Approved FEMA applications: 2,498

Individual Assistance Approved by FEMA to date:  $10,320,969
·        Housing Assistance: $8,772,849
·        Other Need Assistance: $1,548,120

Small Business Administration (SBA) Low-Interest Disaster Loans Approved to date: $1,017,000

Homeowners, renters and business owners affected by the recent tornadoes and storms should register with FEMA for state and federal disaster grants and loans.
·        To apply for assistance, call 800-621-3362 or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov .
·        If you have a speech disability, are deaf or hard of hearing, call (TTY) 800-462-7585
·        If you use 711 or Video Relay Service, call 800-621-3362
·        An individual may choose to receive SMS (Short Message Service) messaging during Registration Intake. This option allows them to have various notifications sent to their smart device regarding their FEMA application.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) Teams and FEMA Corps members are canvassing affected areas to provide on-site registration assistance, address immediate and emerging needs, and answer any questions specific to the registration process. Specialists can also provide referrals to additional resources.
9 Counties are eligible for FEMA Individual Assistance
Baldwin, Blount, DeKalb, Etowah, Jefferson, Lee, Limestone, Mobile, Tuscaloosa

FEMA/STATE Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) .
·        DRC’s are open Monday – Saturday    Closed Sunday
·        8a.m. – 6p.m.

TUSCALOOSA COUNTY

**THE TUSCALOOSA DRC IS IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING TO A NEW LOCATON TODAY.
AN ADVISORY WILL BE FORTHCOMING ONCE IT IS UP AND RUNNING **

BALDWIN COUNTY

Elberta Town Hall
10352 Main St
Elberta, Alabama

Fairhope Civic Center (Delchamps Room)
161 North Section St
Fairhope, Alabama

ETOWAH  COUNTY

Sardis City Hall
1335 Sardis Drive
Boaz, Alabama

JEFFERSON  COUNTY

Maurice C. West Community Center
171 2nd Street SW
Graysville, Alabama

Kimberly Senior Center
8013 Warrior- Kimberly Rd
Kimberly Alabama

Lawson State
1098 9th Ave SW
Bessemer, Alabama

LEE COUNTY

Smith’s Station Government Center
2336 Lee Co Road 430
Smith’s Station, Alabama

LIMESTONE COUNTY

Ripley W.O.W. Hall
11281 Ripley Road
Athens, Alabama

MOBILE COUNTY

Old Navy/Marine Corps Reserve Center
4851 Museum Drive
Mobile, Alabama

18 counties are eligible for Public Assistance
Baldwin, Blount, Butler, Covington, Crenshaw,  Dale, DeKalb, Etowah,
Franklin, Geneva, Jefferson, Lamar, Lee, Limestone, Mobile, Perry,
Pickens, Tuscaloosa

The Birmingham Police Department reports that detectives have arrested and charged a second suspect in connection with a double homicide investigation. The incident occurred Friday, April 25, 2014 in the 1300 Block of 57th Place Ensley.

The first victim has been identified as:
Dekovan Harris, B/M, 36, of Fairfield, Alabama

The second victim has been identified as:
Sharday Ware, B/F, 27, of Birmingham, Alabama

The first suspect has been identified as:
Dewayne Barnes, B/M, 20, of Birmingham, Alabama. Two Capital Murder warrants with a no bond have been obtained against the suspect. The suspect is in the custody of the Jefferson County Jail.

