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Animals are a major group of organisms, classified as the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. In general they are multicellular, capable of locomotion, responsive to their environment, and feed by consuming other organisms. Their body plan becomes fixed as they develop, usually early on in their development as embryos, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on.
The word "animal" comes from the Latin word animal, of which animalia is the plural, and ultimately from anima, meaning vital breath or soul.
Characteristics
Animals have several characteristics that set them apart from other living things. Animals are eukaryotic and usually multicellular (although see Myxozoa), which separates them from bacteria and most protists. They are heterotrophic, generally digesting food in an internal chamber, which separates them from plants and algae. They are also distinguished from plants, algae, and fungi by lacking cell walls. More on [ Animal ]
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Breaking News from The Birmingham News - al.com
Pair of robbers end American dream for man who came to U.S. from Vietnam 33 years ago
phickerson@bhamnews.com Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:37:44 -0000
Trieu Duong and his family arrived in the U.S. on the most American of days. It was the Fourth of July. In 1976.Mark Almond/The Birmingham NewsTrieu Duong was killed Thursday afternoon during a robbery at his Fairfield jewelry store. Edward Morsby III was arrested in Virginia and charged with capital murder Perry Cauthen was arrested in southwest Virginia and charged with capital murder Trieu Duong and his family arrived in the U.S. on the most American of days. It was the Fourth of July. In 1976. And that made it their adopted nation's bicentennial, and a perfect time to embark on the American Dream. Duong's was a stirring story. He, his wife, and their then-only child fled Vietnam after the war there ended. The family endured rough seas as they made their escape, survived a pirate attack and spent time in a Thai refugee camp before finding an American sponsor, a longtime friend said. But they made it to America, and for 33 years lived its dream. Then on Thursday afternoon, during a Fairfield robbery, it became a nightmare. Duong, 54, was shot dead by robbers at Jewelry For Less, his jewelry store on Martin Luther King Drive. Two men went inside about 5 p.m. and broke a glass jewelry case, Fairfield Police Chief Pat Mardis said. When Duong appeared from the rear of the store, one of the men shot him in the head. Duong was dead on arrival Thursday at UAB Hospital. Although his wife was in the store at the time of the shooting, she was not injured. Both suspects in the slaying were arrested Friday by police and U.S. Marshals and charged with capital murder. One was caught in Virginia wearing a shirt that read "I'm the one that got away," officials said. "Wrong," Mardis said. "He didn't get away." Edward Morsby III -- who Mardis described as the shooter -- was arrested Friday morning on Interstate 81. Also arrested Friday was 27-year-old Perry Cauthen Jr. U.S. Marshals and police took Cauthen into custody about 1 a.m. at a house on Pearson Avenue in southwest Birmingham, said U.S. Marshal Marty Keely. Dr. Thomas Gaskin, a longtime friend of the Duong family, remembered Trieu Duong as a shy man with a big, winning smile. "They endeared themselves to all who knew them," Gaskin said of the family. "It is a tragedy for his family and our community to lose Trieu." Gaskin, 66, is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, which first sponsored the Duong family. "I thought they were the perfect example of what desirable and responsible immigrants ought to be," he said. The Duong family -- police initially offered a different spelling of the name-- did not comment. A woman waved a reporter away at the family's Hoover home. Mardis called the suspects "cold-blooded killers." "Lucky for us, the entire crime scene was caught on videotape," Mardis said. Morsby -- who is believed to be from Brighton -- was being held in a southwest Virginia jail Friday night, awaiting extradition. If he doesn't waive extradition, it could be a few days before he is brought back to face capital murder charges, but even if he does fight his return, it won't be too long, Mardis said. "We look to have him back here in Sweet Home Alabama in the next two weeks." Details of his arrest were unavailable Friday, and it was unclear whether the shirt he was wearing was meant as a reference to Thursday's homicide. "That shows the coldness of this guy," Mardis said Friday. "We're just elated they are both in custody. The true heroes here are my investigative team and the Marshal's office." Gaskin said he and others worried about Duong owning a jewelry store in Fairfield. He noted other incidents of robbery and violence involving immigrant store owners. "We have people who see them as vulnerable and want to prey on them," he said. The Duong family along with thousands of other Vietnamese fled their country following the war there. They left by small boats, which were often subject to pirate attacks. Though the United Nations established refugee camps in various countries, it didn't provide much refuge to many Vietnamese who were beaten, raped and killed in the camps. The Duongs, assigned to a Thai refugee camp, were among the fortunate ones, Gaskin said. "They were desirable because they were young, in their 20s and this was a husband and wife with a kid," he said. Gaskin said the Duongs now have three children. The church's sponsorship involved helping the family through the maze of social services, government bureaucracy, readjustment and resettlement, Gaskin said. Gaskin, a cancer specialist, served as their medical adviser. Lucile White's late mother, Ellie Smyer White, served as the family's chief representative for the congregation. Lucile White remembers the family's regular visits to her mother's home in Vestavia Hills. "They would come over for lunch and to help mother in the yard weekly," White said. Duong's death is not just a loss to his family and the church, but to the Fairfield community, Mardis said. Duong was known there, and sometimes did jewelry repair work for free. "He was well respected in that area," Mardis said. News staff writers Eric Velasco and Malcomb Daniels contributed to this report.
