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Saban’s word choice speaks volumes Tuesday, October 5, 2010 x Our 123rd year
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MCGREGOR, LEGISLATORS INDICTED IN BINGO PROBE
INSIDE
Section B
pluS: Fractured hand
y Profiles of the 11 people named in the indictments / 6-7A
CampuSlife
sidelines Julio Jones
y A closer look at the charges / 6A y Timeline of the investigation / 7A y Your comments on al.com / 4A
Lobbyists among 11 accused of vote-buying scheme
NAMED IN THE INDICTMENT
By CHARLES J. DEAN, KIM CHANDLER 75¢ newsstand and MARY ORNDORFF
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
TuscaloosaMCGREGOR edition MILTON
News staff writers
Owns controlling interest in VictoryLand in Macon County
Stigmas fall in tough economy y One count of conspiracy, six counts of federal program bribery, and 11 counts of honest services mail and wire fraud.
Consumers RONNIE GILLEY discover resourceful ways to survive the JARROD MASSEY economy
Owner of Country Crossing in Houston County
y One count of conspiracy, six counts of federal program bribery, 11 counts of honest services mail and wire fraud, and four counts of money laundering.
Lobbyist and president of Mantra Governmental
BYOne ANNE y count of conspiracy, five counts of federal D’INNOCENZIO program bribery, and 11 APcounts Business Writers of honest services mail and wire fraud.
PRESS-REGISTER/FILE
Milton McGregor, shown during a January interview, owns controlling interest in VictoryLand casino and dog track. He was one of 11 people arrested Monday in what federal prosecutors described as a broad scheme to buy votes on a gambling bill. A judge required McGregor, who was released on bond, to submit to electronic monitoring.
PARAMUS, N.J. (AP) TOM COKER — The Goodwill store Lobbyist in this middle-class y One count of conspiracy, New York ofsuburb two counts federal is program bribery, 11 buzzing on a andrecent counts of honest services weekend afternoon. A mail and wire fraud. steady flow of shoppers BOB combGEDDIE through racks Lobbyist with Fine Geddie filled with second-hand y One count of conspiracy, clothes, shoes, blankets one count of federal and dishes. program bribery, 11 counts of and Ahonest few services yearsmailago, wire fraud, and one count opening a of Goodwill of obstruction justice. store here wouldn’t have JARRELL WALKER JR. is made sense. Paramus Spokesman forbiggest Gilley andZIP one of the Country Crossing codes in the country y One count of conspiracy, one count of federal program bribery, and 11 counts of honest services mail and wire fraud.
KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST ONLINE al.com/birmingham is the online home of The Birmingham News.
HEALTH
In one of the biggest investigations of corruption in the history of the Alabama State House, federal agents Monday arrested four state senators, several powerful lobbyists and Milton McGregor, who has dominated the world of Alabama gambling for a quarter century. In all, 11 people were indicted in a broad vote-buying scheme in which federal prosecutors allege millions of dollars in campaign contributions, a $1 million-a-year job and election-year assistance were offered in exchange for critical yes votes on a gambling bill that went before INSIDE legislators last spring. Prosecutors said the cay More sino owners, legislators and about lobbyists formed a corrupt those network to buy and sell indicted / BY MIKE STOBBE votes in the Legislature. But 6-7A AP Medical Writer some of the defendants called the indictment an overtly political move designed to influence the outcome of ATLANTA (AP) — the Nov. 2 elections. Announcing the indictments in a press Teens who text 120 conference in Washington, D.C., Lanny A. times a day or more — Breuer, assistant attorney general of the andsaid: there a Criminal Division, “Theseems peopletoofbe Alabama, like all our have lotcitizens, of themdeserve — aretomore representatives who act in the public’s inlikely to personal have hadfinancial sex or terest, not for their own gain. Vote-buying, like the kind alleged in used alcohol and drugs this indictment, corrodes the public’s faith thaninstitutions kids who don’t in our democratic and cannot go unpunished.”send as many messages,
Drugs, sex and texting teens
