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March is Women's History Month!

Another Decrease in Alabama's Unemployment Rate

Alabama's unemployment rate has dropped to 5.7 percent, which is the lowest rate in more than six years.  Governor Robert Bentley says December's seasonally adjusted rate is down from 6.0 percent in November, and it is lower than the 6.1 percent recorded a year ago.  It is slightly about the national rate of 5.6 percent.  Counties with the lowest unemployment rates for December are Shelby, Lee and Cullman.  Counties with the highest rates are Wilcox, Bullock and Dallas.  

Second Arrest

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says a Prattville man is facing child pornography charges.  Agents with the State Bureau of Investigation arrested Jesse James Morgan Thursday and charged him with five counts of production of child pornography.  It was Morgan's second arrest, he was also arrested December 8th and charged with two counts of possession of child pornography.  Authorities say additional federal charges are pending against Morgan who is being held in the Autauga County Jail under a $260,000 bond.  

Strange Request Declined

The Alabama Supreme Court has declined a request by the attorney general to remove a west Alabama judge form a gambling case in Greene County.  Attorney General Luther Strange has asked Circuit Judge Houston Brown to step aside because of comments he made about potential witnesses.  The judge refused.  The state Supreme Court decided not to take up the case Friday.  Brown is presiding over a case involving what happens to 825 electronic machines seized by state police during a raid on Greenetrack in 2010. He could order the state to return them or destroy them.  The next step is for the judge to set a date for trial.

Multi-State Fraud

Two Alabama men have been arrested in relation to a multi-state credit card fraud scheme.  A release from the Alabama Attorney General's office reports that 31-year-old Jonathan William Sharpton of Colbert County and 53-year-old Barry Gene Holder of Lauderdale County were indicted on charges of theft of property, fraudulent use of a credit card, identity theft and conspiracy to commit identity thief by an Elmore County grand jury.  Sharpton apparently committed the crimes while incarcerated in the Elmore County Detention Facility.  He is currently in the Limestone Correctional Facility.  Holder is in Elmore County Jail.  If convicted, the men face a maximum penalty of two to 20 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.