Gadsden News

Gadsden Police and Fire Departments respond rapidly to major accident at 4th and Rainbow Drive Wednesday afternoon (copyright photo by Phil Swindall)

(Gadsden, AL - September 1, 2010) A collision involving an 18-wheeler operated by SYSCO and a four-door Buick is blocking traffic on several lanes of one of the busiest streets in Gadsden.

The accident occurred at the intersection of 4th Street and Rainbow Drive around 1:50 p.m. according to eyewitnesses. Several witnesses say the 18-wheeler hit the vehicle as the Buick was turning left onto 4th Street and the 18 wheeler was driving south on US Highway 411 (Rainbow Drive).

Police and Fire Rescue personnel were at the scene within minutes, with as many as five fire and rescue trucks and four police vehicles, as well as other investigators on the scene.

A lone female was pulled from the gold-colored Buick vehicle, and officers on the scene confirmed that there was only one person in the car.

Once the victim was extracted from the car and stabilized, Gadsden-Etowah EMA ambulance personnel took the female from the accident to a local hospital.

GadsdenMetro will do our best to update this story as quickly as possible.

(Birmingham, AL - August 26, 2010) U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance says a Gadsden man has pleaded guilty to mail fraud for more than $100,000 in fake invoices sent to the Tennessee Valley Authority. The plea was entered into Federal Court in Birmingham on Wednesday, according to a statement released today.

39 year old William Lenn Coffey of Coffey Manufacturing in Gadsden entered a guilty plea to one count of mail fraud filed against him in May of this year. A maximum sentence for the charge is 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

Coffey's plea agreement states that his accomplice, Daniel Sieber II was a manager of Shaw Field Services, a subsidiary of Louisiana-based Shaw Group, Inc. The parent company had a contract with TVA to provide insulating blankets for some power plants. That company, Shaw Group was later bought and became Analytic Stress Relieving in 2005.

Sieber created fraudulent invoices for insulating blankets and submitted them to Shaw Field Services/Analytic Stress Relieving between June of 2005 and June of 2007. Those invoices were from Coffey Manufacturing with the purpose of receiving payment on the fraudulent invoices. Moneys received by Coffey would be divided with Sieber.

Both Coffey and Sieber knew the invoices were fake and that Shaw Field Services/Analytic Stress Relieving had not received the insulating blankets from Coffey's business, according to the plea agreement.

Documents indicated Sieber submitted $106,662 in fraudulent invoices to his company, which paid Coffey Manufacturing $91,855.

The case was investigated by the TVA Office of Inspector General, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Estes is the federal prosecutor.

(Gadsden, AL - August 26, 2010) Local businesses are often asked to help schools raise money for various groups and projects at area schools. But, local Ford dealer, Ronnie Watkins Ford is really stepping up to the plate for Gadsden City High School this year.

In cooperation with Ford Motor Company, Ronnie Watkins Ford is offering to contribute up to $6,000 to Gadsden City High School on September 3 at the Titans vs Oxford High School football game. The event, called "Drive One 4 Ur School" offers to pay a selected high school in the dealership's market $20 for each test drive made in a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle during a specific period of time.

Watkins says the company would only allow his dealership to select one school to support this year. He hopes to be able to conduct similar fundraisers for other schools in the area if the opportunity is made available in future years.

According to the promotional information on the internet for the program, "The Drive One 4 UR School program was developed as a fun, engaging way to help high schools raise money to support their sports and extracurricular activities." The great thing about the promotion is how the money is raised. Any individual who completes a test drive of any new Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle on the lot at Ronnie Watkins Ford puts $20 of Ford Motor Company's marketing budget into an account for the selected school.

Several schools across the nation have been selected to participate in the national promotion. During the fall 2009 session of Ford Motor Company’s Drive One 4 UR School program, 25 high schools were engaged to participate in a student video contest for the chance to increase Ford’s donation to their respective booster club(s). Eleven participants accepted the challenge, and were tasked with creating original content that would capture the spirit of their event along with highlighting Ford’s commitment to their local communities.

Those videos can be found on the Ford Motor Company website "The Ford Story."

This year, the Gadsden Ford Dealership was invited to participate in the awareness campaign. Watkins says "they would just let us do one local school, if this is a success maybe we do another next year, but we got to get people out of the event during or before the Oxford/Gadsden game on Friday night Sept. 3rd."

The dealership will bring vehicles to Gate 4 at Titan Stadium on the day of the game. If 300 individuals complete a test drive in one of those vehicles, $6,000 will be delivered to the school during the game.

Watkins tells GadsdenMetro.com that he is proud of Ford Motor Company's commitment to local causes. "I can promise you no company works harder to try and give back to our community than Ronnie Watkins Ford," he says.

This year, he was able to get Ford to pay to be the title sponsor of Gadsden's 25th Anniversary RiverFest, and his dealership provides several campuses in the area with Driver's Ed vehicles in addition to the financial support he and his dealership provides for several groups and events in the Northeast Alabama region.

(Gadsden, AL - August 25, 2010) With city elections over in Gadsden, save one runoff between District 2 incumbent J.R. Countryman and front-running challenger Deverick Williams on October 5, the city council meeting was light on agenda and heavy on back-patting accolades.

