News

Montgomery's Child Protect reacts to horrific Tallassee sex abuse case

Friday, May 3rd, 2013, 8:23pm

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA)- In the 12 years Jannah
Bailey has been running Child Protect in Montgomery, she can't recall anything
so vile, so shocking as to the charges against 31-year old Steven Conrad of
Tallassee.

"As of a mother and
grandmother I can't even fathom what goes on in people's heads," said
Bailey.

Conrad faces more than
80 counts of sexual abuse, rape and sodomy against children under 12-years old.
Tallassee police say some were children of the women Conrad dated.
Investigators say the abuse started 11 years ago and some of the victims were
abused more than once.

Today, Bailey's staff
interviewed 6 of the 8 victims. It was part investigative to help law
enforcement and part healing, pointing the children to the road of recovery.

"Are there going to
be scars and memories? Absolutely. This now becomes part of who these children
are," Bailey said.

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Montgomery mother sees hope in autistic son's "broken doughnut"

Submitted by WSFA 12 News Staff

Friday, May 3rd, 2013, 6:13pm

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA)- The following letter is written by Christi Aitken, a Montgomery, Alabama resident who recently took a trip to an area doughnut restaurant with her children. What transpired was this letter, based on her autistic son's "broken doughnut", and the smiles created along the way to fixing his dessert.

Repeated fully in her own words:

By now you have most likely read the "broken cheeseburger" story.

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Fans dash to 'Dega for races

Submitted by WSFA 12 News Staff

Friday, May 3rd, 2013, 5:28pm

PRATTVILLE, AL (WSFA)- It's a weekend many look forward to...especially folks like Becky Rowlen.

"We sell a lot of gas, beer, ice. Haha."

She works at a service station just off I-65 in Prattville--which happens to be a main thoroughfare for race goers.

"They're happy, they're excited, we're excited for them to be here," says Rowlen.

She says holidays and big events are typically a busy time for her. The business prepares in advance.

"We have our gas trucks come and fill up our tanks so we're ready for the fuel."

While many have already make the trek, fans like Brandon Thomas don't leave until Sunday.

"I haven't been in a few years, but I'm really excited to go this time. It's the first time I've been in a while," says Thomas.

He's sitting close to the track and admits he's hesitant, given the recent crash in Daytona.

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MPD motorman injured following wreck

Submitted by JoBeth Davis, Community Web Producer

Friday, May 3rd, 2013, 3:57pm

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - A Montgomery Police Officer was injured following a motorcycle accident on Friday morning.

According to the Montgomery Police Department, a motor officer was involved in an accident on Zelda Road near Zelda Court. He was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

No details were provided as to the cause of the accident.

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Pedestrian struck and killed in early morning accident on Atlanta Highway

Submitted by WSFA 12 News Staff

Friday, May 3rd, 2013, 2:50pm

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA)- One woman is dead and two other people were injured following an early morning accident on Atlanta Highway.

According to police, three pedestrians were traveling westbound on Atlanta Highway around 1:00 a.m. when they were struck by a passenger vehicle.

One of the pedestrians, 19-year-old Jessica Rae Stokes died as a result of her injuries. The two other pedestrians received minor injuries. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.

At this time the investigation into this traffic accident is ongoing and no further information is available at this time.

This is the 6th traffic fatality for Montgomery in 2013.

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Coretta Scott King rose to be planted in downtown Montgomery on Saturday

Submitted by WSFA 12 News Staff

Friday, May 3rd, 2013, 10:09am

MONTGOMERY, AL- On Saturday, May 4, the Coretta Scott King Estate will dedicate the "Coretta Scott King Rose: An American Symbol of Peace and Love", during ceremonies at Freedom Plaza on the grounds of the Alabama State capitol at 11 a.m., and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church Parsonage at 11:30 a.m.

The locations are significant in the life and legacy of Coretta and Dr. Martin Luther King. The church Dr. King pastored, Dexter Avenue, is located just steps from the state capitol and Dr. King and Coretta addressed thousands on the steps of the state capitol at the conclusion of the historic 1965 Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March. The Dexter Memorial Baptist Church Parsonage was where the couple lived while King pastored Dexter. The parsonage was also bombed during the Montgomery bus boycott.

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Technology helps to ease traffic flow

Submitted by WSFA 12 News Staff

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013, 11:09pm

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA)- Traffic engineers with the City of Montgomery have moved into an all new traffic management center, which will help them make it easier to improve traffic flow in the city.

It allows traffic engineers to monitor dozens of traffic cameras in one place, as opposed to six or seven rooms in the past. The technology also allows them to keep abreast of an issue with traffic flow in the city.

"If we see a problem on an intersection, we can go in from this facility and change the time to make it adjust," said Bubba Bowden, Director of Traffic Engineering for the City of Montgomery.

The center allows the city to monitor its 40 traffic monitoring cameras, and also monitor data from signals at more than 300 intersections. Engineers have used the data to adjust timing at signals such as the one at Eastchase and Taylor Road.

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