BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - The Donnelly house, a landmark home in Birmingham's southside neighborhood, is up for sale.
Realtors held an open house Friday morning. The house has been used for decades as an events venue for weddings and other parties.
The house recently fell into foreclosure and is now listed for $950,000. Realtors say that is well below the appraised value of $1.4 million.
The bank said it is hoping to sell the home to a single family or business wanting to continue the events planning tradition.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Supreme court may rule on Victoryland today
By Alan Collins
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - The Alabama Supreme Court may clear the way today for a raid by the governor's anti-gambling task force on Victoryland in Macon County.
Birmingham attorney Mark White, who represents Victoryland track owner Milton McGregor, said Friday the state's highest court will have a ruling on the case this afternoon. Currently, a court order has barred the governor's anti-gambling task force from raiding Victoryland.
Meanwhile, Rep. John Rogers, (D) Birmingham, told FOX6 News Friday morning the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus has schedule a massive rally August 28 in front of the Alabama Supreme Court. Rogers said the Alabama Supreme Court is controlled by Gov. Bob Riley and the caucus was committed to defeating court members who are running for office in November.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - The Alabama Supreme Court may clear the way today for a raid by the governor's anti-gambling task force on Victoryland in Macon County.
Birmingham attorney Mark White, who represents Victoryland track owner Milton McGregor, said Friday the state's highest court will have a ruling on the case this afternoon. Currently, a court order has barred the governor's anti-gambling task force from raiding Victoryland.
Meanwhile, Rep. John Rogers, (D) Birmingham, told FOX6 News Friday morning the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus has schedule a massive rally August 28 in front of the Alabama Supreme Court. Rogers said the Alabama Supreme Court is controlled by Gov. Bob Riley and the caucus was committed to defeating court members who are running for office in November.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Anniston schools enact new bullying policy
ANNISTON, AL (WBRC) - The Anniston City Schools system has passed a new policy on bullying.
The new measure requires teachers to report any bullying behavior they witness or any complaints they receive.
Superintendent Joan Frazier said new technology allows more opportunties for bullying and makes it more difficult to control.
A law passed this spring by Alabama lawmakers requires all school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The new measure requires teachers to report any bullying behavior they witness or any complaints they receive.
Superintendent Joan Frazier said new technology allows more opportunties for bullying and makes it more difficult to control.
A law passed this spring by Alabama lawmakers requires all school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Teen survives fall over Noccalula Falls
GADSDEN, AL (WBRC) - A teenager is in the hospital after surviving a fall over Noccalula Falls.
The incident happened Thursday afternoon. Authorities said the teenager escaped from Mountain View Hospital, a facility for patients with mental health issues and drug problems, then jumped off the falls, falling 40 feet to the water below.
The teen was taken to the hospital for treatment. The teen's condition was not known.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The incident happened Thursday afternoon. Authorities said the teenager escaped from Mountain View Hospital, a facility for patients with mental health issues and drug problems, then jumped off the falls, falling 40 feet to the water below.
The teen was taken to the hospital for treatment. The teen's condition was not known.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Family of man killed in tower collapse file lawsuit
ANNISTON, AL (WBRC) - The family of one of two men killed when a tower they were working on in Anniston collapsed has filed a lawsuit against the owners.
Jonce Hubble and Barry Sloan died after a vehicle struck the radio tower on Fort McClellan they were working on, causing it to collapse.
Attorneys for Sloan's announced Thursday they had filed a lawsuit against the driver of the truck and the truck’s owner, Barnhart Crane and Rigging Company Incorporated.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Jonce Hubble and Barry Sloan died after a vehicle struck the radio tower on Fort McClellan they were working on, causing it to collapse.
Attorneys for Sloan's announced Thursday they had filed a lawsuit against the driver of the truck and the truck’s owner, Barnhart Crane and Rigging Company Incorporated.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Governor responds to lawsuit
MONTGOMERY, AL (WBRC) - Gov. Bob Riley said his anti-gambling task force is not violating the law.
Jeff Emerson, a spokesman for Gov. Riley, responded Thursday afternoon to a class action lawsuit filed against him on behalf of people in Greene and Macon counties. The lawsuit claims the governor has violated the Voting Rights Act by nullifying the votes of the electorates in Greene and Macon Counties who approved constitutional amendments in 2003 authorizing electronic bingo operations in their counties. The complaint also alleges the raids carried out by the Governor and his Task Force were racially motivated and in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
"We haven't seen the lawsuit yet so I can't comment on what it says specifically, but we have seen the statement the casino lawyers have released and it's just plain silly," Emerson said on behalf of Gov. Riley in the response. "The Task Force on Illegal Gambling has done nothing but enforce the law fairly, impartially and everywhere it is being broken. Since the Task Force was established, illegal gambling operations have either shut down or been prevented from opening in Walker, Houston, Madison, Etowah, St. Clair, Lowndes, Jefferson, Greene and Mobile counties. Any claim the Task Force's work is targeted to just one area or against one particular group is absolutely false and does not square with the facts.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Jeff Emerson, a spokesman for Gov. Riley, responded Thursday afternoon to a class action lawsuit filed against him on behalf of people in Greene and Macon counties. The lawsuit claims the governor has violated the Voting Rights Act by nullifying the votes of the electorates in Greene and Macon Counties who approved constitutional amendments in 2003 authorizing electronic bingo operations in their counties. The complaint also alleges the raids carried out by the Governor and his Task Force were racially motivated and in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
"We haven't seen the lawsuit yet so I can't comment on what it says specifically, but we have seen the statement the casino lawyers have released and it's just plain silly," Emerson said on behalf of Gov. Riley in the response. "The Task Force on Illegal Gambling has done nothing but enforce the law fairly, impartially and everywhere it is being broken. Since the Task Force was established, illegal gambling operations have either shut down or been prevented from opening in Walker, Houston, Madison, Etowah, St. Clair, Lowndes, Jefferson, Greene and Mobile counties. Any claim the Task Force's work is targeted to just one area or against one particular group is absolutely false and does not square with the facts.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Road safety crusader fighting pulmonary fibrosis
By Alan Collins
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A man who spent years pushing for safety improvement to Interstate 20 is now picking up a new cause, one that threatens his life.
Mike Blazer lives in Heflin. He used to live in Pell City. Blazer and others campaigned for years to make I-20 safer with concrete barriers after a number of traffic fatalities.
Early in 2009 Blazer discovered he was coughing a lot and couldn’t catch his breath. Later a doctor told him he had pulmonary fibrosis.
"It was devastating," Blazer said. "He told me there was not any treatment but a lung transplant. I didn't know how to deal with it."
Blazer said he went into a bit of a depression but later, thanks to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, he pulled out of it.
"The people at the foundation told me to hang in there, you will learn to cope with it," Blazer said.
Researchers at UAB are working on the deadly disease.
"We are close to understanding what causes pulmonary fibrosis," Dr. Joao de Andrade, Associate Prof. of Pulmonary medicine said. "But, we are a long way from finding effective therapies."
Each year in the United States, 128,000 people are diagnosed with the pulmonary fibrosis and 40,000 die from it. The researchers said they need people to help with their research in determining the cause of the disease and developing treatments. The school also has support groups for patients.
Blazer, 57, said he wants to become an advocate.
"Make awareness of it," Blazer said. "As we come together as a group learn more abut this, that way we can get better recognition and start getting funding for research."
Blazer wants to get donations to sell on the internet where 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. This keeps Blazer's spirit high.
"I'm going to hang around for a while," Blazer said. "I won't let this get to me that way."
For more information, visit www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org, www.uab.edu/pulmonary, or email Blazer at mike.blazer@yahoo.com.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A man who spent years pushing for safety improvement to Interstate 20 is now picking up a new cause, one that threatens his life.
Mike Blazer lives in Heflin. He used to live in Pell City. Blazer and others campaigned for years to make I-20 safer with concrete barriers after a number of traffic fatalities.
Early in 2009 Blazer discovered he was coughing a lot and couldn’t catch his breath. Later a doctor told him he had pulmonary fibrosis.
"It was devastating," Blazer said. "He told me there was not any treatment but a lung transplant. I didn't know how to deal with it."
Blazer said he went into a bit of a depression but later, thanks to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, he pulled out of it.
"The people at the foundation told me to hang in there, you will learn to cope with it," Blazer said.
Researchers at UAB are working on the deadly disease.
"We are close to understanding what causes pulmonary fibrosis," Dr. Joao de Andrade, Associate Prof. of Pulmonary medicine said. "But, we are a long way from finding effective therapies."
Each year in the United States, 128,000 people are diagnosed with the pulmonary fibrosis and 40,000 die from it. The researchers said they need people to help with their research in determining the cause of the disease and developing treatments. The school also has support groups for patients.
Blazer, 57, said he wants to become an advocate.
"Make awareness of it," Blazer said. "As we come together as a group learn more abut this, that way we can get better recognition and start getting funding for research."
Blazer wants to get donations to sell on the internet where 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. This keeps Blazer's spirit high.
"I'm going to hang around for a while," Blazer said. "I won't let this get to me that way."
For more information, visit www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org, www.uab.edu/pulmonary, or email Blazer at mike.blazer@yahoo.com.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Economy blamed for Helena's job cuts
By Sherea Harris
HELENA, AL (WBRC) - Helena is laying off some employees, including firefighters. City leaders are also cutting hours at the police department, all to save money.
Officials say there is a lot less revenue coming into the city right now and it's blamed on the economy.
There's been a drop in revenue from sales taxes, building permits and property tax collections.
The mayor and the council looked a different ways to make up for the shortfall and made a tough decision of making layoffs.
Twelve firemen and 3 city employees were released. All were part-time employees. Hours for part-time police officers were cut as well. The streets and sanitation department will have shorter work days.
Some wonder if the cuts will impact citizens who depend on quick response from police and firefighters.
"Yeah, it does make me concerned and I guess I do feel a little bit less safe," said Teri Portwood
"All three fire stations are still manned," said Deputy Chief Tim Carter. "The police and fire departments are still fully staffed. (We) are not going to miss any calls. The citizens of Helena should not worry about lack of services."
Deputy Chief Carter says in his 23 years working for the city, things have never gotten to this point financially.
The layoffs and cutbacks will free up thousands of dollars a month for the city and save the jobs of full time employees.
City officials encourage people to help improve the 20% decline in sales tax revenue by spending their money at local stores, instead of going outside of the city to shop for necessities.
Adding to the loss in revenue is Winn Dixie's demise, it will close later this year. The city says they are already searching for another tenant to fill the space.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
HELENA, AL (WBRC) - Helena is laying off some employees, including firefighters. City leaders are also cutting hours at the police department, all to save money.
Officials say there is a lot less revenue coming into the city right now and it's blamed on the economy.
There's been a drop in revenue from sales taxes, building permits and property tax collections.
The mayor and the council looked a different ways to make up for the shortfall and made a tough decision of making layoffs.
Twelve firemen and 3 city employees were released. All were part-time employees. Hours for part-time police officers were cut as well. The streets and sanitation department will have shorter work days.
Some wonder if the cuts will impact citizens who depend on quick response from police and firefighters.
"Yeah, it does make me concerned and I guess I do feel a little bit less safe," said Teri Portwood
"All three fire stations are still manned," said Deputy Chief Tim Carter. "The police and fire departments are still fully staffed. (We) are not going to miss any calls. The citizens of Helena should not worry about lack of services."
Deputy Chief Carter says in his 23 years working for the city, things have never gotten to this point financially.
The layoffs and cutbacks will free up thousands of dollars a month for the city and save the jobs of full time employees.
City officials encourage people to help improve the 20% decline in sales tax revenue by spending their money at local stores, instead of going outside of the city to shop for necessities.
Adding to the loss in revenue is Winn Dixie's demise, it will close later this year. The city says they are already searching for another tenant to fill the space.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Developers looking to fill space for coming Mtn Brook center
By Emily Luxen
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - One month after getting the green light, plans for a controversial new development in Mountain Brook are moving forward. The $200-million Lane Parke at Mountain Brook Village development will be replacing the current Mountain Brook Shopping Center.
Developers report they working every day to recruit high-end retailers to the center. They will also be new additions to the Birmingham metro area. No names are being released yet, but possible types of stores include clothing, sporting goods, and electronics.
"We are off to the races," said the president of Retail Specialists, Robert Jolly. "Our leasing team has been on the road. We've had meetings in the office every day. We've been accumulating a long list of tenants since we starting talking about project."
The finished development will include retail and office space, a hotel, and town homes. Developers believe the finished product will bring a big economic boost to Mountain Brook.
"We feel it will benefit the city immensely," said Developer John Evans. "Studies have been done by the city that said this project will help other retailers in Mountain Brook Village as well as retailers in Crestline and English Village."
Many of the existing stores in Mountain Brook Shopping Center will be moving into the new space once it is complete. Store owners like Joann Long of Dande'Lion said she is looking forward to getting additional space, and a newer building that isn't prone to flooding.
"I'm looking forward to the hotel," said Long, "I think that will be a big plus, and hopefully more new neat shops will join us."
The Lane Parke development was the subject of multiple public hearings before City Councilors voted to rezone the land June 28th. Critics complained the project was too large and would hurt the ambiance in the area, but Evans said he thinks many of them have come around to supporting the project.
"In the last month it has been very nice to go out in community and have people say 'we like your plan,' and 'we are pulling for you,'" said Evans.
Developers say no construction will begin until they get 75% of the space leased. They are hoping to start construction in spring of next year. The project will be built in two phases, and the entire process will take 3 to 4 years.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - One month after getting the green light, plans for a controversial new development in Mountain Brook are moving forward. The $200-million Lane Parke at Mountain Brook Village development will be replacing the current Mountain Brook Shopping Center.
Developers report they working every day to recruit high-end retailers to the center. They will also be new additions to the Birmingham metro area. No names are being released yet, but possible types of stores include clothing, sporting goods, and electronics.
"We are off to the races," said the president of Retail Specialists, Robert Jolly. "Our leasing team has been on the road. We've had meetings in the office every day. We've been accumulating a long list of tenants since we starting talking about project."
The finished development will include retail and office space, a hotel, and town homes. Developers believe the finished product will bring a big economic boost to Mountain Brook.
"We feel it will benefit the city immensely," said Developer John Evans. "Studies have been done by the city that said this project will help other retailers in Mountain Brook Village as well as retailers in Crestline and English Village."
Many of the existing stores in Mountain Brook Shopping Center will be moving into the new space once it is complete. Store owners like Joann Long of Dande'Lion said she is looking forward to getting additional space, and a newer building that isn't prone to flooding.
"I'm looking forward to the hotel," said Long, "I think that will be a big plus, and hopefully more new neat shops will join us."
The Lane Parke development was the subject of multiple public hearings before City Councilors voted to rezone the land June 28th. Critics complained the project was too large and would hurt the ambiance in the area, but Evans said he thinks many of them have come around to supporting the project.
"In the last month it has been very nice to go out in community and have people say 'we like your plan,' and 'we are pulling for you,'" said Evans.
Developers say no construction will begin until they get 75% of the space leased. They are hoping to start construction in spring of next year. The project will be built in two phases, and the entire process will take 3 to 4 years.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
UAB and a patient looks to find cure for pulmonary fibrosis
By Alan Collins
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A former road safety crusader is now picking up a new cause. One that threatens his life. Mike Blazer lives in Heflin. He once lived in Pell City. Blazer and others campaigned to make I-20 safer with concrete barriers after a number of traffic fatalities.
Early in 2009, Blazer discovered he was coughing a lot and couldn't catch his breath. Later a doctor told him he had pulmonary fibrosis. "It was devastating. He told me there was not any treatment but a lung transplant. I didn't know how to deal with it." Blazer said.
Blazer says he went into a bit of a depression but later thanks to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation he pulled out of it. "The people at the foundation told me to hang in there, you will learn to cope with it," Blazer said.
UAB researchers are working on the deadly disease. "We are close to understanding what causes pulmonary fibrosis. We are a long way from finding effective therapies," Dr. Joao de Andrade, Associate Prof. of Pulmonary medicine said.
UAB needs people to help with their research in determining the cause of the disease and developing treatments. The school also has support groups for patients.
About 128,000 people have been diagnosed with the pulmonary fibrosis and 40,000 die each year in America. Blazer, who is 57, wants to become an advocate.
Make awareness of it as we come together as a group learn more abut this. That we get better recognition and start getting funding for research," he added.
Blazer wants to get donations to sale on the Internet where 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. This keeps Blazer's spirit high. "I'm going to hang around for a while. I won't let this get to me that way." Blazer said.
For more information contact www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org, mike.blazer@yahoo.com, or www.uab.edu/pulmonary
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A former road safety crusader is now picking up a new cause. One that threatens his life. Mike Blazer lives in Heflin. He once lived in Pell City. Blazer and others campaigned to make I-20 safer with concrete barriers after a number of traffic fatalities.
Early in 2009, Blazer discovered he was coughing a lot and couldn't catch his breath. Later a doctor told him he had pulmonary fibrosis. "It was devastating. He told me there was not any treatment but a lung transplant. I didn't know how to deal with it." Blazer said.
Blazer says he went into a bit of a depression but later thanks to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation he pulled out of it. "The people at the foundation told me to hang in there, you will learn to cope with it," Blazer said.
UAB researchers are working on the deadly disease. "We are close to understanding what causes pulmonary fibrosis. We are a long way from finding effective therapies," Dr. Joao de Andrade, Associate Prof. of Pulmonary medicine said.
UAB needs people to help with their research in determining the cause of the disease and developing treatments. The school also has support groups for patients.
About 128,000 people have been diagnosed with the pulmonary fibrosis and 40,000 die each year in America. Blazer, who is 57, wants to become an advocate.
Make awareness of it as we come together as a group learn more abut this. That we get better recognition and start getting funding for research," he added.
Blazer wants to get donations to sale on the Internet where 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. This keeps Blazer's spirit high. "I'm going to hang around for a while. I won't let this get to me that way." Blazer said.
For more information contact www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org, mike.blazer@yahoo.com, or www.uab.edu/pulmonary
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Class action lawsuit filed against governor, anti-gambling task force
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A class action lawsuit was filed Thursday on behalf of people in Greene and Macon Counties against Gov. Bob Riley and his anti-gambling task force commander, John Tyson, claiming the men have violated the federal Voting Rights Act.
