"I don't see any opportunity to come back alone or with others," EADS Chairman Louis Gallois said at a news conference in Paris. "If Northrop makes the analysis that we cannot win, I don't think we can say that we will do it alone."
View full size(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)A view from the window of an Air Force KC-135 plane looking at a KC-10 plane as members of the 459th Air Refueling Wing take part in a refueling exercise over the Atlantic Ocean approximately 300 miles east of New York, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009. EADS announced Tuesday it would not pursue the tanker project without its partner Northrop Grumman.The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. said Tuesday that it would not compete for the U.S. Air Force tanker contract against rival Boeing Co., a day after its bidding partner, Northrop Grumman Corp., announced it was dropping its pursuit of the potential $40 billion deal.
"I don't see any opportunity to come back alone or with others," EADS Chairman Louis Gallois said at a news conference in Paris. "If Northrop makes the analysis that we cannot win, I don't think we can say that we will do it alone."
The announcement dimmed any lingering hope in Mobile that the city might salvage its bid for the project. Northrop and EADS, the parent company of Airbus, together were proposing to assemble their KC-30 tankers at a $600 million factory to be constructed at Brookley Field.
Aftershocks from Northrop's decision spread far and wide Tuesday.
In the Puget Sound region of Washington state, Boeing cautioned that it was far from ready to declare victory.
In Europe, trade officials raised concerns that the U.S. was closing its markets to foreign competition. And in Washington, D.C., the Air Force looked to press ahead with a sole-source deal to Boeing, saying it could award the 179-plane order sooner than planned.
The current schedule calls for bids to be submitted by May 10, with a winner selected in early October.
Nowhere was the impact greater than in Mobile, where local and state officials have been chasing the project for five years.
EADS selected Brookley as the location for its proposed 1,500-worker assembly plant in July 2005. The company also was proposing to add production of Airbus A330 freighters at the facility, spreading the project's economic impact along the Gulf Coast.
While those plans have been scrapped, EADS would still like to expand its footprint in Mobile, according to the head of the company's U.S. subsidiary.
Airbus has an engineering center at Brookley, where it employs about 150 aerospace engineers who perform design work on the A380, A350 and other commercial aircraft. Airbus Military employs about 30 at a $6 million aircraft maintenance center at Mobile Regional Airport.
Those facilities are stable, according to Ralph Crosby, chairman of EADS North America.
"My point in coming here is to say thanks for all the support the community has given us and to reaffirm our commitment to Mobile," Crosby told the Press-Register in an interview Tuesday in Mobile. "I wish it was under different circumstances, but we very much want to be here for a long time to come."
A top Boeing executive said Tuesday that Northrop's decision not to bid on the tanker contract wasn't necessarily the end of the story. The Air Force has been trying for nearly a decade to begin replacing its aging fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers and has failed in two previous attempts to award a contract for new planes.
The Northrop team won the most recent competition in 2008, when the Air Force selected its KC-30 over Boeing's KC-767 tanker.
But the deal unraveled when federal auditors, acting on a protest filed by Boeing, found problems with the way the Air Force made its selection.
"I've been working this program for nine years," Jim Albaugh, head of Boeing's commercial aircraft, told investors at a New York conference that was broadcast on the Web. "It's the longest-running soap opera since 'Days of Our Lives,' and I'm not sure we've seen the last episode."
OZARK, Ala. -- Students spoke up Tuesday before the Ozark City School Board in support of Curtis Stapleton, the girls basketball, assistant football and track and field coach at Carroll High School who was fire in February.
Students and former athletes spoke up Tuesday, March 9, 2010, in favor of Curtis Stapleton, a coach fired from Carroll High School in February.
OZARK, Ala. -- Students spoke up Tuesday before the Ozark City School Board in support of Curtis Stapleton, the girls basketball, assistant football and track and field coach at Carroll High School who was fire in February, the Dothan Eagle reports.
