Interstate 85 is back open after Opelika Police shut down both side this morning in response to a man making a false report of being held hostage. Local news outlets report Capt. Shane Healey says police received a phone call around 11:30 a.m. from a man in his truck claiming to be held at gunpoint by two men. Healey says when officers pulled over the vehicle, they witnessed the driver jump out of the passenger side and run into a nearby wooded area; when officers found the man, he claimed two men were inside his truck bed with a shotgun. Healey says officers shut down both sides of I-85 and searched the vehicle and found no one inside. The driver is facing charges of making a false report.
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.