according to provocaSee INDICTMENTS Page 5A Dees ▶ Associated Press tive new research. y Read theTiara full indictment: blog.al.com/bn/ Customers may walk by Macy’s and shop at bargain or thrift stores in during the economic recession. The study’s authors documents aren’t suggesting that for retail sales. Shop- the stigma attached to And it’s not just about get more for their mony See videos of those “hyper-texting” leads to pers have their pick of certain consumer be- Goodwill. Americans, ey. charged: videos.al.com/ birmingham-news hundreds of respected havior has fallen away. even those with jobs, At the supermar- sex, drinking or drugs, names like Macy’s and What some people once are shopping for brands, ket, shoppers are buy- but say it’s startling to LIVE WEB CHAT WITH Lord &Taylor along this thought of as lowbrow, buying at stores and eat- ing more store-labeled see an apparent link beOUR REPORTERS busy highway strip. they now accept - even ing at restaurants that products, like no-name tween excessive mesy Ask Birmingham News But in the wake of consider a frugalNEWS badge they shunnedpolitical beforereporters be- detergents and cereal, saging and that kind of your STAFF/JOE SONGER By STAN questions web not chat returning the Great Recession, of honor. cause they are tryingintoa liveand toDIEL na- risky behavior. Country Crossing owner Ronnie Gilley, left, stands with lawyer News staff writer on the federal bingo See TEXTING | 4A See CONSUMERS | 4C Doug Jones outside the federal courthouse in Montgomery on corruption indictments
Indictments may shift power in Montgomery
TECHNOLOGY
Monday afternoon. Jones contends the indictments, released a month before an election, are politically motivated.
The indictment of 11 people, including four sitting state senators, in a federal probe of gambling legislation will set off waves of negative campaign advertising and could change the balance of power in Montgomery, political experts said Monday. JOSEPH R. While it won’t be clear what it all means until the votes are cast Nov. 4, it’s certain CROSBY that it will affect the election, and it’s likely Analyst with the building BY JESSIE L. the BONNER Democratsunion have the most to this lose,fall, they Legislative Reference said. available for $8 an hour, Associated Press Writer Service “This is a big deal. This is a blockbuster theBrowder, deal. Behind development,” sealed said Glen a former y One count of Democratic congressman and theemeritus rentconspiracy,BOISE, one countIdaho (AP) — the wheel of an associate professor of political science at of federal program al, Alwayel realized On a campus where stu- State University. “Comingjust Jacksonville one bribery, and 11 counts month before the election, this has to play how tired he was of paydents outnumber parkof honest services mail into that election.” and wire fraud. ing for his own gas, pay-
today at 11 a.m. Click on the link at al.com/birmingham.
Colleges allow students to borrow cars
Google fills inSTATE blanks SEN. withSTATE SEN. STATE SEN. Car-sharing program LARRY MEANS JAMES E. PREUITT QUINTON ROSS JR. saves universities parking spaces ‘instant’ search previews
STATE SEN. HARRI ANNE SMITH I-Slocomb
D-Attalla
R-Talladega
D-Montgomery
y One count of conspiracy, y One count of y One count of cluttered fortwo their tastes. conspiracy, one count BY DANA two counts WOLLMAN of federal conspiracy, program bribery,Writer one of federal Itcounts works for Google of federal program AP Technology count of extortion, 11 program bribery, two one count of Web searches, as well as bribery, counts of honest services counts of attempted attempted extortion, video 11 counts of honest NEW YORK (AP) mail and wire fraud, and — searches extortion,for andnews, 11 four counts of money on and counts of honest services mail and wire local businesses. People searching laundering. services mail and wire fraud, and one count Google will soon be able After fraud. clicking on an of making a false to see previews of web- icon of a magnifying statement.
sites before clicking on them. The “Instant Previews” feature announced Tuesday is meant to help people bypass websites Divided council that are either irrelevant votes to raise or simply too visually
y One count of conspiracy, two counts of federal program bribery, two counts of attempted extortion, and 11 counts of honest services mail and wire fraud.