Ozark City Schools Superintendent Mike Lenhart said Tuesday he terminated Stapleton because he believed it was best for the future of the athletic department. The Dothan Eagle said letters it received received that were addressed
to Stapleton by Lenhart said Stapleton was terminated because of 3
incidents that made Lenhart question Stapleton's "judgment as a
coach and teacher-role model around female students."
Stapleton, an Alabama High School Athletic
Association "Coach of the Year" with 2 winning seasons after nearly a
decade of losses in the program under other coaches, did not speak at
the meeting.
It was, as they say in Alabama, all over but the shoutin'. You could argue about just who killed Mobile's dream of building airplanes, or exactly when the blow was struck, or how. You could even argue, as of Tuesday morning, whether it was dead at all. Any doubts about that vanished at 11:05 a.m. in a private dining...
It was, as they say in Alabama, all over but the shoutin'.
You could argue about just who killed Mobile's dream of building airplanes, or exactly when the blow was struck, or how. You could even argue, as of Tuesday morning, whether it was dead at all.
Any doubts about that vanished at 11:05 a.m. in a private dining room at the Battle House Hotel. That's where a group of two dozen community leaders gathered Tuesday for a luncheon meeting to discuss the city's prospects in a competition to build refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force.
Their host was Ralph Crosby, a trusted ally and leader in Mobile's five-year quest for the tanker contract. It was Crosby who, as head of EADS North America, selected Mobile in July 2005 as the proposed site of a $600 million factory to build the big jets.
There were handshakes and warm greetings, but a clear sense of apprehension among the invited guests. Northrop Grumman Corp., the prime contractor leading Mobile's bid, had announced the day before that it was quitting the competition against rival Boeing Co.
The decision was potentially devastating for Alabama, but Crosby's arrival signaled hope. The Charleston native and former U.S. Army combat officer had won deep respect in Mobile for his vision and toughness in pursuit of the project.
But when Crosby stood to face his audience in a grim gray suit, he offered no optimism, no sunshine and no false promises. The race was over, he said in funereal tones.
"This is a bad day in my life," Crosby said. "I wish I could offer you hope. Unfortunately, I can only offer you my thanks for your support throughout this process, and my apology that this didn't turn out better for all of us."
It was a profound moment and, as heads sank around the dining table, the temptation must have been great to extend an encouraging word. But Crosby said he could offer only his gratitude and his respect for the community's efforts.
EADS North American chairman Ralphy Crosby speaks about the Air Force tanker competition in this 2007 file photo."I feel a great personal responsibility to be here because I started this thing, right here, five years ago," he said. "I lament what all of this means for this community. I lament what it means for our men and women in uniform. It just is unacceptable to me to see how this hurts a lot of good people who deserve a lot better than this."
Crosby said EADS felt strongly that it could compete and win against Boeing, and that he was frustrated that Northrop chose not to submit a bid. But Crosby acknowledged that, with proposals on the contract due in two months, EADS could not continue alone.
"It's simply beyond our capability," he said.
Crosby also dismissed any chance that EADS, the parent company of Airbus, might still shift some aircraft production to Mobile.
"That business case just isn't there, and frankly we're a long way from making it," he said.
As his glum audience picked at their steak-and-potato plates, Crosby said he was angry at how the Air Force tilted the competition in favor of Boeing.
"It's wrong for the Pentagon to say that this was a fair and equal competition. There's no doubt that it was biased," he said.
But he said he was proud of Mobile's competitive spirit even against long odds.
"You continued to fight even when the deck was stacked against us," he said. "It's painful to think about what might have been here. As time moves onward, perhaps there will be new opportunities. But our hearts are here with you. My heart is here, and will always be."
Political editor George Talbot's column runs Wednesdays. He can be reached at 251-219-5623 or gtalbot@press-register.com.
DOTHAN, Ala. -- A Houston County jury has asked a judge to clarify the charges against Crystal Finnegan, who is accused of manslaughter in the death of her son in a June 2008 car accident.
DOTHAN, Ala. -- A Houston County jury has asked a judge to clarify the charges against Crystal Finnegan, a Columbus, Ga., mother who is accused of manslaughter in the death of her son in a June 2008 car accident, the Dothan Eagle reports.