Clear tonight, sunny and hot for the Fourth
aruisi@bhamnews.com Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:05:00 -0000
Clear skies and a low around 68 are in tonight's forecast, while hot, sunny weather is on tap for Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Expect a high near 93 on Saturday, and an overnight low around 71. Saturday night, there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., with increasing clouds. Sunday's forecast calls for a 40 percent chance of rain and storms, with mostly cloudy skies and high near 92. Sunday night, there will be a 50 percent chance of storms and a low around 72.
Lawyer: Richard Scrushy not that rich
jarchibald@bhamnews.com Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:44:17 -0000
Lawyer for the HealthSouth founder said information in documents -- filed in an attempt by shareholders to freeze Scrushy's assets and collect a $2.8 billion civil judgment -- are based on "double-hearsay."News fileLawyers for shareholders of the Birmingham-based HealthSouth have started their attempts to collect as much of a $2.8 billion judgment against Richard Scrushy as possible. This afternoon, Scrushy's lawyers said the claims are outrageous.Claims that Richard Scrushy hid $600 million in offshore bank accounts are "outrageous and ridiculous," a lawyer for the jailed HealthSouth founder said in a statment Friday. Scrushy lawyer Art Leach released the statement the day after lawyers for HealthSouth Corp. shareholders made the allegation in documents filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court. Those documents are part of an attempt by shareholders to freeze Scrushy's assets and collect a $2.8 billion civil judgment levied against him last month after a Jefferson County Circuit judge found him liable for the fraud at Birmingham-based HealthSouth. Leach argued that some information in the documents was based on "double-hearsay" and said Scrushy has never been that rich. "There has never been a claim that Mr. Scrushy ever had a net worth of even half that amount. Additionally, due to continuous litigation since 2003, Mr. Scrushy's assets have only declined, not inclined, over time, to include huge payments made to the very plaintiff lawyers who filed the latest suit. Scrushy, 56, is in federal prison in Texas, about two years through a seven-year sentence levied for bribing former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman for a spot on the state agency that authorizes the construction of new hospitals.
