Authorities in Autauga County have removed ten dogs from a wooded area in Autaugaville. Autauga County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Joe Sedinger said an anonymous tip led deputies to a site off North Pickett Street in Autaugaville Sunday. The chief deputy said it's likely the dogs were used in a dog fighting operation. Sedinger said several of canines had visible scars and other injuries and were taken to the Autauga County Humane Shelter. No arrests were made. Deputies also recovered a stolen ATV and a pistol.
Fatal Accident
State Troopers say a Montgomery man was killed in a single-vehicle crash early Saturday morning in Autauga County. Troopers said 57-year-old Tommy Lee Howard died when the car he was driving left the roadway and struck a tree. The crash occurred on Alabama 14, approximately 15 miles west of Autauga. Troopers said alcohol was a factor.
House Fire
A fatal house fire Saturday night in mid-town Montgomery left a man dead. Montgomery Fire-Rescue officials said firefighters responded to the house fire on West Fourth Street around 7 p.m. Saturday. Firefighters said a 55-year-old man was found unresponsive inside the dwelling. The victim, whose name was not released, died at a Montgomery hospital. Two firefighters were treated for second-degree burns to their hands. How the house fire got started is under investigation.
Private School
A Republican lawmaker from Montgomery has pre-filed a bill to remove the state Department of Education from the licensure and regulation processes for private schools. State Senator Dick Brewbaker would also remove a state requirement asking that the schools carry a surety bond of at least $10,000 dollars. Concerns were raised this summer over the state's education department's involvement in private school regulations. The legislative session begins January 14th.
Body Found
Authorities in Coosa and Tallapoosa counties found the body of a teenager who went missing during a Thanksgiving hunting trip. Alabama Marine Police say searchers found the body of 16-year-old Gray Godwin in Lake Martin on Friday afternoon. The 10th grader recently moved to the Birmingham suburb of Homewood from Montgomery. The youth reportedly went duck hunting on Thursday and didn't return. Friends held vigils for Godwin in both Montgomery and Homewood during the search.
Selma Documentary
A national television series is set to shine a spotlight on Selma's role in the civil rights movement. The Selma Times-Journal reports that a crew from the Travel Channel will be in this week to film part of the cable channel's Monumental Mysteries series. New York City-based Optomen Productions plans to film at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the St. James Hotel, Martin Luther King Street, Broad Street and Riverfront Park. The footage gathered in Selma will be used in a "non-fiction, docu-series" segment on the civil rights marches of 1965.