Governor Bentley says he will lay out his plans today to address a shortfall in the state General Fund budget, proposals that could put him at odds with some in his own political party. Bentley has said the state has no choice but to raise taxes and he plans to hold a news conference today at the State Capitol. The governor said last week that he plans to seek $700 million in taxes and revenue. He's also said cuts and consolidations can no longer keep the General Fund afloat. The legislative session begins Tuesday.
Funeral Services
Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon for 6-year-old Aiden Howard. The Montgomery boy died last Sunday at Children's Hospital in Birmingham, ten days after he was hit by a vehicle that rammed into an apartment building off Highland Avenue. Aiden Howard's funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at True Divine Baptist Church on Troy Highway. Meanwhile, authorities continue to search for 28-year-old Juan Daniels in connection with the February 12th crash.
Tuskegee Airmen Dies
Another Tuskegee airmen has died. Colonel Paul L. Green passed away at a Southern California senior care home. He was 91. An Ohio orphan, Green was drafted into the Army and was chosen for pilot training at the Tuskegee Institute. He flew 25 combat missions, escorting bombers in Italy. After the war, Green joined the Air Force, served in Vietnam, and later commanded Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino.
Stay in School
All next week is "Stay in School Week" in Alabama. The State Department of Education along with the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation and the Lawler Foundation are partnering to bring several learning tools to students across the state. That includes the Choice Bus, a vehicle that is part classroom and part simulated prison cell. The documentary "Inside Out" will be distributed to schools statewide that features interviews with Alabama prison inmates detailing the consequences of dropping out of school. According to national figures, someone drops out of school in America every 26 seconds. And 8 out of 10 dropouts end up incarcerated at some point in their life.
Obama Family
President Obama, the first lady and their daughters will be in Selma next week to honor the 50th anniversary of historic civil rights marches in the state. Mr. Obama said the visit is to pay tribute to civil rights legends, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Georgia Congressman John Lewis. The trip will also note the upcoming 50th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act.
Father Indicted
A grand jury has indicted the South Carolina man accused of strangling his four children and dumping their bodies in central Alabama. Authorities in Lexington, South Carolina, say 33-year-old Timothy Ray Jones is accused of killing his children in late August, then drove their bodies in his vehicle for several days and dumped the children at a secluded hilltop in Wilcox County. He was arrested in Mississippi. Jones faces five counts of murder. South Carolina prosecutors have not decided if they will seek the death penalty.
Superintendent Cleared
A magistrate judge says the Lowndes County school superintendent followed proper procedure in investigating a 2012 sexual misconduct accusation against a school janitor. Hayneville Judge Sandra Lewis on Tuesday found Superintendent Daniel Boyd not guilty of hundreds of counts of reckless endangerment that had been brought against him by Hayneville Police Chief Kelvin Mitchell. Boyd said his good name has been tarnished by the ordeal.