A man confronted a security guard on the campus this morning and the system used its alert system to lockdown the campus at 5:35 a.m.
The campus of Samford University was under lockdown for almost two hours this morning after a man pointed a gun at a security officer in a parking deck, then fled on foot.
Officials activated the campus alert system at 5:30, then issued an all-clear at 7:30.
Sgt. Kent Baker of the Homewood Police Department said university and local police searched the campus and deemed it safe for students, faculty and staff to return to campus and resume activities.
The incident happened at a university parking deck near Robinson Hall. The website report says:
The man pointed a gun at a campus safety officer and then fled on foot. The man was described as wearing all black clothing and black head covering, average build and about 5 foot 10 inches.
The Homewood Police Department is working with Samford's campus safety officers.
All residence facilities were placed in lockdown. Anyone entering the campus was required to show a Samford identification card and was directed to a secure parking lot on campus.
The university activated its RAVE emergency alert system at 5:35 a.m.
Samford President Andrew Westmoreland and other university officials were on the scene.
Today's eye-openers: Highlighlights from Friday's Birmingham News
A new proposal aims at diffusing Jefferson County's financial crisis. Jason Aldean tells what he listens to on his iPod before opening shows like the one with Tim McGraw Thursday. Fire and Ice are a good combination for local food lovers.
HOT TOPICS
Jefferson County officials said Thursday they are considering a new proposal aimed at defusing the financial crisis that calls for issuing $1.6 billion in bonds to replace existing debt and set up a fund to minimize sewer rate hikes. Read it.
The contemporary Liberty Belle, named for an another World War II B-17, flies above Bessemer. The public can tour the plane from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. See more images and an interview with the Liberty Belle's pilot. The Belle in flight on video. UAB has been awarded funding for a study to explore regional and racial differences in stroke illness and death, primarily in the nation's Stroke Belt which includes Alabama. Read it.
Using an anonymous questionnaire for the evaluation, Hoover school board members rated the board's performance in 10 areas and released the results Thursday. Read it.
"They got into an argument because of the way they looked at each other," a Birmingham police detective testified in a case in which a man is accused of firing a fatal shot after receiving a mean look. Read it.
SPORTS OPENERS
Alabama football coach Nick Saban has some changes in mind for the Crimson Caravan speaking tour, which he says should be a thank you' to the fans. Read it.
When the hits stop coming for Alabama's No. 3 hitter, Brandon May, there is only one place you'll find him: By himself, in a batting cage, with a video camera on a stand, taking his cuts. Read it.
Columnist Kevin Scarbinsky says it's significant that former Auburn quarterback Stan White earned an interview for the Auburn board of trustees and, according to one member of the selection committee, made a positive impression. Read it.
BUSINESS OPENERS
A planned $1 million upgrade of the downtown Redmont Hotel hopes to capitalize on increased traffic from the nearby Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex and a planned entertainment district. Read it.
LIFE/STYLE OPENERS
A man and his music: Mary Colurso talks with Jason Aldean, who tells us what's on his iPod and what he listens to before shows like the one he'll perform Thursday, opening for Tim McGraw. Read it.
Fire and Ice lets you build your salad and entree and the choices are good ones. We review the Southside restaurant.
MORE ENTERTAINMENT
OPINION
The Birmingham City Council's mass abstention killed a proposal to offer free MAX bus rides this summer. It's the right decision, but a cowardly way to go about it, says editorial writer Joey Kennedy.
The summer movie guide and much more.
Your guide to summer movies, including the seven films with big buzz
Mary Colurso: "Remember when our 'Idol' hopefuls came home?"
She talks with Jason Aldean, who opens for Tim McGraw on Thursday. What's on his iPod? Read it.
Dining review: At Fire and Ice, you're pickin and they're grillin' Check it out
Hoover school board rates itself 'satisfactory'
Scores highest marks in personnel relations, lowest in vision, goal setting and planning
The Hoover school board has encouraged professional development and provided attractive compensation packages to lure highly qualified staff into the school system, but it has fallen behind in developing clear expectations of the superintendent or long-term goals for itself, according to a self-evaluation released tonight.
Board members individually rated their performance as a group in 10 areas, and their scores were averaged together. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being "excellent," the board mostly gave itself 3s and 4s, meaning "satisfactory" and "good." Its overall composite score was 3.83, or satisfactory.
The board rated itself highest in personnel relations, with a composite score of 4.6. The board scored itself particularly well on questions related to staffing and professional development. On the flip side, the board rated itself lowest in vision, goal setting and planning, with a composite score of 2. Board members indicated in their comments that this area was a priority for the summer months.
Goal setting was among the key areas board members said they wanted to discuss at the outset. They also wanted to look at the board's relationship with the community and whether they are "micro-managing."
"That's something that this board has been accused of," Board President Donna Frazier said.
Here's how the board rated itself in each of the 10 categories:
Personnel relations: 4.6
Media relations: 4.4
Board meetings: 4.24
Leadership and learning: 4.2
Community collaboration: 3.9
Policy development: 3.9
Governance team relations: 3.83
Leadership for student achievement: 3.67
Leadership for financial management: 3.56
Vision, goal setting and planning: 2.0
To see a list of the board's specific strengths and weaknesses, as compiled by the Alabama Association of School Boards, see Friday's Birmingham News.
