FLORENCE, Ala. (WAAY) - A Florence woman is recovering at Huntsville Hospital after being shot Wednesday afternoon. Her ex-husband has turned himself in in connection with the crime.

Florence Police say that 27 year old Renisha Powers was shot in the lower back/hip area around 4:00 p.m. The incident happened outside the woman's Carver Heights apartment.

She was rushed to the Florence Lauderdale Coliseum, where an Air-Evac helicopter was scrambled to take her to Huntsville Hospital.

A manhunt was underway for about two hours after the shooting for Powers' ex-husband - 24 year old Desmond Powers. He turned himself in to police around 6:00 p.m. and has been charged with Attempted Murder.

Police say the couple was recently divorced, but declined to speculate on exactly what sparked the argument and shooting. They're also looking into the possibility that a second person exchanged gunfire with Desmond Powers. Witnesses told police they believed more than one person was shooting, but investigators have not yet confirmed that.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala - Alleged Discovery Middle School shooter Hammad Memon is now back in the Madison County jail.

Late Wednesday night, Memon arrived back in Madison County after being picked-up Friday night by deputies in Texas.

Memon walked silently from the patrol car to the entrance of the jail, ignoring the barrage of questions we asked of him.

WAAY 31 FirstNews spoke with Memon's attorney Bruce Gardner Wednesday night about his client's disappearance and upcoming trial.

"Given the fact that it's a very low threshold of evidence that they have to meet probable cause, I think the state's motion to revoke his bond will be granted and from here on out he will be held without bail," Gardner told WAAY 31 FirstNews.

Gardner added he may seek a change of venue for the murder trial, which is set for June 18th, due to the recent publicity surrounding his client.

Memon will be in court on Thursday morning. WAAY 31 FirstNews will be there, and have the latest as it happens.

Meanwhile, Memon's father returned to work on Wednesday, but had no comment for reporters. Dr. Iqbal Memon was arrested on at his home on Friday and charged with Hindering Prosecution. He was freed on bond Saturday.

His mother Safia had an extradition hearing in Texas on Tuesday morning. A judge ruled that she will be returned to Madison County on April 27th. She's facing charges of Hindering Prosecution and being a Fugitive from Justice.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala-

Howard Wright grew up in Jamaica. He remembers eating fresh fruits and vegetables ad a child and wants to pass on that love of fresh foods to his children.

“I get a chance to learn about new things that I can use for my garden at the house also… which I am trying to get the kids involved in gardening and to get them more outdoors,” Wright said.

On Thursday, he and hundreds of others enjoyed the annual Green Living Expo at Alabama A&M’s Agribition Center. Wright says green living is something everyone should care about.

“We need to know where our food is coming from so we can have some control over it. And with the cost of food right now, it is more economical for us to grow some of the simple foods that we can,” said Wright.

The expo’s theme is “living green from the inside out,” with a focus on being eco-friendly and living healthy.

“Everyone needs to learn about recycling and about being energy efficient because it is important in our everyday life,” said event coordinator, Tamara Warren.

The expo is designed to raise awareness about the environment and falls every year right around Earth Day. Event coordinators say they plan to continue the event for years to come.

HARTSELLE, Ala. (AP) — A north Alabama woman is criticizing a school's decision to eject her 4-year-old disabled daughter from class.

Brandy Borden says Hartselle Superintendent William Michael Reed kicked her daughter out of Burleson Elementary School after she moved a half-mile outside the city limits. The girl, Madison Nicole Borden, is blind and has cerebral palsy.

Reed tells The Decatur Daily the district doesn't allow preschoolers from outside the district to attend class. He says dismissing the girl wasn't pleasant, and he's sorry he had to do it.

Grandmother Penny Robinson says the family offered to pay out-of-district fees, but school officials refused.

The girl's mother says they had to move outside of Hartselle to a larger home that could accommodate her daughter's special needs. She says officials aren't being very compassionate.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is honoring the University of Alabama football team for winning the BCS championship in January.

It was the Crimson Tide's 14th championship. Alabama entered the game ranked second and beat top-ranked Louisiana State University 21-0.

