A man was shot to death Tuesday afternoon in Montgomery. It happened at the corner of South Jackson and Tuscaloosa Streets in the Patterson Court neighborhood. Police on the scene had few details, but are asking for the public's help. If you have any information on the shooting, you are asked to call the police department at 625-2831, the Secret Witness line at 262-4000 or CrimeStoppers, which is 215-STOP.
MPS Board
The Montgomery County Board of Education met for a work session and a special called meeting Tuesday. Board members unanimously approved the Compliance Director Series. It's an online training program for legal matters in school systems. Montgomery Schools Superintendent Margaret Allen said information about the series will be given to employees along with a timeline for viewing. The $10,000 system is being paid for by a grant.
AG Opinion
Alabama's attorney general has issued an advisory opinion saying a county commission does not have the authority to prohibit firearms at polling places. The Chambers County Commission sought the advice of Attorney General Luther Strange after some people showed up to vote in the June 3rd primary election in Chambers and Shelby counties carrying guns. The attorney general's seven-page opinion says state law doesn't give county commissions the authority to ban weapons. But it says state and federal laws that ban weapons in some public buildings, such as courthouses and schools, still apply when they are used at polling places. It also says churches and other private buildings used as polling places may ban guns.
Black Bear Sightings
Alabama conservation officials say black bear sightings make it clear that the bears are increasing in number and expanding their range. Keith Gauldin of the conservation department's wildlife division says black bears have been sighted recently in Butler and Choctaw counties in south Alabama. Sightings have occurred in recent years in Jefferson, Lee, Chambers and Macon counties. The department estimates Alabama has less than 350 black bears. They say the expansion is likely the result of a natural increase in black bears and habitat fragmentation due to residential and commercial development.