Alabama Department of Corrections officials say a state prison was placed on lockdown yesterday after inmates set a fire inside a dorm.
A statement from the department says officers at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Ala. responded to a fight between inmates yesterday afternoon around 3 p.m. Other inmates then reportedly "became aggressive" toward the guards responding to the fight. The statement says officers secured the door of the dorm, and some inmates inside started a fire.
The DOC statement says an emergency response team entered the dorm at around 10 p.m. without further resistance from inmates, and the prison remained on lockdown.
Officials say four inmates were hurt during the initial fight, three of whom were stabbed. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
This is the latest in a long series of incidents at Holman Correctional Facility, including non-fatal stabbings of the prison's warden and a correctional officer, riots, and a labor strike earlier this year.
If you ever wanted to know what it’s like to be a Mobile police officer, a new program will let you come close.
The Mobile Police Department is now accepting applications for its Citizens' Academy. The program gives civilians a firsthand look at how officers train and operate in the community.
Lieutenant Travis Dannelley says the ten week program gives applicants the chance to learn what officers do.
“It’s a good opportunity to learn about the police department and maybe answer some questions people have. In my experience, it’ll give you a better understanding of what we do, and I think most importantly, why we do some things. And I think that’s the reason why some people don’t understand the reasons, or sometimes, policies behind our procedures.”
Dannelley says they expect to see up to fifty applications this year. Only about thirty-five people will make the cut. Applications will be accepted until the end of the month.
Some small business owners from across the Tennessee Valley will get the chance to rub elbows with the federal government today.
TechRich is a division of the Women’s Business Center of North Alabama. That group is sponsoring this week’s Tech Summit. The so-called “tech tank” offers small businesses a chance to speak with groups like the Department of Defense and the National Defense University.
Terry Griffin is the Project Manager for TechRich. He says this is a vital event for businesses in Alabama.
“The Tech Summit is open to the general public, and the people who really need to attend are businesses large and small that want to discover what are the technology needs of the Combatant Commanders.”
All activities will take place in Cummings Research Park at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and the nearby Jackson Center.
A U.S. Army general has died on a military base in north Alabama.
Lt. Gen. Larry Wyche released a statement yesterday saying Maj. Gen. John Rossi died on Sunday on the Redstone Arsenal installation. Wyche's statement says the 55-year-old Rossi was the incoming commander of the installation and a native of Long Island, New York.
The cause of Rossi's death is still under investigation.
Rossi was scheduled to take over today as commander of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command and Army Forces Strategic Command. Rossi previously served as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill, Okla.