Politics

Anniston attorney named as county district judge

Submitted by Tiffany Glick, Fox 6 Community Web Producer

Thursday, February 17th, 2011, 11:57am

Anniston attorney Mannon G. Bankson, Jr. was appointed as the Calhoun County District Judge Wednesday by Gov. Robert Bentley.

Bankson is filling a vacancy on the bench left by Judge Gus Colvin, who retired in December.

An active member of the Calhoun County community, Bankson served as the president of the Oxford Rotary club, and is a past chairman of the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce.

He graduated from the University of Arkansas and received his law degree from the Birmingham School of Law in 1984. From 2007 to 2009, he served as Circuit Judge for the Alabama 7th Judicial Distrct. Bankson worked for the Administrative Office of the Courts where he was a drug court referee, and developed dependency drug courts in surrounding counties.

“[Bankson] bring a wealth of business and law experience and sound judgment to the Court, and I believe he will be an asset to the Calhoun County District Court,” Bentley said in a release.

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Sen. Sessions confronts budget director over misleading comments

Submitted by Melynda Sides, Digital Content Producer

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011, 7:57pm

In his Sunday radio address, President Obama said the new budget would bring down national debt and “help us live within our means.” But in the proposed budget Obama announced today, $13 trillion will be added to the national debt and the budget will spend more than it takes in each year, says Alabama state Sen. Jeff Sessions.

Sessions challenged White House budget director Jacob Lew on his and the president’s previous statements about the budget. Watch the video above to see the discussion.

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Bentley announces new program to aid struggling homeowners

Submitted by Tiffany Glick, Fox 6 Community Web Producer

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011, 4:21pm

Bentley announces new program to aid struggling homeowners

Some Alabama homeowners struggling to avoid foreclosure will soon receive financial assistance, thanks to the creation of HHA—or Hardest Hit Alabama.

Governor Robert Bentley announced the creation of the new program Wednesday in Montgomery, which will provide $162 million to prevent further foreclosures in Alabama.

The funds come from the $2 billion the U.S. Department of Treasury allocated in August of last year to help unemployed or underemployed homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Bentley says this temporary help for Alabamians will help many keep their homes until they can find a job.

“Record foreclosures and continued high unemployment are causes for concern for our state,” Bentley said in a statement. “Homeowners who have experienced a temporary loss of income can benefit from short-term assistance to help bridge the gap until they have restored their income.”

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State of the Union address "enhanced" by online events

Submitted by Melynda Sides, Digital Content Producer

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011, 5:04pm

State of the Union address "enhanced" by online events

Traditionally, the State of the Union Address is a time for the current president to report to Americans on the condition of the nation and outline legislative plans and priorities for the upcoming year. Viewers across the nation and world will be tuning in to watch President Obama give his address tonight at 8 p.m. CT, (we will be showing it on TV and streaming it live online) but this year, the information doesn’t stop when the speech ends.

From Tuesday until Friday, President Obama and senior administration officials will be hosting a variety of online events to answer questions from the public sent in by Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Visit the State of the Union Address page for more details, but here is a summary below:

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Two Anniston councilmen fail to pay taxes on time

Submitted by Melynda Sides, Digital Content Producer

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011, 7:11pm

Two Anniston councilmen fail to pay taxes on time

Anniston councilmen Herbert Palmore and Ben Little are among the 7,900 residents who have received overdue notices for their taxes, which should have been paid by Oct. 1, 2010. Anniston residents have until Dec. 31 before receiving a delinquent notice for unpaid taxes for the year.

Palmore received a delinquent notice for $193.23 and says his failure to pay the bill was an oversight. Little still owes $211.03 on his taxes. Both men say they will pay their bills.

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Calhoun County judges sworn in Tuesday

Submitted by Tiffany Glick, Fox 6 Community Web Producer

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011, 5:07pm

By Dixon Hayes, Fox 6 Anniston Videojournalist

The court circuit representing Calhoun and Cleburne Counties made history Tuesday as two women were sworn in to take the bench.

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Pickens brings 'Plan' to Tuscaloosa

Submitted by Tiffany Glick, Fox 6 Community Web Producer

Friday, October 15th, 2010, 5:55pm

Texas energy investor T. Boone Pickens, best known for his creation of the “Pickens Plan” to decrease the U.S.’s dependence on foreign oil, will be speaking in a town hall meeting at the University of Alabama on Monday.

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