Breaking News from the Press-Register - al.com
Gulf Shores Marine finds new meaning in July 4 after stint in Afghanistan
pcloos@press-register.com Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:09:52 -0000
GULF SHORES, Ala. -- This weekend's Fourth of July holiday is special for Edward Bonifay of Gulf Shores, who recently returned from a stint in Afghanistan.(Courtesy Edward Bonifay)Marine Cpl. Edward Bonifay of Gulf Shores is with one of the children near his deployment base in southern Afghanistan. Bonifay has spent the past seven months at a base camp in a classified location performing hazardous daily patrols. He said he is especially glad to be home for this year's Fourth of July holiday. GULF SHORES, Ala. -- This weekend's Fourth of July holiday is special for Edward Bonifay of Gulf Shores, who recently returned from a stint in Afghanistan. "I'm going to spend it with my family and friends," the 2006 Gulf Shores High School graduate said. Although his plans don't sound like anything out of the ordinary, Bonifay said he considers himself fortunate to be able to spend the holiday at home. Until less than one month ago, his Marine Corps unit was deployed in Afghanistan. "We were over there from November until June 4," he said. Bonifay said being in Afghanistan has made him appreciate the American way of life all the more. "It's weird and just so different from here," he said. "Over there, you see the poppy fields and the marijuana plants just growing by the side of the road." (Photo courtesy Clayton Wallace)Edward Bonifay was welcomed home last week with a barbecue given by his father, Larry, and stepmother, Terri. He is with girlfriend Cara Bloomer entertaining friends at the barbecue. He said being home this Fourth of July is special for him, as it shows him first-hand the freedom for which he and his fellow military personnel are fighting. He said although Afghanistan is now the largest supplier of illegal opiates and marijuana to the U.S., American military personnel are forbidden to destroy the fields. "The people over there are destitute," he said. "The only way they have of making money is through growing and selling poppies (for opiates) and marijuana, even though the drug trade is funding the Taliban." People who lived near his base of operations in the Gulistan Valley in southern Afghanistan seemed to appreciate the American military presence there more than did villagers from farther away, he said. "We were in between two villages. Both of them were in range of our 120 mm mortars, so we were able to keep them safe. The people in those towns really liked us," he said. "The people in villages farther out -- not so much." To keep up good relations with the local villagers, the Marines performed improvement projects in the villages. "We did a lot for neighboring communities," he said. "We installed solar-powered street lamps in one village and dug an irrigation ditch on both sides of a bazaar -- the local market." Bonifay and his fellow Marines also helped distribute backpacks donated by a NATO organization to local school children. "The kids were great; I really enjoyed interacting with them," he said, "although I thought it was a little weird that only the boys were allowed to go to school." If any girls received education, it was of an informal variety because of the Taliban, he said. "The Taliban had burned down their school in the past for teaching girls," he said. The weather was another thing to which Bonifay had to adjust. "The weather is a series of extremes. It was either really cold or really hot," he said. "The cold was miserable. It got up to 130 degrees during the day, but I'm from down here, so I could deal with the heat. When it got so hot during the day, the nights were frigid enough that snow stuck to the ground in the surrounding mountains." He said a typical day in the life of a Marine deployed in Afghanistan is fairly mundane. "You wake up and do your patrols, whether they're mounted or dismounted patrols. Then you come back to camp and go to bed," he said. "Then you do it all again the next day." The deployment may have been mundane day-to-day, but it wasn't without its dangers. "We were involved in several firefights where the Afghan fighters attacked us and the U.S. flag," he said. "We were lucky nobody was killed, but I did have one of my team members injured with some torn ligaments from one of the skirmishes." Bonifay is a corporal in Kilo Company, Second Platoon, Eighth Division of the Third Marines Battalion. While in Afghanistan, he was team leader of a five-man patrol team, he said. Being home for the Fourth of July makes him think about fellow military personnel who are either still in Afghanistan, or won't experience another Fourth of July with their friends and families. Bonifay said he plans to share his holiday with his father, Larry, and his stepmother, Terri, along with various other relatives and friends. "Being home for the Fourth is great. It makes you feel good about what you and your buddies are doing. I was over there defending our rights to carry on living our lives over here," he said. "It's also hard because you know you have buddies that won't come back to be here on any more Fourths of July."
Tomorrow's forecast today for southwest Alabama
pcloos@press-register.com Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:33:19 -0000
(AP Photo/Weather Underground)This NOAA satellite image was taken Friday, July 3, 2009 at 02:15 PM EDT. Independence Day: Heat index from 100 to 107. Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid- to upper 90s. Lows in the mid- to upper 70s. Rain chance: 10 percent Saturday and Saturday night. Sunday: Partly Cloudy. Highs in the low to mid- 90s. Lows in the low to upper 70s. Rain chance: 30 to 40 percent. (For a complete forecast, read Saturday's Press-Register. For more Alabama weather news, go to http://www.al.com/weather).