Obama says it was a "fun season to watch" but also a "deeply meaningful season" for the Crimson Tide.

Obama praised the team for their efforts in the Alabama community, noting the importance of athletes helping rebuild Tuscaloosa, Ala., after devastating tornadoes touched down in April 2011.

Obama received an Alabama jersey and helmet. Obama says, "I'm probably going to need a helmet between now and November."

RUSSELLVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - Russellville Police are looking for three men who broke into the Drug Shop on Jackson Avenue early Wednesday morning.

The trio smashed through the front door and went straight to the prescription pills, stealing thousands of Hydrocodone tablets. The drugs have a street value of over $65,000, according to authorities.

Police believe the men tried to break in to another pharmacy in the area that same night, but were unsuccessful.

If you have any information on this crime, call Russellville Police at (256) 332-2230.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WAAY) - Everyone’s a great singer in the shower. But if you really want the full effect of an American Idol audition, there’s a new tech product that could help. It’s called iShower, and while it looks just like the dozens of shower radios and cd players already on the market - iShower leaves the others all wet.

"What makes it different is it’s not a radio" says Maya Tinajero, from the company that makes iShower. "It’s a bluetooth enabled speaker, so you can stream audio from any bluetooth capable device like your phone your computer, iPad. Anything that has bluetooth connection."

A couple of buttons connects your device to the wall-mounted waterproof iShower. And it’s more than just a tiny speaker. "The sound is located on the back so what happens is the sound reverberates off your shower walls to maximize the quality of the sound without using too much power."

The result is a full, bass rich sound that comes close to what you’d hear with a regular stereo. "It has a 200 foot range so whatever you’re streaming from you can actually leave it in a separate room. Not have to bring it into the bathroom with you and risk water damage occurring to your phone or iPad whatever it is you’re streaming from."

It connects with up to 5 blue-tooth devices and controls all of the playlists you create it attaches to your shower with a couple of hooks, or it will hang over the shower nozzle.

"It takes AA batteries that go into the back once it’s in there it’ll last about 15 hours of great streaming." The iShower is going to be available in the next few weeks. If you want a better singing in the shower experience, you’ll have to lather up $100.

Squeals and screams of excitement came from a Madison city school this morning.

After hundreds of facebook votes were cast, Ms. Chance’s 2’nd grade class at Horizon Elementary won the Earth Day Heroes Award.

The award was created to inform students how they can help the environment.

These creative kids brainstormed ways they could be an “earth day hero” by coming up with a project called Putting the Earth Back Together.

“It's been really important to them because learning has to be meaningful,” Ms. Summer Chance said.

“This has been a meaningful experience to them. We do recycle in classroom and now they are super excited because every little piece of paper, they say ‘can we recycle this?'”

The winning class won a fieldtrip to the Disney movie Chimpanzee, a Samsung Galaxy tablet for their classroom and a pizza party.

MADISON COUNTY, AL - After a failed attempt to flee the country, the most wanted man in the valley faced the music in Judge Karen Hall's courtroom Thursday morning. Hall revoked 16 year old Hammad Memon's $75,000 bond and ordered him jailed until his trial. 

Memon's attorney Bruce Gardner says he saw it coming. "I mean is there

probable cause that they tried to flee and is that a violation of bond? The answer to both of those questions is yes," says Gardner. 

But for the family of Todd Brown, the Judge's recourse is little comfort. John Lavender, Brown's uncle, says he's lost his faith in the court system. 

"I feel that the justice system has let us down. He should never have been out on bond. He should have been incarcerated," says Lavender. 

Nearly a dozen members of Todd Brown's family were seated in Judge Hall's courtroom Thursday morning. They all agree that Memon was given one chance too many.

"It just seems like the system had given him a license to run," says Lavender. "Its as if someone wanted him to run and to escape the country. I'm not an attorney or a judge, but you don't let someone charged with murder out on bail and expect them not to run," he say.

Brown's grandmother Lucile Herst agrees. "If you are a murderer, whether you
are ten or if you're 80, you should be punished for what you did," says Herst.