The second suspect has been identified as:
Jermaine Tolbert, B/M, 26, of Birmingham, Alabama. Two Capital Murder warrants with a no bond have been obtained against the suspect. The suspect is in the custody of the Jefferson County Jail.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School will celebrate graduation of the Class of 2014 on Saturday, May 24th. Jefferson County Judge Helen Shores Lee will be the keynote speaker at the graduation, slated for 1 p.m. at Cathedral of Saint Paul, 2120 3rd Avenue North in Birmingham.
Khayla Jones, Valedictorian, plans to attend South Alabama in her pursuit of becoming a physical therapist.
“I am so excited and proud of Khayla. She has always taken her education seriously and excelled,” stated her mother, Sherolyn Jones.
Co-Salutatorian, Elijah Brown, has chosen to attend Samford University on a Presidential Scholarship, said his mother, Deloise Brown.
“I’m living in the moment. All of the hard work has paid off,” said Brown, who plans to be a biological scientist.
Co-Salutatorian, Carlton Hicks, plans to pursue an engineering degree at Alabama A& M University, according to his parents, Herschell and Patricia Hicks.
“We’re so excited about all the blessings God has before him,” Mrs. Hicks said.
One hundred percent of Holy Family Cristo Rey’s seniors have graduated and have been accepted into college since its opening in 2007.
Located at 2001 19th Street Ensley, Holy Family Cristo Rey is currently accepting applications for the 2014-15 school year. For details, call Beverly Dixon, Director of Admissions, at (205) 263-0133, email bdixon@hfcristorey.org, or go to www.hfcristorey.org. Follow the school on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Congratulations to the First Black U.S. Congressman in the State of Alabama since Reconstruction, Congressman Earl F. Hilliard, for being honored and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jefferson County Democratic Party for his more than 35 Years of Service.

 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Health Care announced the appointment of Vanosia S. Faison, MD., MS., as the new Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Faison has been practicing medicine for the past seven years and has been with Birmingham Healthcare for two years, specializing in the areas of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. In addition to her duties as the new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Faison serves as the lead physician at Birmingham Health Care’s Ensley Health Center and spends time implementing the Reach out and Read program, which encourages early literacy by giving books to children starting as young as six months old, to encourage a head start on learning.
Obtaining her undergraduate degree at Fisk University, Dr. Faison continued her education at Alabama State University, receiving her Masters in Biology, and advancing on to Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan.
When asked about her plans for the future, Dr. Faison stated, “I want to have a facility where everyone can be taken care of and receive quality care, whether insured or un-insured. We want to continue to fulfill the mission statement of our practice, and continue to partner with the community to solve the problems facing underserved people.”

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Birmingham Urban League will hold its bi-monthly homebuyer education seminar to provide homebuyer education and financial literacy training for individuals seeking to become homeowners. This FREE workshop provides participants an opportunity to address the overwhelming misconceptions surrounding the homeownership process. Participants learn how to realistically prepare to purchase a home.

Adjustable Rate vs. Fixed Rate, which is better?
Are foreclosed properties a good investment?
Why is my credit score important?

Find answers to these questions and more…
Saturday, June 14, 9 a. m. – 5 p.m. at 1229 Third Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203

Urban League housing counselors and industry professionals cover topics that include residential loan applications; closing documents; home insurance, inspections, maintenance; neighborhood safety, fair housing and CreditSmart® – a curriculum to help consumers understand, build and maintain better credit.

To reserve your seat, contact Kimberly Callines at (205) 326-0162.

 Tom Pole, 84 (6/11/29), B’ham, Ala., while driving under the influence of alcohol struck and injured officer Brandon Smith on Saturday, May 10, 2014.
Mr. Pole has been charged with Assault 1st degree, $60, 000 bond, and is currently being held in Jefferson County jail.
Officer Smith sustained a broken left leg, broken right elbow (both required surgery), dislocated shoulder and is presently hospitalized

The Birmingham Police Department reports that detectives are conducting a homicide investigation. The incident occurred Tuesday, May 20, 2014 in the 1500 Block of Pearson Avenue SW.

The victim has been identified as:
Christopher Handley, B/M, 29, of Birmingham, Alabama

West Precinct Officers responded to the incident location around 9:36 pm on a person shot in the alley. Upon arrival, officers observed the victim sitting in the driver’s seat of his vehicle suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the body. Birmingham Fire Department responded to the scene and pronounced the victim deceased. Detectives are investigating the death as a homicide.

Additional information will be released as it becomes available.

If there is anyone who has information pertaining to the case, they are encouraged to contact the B.P.D. Homicide Unit @ 254-1764 or Crime Stoppers @ 254-7777.

