WVAS Local

 Two Hayneville Police officers have been placed on administrative leave following a fatal shooting Wednesday night. The State Bureau of Investigation has been called in to handle the case. An investigator with SBI says the officers were called to the home of 55 year old George Crenshaw Wednesday to serve multiple warrants against him. During that process, the investigator says Crenshaw came at the men with a large kitchen knife. Witnesses are being quoted as saying the officers gave verbal commands for Crenshaw to drop the knife before shots were fired. His injuries prove to be fatal.

     State health officials say Alabama's infant death rate has fallen to an all-time low just a year after it was among the worst in the nation. The Alabama Department of Public Health says new figures show the state's infant mortality rate declined to 7.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2017. That means 435 infants died before reaching their first birthday compared with 537 infant deaths in 2016. The death rate that year was 9.1 deaths per 1,000 births. Officials say the improvement could be linked to fewer teen pregnancies and fewer women smoking while they are pregnant.

   Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ann Roy Moore spoke to a room full of parents and teachers at a town hall meeting last night. The audience was able to submit questions on note cards that Dr. Moore answered before the group. Reactions to the meeting were positive. Most of the questions focused on the state’s intervention of Montgomery Public Schools, the accreditation process, and the need for increased funding. More town hall meetings are likely if the demand is there.

   Polls are open all across the state for today’s General Election. A full slate of statewide offices is on the ballot, from Governor and Lt. Governor to Attorney General and Secretary of State, on down. The Republicans have certainly held the edge in Alabama for years now. No Democrat holds statewide office, and Alabama's nine-member delegation to Washington includes seven Republicans. But Democrats are optimistic going into today’s election. There are more Democrats running in statewide races than in 2014. Party candidates are contesting nine statewide offices.

   Montgomery has been named as one of the country’s top smart cities. The Center for Digital Government announced that Montgomery won the 2018 Digital Cities Survey, along with several other U.S. cities. The Capital city was ranked eighth in the nation for a city its size. The award was given to cities excelling in leveraging technology, boosting cybersecurity, and improving the overall quality of the life of its residents. A factor in the win, according to officials with the Center for Digital Government, was the city’s open data portal. 

   Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill says almost 302-thousand voters in the state are listed as inactive. That’s approximately one out of every ten voters. Merrill points out that people can still cast ballots on Tuesday, even if listed as inactive, however those folks will need to fill out a form at the polling place and update their address.  The bulk of voters being declared inactive happened during roll maintenance when the state was unable to reach residents with mailed postcards.

Magic City Classic week culminates tomorrow with the 77th annual McDonald’s Magic City Classic parade and football game. Coaches and players have been in Birmingham getting ready for the matchup between Alabama State University and Alabama A&M. The parade is set to roll at 8 o’clock Saturday morning. It will be televised by WBRC in Birmingham and WSFA in Montgomery. The game kicks off at 2:30. ESPN 3 has the TV broadcast. WVAS has the radio broadcast, starting with pregame at 2 o’clock.

   Alabama State University has lost the founding dean of its College of Business Administration, Dr. Percy J. Vaughn Jr. The legendary educator died yesterday morning at the age of 86. His tenure at ASU spanned more than three decades. As the Dean of COBA and as a professor of marketing, Dr. Vaughn helped to launch hundreds of graduates into successful careers. The university honored him last year by dedicating the College of Business Administration in his name.

   Five new members have been added to the Alabama Academy of Honor. The Academy held a ceremony at the state capitol yesterday inducting the new members. Each new inductee was given the opportunity to speak at the occasion. The inductees are former U-S District Judge U. W. Clemon; civic leader Walter Bell; former Executive Director of Leadership Birmingham Anne D. Florie; former chairman and CEO of Compass Bank D. Paul Jones, Jr.; and W. Stancil (Stan) Starnes, CEO of ProAssurance Corporation. The Academy was created by

   A student at Alabama State University lost her life in a traffic accident last weekend. ASU officials have released a statement mourning the loss of 18 year old Kennedy Segars. The freshman was killed Sunday in Dekalb County, Georgia when the car she was a passenger in was hit by a vehicle driven by an intoxicated driver. Segars had gone home to celebrate her mother’s birthday.