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March is Women's History Month!

WVAS Local News

An airport spokeswoman says the large UPS cargo plant that crashed went down in an open field just outside an airport in Birmingham.  A spokeswoman for Birmingham's airport authority said there are no homes in the immediate area of the crash.  A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said the A-300 jetliner crashed this morning around 5 a.m. on approach to the Birmingham-Shuttleworth Airport.  NPR reports the pilot and co-pilot were killed, there were no passengers aboard the cargo aircraft.  The FAA said the plane was en route from Louisville to Birmingham.  Birmingham official say the crash has not affected airport operations. 

District Lines

Testimony has ended up in the trial of a federal lawsuit by Democrats that challenged the process used by the Alabama Legislature to redraw the state's 105 House and 35 Senate districts.  A panel of three federal judges Tuesday ordered attorneys for both sides to prepare proposed orders by August 21st of how they would like the three judges to rule.  Attorneys for the Democrats argued the Legislature "stacked and packed" Democrats into predominantly black districts, diluting the strength of black voters.  Republican state Senator Gerald Dial of Lineville said there was no attempt to stack districts in favor of Republicans. 

VictoryLand Back Pay

A federal appeals court in Atlanta has sided with former employees at VictoryLand in Macon County who argued they were not properly notified about layoffs in February and August 2010.  The ex-workers are seeking back pay.  The layoffs at VictoryLand followed a lengthy court fight and raid by then-Governor Bob Riley's crackdown on electronic bingo.  The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that VictoryLand violated the Warn Act.  The federal law requires businesses with at least 100 employees to give a 60 day notice before layoffs.  A federal judge in Montgomery issued a similar ruling in March 2012. 

Body Found in Selma

Police in Selma say a body that was pulled from a drainage area near U.S. Highway 80 has been identified as a missing man.  Selma Police Chief William Riley told the Selma Times-Journal the man was identified Tuesday as 47-year-old Chester Walker.  Authorities said Walker was reported missing Sunday.  Walker was last seen by his brother walking early Sunday morning.  An autopsy was ordered to determine the cause of death. 

Nigerian Hornets

Alabama State University's global footprint is growing.  Over 50 students from Nigeria will be attending the university in the fall to begin work on their undergraduate degrees.  Vice President for Enrollment Management Cherise Peters said this opportunity is a win-win for the university.  The Nigerian government is sponsoring the student's tuition, books, room and board.