Entries Tagged 'Spanish Fort' ↓

After two mistrials, Leslie Eric Buzbee’s attorney is seeking dismissal of his capital murder-robbery charges on the principle of “double jeopardy.”

Buzbee is accused of savagely beating and robbing Spanish Fort service station owner Arthur “Bobby” Wilson in the early morning of Aug. 11, 2007.

Baldwin County Circuit Judge James Reid declared a mistrial Friday at the prosecution’s request when the defense announced an expert witness who was prepared to dispute the timing of the attack as laid out by law enforcement

Buzbee’s attorney files for dismissal

The attorney for Leslie Eric Buzbee is seeking to have his capital murder-robbery charges dismissed based on the principle of “double jeopardy.”

Baldwin County Circuit Judge James Reid declared a mistrial Friday, after a jury was seated, when the defense attempted to introduce a medical expert to testify about the time Spanish Fort service station owner Arthur “Bobby” Wilson was attacked Aug. 11, 2007.

Buzbee defense seeks dismissal

With an empty Circuit City building and nearly a dozen vacant store spaces, things may not look so good at first glance for the year-old Spanish Fort Town Center.

The 200-acre Town Center, near the intersection of Interstate 10 and U.S. 90/98, opened last August when Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, the 140,000-square-foot anchor store, was ready for customers. The center is also home to retailers such as JC Penney, Kohl’s and La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, along with two Marriott hotels and an apartment complex.

Mayor Joe Bonner said that although many of the store managers report to be faring relatively well, Town Center as a whole was once expected to do better

Spanish Fort Town Center awaiting recovery

Last-minute summer vacations coupled with the staggered return of students to area colleges and high schools have impeded blood collection by area agencies and prompted a public plea for increased donations as the Labor Day holiday approaches

The urgent need at the moment is for types O, A and B negative, while a critical need remains in effect for everything else except O positive.

Blood supplies dwindle

In advance of preliminary budget discussions set for Sept. 8, City Attorney David Conner asked council members during Monday’s work session to review and consider whether the adoption of impact fees might be prudent at this juncture in the city’s growth

Impact fees are those assessed by municipalities on developers—and sometimes individuals, depending on the nature of the project—to cover the costs of new infrastructure that must be built or increased due to property development. Such fees are also designed to offset costs associated with increased services such as police and fire protection services, libraries, parks and recreation

Impact fees considered

Impact fees are taxes, too.

As Leslie Eric Buzbee heads to court again this week in the 2007 robbery and fatal bludgeoning of a popular Spanish Fort service station owner, both sides plan generally the same witnesses, testimony and schedule, while hoping for a different outcome.

A mistrial was declared in May, when the jury deadlocked after a monthlong capital murder trial.

Jury selection is set to start Monday in Baldwin County Circuit Judge James Reid’s courtroom

Jury selection set for capital murder trial in Bobby Wilson killing

Attorneys clash over medical records

Attorney General Troy King announced the arrest of a Spanish Fort woman, for making terrorist threats and harassing communications over the MySpace network.

Angela Michelle Grill, 20, was arrested by agents of the Attorney General’s Office and taken to the Baldwin County Jail.

Grill was arrested on warrants which were based on evidence presented by an investigator of the Attorney General’s Office. The first warrant charges that Grill committed terrorist threats by threatening to commit any crime, violence or property damage by intentionally or recklessly terrorizing a 15-year-old girl. The second warrant charges that Grill intentionally harassed and alarmed the young teenage girl, threatening to kill the victim in a MySpace message that included vulgar profanity.

Arrest made in MySpace terror threats

Students returning to Spanish Fort classrooms Monday might have noticed a few more faces than in years past, but larger classrooms are a small price to pay when weathering proration amid steady growth, school officials said.

We’re doing as well as can be expected from the budget cuts,” said Rockwell Elementary School Principal Robbie Owen, who was forced to cut three positions—but only one teaching unit—when the state announced sweeping funding cuts in April.

