Alabama is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States.

More on [ Alabama ]

Breaking News from The Birmingham News

Brazilian doctors discover child's body full of sewing needles
The Associated Press Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:40:45 -0000
Needles not swallowed but pushed into body, doctor says In this frame taken from a TV Globo video, a person points at a X-ray of a 2-year-old boy showing needles inside his body in a hospital in Ibotirama, northern Brazil, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009. A 2-year-old Brazilian boy has as many as 50 metal sewing needles inside his body and a doctor treating the boy said they were apparently stuck there one by one. (AP Photo/Agencia O Globo) BRASILIA, Brazil -- A 2-year-old Brazilian boy has as many as 50 metal sewing needles inside his body and a doctor treating the boy said Wednesday they were apparently stuck there one by one. Dr. Luiz Cesar Soltoski told The Associated Press that surgeons hope to remove most of the needles -- some as long as 2 inches (5 centimeters)-- but because some are stuck in his lungs, they have to wait until the child's breathing improves. Some cannot be removed; they are too close to vital organs or actually inside them, Soltoski said. The boy's mother, a maid, brought him to a hospital in the small northeastern city of Ibotirama on Thursday, saying he was complaining of pain. Three days later, after X-rays revealed some of the needles, doctors had him shifted to a larger hospital in Barreiras. The mother told police she doesn't know how the needles got inside her son, but police have opened an investigation. The boy's name was withheld because of his age. Soltoski said he believes the needles were stuck into his body one by one because it would have been impossible for him to swallow them. "We think it could have only been by penetration because we found needles in the lung, the left leg and in different parts of the thorax. It couldn't have been by ingestion," Soltoski said. Doctors found no signs of outside wounds on the boy, but X-ray images carried by Brazilian Web sites clearly showed some of the needles inside his body. The boy is in intensive care, but Soltoski said his condition has improved since he was admitted.
Wounded Birmingham police officer hit by own gun's blast
Carol Robinson -- The Birmingham News Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:05:49 -0000
Officer was among group pursuing robbery suspects A car driven by a robbery suspect Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009, rests crashed into a building at Merchants Metal in Fairfield where it came to rest after the driver lost control and crashed through a fence during a chase by police. (Frank Couch/Birmingham News) A Birmingham police officer is expected to recover from an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound sustained during a police chase Wednesday morning. West Precinct Officer Thomas Crow was wounded in the hand from the shotgun blast. "It appears there was some type of accidental discharge when the officer fell while pursuing the suspect," said Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper. The chase began when a man and woman robbed the Wendy's restaurant at Lorna Road and U.S. 31 in Hoover at gunpoint at 9:44 a.m., said Hoover police spokesman Capt. Jim Coker. The pursuit wound from Interstate 65 to Interstate 59/20 into Ensley, then Wylam, where police said a Homewood officer used his rifle to bust out the window of the suspect's car and pulled out a female suspect. The male suspect continued to flee in the car, taking the chase to Fairfield where the second suspect struck a Birmingham police car and then crashed through a fence and into a building at Merchants Metal. The suspect was taken to a hospital to be checked out for injuries, police said. Police officers from Hoover, Homewood, Birmingham and Fairfield were involved in the pursuit, which ended just after 10 a.m.
Birmingham officer expected to recover from wound sustained in morning chase
Carol Robinson -- The Birmingham News Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:08:29 -0000
West Precinct Officer Thomas Crow was shot in the hand, but it is not clear whether Crow was shot by the suspect, or whether he accidentally wounded himself. A car driven by a robbery suspect Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009, rests crashed into a building at Merchants Metal in Fairfield where it came to rest after the driver lost control  and it crashed through a fence during a chase by police. (Frank Couch/Birmingham News) A Birmingham police officer is expected to recover from a gunshot wound sustained during a police chase this morning, authorities said. West Precinct Officer Thomas Crow was shot in the hand. Police officials have not said whether Crow was shot by the suspect, or whether he accidentally wounded himself with his shotgun as he was getting out of the police cruiser. The incident remains under investigation. The chase began when a man and woman robbed the Wendy's restaurant at Lorna Road and U.S. 31 in Hoover at gunpoint  at 9:44 a.m., said Hoover police spokesman Capt. Jim Coker. The pursuit wound from Interstate 65 to Interstate 59/20 into Ensley, then Wylam, where police said a Homewood officer used his rifle to bust out the window of the suspect's  car and pulled out a female suspect. The male suspect continued to flee in the car, taking the chase to Fairfield where the second suspect struck a Birmingham police car and then crashed through a fence and into a building at Merchants Metal. The suspect was taken to a hospital to be checked  out for injuries, police said. Police officers from Hoover, Homewood, Birmingham and Fairfield were involved in the pursuit, which ended just after 10 a.m.