Lightning-damaged water mains in west Mobile repaired
rmcclendon@press-register.com Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:31:40 -0000
MOBILE, Ala. -- Work crews have repaired two water mains damaged by a lightning strike Thursday night, officials said. The two pipes, located on Lloyd's Lane and Hampton Oaks Drive, were damaged after lightning struck a tree, transferring the energy into the ground and to the pipes, said Barbara Shaw, a spokeswoman for the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System. Twenty-eight customers were affected by the damage, she said. Crews worked through the night and had water running normally by this morning, she said. View Larger Map
Breaking News from The Huntsville Times - al.com
Huntsville police blotter
niki.doyle@htimes.com Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:02:26 -0000
Unless otherwise noted, the following incidents were reported to Huntsville police Wednesday and Thursday. HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Unless otherwise noted, the following incidents were reported to Huntsville police Wednesday and Thursday. In items with incomplete addresses, police withheld the information: North precinct Boxwood Drive: One person was charged with possession of marijuana after a small plastic bag and a blunt were found during a traffic stop at 12:10 a.m. Thursday.Evans Avenue: A home in the 2100 block was burglarized between 3:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. A Yamaha four-wheeler, a Murray push mower, a miter saw and three skill saws were stolen. Garvin Circle: A home was burglarized between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday. Two shirts and four pair of shoes were reported stolen. Meadow Drive: One person was charged with possession of marijuana after a marijuana blunt was found during a traffic stop near University Drive. Memorial Parkway: Between 35 and 45 cell phones were stolen during the burglary of a convenience store in the 4900 block at 1:50 a.m. Thursday. Poplar Avenue: A Murray riding mower was stolen from a home in the 2600 block between 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Sparkman Drive: A home in the 1500 block was burglarized between 7 p.m. Wednesday and 2 a.m. Thursday. A 42-inch Sony TV, a computer and $300 cash were stolen. Timberlane Avenue: A home was burglarized between 10 a.m. and 10:20 a.m. Wednesday. A PlayStation 3 and a cell phone were stolen. South precinct Cameron Road: A home in the 2000 block was burglarized between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. June 18. Two diamond and gold earrings; a diamond, amethyst and gold necklace; a 36-inch gold necklace; four 16-inch gold necklaces and a 17-inch gold necklace were stolen. The theft was not reported to police until Wednesday. Curtis Drive: A 1998 Isuzu Rodeo and a 1995 Dodge Ram were stolen from a home in the 200 block between 12:01 a.m. and 11 p.m. Tuesday. Hunters Ridge Drive: A residence was burglarized between 5:45 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. An undisclosed amount of cash was stolen. Torino Drive: A Garmin GPS, an iPod, a pair of gold earrings, an 18-inch diamond-cut gold rope chain necklace and 12 ladies rings were stolen from a home between 12:01 a.m. May 1 and 7 a.m. June 23. The theft was not reported to police until Wednesday. Washington Street: One person was charged with possession of marijuana after a plastic bag containing an undisclosed quantity of marijuana was found during a traffic stop at Holmes Avenue at 2:10 a.m. Thursday. West precinct Bob Wallace Avenue: One person was charged with attempting to obtain drugs by fraud after they went into a drug store at the intersection of Triana Boulevard and tried to use a forged prescription. Governors Drive: A woman was robbed at gunpoint of her cell phone and some food Thursday night. The victim told police that a man with a gun approached her and demanded money, took her property and fled on foot. Jordan Lane: A traffic stop near Holmes Avenue resulted in one person being charged with drug violations after six plastic bags of marijuana and a digital scale were found in the vehicle. Rime Village Drive: One person is charged with possession of marijuana after two marijuana roaches and a small piece of marijuana were found in a residence in the 6100 block at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday.
Board approves Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary School
steve.campbell@htimes.com Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:22:36 -0000
Chapman Sisson ArchitectsAn artist's rendering of Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary School. HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Big Cove's next school will be called Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary School.The Huntsville school board Thursday voted to name the school after the Goldsmith-Schiffman Wildlife Sanctuary, a 300-acre park near the school site that will be an outdoor classroom. Margaret Anne Goldsmith, who donated much of the sanctuary to the city in 2002, also donated 31 acres along Old Big Cove and Taylor roads where the school will stand. In past board meetings, Goldsmith requested the school's name incorporate the sanctuary. The board obliged, although the board received 77 requests from school officials to name the building Big Cove Elementary School. The board received two requests for the school's approved name, and several other proposed names received one request each.
