Governor Robert Bentley signed an executive order Monday creating the Alabama Health Care Improvement Task Force. The 38 member team will work to address chronic conditions like obesity and diabetes. Governor Bentley says the task force is also charged with improving access to healthcare and more affordable health care. The task force will include doctors, nurses, dentists and mental health care professionals.
Pile Up
A pileup crash involving two dozen vehicles led to the closure of a stretch of I-59 in Springville. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Sgt. Steve Jarrett said the freeway's northbound lanes were closed at mile marker 159 after the crash Monday afternoon. Jarrett says the crash involved 20 passenger vehicles, three tractor-trailers and a truck pulling a motor home roughly 30 miles northeast of Birmingham. Jarrett says eight injuries have been reported.
Appeal Refused
The U.S Supreme Court has refused an appeal from an Alabama man on Texas death row for the drug-related slaying of four people in Houston nearly 23 years ago. Attorneys for 44-year-old Arthur Brown went to the high court after lower federal courts rejected arguments Brown should be provided $7,500 to pay for a mitigation specialist to help with his clemency petition. The specialist estimated the investigation would cost $20,000. The justices, without comment, refused Monday to review his case.