Montgomery Police say the death of a 19-year-old inmate who was found passed out in his jail cell is being handled by the State Bureau of Investigation. Authorities said the cause of Tony Lewis' death is unclear. The chief of operations at MPD Ron Cook said in a statement Tuesday that Fire Medics found no evidence of physical trauma. Lewis, who had been in the city jail since December 9th, died late Monday night at a local hospital.
Graduation Rate Rises
A Montgomery public school official says the system's graduate rate soared to 75 percent for the 2013-2014 school year. Christopher Blair, the MPS chief academic officer told members of the Montgomery School Board Tuesday, the system graduation's rate improved 11 percent over the previous academic year. Blair said all nine schools in Montgomery recorded increases in the graduation rate. Booker T. Washington Magnet program led all local high schools with a 100 percent graduation rate.
Business License Fees
The Wetumpka City Council has done an about face and rescinded an increase in business license fees. At a specially called meeting Tuesday, Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis acknowledged the city made a mistake when it approved a higher business license fee in December. Some business owners had complained that their license fees were as much as 2,000 percent higher than last year. The Wetumpka City Council voted to amend the ordinance and return to the fee schedule used in 2014.
Complex Makeover
The Peter Crump Baseball Complex on Woodley Road is getting a makeover. Montgomery city and county elected officials participated in a ground-breaking Tuesday to announce the $1.9 million project. The new baseball complex will consolidate the Peter Crump and Seth Johnson baseball fields.
No Confidence Vote
Students leaders at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have voted no-confidence in President Ray Watts following his decision to kill the school's football program. The UAB Student Government Association unanimously passed the resolution during a meeting last night. The Faculty Senate is set to vote on a similar no-confidence resolution Thursday. Watts has said he won't resign, saying only university trustees have the power to fire him.