The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 11

Voices 2-3B NationWorld 4B Montgomery o) 5) Thursday June 26, 2008 DDeal in freedom bid Scrashy 1 oses a JL JL I 1 and other charges in a government corrup 1 tion case. Scrushy's attorneys have argued that, following a hearing last year, a federal magistrate found that Scrushy was not a flight The Associated Press A federal appeals court for the third time refused to release former Health-South CEO Richard Scrushy from prison while his conviction is being appealed. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a decision made public Wednesday, ruled that it was denying Scrushy's request for an appeal bond because the former CEO had not proven he is not a flight risk. Scrushy and former Gov.

Don Siegel-man were convicted in 2006 of bribery held at a federal prison in Beaumont, Texas. The 11th Circuit in March ordered Siegelman released from a Louisiana federal prison on appeal bond, saying he was not a flight risk. In his most recent request, Scrushy's attorneys cited the release of Siegelman and the opinion by the 11th Circuit that significant questions were being raised in the appeals process. But in the latest ruling, appellate Judges Gerald Tjoflat and R. Lanier Anderson said they could not order Scrushy's release because of the flight risk issue.

tody immediately and refused to allow him to remain free on appeal bond. When asked later by the 11th Circuit to write an opinion citing his reasons for not releasing Scrushy, Fuller wrote that he considered Scrushy to be a flight risk. Scrushy had earlier offered to put up his own homes and other property to guarantee that he would not flee if released. Later, 10 individuals and families had offered to put up their property in support of Scrushy. As of Saturday, Scrushy will have served one year in prison.

He is being Scrushy risk. The trial judge, U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller, at one point upheld that ruling. But when Fuller imposed a sentence of nearly seven years on Scrushy in June 2007, he ordered Scrushy into cus- tit 'I 1 R.C. Moore, 85, waited patiently Wednesday morning to get a box of food from the Montgomery Area Food Bank's Mobile Pantry.

Mobile pantry feeds needy families 11 I -m i iiini.nmi--.ru Minister pleads not guilty in case BIRMINGHAM The Rev. Samuel Pettagrue has pleaded not guilty to charges that he ille-' gaily paid state Sen. E.B. Mcclain with money from grants. Pettagrue, 65, was accompanied Wednesday by attorney Hube Dodd and was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond.

He entered the plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge T. Michael Putnam. The retired pastor of Sardis Baptist Church is named alongside McClain in a 50-count indictment with charges ranging from money laundering to conspiracy and bribery. McClain pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month.

AP Elderly man kills wife, himself ATTALLA Police in Attalla are trying to determine why an elderly man fatally shot his bedridden wife and then took his own life. Attalla Police Chief Joe Hereford said 65-year-old Deanna Hoilingsworth was killed in her home Tuesday just after 3 p.m. Etowah County Coroner Michael Gladden said off icers also found the body of her husband, 72-year-old Arlin Hoilingsworth. AP Police confiscate 570 pounds of pot BAY MINETTE A Texas woman is in a south Alabama jail after a police officer found 570 pounds of marijuana concealed in a car. The drug bust occurred Monday just before 10 p.m.

on Interstate 65 in Bay Minette. Authorities said 41-year-old Elizabeth Pickard Armstrong of Lockhart, Texas, was charged with drug trafficking. Armstrong was placed in the Baldwin County Corrections Center under a $1 million bond. AP Alabamian became boxing champion It was on this month, 71 years ago that Alabama native Joe Louis became the first black heavyweight champion since Jack Johnson in 1908. On June 22, 1937, Louis, born May 13, 1914 near the small Alabama town of Lafayette, defeated James J.

Braddock, (known as the "Cinderella at Chicago's Comiskey Park. He held the title for over 1 1 years, recording 25 successful defenses of the title. Probably the most famous title defense by Louis, who became know as the "Brown Bomber" because of the incredible power of his punches, was his 1938 fight with German fighter Max Schmeling, exactly one year after Braddock had one the title. Although Schmeling was never a member of the Nazi party and would later become good friends with Louis, Hitler's propaganda machine turned previewed the 1938 fight as a battle between Nazi superiority and a weakening America. Louis won the fight and the hearts of both black and white Americans, when he knocked Schmeling out just a little more than two minutes into the fight.

