ROBBERY
Police in Birmingham are looking for two men who allegedly shot an armored van driver and stole his vehicle. WBRC-TV reports the guard was parked at a gas station on Arkadelphia Road when a man approached him before noon on Monday. Police say the man then shot the guard in the shoulder and stole the armored van. The guard was hospitalized and details on his condition were not immediately available. The van was discovered a few hours later and it remains unclear what company the van belongs to. Police tell WBRC-TV that the two suspects may have also stolen the guard’s gun along with an undisclosed amount of cash from the van.
TUSKEGEE
President Barack Obama’s second inaugural parade will include a tribute to the Alabama-based Tuskegee Airmen who broke the color barrier during World War II. The Associated Press reports that the presidential inaugural committee announced plans for the parade on Monday. Black fliers trained at Moton Field in Tuskegee in the 1940s to become the nation’s first minority pilots during the war. The field is now a historical site located off Interstate 85 east of Montgomery. The parade float is being designed as a tribute to the young men who became the first black aviators in the U.S. military. It will feature a model of a P-51 Mustang, the fighter the Airmen are best known for flying. The pilots came to be known as “Redtails” for the color they painted the rear of the fighters. Other floats scheduled for next Monday’s inaugural parade will represent Hawaii and Delaware, the home-states of Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
LISTENING
Scores of residents braved the rainy conditions Monday evening and went to the Carver Community Center for an open forum that was part of the Anniston City Council’s “Neighborhood Listening Tour.” The forum was attended by all council members along with other city officials who listened for over an hour as residents took turns addressing neighborhood and citywide issues. Much of the organization for the Carver session was handled by Anniston High School student government, who ran a sign-in table and distributed surveys to those in attendance. Mayor Vaughn Stewart opened the forum by saying the Listening Tour is part of a larger plan to evaluate the city’s future from the ground up. According to Steward that plan will include city planners and resident task forces to implement future growth. Officials listened as residents spoke about a variety of topics including economic development, city infrastructure, and housing. The most discussed topics involved children and crime. Initiatives proposed by residents included business education for young Annistonians, expanded recreation options, and city revitalization sponsored by local businesses offering vocational education. After the open forum, the mayor and each council member gave a brief synopsis of what they learned from the Listening Tour and thanked residents for joining the discussion. Bill Young is a small business owner in Anniston and said “probably the greatest opportunity in the city of Anniston right now is it West Anniston.” Young said “it’s going to take the citizens of West Anniston…to get involved and ask questions.”
TURNER
Bud Turner was sworn into office today as the Circuit Judge in Calhoun County, replacing outgoing Judge Malcolm Street. Judge Street administered the oath of office shortly after 11 o’clock Monday morning in a courtroom full of judges, lawyers, and residents of the area. Turner said he originally planned on having a small, private investiture ceremony with close friends and family but decided to have the public ceremony after feedback from community members. Street is retiring because of a state law that does not allow judges older than 70-years-old. Circuit Judge Bud Turner said any changes from how Street managed his courtroom would not be big. (Turner Clip)
McINTYRE
Calhoun County now has a new district judge with the investiture of Christopher McIntyre at the Calhoun County Courthouse today. McIntyre was joined by other robed judges and nearly 100 people in the audience as Judge Brian P. Howell administered the oath of office. McIntyre was then presented a new gavel by Calhoun County Republican Party Chairman Gene Howard.
McIntyre said he has worked with courthouse staff for over three years and is well-acquainted with employees within the system. He said that recent budget cuts in the court system along with jail overcrowding will make him evaluate local rehabilitation programs for certain defendants that pass through his courtroom.
STRANGE
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange says the state’s gambling task force cannot keep illegal gaming operations closed and will be asking the Legislature to stiffen penalties. The Associated Press reports that Strange was in Hoover on Monday saying that profits for “fly-by-night” gambling operations far outweigh penalties, which can include seizure of machines deemed illegal along with misdemeanor charges. Strange spoke with House and Senate judiciary committees in Hoover on Monday about his goals for the task force. He plans to ask the newest session of the Legislature in February to make the penalty a felony which can carry up to 10 years in prison. Strange said it is unfortunate that “there are enough people in the Legislature who have enough interest in maintaining facilities in their jurisdictions that they are not interested in increasing the penalties.” According to the AP report, Strange has made two unsuccessful attempts since 2011 to make penalties harsher. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Republican Cam Ward of Alabaster said some legislators want the state courts to issue a definitive ruling on what constitutes an illegal machine before they change any penalties. Attorney General Luther Strange has been over the governor’s gambling task force since 2011. Since then, Strange has organized raids on gambling halls, including Center Stage in Dothan and Southern Star in White Hall. The operators maintained they had legal electronic bingo, but Strange labeled them illegal. Center Stage opened in what used to be Country Crossing casino, which was forced to close in 2010. Southern Star opened after a nearby casino, White Hall Entertainment Center, was raided and closed.