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 NEWS ALERT 🚨 By WB Franks Staff Writer TUSCUMBIA – A woman who authorities said had alcohol and drugs in her system at the time of a fatal Colbert County crash pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, according to court records.A Colbert County grand jury recently indicted Emma Claire Snipes, 25, of Tuscumbia, in the death of Jimmie D. Smallwood, 76, of Tuscumbia.On Nov. 23, 2023, the vehicle Snipes was driving collided with the one Smallwood was driving on Alabama Highway 20, south of Muscle Shoals, Alabama troopers said.Smallwood was pronounced dead at the scene by the Colbert County Coroner’s Office. A toxicology report indicated Snipes had alcohol, methamphetamine, and THC in her system, according to the indictment. In addition, troopers she was traveling at a high rate of speed.Snipes was released from the Colbert County Jail on a $50,000 bond. She was arraigned in Colbert County Circuit Court on Tuesday in front of Colbert County Circuit Judge Kyle Brown. Snipes is being represented by Florence Attorney Ralph Holt.  NEWS ALERT 🚨 A single-vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 4:10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, has claimed the life of a Waterloo man. Jefferey G. Joiner, 60, was critically injured when the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr he was driving left the roadway, struck a ditch, a utility pole and then a tree. The Lincoln caught fire and became engulfed in flames. Joiner was not using a seat belt at the time of crash, was ejected and transported to North Alabama Medical Center in Florence for treatment. Joiner later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased while at the hospital. The crash occurred on Alabama 20 near Lauderdale County 87, approximately 18 miles west of Florence, in Lauderdale County. Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division continue to investigate the crash.  NEWS ALERT 🚨 FLORENCE By WB Franks The city council may have taken a wrecking ball to a plan to demolish the parking deck at the corner of Tennessee and Pine streets Tuesday night when the council voted to turn down a contract for the project.  NEWS ALERT 🚨 FLORENCE Authorities have confirmed to Shoals Insider that a fast food restaurant manager was arrested last week and charged with multiple sex crimes involving an underage employee. Police have identified the suspect as Garrett David Wilkins, 38 years old, of Florence. On September 25, 2024, detectives opened an investigation involving an adult having inappropriate sexual activity with an underage juvenile. Detectives were able to establish probable cause to issue warrants for Garrett Wilkins. Wilkins was located in Salt Lake City, Utah by the US Marshals last week and he was transported back to Florence. Wilkins was booked into the g we Lauderdale County Detention Center and charged with 6 counts of Pornography/Obscene Material, 6 counts of Possession of Child Pornography, 2nd degree of Sexual Abuse, 2 counts of Transmitting Obscene Material to a child, Enticing a Child to Enter and Electronic Solicitation of a Child. The victim is reportedly 15 years of age. This according to court records. Garrett David Wilkins is being held at the Lauderdale County Detention Center on a $606,000 bond.  TRAFFIC ALERT 🚨 SHEFFIELD MULTIPLE VEHICLE CRASH ON HATCH Firefighters, police, and ambulances responded to the scene of a multiple vehicle crash on Hatch Boulevard in front of Oakwood Cemetery in Sheffield. The incident occurred at around 5:45 pm Monday near the intersection of Darby Avenue and Hatch Blvd.  NEWS ALERT 🚨 An inmate who was facing trial on a trafficking of methamphetamine charge in Lauderdale County this week has instead pleaded guilty to a lesser offense.Robert William Redding Jr., 38, of Sheffield, will serve 15 years in prison after pleading Thursday to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and first-degree permitting or aiding an escape, according to court records.The sentences will run concurrently with sentences from prior convictions. Redding currently is in the Limestone Correctional Facility, where he has served just over seven years of a 17-year sentence on convictions of first-degree theft of property, two counts of second-degree theft of property and one count each of second-degree possession of a forged instrument and second-degree escape, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.He also has prior convictions on two counts of third-degree burglary, according to corrections records.By WB Franks  NEWS ALERT 🚨 TUSCUMBIA A single-vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 1:37 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, has claimed the life of a Tuscumbia teen. The 17-year-old was fatally injured when the 2007 Toyota Camry that the juvenile was a passenger in, left the roadway and struck an embankment. After the initial impact, the Toyota overturned, struck a utility pole and then a culvert. The teen was not using a seat belt at the time of the crash and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Toyota, another 17-year-old also of Tuscumbia, was injured and airlifted to a local hospital for treatment. A 17-year-old and a 16-year-old, both of Tuscumbia, who were additional passengers in the Toyota, were also injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment. The crash occurred on Woodmont Drive near Ponderosa Drive, approximately four miles south of Tuscumbia, in Colbert County. State Troopers continue to investigate the crash. /JR  NEWS ALERT 🚨 TUSCUMBIA Authorities have confirmed to Shoals Insider that