WVAS Local

Montgomery, Alabama – A guilty verdict is handed down by a Montgomery jury in the case of a three year old boy's death.

A jury Monday found 23 year old Sean Howard guilty of reckless murder in the shooting death of 3 year old Sequoyah Jackson. The little boy was hit by a stray bullet while playing in his Regency Park neighborhood last year.

Howard had been charged with capital murder, but the jury returned the reckless murder verdict after deliberating for much of Friday and Monday in the case.

Auburn,Alabama – AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - Extensive tests by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in Atlanta show that three young Auburn
girls who died suddenly last year were all struck by the same rare
illness.
Lee County coroner Bill Harris said 7-year-old Katherine
Langford, 10-year-old Kaylee Allison and 7-year-old Brianea Thomas
died from Myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, in
June, August and November, respectively.
He said the deaths have been ruled natural and the families did

Montgomery, Alabama – MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Birmingham Democratic Sen. Rodger
Smitherman has been elected president pro tem of the Alabama
Senate. Union Grove Democrat Hinton Mitchem resigned the position
Thursday. The president pro tem is the top spot that a senator can
hold.

Montgomery,Alabama – Montgomery Police are planning to honor one of its fallen officers this afternoon. Officials will place the name of Joshua P. Broadway on the monument honoring fallen officers located in front of Montgomery Police Headquarters.

Broadway was on duty last month when his Police cruiser was struck by another vehicle. He died almost two weeks later.

Montgomery,Alabama – MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A legislative committee has voted to ban
text messaging while driving in Alabama.
The House Public Safety Committee approved a bill by Rep. Jim
McClendon on Thursday without any dissent.
That bill drew support from the National Safety Council. It
would levy a $25 fine for a first violation. The bill now goes to
the House for consideration. The Republican representative from
Springville says the bill has a good chance of passing because
people see text messaging as a dangerous distraction.

Montgomery,Alabama – MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A proposal to remove the state's 4
percent tax from groceries has passed the first hurdle in the
Alabama Legislature.
The bill by Rep. John Knight of Montgomery was approved Thursday
morning on a voice vote with several members expressing opposition.
A bill to remove the tax from food purchases passed the House last
year, but was defeated in the Senate.
The bill is a constitutional amendment and would have to be
approved by Alabama voters if it passes the Legislature.

Montgomery, Alabama – Listen,now,to some of the stories making headlines on this Thursday, February 5th. Send your news items and comments to Tana Shealey via e-mail at tshealey@alasu.edu or call 334-229-4783.

Montgomery, Alabama – One of the former candidates for mayor of Montgomery is filing a lawsuit over being disqualified to run for the office.

29 year old Willie D. Knight alleges the Montgomery Election Center discriminated against young candidates during the two week qualifying period. Knight tells a local newspaper that he is seeking $20 million in damages.

Montgomery, Alabama – Funeral services will be held today for Former Governor Guy Hunt. Hunt died Friday of lung cancer; he was 75 years old.

Gov. Bob Riley, Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. and many other state officials plan to attend the funeral today in the north Alabama town of Boaz.

Republican Governor Riley credits Hunt with helping the Republican Party emerge in Alabama. A spokesman for the Democratic lieutenant governor said he also plans to attend. Folsom served as lieutenant governor when Hunt was governor.

Montgomery, Alabama – (AP) - Gov. Bob Riley says a federal economic
stimulus package would allow Alabama to maintain state government
operations at close to their current level next year.
Riley says education spending could be higher than it currently
is.
Riley unveiled his proposed state budgets for fiscal 2010 on
Wednesday and they address two scenarios - passage of a federal
stimulus package and failure of the package.
If the package fails, Riley says education spending would drop