Finnegan
is accused of driving too fast on a rainy day as she and her 2 sons were traveling north on the east side of Ross Clark
Circle, where Finnegan lost control of her pickup, slid across the median and collided with a
church bus full of middle and high school students from Kentucky.
The
accident killed Rippen Upton, and severely injured Brody Upton. Dianna
Combs, a passenger in the bus, was also severely injured. Finnegan testified in her own defense Tuesday morning, sobbing and saying her last memory before the accident was singing with Rippen and Brody before waking up in the hospital.
Barton Academy was built in the 1830s, and was a school until the 1970s, when the system moved its central offices there. It has been vacant for three years, since the central offices relocated to newer quarters in west Mobile.
View full size(Press-Register/G.M. Andrews) Peeling paint along the outside of the cupola of Barton Academy is seen in this photo taken Friday, Mar. 5, 2010 in Mobile, Ala. A committee is looking for potential leasors for the buidling.MOBILE, Ala. -- They haven't gone as far as putting a "For Lease" sign out front.
But members of a committee formed to restore Barton Academy, Alabama's first public school building, are knocking on doors and trying to find someone who wants to use it.
Jaime Betbeze, chairman of the Barton Academy Historic Preservation and Restoration Committee, said members would prefer that the Government Street building serve an educational purpose, but they are open to other ideas.
Barton was built in the 1830s, and was a school until the 1970s, when the system moved its central offices there. It has been vacant for three years, since the central offices relocated to newer quarters in west Mobile.
View full size(Press-Register/G.M. Andrews)Peeling paint and some rotting wood along the outside of the cupola of Barton Academy are seen in this photo taken Friday, Mar. 5, 2010 in Mobile, Ala.The school system continues to run heating and cooling equipment in the vacant Barton in an attempt to slow decay. Alarms still function to ward off burglars and vandals, and a system employee checks the building every couple of days.
"We want people to know that Barton has not been forgotten about," said schools Superintendent Roy Nichols.
The school board often finds itself in a sticky situation when it comes to funding repairs to Barton. Board members have said it's hard to designate money for the building when some children attend class in rundown schools and in portables.
School system officials had talked about putting an arts magnet school at Barton. But there's too little parking for high school students, and the three stories of the building might pose problems for younger students.
Some also suggested putting a culinary arts school at Barton or a workforce training facility, but officials have not been able to find anyone to do that.
Betbeze said that the committee is trying to establish a Barton alumni association to garner support for the building, which has twice landed on the Alabama Historical Commission's list of "Places in Peril."
"To lose the building would just be an absolute travesty for our community," Betbeze said. "The only way we can preserve it is to put it to active use."
School system officials have been applying for grants to restore Barton, but haven't received any. Nichols said that it would be easier to obtain such grants if the building had a designated use.
Architect Nick Holmes, who studied the building, has pegged the cost of exterior repairs at about $3 million. That would include painting, replacing windows, reroofing, filling in cracks, killing rust, stopping deterioration and fixing the tilting dome.
Other restoration and repairs, including on the interior, could bring the total cost to $20 million or so.
Holmes said that passersby might assume that Barton is falling apart. But, he said, it's structurally sound.
Officials said they would like to preserve both Barton and the Yerby building behind it. But, they said, Barton is the priority.
Holmes said that Barton, with its Greek revival architecture, is one of Mobile's treasures. It and the nearby Government Street Presbyterian Church and Christ Church were all built during an interesting time.
"Mobile was on the cutting edge of architecture then. That was the only time the city's been there either before or since," Holmes said. "This is one of the most historic buildings in the state of Alabama and in the South."
LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. -- A Lawrence County, Tenn., man and his 2 sons have been indicted on numerous charges in the of a game warden and a rash of burglaries that targeted an Amish community.
LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. -- A Lawrence County, Tenn., man and his 2 sons have been indicted on numerous charges in the of a game warden and a rash of burglaries
that targeted an Amish community, the TimesDaily newspaper reports.