Motorcycle wreck on I-565
kim.albright@htimes.com Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:56:12 -0000
At least two people are hurt, one critically following a motorcycle accident westbound on I-565 near Research Park Boulevard. File photo HUNTSVILLE, AL. - At least two people are hurt, one critically following a motorcycle accident westbound on I-565 near Research Park Boulevard. The accident happend about 4:30 p.m. Both victims have been taken to Huntsville Hospital. No other details were immediately available.
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Pair of robbers end American dream for man who came to U.S. from Vietnam 33 years ago
phickerson@bhamnews.com Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:37:44 -0000
Trieu Duong and his family arrived in the U.S. on the most American of days. It was the Fourth of July. In 1976.Mark Almond/The Birmingham NewsTrieu Duong was killed Thursday afternoon during a robbery at his Fairfield jewelry store. Edward Morsby III was arrested in Virginia and charged with capital murder Perry Cauthen was arrested in southwest Virginia and charged with capital murder Trieu Duong and his family arrived in the U.S. on the most American of days. It was the Fourth of July. In 1976. And that made it their adopted nation's bicentennial, and a perfect time to embark on the American Dream. Duong's was a stirring story. He, his wife, and their then-only child fled Vietnam after the war there ended. The family endured rough seas as they made their escape, survived a pirate attack and spent time in a Thai refugee camp before finding an American sponsor, a longtime friend said. But they made it to America, and for 33 years lived its dream. Then on Thursday afternoon, during a Fairfield robbery, it became a nightmare. Duong, 54, was shot dead by robbers at Jewelry For Less, his jewelry store on Martin Luther King Drive. Two men went inside about 5 p.m. and broke a glass jewelry case, Fairfield Police Chief Pat Mardis said. When Duong appeared from the rear of the store, one of the men shot him in the head. Duong was dead on arrival Thursday at UAB Hospital. Although his wife was in the store at the time of the shooting, she was not injured. Both suspects in the slaying were arrested Friday by police and U.S. Marshals and charged with capital murder. One was caught in Virginia wearing a shirt that read "I'm the one that got away," officials said. "Wrong," Mardis said. "He didn't get away." Edward Morsby III -- who Mardis described as the shooter -- was arrested Friday morning on Interstate 81. Also arrested Friday was 27-year-old Perry Cauthen Jr. U.S. Marshals and police took Cauthen into custody about 1 a.m. at a house on Pearson Avenue in southwest Birmingham, said U.S. Marshal Marty Keely. Dr. Thomas Gaskin, a longtime friend of the Duong family, remembered Trieu Duong as a shy man with a big, winning smile. "They endeared themselves to all who knew them," Gaskin said of the family. "It is a tragedy for his family and our community to lose Trieu." Gaskin, 66, is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, which first sponsored the Duong family. "I thought they were the perfect example of what desirable and responsible immigrants ought to be," he said. The Duong family -- police initially offered a different spelling of the name-- did not comment. A woman waved a reporter away at the family's Hoover home. Mardis called the suspects "cold-blooded killers." "Lucky for us, the entire crime scene was caught on videotape," Mardis said. Morsby -- who is believed to be from Brighton -- was being held in a southwest Virginia jail Friday night, awaiting extradition. If he doesn't waive extradition, it could be a few days before he is brought back to face capital murder charges, but even if he does fight his return, it won't be too long, Mardis said. "We look to have him back here in Sweet Home Alabama in the next two weeks." Details of his arrest were unavailable Friday, and it was unclear whether the shirt he was wearing was meant as a reference to Thursday's homicide. "That shows the coldness of this guy," Mardis said Friday. "We're just elated they are both in custody. The true heroes here are my investigative team and the Marshal's office." Gaskin said he and others worried about Duong owning a jewelry store in Fairfield. He noted other incidents of robbery and violence involving immigrant store owners. "We have people who see them as vulnerable and want to prey on them," he said. The Duong family along with thousands of other Vietnamese fled their country following the war there. They left by small boats, which were often subject to pirate attacks. Though the United Nations established refugee camps in various countries, it didn't provide much refuge to many Vietnamese who were beaten, raped and killed in the camps. The Duongs, assigned to a Thai refugee camp, were among the fortunate ones, Gaskin said. "They were desirable because they were young, in their 20s and this was a husband and wife with a kid," he said. Gaskin said the Duongs now have three children. The church's sponsorship involved helping the family through the maze of social services, government bureaucracy, readjustment and resettlement, Gaskin said. Gaskin, a cancer specialist, served as their medical adviser. Lucile White's late mother, Ellie Smyer White, served as the family's chief representative for the congregation. Lucile White remembers the family's regular visits to her mother's home in Vestavia Hills. "They would come over for lunch and to help mother in the yard weekly," White said. Duong's death is not just a loss to his family and the church, but to the Fairfield community, Mardis said. Duong was known there, and sometimes did jewelry repair work for free. "He was well respected in that area," Mardis said. News staff writers Eric Velasco and Malcomb Daniels contributed to this report.