glass, people will see a picture of the website in the white space to the right of the search results within a tenth of Students like Wayel Alwayel utilize the Zip-Car a second. Although another 6 percent to the the to- against the sales tax in- SALES TAX program that his college campus has instituted. tal sales tax. The resolution preview photo will vary crease. INCREASE calls for the city’s additional Universities “These are bad times . . . students encourage to use cars. See point GOOGLE | 5B people have to make the The Gardendale City 1 percentage to expire ▶ Associated Press Dec. 31, 2014. most of every penny Tiara and Dees Council approved a
Gardendale raises sales tax total rate to 10%
Council members Alvin Currington, Peggy Tumlin, Gary Morris and Faith Harper voted for the tax increase; Mayor Othell ing dorms a student Phillips andand Councilman Wendell Phillipstovoted center, hoping draw against it. more activity the The vote came in atostandi nsleepy g - r o odowntown m - o n l y c oAtlanuncil chamber after the mayor ta campus. permitted about a dozen people wanted to speak Thewhobookstore had to address the council. Most trouble selling T-shirts. of those said they were
dime they have,” said Misti Boackle. “It will hurt a lot of people in this community.” Gardendale business owners such as Jerome N. days, the campusFinance was a Cantrell of Mutual said sales taxes can hurt ghost town. Homecombusiness and noted the uping —Christmas held in the spring, coming shopping season “can or break” not the fallmake — was a joke a business. “Production is among what you’vestudents got to lookand at, not sales tax,” alumni. he said.
proposal Monday night to change the city sales tax:
ing spaces nearly three to one, Boise State University has finally convinced 23-year-old Wayel Alwayel he no longer needs the car he brought to campus with him as a freshman. The new hybrid car Votersnear in Bessemer and parked the student
ing for his own insurSee FALLOUT Page 4A ance. “Everybody was like, ‘How did you get this car?” said Alwayel, a senior who plans to sell his nine-year-old Mitsubishi sedan and rent Council seatsfour alsoZipcars are still one of the up for grabs. The candidates are: See CARPOOL | 4A
Bessemer, Mtn. Brook decide runoffs today
Mountain Brook go to the polls today for municipal election runoffs. y District 2: Chester PorBessemer residents will ter, Sherrina Rice. y District 5: Ron Marchoose their next mayor and council members for three shall, Albert Soles (i). districts. y District 7: Earl Cochran Two-term incumbent (i), Cleo King. Mayor Ed May is trying to In Mountain Brook, Amy recover from a second-place Carter and Temple Tutwiler Bryant-Denny Stadium finish▶onWhere: Aug. 24 behind are in a runoff to replace challenger Kenneth Gulley, Councilman Bob Moody, ▶ When: November 18, 2010 who previously served as an who chose not to seek re▶ Results: Alabama assistant to former 6-5, Besseelection to Council Place 1. mer Mayor Quitman MitchPolls in both cities are ell. Three Bessemer City open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Georgia State University transformed by football program By ANNE RUISI
News staff writer
Sales tax is rising in Gardendale to a total of 10 perBY DORIE TURNER cent beginning Jan. Associated Press 1, after a divided City Council on Monday voted to raise the ATLANTA city’s portion. (AP) — For City taxes willState rise years,sales Georgia from 3 percent to 4 percent, University to which means struggled a total sales tax of 10itscents on the dollar. shed commuter colCounty and state taxes add
That’s whenPage the See SALES TAX 4A lege reputation by build- On evenings and Satur- 30,000-student univer-
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WEATHER Details / 8C
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y Current sales tax: 3 percent city sales tax; 9 percent totalone salesof tax sity made
the
ycostliest Sales tax starting Jan. 1: in decisions 4 percent city sales tax; higher education: 10 percent total sales starttaxa football team. Now ing ythe Expiration: campusTheis awash in additional 1 percentage the university’s bright point will expire on blue, alumni who’ve not Dec. 31, 2014.
See FOOTBALL| 4B
COMING WEDNESDAY Sweet recipes for breakfast
Georgia State vs. Alabama
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