Indicted were:
Joe Howard Swafford, 50, of Summertown, Tenn., on charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, 2 counts of aggravated burglary, 2 counts of theft of property and
3 counts of vandalism.
James C.
Swafford, 24, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., on charges of attempted first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, 2 counts of aggravated burglary, 3 counts of vandalism and 2 counts
of theft of property.
Patrick Swafford, 20, Summertown, on charges of 4 counts of vandalism, 2 counts of aggravated burglary and 2 counts of theft of property.
The men
were arrested Dec. 31, 2009, and James Swafford is accused of shooting Tennessee
Wildlife resource officer Jeff Hummel on Dec. 30. Chief Deputy Terry
Beecham, of the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office, said at the time that Hummel was
assisting with an investigation of several burglaries in
the Amish community.
A bankruptcy court judge denied a motion Tuesday that would force Prichard to pay its pensioners, saying they do not qualify as administrative claims -- or day-to-day obligations -- of the city.
A bankruptcy court judge denied a motion Tuesday that would force Prichard to pay its pensioners, saying they do not qualify as administrative claims -- or day-to-day obligations -- of the city.
The judge gave the city until May 19 to file a reorganization plan.
A group of pensioners, who have a civil lawsuit pending against Prichard, asked U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge William Shulman to include the pensioners, who have not been paid in six months, in the city's regular expenses.
"Without some relief, each month goes by, they are unable to pay for their basic life essentials," Alexandra Garrett, a lawyer for the pensioners, argued.
Under the bankruptcy, Prichard -- the second-largest city in Mobile County, with a population of about 27,000 -- must continue to pay bills and current employees in order to function, the judge said.
"I know you want to shoehorn this in and try to make it fit, but it doesn't seem to fit," Shulman said.
In a Chapter 9 bankruptcy, the court is limited in its authority to order municipalities to pay creditors.
The hearing was packed with pensioners, several of whom were wearing black to symbolize their frustration. The only elected city official present was Councilwoman Earline Martin-Harris.
The last check pensioners received was in September. The city filed for bankruptcy in October.
James Devon Dennis, 70, who retired as the city's fire chief in 1992, said he was disappointed by Tuesday's ruling.
"But after six months, you just don't expect a whole lot, I guess," Dennis said. "I never dreamed it would have come to this."
Shulman said he sympathized with the pensioners and said that in 14 years on the bench, he has "not seen a case like this."
"Do you think your plan is going to be able to deal with this issue?" Shulman asked Scott Williams, a lawyer for the city, regarding the pensioners.
"The city has set aside money," Williams said. "The reality is it's not enough."
"Is there enough to pay on a pro rata basis?" the judge asked.
"No," Williams said.
Lawyers for the city still have not determined the entirety of Prichard's debt. Regarding the reorganization plan, Williams told the judge, "People are not going to like it."
Robert Hedge, a lawyer for the pensioners, said he may ask Shulman to force the pension board, which is a separate entity from the city, to pay retirees whatever money is in the pension fund.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday the scene at President Barack Obama's first State of the Union address was "very troubling" and that the annual speech to Congress has "degenerated into a political pep rally."
(The Birmingham News/Michelle Williams) U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts speaks in the McMillan Lecture Hall at the University of Alabama Law School in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Tuesday, March 9, 2010.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. --
U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday the scene at President
Barack Obama's first State of the Union address was "very troubling" and
that the annual speech to Congress has "degenerated into a political
pep rally."
Responding to a University of Alabama law student's
question about the Senate's method of confirming justices, Roberts said
senators improperly try to make political points by asking questions
they know nominees can't answer because of judicial ethics rules.
"I
think the process is broken down," he said.
Obama chided the
court for its campaign finance decision during the January address, with
six of the court's nine justices seated before him in their black
robes.
Roberts said he wonders whether justices should attend the
address.
"To the extent the State of the Union has degenerated
into a political pep rally, I'm not sure why we're there," said Roberts,
a Republican nominee who joined the court in 2005.