Attorneys representing voters and elected officials in both counties announced the lawsuit in a statement Thursday to FOX6 News. The lawsuit claims the governor has violated the Voting Rights Act by nullifying the votes of the electorates in Greene and Macon Counties who approved constitutional amendments in 2003 authorizing electronic bingo operations in their counties. The complaint also alleges the raids carried out by the Governor and his Task Force were racially motivated and in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Attorneys representing voters and elected officials in both counties announced the lawsuit in a statement Thursday to FOX6 News. The lawsuit claims the governor has violated the Voting Rights Act by nullifying the votes of the electorates in Greene and Macon Counties who approved constitutional amendments in 2003 authorizing electronic bingo operations in their counties. The complaint also alleges the raids carried out by the Governor and his Task Force were racially motivated and in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Back to School dates
Here are the dates in 2010 when students will return to school in school systems across Alabama:
Autauga County – August 10th
Bibb County - August 10th
Blount County - August 12th
Calhoun County – August 9th
Cherokee County – August 9th
Chilton County – August 9th
Clay County – August 10th
Cleburne County – August 9th
Cullman County – August 11th
Etowah County – August 9th
Fayette County – August 12th
Greene County – August 12th
Hale County – August 10th
Jefferson County – August 11th
Lamar County – August 9th
Marshall County - August 11th
Morgan County – August 9th
Pickens County – August 10th
St Clair County – August 11th
Shelby County – August 12th
Sumter County – August 11th
Talladega County – August 9th
Tuscaloosa County – August 10th
Walker County – August 9th
Winston County – August 9th
Anniston - August 9th
Arab – August 9th
Attalla – August 9th
Bessemer – August 10th
Birmingham – August 9th
Cullman – August 10th
Demopolis – August 11th
Fairfield – August 10th
Gadsden – August 9th
Homewood – August 9th
Hoover – August 11th
Jacksonville – August 11th
Jasper – August 9th
Leeds – August 9th
Midfield – August 10th
Mountain Brook – August 17th
Oneonta – August 12th
Oxford – August 9th
Pell City – August 9th
Piedmont – August 10th
Sylacauga – August 9th
Talladega City – August 9th
Tarrant – August 12th
Tuscaloosa – August 10th
Vestavia Hills – August 12th
Winfield – August 9th
Trussville – August 11th
Autauga County – August 10th
Bibb County - August 10th
Blount County - August 12th
Calhoun County – August 9th
Cherokee County – August 9th
Chilton County – August 9th
Clay County – August 10th
Cleburne County – August 9th
Cullman County – August 11th
Etowah County – August 9th
Fayette County – August 12th
Greene County – August 12th
Hale County – August 10th
Jefferson County – August 11th
Lamar County – August 9th
Marshall County - August 11th
Morgan County – August 9th
Pickens County – August 10th
St Clair County – August 11th
Shelby County – August 12th
Sumter County – August 11th
Talladega County – August 9th
Tuscaloosa County – August 10th
Walker County – August 9th
Winston County – August 9th
Anniston - August 9th
Arab – August 9th
Attalla – August 9th
Bessemer – August 10th
Birmingham – August 9th
Cullman – August 10th
Demopolis – August 11th
Fairfield – August 10th
Gadsden – August 9th
Homewood – August 9th
Hoover – August 11th
Jacksonville – August 11th
Jasper – August 9th
Leeds – August 9th
Midfield – August 10th
Mountain Brook – August 17th
Oneonta – August 12th
Oxford – August 9th
Pell City – August 9th
Piedmont – August 10th
Sylacauga – August 9th
Talladega City – August 9th
Tarrant – August 12th
Tuscaloosa – August 10th
Vestavia Hills – August 12th
Winfield – August 9th
Trussville – August 11th
Gary White sentenced to 10 years in prison
TUSCALOOSA, AL (WBRC) - Former Jefferson County Commissioner Gary White was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for his role in the county's sewer debt crisis.
Federal judge Scott Coogler handed down the sentence Thursday afternoon in a federal courtroom in Tuscaloosa. Federal prosecutors had asked Judge Coogler to sentence White to at least 15 years in prison, while White's attorneys asked for an alternative sentencing plan in which White could perform community service at the Birmingham Zoo, Botanical Gardens or Humane Society. In the end, Judge Coogler denied the defense motions.
"The law requires that i send you to prison," Judge Coogler said.
White was convicted in 2008 on conspiracy and bribery charges related to the county's sewer debt crisis. The conviction was later overturned on appeal, but in December the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals re-instated the original conviction.
Before the sentence was handed down, White asked for mercy.
"I exercised very poor judgement by allowing him to pay me in cash," White told the judge. "I deceived my wife and kept this from her and I ask for the court's mercy and leniency. My career has been tainted."
Judge Coogler said the 10-year sentence was "well below" the maximum sentencing guidelines. He said he felt the 10 years was appropriate.
Judge Coogler set a tentative date of Aug. 30 for White to report to prison.
Judge Coogler also ordered White to pay $22,000 plus interest in restitution to the Jefferson County Commission and to forfeit $22,000 to the government as proceeds of illegal activity.
Several people spoke on White's behalf Thursday, including White's wife. She became tearful at times as she pleaded with the judge for leniency.
A federal jury in January 2008 convicted White of conspiring with and accepting bribes from Sohan Singh between 2003 and 2005 while White was an elected commissioner with oversight of Jefferson County’s Environmental Services Department. Singh’s company, U.S. Infrastructure, had numerous “no bid” professional services contracts with the county for sewer projects.
Prosecutors said Singh regularly gave White thousands of dollars in $100 bills in white envelopes. During the time period of the conspiracy, Singh’s company received more than $11 million in sewer-related contracts with the county.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Federal judge Scott Coogler handed down the sentence Thursday afternoon in a federal courtroom in Tuscaloosa. Federal prosecutors had asked Judge Coogler to sentence White to at least 15 years in prison, while White's attorneys asked for an alternative sentencing plan in which White could perform community service at the Birmingham Zoo, Botanical Gardens or Humane Society. In the end, Judge Coogler denied the defense motions.
"The law requires that i send you to prison," Judge Coogler said.
White was convicted in 2008 on conspiracy and bribery charges related to the county's sewer debt crisis. The conviction was later overturned on appeal, but in December the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals re-instated the original conviction.
Before the sentence was handed down, White asked for mercy.
"I exercised very poor judgement by allowing him to pay me in cash," White told the judge. "I deceived my wife and kept this from her and I ask for the court's mercy and leniency. My career has been tainted."
Judge Coogler said the 10-year sentence was "well below" the maximum sentencing guidelines. He said he felt the 10 years was appropriate.
Judge Coogler set a tentative date of Aug. 30 for White to report to prison.
Judge Coogler also ordered White to pay $22,000 plus interest in restitution to the Jefferson County Commission and to forfeit $22,000 to the government as proceeds of illegal activity.
Several people spoke on White's behalf Thursday, including White's wife. She became tearful at times as she pleaded with the judge for leniency.
A federal jury in January 2008 convicted White of conspiring with and accepting bribes from Sohan Singh between 2003 and 2005 while White was an elected commissioner with oversight of Jefferson County’s Environmental Services Department. Singh’s company, U.S. Infrastructure, had numerous “no bid” professional services contracts with the county for sewer projects.
Prosecutors said Singh regularly gave White thousands of dollars in $100 bills in white envelopes. During the time period of the conspiracy, Singh’s company received more than $11 million in sewer-related contracts with the county.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Helena Winn-Dixie closing
HELENA, AL (WBRC) - Winn-Dixie has announced plans to close its store in Helena.
The retailer, in a statement posted on its website Thursday morning, announced the store at the Helena Market Place was one of 30 "underperforming" stores that would be closing.
The Helena store was the only store in Alabama listed for closure. The other 29 were scattered across Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Winn Dixie said all 30 stores on the list would be closed by September 22.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The retailer, in a statement posted on its website Thursday morning, announced the store at the Helena Market Place was one of 30 "underperforming" stores that would be closing.
The Helena store was the only store in Alabama listed for closure. The other 29 were scattered across Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Winn Dixie said all 30 stores on the list would be closed by September 22.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Extreme heat melting roads
BOAZ, AL (WBRC) - Some roads in Etowah County are melting from the extreme heat this summer.
Etowah County Commissioner Jeff Overstreet said the unusually high temperatures have caused tar to rise to the top of some roads near Boaz. Some heavier trucks are now leaving tracks in the road.
Overstreet said the roads were first damaged last winter by the extreme cold. He said county employees are pouring sand over the roads to help the situation.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Etowah County Commissioner Jeff Overstreet said the unusually high temperatures have caused tar to rise to the top of some roads near Boaz. Some heavier trucks are now leaving tracks in the road.
Overstreet said the roads were first damaged last winter by the extreme cold. He said county employees are pouring sand over the roads to help the situation.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Injured Sylacauga police officer moved to rehab
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A Sylacauga police officer seriously hurt while on the job has been moved to a rehabilitation facility near UAB Hospital.
Sgt. Tommy Allen was hurt in a crash on Highway 280 on July 5. Since the crash, Allen has been slowly improving.
Last weekend, friends and family held a motorcycle ride to raise money for Allen's family.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Sgt. Tommy Allen was hurt in a crash on Highway 280 on July 5. Since the crash, Allen has been slowly improving.
Last weekend, friends and family held a motorcycle ride to raise money for Allen's family.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Trafford man killed in crash
TRAFFORD, AL (WBRC) - A Trafford man was killed Wednesday afternoon in a car crash in Blount County.
Alabama State Troopers, in a statement to FOX6 News, said James Whitehead, 66, of Trafford, died when his vehicle collided with another vehicle about nine miles north of Trafford on County Line Road. The crash happened at approximately 2:55 p.m. Wednesday.
The driver of the other vehicle was not hurt. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Alabama State Troopers, in a statement to FOX6 News, said James Whitehead, 66, of Trafford, died when his vehicle collided with another vehicle about nine miles north of Trafford on County Line Road. The crash happened at approximately 2:55 p.m. Wednesday.
The driver of the other vehicle was not hurt. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Huge marijuana bust near Attalla
ATTALLA, AL (WBRC) - A routine traffic stop for an Alabama state trooper ended in a big drug bust.
The Etowah County Sheriff's Department said Timothy Robinson, 59, of Gadsden, was pulled over Tuesday on I-59 for erratic driving. Authorities said drug paraphernalia was in plain view when the Trooper approached the vehicle. Upon a further search, the trooper found approximately 20 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle, valued at more $30,000 on the street. A small amount of crack cocaine was also found in Robinson’s possession.
The Etowah County Sheriff's Department and Attalla Police were called in to assist in the search. Robinson was charged with two felony drug-related offenses and was being held in the Etowah County Detention Center.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The Etowah County Sheriff's Department said Timothy Robinson, 59, of Gadsden, was pulled over Tuesday on I-59 for erratic driving. Authorities said drug paraphernalia was in plain view when the Trooper approached the vehicle. Upon a further search, the trooper found approximately 20 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle, valued at more $30,000 on the street. A small amount of crack cocaine was also found in Robinson’s possession.
The Etowah County Sheriff's Department and Attalla Police were called in to assist in the search. Robinson was charged with two felony drug-related offenses and was being held in the Etowah County Detention Center.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Alabama girl drowns in Gulf
PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL (AP) - A 9-year-old Alabama girl has died after swimming in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast.
Rescue crews pulled Jada Grier from the water Tuesday after she became distressed and rushed her to the hospital. She was airlifted in critical condition to another facility and died a day later.
Jada was visiting Panama City Beach on a retreat with a Birmingham, Ala., youth group.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Rescue crews pulled Jada Grier from the water Tuesday after she became distressed and rushed her to the hospital. She was airlifted in critical condition to another facility and died a day later.
Jada was visiting Panama City Beach on a retreat with a Birmingham, Ala., youth group.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Tuscaloosa rape suspect charged
TUSCALOOSA, AL (WBRC) - A man in Tuscaloosa has been charged with the rape of a 15-year-old.
Tuscaloosa Police said Roosevelt Ross, Jr., was taken into custody after an interview with investigators. Police said the incident involve a 15-year-old.
Ross is charged with rape and sexual abuse.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Tuscaloosa Police said Roosevelt Ross, Jr., was taken into custody after an interview with investigators. Police said the incident involve a 15-year-old.
Ross is charged with rape and sexual abuse.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Still born twins flushed down toilet
ODENVILLE, AL (WBRC) - A firefighter is on leave as authorities investigate an incident where still born twins were flushed down the toilet.
The babies were still born Tuesday at a home in Odenville. They were 17 weeks along.
St. Clair County Sheriff Terry Surles said emergency crews were on the scene treating the mother when the incident happened. Surles said a member of the Odenville fire department is on paid administrative leave while the investigation continues.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The babies were still born Tuesday at a home in Odenville. They were 17 weeks along.
St. Clair County Sheriff Terry Surles said emergency crews were on the scene treating the mother when the incident happened. Surles said a member of the Odenville fire department is on paid administrative leave while the investigation continues.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Robert Bentley leads Ron Sparks in poll
By Rick Journey
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Republican State Representative Robert Bentley holds a 20-point lead over Democratic nominee Ron Sparks in the first Rasmussen Reports survey since Bentley's primary runoff win in Alabama's gubernatorial contest.
The latest statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Bentley receiving 55% support, while Sparks picks up 35% of the vote. Just three percent (3%) would prefer another candidate in the race, and seven percent (7%) are undecided.
Bentley beat Bradley Byrne, who was endorsed by Governor Bob Riley, by a 56% to 44% margin in the GOP primary runoff on July 13. Bentley, a retired physician, came in second to Byrne in the June 1 primary in a field of seven candidates.
Sparks, the state agricultural commissioner, carried 62% of the vote to win the Democratic Primary race over Congressman Artur Davis.
In a survey conducted just before the runoff, Bentley held a 56% to 37% edge over Sparks. In the last Rasmussen Reports survey before the primaries, Bentley led the Democrat 44% to 31%.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Alabama was conducted on July 22, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Voters in Alabama not affiliated with either major political party favor Bentley over Sparks by a nearly three-to-one margin.
Only nine percent (9%) in Alabama rate the U.S. economy as good or excellent, but 51% rate it as poor. While 27% say economic conditions are getting better, 51% say they are getting worse.
Sixty percent (60%) of those who believe the economy is improving back the Democrat, while 73% of those who it's worsening support Bentley.
Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Alabama voters favor the passage of an Arizona-like immigration law in their state, which is higher than the national average. Just 18% in Alabama oppose such a law in their state.
Sixty-eight percent (68%) who favor a similar immigration law in Alabama support Bentley, while Sparks is backed by 56% of the smaller group that opposes such a law.
Fifty-eight percent (58%) in Alabama also oppose the decision of the Department of Justice to challenge the law, while 25% agree with the decision. Sixty-five percent (65%) favor a welcoming immigration policy that excludes only criminals, threats to national security and those coming to live off the U.S. welfare system.
Bentley is viewed Very Favorably by 32% of voters and Very Unfavorably by just seven percent (7%).
Sparks is viewed Very Favorably by 19% and Very Unfavorably by 21%.
At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with a strong opinion more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Alabama voters approve of the job Riley is doing as governor. Forty-two percent (42%) disapprove of his job performance. Riley is term-limited and can not run for reelection this November.?
While 26% say the $787-billion economic stimulus plan has helped the economy, 41% say it has hurt the economy. Sixty-four percent (64%) believe the U.S. economy is currently in a recession.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Republican State Representative Robert Bentley holds a 20-point lead over Democratic nominee Ron Sparks in the first Rasmussen Reports survey since Bentley's primary runoff win in Alabama's gubernatorial contest.
The latest statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Bentley receiving 55% support, while Sparks picks up 35% of the vote. Just three percent (3%) would prefer another candidate in the race, and seven percent (7%) are undecided.
Bentley beat Bradley Byrne, who was endorsed by Governor Bob Riley, by a 56% to 44% margin in the GOP primary runoff on July 13. Bentley, a retired physician, came in second to Byrne in the June 1 primary in a field of seven candidates.
Sparks, the state agricultural commissioner, carried 62% of the vote to win the Democratic Primary race over Congressman Artur Davis.
In a survey conducted just before the runoff, Bentley held a 56% to 37% edge over Sparks. In the last Rasmussen Reports survey before the primaries, Bentley led the Democrat 44% to 31%.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Alabama was conducted on July 22, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Voters in Alabama not affiliated with either major political party favor Bentley over Sparks by a nearly three-to-one margin.
Only nine percent (9%) in Alabama rate the U.S. economy as good or excellent, but 51% rate it as poor. While 27% say economic conditions are getting better, 51% say they are getting worse.
Sixty percent (60%) of those who believe the economy is improving back the Democrat, while 73% of those who it's worsening support Bentley.
Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Alabama voters favor the passage of an Arizona-like immigration law in their state, which is higher than the national average. Just 18% in Alabama oppose such a law in their state.
Sixty-eight percent (68%) who favor a similar immigration law in Alabama support Bentley, while Sparks is backed by 56% of the smaller group that opposes such a law.
Fifty-eight percent (58%) in Alabama also oppose the decision of the Department of Justice to challenge the law, while 25% agree with the decision. Sixty-five percent (65%) favor a welcoming immigration policy that excludes only criminals, threats to national security and those coming to live off the U.S. welfare system.
Bentley is viewed Very Favorably by 32% of voters and Very Unfavorably by just seven percent (7%).
Sparks is viewed Very Favorably by 19% and Very Unfavorably by 21%.
At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with a strong opinion more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Alabama voters approve of the job Riley is doing as governor. Forty-two percent (42%) disapprove of his job performance. Riley is term-limited and can not run for reelection this November.?
While 26% say the $787-billion economic stimulus plan has helped the economy, 41% say it has hurt the economy. Sixty-four percent (64%) believe the U.S. economy is currently in a recession.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Jefferson County waiting on audit
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Jefferson County Commissioners are still awaiting a proposal to audit it’s financial books.
Some commissioners say a financial audit is necessary in order to get settlement of the county’s $3 billion sewer bond debt crisis.
"We definitely go to get done before we do any kind of sewer debt or usually any kind of financial deals at all," Bobby Humphryes, Jefferson Co. Commission said. "You need these audits and things."
The county has sent out and received requests for proposals from auditing firms. Commission President Bettye Fine Collins said some of the proposals are too high and the county is negotiating to bring down the costs.
"We are working to get the best deal we can," Collins said. "If all other things are equal then you get down to price."
Collins said Wednesday she hopes to bring a proposal for the county commission to vote on by next week. Collins and other commissioners are hoping to have a deal in place before the new county commission takes office in November.
"I hope it's full speed ahead I hope we can can come with a solution to present to the voters before the commission leaves office," George Bowman, Jefferson Co. Commission said.