AG Announces 35-Year Prison Sentence for Attempted Murder of Law Enforcement Officers in Russell County

MONTGOMERY—Attorney General Luther Strange announced that a Columbus man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for attempted murder of two Phenix City police officers and menacing of two other law enforcement officers.  Robert Lorenzo Anderson, 24, was found guilty by a jury on April 23 following a two-day trial in Russell County Circuit Court. Anderson was sentenced to 35 years for each of the two counts of attempted murder and six months for each of the two counts of menacing, with these sentences to run concurrently.
The crimes occurred on the afternoon of July 25 when Phenix City police officers Ryan Anglin and Kilpatrick Thomas, among others, responded to a 911 call reporting gunfire at the Riverview Apartments. Police received a subsequent call telling where the suspect was in the building, and while searching that apartment, officers encountered a man fitting the suspect’s description who jumped out of a second-floor window and fled.
As officers Anglin and Thomas pursued, Anderson pointed a pistol at them and fired. This shooting was witnessed by at least one resident of the apartments. After Officer Thomas called the shooting over the police radio, additional law enforcement officers arrived at the scene to help. One of these was Ray Rogers, a Phenix City building inspector who also is a sworn law enforcement officer. Rogers testified that as he rounded the corner of one of the apartment buildings, Anderson shot at him. Shortly thereafter, Investigator Thomas Franklin of the Russell County District Attorney’s Office, who was in his vehicle, saw Anderson running across a street. Anderson pointed his pistol at the investigator’s vehicle as if to shoot, but ran away when Franklin fired at him. Investigator Franklin pulled his vehicle alongside Anderson, who again pointed his gun at the vehicle. The investigator fired again, this time hitting Anderson in the leg, and Anderson was then apprehended.
The Attorney General’s Criminal Trials Division presented evidence at trial that included testimony of the victims who Anderson fired upon as well as a civilian eyewitness. Forensic evidence matched shell casings found on the scene to Anderson’s gun. Additionally, as Anderson was receiving treatment in an ambulance on the crime scene, he said “Give me a gun and I’d do it again.” He further stated to investigators that he had been in the apartment to sell drugs and admitted to firing his gun, but during interviews did not admit to shooting at the officers.
“It is right and important that this man will serve many years in prison,” said Attorney General Strange. “He conducted a terrible attack on the lives of law enforcement officers who responded to a call for help and put their lives, literally, on the line to protect residents of Riverview Apartments and the people of Phenix City. Officers Anglin and Thomas, Mr. Rogers and Investigator Franklin, are truly heroes and we are grateful that they were not killed. This sentence should serve as a warning that Alabama will not tolerate threats and assaults on our law enforcement officers, and those who do so will be held to account and face stern punishment.”
Attorney General Strange commended those involved in the prosecution of this case, noting in particular Assistant Attorney General Stephanie Billingslea, division chief; Assistant Attorney General John Hensley, and Paralegal Lori Arnold; all of the Attorney General’s Criminal Trials Division. He also thanked the Phenix City Police Department, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, the Russell County District Attorney’s Office, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and the Muscogee County (GA) Sheriff’s Office.

Cash For Crooks Div. of Refuge In (RITT) Trouble Times, PO Box 28083, Birmingham, Ala.  35228, shares the case of 23- year-old Audrey Price.
On February 13, 2006 as she drove on North I-65, near the 3rd Avenue North exit in a 2004 Mazda 626, she was shot; she died. The passenger in the car, Morquez McConnico was injured; but survived. The shooters were in a black Chevrolet Tahoe or Suburban and left the scene according to witnesses.
There is a cash reward for the person who might have information that could lead to an arrest/conviction of this case or any cases in our files.
When you call, DO NOT GIVE NICK NAMES. You may text from your cell CRIMES7777 or call Crime Stoppers at 205- 254-7777.
RITT works with State and Local Law enforcers to end these crimes of violence in our communities.  Won’t you help by making the call. If you have a case that is COLD or has not been solved; email: odussasplace@yahoo.com or call Minister Ward at 205-240-9910.
Remember if we say we want the violence to stop and the Invisible Body Bag removed from among us, then GET INVOLVED – MAKE THE CALL.