John Goodwin, an 11th grader at Wenonah High School, has been chosen October’s Student of the Month for the school’s Academy of Hospitality and Tourism. John enjoys cooking and has played for Wenonah’s junior varsity and varsity basketball teams. When he graduates, he plans to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta’s Culinary Arts program to prepare to work as a chef.

Attempted Murder Investigation Arrest

The Birmingham Police Department reports that detectives have arrested and charged a suspect in connection with an attempted murder investigation.  The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at approximately 5:45 p.m., at 3925 9th Court, Wylam.

Officers from the West Precinct responded to the incident location to investigate a call of a person shot. Officers arrived to find two victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Both victims were transported to UAB Hospital for treatment of their injuries. Both victims are expected to recover from their injuries.

Upon further investigation, BPD Homicide detectives were able to identify the suspect as the person responsible for the shooting.  Detectives learned that the victim was asked to leave the store because of his behavior and shortly after a fight arose between the suspect and store owner. Moments later the suspect shot the store owner and his brother.

The suspect has been identified as:
Randall Gooden, B/M, 38, of Birmingham, Alabama. Two Attempted Murder warrants with bonds totaling $120,000.00 have been obtained against the suspect. The suspect is in the custody of the Jefferson County Jail.

Huntsville Man Sentenced For Tax Evasion

HUNTSVILLE — A federal judge has sentenced a Huntsville man to five years probation, including eight months home detention, for tax evasion and ordered him to pay $3.7 million in restitution to the government, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Special Agent In Charge Veronica Hyman-Pillot.
U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Paul Bracy, 71, on one count of tax evasion. The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged Bracy in July. According to court documents, the IRS was about to determine Bracy was personally responsible for $60,995 in unpaid taxes associated with businesses he owned, when Bracy conveyed four pieces of real property, via “sham transactions,” to others in order to avoid IRS seizure of the properties to satisfy the outstanding tax amount. As part of his plea agreement, Bracy agreed to pay the $3,747,650 in restitution to the government.
“Most citizens diligently pay their taxes,” said Vance. “The willful failure of others to do so is patently unfair and criminal. We will aggressively seek to investigate and prosecute those individuals.”
“Individuals who earn income should accurately report their income to the IRS,” stated Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot, Special Agent in Charge with IRS Criminal Investigation. “The sentence today, should reassure Americans, that those individuals who willfully and intentionally violate their known legal duty of filing and paying their fair share of taxes will be prosecuted.”
The IRS-CI investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.

Homicide Investigations  

The Birmingham Police Department reports that detectives are conducting a homicide investigation. The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at approximately 9:45 p.m., in the 900 block of 46th Street North.

The victim has been identified as:
Maurice Lee, B/M, 38, of Birmingham, Alabama.

Officers from the South Precinct responded to the incident location to investigate a report of a vehicle that struck a power pole. Upon arrival, officers located the victim inside his vehicle. The victim stated to officers that he was on his way to buy a pound of marijuana when he was shot in the back of the head.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue responded to the scene and transported the victim to UAB Hospital where he underwent surgery for his injury. Following surgery the victim remained on life support until Wednesday, October 30, 2013. Hospital staff pronounced the victim deceased later that day.
Investigators later found that the vehicle the victim was driving was stolen out of Huntsville in January.
There have been no arrests made in the case.
If there is anyone who has information pertaining to the case, they are encouraged to contact the BPD at 254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 254-7777.

Homicide Investigation Update  

The Birmingham Police Department reports that detectives have arrested and charged a suspect in connection with a homicide investigation.  The incident occurred on Sunday, November 3, 2013 at approximately 5:05 p.m., at 6100 Court O.

The victim has been identified as:
Carlos Davis, B/M, 48, of Birmingham, Alabama.

The suspect has been identified as:
Joseph Barnes, B/M, 36, of Birmingham, Alabama. A Murder warrant with a $100,000.00 bond has been obtained against the suspect. The suspect is in the custody of the Jefferson County Jail.

Detectives are also conducting a second homicide investigation. The incident occurred on Thursday, October 31, 2013 at approximately 8:40 p.m., at #74 6th Avenue South.

The victim has been identified as:
Tywaun Theon Perkins, B/M, 33, of Birmingham, Alabama.

Officers from the South Precinct responded to the incident location to investigate a report of a person shot.  Upon arrival, officers located the victim inside the store suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced deceased as Birmingham Fire and Rescue prepared to transport him to UAB Hospital.
Investigators received information that a suspect approached the victim and began to fire as the victim prepared to pump gas. The victim managed to make his way into the gas station after he was shot.
There have been no arrests made in the case.
If there is anyone who has information pertaining to the case, they are encouraged to contact the BPD at 254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 254-7777.

The Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choir will be hosting their Eighth Annual Music Scholarship Banquet on Friday, November 22, 7 p.m. at the Double Tree Hotel, 808 South 20th Street, Birmingham, Alabama 35205. There will be performances by the scholarship recipients and special guest.
For Tickets please contact any member of the choir.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Arts and Sciences will commemorate the life and legacy of 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln with a week of events Nov. 15-21.
On Nov. 19, 1863, nearly 150 years ago, Lincoln gave his historic “Gettysburg Address,” which is still being taught and recited today. As the nation reflects, UAB will host “Abraham Lincoln: Image and Reality,” a week featuring lectures, a musical performance and a film screening, and then culminating with a talk by one of this country’s most prominent historians, Eric Foner, Ph.D.
Foner, the DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University, is one of only two persons to serve as president of the three major professional organizations: the Organization of American Historians, American Historical Association and Society of American Historians. He is also one of a handful to have won the Bancroft and Pulitzer prizes in the same year. Foner has written scores of books, including his most recent, “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery,” which won the Bancroft Prize, Pulitzer Prize for history and The Lincoln Prize.
All of the following events are free and open to the public:

Nov. 15 – Daniel Siegel, Ph.D., associate professor of English, will present a talk on “Lincoln and American Cinema” as part of the Haddin Humanities Forum from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Heritage Hall, Room 524, 1401 University Blvd. 
 
Nov. 19 – On the anniversary of the “Gettysburg Address,” the Alabama Symphony Orchestra will present “An Evening of Lincoln Music” featuring Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait” and guest narrator Earl Hilliard Jr. from 7-8 p.m. at the Alys Stephens Center, Jemison Concert Hall, 1200 10th Ave. South. 
 
Nov. 20 – UAB Student Activities will screen “Lincoln,” directed by Steven Spielberg, at 7 p.m. in the Chemistry Building, Room 101, 901 14th St. South.  
 
Nov. 21 – The Department of History will present “Lincoln’s Legacy with Dr. Eric Foner” at 7 p.m. in the Alumni House, 1301 10th Ave. South.

COLUMBUS, Miss.— Dream 365, Columbus Arts Council, and Columbus-Lowndes Convention & Visitors Bureau (CCVB) are partnering to bring the exclusive traveling Civil Rights Exhibit, “Birmingham to Atlanta to Selma” to Columbus in January 2014 at the Rosenzweig Arts Center.
The inspirational traveling Civil Rights Exhibit will open in Columbus on January 9, 2014 with a gallery reception hosted by the Columbus Arts Council. The exhibit will be on display at the Rosenzweig Arts Center, 501 Main Street, located in Historic Downtown Columbus for the entire month of January and will be free and open to the public during regular Arts Council hours.
“We are thrilled to offer our gallery space to host this important exhibit which will allow citizens of Mississippi and Alabama the opportunity to experience the historical significance of the events of this important time,” said Tina Sweeten-Lunsford, Executive Director, Columbus Arts Council.
The exhibit commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act by showcasing events that revealed the best and worst of humanity and Birmingham’s brave citizens that fought for equality.
“Columbus is pleased to have the opportunity to host the very historic and educational Civil Rights Exhibit. We will have many local and out-of-state visitors traveling to this exhibit to learn more about the movement that changed the world,” said Nancy Carpenter, CCVB CEO-Executive Director.
On January 13, the week-long Dream 365 MLK Celebration will kick off with a reception and special evening tour of the exhibit. The reception is one of many inspirational activities taking place during the week-long Dream 365 MLK Celebration from January 13-20, 2014. Other activities include a Community Volunteer Day, Youth Oratorical Contest, Jazz & Spoken Word, Comedy Show, Spelling Bee, Film Night, and the 8th Annual Commemorative Breakfast with Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III.
“The exhibit is significant to the Dream 365 MLK Celebration. It gives us an opportunity to celebrate those who sacrificed so much to make this movement happen. I hope everyone takes this opportunity to visit the exhibit and attend other activities taking place during the week,” said Dream 365 Director, Learnard Dickerson.
For more information about the Civil Rights Exhibit, The Rosenzweig Arts Center and Dream 365, please visit www.50yearsforward.com, www.columbus-arts.org and www.dream365.info.
Dream 365 is a community volunteer committee responsible for hosting events during the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebrations and awarding scholarships to deserving students in the Columbus, Mississippi area.  Dream 365 has been named four times among the Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Events.

Now offering cards supporting Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Florida A&M and Tennessee State
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –  At Regions Bank, fans and graduates of several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) can now show their school spirit every time they make a purchase with a Regions CheckCard.
Adding to a growing list of university and sports themed CheckCards, Regions now offers cards featuring four  HBCUs — Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Florida A&M and Tennessee State.
“These new CheckCards represent an expansion of our ongoing HBCU partnership,” said Tom Brooks, head of Regions Cards and Payments. “Regions is proud to support the pride and passion associated with HBCUs – not only in our ongoing involvement with the schools, but also in letting their fans and graduates show their support, too.”
The new CheckCards are available now online via the Regions YourPix Studio(SM).
Regions HBCU Partnership is a collaboration with six Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern United States supporting financial education, academics, athletics, and alumni engagement.
In addition to the HBCU CheckCards, Regions has a number of other specially branded CheckCards affiliated with colleges and universities of the Southeastern Conference.