HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — About 10 minutes after Maddox Locke was born July 2, an innocent-looking red bump appeared on his smooth skin.
Todd Locke guessed it was just a bruise from his son's rough entry into the world. Maddox's mother, Becky May, had labored for 20 hours at Florence's Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital before agreeing to a C-section surgical delivery.

Allegiant Air, a Las Vegas-based low-fare carrier, will start nonstop service to Las Vegas from Huntsville International Airport, starting Sept. 21, aboard 150-seat MD-80 jet aircraft.

The service between Huntsville and McCarran International Airport will operate twice weekly - on Monday and Friday.

"This market fits our profile perfectly," John Fenyes, the airline's director of sales, said in announcing the service at the Huntsville airport this morning.

By STEVE CAMPBELL
Times Staff Writer steve.campbell@htimes.com
ATHENS - Tourists, Tennessee Valley Authority workers and newlyweds have packed Athens hotel rooms so far this year, increasing lodging tax revenue for Limestone County by 68 percent, according to the Greater Limestone Chamber of Commerce.

Revenue from lodging taxes in the first quarter exceeded $95,500, compared to about $56,800 in the first quarter of 2006, the chamber said.

Jeanette Dunnavant, tourism director for the chamber, said many hotel rooms were filled by TVA officials working on the Unit 1 reactor at Browns Ferry nuclear plant.

By Nancy Glass*censored* / The Cullman Times

Cullman shoppers will have a two-day window of opportunity to buy certain back-to-school supplies free of sales tax next month, thanks to the second-annual state Sales Tax Holiday.

The holiday, scheduled for midnight, Aug. 3 through midnight, Aug. 5, allows for state sales tax exemptions on clothing priced $100 or less per item.

Also exempt, are computers, computer software and school computer supplies with a sales price of $750 or less per item, school supplies with a sales price of $50 or less per item, and books with a sales price of $30 or less per book.

Huntsville city judge said she never authorized the Madison County Sheriff's Department to release city prisoners to relieve overcrowding at the county jail, as the sheriff's department reported last week.

Chief Deputy Chris Stephens said Friday that Judge Sybil Cleveland had approved releasing some nonviolent misdemeanor inmates early Thursday night. But Cleveland said Monday she wasn't in the office that day and wouldn't have authorized the inmates' release if she had been.

Stephens said Tuesday that 45 inmates were freed after being marked as eligible for release. The combined population of three lockups in Madison County, which have a capacity of 830, swelled to 1,026 inmates last week and then dropped to 977 after the releases and some prisoner transfers.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) - This much seems clear: Someone released prisoners to relieve overcrowding at the Madison County Jail in Huntsville. But no one is sure how many prisoners were freed or who approved their release.

The combined population of three lockups in Madison County swelled to about 300 inmates beyond its capacity of 830 people last week.

To relieve the overcrowding, Chief Deputy Chris Stephens said a Huntsville city judge approved a release of some nonviolent prisoners. But that judge, Sybil Cleveland, says she wasn't even in the office that day and didn't approve any release.

In the meantime, the Sheriff's Department says it doesn't know how many prisoners were freed.

The jail population was down about 50 people after the releases and some prisoner transfers. But the chief deputy says officials can't confirm how many prisoners were freed.

Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading wireless provider in the United States, welcomes its first group of call center employees as they begin a comprehensive training program at the company's temporary recruiting and training facility located in Huntsville.

The intensive training program will prepare employees to serve customers at the upcoming Verizon Wireless facility under construction in Huntsville. These classes will last 4-6 weeks depending on the position.

More than 150 employees will begin their training this week.

Monday

Construction Specification Institute, Huntsville chapter, will meet at The Heritage Club, 111 Washington St., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $20 for members, $30 for nonmembers. The chapter meets on the third Monday of each month. Reservations, Rob Van Peursem at 533-6617; membership, Eric West at 533-2292.


Speaking Easy Toastmasters for communication and leadership skills meets in Decatur on the first and third Mondays of each month at Java Jay's Caf, 1736 Sixth Ave. (U.S. 31), at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 256-350-2823.

By Eric Fleischauer
eric@decaturdaily.com · 340-2435
We snagged a Target. Now when do we get a Macy’s? A Jos. A. Bank? An upscale movie theater? A Coldwater Creek?

Don’t hold your breath.

Demographics are everything in the world of retail site selection, and according to the numbers, Decatur is “Mayberry-ville.”

San Diego-based Claritas Inc., a leading consulting firm for retail site selection, assigns populations to one of 66 categories.

In its lighthearted but carefully researched category description, Claritas posits that on a special night, people in Mayberry-ville drive their Chevy Silverado to Lone Star Steakhouse. We like to hunt, read our Bassmaster magazine and watch country music TV.

Free day, strolling folk musicians, Burritt on the Mountain - A Living Museum, 3101 Burritt Drive, noon to 5 p.m., 536-2882.

Bug'n July, charity car show including Volkswagens to benefit Crisis Services of North Alabama, Point Mallard Park, 1800 Point Mallard Drive, Decatur, Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to noon, navwc.org.

Jazz jam, 6-9 p.m., musicians invited, free, 534-6431 or 852-8800.