0300MT Monday morning.  Officers spotted the Jeep Cherokee used in some of the UBEVs (Unlawful breaking and Entering a vehicle) and found it to be stolen.  Officers conducted surveillance and observed a Lexus parked next to the Jeep and watched the driver enter a motel room.

Officers then found the Lexus to be stolen as well.  Officers contacted the on call BPD Auto Theft detective  and knocked on the motel room door.  A W/F answered the door and allowed officers in.  Officers encountered Moore and arrested him due to the six outstanding felony warrants for his arrest for ( UPOCS, FTA Obstructing Justice, FTA RSP, FTA UBEV, FTA Burglary 2nd, FTA Robbery 2nd, and SORNA – Sex Offender Registration Notification Act).  Numerous pieces of property were found in the room all of which is believed to be stolen.  A Crime Scene Technician arrived on scene and photographed the room.  The vehicles were both stolen in South Precinct in November and December. At this time Moore is also charged with two counts of (Receiving Stolen Property) RSP 1st .

The female, identified as Kersta Lesieur W/F, 24, is charged with Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (UPOCS) for drugs found in the motel room which she rented. We believe these two suspects are responsible for a rash UBEVs on the Southside of Birmingham and their arrest should solve several unsolved cases. Both individuals have been arrested and placed in the City Jail before being transported to the County Jail.

 The Alabama Power Board of Directors has elected Mark A. Crosswhite as the new president and CEO of the company, effective March 1. Crosswhite also will join the board of directors of Alabama Power.
Crosswhite succeeds Charles McCrary, who is retiring after more than 12 years as the company’s leader. McCrary will remain chairman of the board of directors of Alabama Power until May 1, when Crosswhite is expected to assume the role.
“It is an honor to rejoin the ranks of the 6,700 employees of Alabama Power who, for more than a century, have been dedicated to serving communities across our state,” Crosswhite said.
Crosswhite, 51, returns to Alabama Power from Southern Company, Alabama Power’s parent, where he served as chief operating officer. In that position, Crosswhite oversaw Southern Company’s operations organization, which includes generation, transmission, engineering and construction services, system planning, research and environmental affairs, fleet operations, and trading. He also had responsibility over wholesale energy providers Southern Power and Southern Wholesale Energy.
He first joined Southern Company in 2004 as senior vice president and general counsel for Southern Company Generation. Prior to joining Southern Company, he was a partner in the law firm of Balch & Bingham LLP in Birmingham, where he practiced in the Energy Section for 17 years.
Crosswhite first joined Alabama Power in 2006 as senior vice president and counsel, where he oversaw the company’s legal matters. In 2008, he was named executive vice president for external affairs at Alabama Power, where he directed regulatory affairs, economic and community development, public relations, environmental affairs, and governmental affairs.

Crosswhite served as president and chief executive officer of Florida-based Gulf Power, also a Southern Company subsidiary, from 2010 until 2012.
A native of Decatur, Crosswhite’s family has deep roots in Alabama, dating to the early 19th century. He received a bachelor’s degree in 1984 from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a J.D. degree in 1987 from the University of Alabama School of Law.
Mark Crosswhite serves on several civic and nonprofit boards, including the Executive Committee of the Birmingham Business Alliance, and the boards of directors for the University of Alabama Law School Foundation and the Virginia Samford Theatre. He is vice chair of the Electricity Committee of the Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law of the American Bar Association, a member of the Edison Electric Institute Legal Committee, and a graduate of Leadership Alabama.
Crosswhite and his wife, Jane Emily, have two sons.

Blake Jolie Christian born December i9, 2013 was Featured on NBC with Kathy and Hoda on Friday, February 7th 10 A.M., As one of Johnson and Johnson Baby of the week, she is the daughter of Toranance and Tahirah of Miami, FL; Grandparent are Winthrop and Phyllis of Birmingham;
DeWayne and Fernanda Christian of Redford, MI.
photocredit: Winthrop Nall

No Place Like Home Pt. 2
 
Last week I shared my series of unfortunate events including 14 long cold hours curled up in my car, sandwiched between three 16 wheelers in the center lane of I-20 somewhere between Lincoln and Pell City; limited heat, limited fuel, a bag of dated Cheese Curls, a 16oz bottle of Mountain Dew soda,
a dead cell phone during January 28th’s “unlikely snow storm.”

