Birmingham Post-Herald from Birmingham, Alabama • 31

Birmingham Post-IIerald June 12 1998 Metro State Classifieds D3 3 Friday Update CRIME Bn I I UAB Federal grant possMo: Alabama has thigh death rate from trauma but that might change in the next few jean if the department of surgery at Uhiveritty of Alabama at Birmingham geti million grant The federal grant paid out over the next five yean would be used to create a coordinated trauma syrtem for Alabama similar to the Birmingham Regional Emergency Medical Service System The grant will be used to purchase computers and conunmtationi equipment to train hospital and emergency medical services staff The system would enure that critically injured patients even thoae in rural areas receive the appropriate care more quickly The plan should cover the state within four yean and hospitals can Join on a voluntary 1 i I i I I I I I Shots fired as drug warrant was served By Cindy Fisher Bfrmfagham Put-Herald A Jefferson County deputy sheriff was shot Thursday night the wrist and shoulder while serving a search warrant on a Birmingham man Authorities said Deputy John Ver-UtsU was shot in the left wrist about 10 pm by Kevin Mickens at his rert-dence 2709 Carver Ave Mickens 26 shot at the narcotics nit when it forced its way hi to serve the warrant said Jim Mcudess Jefferson County Sheriff's Department chief deputy Another bullet could have Mured VertritsU more seriously but the deputy bulletproof vest deflected it from his upper chest and prevented further iqjury After 1 the narcotics unit brake in the door of house three shots were reported to have been find by the suspect Mickens wife Tracy and S- or 9-yearoid daughter were also faaM the house but no injuries were re- ALABASTER Conferees plan hurricane center Bob Fariejr Post-Herald on Esplanade neighborhood of Shadywood Ha raises the Birmingham flag at 6 am daBy and wwsra iRitSpjn Todd Gregory raises the flag Drive In the eastern BIRMINGHAM Shadywood patriots keep Old Glory awave Tradition passed down by veterans ported Mickens shouted that they had the wrong person as he was being handcuffed neighbor Gerald Powell said Powell said he has known Mickens for several yean and ifidnt believe Mickens was involved in drugs "He doesn't sell Powell said got a new Job I think they had the wrung house' Sheriff1! Department officials began to search the house for drugs early this morning The results of that search were not immediately available VerMrid was treated at University Hospital and released Mickens is bring held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail on a charges against Mickens could be filed after Sheriffs Department officials complete their investigation accardingtoMcOeless Post-Hera la reporter Neal McCready contributed to this story uuy nmon morn rt 325-2372 or mrtSuwfiyinrtharrtdLooni Parkway off Valley Avenue From that staging area the Red Ones will send volunteers and workers who will be assisting the relief effort on the coast During Thursday's meeting the volunteers and staff members discussed everything from making sure they have enough telephone lines in the watch center to ensuring the she! ten are operated safety There was some tfiscussion about a requirement that any shelter with more than 50 people have a nurse on duty During part hurricanes some shelten in Baldwin and Mobile Counties housed ss many as 1000 people Much of the discussion at Thursday's meeting centered an making sure there would be enough nurses to staff all of the shelters Lewis said there may not be enough public health nurses available from the state Lewis said the mines can be very important She cited one incident chir-ing Hurricane Damy in which someone showed up at a shelter suffering from chicken pat a contagious dfe- "Abo people come to the shelters carrying oxygen tanks or they forget to bring their medicine" Lewis said I Gayle Zompa a volunteer nurse from Huntsville said there is one way to make sure there are enough nurses "If they know there is a need they will come" Zompa said "They will come out of the woodwork just the nursing mentality If they think they are needed they will Bob Johnson bn PMotwd Christine JacobsFortrHcrald By Bob Johnsoa Birmingham Port-Herald The first tropical depression is yet to be qmtted in the Atlantic but the American Red Quas already is preparing for the 1998 hurricane season Volunteers and staff members from across Alabama got together Thursday at the Red Oon service center in the Southbrook Village Shopping Center in Alabaster The purpose of the meeting was to plan for operation of a Hurricane Watch center at the Alabaster location in the event a hurricane threatens the Alabama or northwest Florida coast Eileen Lewis manager of programs and services for the Alabama Red Ores said that if a hurricane threatens the Gulf Cbast between 20 and 30 volunteers and staff members would operate the service center The Alabaster Center would monitor shelters that could be set up "from Mobile to as far north as Lewis said "We serve as an operations center for Red Qua chapters across the state and work with the state EMA (Emergency Management Agency) in Lewis said The- Hurricane Watch Center operated in July 1997 when Hurricane Danny hit the Alabama Gulf Cbast dumping heavy rain across much of south and west Alabama looking at the lesson learned from Danny and bow to im- isaid The watch center in Alabaster separate from the Red Chas