The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 21

Hontsomcrg Advertiser Jonathan McEIvy Metro editor Phone (334)261-1520 Fax (334) 261-1521 200 Washington Ave. Montgomery AL 361 04 Monday Dec. 18, 2000 COATES BEND i 4 Church stands firm in path of tornado I 4 lit i- -J jVff -x w- 'w-'i -ST "5 4 4t church's van when it wrecked on Interstate 59 in July, killing two church members who were chaper-ones for a youth mission trip. Several others were injured, including Roberts' wife. Roberts' mother died in November and now another tragedy has touched the community.

"When it rains, it pours," he said. The expression could have been taken literally. Heavy blowing rain, thunderstorms and the threat of another dangerous storm drove firefighters and volunteers inside the church. Roberts began passing the word that Sunday's services would be canceled. The building was still standing, but the steeple Church Page 5C 1 't it jp- 1 Tuscaloosa lawyer Kevin Davis looks at old photos that he found Sunday in what remains of his home in the Bear Creek residential area.

A tornado Saturday killed at least 11 people in Tuscaloosa County. Neighbors found refuge in the battered Macedonia Baptist Church sanctuary The Associated Press In the midst of tragedy, there is triumph, Macedonia Baptist Church pastor the Rev. Dave Roberts said Saturday as he comforted friends and neighbors outside the church. The church was where the injured were taken and the homeless sought shelter after a tornado ripped through the Coates Bend community Saturday afternoon. The storm isn't the church's first encounter with tragedy this year.

Roberts was driving the V. Sill Stateline BRIEFLY BIRMINGHAM Weekend traffic accidents kill two Two people died in weekend traffic accidents in Alabama, including a Talladega man struck and killed by a vehicle while walking on a roadway. State troopers said Donald Wayne Taylor, 34, of Talladega was struck about 8 miles north of his hometown on Stockdale Road about 10 p.m. Friday. In Macon County, an Ope-lika man, James Melvin Baker, 35, was killed in a two-vehicle collision on Interstate 85 about 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, 3 miles south of Auburn. One of the drivers apparently fell asleep, causing the collision. TUSCALOOSA Senator awarded honorary doctorate U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, was honored Sunday with an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree during winter commencement at the University of Alabama.

Shelby, Alabama's senior senator, is a graduate of the university's undergraduate and law programs. He came to the U.S. Senate in 1987 and serves as chairman of both the Intelligence Committee and the Transportation Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Frank Bromberg a member of the university's board of trustees and chairman of the state's largest jewelry firm, was also given an honorary degree. More than 1,100 students were given their degrees during the Sunday ceremony.

RUSSELLVILLE Silent robber may have struck before A silent robber who used a note to hold up a Russell-ville bank may be the same man who robbed two other banks here recently, the police chief said. A man entered the First Metro Bank on U.S. 43 about noon Thursday and presented a note demanding $2,000, Chief Donnie McGuire said. "Whether he had a weapon on not, we don't know. But he did keep his left hand in his pocket the whole time," the chief said.

Investigator Lt. William Nale said the note was written in a notebook. After the teller read the note, the robber closed the book and took it with him. DATEBOOK Today State Board of Pardons and Paroles: 9 a.m. today, Tuesday and Wednesday on the second floor of the Lurleen B.

Wallace Building, 500 Monroe St. Electoral College vote: Noon today at the Alabama Capitol. Nine Alabama electors will cast the state's vote for president. Secretary of State Jim Bennett and Lt. Gov.

Steve Windom will speak. The public is invited to attend. Staff and wire reports i- Al Benn's Alabama with emotion and tears welled in his eyes. "It was so hard to believe what had just happened." Davis is a lawyer. Before I could ask him what he was doing in a mobile home park, he had an answer all ready for me.

"Everybody thinks lawyers are rich and live in big houses," he said with a trace of a smile. "I'm still paying off my law school debts." Davis, who works for a Tuscaloosa law firm, spent Sunday afternoon rummaging through the debris SNOW COVERS 7 The Associated Press Dave Roberts, pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church, talks about relief efforts while at the church command post Saturday. The church was where the injured were taken and the homeless sought shelter after a tornado ripped through the community Saturday. 4 jBf of what once had been his home. He found some photographs, odds and ends and other personal items.

One showed him in his high school football uniform. He was smiling. A few feet away from where Davis stood, a maroon Dodge was balanced atop a Pontiac. The Dodge had been destroyed blown off the ground and slammed into the other vehicle. Davis, 28, kept looking at the destruction around him and remembering how lucky he had been.

He also thought about a year that he won't easily forget. He said his mother suffered a stroke in August. He's still trying to cope with that tragedy. He's got more problems to deal with now, such as where to live and how to get back on track professionally. NORTH ALABAMA Alongside the traditional "Season's Greetings" was another timely inscription.

It stated "Peace on earth begins at home." Domestic violence typically increases during the holiday season. Republican relief President-elect Bush isn't the only person who breathed a sigh of relief when the election was finally settled last week. Twinkle Andress, executive director of the Alabama Republican Party, had already made all the plans even printed invitations for 1 sr-r. tm Alabama Republicans say conservatism alive tut Tamika Moore Staff He also has a lot for which to be thankful. His wife, Paula, wasn't at home when the tornado struck.

