Police charge man shot by officers Monday

Anniston police have charged A Weaver man, shot by Anniston police Monday after police said he refused to drop a knife with three counts of attempted assault in connection with the incident.

60 year old James Wine,  was shot Monday evening, He was in surgery at Regional Medical Center Monday night.

Police arrived at a home on Morrisville Road, responding to a disturbance call.  When they arrived they found Wine in the driveway with a knife,. The caller who reported the disturbance told a 911 dispatcher that Wine had a knife and had cut his wrists.

Wine refused officers’ demands to drop the knife, and officers fired a stun gun at Wine, but that did not stop him. Wine then raised the knife and moved toward the officers; one of the officers fired, hitting Wine in the abdomen.

Wine then stabbed himself in the chest with his knife, and while trying to stab himself a second time was again hit with a stun gun,  and dropped the knife. As officers approached Wine, he reached for the knife and officers fired a stun gun a third time. Officers then secured Wine and called for medical help.

Wine was arrested at 8:35 p.m. Monday and charged with three counts of first-degree attempted assault.

Talladega man arrested after fleeing store on electric scooter

A Talladega man was arrested on felony theft charges and several misdemeanors after he lead police on a chase before getting caught.

55 year old John Albert Trussell, of Mountain View Road, was arrested on charges of shoplifting, public intoxication, criminal trespass and a felony charge of theft of property in the second degree. Total bond was set at $8,000 by Talladega County District Judge Jeb Fannin.

According to Talladega police Trussell was using a battery powered electric scooter/shopping cart provided by Wal-Mart and was observed putting several products into the basket, mostly in the grocery section.

He then left the store without paying for any of the merchandise while still on the electric cart. He jumped a curb running from store personnel and police but burned the motor of the cart trying to drive up an embankment.

The stolen merchandise was all recovered inside the cart.

According to the incident and offense report, the stolen items included Charmin bath tissue a Fabreeze air freshener a package of Sargento cheese valued; two 5 pound tubes of ground beef two Combat roach traps two pounds of bananas two packages of Jimmy Dean sausage a pot roast a package of Great Valu mild cheddar cheese; a pack of Smithfield spare ribs; two boxes of Arm and Hammer soap cheddar cheese; two packs of bacon, and a package of baby-back ribs.

Trussell had been caught stealing from Wal-Mart before and was on the no-trespass list.

The cart is valued at $1,094 and is the reason for the felony charge.

Man arrested in Cherokee County theft scam

A Cherokee County man has been arrested, charged with selling marine-related items he was paid to repair, according to Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver.

 For more than a year, the sheriff’s office has been investigating stolen watercraft and marine parts.

 Elbert “Tony” Pack was arrested Monday on two counts of second-degree theft by deception, and one count each of first-degree theft of property, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, illegal possession of prescription drugs and second-degree receiving stolen property.

 According to reports, Pack was falsely operating as the owner of Weiss Marina in Cedar Bluff. A press release from the sheriff’s office said there were several reports of Pack allegedly being hired to repair or sell marine-related items, but instead the items turned up missing.

 According to Shaver, investigators have recovered two stolen boats and two stolen jet skis so far that Pack sold to other people.

 Shaver asks that anyone who has done business with Pack and is missing property to please contact the Investigations Division at the Sheriff’s Office by calling 256-927-3365.

Pack currently is held in the Cherokee County Detention Center on a bond of $45,000.

Hokes Bluff police investigating armed robbery

Hokes Bluff police are investigating A Monday night armed robbery at Subway on U.S. Highway 278 East.

 Police say about 8 p.m. Monday, a Subway employee reported that a skinny white man with hazel eyes, wearing a dark jumpsuit — possibly jogging or wind pants — and a ski mask came into the store and pointed a black handgun at her, demanding money.

 After the man took the money, he left and ran through the parking lot toward Mi Casita restaurant. A witness in the area saw someone fitting the man’s description, wearing dark clothing, get into a small, dark-colored pickup on Fourth Street behind the business and leave the area.

Police are asking that anyone who saw the man or the vehicle in the area at that time, or has other information about the robbery, contact the Hokes Bluff Police Department at Hokes Bluff City Hall at 256-492-2414.

New Years Celebrations

As the crystal ball will drop on new yorks times square tonight, at Cheaha State Park a turkey will drop as the park holds its second annual New Years Turkey Drop beginning at 10pm.   Park superintendent Tammy Power,

said the inspiration for the Turkey Drop, a stuffed turkey in a ball, came from the Pinhoti Trail. Pinhoti in the Creek Indian language means “home of the turkey,” hence the park’s mascot, Pinhoti the turkey.

The celebration will include food and hot chocolate, music, dancing with Pinhoti (a person in a turkey suit) and a breakfast buffet that will open after the turkey drops at midnight. No reservations are necessary, but there is a $10-per-vehicle charge for the event.

On New Year’s Day, the park will offer its yearly buffet, which will serve foods that are reputed to bring good health and good fortune in the new year  At 1 p.m. the park will host a three-quarter-mile guided hike atop Mount Cheaha.

On Friday, the park will offer its first Time Warp, a historical hike that challenges visitors to visit all the Civilian Conservation Corps sites in the park.

Other celebrations in the area include:

— Anniston’s New Year’s Eve fireworks at the Duck Pond Park at McClellan in beginning at 7 p.m.

Gadsden Council approves creation of Gadsden Land Bank Authority

In their final meeting of the year Tuesday the Gadsden City approved creation of the Gadsden Land Bank Authority, which should make it easier to take possession of tax-delinquent properties so they can be sold to neighbors or to developers.

Council President Deverick Williams said the Legislature made it possible for municipalities with more than 1,000 tax delinquent properties to form a land bank authority to acquire “tax delinquent properties in order to foster the public purpose of rehabilitating land which is in a non-revenue-generating, non-tax-producing status to an effective utilization status in order to provide housing, new industry and jobs for the citizen,” as the legislative act reads.

The authority will be able to go through the process of contacting all those with a claim and holding a hearing for multiple pieces of property — 100 at a time, possibly more — rather than taking the properties one at the time.

When the authority gets clear title on property, it can work to sell the property, perhaps to neighboring homeowners, perhaps to developers, if there are adjacent pieces of property that could be sold together.