staging area at the Communications Workers of America Building on Summit Jama TORNADO RELIEF Blockbuster makes donation: Blockbuster Video today will present a 110000 died to the American Red Qua to help Alabama tornado victims AH 23 central Alabama Blockbuster Video stores raised the money through a local fund-raising effort Cttstomen bought "tickets to for The tickrts were hung throughout the stare to show support All money collected went to help the tornado victims The check will be presented at 1 pm today at the Homewood Blockbuster Video store 248 Green Springs Highway Carrie James Floats fund United Cerebral Palsy: Bruno's supermarkets will sene root beer floats on Saturday to raise money for a local charity Eleven Bnmo locations in Birmingham win be selling the floats for a $1 bom 10 am to 2 pm Of those stores seven also will have Pepsi wagon that will sell 50-cent hot dogs and 2Sent soft drinks The proceeds will benefit the local chapter of United Central Palsy which serves mare than 600 people in Birmingham and the surrounding counties James FLORENCE Man charged with thrsa counts of raps: A man already charged with raping a 7-year-old child in Russellville has also been charged with rape in Florence Chandler Darom Pride 21 of Florence was being held Thursday in the Ftanklin County Jail in Hen of $50000 bond Pride was charged with fintdegree rape by Florence police on Wednesday Russellville police charged Urn with two corats of first-degree rape on Tuesday The alleged victim in all three cases is a 7-yeardd child If convicted Pride could be sentenced to 10 to 99 years in prison The Associated Press FAucmuE I Voters given wrong balof in primary: A probate judge has found that more than L000 north Alabama voters were given the wrong district ballots in the June 2 primary Tom Burieaonof CUllman County said 701 voters in House District 11 were given ballots for the District 12 lice and 940 District 12 voters received District 11 ballots Carl Hastings of Dodge Gty has abeaity challenged the election He failed to make the District 12 runoff by II Votes His cousin Melvin Hastings who finished last in the Republican District 11 race said he will also contest the results 5- Associated Press MOBILE James to announce bond for dock Improvements: Alabama Stale Docks officials expected Gov Fob James to support a band isne today that would provide at least $150 million for capital improvements Some officials expected James to say he would ad the Legislature to approve a genenl-abfigatian bond issue for between 150 million and $200 million He wss also expected to announce that the bonds would be paid far with past and future royalties from oil and natural-gas leases and the coai-aeverance tax TheAssodatedPress Main Edtofi John Stead and Btew WMpnparatw ascion Thayoan to raachad at 325-2344 and WWUteatwwwpoaSisnMj Tha American flag waves in Shadywood The mg was Ptateau Roebuck 5 PftP-L H0vynuui hood By Carrie James Birmingham ftat-Arald About I every morning Todd Greasy walks three blocks to the neigh-borhood flagpole and slowly raises the American flag careful not to let it touch the ground At 5 pjn daily Gregory again walks the three blocks to ceremonially take down the flag Shoe he's alone he doesn't formally fold it until he gets home There Us wife Grace helps Urn fold it brio a traditional triangle Please tm to FLAG page D2 WIAT-42 TV news team gets two new members By Carrie James Birmingham Port-Herald Birmingham's WIAT-42 will have a ew faces starting hi late June and early couple of have experience with bigger markets He said this will benefit the station when Birmingham goes to an electronic metered rating system "This market is getting bigger he said "We want people who rave experience with mqjar markets and the metered Johnson has been filling several open since the station moved to the new forms The format gives viewers more news in a half-hour than other stations give in 90 minutes Johnson sail Part of the reform consisted cf dunging the call letters from WBMG to W1AT The reason we did it was because the perception of WBMG was so bad and the news produced was so bad" he said "We had to make a dear break -That included changing the call letters" The "IAT" of WIAT stands for about the statiaft new slogan This slogan and format were developed after lota of research Johnson said TtTi working Right out of the gate in February we had good numbers" Cwrift Jniin on bo iMohod rt 325-111 or July Ashley Risk a farmer 10 pm anchorwoman for WGMC to Worcester Mam begin July as a reporter and fill-in anchorwoman for Birmingham! CBS affiliate "With all the open positions Fve looked at 500 to 600 tapes Hen is one of the ones I kept" said Micah Johnson WIATs news manager In addition Lily Jang a former anchorwoman at KFDA in Amarillo Texas begin aa WIATs new weekend anchorwoman on Jrae 29 Channel 42 hasn't had a weekend anchorpenon since it launched its current news format in February Recently John Ehrhart was hired to be the new assignment manager He came bom WMAP in Baltimore 1 figure well have a staff by the middle of the Johnson said Mrt of the people whom Johnson has hjred rJuty Art In motion Norman da Vafi inetafis tha kinatio i tha Birmingham Museum aatup of tha seutptura Wednesday event the sculptor plans to attend kinatio of Art dnesday setdpture Crucifera RT by George Rickey at Da Vafi tha nephew oversaw the It will be officiafiy dedicated In the fail an.