a Louisiana man is in custody in the Colbert County Jail after leading deputies on a chase that reached speeds of over 100 mph at around 9pm Monday. Jesse Juhas, 24, of Madeville, Louisiana, was arrested on Hwy 72 near Hollywood Drive in Tuscumbia. The chase began on Hwy. 43 in Muscle Shoals. AsJuhas was charged with eluding a law enforcement officer and other charges are pending. This according to law enforcement officers. He’s being held in the Colbert County Jail. WASHINGTON – Eric Council Jr., 25, of Athens, Alabama, was arrested this morning, in Athens, in connection with a January 2024 unauthorized takeover of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) X account, formerly known as Twitter, in which hackers posted a fake message from the SEC Chair that caused the value of bitcoin (BTC) to spike by $1,000. Council is expected to make an initial appearance today in the Northern District of Alabama. Council is charged by indictment, unsealed today, with conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. The arrest and the indictment were announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and SEC Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey. According to the indictment, on January 9, 2024, Council conspired with others to take unauthorized control of the @SECGov X account (sometimes called the SEC’s Twitter account) and transmitted a fake post in the name of the SEC Chair, falsely announcing, in part, “Today the SEC grants approval for #Bitcoin ETFs for listing on all registered national securities exchanges.” Immediately after the tweet, the price of BTC increased by more than $1,000 per bitcoin.          Shortly after the unauthorized post, the SEC regained control over their X account and confirmed that the announcement was unauthorized and the result of a security breach. Following this corrective disclosure, the value of BTC decreased by more than $2,000 per bitcoin. (At the time, the SEC had been deliberating whether to approve exchange traded funds (ETFs) that held bitcoin.) An unauthorized actor gained control of the SEC X account through a “SIM swap.” NEWS ALERT PEDESTRIAN KILLED IN CRASH A single-vehicle crash involving a pedestrian that occurred at approximately 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, has claimed the life of a Florence woman. The pedestrian, Joyce Mansell, 72, was fatally injured when she was struck in the roadway by the 1996 Toyota 4Runner driven by Michael H. Bishop, 47, of Florence. Mansell was pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash by the Lauderdale County Coroner’s Office. The crash occurred on Lauderdale County 11 near Alabama 157, approximately 10 miles north of Florence, in Lauderdale County.  State Troopers continue to investigate the crash.  NEWS ALERT 🚨 A marine-related accident that occurred at approximately 2 p.m. Saturday has claimed the life of a Lewisburg, Tenn., man. Dennis Neal, 72, drowned after the 1977 Hurricane fishing boat that he was onboard overturned. Neal, Timothy Hazelwood, 44, and a 14-year-old all of Lewisburg, Tenn., were onboard the 1977 Hurricane fishing boat near the Wheeler Dam on Wilson Lake in Lauderdale County when the vessel’s trolling motor failed. As a result, the vessel was drawn into the Dam’s generators causing the vessel to overturn. Neal, Hazelwood and the 14-year-old were all thrown overboard; however, none were wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) at the time the vessel capsized. A Trooper with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Marine Patrol Division along with members of the Killen Fire Department immediately responded to the scene and were able to retrieve Hazelwood and the teen, who were both found in-between two of the Dam’s turbines. A search was then conducted, and Neal’s body was recovered near the location in which Hazelwood and the teen were rescued. The following agencies responded and assisted with the rescue and recovery operations: the Killen Fire Department, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrence County Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Lawrence County Coroner, Red Bank Fire Department, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DNCR) State Park Rangers from Wheeler Lake along with ALEA Marine Patrol Troopers. Alabama Marine Police continue to investigate the incident.  NEWS ALERT 🚨 TUSCUMBIA MAN CHARGED IN DEATH OF DAUGHTER SEEKS CONTINUANCEA man charged in the death of his daughter is asking for a postponement of his trial that is scheduled to begin Monday, according to court records.Christopher Brent Malone, 45, and Amy Malone, 39, who is the child’s mother, both are set for trial Monday on the charge of reckless manslaughter in the death of their disabled 15-year-old daughter, Emma Grace Malone.Christopher Malone’s attorney Johnathon Hugh Smith electronically filed a motion Saturday asking for a continuance in the trial. Amy Malone has not filed a request.In the filing, Smith said the Colbert County District Attorney’s Office is not opposed to the postponement.The couple were arrested and charged with manslaughter in May in the July 19, 2023, death of Emma Grace Malone. They were indicted on reckless manslaughter in August and are out on a $50,000 bond each.The autopsy report on the girl stated the cause of death was arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and bronchopneumonia, with medical neglect listed as a contributory factor. It declared homicide as the manner of death, according to court records.  