Following the regular agenda, during the public comments section of the meeting, all five of the councilmen present and the mayor made comments concerning last night's election. One councilman, expected to be contending for the council presidency, Robert Avery made the most extensive comments concerning the vote.

Avery, who ran unopposed for his District 3 seat, admitted to his open endorsement and work for incumbent mayor Sherman Guyton, "It is no secret that I supported the mayor and worked for his re-election." Avery explains that of the three mayors he has served with in the council, "One I got along with, one I worked with and I didn't get along at all with Steve Means."

Avery says he thinks the vote, although from a very light turnout of less than a third of registered voters in the city, "said we didn't need his kind of leadership in the city."

The other councilmen were a bit more genteel in their comments, with the elder statesman of the council, Bob Echols congratulating his two opponents saying "I am certain we will hear from both of them again." Echols laid to rest any rumors that he might step down from office before the end of his term during his comments, "You'll have to put up with the old man again for four more years," he said, "unless the Lord wants me there more than I want to be here."

Echols tells GadsdenMetro that his ability to serve his district is a large motivator for him every day. "I love serving my city," he says, "its what I get up for."

Incoming District 1 Councilman Billy Harris says he is looking forward to "working with such a diverse council to accomplish great things for the city." Harris is replacing retiring councilman Walt Higgins who announced he would not be seeking reelection so he could focus on other endeavors and family.

In other action during today's council meeting:

APPROVED AN ORDINANCE CHANGING PARKING REGULATIONS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS
Even though some Gadsden City Police officers complain that much of the city's parking ordinances are "weak and unenforceable" in some areas, such as Wall Street in Alabama City, the council voted to add an ordinance for special event parking that will regulate enforcement of parking during special events, such as First Friday.

The "Special Event Parking Restrictions" will require the police chief to "Provide notice to vehicles parked in the specified area for the event no later than two hours before the removal period begins." If a vehicle has not been removed within 30 minutes of the start of a removal period, the vehicle could be impounded and towed away from the area.

This ordinance will be used for special events such as First Friday, and other community festivals, parades or celebrations. Those event sponsors could allow individual vehicles special permission to park during those events in designated areas. However, they will not be allowed to park in those restricted areas until less than one hour prior to the start of the event.

In addition, several restrictions concerning locations of parking zones should be enforced which would keep intersections, sidewalks, and other areas needed "to preserve the capacity of the streets for travel and transporation during the event," and "to maintain for the residents only the parking needs, and to alleviate hazards of too closely packed parking."

APPROVED AN ORDINANCE ALLOWING FOR BEER MANUFACTURE IN RESTRICTED AREAS
Passed, by a 4-1 vote, an ordinance allowing for the manufacture of beer under state regulations of micro-breweries in certain areas of the city.

This ordinance was passed to pave the way for a Gadsden-area native to return to Gadsden in order to move his micro-brewery business, Back Forty Beer Company, to the old Puckett's distribution center on 6th Street in Downtown Gadsden.

REZONED PROPERTY AT 3002 HiCKORY STREET
Approved a request for rezoning of property at 3002 Hickory Street for Light Industrial use. The property was previously zoned I-2 for Heavy Industrial use.

According to the council minutes, the owner of the property is requesting the rezoning so he can open an Automobile and Truck Repair business on the property.

Originally scheduled as a public hearing on the matter, Councilman Avery requested a vote on the issue by unanimous consent. The ordinance passed unanimously.

APPROVED CITY SPONSORSHIP OF FLASHBACK WEEKEND TOURNAMENT
Approved a request to co-sponsor an annual "Flashback Weekend" with an unincorporated association named "Team Leaders" on the second weekend of April in 2011.

The weekend basketball tournament of former players from Gadsden High, Emma Sansom High, Litchfield High and Etowah High to support the work of Team Leaders. Team Leader head Anthony Treadwell says the association was established to promote and support youth activities in Gadsden and to provide opportunities for leadership development in the city.

District 2 Councilman Robert Avery announced that Beyonce' Knowles' father and Gadsden native, Matthew Knowles was challenged to participate in next years' event during his recent visit to the area. "He has committed to being here for the weekend," Avery announced during the council meeting.

APPROVED SUPPORT FOR SENIOR NUTRITION PROGRAM
Approved an amendment of the FY 2010 budget to reflect the acceptance of a $3,300 ADECA grant to provide additional operating expenses for the Senior Nutrition program.

Councilman J.R. Countryman says the funds actually came from the discretionary funds made available from the state budget to Democratic Senator Larry Means (District 10). "This is actually a good example of how to use your discretionary funds," Countryman said during the council meeting, "anytime you have an opportunity to support the elderly, you should," he said during the council meeting.

APPROVED AN ADDITION TO A ROAD PROJECT
Approved a change order to a road treatment project in District 7. The change, according to city engineer Chad Hare is an extension of the JG Treatment project on Scenic Drive between Robin Hood Road and Meighan Boulevard.

Hare says the project was added to the existing project once significant road damage was discovered in the roadway. According to the resolution, the amount of the change order ($21,079.50) reflected a minor change and did not require competitive bidding on the changes.

Charles E Watts, Inc was awarded the $115,147.10 bid several weeks ago.