Funeral services for Colorado crash victims

Funeral services have been announced for the 5  Colorado Plane crash victims who lost their lives over a week ago after the plane they were flying in crashed into a reservoir in southwestern Colorado.  Services for  the pilot of the plane, Gadsden Businessman  Jimmy Hill will will be held Monday afternoon at 1pm at the Meadowbrook Baptist Church.  Services for Katrina Barksdale, her two sons Kobe and Xander, and their cousin Seth McDuffie will take place 6:00 p.m. Tuesday April 1st  at Crosspoint Community Church.  The family is asking in lieu of flowers to donate to a memorial fund established at Alabama Teachers Credit Union for Mitchell Elementary Schools needy children.

Gadsden Court escapee captured after chase and gunfire at busy intersection

David Jones

A 36 year old Gadsden man who escaped Thursday from Gadsden municipal court is now in the Etowah county detention center after leading authorities on a brief chase where shots were fired by Gadsden police   Police say that David Jones escaped from city hall Thursday afternoon and police had said the believed he was responsible for the theft of a Chevy Malibu stolen shortly after his escape from a convenience store at 23rd and Forest avenue.  The U.S. Marshalls service and the gulf coast fugitive task force had joined Gadsden police in the search for Jones.  Near 1 Friday afternoon A Marshall spotted the stolen car at 12th and gardner and attempted to stop the vehicle which fled down 12th street and turned across meighan blvd where shots were reportedly fired at the vehicle. The car then rammed a police vehicle and pulled thru the Mcdonalds parking lot where it was boxed in by police.  Jones was arrested without incident.  Jones had been in court on charges of attempting to elude, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest and public intoxication.  Police say that he will now face multiple felony charges.

Friday afternoon.

Georgia company to develop at mcclellan

A Georgia-based company  has purchased property at McClellan located near an independent living facility that is currently under development.  REK Partners I LLC is paying some six hundred thousand dollars for the property at the old fort for what they say will be retail development.  The purchase includes 34.3 acres and 15 buildings. Of that property, 23.3 acres is planned for retail development. The site planned for retail development also holds all of the 15 buildings.  McClellan Development Authority Executive Director Robin Scott says the development will including things  like a farmers market, and a small restaurant and a cafe.

Two men arrested in gun theft

Anniston police have arrested Two men on felony charges of receiving a stolen gun.  18 year old Quindarious Malik Sterling, and 19 year old  Deion Jamal Tillett, both of Anniston, both face a felony charge of receiving stolen property in the second degree.  Sterling and Tillett were both arrested at the corner of West 14th Street and Cobb Avenue, which was where the handgun, a .40-caliber Glock, had been reported stolen. Arrest reports for the two men indicate that they were both in possession of a handgun at the time of their arrest.  According to Court records Sterling had been indicted in October by a Calhoun County grand jury on two counts of attempted murder with a firearm. According to the indictment, he attempted to shoot two people with a firearm on or about Aug. 16.  Sterling was also charged with shooting into an occupied building in August, to which he pleaded not guilty in December.

Reward doubled in Blount county fire death

The Blount County District Attorney's Office has doubled the reward amount for information regarding the fire death of an elderly woman in February.  77 year old Rhonette Lyles, was found dead in a house fire on Mormon Road in the Horton community Feb. 8, and investigators believe the blaze was intentionally started.  District attorney Pamela Casey said an anonymous donation from a relative of the victim, who worked for over 30 years as a teacher at Cleveland Elementary School prior to her death, allowed her office to now offer $20,000 in reward money for tips leading to an arrest in the case.  Anyone with information regarding the fire and/or death of Lyles is asked to please call the Blount County Crime Stoppers at 205-274-2746.

February unemployment figures released

February unemployment figures were released Friday by the Alabama Department of Labor. The report shows that the number of people employed in Alabama has increased since January, but the unemployment rate still increased because more people joined the available work force. The state's adjusted rate for February stands at 6.4 percent and in East Alabama, several local counties saw an increase as well. Talladega County, Calhoun County, and Etowah County all have unemployment rates under 10%, but they’ve all experienced slight increases from the rates of this time last year. Cleburne County is one of the few counties with a decrease in unemployment from last year. According to officials, Alabama’s economy is still strong enough to support the civilian workforce and make gains in job sectors that are important to the state’s economy.