Breaking News from the Press-Register

Rain and flash floods cause havoc across south Alabama (with photo galleries)
Connie Baggett Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:05:01 -0000
Drier weather was projected for today, but another low-pressure system could bring more storms at the end of the week and the potential for further flooding. (Press-Register/Connie Baggett)St. Joseph flooding Downtown businesses along St. Joseph St. in Brewton battled high water on Monday, Dec. 15, 2009. Flash floods dumped a foot of water on the region Tuesday. BREWTON, Ala. -- Business owners took a hit and schools closed Tuesday after flash floods dumped a foot of water in the Brewton area in a few hours Monday night, turning downtown streets into fast-moving torrents. In north Baldwin County, some people scrambled to safety through rising water as creeks left their banks and threatened homes. "I got a call from someone at 1 a.m. telling me the water was over the highway," said Brewton businessman Nathaniel Roach, who said he managed to save only three portable buildings before the water got too high. View full size(Alabama Forestry Commission)The Alabama Forestry Commission took aerial photos of the flooding in Brewton and Flomaton on December 15, 2009. Flash floods dumped a foot of water in the area, closing schools and disrupting business.Perdido, Escambia County and Brewton City schools closed Tuesday. Escambia County schools will be closed today, but Brewton City and Perdido schools were set to open today. Steve Brown with the local Alabama Extension Service said the prolonged rainfall could compromise the quality of cotton still unharvested, and would likely ruin any ungathered peanuts. Drier weather was projected for today, but another low-pressure system could bring more storms at the end of the week and the potential for further flooding. "It's something we'll have to watch," said Jeff Garmon, warning coordination meteorologist with the Mobile office of the National Weather Service. "We can't take as much heavy rain as we normally can." Hundreds of people walked through Brewton early Tuesday surveying the inundated streets where Murder Creek, the Conecuh River and Burnt Corn Creek converge. Through the years, the area has seen frequent high water during times of severe rain. "I worked at Weaver's back in the mid-1970s when there was heavy flooding," said local resident Fran Sanders, "I got in a boat at the courthouse and they took me to the store to help save what we could." View full size(Press-Register/Connie Baggett) Water rose too quickly in parts of Brewton for a motorist to move a truck to safety or for a business to turn off its neon sign. She said, "I hate this for the store owners, right here at Christmas when things were looking up." Several merchants were critical of local officials for not alerting them late yesterday to the potential for flooding; officials said that there was little possibility of issuing warnings when rainfall became so persistent and intense. Escambia County Emergency Management Director David Adams rubbed his eyes after a sleepless night saying that Burnt Corn Creek was falling, as well as Big Escambia by noon Tuesday. Parts of Mobile County have seen more than 10 inches of rain in the past five days, according to Garmon. Six to 8 inches fell near the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, with greater amounts from Bay Minette northeastward. Atmore got from 12 to 13.5 inches from Monday to early Tuesday, Garmon said, in areas already saturated from previous days of rain. The month is already Mobile's second-wettest December on record, at 12.39 inches of rain recorded through mid-morning Tuesday at the Mobile Regional Airport. The record is December 1853 at 13.09 inches. Parts of Atmore and Flomaton remained flooded Tuesday, but with few homes damaged. Officials identified Mike Allen as the man responsible for rescuing four people late Monday who were clinging to trees along Brushy Creek. Allen used his personal watercraft to pluck all four to safety. Adams said forecasters