The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 6

Montgomery Advertiser 6A Saturday, April 11,2009 Hubbard Tornados reported across state Related stories 2A, 4B. be the time for me to run statewide," Hubbard said. I'm away a lot as it is. "Running statewide is tough as it is, but trying to take over the Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction is not going to be an easy task." State Sen. Hank Erwin, R-Montevallo, told the Montgomery Advertiser Thursday that "we're working in that direction" when asked about running for lieutenant governor.

He would not be more specific, but he has an announcement about his future political plans on Aprill9inPelham. Erwin, who is considered one of the more conservative members of the Alabama Senate, represents all or part of Shelby, Bibb, Jefferson and Chilton counties. He is in his second term in the Senate. Lt. Gov.

Jim Folsom a Democrat, has announced he will run for re-election. "The wind blew too hard. We were about to leave when we heard it coming so we jumped on the couch and then everything was blown away. Thomas Fernandez Jr. Powell hurt by flying debris and his young sister, Anna, had a cut on her hand.

"It blew everything away, Thomas Fernandez Sr. told The Daily Sentinel. "We've lost everything. What you see is what we've got." Nadler said the storms hit Jackson and DeKalb counties sometime between 3 p.m. and Some victims were taken to The Associated Press SCOTTSBORO Possible tornados and severe damage were reported in several northeast Alabama counties Friday, but there appeared to be no life-threatening injuries, officials said.

David Nadler, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Huntsville, said survey crews were sent to Jackson and DeKalb counties, where trailers and mobile homes were heavily damaged and downed trees and debris made some roads impassable. "There was everything along with the possible tornados," he said. "We've had numerous reports of golf-ball to baseball-sized hail. We're just trying get things cleaned up at this point." Highlands Medical Center, but no life-threatening injuries were reported. Powerful wind gusts also downed power lines on a causeway near Scottsboro, trapping travelers in their cars for a short time but causing no apparent injuries.

Scottsboro Power Board general manager Jimmy Sandlin said four people in three cars were trapped for about 30 minutes Friday afternoon when eight utility poles fell and power lines entangled the vehicles on the causeway. The National Weather Service says some wind damage was reported early Friday in Fayette County and issued flash flood warnings for some areas. From Page 1A Republican Gov. Bob Riley has said the Republicans will take control if they can raise $7 million. Hubbard, who was first elected to the Legislature in 1998, also said "people do not understand what a financial sacrifice it is to be governor." "I'm still keeping my options open.

I am considering lieutenant governor, but I am leaning toward staying in the House and looking to take over the Legislature, the House and the Senate, in my role as minority leader and party chair," he said. Hubbard said there are a number of factors, "not the least of which is family." He said his sons would be 15 and 10 by the time the race came around. "There's plenty of time. Timing is everything. Now may not WHAT YOU SAID: IRON BOWL MOVED TO FRIDAY These are comments from montgomeryadvertiser.com readers.

The comments are attributed only by user name. Editors reviewed the responses for taste, but have not verified the identities of respondents. The responses have not been edited for grammar and spelling, A game as big as this should never be moved. Both teams have sold out to CBS. dalitajo This is NOT This is the biggest shopping day of the year.

Don't they realize that they are messing up everybody's holiday season with this move. TRANSCO You better request off now for that day! I know I am. I am not about to miss an Auburn because of some stupid scheduling problem. Who thought of this? Must have been an Alabama Alumni! LOL! WAAAAAAAAAAAR JenBull (Replying to JenBull) Stop blaspheming Jenbull. Whoever made this decision Advertiser photos An Alabama fan celebrates a touchdown during the 2008 Iron Bowl at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

The storm first struck in the Preston Island Community in northern Marshall County, then traveled across the Tennessee River to the Langston area of southeastern Jackson County. It struck near Macedonia before making its way through Powell in DeKalb County just east of Northeast Alabama Community College. "The wind blew too hard," said Thomas Fernandez whose family's mobile home was demolished. "We were about to leave when we heard it coming so we jumped on the couch and then everything was blown away." Fernandez' shoulder was doesn't know much about the Iron Bowl and just lost Millions of dollars for the state of Alabama. I and thousands upon thousands of AlabamaAuburn fans will not be at work.

BigBam in 2006, Auburn voted against mandating all SEC "rivalry" games to Thanksgiving weekend. Alabama voted for the switch. ChuckTaylor Why not just move the game to Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Come on! Keep the game on the last Saturday in Nov or back to the 1st Saturday in Dec. Better yet, move it to a double header a few hours after Auburn plays Georgia and Alabama plays who ever is their second to last game of the season.

seniorpoe I would boycott CBS but that's not an option. I don't have to work but I do travel to see family that day and now I guess family will just have to wait until Christmas. Too bad! print2 1 EASTER i i "ft lioii "People will come in before Thanksgiving and make it a four-day party," Hamil said. As for employees calling in sick or taking holidays the day of the game, neither George nor Cohen expected that to be a problem. They pointed out that previous Auburn-Alabama games, while on Saturday, were still played during business hours, and it didn't interrupt work.

But George said it is difficult to imagine some of the conflicts changing the date of the game will cause in a frenzied football state such as Alabama. She said she has been planning a fall wedding and one of her major plan-, ning tools has been football schedules. "They can't change a schedule, I have it memorized," she joked. But George will be one of the lucky ones. Her wedding is likely to be in October and not affected by the game.

1 I I f-A i 'A I if. CO 1 I 18 i ij'. a 2008 Iron Bowl. to its holiday season because the game has moved one day earlier. "I think it is a wonderful thing," he said, joking that the move would affect national chains more than local stores.

