An arctic blast, known as the "Polar Vortex", is slowing easing its grip on much of the South and the nation. Winds are calming and the weather is warming slightly two days after winter temperature records, some more than a century old, were shattered across the South and Eastern Seaboard.
Industrial Accident
An industrial accident at the outer loop construction site Wednesday morning claimed the lives of two workers. Montgomery County Sheriff's officials say the two men fell about 90 feet from an overpass under construction when a piece of equipment lost support. No names have been released but the men reportedly worked for Bessemer -based R.R. Dawson Bridge Company. The bodies were sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy. Work on the project has been temporarily suspended.
Bentley on Boeing
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said Boeing used the state for leverage when it was shopping for potential plant sites during labor negotiations. But Bentley said he believes the aircraft manufacturer really was interested in the Huntsville area as a new home for jetliner production. Bentley said putting together a proposal for the plant will help Alabama eventually.
Legislative Goals
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange said one of his goals for the legislative session is to shorten the appeal time in death penalty cases. The Republican AG said going through a capital murder trial and all appeals can take nearly two decades. He's proposing a bill that would have the first and second round of appeals go on simultaneously. The first round is a direct appeal of the case. The second round is where the defendant contends he didn't have adequate legal representation at trial. Strange also wants passage of a bill that would make any killing at a school, daycare or child care facility a capital offense.