Roberts said
anyone is free to criticize the court and that some have an obligation
to do so because of their positions.
"So I have no problems with
that," he said. "On the other hand, there is the issue of the setting,
the circumstances and the decorum. The image of having the members of
one branch of government standing up, literally surrounding the Supreme
Court, cheering and hollering while the court -- according the
requirements of protocol -- has to sit there expressionless, I think is
very troubling."
Breaking from tradition, Obama used the speech to
criticize the court's decision that allows corporations and unions to
freely spend money to run political ads for or against specific
candidates.
"With all due deference to the separation of powers,
the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for
special interests -- including foreign corporations -- to spend without
limit in our elections," Obama said.
Justice Samuel Alito was the
only justice to respond at the time, shaking his head and appearing to
mouth the words "not true" as Obama continued.
In response to
Roberts' remarks Tuesday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs
focused on the court's decision and not the chief justice's point about
the time and place for criticism of the court.
"What is troubling
is that this decision opened the floodgates for corporations and special
interests to pour money into elections -- drowning out the voices of
average Americans," Gibbs said. "The president has long been committed
to reducing the undue influence of special interests and their lobbyists
over government. That is why he spoke out to condemn the decision and
is working with Congress on a legislative response."
Justice
Antonin Scalia once said he no longer goes to the annual speech because
the justices "sit there like bumps on a log" in an otherwise highly
partisan atmosphere.
Roberts opened his appearance in Alabama with
a 30-minute lecture on the history of the Supreme Court and became
animated as he answered students' questions. He joked about a recent
rumor that he was stepping down from the court and said he didn't know
he wanted to be a lawyer until he was in law school.
While
Associate Justice Clarence Thomas told students at Alabama last fall he
saw little value in oral arguments before the court, Roberts disagreed.
"Maybe
it's because I participated in it a lot as a lawyer," Roberts said.
"I'd hate to think it didn't matter."
Watch John Roberts video from The Tuscaloosa News:
LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. -- Thirty-year-old Samuel James Scholl of Lawrenceburg has been indicted on a murder charge on accusations he stabbed his wife to death with a kitchen knife during a domestic incident in July 2009.
View full sizeSamuel James Scholl: 30-year-old Lawrenceburg, Tenn., man indicted on a murder charge on accusations he stabbed his wife to death with a kitchen knife during a domestic incident in July 2009.LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. -- Thirty-year-old Samuel James Scholl of Lawrenceburg has been indicted on a murder charge on accusations he stabbed his wife to death with a kitchen knife during a domestic incident in July 2009, the TimesDaily newspaper reports.
Scholl is accused of killing Polly Anna Scholl, 33, who was flown
from Crockett General Hospital to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville. Lawrenceburg Police Chief Judy Moore told the TimesDaily that officers were called to a
Clayton Street residence on a report of an unwanted person, arriving not to find Samuel James Scholl, but Polly Anna School on a hallway floor, covered in blood.
HonorFlight groups around the United States charter flights to Washington, D.C., to allow World War II veterans to visit the World War II Memorial and other monuments.
View full size(Press-Register/John David Mercer)World War II veteran Joe Gould tours the World War II Memorial for the first time in Washington, Wednesday, May. 6, 2007. This was HonorFlight South Alabama's first trip to the memorial. The group plans two trips to Washington this year.HonorFlight South Alabama has scheduled two trips to Washington, D.C., this year, as more World War II veterans express interest in participating.
The May trip has been rescheduled for May 12, said Dr. Barry Booth, a Spanish Fort dentist who has headed the local effort. The original May 5 flight had to be moved to another date because of scheduling issues at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Booth said.
HonorFlight groups around the United States charter flights to Washington, D.C., to allow World War II veterans to visit the World War II Memorial and other monuments.
Booth said that a second trip will take place in mid-September, although a specific date has not been set. A 2011 trip is also in the works.
To Contribute
Those who wish to contribute can mail donations to: HonorFlight South Alabama P.O. Box 7406 Spanish Fort, AL 36577
Checks should be made payable to HonorFlight South Alabama.