Last Friday, Memon and his mother Safia were arrested in Dallas, Texas. Investigators say they had two Pakistani passports and more than $3,600 in cash. Late Wednesday, a shackled Memon was returned to Madison County. Herst says Memon's parents should be held responsible for trying to take any hope of justice for Todd away from her.

"I think as a mother, you don't uphold your children when they do something as heinous as what he did. I would never have done that," says Herst. "When your child does something he hasn't any business doing, if you're the right kind of parent, you should make them reap the consequences."

Herst says both Dr. Iqbal Memon and his wife Safia should be prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law. "Instead of holding him responsible, they took it upon themselves to try and sneak him out of the country. They are just as guilty," says Herst.

Memon's trial is set to begin June 18th. In court Thursday, his attorney told Judge Hall he would likely need more time to build his client's defense. Gardner told WAAY 31 Memon will likely plead not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

Brown's family says enough is enough. "It has been prolonged now for two years," says Lavender. "Every time I've gone to the cemetery and looked at Todd's grave, I think that his killer is walking around with the luxury of being out of jail. It's been really hard," he says.

The family says healing for them won't begin until they see Memon go to trial. Judge Hall gave his defense 10 days to file any motions in the case. She set a status hearing for May 3rd.

Meanwhile, Safia Memon remains jailed in Dallas charged with hindering prosecution. She's scheduled to be returned to the valley on April 27th. Dr. Iqbal Memon was also charged with hindering prosecution. He bonded out of the Madison County Metro Jail last Saturday and will appear in court on May 15th.

WASHINGTON, DC - NASA has released some interesting ringtones for your phone.

You can hear the roar of a space shuttle launch, Neil Armstrong's famous words, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.", or even, "Houston, we have a problem."

The ringtones are available for multiple types of phones.
 
You can download them here.

Huntsville, AL-When the new Lee High school in Huntsville opens for classes in the fall it may have an added layer of security.

Administrators want to build an eight foot tall security fence that will encircle the campus. The security would be a first for Huntsville City schools. Many living in the Meridian Street neighborhood like Duonta Lanier say it's a good thing. "The fence will be a good idea, it will deter people who shouldn't there and the people who need to be there. Its for educational purposes. Their not trying to cage in the students, so I feel like it's a good idea and they should follow through with that" Lanier says.

School Spokesperson Keith Ward says the object is to protect students, and keep unwanted elements away from the school campus. "Well safety is one of the top priorities there and this being a new school that's scheduled to open this fall the Superintendent thought this needed to be something that was placed in the forefront" Ward said.

Administrators say the fencing could cost as much as 600-thousand dollars. A similar security upgrade is being considered for Butler High School.

FLORENCE, Ala. (WAAY) - A Lauderdale County grand jury has indicted a 20 year old University of North Alabama student on Rape and Sodomy charges.

According to our news partner the Times Daily, Aaron Jamar Robinson was arrested by US Marshals without incident on the UNA campus this week.

Prosecutors say the indictment comes from an incident that happened in September of last year. They believe Robinson was at a party off-campus on Brentwood Court when he cornered a woman in a bathroom. Investigators say Robinson forced himself on the woman and tried to get her to perform oral sex on him. When she refused, police believe she was attacked and raped.

Robinson denies the incident and says any sexual contact with the woman was consensual.

Robinson is still enrolled as a Freshman at the school. UNA officials say that his status will be brought in front of a board in the future.

Robinson is being held on $70,000 bond.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama's unemployment rate has fallen for the eighth straight month to 7.3 percent for March.

That's down from a revised rate of 7.5 percent in February and a high of 10.0 percent in July. The state Department of Industrial Relations reports that the last time Alabama's unemployment rate was this low was December 2008. Alabama's rate was also below the national figure of 8.2 percent.

State Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees said initial claims for unemployment have fallen to pre-recession levels.

Alabama counties with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby at 5.1 percent; Coffee at 6.0 percent; and Lee at 6.2 percent.

Counties with the highest rates are Wilcox at 16.1 percent; Lowndes at 15.3 percent; and Dallas at 13.4 percent.