Clear tonight, sunny and hot for the Fourth
aruisi@bhamnews.com Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:05:00 -0000
Clear skies and a low around 68 are in tonight's forecast, while hot, sunny weather is on tap for Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Expect a high near 93 on Saturday, and an overnight low around 71. Saturday night, there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., with increasing clouds. Sunday's forecast calls for a 40 percent chance of rain and storms, with mostly cloudy skies and high near 92. Sunday night, there will be a 50 percent chance of storms and a low around 72.
Lawyer: Richard Scrushy not that rich
jarchibald@bhamnews.com Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:44:17 -0000
Lawyer for the HealthSouth founder said information in documents -- filed in an attempt by shareholders to freeze Scrushy's assets and collect a $2.8 billion civil judgment -- are based on "double-hearsay."News fileLawyers for shareholders of the Birmingham-based HealthSouth have started their attempts to collect as much of a $2.8 billion judgment against Richard Scrushy as possible. This afternoon, Scrushy's lawyers said the claims are outrageous.Claims that Richard Scrushy hid $600 million in offshore bank accounts are "outrageous and ridiculous," a lawyer for the jailed HealthSouth founder said in a statment Friday. Scrushy lawyer Art Leach released the statement the day after lawyers for HealthSouth Corp. shareholders made the allegation in documents filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court. Those documents are part of an attempt by shareholders to freeze Scrushy's assets and collect a $2.8 billion civil judgment levied against him last month after a Jefferson County Circuit judge found him liable for the fraud at Birmingham-based HealthSouth. Leach argued that some information in the documents was based on "double-hearsay" and said Scrushy has never been that rich. "There has never been a claim that Mr. Scrushy ever had a net worth of even half that amount. Additionally, due to continuous litigation since 2003, Mr. Scrushy's assets have only declined, not inclined, over time, to include huge payments made to the very plaintiff lawyers who filed the latest suit. Scrushy, 56, is in federal prison in Texas, about two years through a seven-year sentence levied for bribing former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman for a spot on the state agency that authorizes the construction of new hospitals.
Breaking News from the Press-Register - al.com
Gulf Shores Marine finds new meaning in July 4 after stint in Afghanistan
pcloos@press-register.com Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:09:52 -0000
GULF SHORES, Ala. -- This weekend's Fourth of July holiday is special for Edward Bonifay of Gulf Shores, who recently returned from a stint in Afghanistan.(Courtesy Edward Bonifay)Marine Cpl. Edward Bonifay of Gulf Shores is with one of the children near his deployment base in southern Afghanistan. Bonifay has spent the past seven months at a base camp in a classified location performing hazardous daily patrols. He said he is especially glad to be home for this year's Fourth of July holiday. GULF SHORES, Ala. -- This weekend's Fourth of July holiday is special for Edward Bonifay of Gulf Shores, who recently returned from a stint in Afghanistan. "I'm going to spend it with my family and friends," the 2006 Gulf Shores High School graduate said. Although his plans don't sound like anything out of the ordinary, Bonifay said he considers himself fortunate to be able to spend the holiday at home. Until less than one month ago, his Marine Corps unit was deployed in Afghanistan. "We were over there from November until June 4," he said. Bonifay said being in Afghanistan has made him appreciate the American way of life all the more. "It's weird and just so different from here," he said. "Over there, you see the poppy fields and the marijuana plants just growing by the side of the road." (Photo courtesy Clayton Wallace)Edward Bonifay was welcomed home last week with a barbecue given by his father, Larry, and stepmother, Terri. He is with girlfriend Cara Bloomer entertaining