But Commissioner Humphryes doubts a deal can be done before new commissioners assume office.
"I think it's looking like the next group will do the final agreement," Humphryes said. "We got a lot of the ground work done, the leg work. All they have do is come and agree to it."
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Some commissioners say a financial audit is necessary in order to get settlement of the county’s $3 billion sewer bond debt crisis.
"We definitely go to get done before we do any kind of sewer debt or usually any kind of financial deals at all," Bobby Humphryes, Jefferson Co. Commission said. "You need these audits and things."
The county has sent out and received requests for proposals from auditing firms. Commission President Bettye Fine Collins said some of the proposals are too high and the county is negotiating to bring down the costs.
"We are working to get the best deal we can," Collins said. "If all other things are equal then you get down to price."
Collins said Wednesday she hopes to bring a proposal for the county commission to vote on by next week. Collins and other commissioners are hoping to have a deal in place before the new county commission takes office in November.
"I hope it's full speed ahead I hope we can can come with a solution to present to the voters before the commission leaves office," George Bowman, Jefferson Co. Commission said.
But Commissioner Humphryes doubts a deal can be done before new commissioners assume office.
"I think it's looking like the next group will do the final agreement," Humphryes said. "We got a lot of the ground work done, the leg work. All they have do is come and agree to it."
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Former JeffCo commissioner sentenced today
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A former Jefferson County Commissioner is scheduled to be sentenced today on his conviction on conspiracy and bribery charges related to the county's sewer debt crisis.
Gary White will be sentenced Thursday morning before federal judge Scott Coogler in Tuscaloosa. White was convicted in 2008 on conspiracy and bribery charges related to the county's sewer debt crisis. The conviction was later overturned on appeal, but in December the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals re-instated the original conviction.
Federal prosecutors are asking Judge Coogler to sentence White to at least 15 years in prison. White's attorneys are asking for an alternative sentencing plan in which White could perform community service at the Birmingham Zoo, Botanical Gardens or Humane Society.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Gary White will be sentenced Thursday morning before federal judge Scott Coogler in Tuscaloosa. White was convicted in 2008 on conspiracy and bribery charges related to the county's sewer debt crisis. The conviction was later overturned on appeal, but in December the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals re-instated the original conviction.
Federal prosecutors are asking Judge Coogler to sentence White to at least 15 years in prison. White's attorneys are asking for an alternative sentencing plan in which White could perform community service at the Birmingham Zoo, Botanical Gardens or Humane Society.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Day 100 of Gulf oil crisis
By Melanie Posey
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - One hundred days since the Deep Water Horizon oil rig exploded, many Gulf Coast businesses are feeling the affects as though it were day one.
"For us, it means that we've been out of business for 100 days,” says Daniel Coulon with the Oysters Task Force. “We're hoping that it's not 100 years."
Along Alabama's coast, major concerts are being held in hopes of attracting tourists back to the area.
Fishermen are back atop the water praying for hearty catches. “We're worried about them and how they are going to continue to recover through this ordeal,” says Lucien Gunter with the ACME Oyster House. Also on this one-hundredth day, there is a new leader at the helm of the company behind it all.
"I've spent the last three months every day on the gulf coast,” Robert Dudley, BP's incoming CEO says. “And I'm going to focus for the next month and a half on what we're doing on the gulf coast and our relationship with the gulf coast and Washington.”
As for the cleanup, pressure around the capped well continues to rise steadily. This is a sign that the well is intact. Officials say a permanent solution to plug the leak is just a few weeks away.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - One hundred days since the Deep Water Horizon oil rig exploded, many Gulf Coast businesses are feeling the affects as though it were day one.
"For us, it means that we've been out of business for 100 days,” says Daniel Coulon with the Oysters Task Force. “We're hoping that it's not 100 years."
Along Alabama's coast, major concerts are being held in hopes of attracting tourists back to the area.
Fishermen are back atop the water praying for hearty catches. “We're worried about them and how they are going to continue to recover through this ordeal,” says Lucien Gunter with the ACME Oyster House. Also on this one-hundredth day, there is a new leader at the helm of the company behind it all.
"I've spent the last three months every day on the gulf coast,” Robert Dudley, BP's incoming CEO says. “And I'm going to focus for the next month and a half on what we're doing on the gulf coast and our relationship with the gulf coast and Washington.”
As for the cleanup, pressure around the capped well continues to rise steadily. This is a sign that the well is intact. Officials say a permanent solution to plug the leak is just a few weeks away.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Birmingham council suspends employee incentives
By Ashley Nix
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Birmingham city leaders make cuts that will affect some employees.
Merit raises, longevity pay, and tuition reimbursements will be suspended for this 2010 fiscal year.
City leaders believe the move could save $3.8 million dollars.
The council passed it's budget a few weeks ago while voting not to cut pay for employees.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Birmingham city leaders make cuts that will affect some employees.
Merit raises, longevity pay, and tuition reimbursements will be suspended for this 2010 fiscal year.
City leaders believe the move could save $3.8 million dollars.
The council passed it's budget a few weeks ago while voting not to cut pay for employees.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Mother charged with baby daughter's murder
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - An Indiana woman has been charged in Jefferson County with the murder of her 10-week-old baby daughter.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, in a statement Wednesday morning to FOX6 News, said Whitney Wilson, 23, of Indianapolis, Ind., had been charged with capital murder in the death of her daughter, Cadence Davidson. Investigators said Sunday night at about 9:30 p.m., Davidson arrived at Children's Hospital in Birmingham, unconcious and injured.
Doctors told authorities Davidson had several, non-accidental injuries, including a skull fracture. She died Monday morning.
Investigators said Wilson told them she drove Saturday and Sunday from Indiana to the McCalla area to visit her parents, bringing Davidson in the car with her. She said she stopped along the way to give the child a bottle but the child did not seem interested in eating. They arrived at her parents’ home at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday, where her parents became concerned about the baby's health when Davidson became unresponsive. Wilson’s father took her to UAB West in Bessemer, and from there the child was transported to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.
Investigators said Wilson denied harming the child and said she was the only person who had been alone with the child. Wilson was arrested Sunday night for child abuse and placed in the custody of the Jefferson County Jail. After Davidson's death Monday morning, detectives from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office presented the case to the District Attorney’s Office in the Bessemer Division of Jefferson County, where a capital murder warrant was issued.
Wilson was being held in the Jefferson County jail Wednesday without bond.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, in a statement Wednesday morning to FOX6 News, said Whitney Wilson, 23, of Indianapolis, Ind., had been charged with capital murder in the death of her daughter, Cadence Davidson. Investigators said Sunday night at about 9:30 p.m., Davidson arrived at Children's Hospital in Birmingham, unconcious and injured.
Doctors told authorities Davidson had several, non-accidental injuries, including a skull fracture. She died Monday morning.
Investigators said Wilson told them she drove Saturday and Sunday from Indiana to the McCalla area to visit her parents, bringing Davidson in the car with her. She said she stopped along the way to give the child a bottle but the child did not seem interested in eating. They arrived at her parents’ home at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday, where her parents became concerned about the baby's health when Davidson became unresponsive. Wilson’s father took her to UAB West in Bessemer, and from there the child was transported to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.
Investigators said Wilson denied harming the child and said she was the only person who had been alone with the child. Wilson was arrested Sunday night for child abuse and placed in the custody of the Jefferson County Jail. After Davidson's death Monday morning, detectives from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office presented the case to the District Attorney’s Office in the Bessemer Division of Jefferson County, where a capital murder warrant was issued.
Wilson was being held in the Jefferson County jail Wednesday without bond.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Firefighter hurt in early morning fire
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A firefighter was taken to the hospital Wednesday morning after getting hurt while fighting a house fire in Birmingham.
The Birmingham Fire Department said the firefighter became overheated as he was battling an early-morning blaze in Pratt City. The firefighter was treated for the heat exhaustion and released.
The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. in a vacant home near the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Avenue Y. Firefighters worked more than an hour to contain the blaze. An elderly woman living next door to the home had to be rescued because her house also suffered damage.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, although police say vandals have been the cause of several vacant house fires in the area in recent months.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The Birmingham Fire Department said the firefighter became overheated as he was battling an early-morning blaze in Pratt City. The firefighter was treated for the heat exhaustion and released.
The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. in a vacant home near the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Avenue Y. Firefighters worked more than an hour to contain the blaze. An elderly woman living next door to the home had to be rescued because her house also suffered damage.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, although police say vandals have been the cause of several vacant house fires in the area in recent months.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Tuscaloosa police department expanding
TUSCALOOSA, AL (WBRC) - The city of Tuscaloosa is adding a police precinct to the western side of town.
The city has purchased a former bank building near the Piggly Wiggly on Culver Road. City leaders said Tuesday five percent of the city's crime occurs with a quarter-mile of the new precinct.
City leaders hope to open the new precinct sometime in 2012. Once that happens, the city will have two precincts in addition to its main building downtown.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The city has purchased a former bank building near the Piggly Wiggly on Culver Road. City leaders said Tuesday five percent of the city's crime occurs with a quarter-mile of the new precinct.
City leaders hope to open the new precinct sometime in 2012. Once that happens, the city will have two precincts in addition to its main building downtown.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Birmingham wants Wi-Fi across city
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - The Birmingham City Council is looking for the money necessary to put wireless internet service across the city.
Tuesday, the council voted to pursue federal funding to pay for Wi-Fi throughout the city. Councilor Johnathan Austin said he has been working on expanding the wi-fi throughout the city. He said it will help the entire city, including businesses.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, the council voted to pursue federal funding to pay for Wi-Fi throughout the city. Councilor Johnathan Austin said he has been working on expanding the wi-fi throughout the city. He said it will help the entire city, including businesses.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Birmingham mother pushes for peace
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A Birmingham woman is asking city leaders to help her stop what she calls, "the invisible body bag."
Last month, Rasheed Ward, 19, and Keith Hilson, 24, were shot and killed. Ward's mother appeared before the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday asking councilors to support her in a memorial walk that she calls, "Stop The Invisible Body Bag."
"There's a body bag laying here in Birmingham around everybody... you, you, you, me, everybody. I know because my son is dead."
The walk is scheduled for Thursday night on Terrace S, the same street where Ward and Hilson were killed June 17.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Last month, Rasheed Ward, 19, and Keith Hilson, 24, were shot and killed. Ward's mother appeared before the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday asking councilors to support her in a memorial walk that she calls, "Stop The Invisible Body Bag."
"There's a body bag laying here in Birmingham around everybody... you, you, you, me, everybody. I know because my son is dead."
The walk is scheduled for Thursday night on Terrace S, the same street where Ward and Hilson were killed June 17.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Birmingham schools face more cuts
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Financial struggles are forcing school leaders in Birmingham to make more budget cuts and consider more job cuts.
Tuesday night, the Birmingham Board of Education hired an in-house attorney to replace its contract with legal firms. The attorney will receive an annual salary of more than $120,000, but administrators estimate the move could save the school system more than $500,000 per year in legal fees.
In addition, superintendent Craig Witherspoon told board members the system still needs to make some hard choices about eliminating some jobs. The board rejected that option earlier this month, and two teacher unions that represent Birmingham teachers have vowed to fight any reduction in force, but Witherspoon said Tuesday night he is not giving up.
"We're gonna meet with the 2 associations, and have that dialogue and conversation," Witherspoon said. "But the fact of the matter is we do have some funding issues and we do have to address those."
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Tuesday night, the Birmingham Board of Education hired an in-house attorney to replace its contract with legal firms. The attorney will receive an annual salary of more than $120,000, but administrators estimate the move could save the school system more than $500,000 per year in legal fees.
In addition, superintendent Craig Witherspoon told board members the system still needs to make some hard choices about eliminating some jobs. The board rejected that option earlier this month, and two teacher unions that represent Birmingham teachers have vowed to fight any reduction in force, but Witherspoon said Tuesday night he is not giving up.
"We're gonna meet with the 2 associations, and have that dialogue and conversation," Witherspoon said. "But the fact of the matter is we do have some funding issues and we do have to address those."
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Birmingham votes to pay lobbyist
By Ashley Nix
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Birmingham city councilors voted Tuesday to pay a lobbying firm $250,000 over the next fiscal year to represent Birmingham in Washington, D.C., but the vote didn’t come without a lot of discussion and gripes from councilors.
Councilor Steven Hoyt said he’s asked for much information from Handprint Bell Consulting, but hasn’t gotten what he’s looking for.
“I want some real results and we have not gotten those yet," Hoyt said during the lengthy discussion Tuesday. It’s the sentiment of many Birmingham city councilors, who showed concern about paying $250,000 over the next year.
Councilor Kim Rafferty, who said she had done some research, said, "we can get high quality representation in Washington for half the price." Councilor Lashunda Scales said the city needs to be careful when allocating money. "Eyes are on the city and we need to be cautious with everything we do, Scales said. “Every contract that comes before us."
Mayor William Bell said he feels the firm has done a good job with helping Birmingham, especially in the midst of a tug of war between Democrats and Republicans in D.C. Bell said the contract should stand. "I'm not gonna be bullied into anything,” Bell said. “When you bump heads with a bull, all you get is a headache. I got a hard head but I don't feel like it today."
Councilor Carole Smitherman said she feels it would be best to wait until the congressional year ends, so not to interrupt ongoing projects. In the end, that’s what council voted to do. The contract and results will be reviewed later this year. "I want results and if we haven't gotten results by then, I'll be the first one to say we don't need them anymore because were not getting results," Smitherman said.
The contract, which ends June 2011, can be terminated at any point by the city, according to city attorney Jim Stanley. The city must, however, give 14 days notice.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Birmingham city councilors voted Tuesday to pay a lobbying firm $250,000 over the next fiscal year to represent Birmingham in Washington, D.C., but the vote didn’t come without a lot of discussion and gripes from councilors.
Councilor Steven Hoyt said he’s asked for much information from Handprint Bell Consulting, but hasn’t gotten what he’s looking for.
“I want some real results and we have not gotten those yet," Hoyt said during the lengthy discussion Tuesday. It’s the sentiment of many Birmingham city councilors, who showed concern about paying $250,000 over the next year.
Councilor Kim Rafferty, who said she had done some research, said, "we can get high quality representation in Washington for half the price." Councilor Lashunda Scales said the city needs to be careful when allocating money. "Eyes are on the city and we need to be cautious with everything we do, Scales said. “Every contract that comes before us."
Mayor William Bell said he feels the firm has done a good job with helping Birmingham, especially in the midst of a tug of war between Democrats and Republicans in D.C. Bell said the contract should stand. "I'm not gonna be bullied into anything,” Bell said. “When you bump heads with a bull, all you get is a headache. I got a hard head but I don't feel like it today."
Councilor Carole Smitherman said she feels it would be best to wait until the congressional year ends, so not to interrupt ongoing projects. In the end, that’s what council voted to do. The contract and results will be reviewed later this year. "I want results and if we haven't gotten results by then, I'll be the first one to say we don't need them anymore because were not getting results," Smitherman said.
The contract, which ends June 2011, can be terminated at any point by the city, according to city attorney Jim Stanley. The city must, however, give 14 days notice.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Jefferson County Commission restores merit pay raises
By Alan Collins
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - There's encouraging news for Jefferson County employees. They can now be eligible to get a merit pay raise.
"I think commissioners do understand you if don't give these kinds of perks, you are not going to be able to retain quality employees. There are certainly employees who have left because of the cutbacks." said Kathy Burleson, a Jefferson Co. employee.
The county commission voted to restore merit pay raises. This means employees will be eligible when their annual reviews now come they could receive a pay hike. This is not an automatic pay raise.
The commission's president, Bettye Fine Collins, says the county can't afford across the board cost of living raises. Commissioners say the merit pay raises could cost the county more than a $1 million.
Last year, the county froze all merit pay raises because of the financial crisis and the loss of the occupational tax.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - There's encouraging news for Jefferson County employees. They can now be eligible to get a merit pay raise.
"I think commissioners do understand you if don't give these kinds of perks, you are not going to be able to retain quality employees. There are certainly employees who have left because of the cutbacks." said Kathy Burleson, a Jefferson Co. employee.
The county commission voted to restore merit pay raises. This means employees will be eligible when their annual reviews now come they could receive a pay hike. This is not an automatic pay raise.
The commission's president, Bettye Fine Collins, says the county can't afford across the board cost of living raises. Commissioners say the merit pay raises could cost the county more than a $1 million.
Last year, the county froze all merit pay raises because of the financial crisis and the loss of the occupational tax.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Jefferson County man faces child porn charges
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A Jefferson County man has been charged with receiving, possessing and distributing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, in a statement Tuesday to FOX6 News, said Walter D. Spruill used the internet to distribute, receive and possess images of child pornography in Jefferson County from about May 20, 2009, to June 23, 2010.
"Distributing images of child pornography furthers the damage done to the children originally abused and exploited to create the images, and supports the abhorrent industry that profits from that abuse," Vance said in the statement. "My office will prosecute anyone who creates, distributes or possesses child pornography."
Copyright WBRC 2010. All rights reserved.
U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, in a statement Tuesday to FOX6 News, said Walter D. Spruill used the internet to distribute, receive and possess images of child pornography in Jefferson County from about May 20, 2009, to June 23, 2010.
"Distributing images of child pornography furthers the damage done to the children originally abused and exploited to create the images, and supports the abhorrent industry that profits from that abuse," Vance said in the statement. "My office will prosecute anyone who creates, distributes or possesses child pornography."
Copyright WBRC 2010. All rights reserved.
Two indicted for Alabaster bank robbery
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Two men have been charged in connection with the robbery of an Alabaster bank in May.
U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, in a statement Tuesday to FOX6 News, said Nathan Parke Bateman, 26, of Alabaster, and Robert Andre Morton, 25, of Meridian, Miss., were indicted Tuesday morning by a federal grand jury in connection with the May 21 robbery of Regions Bank in Alabaster.
Vance said the indictment charged the men with armed bank robbery and associated federal firearm violations.
"Innocent people’s lives were put at risk when two gunman robbed the Alabaster bank in May," Vance said in the statement. "Alabaster police are to be commended for their quick and effective response, which led to the immediate capture of the two suspects."
Vance said conviction for the bank robbery charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of carrying a firearm during the robbery, each man faces an additional and consecutive prison term of seven years. Should Bateman be convicted of illegal gun possession, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine.
Copyright WBRC 2010. All rights reserved.