Rick Harmon, using information from the Alabama Department of Archives and History StateBusiness editor Rick Harmon 261-1583 rharmon gannett.com If I ning in the summer. Other bills eat up much of the rest. "I guess I have about $20 left at the end of the month," said Moore, who added that he gets slightly more than $100 a month in food stamps. He said he relies on relatives to drive him because "I don't have a car and, even if I did, I couldn't afford the gas." That's why the food pantry program is so important to so many poor people in Lowndes and other Black Belt counties. "This is a low-income area," said Dorothy Maull, who, along with Eyria Fitzpatrick, helped supervise the food distribution Wednesday.

"We serve about 120 families every month." The number of families might not seem that high, but lots of children can increase the total considerably. As many as 400 Hicks Hill residents are believed to benefit from the food program each month. Maull said the total cost of the truckload of food Wednesday was $18,122.22. Contributions from other organizations helped provide the food. Jolene Kearns, who coordinates the mobile food pantry program, said the truck carried more than 13,000 pounds of food.

Kearns said the distribution formula provides 100 pounds of BRIEFLY 1 'W Police charge 3 men in Monday shooting A 6-year-old boy and a man, 23, riding in separate vehicles, were hurt in the incident The Associated Press MOBILE Police arrested and charged three men with two counts of attempted murder in a shooting that wounded a 6-year-old boy and a man in separate vehicles stopped at an intersection. Mobile police spokeswoman Nancy Johnson said Cedric Morrissette, 23, Trevante Smith, 21, and Nicholas Rober-son, 28, all of Mobile, were booked into Mobile Metro Jail early Wednesday. The shooting, which happened about 9:30 p.m. Monday, apparently stemmed from a domestic dispute and investigators say more arrests are possible. The boy, A.J.

Ezell, was in serious condition on a ventilator Wednesday at USA Medical Center. A hospital spokesman said the second victim, Tyrone Smith, 23, was not listed in the hospital directory and his condition was unavailable. Smith was wounded in the face and upper chest, police said. Bullets hit A.J in his left leg, back and left hand, his mother, Sherrell Allen, told the Press-Register for a story Wednesday. "His shirt was soaked with blood," she said.

Allen said she crawled into the backseat of her car and tried to shield her son, who has mild cerebral palsy, and daughter. Her children were screaming. She said she watched bullets smoke as they hit the seat. Allen said she was at a stop sign when the gunfire began. Two cars were behind her, she said.

The shooter was in the last car, according to police, and Smith in the middle one. Police on Wednesday still were trying to determine the intended victim. His appointment was announced Wednesday in The Demopolis Times. A 2003 graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a degree in journalism, Cannon was managing editor of The Clanton Advertiser before becoming publisher of The Franklin Times. Studdard set to wed Saturday BIRMINGHAM He won the affection of millions of people on "American Idol," but this weekend, Ruben Studdard is giving his heart to one woman.

A representative for the former "Idol" confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that Studdard plans a Saturday wedding. He and 30-year-old Su-rata Zuri McCants took out a marriage license on Monday, according to court records. The 29-year-old Birmingham native, nicknamed the "Velvet Teddy Bear" on the show for his big frame and sonorous voice, has released three albums since his 2003 win, including the platinum CD "Soulful." He is working on a new album. The Associated Press 1 i 1 Alvin Benn Advertiser food for each member of the recipient family. "They're going to get bread, yogurt, an assortment of candy, large containers of juices and snacks," Kearns said.

"Everybody is suffering these days, but we've got a good support system." Friendship means a lot in Alabama's Black Belt because so many people are in the same financial boat. Johnny Spivey and Willie Williams watched as cars lined up to receive their food packages, waiting for their turn and kidding each other. "He'll lend me some money if I need it," Spivey said, as he turned toward Williams, who replied with a smile. "I'm in the same shape he is." Asked if a lot of people in and around Hicks Hill are suffering financially, Spivey said, "Some got some and some ain't got none." He wasn't smiling when he said it. If you'd like to help the Montgomery Area Food Bank and its Mobile Pantry Program, call 263-3784.