"A lot of veterans who initially were reticent about the program have heard from their colleagues, their family and friends, and they have changed their minds and are saying 'I want to go,'" he said.
"The enthusiasm is high, and the HonorFlight team is passionate about getting veterans to Washington as quickly as possible because we know they are passing away at an ever increasing rate," Booth said.
So far, 186 Mobile area World War II veterans have made the trip to Washington, he said, adding that donations are needed for both the September and the 2011 flights.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Ekow Hayford, a former business professor at Stillman College who says he was axed because of his criticisms of the institution, has sued the college over his termination 2 years ago
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Ekow Hayford, a former
business professor at Stillman College who says he was axed because of his criticisms of the institution, has sued the college over his termination
2 years ago, the Tuscaloosa News reports.
The college issued a statement saying the lawsuit, filed Feb. 15 in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court, has no merit.
Hayford now teaches at Talladega College, was fired in April 2008. The American Association
of University Professors investigated his dismissal and voted to censure Stillman in
June 2009, the Tuscaloosa News reports.
FLORALA, Ala. -- Covington County Sheriff Dennis Meeks on Tuesday issued a bingo permit to the Florala Historical Society, which had entered an agreement with a Gulf Shores developer associated with gaming interests in 27 states and that had proposed building an entertainment complex in Florala.
FLORALA, Ala. -- Covington County Sheriff Dennis Meeks on Tuesday issued a bingo permit to the Florala Historical Society, which had entered an agreement with a Gulf Shores developer associated with gaming interests in 27 states and that had proposed building an entertainment complex in Florala, the Andalusia Star-News reports.
The permit may not be what the group was hoping for, however, in that it states that bingo games can be held at 1099 Fifth St. in Florala on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. And while the permit does not state the kind of bingo permitted, Meeks has indicated he would only issue permits for paper bingo, according to the Star-News report.
While the city may not get the 1,500-job-creating entertainment venue, hotel, restaurant and sandwich shop that was discussed, Florala's mayor remained hopeful that a temporary facility may open within 30 days.
FAIRHOPE, Ala. -- Thousands of customers' electric bills will change starting next month after the City Council approved a new rate structure Monday night. It was the first overhaul of the city's electricity rate structure since 2000.
Fairhope Mayor Tim Kant said this week's electricity rate structure this week is the city's first since 2000.FAIRHOPE, Ala. -- Thousands of customers' electric bills will change starting next month after the City Council approved a new rate structure Monday night.
"Some people's bills may go up, but probably most of them will go down," James Gillespie, the city's administrative superintendent, told the council before the unanimous vote.
It was the first overhaul of the city's electricity rate structure since 2000, said Mayor Tim Kant. The new rates will go into effect during next month's billing cycle, he said.
The measure passed Monday also eliminates the "revenue component" from the fuel adjustment fee added to each customer's monthly bill, Gillespie said.
In recent months, members of the council and the city's Financial Advisory Committee had raised questions about the flexibility that the electric rate structure ordinance gave to Kant and Gillespie to increase the fuel adjustment charge in order to generate revenue.
While changes in the rates charged per kilowatt hour had to be approved by the council, the utility itself could change the fuel adjustment fee, Kant said during an interview Tuesday.
In recent years, as energy costs have fluctuated wildly, "it was easier to adjust things that way rather than redo all our rates," Kant said.
The ordinance passed Monday night links the energy cost adjustment directly to the cost of energy charged the city by the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority, he said.
The AMEA, headquartered in Montgomery, channels electricity to its 11 member cities from a variety of sources. About 80 percent of that electricity comes from Alabama Power Co., Kant said.
So, essentially, now all changes to customers' monthly electric bill must first be approved by the council, Kant said.
The average customer bill will increase 0.6 percent, or 74 cents -- from $129.53 to $130.27, according to a monthly billing comparison that Gillespie provided to council members.
The average commercial customer's bill will decrease 4.29 percent -- from $306.37 to $293.22, according to the comparison.