And my adventure continued… My homeless experience

While sitting in my car typing on my laptop about my adventures to you I heard a tap on the window.  It was dark and I was petrified to say the least.  There was light in the car from the laptop screen and unfortunately my intruders could see inside the car clearly but I could see nothing on the outside. I looked up from the computer and reluctantly cracked the window.  To my surprise there stood college students who were walking up and down I-20 passing out bottled water, apples and bananas to my fellow stranded motorists and now to me. I rolled the window down a bit more to hear what they were saying and after chatting for a minute I was at ease. I took a Granny Smith apple which you would have thought was a sirloin steak the way I savored every crunchy bite. The students explained the traffic delay and the last thing I remember hearing before they went to the next car was “You’ll be here for the rest of the night and a good part of tomorrow. Flag us down if you decide to go to a shelter.”
A shelter?  Me? After several more hours I finally gave in; my body was no match for the elements. Trying hard to maintain my composure and balance and not fall, I looked as if I were dancing on the slippery ice as I flagged the students down with the slender black flashlight I had in my purse.  I was afraid but willing to take the chance – anything was better than suffering in a cold car, hungry, alone and in the dark. After climbing over the stone six-foot median that divided I-20 east and west in my skirt, the students helped me into the truck and drove effortlessly in their four-wheeler across the ice to an awaiting police car to take me and others to several make-shift shelters in the area.
I arrived at a church shelter where I received hot coffee, tepid scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits.  I had served the homeless on several occasions in the past but had never been served as a victim of homelessness.  I left my pride pouting and sitting in the driver’s seat of my car on I-20 and humility and gratitude wrapped themselves around me like the fresh Red Cross blanket I received upon my arrival. Not certain what to do I followed my companions, lined up with my plastic fork; paper plate and napkin in hand to receive my rations.  I was no longer the success minded woman who left her house in the black fitted business suit – my pantyhose resembled a fisherman’s net, my layers of clothing did not match, the scarf on my head was lopsided and for the first time in my life I was just a face – a nameless person who had nowhere to go.  After eating, the shelter staff invited us to sleep on the pews in the sanctuary of the church. There was the young white college student and his small grey curly haired dog, the aged white gentleman with the wire rimmed glasses whose snoring was like the growl of an angry bear; the Black thirty something young lady who was just trying to get home from the hair salon when she got stuck, the educated middle-aged Black man who worked at Honda still in his white one piece uniform who was trying to get home to his wife after a long day at work and so many others with more stories than I could tell – and me, who earlier that morning exemplified the epitome of success, but was now sharing an uncommon bond of time and space because of a series of unfortunate events. Our bond didn’t involve status, income, race, color, or any material things like the Jimmy Choo shoes or Michael Kors bag we could or couldn’t afford. None of that mattered when we made the choice to leave our Toyota, truck, Mercedes or the sputtering hoopti abandoned on I-20. We were all different, yet this unlikely situation made us uniquely the same.
After nearly 36 hours later a husband and wife volunteer team delivered me to my car that was completely undamaged and I cautiously made my way HOME.  Through my experience I was now able to understand a small portion of the plight of homelessness in a very real way. I realized that a minor inconvenience for me of being unable to get home was a way of life for many – not just being able to get home, but having no home to get to. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, all I could say was “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home” and “Thank you Lord.”

“I don’t have all the answers, but I know the One who does.”

I would love to hear your story or comments.  Athomewithshellie1@Yahoo.com or find me at www.athomewithshellie.com

by Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.

The Executive Director of the Birmingham Housing Authority, Mrs. Naomi Truman, was fired on Monday January 27th. Three members of the Board, Mr. Vernon Jackson, Mr. Charles Townsend, and Mr. Raymond Brooks, voted to terminate Mrs. Truman’s contract. Rev. Todd and Mrs. Ford voted against it.
The following week, February 3, there was another Board meeting and the tide turned 3-2 in favor of Mrs. Truman. Mr. Cardell Davis, new member of the Board, voted with Mrs. Ford and Rev. Todd.
Most people would agree there was no cause to terminate Mrs. Truman. Most of all, the timing was bad. Birmingham Housing Authority is moving 300-400 families from Gate City to other housing communities and also using available housing on the Section 8 program.
Mrs.Truman and her staff are working diligently to get all families moved who are interested in moving. The decision has to be made from the gas company what role they plan to play in this moving process.
It is understandable that there may be concerns from some people who have personal agendas with the Housing Authority Birmingham District (HABD). HABD has certainly set itself apart as an affordable housing leader with a full-service mission that attracts various interests.
Time, however, is best not spent looking back. The only way to be successful with all the things that require our prompt attention is to look and move forward.