expect Murder Creek to top 29 feet by midnight, two feet above the noon mark Tuesday. Flood stage for Murder Creek is 22 feet. The Conecuh River should crest at 30.8 feet early today with flood stage at 27 feet. Water might not drop below the 30-foot mark before noon Friday, Adams said. In Baldwin County, 21-year-old Brandi Foster said she and her extended family had to swim through rising floodwaters in Perdido late Monday when Dyas Creek left its banks. "We swam across the yard," she said. "We had quite a current going on. It was about 5:30 p.m. Monday when we got home, and we got the children together and headed out by 6:30 and the water was coming in the house." Foster said four children, ages 15, 9, 5 and 1, were helped to safety by four adults. All were back home about 11:30 p.m., she said. Foster blamed part of the problem on a faulty culvert near their home. Baldwin County spokesman Paula Tillman said Baldwin Road 47 remained closed, as well as several roads in Rabun and Perdido. She said county crews remained on the job throughout the evening Monday. Volunteer firefighters did answer calls to save some residents from their homes, she said. The county shelter Bay Minette remained open Tuesday, Tillman said. Police and fire department dispatchers and others in south Mobile County said rain was heavy, but reported no flooding or roads significantly damaged. Mobile County Public Works Department Superintendent Ted Lawson said roads in the northern end of the county -- like Mason Ferry Road, Earlville Road and Lott Road -- could stay closed for days due to flooding. Adam Buck, a spokesman for the city of Mobile, reported few problems beyond local street flooding. Halls Mill Road between Demetropolis and Range Line roads was closed by high water for several hours Monday night, he said. (Reporters Gary McElroy, Kim Lanier and Mark Kent contributed to this report.)
Toulminville teen arrested in robberies
Robert McClendon Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:06:17 -0000
Police Tuesday arrested a teenage girl in connection with a pair of armed robberies, authorities said in a news release. Porter is charged with two counts of first-degree robbery. MOBILE, Ala. -- Police Tuesday arrested a teenage girl in connection with a pair of armed robberies, authorities said in a news release.      Precious Porter, 17, of Toulminville, was charged with two counts of first-degree robbery after she confessed to her part in the Oct. 10 hold-ups, police said.       One of the robberies occurred at the intersection of Hamilton and Conti streets downtown the other in the 700 block of Hillcrest Road in west Mobile.      Police had already arrested an alleged accomplice in the robberies. Porter is being held in Mobile County Metro Jail without bail pending a Thursday court hearing, according to jail records.
Radio station owner charged with child sexual abuse
Guy Busby Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:57:17 -0000
Baldwin County authorities arrested Walter J. Bowen, owner of radio station WNSI, this morning on two charges of sexual abuse of a child younger than 12, Robertsdale police Sgt. Rex Bishop said. Baldwin County authorities arrested Walter J. Bowen, owner of radio station WNSI, this morning on two charges of sexual abuse of a child younger than 12, Robertsdale police Sgt. Rex Bishop said. Bowen, 67, of Robertsdale was charged with one count by Robertsdale police and one count Walter J. Bowen was charged today with sexual abuse of a child younger than 12.by the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office. Because the case involved allegations of sexual acts on a child, Bishop said he could not comment on details of the investigation. Bishop said the child was known to Bowen, but was not a relative. He said the incident investigated by Robertsdale was reported to the police in August and Bowen was arrested at 8:15 a.m. today after an indictment was returned by the Baldwin County grand jury. Bowen had not been booked into the Baldwin County Corrections Center early today, according to jail records.

