Hundreds of youth baseball players from eight different states are heading to the Shoals this weekend for a big tournament.

Despite the early rain, 74 teams are preparing to play in 13 fields at the Muscle Shoals, Florence and Airport sports complexes.  

Gas stations, hotels and restaurants should see a lot of business in the area.  Most of the 1,300 Shoals hotel rooms are already filled as well.  

Tourism officials said that tournaments like this have a tremendous impact on the local economy.

"A family that's traveling for a tournament such as this, will spend anywhere from $250-$300 per day while they're here," said Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Assistant Director Allison Stanfield.  "The tournament winner, the ones that have stayed the longest, will really pump a lot of money in to our economy."

Although the tournament only lasts a couple of days, Stanfield said that the tournaments often spawn repeat visitors for the future.

"It's very important that we're able to have these particular events," said Stanfield.  "It showcases our wonderful facilities that we have that the city has put so much effort in to having for the area."

Schedules for each age division are posted on www.usssa.com.

DECATUR, Ala (WAAY) - A month long investigation by the Madison/Morgan County STAC Team, Decatur Police, Morgan County Sheriff's Dept., and Alabama ABC Board has resulted in six arrests and the seizure of a significant amount of drugs.

Drug agents have been tracking marijuana and meth for the past several weeks, and say they've traced a supply back to a home on Thomas Drive in Decatur.

On March 28th, agents raided that home, and arrested seven people inside. They reportedly found several pounds of marijuana, finished ice meth, and several assorted handguns and assault rifles.

Arrested were :

Erick Segura Degante
Trafficking Methamphetamine
Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 1st Degree

Jose Luis Avila Abarca
Trafficking Methamphetamine
Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 1st Degree
Failure to Appear

Marco Montano
Trafficking in Marijuana

Paulino Camacho Balderas
Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 1st Degree
Tampering with Physical Evidence
Failure to Appear

Adan Garibay Leyva
Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance
Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 2nd Degree

Diaz Guadalupe Abarca
Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance
Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 2nd Degree

Julio Cesar Brito
Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 2nd Degree
Reckless Driving

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Shelby County mother is facing contempt-of-court charges and possible jail time for baptizing her two children without the knowledge or consent of her ex-husband.

This week the Tennessee Court of Appeals said Lauren Jarrell must face a criminal contempt hearing for violating a court order that said major decisions regarding the religious upbringing of her two children should be made jointly with her-ex-husband.

The mother and her ex-husband, Blake Jarrell, are both Christian - he's a Methodist and she's a Presbyterian.

Court records say the father thought the children should be baptized once they are older. He has asked that his ex-wife be found in criminal contempt for baptizing the children without his knowledge or permission.

If convicted, she could face 20 days in jail and a $100 fine.

FLORENCE, Ala (WAAY) - New documents obtained by WAAY-TV shed new light on a deadly fight in Florence last weekend.

14 year old Brooklyn Hollins was stabbed to death at a home on Winona Street early Saturday morning during a house party. Police arrested 17 year old Autumn Wood and charged her with murder. She's since been released on bond.

According to the new police report, the stabbing was the result of a fight involving Wood and another girl. Hollins reportedly jumped in to help the other girl. The fight appeared to break up, until one girl called another a "fat ass", which reignited the scuffle.

Police say Hollins jumped into the fracas, fighting with Wood, while two other girls involved also fought. The report states the Wood straddled Hollins, who was on the floor on her back, and hit her in the face. Hollis hit back while another girl tried to pull Wood off of her. 

Wood then reportedly grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed Hollins in the chest. Hollins reportedly said "The b**** stabbed me", to which Wood reportedly admitted the crime. Hollins died on the kitchen floor shortly after the attack.

Wood was arrested and quickly charged as an adult with Murder.

Most of us have seen something in a store and thought why didn't I think of that. Well, a local man acted on his inspiration and now his creation can be found in Toy R' US stores across the nation.

"Yeah, it was pretty exciting. It was really nice to see something I had made available. So of course I told everybody," said Dean Hawkins, Inventor of the the 'Diving Monster'.

Madison resident ,Dean Hawkins, telling us his reaction the first time he saw his invention the 'Diving Monster' on display at Toys R' Us.

"I took a suction cup I bought at Walmart, that actually had a hook so you could hang stuff on it. I just disassembled it. Then I went on line and found a place that sold a variety pack of different plastics to get the consistency right."

If you're wondering where he came up with the idea for the 'Diving Monster'... You guessed it, in the tub at the Hawkins family bathroom.

" My daughter loves to take baths. She was tired of all the toys that she had, so we just schemed about things you do in the swimming pool that you don't do in the bathtub.  I sent a video to these guys and said don't you want to buy my toy, and a day later I had a contract in my hand. I was very lucky."

ATHENS, AL - Athens Police investigators say they believe the man caught on camera burglarizing a Limestone County convenience store may also be responsible for four other business burglaries Monday night.

Lieutenant Trevor Harris says, "We were able to look at that video and see that the method this offender used was very similar. He'd throw a rock through the window or a glass door and then leave for five or ten minutes and when he saw that an alarm didn't go off he'd return to the scene."

One of the businesses the man hit Monday was the Catfish Cabin off Highway 72. "It's obvious he threw a large rock through the window and got in the building through the window. He got cut as he did because there was blood evidence inside," says owner Mary Ware.