Though most customers' bill totals will decrease, the effect on the electric utility's revenues is expected to be negligible because the costs will increase for large commercial operations such as Thomas Hospital and Walmart, Kant said.
"Total revenues will go up slightly but not much," Kant said. "This was really just an effort to clean up the electric rates ordinance."
In other business Monday, the council:
Approved a resolution giving Kant authority to settle a lawsuit against the city by Irvington-based Esfeller Construction Co.
The company's lawsuit seeks $1.1 million in compensation from the city for extra work required to complete a new runway at the H.L. Sonny Callahan Airport in 2004 and 2005.
The city has already paid the company $2 million -- the agreed-upon contract amount. Esfeller Construction is seeking compensation, allegedly under the terms of the contract, for additional work done due to heavy rains during construction, according to the lawsuit.
The city has maintained that, under the terms of the contract, the risk of adverse weather was to be borne by the contractor, not the city.
A trial in the case was set to begin March 1, with Circuit Court Judge James H. Reid presiding. But the parties instead began settlement discussions, according to court documents.
No one during Monday's meeting discussed what the settlement agreement might entail.
Voted to lease 38 acres near Fairhope High School -- purchased by the city in October for future recreational development -- to Fairhope Dairy for $2,300 for one year.
The council approved the unbudgeted $877,000 property purchase just two weeks after passing a trimmed-down budget that cut out proposed employee raises totaling $311,000.
"It looks as if we won't be developing this land for some time, so we're leasing it," said Councilman Lonnie Mixon.
Councilman Mike Ford, a longtime local real estate agent, said that in his experience it was best to ask for payment from farmers "in advance" in case the crop fails or the price of farm animals drops.
Eric Street of Fairhope Dairy told the council he was "ready to sign a check right now." The council approved the lease unanimously. The land will be used for grazing cattle, city officials said.
MOBILE, Ala. -- A man on a bicycle reached into a woman's car in Midtown and took her cell phone and money today, but police arrested the man after the woman followed him in her car and summoned for help, Mobile police said.
Timothy Demond Smith was charged with unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle and was in Mobile County Metro Jail tonight on $3,000 bail, jail records show.
Police spokesman Officer Christopher Levy said the man reached into the car at Old Shell road and North Carlen Street and sped off on a blue bicycle. The woman got help from another person with a cell phone after following him for several blocks, he said.
Police answering the call found Smith on Lambert Street near St. Stephens Road less than five minutes after the incident was reported, Levy said. The woman's belongings were recovered and returned, he added.
Smith will appear in Mobile County District Court on Thursday morning, jail records show.
SILVERHILL, Ala. -- Two Silverhill women were discovered dead late Monday in their mobile home on South Boulevard, authorities said today. Two pet cats were also found dead at the residence.
SILVERHILL, Ala. -- Two Silverhill women were discovered dead late Monday in their mobile home on South Boulevard, authorities said today. Two pet cats were also found dead at the residence.
"We're not saying this is carbon monoxide poisoning until we have conclusive evidence," said Silverhill police Chief Kim Wasdin. "We are treating the scene as a haz-mat scene."
The bodies of Donna Henderson, 52, and her daughter Samatha Combs, 18, were discovered by friends shortly before midnight. They appeared to have been dead at least two days, said Baldwin County Coroner Stan Vinson.
Wasdin said the pair was last seen alive by friends late Friday night. Vinson said that over the weekend a young friend of Combs had tried to contact her, and had driven to the home Saturday.
"She knocked on the door and even left a note on Samatha's car," Vinson said. The friend came back Monday and found the note still there. She contacted another friend who used to live in the mobile home with Henderson and Combs, and still had a key.
"When they opened the back door, they immediately saw a body lying inside, and they, of course, backed out and called 911," Vinson said.
Two of the pair's five cats were found dead in the home, while another two were found alive, Vinson said. The other cat wasn't found, he said. The home's furnace and stove use natural gas, but it was unknown whether they had been working improperly, he said.
Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless and tasteless by-product of the incomplete combustion of gas, oil, wood, coal and other fuels. It is highly toxic to animals and humans.
