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March is Women's History Month!

Law Enforcement Conduct Operation Nighthawk

A joint operation between the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Probation Office for the Middle District was carried out last week to verify that all federally supervised sex offenders were living at their registered addressed.  Operation Nighthawk conducted checks on 36 registered sex offenders in the area.  Deputy Marshal M. Dante Gordon says all but one was in compliance.  Gordon says it's the first time the two agencies have partnered for such an operation.  He says all involved considered it a resounding success.  Alabama's middle district covers 13 counties in the central part of the state.  

Probation Company

The Clanton City Council has voted to end its contract with a private probation company after a lawsuit alleged poor residents were being targeted and threatened  with jail time for failing to pay fines.  The Southern Poverty Law Center in March filed the lawsuit accusing Judicial Correction Services and a local manager of racketeering and extorting probationers for monthly payments.  The organization said some probationers were ordered to pay $140 monthly fines of which $40 was given to JCS.  The suit says the company continued collecting its fee when probationers fell behind on payments and threatened jail time if they didn't pay associated fees.  Al.com reports the city council on Monday voted to notify JCS that its contract would be terminated in 30 days.

Telethon Canceled

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is ending its Labor Day telethon.  The group says the "new realities" of how people watch TV and give to charity make this the right time to end the event.  The telethon was hosted for most of  its life by comedian Jerry Lewis.  And over the years, celebrities like Frank Sinatra, John Lennon and Jennifer Lopez appeared on the show.  It used to run more than 21 hours, but the past two years it had been pared down to a two-hour event.