Breaking News from The Huntsville Times

Richard Scrushy's Birmingham estate up for auction on Monday
The Associated Press Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:40:44 -0000
Attorneys trying to collect a $2.8 billion judgment against Scrushy hope the home sells at auction on Monday. The sprawling estate in Vestavia Hills could bring millions. (File photo)Richard ScrushyBIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Plans to sell the Birmingham-area estate of Richard Scrushy are moving ahead now that the Alabama Supreme Court has turned down an appeal by the imprisoned HealthSouth Corp. founder. Attorneys trying to collect a $2.8 billion judgment against Scrushy hope the home sells at auction on Monday. The sprawling estate in Vestavia Hills could bring millions. Scrushy's fleet of cars and his lake mansion already have been sold for more than $8 million total. The money will help pay a verdict stemming from a judge's decision that Scrushy led a huge accounting fraud while he was running the Birmingham-based HealthSouth. (AP Photo)Richard Scrushy's house on Lake Martin is valued at more than $5 million.Scrushy asked courts to block the collection attempts, but the Alabama Supreme Court refused in a decision released Tuesday.
School bus wreck injures six in Etowah County
The Associated Press Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:35:49 -0000
Etowah County officials are investigating the cause of a collision between a school bus and a pickup truck that injured five children and the bus driver. File imageRAINBOW CITY, Ala. (AP) -- Etowah County officials are investigating the cause of a collision between a school bus and a pickup truck that injured five children and the bus driver. The Gadsden Times reports that Jimmy Sewell, transportation director for Etowah County Schools, says the bus apparently pulled in front of the truck Tuesday afternoon. Rainbow City Fire Chief Kevin Conklin says five children ranging in age from 8 to 14 were taken to hospitals with noncritical injuries. The bus driver was treated on site. Jon Paul Campbell, assistant superintendent of Etowah County Schools, says an additional school bus arrived to continue transporting the children to their homes once they had been cleared by emergency medics.
Auburn University president questioned athletic broadcast rights deal
Bob Lowry Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:57:35 -0000
A powerful state senator Tuesday asked the president of Auburn University to explain why the school was willing to accept $4 million less from Rep. Mike Hubbard's former company when it took bids on athletic broadcasting rights. The Huntsville TimesAuburn University President Jay Gogue MONTGOMERY, AL -- A powerful state senator Tuesday asked the president of Auburn University to explain why the school was willing to accept $4 million less from Rep. Mike Hubbard's former company when it took bids on athletic broadcasting rights. Dr. Jay Gogue, along with other college and university presidents, will appear Thursday before lawmakers during budget hearings at the Statehouse. Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, chairman of the education budget-writing committee, in a letter to Gogue, requested that he be prepared to answer questions about financial issues that some senators "find troubling." Sanders said the senators are also seeking information about the contracting of state employees through the Auburn University Montgomery budget. Auburn spokesman Mike Clardy said the university had received Sanders' letter and added, "We're in the process of gathering the information and will provide it as requested." Sanders' letter noted that in 2002, the Auburn Athletic Department solicited bids for a four-year broadcasting rights deal for its sports events. He said a national company offered to pay Auburn $12.5 million for a five-year exclusive deal, but Auburn selected Hubbard's company for a bid of only $8.55 million. Sanders questioned why Auburn would accept less money. Hubbard told The Times in an earlier interview that the two contracts weren't comparable and the other company, Kentucky-based Host Communications, was having financial problems. Host was later sold to IMG's College Sports Group. Shortly after he won the contract, Hubbard sold his company to a competitor, North Carolina-based ISP Sports, which made him president of its Auburn affiliate. Hubbard, who is chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, responded Tuesday that the questions being raised by Sanders are "the same old stuff the Democrats are trying to dredge up from past campaigns." "There's no basis in fact," he said. "In fact, the guy who ran against me (in the 2006 GOP primary) used it in his campaign and filed an ethics complaint against me, and I was cleared. The Democrats are nervous and trying to divert attention. I have nothing to hide." Sanders said the Senate Democratic Caucus also wants information about items hidden within the budgets of the Auburn University system. He suggested those items have been used to conceal the hiring of some employees linked to state computer work and to Paragon Source, the company that recently won a $5.9 million no-bid state contract extension to do work for the state Finance Department. The Times reported earlier that former Finance Director Jim Main brought Sandra Porter out of state retirement and hired her under a contract with AUM while she also drew her state pension. After a year she began working for Paragon Source. She has since returned to the state payroll full time. In particular, Sanders said the caucus wants an explanation for the hiring of Porter, and six others hired on the same contract through AUM for "consulting support for financial management services." Sanders said all the employees hired were used in other state agencies and did no work for AUM.

montgomeryadvertiser.com - News


Subscribe to Alabama RSS feed