U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, in a statement Tuesday to FOX6 News, said Nathan Parke Bateman, 26, of Alabaster, and Robert Andre Morton, 25, of Meridian, Miss., were indicted Tuesday morning by a federal grand jury in connection with the May 21 robbery of Regions Bank in Alabaster.
Vance said the indictment charged the men with armed bank robbery and associated federal firearm violations.
"Innocent people’s lives were put at risk when two gunman robbed the Alabaster bank in May," Vance said in the statement. "Alabaster police are to be commended for their quick and effective response, which led to the immediate capture of the two suspects."
Vance said conviction for the bank robbery charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of carrying a firearm during the robbery, each man faces an additional and consecutive prison term of seven years. Should Bateman be convicted of illegal gun possession, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine.
Copyright WBRC 2010. All rights reserved.
Birmingham man indicted for bank robbery
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A Birmingham man has been charged in connection with the robbery of a Birmingham bank last month.
U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, in a statement Tuesday to FOX6 News, said Quinton Duwan Posey, 27, was indicted Tuesday morning by a federal grand jury in connection with the June 10 robbery of Regions Bank in downtown Birmingham.
Vance said the indictment charged Posey with robbing the bank, "by force and violence and by intimidation."
"Our financial institutions, the people who work within them and the customers who depend on them must be protected," Vance said in the statement. "Bank robbery is a serious crime. We answer it with stern prosecution."
Vance said the bank robbery charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
Copyright WBRC 2010. All rights reserved.
U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, in a statement Tuesday to FOX6 News, said Quinton Duwan Posey, 27, was indicted Tuesday morning by a federal grand jury in connection with the June 10 robbery of Regions Bank in downtown Birmingham.
Vance said the indictment charged Posey with robbing the bank, "by force and violence and by intimidation."
"Our financial institutions, the people who work within them and the customers who depend on them must be protected," Vance said in the statement. "Bank robbery is a serious crime. We answer it with stern prosecution."
Vance said the bank robbery charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
Copyright WBRC 2010. All rights reserved.
Jefferson County not participating in sales tax holiday
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - People who shop at stores in Jefferson County will not be able to get tax-free school supplies during the upcoming sales tax holiday weekend.
Tuesday, the Jefferson County Commission voted to not participate in the upcoming sales tax holiday weekend. Commission president Bettye Fine Collins said the county cannot afford to give up sales tax revenues for the weekend.
"The county needs to set aside funds, especially with the latest occupational tax under legal challenge," Collins said.
This is the second year the county has not participated in the sales tax holiday.
Commissioner Sheila Smoot said she would like to see the sales tax holiday returned to Jefferson County. She said being a mother of a child, she knows how much a difference that can mean to a family.
The sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, August 6, and continues through midnight Sunday, August 8. People who shop for school supplies in Jefferson County will not have to pay state sales tax and, in participating cities, will not have to pay city sales tax.
For a list of cities and counties participating in the sales tax holiday, and for a list of items that will be tax exempt during the sales tax holiday weekend, please visit the following website:
http://www.ador.alabama.gov/salestax/SalesTaxHol.htm
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, the Jefferson County Commission voted to not participate in the upcoming sales tax holiday weekend. Commission president Bettye Fine Collins said the county cannot afford to give up sales tax revenues for the weekend.
"The county needs to set aside funds, especially with the latest occupational tax under legal challenge," Collins said.
This is the second year the county has not participated in the sales tax holiday.
Commissioner Sheila Smoot said she would like to see the sales tax holiday returned to Jefferson County. She said being a mother of a child, she knows how much a difference that can mean to a family.
The sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, August 6, and continues through midnight Sunday, August 8. People who shop for school supplies in Jefferson County will not have to pay state sales tax and, in participating cities, will not have to pay city sales tax.
For a list of cities and counties participating in the sales tax holiday, and for a list of items that will be tax exempt during the sales tax holiday weekend, please visit the following website:
http://www.ador.alabama.gov/salestax/SalesTaxHol.htm
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Missing service dog found
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A disabled veteran's service dog missing for nearly a week was found Tuesday morning safe and sound.
Forrest Ward called FOX6 News Tuesday morning saying the dog, a yellow lab named Emma, had been discovered in the Gardendale area. He said he was on his way to pick up the dog.
Emma disappeared last Wednesday after the sound of a gunshot scared her away while she and Ward were walking.
Ward is paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair. Ward says Emma helps him by pushing him in his chair, answering the phone and picking up objects off the floor.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved
Forrest Ward called FOX6 News Tuesday morning saying the dog, a yellow lab named Emma, had been discovered in the Gardendale area. He said he was on his way to pick up the dog.
Emma disappeared last Wednesday after the sound of a gunshot scared her away while she and Ward were walking.
Ward is paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair. Ward says Emma helps him by pushing him in his chair, answering the phone and picking up objects off the floor.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved
Fake produce stand busted in Pinson
PINSON, AL (WBRC) - A produce stand in Pinson has been busted for what authorities say was a front to manufacture methamphetamine and sell stolen goods.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday morning it raided "The Pinson Produce Mart" on Center Point Parkway in Pinson after a week-long undercover investigation. Deputies arrested James Nale, Jr., at the scene for manufacturing and dealing meth from the store. Nale is the son of the owners.
Investigators said Nale, who lived at the store, was making meth in a back room, using the "shake and bake" method to manufacture about a gram per week, then burning the leftovers behind the store near Turkey Creek. Deputies were concerned about possible contamination in the creek and the proxmity of the meth lab to two nearby schools and shopping centers.
Deputies said they are also investigating lots of items they believe Nale stole and traded for drugs, such as lawnmowers and a laptop computer.
After the arrest, the Jefferson County Health Department condemned all of the produce at the store, forcing the owners to destroy it. Authorities ask if you recently purchased produce or any other items from this store to call the Jefferson County Health Department to find out how to properly dispose of it.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday morning it raided "The Pinson Produce Mart" on Center Point Parkway in Pinson after a week-long undercover investigation. Deputies arrested James Nale, Jr., at the scene for manufacturing and dealing meth from the store. Nale is the son of the owners.
Investigators said Nale, who lived at the store, was making meth in a back room, using the "shake and bake" method to manufacture about a gram per week, then burning the leftovers behind the store near Turkey Creek. Deputies were concerned about possible contamination in the creek and the proxmity of the meth lab to two nearby schools and shopping centers.
Deputies said they are also investigating lots of items they believe Nale stole and traded for drugs, such as lawnmowers and a laptop computer.
After the arrest, the Jefferson County Health Department condemned all of the produce at the store, forcing the owners to destroy it. Authorities ask if you recently purchased produce or any other items from this store to call the Jefferson County Health Department to find out how to properly dispose of it.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
New concussion rules for high school football
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - New rules will be in effect this year to help protect high school football players from head trauma.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association has passed several new requirements for both coaches and players to both educate them about the dangers of head trauma and ways to protect them from injury.
Before practice begins next week, coaches are required to take an online course about concussions, teaching them what to do if a player shows symptoms of trauma.
If a player does suffer a concussion, a doctor -- not a coach, will make the final call when the player can return to the game.
The changes to Alabama's concussion rules follow changes made by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association has passed several new requirements for both coaches and players to both educate them about the dangers of head trauma and ways to protect them from injury.
Before practice begins next week, coaches are required to take an online course about concussions, teaching them what to do if a player shows symptoms of trauma.
If a player does suffer a concussion, a doctor -- not a coach, will make the final call when the player can return to the game.
The changes to Alabama's concussion rules follow changes made by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
XO laptops not used very often
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A new study shows students in the Birmingham City School system who have low-cost laptops issued to them by the school district rarely use them.
Dr. Shelia Cotten, a researcher at UAB, says she has been studying the city's use of the XO laptops during the past two years. Her research has found only 20 percent of students use them frequently, and 20 percent of them never use them.
Dr. Cotten says there are two problems with the program.
"Teachers are incredibly busy and don't have time to learn a new technology, and they don't have lesson plans developed to use the X-O's," Cotten said.
Dr. Cotten said she is going to try and give teachers the training they need to use the laptops.
A spokesman for the Birmingham City Schools says superintendent Craig Witherspoon does not enough information about the laptops to draw up a plan for their use.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Dr. Shelia Cotten, a researcher at UAB, says she has been studying the city's use of the XO laptops during the past two years. Her research has found only 20 percent of students use them frequently, and 20 percent of them never use them.
Dr. Cotten says there are two problems with the program.
"Teachers are incredibly busy and don't have time to learn a new technology, and they don't have lesson plans developed to use the X-O's," Cotten said.
Dr. Cotten said she is going to try and give teachers the training they need to use the laptops.
A spokesman for the Birmingham City Schools says superintendent Craig Witherspoon does not enough information about the laptops to draw up a plan for their use.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Walker County schools facing budget cuts, layoffs
JASPER, AL (WBRC) - The Walker County School System is facing the possibility of more budget cuts and layoffs if the state education budget forecast does not improve.
The Walker County Board of Education met with principals and parents Monday night to discuss cost-saving ideas.
Jason Adkins, who defeated the current superintendent in the Democrat primary for superintendent in June, said the school system has not made enough job cuts in the past two years to weather the economic downturn. He said the system may be forced to cut more jobs.
"We have a problem nobody wants to talk about," Adkins said. "And the problem is, by design, we didn't make the necessary cuts."
Vonda Beaty, the current superintendent, disagreed.
"When I took office in January 2007, there were 88 local units," Beaty said. "Now there are fewer than 20. We've been cutting for several years."
Beaty said the system has lost $8.5 million in state funding during the past two years and could lose an additional $2 million next year.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The Walker County Board of Education met with principals and parents Monday night to discuss cost-saving ideas.
Jason Adkins, who defeated the current superintendent in the Democrat primary for superintendent in June, said the school system has not made enough job cuts in the past two years to weather the economic downturn. He said the system may be forced to cut more jobs.
"We have a problem nobody wants to talk about," Adkins said. "And the problem is, by design, we didn't make the necessary cuts."
Vonda Beaty, the current superintendent, disagreed.
"When I took office in January 2007, there were 88 local units," Beaty said. "Now there are fewer than 20. We've been cutting for several years."
Beaty said the system has lost $8.5 million in state funding during the past two years and could lose an additional $2 million next year.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Etowah County wants jail accredited
GADSDEN, AL (WBRC) - Administrators from Etowah County are headed to Chicago this week in an effort to get their jail accredited.
The Etowah County Sheriff's Department wanted accreditation for their jail when it was built in 1994, but administrators said that hasn't been financially feasible until now.
Scott Hassell, the county's corrections chief, said getting the jail nationally accredited will help the county apply for grants and deal with complaints and lawsuits.
"It just speaks volumes that an outside outside, independent, unbiased agency has come in and evaluated us based on a set of national standards, they far exceed the court mandated standards," Hassell said. "And so obviously that helps us liability-wise."
The Tuscaloosa County Jail is the only other county jail in Alabama accredited by the American Correctional Association.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The Etowah County Sheriff's Department wanted accreditation for their jail when it was built in 1994, but administrators said that hasn't been financially feasible until now.
Scott Hassell, the county's corrections chief, said getting the jail nationally accredited will help the county apply for grants and deal with complaints and lawsuits.
"It just speaks volumes that an outside outside, independent, unbiased agency has come in and evaluated us based on a set of national standards, they far exceed the court mandated standards," Hassell said. "And so obviously that helps us liability-wise."
The Tuscaloosa County Jail is the only other county jail in Alabama accredited by the American Correctional Association.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Public corruption investigation in Anniston
ANNISTON, AL (WBRC) - An investigation is underway into allegations of public corruption at Anniston City Hall.
Monday, the Anniston City Council heard testimony from people who say they saw a company's business license renewed in 2006 even though the business was behind on its sales tax payments.
Witnesses testified a former city official directed someone in the revenue department to approve the license, in violation of city code.
The taxpayer in question was not identified.
The Anniston City Council said it also plans to look at other unrelated allegations.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Monday, the Anniston City Council heard testimony from people who say they saw a company's business license renewed in 2006 even though the business was behind on its sales tax payments.
Witnesses testified a former city official directed someone in the revenue department to approve the license, in violation of city code.
The taxpayer in question was not identified.
The Anniston City Council said it also plans to look at other unrelated allegations.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
ALDOT traffic cameras repaired
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - The Alabama Department of Transportation has repaired its traffic camera system in the city of Birmingham.
ALDOT said the outage was due to vandals who cut a fiber optic cable, stopping ALDOT's ability to communicate with the cameras and highway message boards.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
ALDOT said the outage was due to vandals who cut a fiber optic cable, stopping ALDOT's ability to communicate with the cameras and highway message boards.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Corridor X interchange work to begin next week
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Work to connect Corridor X with Interstate 65 is scheduled to begin next week.
The Alabama Department of Transportation said contractors will start work around August 1 on the $169 million project. When finished, the interchange will connect Interstate 65 with Corridor X, the highway connecting Birmingham with Memphis.
The corridor will become Interstate 22 once the interchange is completed. Work is scheduled to be finished in 2014.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The Alabama Department of Transportation said contractors will start work around August 1 on the $169 million project. When finished, the interchange will connect Interstate 65 with Corridor X, the highway connecting Birmingham with Memphis.
The corridor will become Interstate 22 once the interchange is completed. Work is scheduled to be finished in 2014.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Birmingham bans texting while driving
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Texting while driving is now banned in the city of Birmingham.
An ordinance outlawing the practice took effect Monday. The city council, when it passed the measure earlier this year, said banning the dangerous practice of sending text messages while driving a vehicle was important to protect the public.
The penalty for the first offense is $100.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
An ordinance outlawing the practice took effect Monday. The city council, when it passed the measure earlier this year, said banning the dangerous practice of sending text messages while driving a vehicle was important to protect the public.
The penalty for the first offense is $100.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
3-alarm fire destroys Birmingham attorney's office
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A fire destroyed one building and damaged another being used by Birmingham attorney Eric Guster.
Birmingham firefighters were called to the 2100 block of 10th Avenue South around 11:15 p.m. Monday. They found a building owned by Guster fully engulfed in flames.
The building was being renovated at the time of the fire. It was destroyed by the fire.
Guster was working in a building next door, which was damaged by the fire. Guster told FOX6 News firefighters did manage to help him save some of his art work from the fire.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. No one was hurt.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Birmingham firefighters were called to the 2100 block of 10th Avenue South around 11:15 p.m. Monday. They found a building owned by Guster fully engulfed in flames.
The building was being renovated at the time of the fire. It was destroyed by the fire.
Guster was working in a building next door, which was damaged by the fire. Guster told FOX6 News firefighters did manage to help him save some of his art work from the fire.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. No one was hurt.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Severe storms cause flooding in Tuscaloosa
TUSCALOOSA, AL (WBRC) - Severe thunderstorms caused flash flooding Monday night in parts of Tuscaloosa.
Campus police at the University of Alabama had to close some roads on the south end of campus for several hours Monday night as flood waters covered the roads. Flood waters also covered 13th Street and parts of McFarland Blvd., stalling some cars.
Storm damage knocked out power to several homes and businesses for several hours.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Campus police at the University of Alabama had to close some roads on the south end of campus for several hours Monday night as flood waters covered the roads. Flood waters also covered 13th Street and parts of McFarland Blvd., stalling some cars.
Storm damage knocked out power to several homes and businesses for several hours.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Fultondale to use new gadget to fight crime at shopping centers
By Alan Collins
FULTONDALE, AL (WBRC) - The city of Fultondale is taking steps to protect shoppers and retailers for upcoming tax free weekend in two weeks. The city has purchased an almost $70,000 Skywatch platform. Skywatch will allow a Fultondale police office to lifted in the air with camera and communication equipment to quickly react if needed.
Montgomery and Mobile also have Skywatch lifts. "Skywatch is one more means we are taking to make it a safe place to shop. It's going to vital to us. It's going to put us in the position to look a tall of our shoppers, making sure they are safe getting in and out of their cars." Lowery said.
Mayor Lowery says Fultondale is tough on shoplifters. If someone is arrested, there is a judge on-call for an immediate conviction.
Lowery says there are no negotiations to get out jail time. The city plans to unveil Skywatch Friday.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
FULTONDALE, AL (WBRC) - The city of Fultondale is taking steps to protect shoppers and retailers for upcoming tax free weekend in two weeks. The city has purchased an almost $70,000 Skywatch platform. Skywatch will allow a Fultondale police office to lifted in the air with camera and communication equipment to quickly react if needed.
Montgomery and Mobile also have Skywatch lifts. "Skywatch is one more means we are taking to make it a safe place to shop. It's going to vital to us. It's going to put us in the position to look a tall of our shoppers, making sure they are safe getting in and out of their cars." Lowery said.
Mayor Lowery says Fultondale is tough on shoplifters. If someone is arrested, there is a judge on-call for an immediate conviction.
Lowery says there are no negotiations to get out jail time. The city plans to unveil Skywatch Friday.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Two dead, a baby saved, and a man charged after fatal wreck
By Alan Collins
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A weekend car accident has killed a couple and left a Pinson man facing murder at least one murder charge possibly two.
George Perez, 34, and 27-year-old Yasmine Aguilar of Fultondale were struck from behind Saturday night in the 1300 block of Center Point Parkway. Perez died at the scene. Aguilar died Sunday after doctors delivered her unborn child.
The baby is reportedly doing well. The couple lived at Fultondale’s 100 Oaks with their children. "I hate to hear it. They are great people They were an asset to our community. Very quiet people." Bill Bounds, district manager said.
Bounds says the couple were a part of their community and liked by everyone. News of the tragedy spread over the weekend. “Anytime there is a death or reaction with a child involved it hurts. It hurts deeply.' Bounds said.
Authorities arrested Joseph Alexander Goolsby Saturday night. "There is evidence of alcohol and excessive speed. They were factors in it as well. As a result he was placed in county jail charged with murder by a vehicle and a $60,000 bond." Jim Roberson, Jefferson Co. Deputy Chief said.
“The baby was delivered. The baby according to reports was doing fine. As you know Ms. Aguilar died in the hospital." Roberson said.
Authorities are screening possible second murder charge against Goolsby.
The couple’s other two children, 8 and 11 year were injured but the injuries are not life-threatening according to authorities. Family members are taking care of the children.
Fultondale Mayor Jim Lowery says the city was affect by the loss. "I think anyone who say this on television or read is touched. It's tragic. What a lost for their families as we as our community." Lowery said.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A weekend car accident has killed a couple and left a Pinson man facing murder at least one murder charge possibly two.
