WVAS Local

Montgomery, Al – The U.S. Office of Special Counsel says
complaints brought by a U.S. Department of Justice paralegal in the
prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman were unsubstantiated.
Tamarah Grimes, who worked on the team prosecuting the
corruption case against Siegelman and HealthSouth founder Richard
Scrushy, filed a complaint in 2007 under whistleblower protection
laws.
She accused prosecutors of mismanagement, failure to report
improper contact with jurors and initiating a criminal

Montgomery, Ala. – (AP) - Three more people have died from swine
flu in Alabama.
State health officials announced the deaths Thursday. The
state's number of fatalities from the virus is now at 11.
The latest to die are a man in his 60s from Talladega County, a
woman in her 50s from Madison County, and a female in her 70s from
Jackson County.
Previous deaths of persons positive for swine flu have occurred
this year in Bullock, Dale, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Macon,
Montgomery and Russell counties.

Montgomery, AL – (AP) - The Alabama Supreme Court has set a legal precedent in the state by ruling that child support payments are not automatically extinguished when parental rights are terminated.
The court's ruling Wednesday reversed the state civil appeals
court, which had held that a parent who loses rights to a child no
longer has a responsibility to pay child support.
The Supreme Court, split 6-3, said parental neglect could be
rewarded if child support would no longer have to be paid.

Montgomery, AL – The U.S. House has cleared the way for Alabama's new statue of Helen Keller to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol complex.
Representatives unanimously approved a resolution accepting the
statue of the Tuscumbia native on Wednesday. The Senate previously
approved a similar resolution.
The statue will be unveiled in the Capitol rotunda on Oct. 7. It
will be permanently displayed in the new Capitol visitor center.
Keller became known worldwide as an educator and advocate for

Montgomery, AL – (AP) - The State Board of Education has set aside two days to interview candidates for chancellor of Alabama's two-year college system.
The interviews begin Thursday in Montgomery and wrap up Friday.
A dozen candidates are scheduled to appear before the board. They
include educators from Alabama and from out-of-state.
The board is looking for a replacement for Bradley Byrne, who
resigned in May to run for governor.

Montgomery, AL – (AP) - Former State Treasurer George Wallace Jr. wants his old job back.
Wallace said Tuesday he has decided to run for state treasurer
next year as a Republican.
Wallace said he's running because he wants to solve financial
problems in Alabama's prepaid college tuition plan. The state
treasurer administers the tuition plan, which Wallace got started
during the first of his two terms as state treasurer.
Wallace joins Republican Terry Dunn and Democrat Jeremy Sherer

Montgomery, AL – (AP) - Republicans plan to give priority to a
bill that would stop Alabama teachers from continuing to receive
pay and benefits while in prison on felony convictions that they
are appealing.
The bill would amend the state's teacher tenure law, which was
changed in 2004 with the backing of the Alabama Education
Association. AEA's chief lobbyist, Paul Hubbert, said he agrees
that a teacher in prison should not be paid, but he wants to make
sure the dismissal process is fair.

Montgomery, AL – (AP) - A Chilton County woman is fighting an
effort by federal prosecutors to seize her home and 40 acres in a
marijuana case against her husband, who committed suicide during
his trial.
Mara Lynn Williams, a cancer survivor who works as a nurse at a
Montgomery hospital, said her husband, Royce, used marijuana for
chronic paid after multiple surgeries.
She was not charged and said she did not know he was growing it
on his property. But federal officials said it is routine to seize

Montgomery, AL – (AP) - State Health Officer Don Williamson says
the first doses of swine flu vaccine should begin arriving in
Alabama by the end of this week and adequate supplies are expected
to be available by the end of October.
Williamson said at a news conference Monday the state continues
to see an elevated number of influenze-like illnesses.
Williamson said 10 percent of patients at doctor's offices are
reporting flu-like symptoms and that about 5 percent of school
children are missing class because of the flu.

Montgomery, AL – Listen to more of today's news from this morning's broadcast.