Alvin Benn writes about people and places in central and south Alabama. If you have a suggestion for a story, contact him at 875-3249 or e-mail him at benn8071(bellsouth. net i if has been named to top executive posts with Boone Publications Inc. Cannon will serve as publisher of The Demopolis Times, dempolistimes.com and affiliated shoppers in west Alabama and as vice-president of Boone Publications. ICRS HILL Think the slumping economy has you in a funk? Many people digging deep to find enough money to fill their gas tanks probably don't know what it's like to open kitchen cabinets only to find empty, dusty shelves.

Alabama's Black Belt could be America's poster region for economic despair, and R.C. Moore could well be one of its spokesmen. The 85-year-old former coal miner stood near the back of a line Wednesday morning, leaning on a cane and waiting for the food truck to turn the corner. He and dozens of other Lowndes County residents arrived early and stood under towering trees to grab some shade near the parking lot outside Mount Elam Missionary Baptist Church. An hour after they got there, a big truck pulled in and workers began unloading food items destined to make the rest of the week a bit better for Moore and his friends.

Part of the Montgomery Area Food Bank's Mobile Pantry Program, the truck kept its engine running for a few minutes as area residents got as close as they could to receive packages of goodies. Motorcyclist leads police on chase FLORENCE Florence police have arrested a Killen man after he was accused of speeding on his motorcycle through a Wal-Mart parking lot and reaching speeds up to 100 mph. Police said 21-year-old Joshua Moody was arrested Tuesday after the 15-minute chase that started at the Wal-Mart and ended at the Stoney Point Bridge, where the road was closed for repairs. Moody was charged with reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, unlawful possession of marijuana and numerous traffic violations. Capt.

Ron Tyler said Moody was riding a 2000 Honda motorcycle without a license tag. He was released from the Lauderdale County Detention Center on a $3,000 bond Tuesday night. Attempts to reach Moody were not immediately successful Wednesday and it was not known if he had a lawyer. Officer resigns after drug indictment HUNTSVTLLE A second Huntsville police officer has resigned after being indicted on drug-related charges. Al Benn's Alabama For a man whose monthly Social Security check is $520 and his bills eat up most of that, Moore should have had reason to smile when the truck arrived.

He didn't. He just watched impassively. Life once was a lot better for him, way back when the mines were operating profitably in Jefferson and Walker counties and he had a steady paycheck. Recent years haven't been very kind. The top two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, revealing a vertical scar as a reminder that he's a member of the "Zipper Club" following open heart surgery.

Moore said his house note is $173 a month and his monthly power bill is close to $200 a month a vital expense to keep the air conditioner run Wesley Little announced his resignation in front of the police department Wednesday morning and said he doesn't believe the city's personnel board will treat him fairly. Little said he is confident he will clear his name in court. He and former officer Ryan Moore were indicted last month. Moore resigned Friday. Little faces charges including attempting to possess a controlled substance, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, evidence tampering and false reporting to police.

Moore, 25, was indicted on charges of first-degree possession of marijuana and attempting to possess a controlled substance. Couple ties the knot on NBC 'Today' show NEW YORK A couple with Alabama ties were married in a simple ceremony before a national television audience on NBC's Today Show. LaDonna Bradford and Darnell Suggs were selected by viewers as the winners of "Today" Throws a Wedding: Race to the Altar" contest. The couple were married Wednesday in front of 175 guests at Rockefeller Plaza. Bradford is a Tuskegee na- Carter Watkins APWHNT-TV Florence police officer Sgt.

Dennis Patterson talks to Joshua Moody of Killen after Moody was arrested Tuesday after he was accused of speeding on his motorcycle through a Wal-Mart parking lot. five and 2006 graduate of Alabama University. The couple lives in Atlanta. Cannon publisher of The Demopolis Times' DEMOPOLIS Jason Cannon, publisher of The Franklin County Times in Russellville,.