There are three new members of the Montgomery City Council. Fred Bell, William Green and Brantley Lyons joined the six incumbents and Mayor Todd Strange to take oaths of office at city hall. The ceremonies were followed by an organizational meeting for the city council. The mayor of Pietrasanta, Italy, Massimo Mallegni was on hand to watch the ceremony. The Italian mayor is visiting the Capital city this week.
Parade Preparations
Retired Army Colonel Edgar Smith is the Grand Marshal for this year's Veterans Day parade in Montgomery. The 73-year-old spent 27 years in the Army and served two tours in Vietnam as a rifle platoon leader where he earned numerous awards, including the Purple Heart. Col. Smith currently is commander and adjutant of the American Legion Post #2 in Montgomery, a job he says allows him to stay connected with fellow veterans. The parade gets started at 11 a.m. Wednesday on Dexter Avenue. Upon its conclusion the Capital Sounds Concert Band will perform in the City Hall auditorium.
Ford Strikes Back
Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford held a news conference Tuesday in front of the Federal courthouse, criticizing a ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court. On Monday, the justices blocked a Montgomery judge's order that directed the state to return seized gambling machines to VictoryLand. Ford says the ruling won't stop VictoryLand from reopening. The Tuskegee mayor also said he's prepared to go to federal court and defend the rights of Macon County citizens who approved bingo in all forms.
Prison Stabbing
A state prison inmate was stabbed to death during a fight at St. Clair Correctional Facility; a state lockup that has repeated incidents of violence. Department of corrections officials say the fight broke out Monday afternoon between two inmates. 30-year-old Timothy Latham died after being stabbed in the chest. DOC said Latham was serving a 25-year sentence out of Montgomery for robbery and sex crimes. Prison officials say another inmate was detained as a suspect. The fatal stabbing is the latest incidence of violence at the St. Clair Prison. A prison guard was injured when he was stabbed by an inmate at the prison last week. The prison remains on lockdown.
Fatal Explosion
Authorities in north Alabama are investigating a fatal explosion at a plant in Huntsville. Madison County Sheriff's Officials tell Al.com that deputies responded to the Giles and Kendall Cedar Safe plant after an explosion Tuesday morning that killed a male employee. No other injuries have been reported. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Huntsville firefighters were also called to the plant when cedar chips ignited on Saturday.