Julian Bond, a civil rights activist and longtime board chairman of the NAACP, has died. The Southern Poverty Law Center says in a statement that Bond died Saturday night in Fort Walton Beach, Florida after a brief illness. The Nashville native was considered a symbol and icon of the 1960s civil rights movement. Bond helped found the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. He was on the front lines of protests that led to the nation's landmark civil rights laws.
King Statue
The pastor of a Montgomery church says the campaign to build a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is moving forward. Reverend Cromwell Handy of Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church wants the project to be a city-wide effort. Reverend Cromwell Handy said an MLK statue would be built near the church on Dexter Avenue. The church was King's first full-time pastorate and it propelled him to national prominence as a civil right leader.
Ethics Violation Charges
A Lee County judge will hear arguments today on motions filed by attorneys representing Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard. He's charged with 23 counts of violating the ethics law. Defense lawyers want Circuit Judge Jacob Walker to rule on motions dealing with evidence and alleged misconduct by state prosecutors. Hubbard's trial is scheduled to begin in mid-October.
Military Exercise
Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base officials say military personnel will be conducting active shooter and other base exercises this week. A spokesman for the 42nd Air Base Wing said the exercises will begin today and throughout the week. Traffic into and out Maxwell and Gunter Annex may be interrupted during the exercises, motorists should be prepared for possible delays at base gates.