George Perez, 34, and 27-year-old Yasmine Aguilar of Fultondale were struck from behind Saturday night in the 1300 block of Center Point Parkway. Perez died at the scene. Aguilar died Sunday after doctors delivered her unborn child.
The baby is reportedly doing well. The couple lived at Fultondale’s 100 Oaks with their children. "I hate to hear it. They are great people They were an asset to our community. Very quiet people." Bill Bounds, district manager said.
Bounds says the couple were a part of their community and liked by everyone. News of the tragedy spread over the weekend. “Anytime there is a death or reaction with a child involved it hurts. It hurts deeply.' Bounds said.
Authorities arrested Joseph Alexander Goolsby Saturday night. "There is evidence of alcohol and excessive speed. They were factors in it as well. As a result he was placed in county jail charged with murder by a vehicle and a $60,000 bond." Jim Roberson, Jefferson Co. Deputy Chief said.
“The baby was delivered. The baby according to reports was doing fine. As you know Ms. Aguilar died in the hospital." Roberson said.
Authorities are screening possible second murder charge against Goolsby.
The couple’s other two children, 8 and 11 year were injured but the injuries are not life-threatening according to authorities. Family members are taking care of the children.
Fultondale Mayor Jim Lowery says the city was affect by the loss. "I think anyone who say this on television or read is touched. It's tragic. What a lost for their families as we as our community." Lowery said.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Research reveals inadequate usage of XO laptops
By Ashley Nix
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A UAB Researcher says 2 years of studies yield one thing, that most teachers aren't comfortable with the XO laptops. Therefore they're not used enough in classrooms.
Dr. Shelia Cotten spent countless hours, studying the impacts of the XO's.
After interviewing 1700 4th and 5th graders from 26 different schools, Cotten says one finding was surprising. "They're not using them that much in their actual classes," Cotten says. "But that's not surprising given that the teachers aren't comfortable using the XO's for the most part."
Specific results show only 20% of students use them a lot, 60% use them a little and 20% never use them. Cotten says the problem is two-fold. "Teachers are incredibly busy, they don't have time to learn a new technology," she said. "Second, they don't have lesson plans developed to use the XO's."
At least one parent who has a 6-year old in a Birmingham schools has noticed the lack of use. "My son has had an XO laptop at least 2 years now," said Michelle Saxon. "Most of the time his is at home." Saxon says in her opinion the laptops aren't utilized as much as they should be. "That's just money wasted if they don't do anything with it."
Dr. Cotten says she's working to get the program amped up again, getting teachers the proper training to make the laptops an integral part of each and every school day. "If you don't do adequate training with teachers and students and don't give research to manage there's going to be potential problems."
Cotten has also just landed a second grant, $2.4 million over the next 5 years to develop lesson plans for teachers. She believes this will help teachers tremendously.
As for Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon and his intentions for the program, he's still undecided.
A spokesperson says Witherspoon doesn't have all the information he needs to make a decision about the XO's and they will further learning in the system.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A UAB Researcher says 2 years of studies yield one thing, that most teachers aren't comfortable with the XO laptops. Therefore they're not used enough in classrooms.
Dr. Shelia Cotten spent countless hours, studying the impacts of the XO's.
After interviewing 1700 4th and 5th graders from 26 different schools, Cotten says one finding was surprising. "They're not using them that much in their actual classes," Cotten says. "But that's not surprising given that the teachers aren't comfortable using the XO's for the most part."
Specific results show only 20% of students use them a lot, 60% use them a little and 20% never use them. Cotten says the problem is two-fold. "Teachers are incredibly busy, they don't have time to learn a new technology," she said. "Second, they don't have lesson plans developed to use the XO's."
At least one parent who has a 6-year old in a Birmingham schools has noticed the lack of use. "My son has had an XO laptop at least 2 years now," said Michelle Saxon. "Most of the time his is at home." Saxon says in her opinion the laptops aren't utilized as much as they should be. "That's just money wasted if they don't do anything with it."
Dr. Cotten says she's working to get the program amped up again, getting teachers the proper training to make the laptops an integral part of each and every school day. "If you don't do adequate training with teachers and students and don't give research to manage there's going to be potential problems."
Cotten has also just landed a second grant, $2.4 million over the next 5 years to develop lesson plans for teachers. She believes this will help teachers tremendously.
As for Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon and his intentions for the program, he's still undecided.
A spokesperson says Witherspoon doesn't have all the information he needs to make a decision about the XO's and they will further learning in the system.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Mother charged with child abuse in baby daughter's death
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - An Indiana woman has been arrested in Birmingham in connection with the death of her two-month-old daughter.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, in a statement Monday to FOX6 News, said Whitney Wilson, 23, of Avon, Ind., had been charged with child abuse. Investigators said the charges were filed after deputies were called to Children's Hospital in Birmingham Sunday by hospital staff. They found Wilson's two-month-old baby, Cadence Davidson, on life support. Doctors told them the child had a skull fracture, a fractured femur and healing rib fractures. The child was taken off of life support Monday morning and died.
Investigators said Wilson told them the baby had been with her since they left Indiana on Saturday, but that she did not know what had happened to Cadence and denied hurting the baby. She arrived at her parent's home in the Bessemer area at approximately 6:30 p.m. Sunday, and the baby was taken to Children's Hospital at approixmately 9:30 p.m.
Investigators say Wilson was charged Sunday night with child abuse and planned to file more charges Monday. Wilson has two other children, a three-year-old and an 18-month-old, who were taken into protective custody by DHR.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, in a statement Monday to FOX6 News, said Whitney Wilson, 23, of Avon, Ind., had been charged with child abuse. Investigators said the charges were filed after deputies were called to Children's Hospital in Birmingham Sunday by hospital staff. They found Wilson's two-month-old baby, Cadence Davidson, on life support. Doctors told them the child had a skull fracture, a fractured femur and healing rib fractures. The child was taken off of life support Monday morning and died.
Investigators said Wilson told them the baby had been with her since they left Indiana on Saturday, but that she did not know what had happened to Cadence and denied hurting the baby. She arrived at her parent's home in the Bessemer area at approximately 6:30 p.m. Sunday, and the baby was taken to Children's Hospital at approixmately 9:30 p.m.
Investigators say Wilson was charged Sunday night with child abuse and planned to file more charges Monday. Wilson has two other children, a three-year-old and an 18-month-old, who were taken into protective custody by DHR.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Pinson man charged with murder in deadly crash
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A Pinson man has been arrested for murder in the deaths of two people killed in a weekend car crash in Center Point.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, in a statement Monday to FOX6 News, said Joseph Alexander Goolsby, 19, of Pinson, had been charged with murder and extreme indifference with a vehicle.
The charges were in connection to a two-vehicle crash that occurred shortly after midnight Saturday morning on Center Point Parkway. Goolsby's vehicle collided with another vehicle carrying four other people, one of which died at the scene and another died at the hospital.
Yasmine Aguilar, 27, Fultondale, died at hospital
Edgar Garbriel Perez, 34, Fultondale, died at scene
The other two victims, ages eight and 11, were taken to Children's Hospital for treatment. Their condition was not known Monday morning.
Investigators said Goolsby's blood alcohol level was above the legal limit at the time of the crash.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, in a statement Monday to FOX6 News, said Joseph Alexander Goolsby, 19, of Pinson, had been charged with murder and extreme indifference with a vehicle.
The charges were in connection to a two-vehicle crash that occurred shortly after midnight Saturday morning on Center Point Parkway. Goolsby's vehicle collided with another vehicle carrying four other people, one of which died at the scene and another died at the hospital.
Yasmine Aguilar, 27, Fultondale, died at hospital
Edgar Garbriel Perez, 34, Fultondale, died at scene
The other two victims, ages eight and 11, were taken to Children's Hospital for treatment. Their condition was not known Monday morning.
Investigators said Goolsby's blood alcohol level was above the legal limit at the time of the crash.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
ALDOT: I-65 sinkhole fix underway
HOOVER, AL (WBRC) - The Alabama Department of Transportation said it hopes to have the sinkhole on I-65 fixed by the end of the week.
Traffic in Hoover and Pelham has been snarled for most of the month as crews work to fix the damage.
Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Harris said Friday sinkholes remain a problem for North Alabama with limestone deposits. Repair crews have worked on the problem for most of the three weeks.
Thursday, those crews began the process of starting to fill the sinkhole.
"If the weather cooperates and the other findings as we continue to excavate look okay to us," Harris said. "We should have the sinkhole filed and traffic shifted back to normal patterns by the end of next week. Hopefully we will not be closing any more lanes."
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Traffic in Hoover and Pelham has been snarled for most of the month as crews work to fix the damage.
Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Harris said Friday sinkholes remain a problem for North Alabama with limestone deposits. Repair crews have worked on the problem for most of the three weeks.
Thursday, those crews began the process of starting to fill the sinkhole.
"If the weather cooperates and the other findings as we continue to excavate look okay to us," Harris said. "We should have the sinkhole filed and traffic shifted back to normal patterns by the end of next week. Hopefully we will not be closing any more lanes."
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Drowning victim identified
BAGLEY, AL (WBRC) - A Mt. Olive man died Sunday after friends say he slipped and fell off a cliff.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said Rayford Chet Downey, 22, of Mt. Olive, died Sunday from an apparent drowning.
Randy Christian with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said deputies were called to a swimming hole near Bagley. When deputies and Bagley firefighters arrived, witnesses said Downey was missing.
Christian said several witnesses told deputies the victim was trying to jump off of a higher cliff when he slipped and fell, hitting a tree and a rock wall on the way down before falling into the water and disappearing. His friends dove into the water and attempted to locate him but were unsuccessful.
Divers from Jefferson County and Hoover responded along with Westwood Rescue and located the victim's body shortly before 7:30 p.m.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said Rayford Chet Downey, 22, of Mt. Olive, died Sunday from an apparent drowning.
Randy Christian with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said deputies were called to a swimming hole near Bagley. When deputies and Bagley firefighters arrived, witnesses said Downey was missing.
Christian said several witnesses told deputies the victim was trying to jump off of a higher cliff when he slipped and fell, hitting a tree and a rock wall on the way down before falling into the water and disappearing. His friends dove into the water and attempted to locate him but were unsuccessful.
Divers from Jefferson County and Hoover responded along with Westwood Rescue and located the victim's body shortly before 7:30 p.m.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
New theatre opens in east Birmingham
By Arielle Clay
In recent years, east Birmingham has seen business after business close down leaving empty lots and vacant store fronts.
"We've lost century plaza recently, we've lost a lot of small business, and we’ve lost grocery stores. We've lost pretty much everything that's out there," Birmingham City Council member Kim Rafferty said.
With so many losses for east Birmingham, the city was due for a win. What used to be an empty storefront in Eastwood Festival Centre will soon be a brand new movie theater.
"We're a first run theater we're a little bit different in the aspect of self service drinks. We don't have a box office so you purchase your tickets at the concession stand and we are very customer oriented," owner, Marty Felts said.
The Edge Theater is under construction now. Felts plans to open at the end of August with 12 screens. Three of those will be 3-D and one will be dedicated to art films. With the new theater comes 80 new jobs. Felts says it will attract up to 300,000 customers a year. It’s a big boost Rafferty says the struggling center and entire area could really use.
"This area is setting on the precipice of panic so to speak and their hoping the retail will come back," Rafferty said.
Rafferty hopes the traffic the theater attracts will encourage other businesses to open their doors nearby. Leasing agent Hugo Isom already has an idea of what those businesses could be.
"The logical tenants to go next to a theater are restaurants because people tend to want to eat when they go to a movie so it's great for the restaurant business ice cream shops etc.," Isom said.
Rafferty says with just a few other theaters within the city limits it’s a great new venture for people living in Birmingham.
"It's a filler for the community. Instead of families having to get up and go and leave the city to do something together they can actually go around the corner and stay in their own neighborhood," Rafferty said.
The Edge is holding a job fair on August 14. It starts at 9 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. People can walk-in and apply. Felts says it’s likely that most of their 80 employees will be hired that day.
For more information call (205) 595-8900.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
In recent years, east Birmingham has seen business after business close down leaving empty lots and vacant store fronts.
"We've lost century plaza recently, we've lost a lot of small business, and we’ve lost grocery stores. We've lost pretty much everything that's out there," Birmingham City Council member Kim Rafferty said.
With so many losses for east Birmingham, the city was due for a win. What used to be an empty storefront in Eastwood Festival Centre will soon be a brand new movie theater.
"We're a first run theater we're a little bit different in the aspect of self service drinks. We don't have a box office so you purchase your tickets at the concession stand and we are very customer oriented," owner, Marty Felts said.
The Edge Theater is under construction now. Felts plans to open at the end of August with 12 screens. Three of those will be 3-D and one will be dedicated to art films. With the new theater comes 80 new jobs. Felts says it will attract up to 300,000 customers a year. It’s a big boost Rafferty says the struggling center and entire area could really use.
"This area is setting on the precipice of panic so to speak and their hoping the retail will come back," Rafferty said.
Rafferty hopes the traffic the theater attracts will encourage other businesses to open their doors nearby. Leasing agent Hugo Isom already has an idea of what those businesses could be.
"The logical tenants to go next to a theater are restaurants because people tend to want to eat when they go to a movie so it's great for the restaurant business ice cream shops etc.," Isom said.
Rafferty says with just a few other theaters within the city limits it’s a great new venture for people living in Birmingham.
"It's a filler for the community. Instead of families having to get up and go and leave the city to do something together they can actually go around the corner and stay in their own neighborhood," Rafferty said.
The Edge is holding a job fair on August 14. It starts at 9 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. People can walk-in and apply. Felts says it’s likely that most of their 80 employees will be hired that day.
For more information call (205) 595-8900.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Home arsons remain under investigation
By Melanie Posey
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office was continuing its investigation Monday into two arsons that happened Friday within minutes of each other.
The homes are near Center Point in the 700 block of Country View Drive. Wytangy Peak said she was awakened by her son's screams of a fire. Her curtains and living room carpet were in flames.
"It was an overall scary experience," Peak said Friday as her living room window was being boarded up. "We didn't even know what happened till the blaze was out and we found the Wild Irish rose bottle with gas in it and a rag hanging outside that they threw in here."
Just minutes later, Trevon Foster says his mom was alerted that their house was on fire, too. Friday, he was spending his day sitting on the porch, watching out for the culprits.
"I think it was kids who don't have nothing to do with their time," Foster said. "They had to get a quick thrill."
Both families were able to get out before anyone was hurt. The search is on for suspects.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office was continuing its investigation Monday into two arsons that happened Friday within minutes of each other.
The homes are near Center Point in the 700 block of Country View Drive. Wytangy Peak said she was awakened by her son's screams of a fire. Her curtains and living room carpet were in flames.
"It was an overall scary experience," Peak said Friday as her living room window was being boarded up. "We didn't even know what happened till the blaze was out and we found the Wild Irish rose bottle with gas in it and a rag hanging outside that they threw in here."
Just minutes later, Trevon Foster says his mom was alerted that their house was on fire, too. Friday, he was spending his day sitting on the porch, watching out for the culprits.
"I think it was kids who don't have nothing to do with their time," Foster said. "They had to get a quick thrill."
Both families were able to get out before anyone was hurt. The search is on for suspects.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Charges possible in deadly Center Point crash
CENTER POINT, AL (WBRC) - Authorities say charges may come as early as Monday in connection with a deadly car collision in Center Point.
Shortly after midnight Saturday morning, two vehicles collided on Center Point Parkway. One person was killed and six more were hurt.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said the driver of one of the vehicles was arrested following the crash.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Shortly after midnight Saturday morning, two vehicles collided on Center Point Parkway. One person was killed and six more were hurt.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said the driver of one of the vehicles was arrested following the crash.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Friday, July 23, 2010
New theater to open in east Birmingham
By Arielle Clay
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - In recent years, east Birmingham has seen business after business close leaving empty lots and vacant store fronts.
"We've lost century plaza recently, we've lost a lot of small business, and we've lost grocery stores. We've lost pretty much everything that's out there," Birmingham City Council member Kim Rafferty said.
With so many losses in the area, the city was due for a win. Once an empty storefront in Eastwood Festival Centre will soon be a new movie theater.
"We're a first run theater we're a little bit different in the aspect of self service drinks. We don't have a box office so you purchase your tickets at the concession stand and we are very customer oriented," owner, Marty Felts, said.
The Edge Theater is under construction now.
Felts plans to open at the end of August with 12 screens. Three of those will be 3-D, and one will be dedicated to art films.
With the new theater comes 80 new jobs. Felts says it will attract up to 300,000 customers a year. It's a big boost Rafferty says the struggling center and entire area could really use.
"This area is setting on the precipice of panic so to speak and their hoping the retail will come back," Rafferty said.
Rafferty hopes the traffic the theater attracts will encourage other businesses to open their doors nearby. Leasing agent Hugo Isom already has an idea of what those businesses could be.
"The logical tenants to go next to a theater are restaurants because people tend to want to eat when they go to a movie so it's great for the restaurant business ice cream shops etc.," Isom said.
Rafferty says with just a few other theaters within the city limits, it's a great new venture for people living in Birmingham. "It's a filler for the community. Instead of families having to get up and go and leave the city to do something together they can actually go around the corner and stay in their own neighborhood.
The Edge is holding a job fair on August 14. It's from 9am to 3pm. Walk-ins are welcomed.
Felts says it's likely that most of their 80 employees will be hired that day.
For more information call (205) 595-8900.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - In recent years, east Birmingham has seen business after business close leaving empty lots and vacant store fronts.
"We've lost century plaza recently, we've lost a lot of small business, and we've lost grocery stores. We've lost pretty much everything that's out there," Birmingham City Council member Kim Rafferty said.
With so many losses in the area, the city was due for a win. Once an empty storefront in Eastwood Festival Centre will soon be a new movie theater.
"We're a first run theater we're a little bit different in the aspect of self service drinks. We don't have a box office so you purchase your tickets at the concession stand and we are very customer oriented," owner, Marty Felts, said.
The Edge Theater is under construction now.
Felts plans to open at the end of August with 12 screens. Three of those will be 3-D, and one will be dedicated to art films.
With the new theater comes 80 new jobs. Felts says it will attract up to 300,000 customers a year. It's a big boost Rafferty says the struggling center and entire area could really use.
"This area is setting on the precipice of panic so to speak and their hoping the retail will come back," Rafferty said.
Rafferty hopes the traffic the theater attracts will encourage other businesses to open their doors nearby. Leasing agent Hugo Isom already has an idea of what those businesses could be.
"The logical tenants to go next to a theater are restaurants because people tend to want to eat when they go to a movie so it's great for the restaurant business ice cream shops etc.," Isom said.
