http://www.waaytv.com/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/default.aspx First News this Morning en-us Copyright 2012 Huntsville All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:01 -0500 Sun, 27 May 2012 04:39:16 -0500 First News this Morning / http://www.waaytv.com/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/default.aspx 50 50 15 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/story/Late-night-video-game-robbed-again/r3IrXMMXfU-rY7C4DXKMcA.cspx?rss=3056 http://www.waaytv.com/s/r3IrXMMXfU-rY7C4DXKMcA.cspx HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - Police are looking for the robbers who held up a video game store.
Investigators say two men robbed the Game Stop on Sparkman Drive Thursday night just after 9:00pm.
The same store was robbed on February 1st.
If you have any information, call Huntsville police at (256) 722-7100. ]]> firstnewsthismorning Fri, 25 May 2012 04:53:08 -0500 Late night video game robbed again http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/story/Former-Decatur-Mayor-Kyle-running-for-old-job/drMUTBj6O0CBL8ekJGJGEg.cspx?rss=3056 http://www.waaytv.com/s/drMUTBj6O0CBL8ekJGJGEg.cspx DECATUR, Ala. (WAAY) - Former Decatur Mayor Don Kyle announced this evening that he is officially challenging current Mayor Don Stanford for the city's top elected position. Kyle was mayor from 2004 to 2008. ]]> firstnewsthismorning Thu, 24 May 2012 20:46:37 -0500 Former Decatur Mayor Kyle running for old job http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/story/Alabama-releases-high-school-graduation-rates-for/K1b9eOzXbES29lo0ZQaX9A.cspx?rss=3056 http://www.waaytv.com/s/K1b9eOzXbES29lo0ZQaX9A.cspx MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAAY) - The Alabama State Board of Education released graduation rates for the 2011-12 school year Thursday.

The Huntsville City School system had a graduation rate of 66%.  The lowest graduation rate in the Huntsville system was Butler High School at 31%.  New Century carried a rate of 95%.

Madison City School system- 91%. 

Madison County School system- 76%.

Decatur City School system- 64%.

Colbert County School system- 61%

To see a complete list of schools click here.

]]> firstnewsthismorning Thu, 24 May 2012 19:56:15 -0500 Alabama releases high school graduation rates for 2011-12 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/story/Afternoon-shooting-leaves-woman-dead/vvo1uUWlnESZ-vLfyuN98w.cspx?rss=3056 http://www.waaytv.com/s/vvo1uUWlnESZ-vLfyuN98w.cspx HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - Huntsville police are investigating a shooting that left a Huntsville woman dead. Police Sergeant James Giddy says the call came in around 1:20 pm Thursday afternoon. The caller told police that she entered her apartment at 211 Binford Drive and found her sister, 20 year old Miyah Key, shot in the head. Jasmine Tolliver was outside the apartment when the shooting took place.
 
“It was just like a Pow, and me living so close to the parkway I thought it came from the parkway,” said Tolliver. “What I saw was a girl and a guy leaving... I heard a gunshot before they had left, then they left and got in the car like nothing had happened and then I heard a young lady scream ‘Oh my God she has been shot,’” she continued.
 
Tolliver says she and her friend ran into the apartment and found the woman struggling to breath.
 
“To me...her stomach was moving like she was trying to breath, but in her face, there was no movement in her face, none whatsoever.”
 
Key was transported to Hunstville Hospital where she died at approximately 4:00pm. Police have taken 3 people into custody for questioning in connection with the shooting. One, a woman, was arrested a few blocks from the crime scene.
 
Hillary pope lives down the street and says gunfire in the neighborhood is not abnormal.

“When I hear gunshots I get scared because I don't know what is going on.  I don't let my baby come outside because I don't want her to be in the crossfire and I don't want to be in the crossfire, so yeah I do get frightened sometimes,” she said.

Police left the crime scene shortly before 5 o’ clock. The investigation is ongoing.

]]> firstnewsthismorning Thu, 24 May 2012 19:01:29 -0500 Afternoon shooting leaves woman dead http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/story/Huntsville-Times-cuts-publication-to-3-days-a-week/WNhww5RE3EGvCEDNMJFygw.cspx?rss=3056 http://www.waaytv.com/s/WNhww5RE3EGvCEDNMJFygw.cspx BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Three major Alabama daily newspapers will switch to publishing three days a week as part of a new focus on online news, in line with their new Orleans sister publication, The Times-Picayune.

The three papers in Birmingham, Mobile and HuntsThree major Alabama daily newspapers will switch to publishing three days a week as part of a new focus on online news, in line with their new Orleans sister publication, The Times-Picayune.

The three papers in Birmingham, Mobile and Huntsville and The Times-Picayune announced the new strategy Thursday. All four are owned by the Newhouse family group.

ville and The Times-Picayune announced the new strategy Thursday. All four are owned by the Newhouse family group.

Both announcements said there will be unspecified staff reductions. The changes will take place in the fall.

The Alabama papers said the changes will allow them to expand news-gathering efforts in an increasingly digital age.

The newspapers will be home-delivered and sold in stores on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.