Alabama Power reports fewer than 2,000 customers still without electrical service
Alabama Power reports only 1,850 of its customers are without electrical power statewide as of 7:30 p.m.
That is down from 4,833 outages at the peak of today's storms.
In Birmingham, there are only 250 outages, down from 2,300 at 4 p.m.
Crews are working to restore power to the remaining customers tonight, said Alabama Power spokeswoman Keisa Sharp.
Nearly 5,000 without power in storm
In the Birmingham area, an official said, residents started reporting outages -- 2,300-- about 3:30 p.m. The hardest hit areas were Trussville, 1,500, and Ensley, 400.
Leigh Ann Frederick gestures in front of her destroyed home today in Florence. No injuries or deaths were reported as storms damaged homes and businesses throughout counties in the northern half of Alabama today.
Alabama Power reported 4,833 outages statewide beginning about 2 p.m. as storms swept through the state. In the western portion of the state, mainly in the Tuscaloosa area, there were about 2,075 outages, said spokeswoman Keisa Sharp.
In the Birmingham area, Sharp said, residents started reporting outages -- 2,300-- about 3:30 p.m. The hardest hit areas were Trussville, 1,500, and Ensley, 400.
"If you see a downed line, do not go near it," Sharp said. "Assume it's energized and give us a call."
To report a downed line or an outage, call 1-800-888-APCO.
Birmingham mayoral pay raise gets final passage
Delays increase until 2011
MONTGOMERY - The Alabama Legislature today gave its final approval to a proposal to raise the Birmingham mayor's salary by $40,000, starting in 2011.
The House of Representatives voted 37-5 for the proposal, which had won Senate approval earlier in the afternoon on a 26-1 vote. The measure now goes to Gov. Bob Riley.
The bill would deny current Mayor Larry Langford any increase this term. "I think it's a direct slap at Larry," said Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham.
The Senate altered an earlier House-passed bill sponsored by Rogers that would have given Langford an immediate $45,000 raise plus an $800-a-month car allowance. The House then concurred in the change.
The Birmingham mayor now earns a salary of $68,000 plus a $20,000-a-year expense discretionary account.
Sen. Linda Coleman, D-Birmingham, cast the lone no vote in the Senate. She said the Legislature should authorize Birmingham to set its own mayoral salary like other cities can.
Cullman man describes dodging death in storm
When he returned to his rental store, he found the roof blown off and other damage.
Dennis Easterwood, who manages a rental center in Cullman, described this afternoon narrowly dodging death when a storm ripped through the area.
He said he was on a call picking up merchandise for the Bestway rental center at an apartment on County Road 497 when the storm hit about 2:30 p.m.
"The building started shaking so bad, I thought it would come apart," he said.
Easterwood ran to the front door of the apartment to escape when a tree was blown his way. He dove on the ground, and "the tree split the apartment in half," Easterwood said.
He wasn't hurt but he was rattled -- even moreso when he returned to the Bestway on Alabama 69. There, the metal roof was peeled away and blown into the parking lot and onto cars.
Beth Barnes, his assistant manager, surveyed the damage. "This is crazy," she said. "I haven't seen anything like this before."
Barnes said she was in the store when she heard a loud roar then heard the roof being ripped off. She saw windows shaking and took shelter in the rear of the business.
Water was leaking into the building, and the facade of the building was leaning forward.
Neither Barnes nor Easterwood were hurt.
Windows were blown out nearby at Standard Furniture in Cullman. The roof of the business was damaged as well.
Also nearby, sheds sold by Lowe's hardware were blown into a ditch, and a parking lot light pole was blown over onto a shed.
Numerous signs in the business area were blown out or blown over.
Power lines and trees are reported down just west of Cullman. Some trees are down near Interstate 65 and County Road 222.
Several cabins were damaged and one was destroyed at Double Head Resort in Lawrence County, while six homes and two commercial buildings were damaged in Lauderdale County.
In Walker County's Kansas Community, a tree caused roof damage to one home. Trees were being removed from across railroad tracks.
There was also damage at the Hamilton High School gym in Marion County.
Trees were down in Winston County.
There were no reports of injuries or deaths.
Senate approves restructuring personnel board
The bill approved by the Senate scraps the body that appoints personnel board members. It also replaces the three-member board with seven members.
The Alabama state Senate today approved a bill to restructure the Jefferson County Personnel Board with a 24-0 vote.
The measure next goes to Gov. Bob Riley for his signature.
House Bill 492 scraps the body that appoints the personnel board members. It also replaces the three-member board with seven members.
Under the bill, personnel board members would include: the chairperson of the Jefferson County Commission, a member of the Jefferson County Mayors Association appointed by the association, two people appointed by the county probate judge, two employees elected by workers of the county civil service system, and the mayor of the city with the most employees in the system, which currently is Birmingham
.
The House in April approved the bill in a 75-0 vote.
Student improvement program to go on as scheduled
While most after school activities in Birmingham Public Schools have been canceled, the J.J. Johnson Most Improved Student program will go on as planned, a school official said.
The event will be at 6 p.m. at the Davis Center located at 417 29th St South.