HABD’s first concerns are:

• Marks Village, including the relocation of families to promote safety and maintain family continuity for relocated residents, updating the site to maintain family comfort and safety.
• Loveman Village and funding to address capital concerns for a greater than 50 year old site.
• Elyton Village and maximizing use of present funds to further modernization to address internal environmental issues.
• North Birmingham Homes and Collegeville communities relating to environmental contamination.
• Implementing Rental Assistance Demonstration/Energy performance contracting at all sites.
• Improving quality of services, apartments, and life generally at all sites.
• Building single family homes and promoting homeownership.
• Promoting a quality family support, training, recreational and sports program through established community center programs.
• Increasing overall resident participation in housing programs and activities.
• Early childhood educational partnerships with seasoned providers.

It would behoove everyone to look at Mrs. Trumen’s record and all her accomplishments since she has been the Executive Director at HABD and and compare it to the records of  the last two Directors. Keep in mind there has not been any unethical scandal regarding employee wrong doing or mishandling of funds during her tenure.
e-mail: jjlewis@birminghamtimes.com

Inaugural A.G. Gaston Conference Town Hall Meeting  to take place Feb. 18-Free event aims to stimulate dialogue and spearhead small business development in Birmingham communities
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama—Organizers of the 10th Annual A.G. Gaston Conference are hosting a free town hall meeting Feb. 18 at the BJCC with the goal of stimulating dialogue they hope leads to development of new small businesses in deteriorating communities across metro Birmingham.
The general public, government, business and community leaders are being invited to attend the town hall “interactive session” meeting, scheduled for  5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. February 18. Bob Dickerson of the Birmingham Business Resource Center, co-founder of the A.G. Gaston Conference, will moderate the meeting, which will feature the event’s four keynote speakers discussing economic challenges cities face today, and the role education and entrepreneurship can play in fixing urban ills.
“We want to examine why we haven’t created another A.G. Gaston in Birmingham,” Dickerson said in describing the Town Hall meeting, which he says is a first for the conference, which he and Gaynelle Adams Jackson of Advanced Planning Services started 10 years ago to pay tribute to the self-made black multi-millionaire who before his death at age 103 in 1996 was proclaimed by Black Enterprise magazine as its Entrepreneur of the 20th Century.
Dickerson said the free town hall meeting, which he called an “interactive session” in which community leaders share ideas with the panelists, will help the conference reach out beyond event attendees and extend lessons from Gaston’s legacy for folks who cannot afford the two day conference, which costs $75 a day on-site, and those unable to attend because of work obligations during the day.
Dickerson sent an invitation to the presidents of all 99 Birmingham neighborhoods, encouraging them to get involved in revitalizing their communities.
“In the town hall meeting, we want to start a dialogue that hopefully leads to the creation of enterprises for small business development in neighborhoods throughout the city,” Dickerson said. “We want to discuss what must be done to make communities attractive for business development.”
Tracey Morant Adams, a senior vice president at Renasant Bank in Birmingham and former director of economic development for the city of Birmingham, will join Dickerson in moderating the town hall meeting. Panel speakers will be Dr. Julianne Malveaux, former president of Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C.; George Fraser, CEO of FraserNet, a Cleveland-based networking expert; Mel Gravely, managing director of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking in Cincinnati, and John Sibley Butler, director of the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas.
Dickerson said he hopes the A.G. Gaston Conference Town Hall meeting will be the first of many such sessions that spark the dialogue necessary “to bring creation of new entrepreneurs in neighborhoods across the city to the forefront.”
The A.G. Gaston Conference will kick off with the A.G. Gaston Legacy Luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 18 with the theme “Green Power Revisited: Why It’s Important to Grow and Develop Black Businesses” (A.G. Gaston wrote a memoir, “Green Power”). It will be followed by a Money in Action Panel Presentation, presented by Butler, a business professor at the University of Texas in Austin.
Malveaux, who founded Last Word Productions after leaving Bennett College, a black women’s institution, during the Tuesday activities will lead a presentation on “How HBCU’s Impact Local & the U.S. Economy.”
Sessions Wednesday Feb. 19 will include a Green Power Panel presentation, “The A.G. Gaston Empire-Then & Now,” and a discussion on “What It Takes for Black Companies to Succeed in the 21st Century” presented by Gravely, the author of several books, including  “When Black and White Make Green” and his latest, “Getting To The Next Level: Business, Race and our Common Goal to Be Competitive.”
Fraser, an author often called a new voice for African Americans and networking, will be keynote speaker at the closing luncheon on the topic, “Connect the Dots…Please! The 4 Key Mindsets to Revive Black Wealth in the 21st Century.”
On-site registration is $150 for both days or $75 single-day registration. Register online at aggastonconference.com or by calling (205) 250-6380.