These are some stories from the 9/28/12 version of Tennessee Valley news update (633, 733, 833am, 304, 404, 504, 604pm) …
HUNTSVILLE, AL (Huntsville Times) - Huntsville City Council members didn’t get everything they wanted, but still voted to approve Mayor Tommy Battle’s 236-million dollar operating budget without changes. The Huntsville Times reports 4-million dollars in incentives were unanimously approved to lure a major department store to Bridge Street Towne Center. However, funding requests by several non-profits were not met. The Huntsville Madison County Public Library, The Huntsville Museum of Art, EarlyWorks Children’s Museum and Burritt on the Mountain will share 31-thousand dollars. 100-thousand dollars will be spent on an effort to create a public grant program for local artists and non-profits. Find a link to this story here.
WASHINGTON, DC (AP) - New statistics from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis show a slight upward bump in personal income for Alabamians … an increase of 0.8 percent during 2012’s second quarter. The Birmingham News reports the small gain is seen as positive, but Alabama still ranks 43rd. Three of the top ten fastest growing states in personal income are in the South … Florida, Mississippi and Arkansas rank 5th, 6th and 8th respectively and saw growth of about 1-point-2 percent.
HUNTSVILLE, AL (AP) - Amy Bishop will not be prosecuted for the 1986 shooting death of her brother in Massachusetts, prosecutors in Norfolk County, Mass. said today. District Attorney Michael Morrissey said Bishop’s conviction on a capital murder charge here on Monday and a life without parole sentence led to the decision not to pursue extradition and prosecution. The shotgun shooting death of Seth Bishop in 1986 was ruled an accident at the time, but after Bishop was arrested for a shooting rampage in Huntsville in February 2010, the case was reopened.
HUNTSVILLE, AL (WLRH) - The North Alabama International Festival continues through Saturday at UAH. The week-long event celebrates Huntsville’s diversity and seeks to increase awareness of other cultures. This morning at 11-30 in the Salmon Library there’s a lunch and lecture titled “Why Culture Matters”. Poetry in Music is tonight at 7-30 at 1st Baptist Church. The big Festival takes place tomorrow from 10-5 at Spragins Hall.
HUNTSVILLE, AL (WLRH) - This Saturday morning, the North Alabama Food Policy Council is holding a public forum to discuss challenges and successes with our local food system. The forum runs from 930 to 1230 at the Church of the Nativity in Huntsville.
FRANKLIN, TN (AP) - Eight more Civil War battlefields will be preserved thanks to $2.4 million in land aquisition grants from the National Park Service. Battlefields in Franklin, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia will receive funding. This year marks the 150 year anniversary of several important Civil War battles.
MONTGOMERY, AL (AP) – Alabama’s state schools superintendent says he will seek raises for K-12 employees in the budget lawmakers are to begin debating in February. Alabama Superintendent of Education Tommy Bice told members of the state board of education that the employees haven’t received a raise or cost of living adjustment in four years. The Tuscaloosa News reports that Bice’s proposed working budget for the 2013-14 year that begins Oct. 1, 2013, contains money for a raise of about 1 percent. Bice’s declaration follows Gov. Robert Bentley’s announcement last week that he’ll consider raises for teachers and support personnel.
MONTGOMERY, AL (WAAY) – Alabama has a new campaign to keep teen drivers safe. The All-State foundation gave Alabama and seven other states a grant that allows pediatricians to give driver safety information to teens. WAAY reports studies show Alabama has the second highest rate of teen driving deaths in the country. Doctors say the campaign will reinforce Alabama’s Graduated License Law which passed in 2002. Under the Graduated License Law, 15-year-olds with permits must drive up to 50 hours with a licensed driver. Then they get an intermediate restricted license and must have a clean record before applying for a regular license.