approached the manager and handed him a note demanding cash. The manager walked outside with the suspect following closely behind him, once outside, the manager quickly re-entered the business and locked the door. The suspect, realizing he had been locked out, fled on foot on Fortner Street.

 

Investigators have been working with Florida authorities in this case to develop a possible connection between the suspect from this incident and recent robberies in Mexico Beach and Defuniak Springs, Florida. Investigators say during the course of the joint investigation, Florida authorities got a tip from Crimestoppers that gave a possible identity of the suspect, Samuel Paul Wadsworth. The suspect was then located in Panama City, Florida and brought in for questioning. He confessed to the robbery at Food Depot as well as the two bank robberies in Florida. A second suspect, Rachel Wingate, was also taken into custody after confessing to being the driver for all three robberies with full knowledge Wadsworth was committing the robberies.

Investigators say both suspects will be extradited to Alabama after facing robbery charges in Mexico Beach and Defuniak Springs. Investigators say it is unknown exactly when the extradition will occur but state Samuel Wadsworth, white male, 40 years of age, will be charged with First Degree Robbery while Rachel Wingate, white female, 45 years of age will also be charged with First Degree Robbery.

The Dothan Police Department would like to thank Florida authorities including Bay County S.O., Mexico Beach Police Department and Defuniak Springs Police Department for their assistance with this case.