The Alabama parole board denied the last surviving Birmingham church bomber's first attempt to get out of prison. Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr., an 86-year-old former Ku Klux Klansman is serving a life sentence for the Sept. 15, 1963 bombing that killed four young black girls in Birmingham, Alabama. Killed that morning as they primped after Sunday school class were Denise McNair, 11, and Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, all 14. The hearing Wednesday was attended by several people including the older sister of Carole Robertson, Edwina Diana Robertson Braddock. A crowd opposing the release of Blanton was on hand including the Birmingham Chapter of Jack and Jill, a family organization Robertson was a part of. Chapter Teen President Chapter, Carmen Cantelow says Robertson played a significant part in the community. No one was arrested in the bombing for years, until federal and state prosecutors revived investigations. Blanton was convicted 15 years ago for the civil rights era bombing and has spent the single longest amount of time in prison for the crime. He won't be able to apply again for parole for another five years under Alabama law.
Melanie began her career as a work study student, working in the areas of news reporting, anchoring and news-gathering. After graduating from Alabama State University, she worked as a production assistant at the local NBC affiliate, WSFA-TV. As a News Director at WVAS-FM, Melanie leads her team to produce award- winning newscasts and talk shows. Her professional achievements includes News Reporter of the Year for a number of years and awards for talk show producer, by the Alabama Broadcasters Association and the Associated Press. She is an active member of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. Her goals are to expand the reach of WVAS FM into more homes locally, regionally and nationally.