Test your footing

All public and private schools in Bessemer shut down shortly after noon today as a freakish snow storm hit the area.

Some took advantage of the winter wonderful. In DeBardeleben Park a mother and her son tested the snow before walking on it.

Roads are not expected to be troublesome until later tonight when the snow turns to ice.

—Tribune staff report

We can handle Al Qaeda -- bring 'em on

Bessemer’s elected leaders have been asleep at the wheel again. So what else is new?

The Obama administration is looking for other options than New York City for the trial of 9-11 conspirator Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four co-conspirators after saying that the Big Apple is off-limits.

So how about the Big Bizarro?

We’ve got plenty of financial problems, a brand spanking new $38 million courthouse that can’t be opened and seven floors of empty jail space. The two buildings are connected by a tunnel.

Oh, perhaps we neglected to mention that the Obama administration is willing to pay $200 million to cover the security costs.

Now there’s a big difference between $200 million being spent in New York as opposed to being spent here.

The New York courthouse that was scheduled to be used was right in the middle of everything and close to the site of the attack.

As you might expect that would complicate security measures.

And while the new Jefferson County Bessemer Courthouse is right in the middle of things here, how many things do we actually have?

The good news is that Bessemer could probably count on netting about $30 million in the deal, not counting all of the national attention it gets.

Others say such a trial would also bring in another $10 million or so in sales at places like the Bright Star and Mr. Hot Dog downtown and the hotels would be fully booked for months, even years, if some of the legal scholars are right.

So the City Council and Mayor Ed May need to act quickly before some other enterprising town decides it could use the publicity and big payday to its own advantage.

As far as security issues go, there really wouldn’t be much of a threat. After all, nearly everybody in Bessemer carries a gun or two and has no problem with the thought of using necessary firepower.

In fact, we wouldn’t give evil Al Qaeda terrorists much of a chance. So bring it on.

Council approves bingo-related issues

Bessemer's City Council tonight approved a number of bingo-related issues by 4-0 votes in a special meeting, including the appropriation of $100,000 to a line item to pay for attorney fees.

Attorney Kim Davidson explained to the council that every effort is being made in Montgomery to kill the so-called Sweet Home Alabama bingo bill because it would effectively freeze out the Bessemer Cutoff from having electronic charity bingo halls.

Instead, advocates are focused on getting a bill approved that would limit Gov. Bob Riley's power to utilize his gambling task force.

If that were done, Davidson said, consideration of bingo halls would be handled in the Bessemer courthouse.

Also, the council asked Davidson to file papers at the courthouse informing Circuit Judge Eugene Verin that Ed May II had been fired by the council and should not be getting anything from the court.

Those in attendance were council President Earl Cochran, Louise Alexander, Dorothy Davidson and Jesse Matthews.

Mayor Ed May was not at the council meeting.

—Tribune staff report

Bessemer storms past Tuscaloosa County

Brittany Agee soars above Tuscaloosa County player.

Using a pressing defense and superior transitional game, Bessemer City stormed past Tuscaloosa County 70-55 tonight in a Class 6A subregional win.

The No. 5-ranked Lady Purple Tigers (26-2) were led by Tiffany Stephens' double-double and three other players in double figures.

Stephens scored 11 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, while Chelsee Black scored 18 points, Brittany Agee had 17 points and Porschia Hollis added 16 points.

—Tribune staff report

She went home and got a rude awakening

A Bessemer woman came home last night to a rude awakening.

While Erica Michelle King was out, someone tipped authorities that her home in the 6300 block of South Clubview Circle was being broken into.

Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies entered the home and found nothing, except for a four-bag stash of marijuana and an assault-type weapon under her bed.

As it turns out, it was her juvenile son who had to break into the home.

King, 38, has been charged with unlawful possession of the happy weed and her bond is set at $10,000.

—Tribune staff report

Special council meeting at 8 p.m.

Bessemer City Council President Earl Cochran is calling for a special meeting tonight at 8 p.m.

Cochran attempted to have a special meeting Tuesday night but failed to gain a quorum.

The council president failed to disclose what he hoped to gain from the meeting.

—Tribune staff report 

Problems with trash

Bessemer currently has no place to dump its trash, so the City Council will tour an area in Muscoda on Feb. 23 to see if it made a mistake by voting not to approve the site as a new landfill.

In the meantime, the city is piling up tons of trash next to the city's animal shelter off 15th Street, something that we reported three weeks ago.

Unless the council changes its tune the city yard will have to accept all the trash and then pay $1,100 each time time it dumps in the Jefferson County landfill.

—Tribune staff report

Alexander questions trial watcher

The scene at yesterday's Bessemer City Council planning session.

Councilwoman Louise Alexander was sitting in her usual seat and it wasn't until nearly four hours later that the subject of her recent trial was mentioned.

She brought it up herself. Alexander thought it was strange that someone from the city's Community Development Department sat in the courtroom every day.

Alexander wanted to know if that person was being paid by taxpayers.

Mayor Ed May said he didn't know anything about it but would look into it.

—Tribune staff report

ON NEWSSTANDS NOW

Two-thousand words on Lu-Lu getting out of dutch ... Bubba says watch out for the new domestic violence cop, she's a hitter ...

NOT GUILTY

Bessemer Councilwoman Louise Alexander today was found not guilty on all five charges leveled by the state.

She wept when she heard the news.

This is the second time in five years that the state has failed to convict a Bessemer council member. The last one was Betty Woods.

—Tribune staff report

READ FULL ACCOUNT OF THE TRIAL IN THIS WEEK'S PAPER

Bright Star receives prestigious Beard award

Bessemer's iconic dining institution, the Bright Star, has been named one of the James Beard Foundation Awards' "America's Classics" honorees.

The awards, considered the Oscar of the food world, gives the America's Classic distinction to "restaurants with timeless appeal, beloved for quality food that reflects the character of their community."

The Bright Star and four other restaurants around the nation will be honored at New York's Lincoln Center on May 3.

—Tribune staff report

Jury still deliberating

Everybody is sitting around the Bessemer Courthouse while the jury deliberates the fate of Bessemer Councilwoman Louise Alexander.

—Tribune staff report

Alexander case goes to jury

Louise Alexander walking to court Monday morning.

URGENT

The jury is getting final instructions from Circuit Judge Teresa Petelos after closing arguments were made in the trial of Bessemer Councilwoman Louise Alexander.

The state wrapped up its case by reading a quotation from the bulletin board at Abrams Elementary School: "If you live right the rest will take care of itself."

But the defense, which needed two lawyers, told the jury that 2,000 years ago the people put to death another do-gooder, saying that Alexander is a do-gooder.

Oh, and again they blamed Tuscaloosa developer Stan Pate for all of Alexander's troubles.

—Tribune staff report

Alexander decision could happen today

Closing arguments began this morning to determine the fate of Bessemer Councilwoman Louise Alexander, and a verdict could be handed down later in the day.

The jury will decide whether or not Alexander deposited three checks totaling more than $17,000 in her own personal account.

According to Alexander it was all a mistake and developer Stan Pate, who was miffed over votes she cast against certain zoning requests, took it out on her by notifying the Attorney General's office that she had done wrong.

Either way the jury votes, Alexander's 11-plus years on the council will come to a close this year.

If she loses she will be forced to give up her seat and the council will name her replacement if it can be done by the end of February. Otherwise, there will be a special election.

But if she wins, Alexander says she is running for mayor in the August city elections.

—Tribune staff report