The school was spared what might have been a devastating staffing blow, however, when district lines were redrawn earlier this year to funnel some Rockwell students to Spanish Fort Elementary School along with six teaching units. So while Rockwell closed the 2008-09 school year with 830 students, it begins 2009-10 with only about 650, a number Owen expects to exceed 700—on par with SFES—before the close of the year.

Doing more with less

A Baldwin County man is being held without bond after his girlfriend is struck and killed during a domestic dispute.

It happened Tuesday night in Spanish Fort along Stagecoach Road near highway 31. Investigators say Lisa Taylor and her 11 year old son were riding home from a party with her boyfriend, Alfred Banks.

According to authorities the two were arguing when Taylor tried to jump out of the moving vehicle. Taylor’s son got out of the truck to help his mother, when Banks drove off. Moments later, Taylor was hit and killed by another car. Investigators say she may have been hit by Banks’ truck, but it is still under investigation.

Man Behind Bars After Girlfriend Struck And Killed

A Baldwin County business man brutally beaten and robbed is being remembered on the 2 year anniversary of the attack.

Bobby Wilson was at his service station in Spanish Fort when the crime happened back on August 11th 2007. He died 4 months later from his injuries. Eric Buzbee is facing capital murder charges for robbing and assaulting Wilson. Buzbee will face trial for the second time next week. Family and friends hope justice will finally be served.

2 Years After The Attack

Baldwin County Deputies are investigating a woman’s death. Authorities say a car ran over a woman on Stagecoach Road in Spanish Fort, that’s just off Highway 31. It happened near a street corner around 9:00 p.m Tuesday night.
Deputies are not releasing the woman’s name or who was driving the car.

Authorities are questioning victim’s boyfriend. Investigators believe it all started as a domestic argument. The preliminary investigation appears that the woman got out of the car and was hit. The man drove back to their apartment complex down the road and parked the car. He walked back to check on the victim. Investigators also say an 8 year old child was in the car when it happened. No arrests have been made in the case.

Woman Hit And Killed By Car

The flattened shards of metal and rubber were once gas-guzzling clunkers. Over 128 vehicles which were picked up in the “Cash for Clunkers” program got flattened into steel pancakes.

Counselman’s Automotive Recycling hired a company to crush the vehicles turned in for cash.

Clunkers get crushed for cash

With some residents backing a sewer moratorium and city leaders preferring face-to-face talks, this week’s City Council meeting was flush with ideas on a topic that wasn’t even on the agenda.

Residents of the Wakefield and Wilson Heights subdivisions voiced their concerns about sewer installation in the city and the franchise agreement between the city and the privately owned Baldwin County Sewer Service.

Wakefield resident Dwain Kinard said the franchise agreement, which was enacted in 2004 and amended in 2008, seemed to cater to the interests of the sewer company more than the city

Sewer issue swamps meeting

Twelve homes remain on the unstable bluffs of Patrician Drive, just west of U.S. 90 and north of Interstate 10.

The city has been working since 2003 on a federal grant to repair and stabilize the steep hillside, but now, less than three months before the grant expires and the money disappears, the project seems to be at a standstill.

According to Mayor Joe Bonner, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is waiting for the city to confirm funding and a maintenance agreement before the agency can move forward with the stabilization project.

Unstable Spanish Fort bluffs home to 12 homes; is time running out?

Baldwin County teacher Gene Ponder on Monday became the second Republican to declare his candidacy for the 2010 Alabama lieutenant governor’s race.

Ponder, who teaches history at Spanish Fort High School, joins state Sen. Hank Erwin, R-Montevallo, who launched his campaign in April. The winner of the GOP primary is expected to face Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom, a Democrat who is seeking re-election next year.

Ponder has never held public office and lost two campaigns for the state House of Representatives, running as a Libertarian and a Democrat

Baldwin County teacher seeks GOP nomination for lieutenant governor