friends at the barbecue. He said being home this Fourth of July is special for him, as it shows him first-hand the freedom for which he and his fellow military personnel are fighting. He said although Afghanistan is now the largest supplier of illegal opiates and marijuana to the U.S., American military personnel are forbidden to destroy the fields. "The people over there are destitute," he said. "The only way they have of making money is through growing and selling poppies (for opiates) and marijuana, even though the drug trade is funding the Taliban." People who lived near his base of operations in the Gulistan Valley in southern Afghanistan seemed to appreciate the American military presence there more than did villagers from farther away, he said. "We were in between two villages. Both of them were in range of our 120 mm mortars, so we were able to keep them safe. The people in those towns really liked us," he said. "The people in villages farther out -- not so much." To keep up good relations with the local villagers, the Marines performed improvement projects in the villages. "We did a lot for neighboring communities," he said. "We installed solar-powered street lamps in one village and dug an irrigation ditch on both sides of a bazaar -- the local market." Bonifay and his fellow Marines also helped distribute backpacks donated by a NATO organization to local school children. "The kids were great; I really enjoyed interacting with them," he said, "although I thought it was a little weird that only the boys were allowed to go to school." If any girls received education, it was of an informal variety because of the Taliban, he said. "The Taliban had burned down their school in the past for teaching girls," he said. The weather was another thing to which Bonifay had to adjust. "The weather is a series of extremes. It was either really cold or really hot," he said. "The cold was miserable. It got up to 130 degrees during the day, but I'm from down here, so I could deal with the heat. When it got so hot during the day, the nights were frigid enough that snow stuck to the ground in the surrounding mountains." He said a typical day in the life of a Marine deployed in Afghanistan is fairly mundane. "You wake up and do your patrols, whether they're mounted or dismounted patrols. Then you come back to camp and go to bed," he said. "Then you do it all again the next day." The deployment may have been mundane day-to-day, but it wasn't without its dangers. "We were involved in several firefights where the Afghan fighters attacked us and the U.S. flag," he said. "We were lucky nobody was killed, but I did have one of my team members injured with some torn ligaments from one of the skirmishes." Bonifay is a corporal in Kilo Company, Second Platoon, Eighth Division of the Third Marines Battalion. While in Afghanistan, he was team leader of a five-man patrol team, he said. Being home for the Fourth of July makes him think about fellow military personnel who are either still in Afghanistan, or won't experience another Fourth of July with their friends and families. Bonifay said he plans to share his holiday with his father, Larry, and his stepmother, Terri, along with various other relatives and friends. "Being home for the Fourth is great. It makes you feel good about what you and your buddies are doing. I was over there defending our rights to carry on living our lives over here," he said. "It's also hard because you know you have buddies that won't come back to be here on any more Fourths of July."
Tomorrow's forecast today for southwest Alabama
pcloos@press-register.com Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:33:19 -0000
(AP Photo/Weather Underground)This NOAA satellite image was taken Friday, July 3, 2009 at 02:15 PM EDT. Independence Day: Heat index from 100 to 107. Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid- to upper 90s. Lows in the mid- to upper 70s. Rain chance: 10 percent Saturday and Saturday night. Sunday: Partly Cloudy. Highs in the low to mid- 90s. Lows in the low to upper 70s. Rain chance: 30 to 40 percent. (For a complete forecast, read Saturday's Press-Register. For more Alabama weather news, go to http://www.al.com/weather).
