Relatives of the 5-year-old boy freed when FBI agents raided the underground bunker of a hostage-taker in Dale County say the youngster is relieved to be home and appears to be doing well. After nearly a week, FBI agents determined that talks with Jimmy Lee Dykes were breaking down and they stormed the bunker and rescued the child Monday afternoon. The 65-year-old armed captor was killed by law enforcement officers.
MPS Employees Cleared
The Montgomery Public School System has cleared four of the seven employees who were placed on administrative leave after they were implicated in a grade changing scandal. According to a press release from Hill Hill Carter, a law firm representing the Montgomery County Board of Education, three employees were cleared of any wrongdoing, a fourth employee was acting on the direction of a supervisor. MPS officials said there is substantial evidence that two others were involved in improper grade changing and they face additional disciplinary action. The statement said a seventh individual has resigned from the Montgomery school system.
ASU Founders' Week
Its Founders' Week on the campus of Alabama State University. Today is a Community Day of Service as students, faculty, staff and alumni volunteer to read at local schools across Montgomery. The Founders' Week activities conclude on Friday with a Founders' Day Convocation at the ASU Acadome and the dedication of the new John Garrick Hardy Student Center.
Ten Commandments
A handful of Republican Alabama lawmakers are pushing a bill to make it legal to display the Ten Commandments in any public building in the state. The pre-filed bill is sponsored by Republican state Senator Gerald Dial of Lineville. Dial says the bill, titled the Alabama Religious Freedom Amendment, could act as a safeguard for constituents who have expressed concerns over being sued for displaying the Ten Commandments in public places. The bill will be read today.