]]> firstnewsthismorning Thu, 24 May 2012 12:03:56 -0500 Huntsville Times cuts publication to 3 days a week http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/story/Late-Night-Craigs-List-Robbery-in-Huntsville/4ngeWAS2JUeQ2-tVEbDibA.cspx?rss=3056 http://www.waaytv.com/s/4ngeWAS2JUeQ2-tVEbDibA.cspx HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - Huntsville police are investigating a Craig's List robbery.
It happened on Kamis Circle around 9:30pm Wednesday.
Police say the victim was selling a television to a person who had contacted him from Craig's List.
But before the victim could get his TV out of his car, a man posing as a buyer pulled out a gun.
Two more men emerged and took the television.
No arrests have been made.
The investigation is ongoing.
If you have any information, call Huntsville police at (256) 722-7100. ]]> firstnewsthismorning Thu, 24 May 2012 06:07:38 -0500 Late Night Craig's List Robbery in Huntsville http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/story/Chef-Boyces-Watermelon-and-Feta-Salad/Vk0WQyKniEOizKcKUG4qhA.cspx?rss=3056 http://www.waaytv.com/s/Vk0WQyKniEOizKcKUG4qhA.cspx Watermelon and Feta Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

3/4 cup halved, thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 quarts seeded, cubed watermelon
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted black olive halves
1 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method
Toss ingredients in a mixing bowl and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Chef's Note
Serve as a side dish with your favorite grill meat or fish. ]]> firstnewsthismorning Thu, 24 May 2012 05:38:29 -0500 Chef Boyce's Watermelon and Feta Salad http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/story/Morgan-County-child-shot-in-face-UPDATED/uiNDVwcTI0WVtOYRJCKNhA.cspx?rss=3056 http://www.waaytv.com/s/uiNDVwcTI0WVtOYRJCKNhA.cspx UNION GROVE — An 11-year-old Morgan County boy visiting a friend at a residence on Union Hill Road was accidentally shot Wednesday night, Morgan County Chief Deputy Mike Corley said.

“The injured boy and the boy who lived there, also 11, went outside to hunt snakes,” Corley said. “It was definitely an accident.”

Corley said the boy came inside his house and retrieved a .410-gauge shotgun without his parents knowing.

“The family heard a pop, and their son came in to tell them his friend had been shot,” Corley said. He said the incident occurred at 8:15.

Corley said an ambulance transported the boy to Huntsville Hospital.
]]> firstnewsthismorning Thu, 24 May 2012 05:06:27 -0500 Morgan County child shot in face: UPDATED http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/story/Third-Huntsville-hotel-robbery-in-two-nights/yBAle8C_-EWthrGp-Y3ipQ.cspx?rss=3056 http://www.waaytv.com/s/yBAle8C_-EWthrGp-Y3ipQ.cspx HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - Another overnight hotel robbery in Huntsville.
The latest took place just after midnight at the Best Western at 6200 Torok Drive. That's just across from the University Target.
This is the third hotel robbery in Huntsville in just two nights.
Tuesday night, someone robbed the Days Inn on McMurtrie Drive just before 10:00pm.
Then, three hours later, another hotel robbery.
This one overnight, just after 1:00am at the La Quinta Inn at 4890 University Drive.
The hotel robberies happened just after Huntsville police formed a robbery task force investigating the frequent string of robberries at Dollar General and Family Dollar stores.
If you have information in any of the cases, call Huntsville police at (256) 722-7100. ]]> firstnewsthismorning Thu, 24 May 2012 04:52:10 -0500 Third Huntsville hotel robbery in two nights http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/firstnewsthismorning/story/Burger-Bytes-Mayor-Battle-vs-Mayor-Morris/0nBHF1kDQUCp5itrsELehA.cspx?rss=3056 http://www.waaytv.com/s/0nBHF1kDQUCp5itrsELehA.cspx HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- There may be a dark horse candidate for the up-coming mayoral election in August. But there is no secret if you're a Huntsville Stars baseball fan.

If you’ve been to a Stars game, when stepping to the plate, first baseman Hunter Morris is introduced as “Hunter ‘The Mayor’ Morris”.

The Grissom High School product is the hometown hero, playing in front of fans that he played in front of his entire life.

He was quickly saddled with the nickname, “The Mayor”.

“After we came back from our ten game road trip, I was talking to lots of reporters before our home opener,” Morris said. “Out of nowhere someone just said it. It came to somebody and I’m stuck with it for at least the next 3-4 months.”

“I was joking with him the other day, 'if I get pulled over in Huntsville can you get my ticket fixed since you're the mayor of Huntsville?',” Stars outfielder Josh Prince said. “He just started laughing. 'He said it depends how fast you're going over the speed limit.'

Morris has no political experience. He never ran for a student government position at Grissom High School. But his teammates think he can be mayor, and not just mayor of Joe Davis Stadium

“I'd vote for him,” Prince said without hesitation. “He’s a solid dude, great guy, he's got great parents, comes from a great family. He’s just a loving caring guy. Not only to his wife and kid, but he's a great teammate.”

Mayor Tommy Battle is well-aware of Morris' sky-rocketing popularity.

“I told him I heard he was running for mayor and there is an election this august,” Mayor Battle said. “He said he was hoping to be very busy playing baseball. I think we squashed that rumor pretty quick.”
]]> firstnewsthismorning Wed, 23 May 2012 22:07:00 -0500 Burger Bytes: Mayor Battle vs. Mayor Morris