Lightning-damaged water mains in west Mobile repaired
rmcclendon@press-register.com Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:31:40 -0000
MOBILE, Ala. -- Work crews have repaired two water mains damaged by a lightning strike Thursday night, officials said. The two pipes, located on Lloyd's Lane and Hampton Oaks Drive, were damaged after lightning struck a tree, transferring the energy into the ground and to the pipes, said Barbara Shaw, a spokeswoman for the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System. Twenty-eight customers were affected by the damage, she said. Crews worked through the night and had water running normally by this morning, she said. View Larger Map
Breaking News from The Huntsville Times - al.com
Huntsville police blotter
niki.doyle@htimes.com Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:02:26 -0000
Unless otherwise noted, the following incidents were reported to Huntsville police Wednesday and Thursday. HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Unless otherwise noted, the following incidents were reported to Huntsville police Wednesday and Thursday. In items with incomplete addresses, police withheld the information: North precinct Boxwood Drive: One person was charged with possession of marijuana after a small plastic bag and a blunt were found during a traffic stop at 12:10 a.m. Thursday.Evans Avenue: A home in the 2100 block was burglarized between 3:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. A Yamaha four-wheeler, a Murray push mower, a miter saw and three skill saws were stolen. Garvin Circle: A home was burglarized between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday. Two shirts and four pair of shoes were reported stolen. Meadow Drive: One person was charged with possession of marijuana after a marijuana blunt was found during a traffic stop near University Drive. Memorial Parkway: Between 35 and 45 cell phones were stolen during the burglary of a convenience store in the 4900 block at 1:50 a.m. Thursday. Poplar Avenue: A Murray riding mower was stolen from a home in the 2600 block between 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Sparkman Drive: A home in the 1500 block was burglarized between 7 p.m. Wednesday and 2 a.m. Thursday. A 42-inch Sony TV, a computer and $300 cash were stolen. Timberlane Avenue: A home was burglarized between 10 a.m. and 10:20 a.m. Wednesday. A PlayStation 3 and a cell phone were stolen. South precinct Cameron Road: A home in the 2000 block was burglarized between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. June 18. Two diamond and gold earrings; a diamond, amethyst and gold necklace; a 36-inch gold necklace; four 16-inch gold necklaces and a 17-inch gold necklace were stolen. The theft was not reported to police until Wednesday. Curtis Drive: A 1998 Isuzu Rodeo and a 1995 Dodge Ram were stolen from a home in the 200 block between 12:01 a.m. and 11 p.m. Tuesday. Hunters Ridge Drive: A residence was burglarized between 5:45 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. An undisclosed amount of cash was stolen. Torino Drive: A Garmin GPS, an iPod, a pair of gold earrings, an 18-inch diamond-cut gold rope chain necklace and 12 ladies rings were stolen from a home between 12:01 a.m. May 1 and 7 a.m. June 23. The theft was not reported to police until Wednesday. Washington Street: One person was charged with possession of marijuana after a plastic bag containing an undisclosed quantity of marijuana was found during a traffic stop at Holmes Avenue at 2:10 a.m. Thursday. West precinct Bob Wallace Avenue: One person was charged with attempting to obtain drugs by fraud after they went into a drug store at the intersection of Triana Boulevard and tried to use a forged prescription. Governors Drive: A woman was robbed at gunpoint of her cell phone and some food Thursday night. The victim told police that a man with a gun approached her and demanded money, took her property and fled on foot. Jordan Lane: A traffic stop near Holmes Avenue resulted in one person being charged with drug violations after six plastic bags of marijuana and a digital scale were found in the vehicle. Rime Village Drive: One person is charged with possession of marijuana after two marijuana roaches and a small piece of marijuana were found in a residence in the 6100 block at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday.
Board approves Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary School
steve.campbell@htimes.com Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:22:36 -0000
Chapman Sisson ArchitectsAn artist's rendering of Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary School. HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Big Cove's next school will be called Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary School.The Huntsville school board Thursday voted to name the school after the Goldsmith-Schiffman Wildlife Sanctuary, a 300-acre park near the school site that will be an outdoor classroom. Margaret Anne Goldsmith, who donated much of the sanctuary to the city in 2002, also donated 31 acres along Old Big Cove and Taylor roads where the school will stand. In past board meetings, Goldsmith requested the school's name incorporate the sanctuary. The board obliged, although the board received 77 requests from school officials to name the building Big Cove Elementary School. The board received two requests for the school's approved name, and several other proposed names received one request each.
Motorcycle wreck on I-565
kim.albright@htimes.com Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:56:12 -0000
At least two people are hurt, one critically following a motorcycle accident westbound on I-565 near Research Park Boulevard. File photo HUNTSVILLE, AL. - At least two people are hurt, one critically following a motorcycle accident westbound on I-565 near Research Park Boulevard. The accident happend about 4:30 p.m. Both victims have been taken to Huntsville Hospital. No other details were immediately available.
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