Autopsies and carbon monoxide blood testswill be conducted by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Mobile, Vinson said.
There were no signs of forced entry to the home, Wasdin said.
"Right now we are not ruling anything out. I'm going to err on the side of caution and treat this as a homicide until I have conclusive evidence otherwise," the chief said.
Story Spider
No Water For Half Day On Thursday
MAWSS will shut off water to 150 homes in the Copperfield subdivision in West Mobile from 9 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Thursday due to a widening project on Airport Boulevard. more
Flomaton bank robbed
With just two hand-written notes, few words and no visible weapons, a couple robbed the United Bank in Flomaton just before closing time Monday - and police believe the incident could be related to ...
Two held in abuse case
A Brewton couple was arrested Friday on child abuse charges after a young victim told authorities she had been abused by them for four years.
Local native Shaughnessy killed in wreck
Posts from family and friends offering thoughts and prayers flooded the Facebook page of Lee Shaughnessy, husband of Elizabeth Leigh Burke Shaughnessy, who was killed Sunday morning in a one-vehicle a ...
DWM sponsors second 5K race
D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital is hoping residents will lace up their running shoes and take off for the hospital's second annual Relay for Life 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, March 20.
County: Be patient about FEMA funds
The Escambia County Commission is asking residents of the county to be patient when it comes to repairs of bridges and roads damaged in the December 2009 flooding.
City to tear down 15 more eyesores
Another 15 dilapidated structures are set for demolition after a low bid for the destruction was submitted by an Atmore industry.
No Water For Half Day On Thursday
MAWSS will shut off water to 150 homes in the Copperfield subdivision in West Mobile from 9 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Thursday due to a widening project on Airport Boulevard. more
Silverhill Deaths Ruled A Homicide
A Silverhill mother and her teeanage daughter were found dead inside their mobile home. Police are now investigating the case as a homicide. more
EADS Chairman “I’m Angry”
The head of the EADS tanker team says he's angry at the Defense Department but won't blast the President. more
Big Push For 1-Cent Sales Tax Hike
Two weeks before the vote, the Baldwin County School System is making a big push to make sure voters get to the polls. more
Looking For Work?
Despite the down economy, we found nearly a dozen local employers looking to hire. more
EADS “Boeing Doesn’t Deserve This”
EADS North America Chairman Ralph Crosby talks about his anger, disappointment and why he thinks Boeing got what they didn't deserve. more
Tanker Timeline
Eight years ago, The Air Force announced it needed to replace its aging fleet of KC-135 tankers. It's been a roller coast ride ever since. more
Spring Break 2010!
Spring Break 2010 officially underway....thousands of college students heading to Baldwin County's beaches. more
President’s Corpse Stolen?
A body found in a cemetry on the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus may be that of the former president. more
Shots Fired At Waffle House
Police in Loxley need your help to find a man they say fired shots inside the Waffle House in Loxley Friday night. more
Investigators Following The Money Trail
The Escambia County Sheriff's Office now says Cathy Lister stole at least $1.2 million from the department. Lister worked in the finance unit handling cash seized in investigations. more
Judge: Ala AG, Not Task Force, Holds Legal Cards
A judge has ruled that Alabama's attorney general has legal authority over the governor's antigambling task force in its efforts to shut down electronic
bingo casinos. more
Bust Nets “Coke” And “Cherries”
Here’s a closer look at what Fairhope Police allegedly found at a local bar. Updated with images of gambling machines seized. more
Foley Teenager Killed In One-Car Accident
Police say 16-year-old Caitlin Buemi hit a telephone pole on South Juniper Street near Lawson Road and overturned, trapping her inside the car. more
Troy King Talks About Chickasaw Bingo
We caught up with the Alabama Attorney General at a GOP event in Robertsdale Saturday and asked him about the Chickasaw Bingo controversy. more
President Obama Remembers ‘Bloody Sunday’ March
President Barack praises heroes who marched into history and endured beatings by Alabama state troopers at the start of their landmark voting rights trek. more