She and some friends had been preparing for a Christmas party at the Davis house Saturday night. The young lawyer is supposed to be in court today to represent a client in a workers' compensation case. Saturday's surprise has put a crimp into those plans. "I don't think I'll be in court," he said, adding his bosses should understand why. Alvin Benn, who covers state news for the Montgomery Advertiser, can be reached at 240-0111 or by fax at 261-1521.

E-mail him at home at or at work. BIRMINGHAM Sheriff targets hookers The Associated Press The sign outside says "spa," but many in the suburban Birmingham neighborhood of Center Point believe the business really offers prostitution. A grass-roots campaign against massage parlors and spas along Center Point Parkway led to voter approval of a constitutional amendment banning prostitution in unincorporated Jefferson County. The amendment became law Wednesday, giving the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department a new weapon against prostitution. Vice investigators have been working on a strategy, but shutting down businesses Target Page 5C a Bush Pre-Inaugural Ball in Birmingham on Jan.

12. She said she'd been thinking "I wish he (Gore) would go ahead and concede. This is making me nervous." Maybe she was nervous about a large order at the printers. Or maybe she's nervous about Jan. 13.

That's the day Alabama Republicans will decide if they want her for the party's first female chairman. In her favor, she's got the support of outgoing chairman Winton Blount III. Staff Writers Alvin Benn, Mike Cason and Sallie Owen compiled these reports. TUSCALOOSA twist of fate may have saved Kevin kDavis' life. A flight attendant friend called on Saturday morning to ask if someone could pick her up at the Birmingham airport.

Bad weather had temporarily closed the Jackson, airport where her plane was to have landed. As Davis waited for her plane to land, a tornado ripped though the mobile home park where he lived in Tuscaloosa. What had been the mobile home where he and his wife lived vanished in seconds destroying almost everything inside. Six people died in the mobile home park. When Davis arrived back home, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"I just hit my knees," he said as his voice choked senhower inhabited the White House. The GOP holds the presidency, House and Senate, thanks to Vice President Dick Cheney's role as tiebreaker. If any Supreme Court justices retire, a conservative replacement will likely get the nod. So Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, finds all this talk about sharing power rather strange.

It's one thing to be bipartisan, Aderholt says a tighter Congress practically dictates that. But he insists that's no reason to abandon policy goals. "I'm not saying the Republicans or conservatives will be hitting a home run with every issue we bring up," Aderholt said, "but to say that voice is dampened in any way I don't really see it." Of Alabama's two sena- Alive Page 5C ment, state Treasurer Lucy Baxley watched as graduates walked into Sartain Hall for the ceremony. She had a smile on her face and, when asked what she was thinking about, indicated it was about the service the grads would provide one day. "I think we all worry about Social Security and when I see them, I know they'll be providing the security for us," she said.

"That's a nice feeling. Peace at home Attorney General Bill Pryor did something differ 'iK)u Shelby Sessions GOP Congress members are not about to play second fiddle in policymaking By Jeffrey McMurray The Associated Press WASHINGTON With apologies to Mark Twain, Alabama's Republicans in Congress believe the death of conservatism is greatly exaggerated. Although conventional wisdom suggests it's now hip to be moderate, the state's GOP-controlled delegation isn't about to accept a marginal role in national policymaking. Some 40 senators from both parties have formed a Centrist Coalition in the Senate, soon to be split 50-50, and President-elect Bush has pledged to serve The Associated Press Keeping his balance Logan Hickman leans into the turn as he snowboards down a large hill in Florence on Sunday. Northern Alabama was covered with a thin sheet of snow and ice that made driving dangerous.

Secretary of state exhibits cliche-slinging muscles "one nation, not one party." So with this spirit of compromise in the air, what's a conservative to do? "We've still got to watch the bottom line," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile. "We've got to make sure that when the dust settles we haven't started massive new spending programs, haven't increased governmental domination, haven't increased taxes but reduced them." Republicans control every nook and cranny of the federal government for the first time since Dwight Ei ready used that line, Bennett didn't miss a beat. "Oh, you need another cliche, then," he said, quickly coming up with "bridge builder" as one more UNDER THE DOME Bush attribute. Security blanket At last Friday's Troy State University commence- Page edited and designed by Pat Lewandowski Alafact 1 NATIONAL FORESTS Alabama is home to four national forests set aside for conservation land public recreation.

ST, 1 1. Conecuh I National forest I Talladega National forest 3.Tuskeqee I NationaTForest 1 4. William I Bankhead National Forest 9 Source: www.al.com Kevin Van Hyning Staff ent for his official Christmas card this year. Instead of the usual family photo, Pryor chose to commission a piece of original artwork. When his friends tore into their envelope, they saw a picture of a Christmas tree against a blue background with a red-and-green border, all done in crayon.

The artist's name is unknown, but he named it "Happy Tree." The drawing was done by a child at Penelope House, a shelter for battered women and children in Mobile. Secretary of State Jim Bennett, a former newspaper reporter, knows all about patented political responses to softball questions and is always ready to haul another out of the bullpen on short notice. Asked about Texas Gov. George W. Bush's chances for a successful administration as president, Bennett predicted they're pretty good "because he (Bush) is a uniter, not a divider." Told that Attorney General Bill Pryor had al.