Rafferty says with just a few other theaters within the city limits, it's a great new venture for people living in Birmingham. "It's a filler for the community. Instead of families having to get up and go and leave the city to do something together they can actually go around the corner and stay in their own neighborhood.
The Edge is holding a job fair on August 14. It's from 9am to 3pm. Walk-ins are welcomed.
Felts says it's likely that most of their 80 employees will be hired that day.
For more information call (205) 595-8900.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Repair continues on I-65 sinkhole
By Alan Collins
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Keep your fingers crossed that the I-65 sinkhole may be fixed by next week's end.
Traffic has been snarled for three weeks after the sinkhole developed.
Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman, Tony Harris, says sinkholes remain a problem for North Alabama with limestone deposits. Repair crews have worked on the problem for most of the three weeks.
Thursday, those crews began the process of starting to fill the sinkhole.
ALDOT has drilled down about 40 feet so far. Still, they have to go another ten feet. "If the weather cooperates and the other findings as we continue to escavate look okay to us. We should have the sinkhole filed and traffic shifted back to normal patterns by the end of next week. Hopefully we will not be closing any more lanes." Harris said.
The biggest factor to determine the deadline is the weather.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Keep your fingers crossed that the I-65 sinkhole may be fixed by next week's end.
Traffic has been snarled for three weeks after the sinkhole developed.
Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman, Tony Harris, says sinkholes remain a problem for North Alabama with limestone deposits. Repair crews have worked on the problem for most of the three weeks.
Thursday, those crews began the process of starting to fill the sinkhole.
ALDOT has drilled down about 40 feet so far. Still, they have to go another ten feet. "If the weather cooperates and the other findings as we continue to escavate look okay to us. We should have the sinkhole filed and traffic shifted back to normal patterns by the end of next week. Hopefully we will not be closing any more lanes." Harris said.
The biggest factor to determine the deadline is the weather.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Birmingham Southern to eliminate majors
By Alan Collins
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - More cuts for Birmingham Southern College. Thursday, BSC announced they are dropping accounting, computer science, dance, German and French majors. Over the next two years, the Liberal Arts School is eliminating 29 faculty positions.
Some students are upset at the cuts. "I'm an accounting student. I'm heartbroken. I'm a senior I won't be as affected as other students." Kayla Jones, senior accounting major said.
The school says 150 students will be affected by the loss of the majors. The cuts can save the school about $3 million dollars. The release says those students can still take classes in their subjects even if there are not majors.
Earlier, the school blamed the economy and an auditing error for Birmingham Southern College's money woes. Despite the cuts, one parent whose son is still considering the college remains optimistic about the future. "Well, I'm sorry to hear about them. I'm sure Birmingham Southern will be fine. It's a great academic institution. It's been around a long time. I think it will be fine," Beth Thomas said.
While Birmingham Southern say they regret having to make these big cuts, some students say their interests were not represented in making those cutbacks. "The committee that advised the president, there were no accounting people, there were no business people to advise the president." Jones said.
Jones says here concern remains with the faculty where some have been at the school for 25 years. The president of BSC Alumni Association, Karen McElroy Carroll, says the organization is still processing the impact of the cuts, but the reaction has ranged from sadness to anger.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - More cuts for Birmingham Southern College. Thursday, BSC announced they are dropping accounting, computer science, dance, German and French majors. Over the next two years, the Liberal Arts School is eliminating 29 faculty positions.
Some students are upset at the cuts. "I'm an accounting student. I'm heartbroken. I'm a senior I won't be as affected as other students." Kayla Jones, senior accounting major said.
The school says 150 students will be affected by the loss of the majors. The cuts can save the school about $3 million dollars. The release says those students can still take classes in their subjects even if there are not majors.
Earlier, the school blamed the economy and an auditing error for Birmingham Southern College's money woes. Despite the cuts, one parent whose son is still considering the college remains optimistic about the future. "Well, I'm sorry to hear about them. I'm sure Birmingham Southern will be fine. It's a great academic institution. It's been around a long time. I think it will be fine," Beth Thomas said.
While Birmingham Southern say they regret having to make these big cuts, some students say their interests were not represented in making those cutbacks. "The committee that advised the president, there were no accounting people, there were no business people to advise the president." Jones said.
Jones says here concern remains with the faculty where some have been at the school for 25 years. The president of BSC Alumni Association, Karen McElroy Carroll, says the organization is still processing the impact of the cuts, but the reaction has ranged from sadness to anger.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Les Miles planning 'championship season'
By Dennis Washington
HOOVER, AL (WBRC) - LSU head football coach Les Miles is very clear about his expectations for the upcoming football season.
"I can tell you this: it will only be a championship season, and that's the only point and direction of this program. That's where we're headed."
Miles spoke to reporters Friday at SEC Media Days. Miles said he and the coaches spent a lot of time in the spring analyzing the program, coming up with some new ideas and ways to improve the team.
"We looked at those things that we need to do to put this team in a position to win a championship," Miles said. "We looked at everything we did. We hired three coaches. Our weight/strength position, you know, adjusted. What we do on offense and defense we adjusted. We practiced a little differently. We've done a lot of great things."
Miles said he has also made changes in the way he and his team prepare for clock management at the end of games.
"I scrutinized the coaching - me, and others," Miles said. "I can promise you that those situations, some of those situations I'd never run into in coaching. Some of those situations I was, even though prepared for, had not envisioned the time constraints.
"We've added that to our game week preparation. Maybe we're a little more prepared, a little bit more ready to play in those situations.
Miles said the results of the off-season changes have impressed him.
"I like this team," Miles said. "This team is going to be fun to coach. They're an aggressive group. They want to come together. Be a great start and then finish fast."
The LSU Tigers begin football practice on August 5. The team plays its first football game on September 4 against North Carolina.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
HOOVER, AL (WBRC) - LSU head football coach Les Miles is very clear about his expectations for the upcoming football season.
"I can tell you this: it will only be a championship season, and that's the only point and direction of this program. That's where we're headed."
Miles spoke to reporters Friday at SEC Media Days. Miles said he and the coaches spent a lot of time in the spring analyzing the program, coming up with some new ideas and ways to improve the team.
"We looked at those things that we need to do to put this team in a position to win a championship," Miles said. "We looked at everything we did. We hired three coaches. Our weight/strength position, you know, adjusted. What we do on offense and defense we adjusted. We practiced a little differently. We've done a lot of great things."
Miles said he has also made changes in the way he and his team prepare for clock management at the end of games.
"I scrutinized the coaching - me, and others," Miles said. "I can promise you that those situations, some of those situations I'd never run into in coaching. Some of those situations I was, even though prepared for, had not envisioned the time constraints.
"We've added that to our game week preparation. Maybe we're a little more prepared, a little bit more ready to play in those situations.
Miles said the results of the off-season changes have impressed him.
"I like this team," Miles said. "This team is going to be fun to coach. They're an aggressive group. They want to come together. Be a great start and then finish fast."
The LSU Tigers begin football practice on August 5. The team plays its first football game on September 4 against North Carolina.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Rebuilding year for Ole Miss
By Dennis Washington
HOOVER, AL (WBRC) - Houston Nutt knows this football season won't be easy as the Ole Miss head football coach prepares a younger, less experienced team for battle in the SEC.
"As you look forward to this year, we lost a lot, we lost a lot."
Nutt spoke to reporters Friday at SEC Media Days about filling the holes left by players who either graduated or left college early for careers in pro football, including quarterback Jevan Snead.
"We didn't anticipate that," Nutt said. "About 2500 yards, basically 18 wins in two seasons. Really miss that experience."
A majority of the media at the SEC Media Days picked Ole Miss to finish last in the SEC West this season, a vote Nutt appreciated.
"Thank you," Nutt said to the reporters. "That's all right. It's good. It really doesn't matter."
Ole Miss will play four of its first five games at home in Oxford. Nutt said that will help his young team mature and gain confidence.
"Schedule is really in our favor early on," Nutt said. "We got to take advantage of it."
The Ole Miss Rebels begin practice on August 8 and play their first game on September 4 against Jacksonville State.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
HOOVER, AL (WBRC) - Houston Nutt knows this football season won't be easy as the Ole Miss head football coach prepares a younger, less experienced team for battle in the SEC.
"As you look forward to this year, we lost a lot, we lost a lot."
Nutt spoke to reporters Friday at SEC Media Days about filling the holes left by players who either graduated or left college early for careers in pro football, including quarterback Jevan Snead.
"We didn't anticipate that," Nutt said. "About 2500 yards, basically 18 wins in two seasons. Really miss that experience."
A majority of the media at the SEC Media Days picked Ole Miss to finish last in the SEC West this season, a vote Nutt appreciated.
"Thank you," Nutt said to the reporters. "That's all right. It's good. It really doesn't matter."
Ole Miss will play four of its first five games at home in Oxford. Nutt said that will help his young team mature and gain confidence.
"Schedule is really in our favor early on," Nutt said. "We got to take advantage of it."
The Ole Miss Rebels begin practice on August 8 and play their first game on September 4 against Jacksonville State.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Authorities investigating molotov cocktail arson attempts
CENTER POINT, AL (WBRC) - In the Center Point area, Jefferson County Sheriff's investigators are trying to find a suspected arsonist.
Detectives say they were called to the 700 block of Country View Drive Northeast around 1:00 a.m. on Friday. They say people living in the home were in bed, when one of the children woke up from a loud noise. The family says someone threw a liquor bottle filled with a flammable liquid through their living room window. The family was able to put out the fire without anyone being injured.
At the same time, the people living in the home across the street claim someone set their air conditioning unit on fire with a similar Molotov cocktail.
Deputies ask you call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department if you have any information on this.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Detectives say they were called to the 700 block of Country View Drive Northeast around 1:00 a.m. on Friday. They say people living in the home were in bed, when one of the children woke up from a loud noise. The family says someone threw a liquor bottle filled with a flammable liquid through their living room window. The family was able to put out the fire without anyone being injured.
At the same time, the people living in the home across the street claim someone set their air conditioning unit on fire with a similar Molotov cocktail.
Deputies ask you call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department if you have any information on this.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Birmingham firefighters take on double house fire
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Birmingham firefighters were busy this morning as two house fires started at 7:00 a.m.
Two big vacant houses burned on 2nd Avenue North and 49th Street. The fire started in one house and spread to another.
No one was injured.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Two big vacant houses burned on 2nd Avenue North and 49th Street. The fire started in one house and spread to another.
No one was injured.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Birmingham firefighters chill out with new cooling unit
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - With the heat index above 100 degrees fighting fires can take a physical toll on firefighters and rescue workers. Birmingham Fire and Rescue has a new rehab unit for when crews get overheated on the job.
Firefighters can sit down under the roofed unit, get their blood pressure and temperature checked and cool down with water and fans. The cooling unit is designed to prevent injuries.
Firefighters say it is a far cry from how it used to be.
“They way it used to be we had to sit on the hot ground without a cooling fan,” says firefighter Stan McAdams. “And if rescue workers get too overheated while working they can also pack jackets with ice packs to keep them cool.”
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Firefighters can sit down under the roofed unit, get their blood pressure and temperature checked and cool down with water and fans. The cooling unit is designed to prevent injuries.
Firefighters say it is a far cry from how it used to be.
“They way it used to be we had to sit on the hot ground without a cooling fan,” says firefighter Stan McAdams. “And if rescue workers get too overheated while working they can also pack jackets with ice packs to keep them cool.”
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Seven teens arrested on burglary charges in Shelby County
SHELBY COUNTY, AL (WBRC) - In Shelby County, seven teens have been arrested for burglary.
Helena police say they found the juveniles, ranging in age from 13 to 15-years-old in a house on the 1400 block of Secretariat Drive in the Dearing Downs subdivision.
All of the teens live in Helena and were charged with third degree burglary and second degree criminal mischief. They have been transported to the Shelby County Juvenile Detention Facility in Columbiana.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Helena police say they found the juveniles, ranging in age from 13 to 15-years-old in a house on the 1400 block of Secretariat Drive in the Dearing Downs subdivision.
All of the teens live in Helena and were charged with third degree burglary and second degree criminal mischief. They have been transported to the Shelby County Juvenile Detention Facility in Columbiana.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Dooley: 'Our image is not where we want it to be'
By Dennis Washington
HOOVER, AL (WBRC) - Derek Dooley knows his first year as head coach of the Tennessee Vols has two challenges: winning football games and rebuilding the program's image.
"Certainly our image is not where we want it to be now," Dooley said Friday at SEC Media Days.
Dooley begins his first season as the Vols' head coach, the third coach in three years for the program. Dooley takes over after Lane Kiffin left in January to become the head coach of USC, leaving the program in turmoil.
Dooley said Friday his main mission this spring and summer has been to rebuild leadership and consistency.
"We certainly have had our bumps along the way and we'll continue to have our bumps along the way," Dooley said. "But anytime you had the transition that we've had at the head coaching level - three in three years - you're naturally going to have more attrition than you normally would have and you're naturally probably not going to have the kind of recruiting classes you can have with stability."
Dooley was asked his quick decision two weeks ago to kick sophomore safety Darren Myles Jr. from the team and indefinitely suspend defensive tackle Marlon Walls and linebacker Greg King in the wake of a bar fight. Dooley said Friday he had to act quickly and consistently.
"I did what I thought was the responsible thing to do as the head football coach," Dooley said. "I talked to every player individually. They have been incredibly honest, incredibly forthright with what they did, what happened, what they did wrong, the poor judgment they used, and the good things that happened. I've made the decisions based on that."
Dooley knows the upcoming football season will be challenging.
"We head into the season with a lot of youth and a lot of inexperience at a lot of positions," Dooley said. "But I feel really good about the young talent that we have on our team."
Tennessee begins football practice on August 4 and plays its first game on September 4 against UT Martin.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
HOOVER, AL (WBRC) - Derek Dooley knows his first year as head coach of the Tennessee Vols has two challenges: winning football games and rebuilding the program's image.
"Certainly our image is not where we want it to be now," Dooley said Friday at SEC Media Days.
Dooley begins his first season as the Vols' head coach, the third coach in three years for the program. Dooley takes over after Lane Kiffin left in January to become the head coach of USC, leaving the program in turmoil.
Dooley said Friday his main mission this spring and summer has been to rebuild leadership and consistency.
"We certainly have had our bumps along the way and we'll continue to have our bumps along the way," Dooley said. "But anytime you had the transition that we've had at the head coaching level - three in three years - you're naturally going to have more attrition than you normally would have and you're naturally probably not going to have the kind of recruiting classes you can have with stability."
Dooley was asked his quick decision two weeks ago to kick sophomore safety Darren Myles Jr. from the team and indefinitely suspend defensive tackle Marlon Walls and linebacker Greg King in the wake of a bar fight. Dooley said Friday he had to act quickly and consistently.
"I did what I thought was the responsible thing to do as the head football coach," Dooley said. "I talked to every player individually. They have been incredibly honest, incredibly forthright with what they did, what happened, what they did wrong, the poor judgment they used, and the good things that happened. I've made the decisions based on that."
Dooley knows the upcoming football season will be challenging.
"We head into the season with a lot of youth and a lot of inexperience at a lot of positions," Dooley said. "But I feel really good about the young talent that we have on our team."
Tennessee begins football practice on August 4 and plays its first game on September 4 against UT Martin.
Copyright 2010 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Transcript of Gene Chizik's comments at SEC Media Days
The following is a transcript of comments made by Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik at SEC Media Days, as provided by FastScripts:
THE MODERATOR: We are ready to begin kicking off day three with Auburn head coach Gene Chizik.
COACH CHIZIK: Good morning, everyone. Extremely excited to be back here at my second SEC Media Day. Extremely excited to be up here representing Auburn University.
Just a great, great time for the Auburn fans, our football team. This time of the year is obviously exciting for everybody. We're looking very much forward to the 2010 football season.
I want to thank you guys for the positive spins that you put on our players, what you do for our league. It really means a lot to us with what you do for our football team, but specifically for our league.
I just want to talk a little bit today, before we open this up for questions, about last year, knowing that we've moved ahead. But I think standing up here a year ago, just my first -- going into my first season at Auburn, there were some things that we really felt like were critical to what we were trying to do with our football program. Probably the most important thing that we felt like needed to happen last year was for us to build a foundation for what we're trying to do down the road. This is a long-term plan. This is a long-term vision.
We feel extremely, extremely excited on the fact that we feel like we have the football team based on last year going in the right direction. That doesn't mean we've arrived, and we know that. But going into the season, you know, the question was, What's a successful year? How many wins? How many losses? We'll never try to pin success on a number of wins.
Obviously we want to win as many games as we can. We want to put a championship team on the football field. That's the goal of Auburn University. That's been the goal of the place long before I got there and will be the goal long after I leave.
But the foundation of what we are trying to do is extremely important. We had to come in last year and win the trust and respect of our senior class first in terms of building that foundation. We had to recruit a class in that once we gained that trust and respect of our football team, add to that with a new recruiting class that we felt like was the right men for our program. I feel like we did that.
If you go back and look at the wins and losses of last year's season, you always look back and you can always look at the games that you would have, should have, and could have won. We certainly look back at last year and see a football team that at times played well, at times didn't play well.
But what we did at the end of the day, with eight wins, we had an exciting Bowl game, New Year's Day Bowl win against a very good Northwestern football team that kind of catapulted us into the off-season for our eighth win of the year. Again, as we look back, we just feel like there were a lot of things laid in place for what we're trying to do down the road.
The next thing that I thought was extremely, extremely important was that we have some continuity in our coaches staff with being able to hold on to our coaches. I just felt like there's guys on our football team right now that for the first time in their career, and a large majority of them, for the first time in their career have the same coordinator, offense or defense, for the second year in a row. You've got guys that have position coaches that are really sitting in the same boat.
So it was extremely important for me to give some continuity to our football players with having the same coaching staff. So we were able to retain everybody on our coaching staff. There's 119 football teams across the country that play football, Division I. Out of those 119, I want to say there's a very, very small handful, probably less than 10%, somewhere around 10%, that kept their coaching staffs intact.
To me, that was another part of the puzzle in trying to build a foundation for what we're trying to do down the road. We were able to do that. We were able to keep all of our coaches intact. We've spent the majority of the off-season trying to figure out how we can be a more consistent football team because, as I said earlier, there was times when we really played well, and there was times when we really didn't play well.
So we had to go back and really evaluate, it's been an ongoing process, in terms of going through last year, all the way up to where we are now, and trying to evaluate what is it that we have to do to become a more consistent team. That's everywhere on our football team. That's on offense.
