September 24 News
September 12, 2012, Morning News
A Birmingham man faces up to five years in federal prison for tweeting threatening messages to President Barack Obama. The Birmingham News reports (links has tweets) that 25 year old Jarvis Britton was charged late Friday with making a threat against the president. Britton allegedly made two comments about killing the president in June. The Birmingham News quotes court documents that indicate he was warned not to do it again, but did last week. He’s being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail.
Former University of Alabama Huntsville professor Amy Bishop (pictured above) goes on trial today for shooting six people, killing three of them, during a faculty meeting two years ago. Jury selection will begin this morning, but it’s expected to be a short trial. The Harvard-educated biologist pleaded guilty earlier this month, in a deal to avoid the death penalty and face life in prison instead. But, under Alabama law, a trial is still required since she admitted to a capital charge of murder. Bishop is also awaiting trial for the shotgun death of her brother in Massachusetts in 1986.
A plea deal may be in the works for an Etowah County woman accused of running her 9 year old stepdaughter to death as punishment for lying. The Gadsden Times reports a defense attorney for the girl’s grandmother, who is also charged and faces the death penalty, indicated during a court hearing last week that talks between the girl’s stepmother and prosecutors may be under way. The grandmother is accused of forcing Savannah Hardin to run for about three hours in February. The stepmother failed to intervene. The girl collapsed and died three days later. Both women have entered not guilty pleas.
Former Alabama liquor store clerk Kellie Adams says she has difficulty going out in public 10 years after she was shot during a robbery that was tied to the “D.C. Snipers” case. Adams was severely wounded and a co-worker killed ten years ago this month. Adams tells The Montgomery Advertiser she went through 30 surgeries in five years and was hospitalized for psychological problems. Her marriage ended in divorce with her ex-husband getting custody of their child. Adams shooting has been attributed to the Beltway Snipers: John Allen Muhammad, who was executed in 2009, and Lee Boyd Malvo, who was 17 at the time of the shootings and is now serving life without parole.
Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney won’t be the only candidates for president on Alabama’s general election ballot Nov. 6. The secretary of state’s office says three other candidates have received the 5,000 signatures necessary to get on the ballot. Former U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode Jr. of Virginia is running on the Constitution Party ticket. Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson leads the Libertarian Party ticket. And Massachusetts doctor Jill Stein tops the Green Party ticket. Goode is on the ballot in 27 states, Johnson in 47, and Stein in 38 so far.
President Obama is tapping a Huntsville attorney to become only the second Alabamian to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority board during its 79-year history. Attorney Joe Ritch tells The Huntsville Times it’s an honor to be nominated. His nomination is subject to Senate approval. Ritch has been active in economic development work and is the longtime chairman of the Tennessee Valley BRAC Committee.
Alabama drivers are required to carry liability insurance on their vehicles, but an estimated 22 percent of Alabama vehicles don’t have insurance. Your chance of being hit by one of those uninsured motorists may go down after January 1. That’s when a new system goes into effect that will make it easier to make sure a motorist has the state-required liability insurance. County license plate offices will verify insurance information when issuing or renewing car tags. Police will do it when they stop cars for traffic offenses. And the state Revenue Department will do random computer checks.
Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says
The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.
Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?
Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care
Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing
Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.
Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis
Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring a Community Engagement Producer
The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking a curious, creative and collaborative professional to work with our regional team to build up engaged journalism efforts.
Gambling bills face uncertain future in the Alabama legislature
This year looked to be different for lottery and gambling legislation, which has fallen short for years in the Alabama legislature. But this week, with only a handful of meeting days left, competing House and Senate proposals were sent to a conference committee to work out differences.