NEWS ALERT 🚨 LAWRENCE COUNTY. The Shoals Insider has been informed by the Alabama Marine Police a man has drowned in the Tennessee River below Wheeler Dam. Update: AUTHORITIES IDENTIFY DROWNING VICTIM. Lawrence County Coroner Scott Norwood has identified the man who drowned Saturday afternoon in the Tennessee River at Wheeler Dam. According to Norwood, Dennis Neal, 69, of Tennessee drowned on the Tennessee River near Wheeler Dam. The Alabama Marine Police were on the scene assisting with the investigation. This according to Public Information Officer Trooper Brandon Bailey.  NEWS ALERT 🚨 FLORENCE A suspect has been arrested and charged with assaulting a Florence police officer after an altercation at a local residence. FPD released the following statement regarding the incident: On Monday, October 7, 2024, at around 6 PM, officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of North Franklin Street to assist a homeowner with an unwanted guest. Tyler Reeves was present and refused to leave. Reeves had warrants for his arrest. Officers made contact with Reeves at the front door, and he slammed the door. A short time later, Reeves opened the front door again, and officers attempted to grab him. Reeves slammed the front door. The door struck the officer’s arm, causing the glass to shatter. The officer sustained a deep laceration to his arm. Reeves was taken into custody and charged with Assault of a Police Officer and Resisting Arrest. The officer was treated and released from the North Alabama Medical Center. Tyler Reeves, 31, of Florence, is being held at the Lauderdale County Detention Center on a $2800 bond.  NEWS ALERT 🚨 Florence police have identified the missing man who was found last Friday in Sweetwater Creek. On Friday, October 4, 2024, at around 1:30 PM, a deceased male was located lying in Sweetwater Creek. The male has been identified as Clarance Spann, 69 years of age of Florence. Spann was reported missing and last seen September 20, 2024. Spann’s body was sent for autopsy and no foul play is suspected in his death. Our condolences are with the family of Clarance Spann as they navigate this difficult time.  A former Tuscumbia police officer was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the 2022 death of a pedestrian struck by a police cruiser the officer was driving while intoxicated.Jay Steward received the sentence in the Oct. 10, 2022, death of Terry Hinton, who was struck and killed while Hinton was checking his mailbox.Steward had wanted the sentence split, rather than to serve all 20 years in prison, but Colbert County Circuit Court Judge Kyle Brown said there will be no split. Steward was taken into custody to begin serving his sentence immediately after the hearing.Brown said the police vehicle Steward was driving while off duty was going approximately 90 mph.Steward initially was charged with reckless murder in the case but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Aug. 13.He apologized to family and friends of Hinton’s during the hearing.”What I did was take a great man from you all,” he said. “I made a horrible mistake and made decision to do what was wrong.”  Use this form to report when a train is blocking a highway-rail grade crossing. Please report only once for each blocked crossing. There are no federal laws or regulations pertaining to blocked crossings. Therefore, this information is only being used to track the location and impacts of blocked crossings. FRA’s purpose of collecting this information is to learn where, when, for how long, and what impacts result from blocked highway-rail grade crossings. FRA may share this information with stakeholders, including railroads, state and local governments, and other federal authorities. There may be legitimate operating and/or safety-related reasons for a crossing to be occupied by a slow or idling train. FRA does not confirm the accuracy of the blocked crossing reports submitted to this portal. This collection is not designed to provide a representative sample or create generalizable statistics. The data gathered from this collection is not suitable for use in budgetary requests, nor regulatory proposals. The agency shall not utilize the data for these purposes. Further, when the agency disseminates data from this collection, it will note that the data is not a representative sample and whether the agency has confirmed the information.  Muscle Shoals – -, The Shoals Insider has confirmed that as many as 8 vehicles were struck Friday evening as one man reportedly had a medical episode in the Muscle Shoals Walmart parking lot. Some vehicles were more severely damaged than others. Several MSPD officers were on the scene within minutes of the incident. This according to one customer whose vehicle suffered damage. One eyewitness said the man was going forward and backwards as he was striking the vehicles. The man reportedly left in a Keller ambulance after the crash occurred. Luckily, no one was injured in the incident Seven customers vehicles were damaged and one employee’s vehicle suffered damage  NEWS ALERT 🚨 Tuscumbia, Alabama. A Leighton man is recovering in Huntsville Hospital after an early Saturday morning motorcycle crash at 6th Street and Commons in Tuscumbia near Hines Tire. The driver of the motorcycle suffered a fractured shoulder and some internal thoracic injury. It is unknown how long he will have to stay in Huntsville Hospital. This according to family members who contacted Shoals Insider. There was a second vehicle involved in the crash that occurred at around 8 am Saturday. Tuscumbia Fire and Rescue along with Keller Ambulance were on the scene within minutes of the crash. Tuscumbia police continue to investigate the crash. |
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