If you look at our offense last year, there was a lot of things we did well. I think we set some school records. I think some guys for the first year being in the offense, we had a tailback that rushed for 1400 yards; the year before, he rushed for 600. He was a second-round draft pick. We've had some landmarks with our offense in terms of some things that are glaring. But what was glaring to us, we went back and watched, we were very inconsistent. There were times when we couldn't run the football, which in our opinion, in this league, is something that we have to be able to do a better job of this year to win more games.
We feel like, you know, first downs, there's just times where we put a lot of pressure on our defense because we couldn't get first downs. When you commit to a fast-tempo offense, those are the challenges for your defense. So we've got to figure out how to be more consistent on offense in a lot of ways.
If you go to our defense right now, there was a lot of pressure put on our defense. There's times on our defense, we played really well. There was times when we played very poorly. So we've had to go back and really kind of reevaluate. We've reevaluated everything. We've reevaluated players. We've reevaluated scheme. We've reevaluated everything that we need to to try to become a more effective defense, taking all things into consideration.
When we were playing in the Bowl game, we had defensive players, because of lack of depth, some of the issues last years, that ended up playing 140-some-odd plays. You'd like to get away from that a little bit.
Special teams-wise, there were times when we were really good. We returned kickoffs for touchdowns. Then we've returned kickoffs for an 18-yard kickoff return average, which is not acceptable. We've had to go back and look at our special teams to see where we are in those phases.
All things being told, consistency is going to be the name of the game with us in terms of us being better and really laying the second brick in the foundation of what we're trying to do.
Again, you know, wins and losses is not really something that we can pin a number to, to say this is going to be a successful second year, because I know some of you are going to ask that. It's more of, we want to be a more consistent team and we want to, on a consistent basis, play better than we did last year, then the numbers work themselves out.
We brought three tremendous young men here today to the Media Day that I would like to spend a couple of minutes talking about. We have Lee Ziemba, our starting left tackle. Lee is a tremendous Auburn man. He had a chance to come out and be a high draft pick this past year, but he loves Auburn. He made the choice to stay at Auburn. Him and I talked numerous times. He's as happy as he's ever been. He's a great Auburn man. I think he's a great story. He's probably going to break most of the records for consecutive starts at Auburn University and has played extremely well last year and we're expecting a big year from Lee.
We have Josh Bynes, who is our leading tackler from our defense; last year, a guy that didn't have any choice, he couldn't come off the field. Played relentlessly all through 13 games. Didn't miss a snap, didn't miss a practice. Played beat up, tired. Just showed a lot of kind of the Auburn way. It's just what you do. You keep working, and you keep working through all the adversities that he went through. Great to have Josh here, too, as one of our players on defense. Obviously our middle linebacker.
Then I thought we would bring a third young man that I think is a great story, and that's Aairon Savage. He applied for a sixth year. It's unique and neat because I recruited Aairon before I left Auburn as an assistant, then have an opportunity to come back now and coach him is really neat for me personally. But just really blessed to have a young guy like that on our football team that brings so much leadership. Has been the epitome of a guy that's been persistent and fought through so many things in his career that could potentially bring you down.
I mean, this guy was a starter three and four years ago when he walked on campus as a true freshman and played very well. He gets a knee injury. Last year he's trucking along during summer workouts, he has an Achilles tendon problem. Just a guy that, bless his heart, has done everything we've asked him to do. He's a great Auburn man, great football player. I'm just glad we have him back on our football team and the leadership that he brings to our team is second to none.
Those are the three young men here with us. Very proud of all three of those guys. Just wanted to mention them.
That's kind of the state of the union address of where we are at Auburn. That's where we're going. That's the direction we're headed in. Again, I think the Auburn family is extremely excited about the future of Auburn football. I've went and talked to a lot of different clubs as we've made the trek over the last few months. There's a great excitement from the Auburn family. That's a good thing.
Without any further ado, I'm going to open this up to questions. We'll hit the ground running.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. Right off the bat, you said a long-term plan and long-term vision. Given how impatient everybody is these days, new cycles go faster, how can you afford to think long-term?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, I don't think you can do this job without having a great vision for what you want to get done down the road. Obviously within those plans, you know, you're in a continuous evaluation process of what's happening now. I mean, it's not like you just lose sight of what you're doing now. Everything is an ongoing evaluation, trying to get better at what we do now.
When I talk about long-term vision, it's not just how we recruit players and how we manage our roster, it's the whole department, starting with our president, Dr. Gogue, with our athletic director Jay Jacobs, with our board of regents.
I mean, our trustees. Look at what we did with our facility upgrades, where we're going with those with a brand-new indoor that our trustees approved. I just think everybody's on the same page. I think everybody has a great vision for what we need and where we need to get. Whether it's facility improvement, whether it's recruiting, we've got a commitment from our administration that's second to none. We're all on the same page. That's a great thing to know as a head coach. It's a great feeling.
So when I talk about vision and future, that's really what I'm talking about.
Q. In the pre-season you and Arkansas are the two teams everyone are picking to ascend in the SEC. Can you compare and contrast your team and Arkansas?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, you know, that's hard to compare. I know Arkansas is returning a very, very good football team. Obviously, we went to Fayetteville last year and we saw that firsthand. I think Coach Petrino, who obviously I've been on the same staff with, is a great football coach. He'll have that team ready to play.
He's going into I think his third year now. When you've been to a place three years, you have the opportunity to have really laid down, for the two previous years, you know, what your expectations are, guys buying in, things of that nature. I know they're going to have a very good football team.
I just don't have time to really evaluate, continually evaluate, other people. I do that on game week. We do some of that in the off-season.
All my time and effort goes into what Auburn does. Those things that other people do, I can't control and don't try to. I got my hands full trying to obviously move Auburn football in the right direction.
So I don't know what people are saying. I'm not sure of what everybody thinks about the status of Arkansas, Auburn, everybody else. I don't really have time for that - and I mean this - I'm very focused on what we're trying to do at Auburn.
Comparatively speaking, I don't know that I can do that and be fair. I just know they have a very good football team, and our job this year is to have a better team than we had last year.
Q. You brought in a pretty highly regarded recruiting class. The NCAA is proposing legislation that would limit a school from offering a scholarship until the summer before a recruit's senior year. Does that limit what you can do on your recruiting plan? What are your general thoughts on that?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, you know, everybody knows kind of where recruiting has evolved, how it's evolved in the last two years. It's the way recruiting is right now. I think technology has a lot to do with it. You have all these different ways, there's more ways to communicate with all these guys. So it's sped up the recruiting process.
I would have no problem with that because I think a young guy deserves to be able to kind of go through the recruiting. I think that's a neat thing. It's backed up to the point now where literally you're looking at and evaluating sophomores. They're visiting your campus or camps, and you're sitting there talking to a 15-year-old what it's going to be like three years from now. That's a little bit of a weird dynamic when you really sit down and think about it.
So I don't know how that would be regulated. Obviously, you couldn't send them a written piece of paper if the legislation goes through. That could be regulated. In terms of the verbal offers and what you say, that could get a little tricky. I think the concept of it is really something that I would be in favor of.
I don't know exactly what direction you would be able to move into to be able to regulate that. Obviously, like I said, you would, something on written paper. But I think it would be good for the young man if the process were slowed down. But that's like trying to put sand back into the sand glass. I mean, it's out. It's hard to go backwards because we've kind of moved in the direction of being ahead of the game when it comes to recruiting younger guys because that's where it's gone.
In theory, probably a good thing.
Q. Talking about the facilities upgrade you mentioned, can you talk a little bit about how that affects recruiting, the advantages the facilities give you in recruiting athletes. Also looking at the class of 2011, can you talk about the depth of that class both in state and around the region?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, number one, when you talk about facilities upgrades, that's where I think administratively we have a great vision, starting with our president, Jay Jacobs, everybody involved. I think obviously it's huge. It's huge. You only have one time to make a first impression. When somebody comes on your campus. When we walk in and have the 'wow factor' with whatever they're looking at, it's big.
The things we're going to do is not only just for recruiting purposes. We want them to have a lot of function for what we're trying to do. The indoor is going to look nice. It's going to be state-of-the-art. There's no question about that. We're going to do that right. But also it's going to be very functional for us, which we're going to get a lot of use out of that.
We've got plans to do so many upgrades with Auburn athletics, but Auburn football specifically, there's a plan to continue to upgrade everything that we can, again, because you have to. That's where the league is.
Obviously recruiting is one of the major reasons that you do that.
In regards to the 2011 state of Alabama recruiting I'm assuming is what you're asking me. Again, the state of Alabama always has a tremendous amount of talent and we'll always do our best to recruit this state first and foremost. We'll continue to work in that direction. But we're really happy with just the relationships we built with all the high school coaches and how they've been with us in terms of treating us when we come to their campuses and things of that nature. They've been great.
We'll continue to recruit the state as our number one priority, and we'll move on from there.
Q. I think it's pretty clear to a lot of people that you did lay a foundation last year with the things that you did. With Coach Malzahn in particular on offense, you scored points, won games, but it seemed at times you scored so quickly, you put a pressure on your defense at a place where you had a lack of depth. Can you also talk about the things you have to do to play more consistently as far as specific variables for your team both offensively and defensively?
COACH CHIZIK: I think the point is well taken. With our offense, one of the things you go into, you sit before the season, you talk about, What do you need to do from an offensive standpoint? One of them is have explosive plays. When you have that -- in our case last year, it was a little bit of a different dynamic, simply because we had plays where we scored fast and quick. We're good with that. I'm good with that. That's not a problem.
But with that offense, there are big-play and big-strike capabilities. What we need to address that we saw in the off-season as we evaluated everything is, How can we sustain longer drives? That was where we felt like, from a team concept, we needed to, you know, continue to improve. So that means getting first downs. That means driving the football, running the football, doing the things that can keep our defense off the field a little bit more.
When you talk about what specific things defensively can we do, I think we just have to play more disciplined football and we've got to continue to - which we're working on now - continue to build the depth of our defense. I think there was a significant drop-off at positions last year between the first and second guy on defense. Not an excuse. Doesn't mean we're not expecting to play better defense this year.
Then from the standpoint of our special teams, as well, being very consistent with what we're trying to do there, it's execution, it's discipline, it's accountability. All those things I think add into the dynamic of our team being a better team next year.
Q. I want to ask you about Cam Newton. Short on experience. In terms of the raw physical skills that you see on the practice field, what are his greatest strengths and areas he needs to get better at?
COACH CHIZIK: Cameron, he is a phenomenal young man, first of all. He's done everything we've asked him to do both on and off the field. You can just see Cameron physically when he walks through the door, you know he's a very athletic, very talented young man.
It's a good thing that he's had a little bit of experience in this league just traveling around and being in different stadiums, seeing it, knowing it. I think that little thing in itself is big.
The fact that he went to a junior college, was able to lead that team to a national championship, I think that was big. I think that's all kind of in the recipe of getting Cameron ready to play in this league consistently.
There's question marks in terms of what's he going to do and how is the function of our offense going to be when you're playing in front of 90,000. Obviously that's the question.
But everything that we have to base our idea on right now, with what we've expected him to do, what we've asked him to do, he's done everything we've asked him. He's really, really worked at it, and a lot on his own. That's the thing that excites me about him. He wants to be a great football player. He really, really does. As we've told him, I've told everybody else, he's got to get on the field now and deliver. That's the last piece of the puzzle and the most critical part. He can do whatever he wants in practice. He's got to take that to the game field and deliver.
We're excited to see Cameron in action in the first game, see how he responds.
Q. You talked about laying the foundation, setting offensive records. With your type of offense, do you think that's the best way for you to sell your product to a recruit, to compete against Nick Saban of Alabama, like you mentioned about the state of Alabama recruiting? Does that help you out selling a different product? Is that the best way to compete against Nick Saban, who has had top five classes since he's been at the University of Alabama?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, we recruit against everybody in the country. As we know, you can tell by how many players got drafted in this league, arguably there's a ton of talent that everybody's vying for every year in this league.
That doesn't include all the people that come from different leagues to this region of the United States to get great players. So we recruit against everybody.
I don't think there's any question that the productivity of us on offense helps us sell Auburn University to a young man that wants to come in and play who's an offensive guy. In one football season, you know, you can look on paper and see touchdown passes. There's so many things that I can go into, I don't want to go into them all, but there's things we did last year that are just a glimmer of how good we can be. That's where we're working. If you're a young guy wanting to come in and play right now, there's not a lot of long lines to stand in at Auburn to play.
The fact that there's opportunities, the fact that we're gonna be an explosive offense, hopefully, more so than we were last year, I think those are all intriguing things.
But we recruit against everybody. Hey, you know what? We just sell our product. We sell our product. Recruiting's about relationships. At the end of the day, recruiting's about relationships. We try to work really hard and make sure that nobody out-works us. I said that from the day I came there. We want to make sure that nobody is out-working us in recruiting.
I've got a great staff that has really bought into that. They are right there with me on it. So those are all things -- I'm not trying to get into a recruiting pitch, but those are the things that are important to us. If you're a young guy on offense, that might be intriguing to you.
Q. Zac Etheridge was officially cleared to play this week. Talk about how much that means to the team and the safety position in general?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, let me first start out and talk about Zac as a young man. This is a tremendously, tremendously blessed young man. What a great kid. He's put so much into Auburn University. He's put so much into football. He eats, sleeps, and drinks football.
Last year when the injury occurred, obviously the only thing that mattered for the Auburn family is that he was healthy again. Football was not in the equation at that point. It's been a journey for him that's been very emotional. There's been a lot of ups and a lot of downs, wondering what is my situation, what is going to be the final verdict. You're looking at a young man that just dreams of playing football since he was three and four years old.
So to be able to get the news. Let me tell you something. Our medical staff, our doctors that are associated with the care of him, have been absolutely phenomenal. Our medical staff is the best in the country, I really believe that. We've all been on the same page all the way through. That means coaches, family, training staff, doctors. It's just been an incredible journey in how it unfolded.
To get that news the other day that he was able to play is just an incredible feeling for our whole football team. Everybody has an extremely high level of regard for Zac as a player and a member of our team. It was great for our football team. It was great for him. So we're excited about the prospects of having him back.
Q. You spoke earlier this morning about talking to the folks, the Auburn people. They were very excited about what they think is going to be coming. Does that translate into pressure for you? Do you feel that?
COACH CHIZIK: You know, more pressure I think for coaches is self-imposed than anything else. I'm just excited about the fact that the Auburn family is really -- as I've gone and I've talked to 11 or 12 different clubs, however many it's been, it's the same passion and energy and excitement at every place. That's really cool for me, because that was one of the things I wanted to do as well, is really pull the Auburn family back together. I feel it and I sense it when I go talk to people. It's really a neat thing.
But the pressure that's involved, you know, there was pressure when I was a defensive coordinator. There's pressure when you're head coach. There's pressure when you're a position coach. Bottom line, we're in a day and age where everybody wants to win. That's not gonna change.
Again, I think guys that are very competitive and head coaches, position coaches, everybody else, when you're in this profession, I don't know that your self-imposed pressure is maybe the most pressure that you feel.
Q. One of the big statements you made last year in recruiting was getting Trovon Reed, the number one player in Louisiana. Can you describe what you see maybe his role being for your team this year.
COACH CHIZIK: Well, it's going to be really interesting because Trovon is one of those guys that can do so many things. We know that he's a very talented young man with the ball in his hands. He can do a number of things. That's why these two-a-days coming up, fall camp, is going to be extremely critical because we have young guys like Trovon that we have ideas of where he can fit and what he can do and what he can bring to the table. We're going to have to get out there and really work with him and see.
Again, we know when he has the ball in his hands, he's a threat. Whether that's at wide-out, whether that's at a wildcat position, wherever that is, I don't know. I know we have ideas of where we're going to try to go with him and how we're going to try to get the ball in his hands, but we got to see how fast he develops. And we got to see what he feels comfortable in and where he fits best with our offense.
But very talented young man, great kid. We're very blessed to have him at Auburn.
Q. In recent years, it's been Alabama and/or Florida SEC national championships. Looking forward, how difficult is it for other teams in this league to catch those programs? Are they that dominant in the future?
COACH CHIZIK: I think it's obvious, if you go back over the last few years, it's two great programs. But if you look at this league from top to bottom, you've got great programs everywhere. I mean, if you look over the last however many, eight, nine years, you've got three national champions from the SEC West, you have a 2004 undefeated Auburn team that was 13-0, that I was blessed to be a part of, that was one of the greatest teams that Auburn has had.
It's the whole league. I don't know that you can pin it on two, because there's been so many other great football teams and players that have come throughout the league top to bottom.
So, you know, obviously Florida and Alabama have done a really nice job over the last couple years, both recruiting and coaching. But the whole league is that way.
Hey, we're going to continue to fight every week in the league no matter who we're playing. But the league is challenging itself. That's from top to bottom.
THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you.
COACH CHIZIK: Thank you.
Copyright 2010 WBRC and FastScripts. All rights reserved.
THE MODERATOR: We are ready to begin kicking off day three with Auburn head coach Gene Chizik.
COACH CHIZIK: Good morning, everyone. Extremely excited to be back here at my second SEC Media Day. Extremely excited to be up here representing Auburn University.
Just a great, great time for the Auburn fans, our football team. This time of the year is obviously exciting for everybody. We're looking very much forward to the 2010 football season.
I want to thank you guys for the positive spins that you put on our players, what you do for our league. It really means a lot to us with what you do for our football team, but specifically for our league.
I just want to talk a little bit today, before we open this up for questions, about last year, knowing that we've moved ahead. But I think standing up here a year ago, just my first -- going into my first season at Auburn, there were some things that we really felt like were critical to what we were trying to do with our football program. Probably the most important thing that we felt like needed to happen last year was for us to build a foundation for what we're trying to do down the road. This is a long-term plan. This is a long-term vision.
We feel extremely, extremely excited on the fact that we feel like we have the football team based on last year going in the right direction. That doesn't mean we've arrived, and we know that. But going into the season, you know, the question was, What's a successful year? How many wins? How many losses? We'll never try to pin success on a number of wins.
Obviously we want to win as many games as we can. We want to put a championship team on the football field. That's the goal of Auburn University. That's been the goal of the place long before I got there and will be the goal long after I leave.
But the foundation of what we are trying to do is extremely important. We had to come in last year and win the trust and respect of our senior class first in terms of building that foundation. We had to recruit a class in that once we gained that trust and respect of our football team, add to that with a new recruiting class that we felt like was the right men for our program. I feel like we did that.
