News

An auto parts manufacturing company has announced plans to build a plant in northern Alabama and create 140 new jobs in its first five years of operation.

Gov. Robert Bentley announced Thursday that Muri, Switzerland-based REHAU, Inc. is planning to open a research and development facility in Cullman.

State officials say the company, which was founded in Germany, is spending about $2.5 million on the planned 20,000 square-foot facility.

A search committee has released the names of four finalists seeking the presidency of Alabama State University.

The list made public Wednesday includes state Sen. Quinton Ross of Montgomery and Gwendolyn Boyd of Montgomery, who had a long career at John Hopkins University.

The other finalists include retired Brig. Gen. Samuel Nichols of Virginia, a former deputy commander at Guantanamo Bay, and the business dean at George Mason University, Jorge Haddock.

eadline. < MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The former Marshall County Revenue Commissioner is facing charges of violating the state ethics law. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange announced the arrest of Joey Masters on Wednesday. A warrant charges Masters with using his official position to obtain personal gain, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in the county jail and a fine of up to $6,000. His attorney, Dan Warnes, says Masters has resigned and didn't intend to violate state ethics laws.

PRATTVILLE, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has launched an initiative to stop underage and binge drinking in the state. ABC Board members and law enforcement officials addressed students at Prattville High School Wednesday morning. During the meeting, more than half of the one thousand students in attendance promised to not use alcoholic beverages and were given accounts of young people who have died in alcohol-related traffic accidents and the impact the accidents had on their families. The students making the promises gave themselves pats on the back.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Republican establishment put its money and its clout behind Bradley Byrne and came out a winner in Alabama's 1st Congressional District. With 100 percent of the precincts reporting Tuesday night, Byrne won the Republican runoff with 52.5 percent of the vote while tea party supporter Dean Young drew 47.5 percent. Young said he had a strong grassroots campaign, but he couldn't overcome the money the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and more than two dozen Republican members of Congress put behind Byrne.

The state's utility regulatory board has approved a new rate plan for Alabama Gas Co. that is forecast to save customers money.

The Public Service Commission had been allowing Alabama Gas a return on equity of 13.15 percent to 13.65 percent.

The commission voted unanimously Tuesday to set a lower range of 10.5 percent to 10.95 percent. The change is due to take effect with the new year.

PSC President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh said the typical customer should save $33 annually.

ATLANTA (AP) - An Atlanta actor who played a starring role in the first seasons of TV's "The Walking Dead" is bringing his one-man play to stages in Georgia and Alabama. Robert "IronE" Singleton, who played "T-Dog" in the first three seasons of the AMC show, will portray 18 characters in "Blindsided by the Walking Dead." Georgia performances are planned for Friday in Athens and Saturday in Macon; Nov. 23 in Albany; and Dec. 7 in Americus. A Birmingham, Ala., performance is set for Nov. 16.

Auburn University officials say the school's senior counsel for national security, cyber programs and military affairs has been named to the advisory board of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance.

In a release Monday, officials said retired Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess Jr. will serve a one-year term in the position. INSA officials say the organization is a nonprofit working to develop solutions to the country's national security issues.

Flights were scheduled to depart on time from Birmingham's airport one day after a note found in a restroom led to diverted flights and a two-hour evacuation of hundreds of passengers.

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport's website on Monday showed that flights were arriving and departing as scheduled.

  “The Tilted World”
Authors: Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 320
Price: $25.99 (Cloth)

In Oxford, Mississippi, Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly both write and teach writing at Ole Miss.

Tom, a novelist, is best known for “Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter,” “Hell at the Breech” and other works of fiction containing considerable violence and cruelty.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Flights were scheduled to depart on time from Birmingham's airport one day after a note found in a restroom led to diverted flights and a two-hour evacuation of hundreds of passengers. Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport's website early Monday showed the day's first flight -- A Delta flight to Atlanta -- was scheduled to depart on time at 5:35 a.m. Monday. The airport reopened Sunday evening after an airport employee found the note and turned it over to police. Airport authority spokeswoman Toni Bast said bomb squads swept the terminal but found nothing.

Mobile's Mayor-elect, Sandy Stimpson, took the oath of office on Monday. I sat down for a one-on-one conversation with the new Mayor to talk about his plans for the City and what Monday will be like... Sandy Stimpson: Well, it all starts off with a meeting at 10:30, and where I’ll actually be sworn in at the auditorium at Government Plaza. Then, we’ll go right to work right after that, there are a lot of things that the Mayor will to execute at that time.

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — A dentist in Hoover has collected more than 100 pounds of leftover Halloween candy to send to American troops overseas. Al.com reports Dr. James Sanderson Jr. held a two-hour candy buyback Friday afternoon. Sanderson offered to pay people a dollar for every pound of candy donated. His daughter Sara Franklin tells the website more than 180 people showed up. Sanderson says he wants to brighten the day of U.S. troops overseas with care packages. This was the 10th year in a row that Sanderson has held his leftover candy buyback.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — About 90,000 Alabamians will have to find new health insurance policies because their current policies don't meet the requirements of the federal health care law. The state Department of Insurance says it doesn't have figures on the issue. The Associated Press compiled the 90,000 figure by contacting Alabama's major health insurance companies. Alabama's largest health insurance provider is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. It has 87,000 customers who have been notified that their plans don't meet the law's requirements.

Elle is the American Humane Association's 2013 Hero Dog of the year.  She is a Therapy Dog and has her AKC Canine Good Citizen certification.  She is also an American Bull Terrier, often called a Pit Bull.  Breeders say they are friendly, intelligent and make great family pets.  Unfortunately there are those who misuse members of the breed for dogfighting because of their muscular build and strength.

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