Alabama State University trustees will soon vote on the next president of the university. ASU trustees are scheduled to take up the matter at a meeting set for next Friday, December 20th. A notice from the Alabama Secretary of State indicates that the board will meet to vote on the next president. The three finalists for the job are; state Senator Quinton Ross of Montgomery; Gwendolyn Boyd of John Hopkins University; and retired Brigadier General Samuel Nichols of Virginia.
Gifts of Giants
The event was called "Gifts of Giant." Luminaries from across the state gathered last night at the Renissance Hotel to honor the contributions of Tuskegee attorney Fred Gray and the Reverend Robert Graetz and Jean Graetz for their roles in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The city of Montgomery is celebrating the 58th anniversary of the event. Comedian, social activist and philosopher Dick Gregory was the guest speaker.
Prattville Murder
Prattville Police are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Thursday afternoon at a residence on Morris Circle. Prattville Police Chief Mark Thompson said officers responded to the shooting call around 3:30 Thursday afternoon. Chief Thompson said officers found 23-year-old Robert Keith Nichols dead from a gunshot to the face. Authorities arrested 23-year-old Joseph Allen Nolin and charged him with murder. Nolin was placed in the Autauga Metro Jail under a $75,000 bond.
Inmate Escapes
Alabama Prison officials are searching for an inmate who escaped from a work release facility in Alexander City o Thursday, a day after he was denied parole. 46-year-old John Earl Christian was discovered missing Thursday morning when police found a state prison department van abandoned on a road in Phenix City. Christian, who served more than 20 years in prison, is serving a life sentence for a robbery conviction out of Jefferson County.
Technology Award
A sixth grade teacher at Montgomery's McKee Middle School has been selected by the Samsung Corporation as one of the five state winners of a $20,000 technology package. Congrats to teacher Carolyn Daniels for winning Samsung's 2014 solve for Tomorrow Contest. Its part of the technology giant's initiative to advance student interest in science, technology, engineering and math. As state winner, Ms. Daniels will go on to represent the state in the national competition and a chance to win a larger technology package for McKee Middle School that is valued at up to $140,000 dollars.
Fugitive Captured
A fugitive from Alabama has been captured in Virginia after 23 years on the run. U.S. Marshal Art Baylor said Jeffrey Martin was arrested by federal marshals Thursday in Norfolk, Virginia, without incident. He said Martin was charged with first-degree robbery in Montgomery in 1990. He made bond and disappeared. Then he avoided capture by moving around the country. Baylor says Martin's case was profiled on the "Crime Stoppers" program in Montgomery and that led to numerous tips about his whereabouts.