If you go back and look at the wins and losses of last year's season, you always look back and you can always look at the games that you would have, should have, and could have won. We certainly look back at last year and see a football team that at times played well, at times didn't play well.
But what we did at the end of the day, with eight wins, we had an exciting Bowl game, New Year's Day Bowl win against a very good Northwestern football team that kind of catapulted us into the off-season for our eighth win of the year. Again, as we look back, we just feel like there were a lot of things laid in place for what we're trying to do down the road.
The next thing that I thought was extremely, extremely important was that we have some continuity in our coaches staff with being able to hold on to our coaches. I just felt like there's guys on our football team right now that for the first time in their career, and a large majority of them, for the first time in their career have the same coordinator, offense or defense, for the second year in a row. You've got guys that have position coaches that are really sitting in the same boat.
So it was extremely important for me to give some continuity to our football players with having the same coaching staff. So we were able to retain everybody on our coaching staff. There's 119 football teams across the country that play football, Division I. Out of those 119, I want to say there's a very, very small handful, probably less than 10%, somewhere around 10%, that kept their coaching staffs intact.
To me, that was another part of the puzzle in trying to build a foundation for what we're trying to do down the road. We were able to do that. We were able to keep all of our coaches intact. We've spent the majority of the off-season trying to figure out how we can be a more consistent football team because, as I said earlier, there was times when we really played well, and there was times when we really didn't play well.
So we had to go back and really evaluate, it's been an ongoing process, in terms of going through last year, all the way up to where we are now, and trying to evaluate what is it that we have to do to become a more consistent team. That's everywhere on our football team. That's on offense.
If you look at our offense last year, there was a lot of things we did well. I think we set some school records. I think some guys for the first year being in the offense, we had a tailback that rushed for 1400 yards; the year before, he rushed for 600. He was a second-round draft pick. We've had some landmarks with our offense in terms of some things that are glaring. But what was glaring to us, we went back and watched, we were very inconsistent. There were times when we couldn't run the football, which in our opinion, in this league, is something that we have to be able to do a better job of this year to win more games.
We feel like, you know, first downs, there's just times where we put a lot of pressure on our defense because we couldn't get first downs. When you commit to a fast-tempo offense, those are the challenges for your defense. So we've got to figure out how to be more consistent on offense in a lot of ways.
If you go to our defense right now, there was a lot of pressure put on our defense. There's times on our defense, we played really well. There was times when we played very poorly. So we've had to go back and really kind of reevaluate. We've reevaluated everything. We've reevaluated players. We've reevaluated scheme. We've reevaluated everything that we need to to try to become a more effective defense, taking all things into consideration.
When we were playing in the Bowl game, we had defensive players, because of lack of depth, some of the issues last years, that ended up playing 140-some-odd plays. You'd like to get away from that a little bit.
Special teams-wise, there were times when we were really good. We returned kickoffs for touchdowns. Then we've returned kickoffs for an 18-yard kickoff return average, which is not acceptable. We've had to go back and look at our special teams to see where we are in those phases.
All things being told, consistency is going to be the name of the game with us in terms of us being better and really laying the second brick in the foundation of what we're trying to do.
Again, you know, wins and losses is not really something that we can pin a number to, to say this is going to be a successful second year, because I know some of you are going to ask that. It's more of, we want to be a more consistent team and we want to, on a consistent basis, play better than we did last year, then the numbers work themselves out.
We brought three tremendous young men here today to the Media Day that I would like to spend a couple of minutes talking about. We have Lee Ziemba, our starting left tackle. Lee is a tremendous Auburn man. He had a chance to come out and be a high draft pick this past year, but he loves Auburn. He made the choice to stay at Auburn. Him and I talked numerous times. He's as happy as he's ever been. He's a great Auburn man. I think he's a great story. He's probably going to break most of the records for consecutive starts at Auburn University and has played extremely well last year and we're expecting a big year from Lee.
We have Josh Bynes, who is our leading tackler from our defense; last year, a guy that didn't have any choice, he couldn't come off the field. Played relentlessly all through 13 games. Didn't miss a snap, didn't miss a practice. Played beat up, tired. Just showed a lot of kind of the Auburn way. It's just what you do. You keep working, and you keep working through all the adversities that he went through. Great to have Josh here, too, as one of our players on defense. Obviously our middle linebacker.
Then I thought we would bring a third young man that I think is a great story, and that's Aairon Savage. He applied for a sixth year. It's unique and neat because I recruited Aairon before I left Auburn as an assistant, then have an opportunity to come back now and coach him is really neat for me personally. But just really blessed to have a young guy like that on our football team that brings so much leadership. Has been the epitome of a guy that's been persistent and fought through so many things in his career that could potentially bring you down.
I mean, this guy was a starter three and four years ago when he walked on campus as a true freshman and played very well. He gets a knee injury. Last year he's trucking along during summer workouts, he has an Achilles tendon problem. Just a guy that, bless his heart, has done everything we've asked him to do. He's a great Auburn man, great football player. I'm just glad we have him back on our football team and the leadership that he brings to our team is second to none.
Those are the three young men here with us. Very proud of all three of those guys. Just wanted to mention them.
That's kind of the state of the union address of where we are at Auburn. That's where we're going. That's the direction we're headed in. Again, I think the Auburn family is extremely excited about the future of Auburn football. I've went and talked to a lot of different clubs as we've made the trek over the last few months. There's a great excitement from the Auburn family. That's a good thing.
Without any further ado, I'm going to open this up to questions. We'll hit the ground running.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. Right off the bat, you said a long-term plan and long-term vision. Given how impatient everybody is these days, new cycles go faster, how can you afford to think long-term?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, I don't think you can do this job without having a great vision for what you want to get done down the road. Obviously within those plans, you know, you're in a continuous evaluation process of what's happening now. I mean, it's not like you just lose sight of what you're doing now. Everything is an ongoing evaluation, trying to get better at what we do now.
When I talk about long-term vision, it's not just how we recruit players and how we manage our roster, it's the whole department, starting with our president, Dr. Gogue, with our athletic director Jay Jacobs, with our board of regents.
I mean, our trustees. Look at what we did with our facility upgrades, where we're going with those with a brand-new indoor that our trustees approved. I just think everybody's on the same page. I think everybody has a great vision for what we need and where we need to get. Whether it's facility improvement, whether it's recruiting, we've got a commitment from our administration that's second to none. We're all on the same page. That's a great thing to know as a head coach. It's a great feeling.
So when I talk about vision and future, that's really what I'm talking about.
Q. In the pre-season you and Arkansas are the two teams everyone are picking to ascend in the SEC. Can you compare and contrast your team and Arkansas?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, you know, that's hard to compare. I know Arkansas is returning a very, very good football team. Obviously, we went to Fayetteville last year and we saw that firsthand. I think Coach Petrino, who obviously I've been on the same staff with, is a great football coach. He'll have that team ready to play.
He's going into I think his third year now. When you've been to a place three years, you have the opportunity to have really laid down, for the two previous years, you know, what your expectations are, guys buying in, things of that nature. I know they're going to have a very good football team.
I just don't have time to really evaluate, continually evaluate, other people. I do that on game week. We do some of that in the off-season.
All my time and effort goes into what Auburn does. Those things that other people do, I can't control and don't try to. I got my hands full trying to obviously move Auburn football in the right direction.
So I don't know what people are saying. I'm not sure of what everybody thinks about the status of Arkansas, Auburn, everybody else. I don't really have time for that - and I mean this - I'm very focused on what we're trying to do at Auburn.
Comparatively speaking, I don't know that I can do that and be fair. I just know they have a very good football team, and our job this year is to have a better team than we had last year.
Q. You brought in a pretty highly regarded recruiting class. The NCAA is proposing legislation that would limit a school from offering a scholarship until the summer before a recruit's senior year. Does that limit what you can do on your recruiting plan? What are your general thoughts on that?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, you know, everybody knows kind of where recruiting has evolved, how it's evolved in the last two years. It's the way recruiting is right now. I think technology has a lot to do with it. You have all these different ways, there's more ways to communicate with all these guys. So it's sped up the recruiting process.
I would have no problem with that because I think a young guy deserves to be able to kind of go through the recruiting. I think that's a neat thing. It's backed up to the point now where literally you're looking at and evaluating sophomores. They're visiting your campus or camps, and you're sitting there talking to a 15-year-old what it's going to be like three years from now. That's a little bit of a weird dynamic when you really sit down and think about it.
So I don't know how that would be regulated. Obviously, you couldn't send them a written piece of paper if the legislation goes through. That could be regulated. In terms of the verbal offers and what you say, that could get a little tricky. I think the concept of it is really something that I would be in favor of.
I don't know exactly what direction you would be able to move into to be able to regulate that. Obviously, like I said, you would, something on written paper. But I think it would be good for the young man if the process were slowed down. But that's like trying to put sand back into the sand glass. I mean, it's out. It's hard to go backwards because we've kind of moved in the direction of being ahead of the game when it comes to recruiting younger guys because that's where it's gone.
In theory, probably a good thing.
Q. Talking about the facilities upgrade you mentioned, can you talk a little bit about how that affects recruiting, the advantages the facilities give you in recruiting athletes. Also looking at the class of 2011, can you talk about the depth of that class both in state and around the region?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, number one, when you talk about facilities upgrades, that's where I think administratively we have a great vision, starting with our president, Jay Jacobs, everybody involved. I think obviously it's huge. It's huge. You only have one time to make a first impression. When somebody comes on your campus. When we walk in and have the 'wow factor' with whatever they're looking at, it's big.
The things we're going to do is not only just for recruiting purposes. We want them to have a lot of function for what we're trying to do. The indoor is going to look nice. It's going to be state-of-the-art. There's no question about that. We're going to do that right. But also it's going to be very functional for us, which we're going to get a lot of use out of that.
We've got plans to do so many upgrades with Auburn athletics, but Auburn football specifically, there's a plan to continue to upgrade everything that we can, again, because you have to. That's where the league is.
Obviously recruiting is one of the major reasons that you do that.
In regards to the 2011 state of Alabama recruiting I'm assuming is what you're asking me. Again, the state of Alabama always has a tremendous amount of talent and we'll always do our best to recruit this state first and foremost. We'll continue to work in that direction. But we're really happy with just the relationships we built with all the high school coaches and how they've been with us in terms of treating us when we come to their campuses and things of that nature. They've been great.
We'll continue to recruit the state as our number one priority, and we'll move on from there.
Q. I think it's pretty clear to a lot of people that you did lay a foundation last year with the things that you did. With Coach Malzahn in particular on offense, you scored points, won games, but it seemed at times you scored so quickly, you put a pressure on your defense at a place where you had a lack of depth. Can you also talk about the things you have to do to play more consistently as far as specific variables for your team both offensively and defensively?
COACH CHIZIK: I think the point is well taken. With our offense, one of the things you go into, you sit before the season, you talk about, What do you need to do from an offensive standpoint? One of them is have explosive plays. When you have that -- in our case last year, it was a little bit of a different dynamic, simply because we had plays where we scored fast and quick. We're good with that. I'm good with that. That's not a problem.
But with that offense, there are big-play and big-strike capabilities. What we need to address that we saw in the off-season as we evaluated everything is, How can we sustain longer drives? That was where we felt like, from a team concept, we needed to, you know, continue to improve. So that means getting first downs. That means driving the football, running the football, doing the things that can keep our defense off the field a little bit more.
When you talk about what specific things defensively can we do, I think we just have to play more disciplined football and we've got to continue to - which we're working on now - continue to build the depth of our defense. I think there was a significant drop-off at positions last year between the first and second guy on defense. Not an excuse. Doesn't mean we're not expecting to play better defense this year.
Then from the standpoint of our special teams, as well, being very consistent with what we're trying to do there, it's execution, it's discipline, it's accountability. All those things I think add into the dynamic of our team being a better team next year.
Q. I want to ask you about Cam Newton. Short on experience. In terms of the raw physical skills that you see on the practice field, what are his greatest strengths and areas he needs to get better at?
COACH CHIZIK: Cameron, he is a phenomenal young man, first of all. He's done everything we've asked him to do both on and off the field. You can just see Cameron physically when he walks through the door, you know he's a very athletic, very talented young man.
It's a good thing that he's had a little bit of experience in this league just traveling around and being in different stadiums, seeing it, knowing it. I think that little thing in itself is big.
The fact that he went to a junior college, was able to lead that team to a national championship, I think that was big. I think that's all kind of in the recipe of getting Cameron ready to play in this league consistently.
There's question marks in terms of what's he going to do and how is the function of our offense going to be when you're playing in front of 90,000. Obviously that's the question.
But everything that we have to base our idea on right now, with what we've expected him to do, what we've asked him to do, he's done everything we've asked him. He's really, really worked at it, and a lot on his own. That's the thing that excites me about him. He wants to be a great football player. He really, really does. As we've told him, I've told everybody else, he's got to get on the field now and deliver. That's the last piece of the puzzle and the most critical part. He can do whatever he wants in practice. He's got to take that to the game field and deliver.
We're excited to see Cameron in action in the first game, see how he responds.
Q. You talked about laying the foundation, setting offensive records. With your type of offense, do you think that's the best way for you to sell your product to a recruit, to compete against Nick Saban of Alabama, like you mentioned about the state of Alabama recruiting? Does that help you out selling a different product? Is that the best way to compete against Nick Saban, who has had top five classes since he's been at the University of Alabama?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, we recruit against everybody in the country. As we know, you can tell by how many players got drafted in this league, arguably there's a ton of talent that everybody's vying for every year in this league.
That doesn't include all the people that come from different leagues to this region of the United States to get great players. So we recruit against everybody.
I don't think there's any question that the productivity of us on offense helps us sell Auburn University to a young man that wants to come in and play who's an offensive guy. In one football season, you know, you can look on paper and see touchdown passes. There's so many things that I can go into, I don't want to go into them all, but there's things we did last year that are just a glimmer of how good we can be. That's where we're working. If you're a young guy wanting to come in and play right now, there's not a lot of long lines to stand in at Auburn to play.
The fact that there's opportunities, the fact that we're gonna be an explosive offense, hopefully, more so than we were last year, I think those are all intriguing things.
But we recruit against everybody. Hey, you know what? We just sell our product. We sell our product. Recruiting's about relationships. At the end of the day, recruiting's about relationships. We try to work really hard and make sure that nobody out-works us. I said that from the day I came there. We want to make sure that nobody is out-working us in recruiting.
I've got a great staff that has really bought into that. They are right there with me on it. So those are all things -- I'm not trying to get into a recruiting pitch, but those are the things that are important to us. If you're a young guy on offense, that might be intriguing to you.
Q. Zac Etheridge was officially cleared to play this week. Talk about how much that means to the team and the safety position in general?
COACH CHIZIK: Well, let me first start out and talk about Zac as a young man. This is a tremendously, tremendously blessed young man. What a great kid. He's put so much into Auburn University. He's put so much into football. He eats, sleeps, and drinks football.
Last year when the injury occurred, obviously the only thing that mattered for the Auburn family is that he was healthy again. Football was not in the equation at that point. It's been a journey for him that's been very emotional. There's been a lot of ups and a lot of downs, wondering what is my situation, what is going to be the final verdict. You're looking at a young man that just dreams of playing football since he was three and four years old.
So to be able to get the news. Let me tell you something. Our medical staff, our doctors that are associated with the care of him, have been absolutely phenomenal. Our medical staff is the best in the country, I really believe that. We've all been on the same page all the way through. That means coaches, family, training staff, doctors. It's just been an incredible journey in how it unfolded.
To get that news the other day that he was able to play is just an incredible feeling for our whole football team. Everybody has an extremely high level of regard for Zac as a player and a member of our team. It was great for our football team. It was great for him. So we're excited about the prospects of having him back.
Q. You spoke earlier this morning about talking to the folks, the Auburn people. They were very excited about what they think is going to be coming. Does that translate into pressure for you? Do you feel that?
COACH CHIZIK: You know, more pressure I think for coaches is self-imposed than anything else. I'm just excited about the fact that the Auburn family is really -- as I've gone and I've talked to 11 or 12 different clubs, however many it's been, it's the same passion and energy and excitement at every place. That's really cool for me, because that was one of the things I wanted to do as well, is really pull the Auburn family back together. I feel it and I sense it when I go talk to people. It's really a neat thing.
But the pressure that's involved, you know, there was pressure when I was a defensive coordinator. There's pressure when you're head coach. There's pressure when you're a position coach. Bottom line, we're in a day and age where everybody wants to win. That's not gonna change.
Again, I think guys that are very competitive and head coaches, position coaches, everybody else, when you're in this profession, I don't know that your self-imposed pressure is maybe the most pressure that you feel.
Q. One of the big statements you made last year in recruiting was getting Trovon Reed, the number one player in Louisiana. Can you describe what you see maybe his role being for your team this year.
COACH CHIZIK: Well, it's going to be really interesting because Trovon is one of those guys that can do so many things. We know that he's a very talented young man with the ball in his hands. He can do a number of things. That's why these two-a-days coming up, fall camp, is going to be extremely critical because we have young guys like Trovon that we have ideas of where he can fit and what he can do and what he can bring to the table. We're going to have to get out there and really work with him and see.
Again, we know when he has the ball in his hands, he's a threat. Whether that's at wide-out, whether that's at a wildcat position, wherever that is, I don't know. I know we have ideas of where we're going to try to go with him and how we're going to try to get the ball in his hands, but we got to see how fast he develops. And we got to see what he feels comfortable in and where he fits best with our offense.
But very talented young man, great kid. We're very blessed to have him at Auburn.
Q. In recent years, it's been Alabama and/or Florida SEC national championships. Looking forward, how difficult is it for other teams in this league to catch those programs? Are they that dominant in the future?
COACH CHIZIK: I think it's obvious, if you go back over the last few years, it's two great programs. But if you look at this league from top to bottom, you've got great programs everywhere. I mean, if you look over the last however many, eight, nine years, you've got three national champions from the SEC West, you have a 2004 undefeated Auburn team that was 13-0, that I was blessed to be a part of, that was one of the greatest teams that Auburn has had.
It's the whole league. I don't know that you can pin it on two, because there's been so many other great football teams and players that have come throughout the league top to bottom.
So, you know, obviously Florida and Alabama have done a really nice job over the last couple years, both recruiting and coaching. But the whole league is that way.
Hey, we're going to continue to fight every week in the league no matter who we're playing. But the league is challenging itself. That's from top to bottom.
THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you.
COACH CHIZIK: Thank you.
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