Guntersville, AL-Marshall County will no longer be involved in the dispute over a gun range on Wyeth Drive.
 
The Alabama Tactical Shooters gun range is located near a neighborhood and homeowners say the noise is a hindrance and they fear for their safety.
 
"Some were concerned that maybe a bullet could just veer off somewhere and hit someone," explains Marshall County Commissioner Tamey Hale.
 
The location of the range has brought to question which governing body has authority over the range. It is located in the county, but police jurisdictions from Albertville ad Guntersville overlap into the area in question. Hale says she toured the facility and found no problems.
 
"In my opinion it would be maybe a nuisance but I would not feel threatened and that's what I went mainly to see if there was maybe a threat."
 
Owner Barry Harbin says he took the appropriate steps to ensure that he wa sin compliance with any city or county laws and regulations.
 
 “I am not in violation of anything. I have a legal county business license to operate. I have requested licenses from each city of Albertville and Guntersville I have been told by them that I did not need one."
 
Even if the gun range was in violation of any ordinances county attorney Clint mMze says there is nothing the County Commissioners can do about it because Alabama state law protects it
 
“The County Commission even if they had the authority to, could not pass an ordinance that declared that business to be unlawful; they cannot regulate it and they cannot shut it down," he explained.
 
And with the repeal of home rule several years ago, they do not have the authority anyway. Because of the repeal the group no longer has the right to govern any personal property in the unincorporated county.
 
Harbin says he is thrilled today but says he thinks the fight is far from over.
 
“I intend to keep the range open until the state or the city tells me I have to shut the range down.”

Albertville, AL-New jobs on the way to Marshall County. An automotive supplier is now calling Albertville home.

City leaders and company executives broke ground Friday morning for the Newman Technology plant. The company manufactures door sashes and exhaust components for Honda.
 
Newman Technology will employ sixty to eighty workers and employees will handle metal fabrication and assembly. City Councilor Chuck Ellis says having the new automotive supplier in Albertville is good news for the economy. "This has been trying times over the past four years and fortunately for many people this will be new jobs for them in the coming year and its exciting for the people of Albertville" Ellis said.

Company spokesperson Steve Rourke says the opportunity to open a plant in Albertville was the perfect location to open for business in Alabama. "We're really excited, this represents a big opportunity for our company to expand in this region".

The manufacturing plant will cost 15 million dollars to build, production is expected to begin in early 2013 and as the business grows officials plan to expand and hire more employees.

HAZEL GREEN, Ala. (WAAY) - Madison County Sheriff's deputies are looking for at least two, possibly three suspects in connection with an armed robbery at the Rite-Aid pharmacy on Highway 231/431 in Hazel Green.

It happened around 4:15 Friday afternoon. According to Madison County Sheriff's Department Lt. T.A. Miller, three people were involved in the crime. Two masked men entered the pharmacy and demanded money. Contrary to some witness reports, no shots were fired.

The duo ran out of the pharmacy, where they were encountered by an off-duty law enforcement officer. One of the suspects was tackled and stopped by the officer and held until backup could arrive. That suspect is only identified as a 16 year old juvenile. The money taken in the robbery was recovered at the scene.

The other two suspects fled south towards Huntsville. Their car was found on Millbrae Road, off Pulaski Pike, near the Johnson High School football field. K-9 units are on the scene looking for the suspects.

Stay with WAAY 31 FirstNews and waaytv.com for more on this developing story as it becomes available.

ATHENS, Ala. (WAAY) - The Limestone County Sheriff's Department is investigating a spike in burglary cases over the past three weeks.

Since April 1st, the LSCO has handled twenty burglary calls - mostly in the southern half of the county and in Salem and Good Springs communities.

The crimes have all been committed during the daytime, in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon hours. Most of the items stolen were jewelry, guns and electronic items like Tv's.

In response, deputies are patrolling the southern half of Limestone County much more than usual.