"People are out looking for a loss leader, and I don't have those deals." He said Black Friday is a busy day at the store, but not a make-or-break day. He said the anticipated change in shopping habits is comparable to most fall Saturdays. "You can be selling like crazy, and if Auburn or Alabama is playing at 2, it just stops," he said. That brings out a special kind of shopper and one he said is somewhat rare in Alabama. "When the game is on, the football atheists are the only ones out shopping," he said.

But fans believe the game Faith Full Gospel Baptist Church is in the beginning stages of starting a food bank at then-church because of the need in the community. The church recently began a social services ministry and its social director, Tamina Hollis, said she anticipates that when the food bank is open at some point within the next couple of months, it will open wide doors for the community. Right now, "we are able to give them a list of where they can get hot meals every day and also outside (food) sources," Hollis said. "You can't have too many services, and the fact that we're able to help is a blessing." If has been one of the busier times at the food pantry at Fraz-er United Methodist Church, but Robin Vandermey can't say for certain it is because of the economy. "I think a lot of the people who really need our assistance don't really know what to do," said Vandermey, the assistant to the director of community ministries.

"If you've been St i 4 An Auburn fan watches the Iron From Page 1A Melissa George, spokeswoman for Eastdale Mall, said recent Thanksgiving weekend shopping patterns show the heaviest traffic and spending were on Friday and Sunday. Traffic has been lighter on Saturday because of college football. She said the mall expects the lull in shopping to shift to Friday, but that shoppers will simply shop more on Saturday and Sunday. "It is not a major concern," she said of the game's change. "We are expecting the same sales for the entire weekend, but it might shift to different days." Michael Cohen, of Cohens Electronics, said his store expects minimal, if any, changes Help From Page 1A this month, the church has provided food for 85 people almost the same number of people it provided food for in the entire month of April 2008.

While the number of people asking for help has dropped at First Christian Church on Taylor Road, the Rev. Susan Diamond said the congregation of 140 continues to provide the $500 to $600 almost $4.50 per person needed to purchase food at the Montgomery Area Food Bankeachmonth. "We serve more people than worship with us each week," Diamond said. "We occasionally get phone calls for utility expenses and rent, and we refer them to other places. "The only thing we really have available is food.

We try to limit that to a few HUD housing complexes. It's hard to meet all the needs out there." may conflict with more than shopping. Wade Manora a senior defensive back at St. Jude High School, said the scheduling will interfere with high school football. "It's going to put parents in a bind, because they are going to want to watch their children play, and they are going to want to watch the Iron Bowl, too," said Manora, who plans to attend Auburn this fall.

Gina Beddow of Deatsville, however, said the scheduling actually could have an upside. "A lot of people travel back from Thanksgiving holiday on Saturday," said Beddow, who identified herself as a Nebraska Cornhuskersfan. Connie Hamil, an Auburn employee and fan from Lannett, gave the news a thumbs-down, but while she didn't like it, she said she can envision people taking advantage of it. working and need food, you don't know where to go." She said some of the food that the church does hand out comes from the Montgomery Area Food Bank. The rest comes from the church's congregation.

While many churches report an increase in the people seeking helped, there does not seem to be a corresponding increase in those seeking spiritual help. A review of almost 300,000 interviews conducted by Gallup through mid-December showed no evidence that church attendance in America has been increasing as a result of bad economic times. In September, October, and through mid-December, about 42 percent of Americans reported that they attended church weekly or almost every week, exactly the same as the percentage whom reported attending earlier in the year. There has been a noticeable increase in attendance over the past several months at Christ Community Church in Mont- Here's Something You Should Know Before It's Too Late! Everyday homeowners spend as much as $5200 or more for the exact heating and cooling system I sell for $3446 or $61 a month! Because of low overhead, little advertising and $0 in sales commissions, I save people like you $1 00s, often $1 000s, everyday. You get expert installation, a 10-year parts and labor warranty and 247 service.

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financing WAC You'll Be Glad You Called Chad 0 I I FRAZER'S gomery, but associate pastor Randy Williams said it is difficult to point toward a specific reason for it. "I do believe people come to the church to find peace and he said. "In the past, I've noticed attendance increases during crisis." Increased demands for assistance can even depend on the types of assistance that people are asking for, according to the Autauga Interfaith Care Center in Prattville, a crisis intervention center that provides food, clothing and financial assistance to families in need. "We have seen more people seeking financial assistance," said the program's director, Denise Brown. They offer limited financial assistance, like with a small bill such as a water bill to those who qualify.

"We don't know why we have not seen an Increase for food," she said. "We've been expecting it. "It seems more of the clients we have seen have been laid off, their hours have been cut, or they have been fired." Judy Nuss has noticed the same thing. The director of the First Baptist Caring Center said since the first of the year "a lot of people who have lost their jobs have found their way to the center. "Some, have owned a business and lost it," she said.

"We're seeing people we never would have seen more middle class people." Nuss said the Center last year provided almost $90,000 in financial assistance and distributed 70.3 tons of food. "We've had more calls for financial assistance," she said, adding the Center assists with rent, mortgage, utilities and even funeral costs and medication costs. "We have been very blessed." Call for BLOUNT CULTURAL PARK SUNDAY, APRIL 12 I 6 A.M. a Free Estimate! Dual Pane, Double Strength. Insulated Replacement Windows Wood tear-out onv Plus tnt 1 Good Housekeeping fiii FRAZER UNITED MITHODIST CHUICH FRAZERUMC.ORG otd "Simply the Best for Less!".