WVAS Local

Talladega, Alabama – (AP) - PETA is taking on what it describes as a new affront to animals: NASCAR fans doing the chicken dance.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked Guinness World
Records Inc. on Monday to ignore an attempt to set a world record
for the largest group chicken dance at the Talladega Superspeedway,
site of the Aaron's 499 race on Sunday.
The reason? KFC is the sponsor of the record attempt, and the
animal rights group says the fast-food company is cruel to
chickens.

Montgomery, Alabama – Listen,now,to some of the stories making headlines this hour in the WVAS newsroom.

Montgomery, Alabama – A sign of the tough economy is being seen in a recent announcement by a local hospital. Jackson Hospital is downsizing- laying off 17 workers because of budget woes.

Jackson Hospital officials say they have seen an increase in charity care because more patients who come to the hospital are without work and health care.

Montgomery, Alabama – Listen,now, to some of the stories making headlines this hour in the WVAS newsroom.

Montgomery, Alabama – (AP) - Alabama's unemployment rate rose to 9 percent in March, which is the highest rate in more than 22 years.
The last time Alabama hit 9.0 percent was in November 1986.
The state Department of Industrial Relations says the March rate
is up from 8.4 percent in February. It compares to a national rate
of 8.5 percent.
The March rate is more than double the 4.3 percent Alabama
recorded a year ago. The March rate represents more than 193,000
unemployed Alabamians.

Montgomery, Alabama – (AP) - The president pro tem of the Alabama Senate, Democrat Rodger Smitherman of Birmingham, says he won't run for Congress next year.
Smitherman had considered the 7th Congressional District seat
being vacated by Democrat Artur Davis of Birmingham. But he
announced Thursday in Montgomery that he needs to focus on his
state duties during difficult economic times.
Smitherman said the challenges facing the state are monumental,
and he accepted the position of Senate president pro tem in

Montgomery, Alabama – Listen, now, to some of the stories making headlines in the WVAS newsroom.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama –
(AP) - The University of Alabama might have to pay more than $80 million to purchase the 188-acre Bryce Hospital property for any future expansion of its campus.
Former state Mental Health Commissioner Kathy Sawyer is conducting a study that has found the cost of relocating Bryce's 300 or so residents in Tuscaloosa County and duplicating the hospital's services would be in the mid-$80 million range.
An appraisal valued the property at $43 million three years ago.

Atmore, Alabama –
(AP) - Convicted killer Jimmy Lee Dill faces lethal
injection at Holman prison as attorneys await a decision from the
Alabama Supreme Court on his bid for a stay of execution.
The 49-year-old Dill is scheduled for lethal injection at 6 p.m.
tonight.
The Birmingham man has been on death row nearly 20 years. He has
been moved to a special cell next to the execution room and visited
his two brothers and other family members.
Prosecutors say he has exhausted appeals of his May 24, 1989,

Wetumpka, Alabama – Wetumpka's Mayor has put his assistant, Linda Lewis, back on the job. This after the Wetumpka City Council decided two weeks ago to move towards termination for alleged abusive language used in a conversation with a former city employee and Wetumpka resident.

Lewis filed suit saying she was improperly targeted for termination by the council. Mayor Jerry Willis says he conducted an investigation among City Hall employees who said they saw nothing improper committed during the alleged interaction between Lewis and the former city employee.