If you've seen anything suspicious, or have any information in connection with these crimes, call the Limestone County Sheriff's Office. There is a $10,000 reward being offered for tips that lead to the criminals.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - Madison County Circuit Judge Ruth Ann Hall has dismissed Towanda Moore's lawsuit against Madison Board of Education. The mother of slain Discovery Middle School student Todd Brown filed the suit claiming the school system failed to provide a safe environment by allowing the accused shooter, Hammad Memon, to attend despite several disciplinary problems.  Her suit against Superintendent Dee Fowler and Former Discovery Principal Sharon Willlis will be allowed to stand. Defense Attorney Woody Sanderson says he is not entirely surprised at the ruling.

"This is very early in the case, the burden on the defendant is much greater to get a dismissal at this stage in the case," Sanderson explained.

The lawsuit claim Memon was suspended numerous times from Liberty Middle School, but allowed to remain enrolled, and was transfer to Discovery Middle. The suit also claims the school was aware of Memon's alleged gang involvement before the shooting.

" I think that we are going to be able to prove that there was a report that he brought a gun to school before. Now I don't know what I am going to be able to show you as far as who knew it and how many people knew it, but I’m certain that there is a report that he brought one to school before," explained family attorney Eric Heninger.

The case has been slowed due to the ongoing criminal investigation. The criminal trial is scheduled to begin in June. Defense attorney Bruce Gardner says he may seek a change of venue.

Sanderson says the discovery process in the civil case  will take several months. Once complete he will have another opportunity to request a dismissal of the cases against Fowler and Willis.

Hammad Memon, and his parents, Dr. Iqbal and Safia Memon were also sued. That part of the suit also stood Friday.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WAAY) - It's been less than a week since Alabama's 2011 BCS National Championship Trophy was destroyed while on display during last weekend's A-Day festivities. At the time, the media was told only that a player's parent was responsible for the accident, but the person wasn't identified. On Thursday night, the man came forward on his own.

"In my mind, it was slow motion," Carleton Tinker told ESPN. "as it rolled off the top of the trophy case onto the table onto the floor. I'm not sure if I bumped the table when I turned around, or if my foot caught on the large tablecloth they had draped and puddled on the floor. That's exactly what happened."

Carleton is the father of Alabama long snapper Carson Tinker.

"At night, as I went to sleep, every time I closed my eyes," Tinker said. "I kept seeing it roll off and hit the floor. That marble floor in the trophy room - it wasn't going to be a soft landing. It shattered. It spread out all over the place."

Tinker offered to work off the $30,000 replacement trophy by working in the athletic department, but the school turned down the offer, saying the trophy was insured.

SANFORD, Fla. (WAAY) - George Zimmerman, the man accused of gunning down Florida teen Treyvon Martin, was in court Friday morning for a bond hearing.

Zimmerman took the stand during the hearing to make a brief statement and answer a few procedural questions asked by the judge.

""I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son." Zimmerman told the Martin family. "I did not know how old he was, I thought he was a little bit younger than I am and I did not know if he was armed."

The judge ruled that Zimmerman could be released on $150,000 bond, with a host of conditions. They include: wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet and having no contact with the victim's family.

Zimmerman's wife, mother and father testified over the phone that he isn't a flight risk.

NASHVILLE, TN - One question we’ve all asked is whether it’s better to shut down a computer or put it to sleep? Which is best not only for the life of your computer, but for your electricity bill?

Let’s take a look first at a desktop computer. By shutting it down completely and turning off all external hard drives, you will save electricity. It won’t be using any power at all, but that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Turning a computer off and on actually uses more power than just waking it up. And, if you’re going to have a problem with a computer, many of those problems start when you re-start. There are a lot of moving parts that have to get moving and that can cause stress on all of those tiny parts.

It’s best to shut the computer off completely only if you’re not going to be using it for a couple of days. If it’s just overnight or during the day, put the computer to sleep. It’ll use a tiny bit of electricity, but it’ll also save everything you’ve been working on. When you click a button or move the mouse, your computer will wake up and you’re back in business quickly.

Hibernation saves even more energy. You can use this option if you’re not going to be using the computer for about 24 hours.

If you’re using windows 7, the sleep and hibernation options are next to the shut down button. If you’re using Windows XP, the sleep option is called "standby mode".

If you want to put the computer in hibernation, hold down the shift key when you click "standby". On a Mac, click the Apple icon to see the sleep option. On laptops, Macs and PC's, just close the lid to put the computer in sleep mode.

There are other energy saving tips for computers and other electronic gadgets on the US Department of Energy’s website, and energysaver.gov.

Keeping you plugged in on Earth Day, I’m Jamey Tucker.




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Jamey adds that it is a good idea to re-start a computer once a month or so to clean out some of the things that get stored on your computer when you're using it. That may speed up a sluggish computer.

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Huntsville police say around 3:00 Sunday morning, officers responded to an ATM alarm at the CB&S bank on Highway 431 in Hampton Cove.

They found the ATM on the west side of the building had been stolen.

A forklift that had been abandoned nearby was still running.

Investigators say the forklift had also been stolen.

If you have any information on this case, call the Huntsville Police Department at (256) 722-7100.

It's been a turbulent year for Huntsville City Schools, with the system struggling to overcome a financial crisis while improving its educational offerings.  On April 24th, the public will have an opportunity to learn how administrators are faring in their tasks.  The annual State of the Schools address will be held from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at the Lockheed Martin Auditorium at 4800 Bradford Drive.

The address is hosted by the Huntsville Council of PTAs.  Seating is limited, and anyone who would like to attend is asked to register in advance.  Click here to sign up. 

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Visiting state parks is a popular past time here in the Valley.  And for a cash- strapped park system, tourism season brings the chance to rake in some revenue. 

 

But, now the Alabama House of Representatives has passed a bill taking away a significant chunk of state park funds.  Even though money is tight, some feel parks aren't where pennies should be pinched.

 

Huntsville resident Josh Smith spends as much time as possible in Alabama's state parks, particularly Monte Sano.  He says, "I live in the Five Points area, so it's like right in my backyard, and I'm always up here, either hiking, or I just started biking, even taking friends up here to the overlook and sitting eating lunch."

 

But Smith's home away from home could soon look a little less lustrous.  Alabama’s House of Representatives recently passed a budget that axes $2 million from the state parks fund.  Monte Sano State Park Manager Kent Wilborn says the legislature already cut the fund by $5 million last year.

 

Wilborn says, “We have over 800 facilities that the state parks take care of in 22 parks, so those facilities need paint, shingles, carpet, furniture.  Those things have to be maintained in order to get the guests to come back."

 

With the majority of state park funds coming from these guests, the slimmer budget could impact tourism.  Wilborn adds, “If we can't maintain and keep them up to standards, people will find other places to go."

 

Still, even if maintenance deteriorates in Monte Sano, mountain biker Quinn Otte says he's staying put: “I don't come for the buildings or the walls or the overlooks or anything.  I come for the trails."

 

But rural park-goers may not have that option.  Wilborn says those state parks could be hit the hardest: “In the wintertime, some of the smaller parks, we may close some facilities just to save money.”

 

Since there's still time before this budget bill becomes law, state park officials are voicing their concerns to the legislature, and encouraging people to visit more parks.  But Smith wishes none of this were necessary. 

 

He feels budgeting for parks ought to have higher priority: “I guess it's probably low on the totem pole, but I prefer it not to be.  I think it's important to have somewhere where your city's people can go to have recreation, have access to stuff like this."

HUNTSVILLE, Ala-

The threat of rain did no stop dozens of car enthusiast from coming out to the Collaborations Child Development Center on Saturday morning.

The monthly Cars and Coffee event is sponsored by the local non-profit called The Autism Resource Foundation. The event is a meet and greet opportunity for car lovers to show off and talk all about cars. For a donation, patrons could also enjoy fresh coffee and doughnuts.

With April being autism awareness month, this week was a particularly special time for event coordinators.

“We raise money to provide financial support to families with autism. The money goes toward any type of therapy they might need, because insurance does not cover it for a lot of people,” Sally Davis said.

The next Coffee and Cars event will be Saturday, May 19’Th.