Ware says it looked as if he tried to bandage himself with tape from the cash register. She says although he left behind fingerprints and DNA, he didn't get away with anything valuable.

"He went through files obviously looking for cash or money that sort of thing..and didn't find anything," says Ware.

Police believe the man then headed down Highway 31 and used a rock to get inside Bud's Convenience Store. "He just busted the glass and left. Then came back," says employee Dez Yarborough. After employees took inventory, it appears a single beer was the only thing stolen.

"I guess he was just thirsty," says Yarborough.

Investigators believe the suspect will likely have a gash on his hand or arm that he got while breaking into the businesses Monday night. In each of those cases police say the man was seen leaving the scene in a silver four door car that is missing a front hub cap.

After being removed from the state's general fund budget last year, the Alabama Music Hall of Fame has struggled to stay afloat.  Now, after being closed for the last three months, it will remain closed for at least three more.

The decision to remain closed at least temporarily was made by a community task force made up of local business leaders and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame board.  They are also recommending the attraction move to a new location and sell its existing property.

The news came as a shock to many area residents.  The Hall of Fame has been located on Highway 72 in Tuscumbia since 1990 bringing in thousands of tourists each year.

Colbert County tourism director Susann Hamlin said that now, the tourism bureau will have to cancel school groups and more than 15 tours that were already booked for the summer.

"There's no field trips now that's going to be able to be utilized at the hall of fame," said Hamlin.  "We have 150 students that are going to be here next Tuesday that had planned to go to the hall of fame, but we've had to substitute that particular tour.  That would've brought in $1,500 to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame."

Hall of Fame director Wiley Barnard said that when the museum was open, it didn't make enough money through people's admission to even cover the $4-6,000 utility bill.  That's why he said they needed to close to make a new innovative plan in fundraising, make renovations and stabilize so they can move forward.  

Barnard said that when this re-opens it has the potential to be a first class exhibit in the nation.  He did not give a definite date of when that will happen.

Some of the other recommendations discussed include selling the current land and property for up to $1.5 million and moving the headquarters to a new facility in Colbert County.  They plan to use $250,000 from the land sale to operate the attraction while pursuing private funding  The remainder of the proceeds from the property sale would be set aside for future needs.

Barnard said that they are planning to create several satellite offices across the state and are in the process of developing a curriculum to teach Alabama music history to 4th and 9th graders to coincide with exhibits in the museum.

However, many are ready to see the Music Hall of Fame open during the tourism season which is already underway.

"When it's closed, you're not making anything," said Hamlin.  "We're very disappointed. Hopeful, of course, that it will open again, but right now it doesn't look like it shows much promise even for the summer."

Huntsville, AL- The old Councill Courts Housing Project near Huntsville Hospital will soon be gone and replaced with a parking garage, apartments and several retail businesses.
 
"Unlike other cities where everybody is moving out to the suburbs, we are making a pretty good investment in the central areas of the city and I think that is a positive," said Councilman Bill Kling.
 
But the entire project is contingent on the parking garage which will cost the city some 10 million dollars. City leaders say the cost will be made up in tax revenue collected.
 
"Private development will be paying property tax and there will be additional sales tax revenue generated and the city expects this parking garage will be paid off, with the additional tax money, in 3 to 5 years," explained Council President Mark Russell.
 
The project is a partnership between the city, the Housing Authority, and two development companies. No businesses have officially committed to the project yet, but Russell says with this decision the developers can now move forward.
 
"That will obviously kick start them being able to go out to their clients and say ‘look the city is in they are going to do this,’" he said.
 
Construction is expected to begin as early as June.

Huntsville, AL-A major development is coming to downtown Huntsville thats bringing new life to the old Council Courts housing site.

The Huntsville Housing Authority board will partner with the city of Huntsville and several developers to redevelop Council Courts. The 12-acre tract of land on Saint Claire avenue near Huntsville Hospital has been idle for several years. The proposed development will feature 200 apartments, a hotel, restaurant, retail space and a grocery store. Housing Authority Director Michael Lundy says the entire project could cost as much as 85 million dollars. "Well I think this will bring a lot of money into downtown Huntsville. People will visit the grocery store and make purchases. This will be great for the local economy" Lundy said.

Business owner James Boyce says the partnership is the best news he's heard in a long time. He owns Cotton Row and two other downtown restaurants. "So this is going to give people a reason to travel through downtown going from the old town to the Publix and drawing more people from five points to come over this way" Boyce said.

Mayor Tommy Battle is recommending that the city invest ten million dollars to the project. Those funds will be used to build a 700 space public parking garage.

NEW YORK (AP) - Each time Tim Tebow steps on the field for the New York Jets, defenses will know what to expect.

Well, the unexpected, of course.

The versatile and elusive quarterback with the flair for comeback victories was acquired Wednesday from the Denver Broncos and will give the Jets' offense a boost - for at least a few snaps a game.

He won't start as he did in Denver, not with New York committed to Mark Sanchez. But Tebow gives the Jets the option to run the wildcat offense and provides an intriguing presence when games are on the line.

General manager Mike Tannenbaum says there's no doubt Sanchez is still "our guy," and coach Rex Ryan says "there will be no problem at all" having the quarterbacks co-exist.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Coroner's officials have ruled Whitney Houston died by drowning, but heart disease and cocaine use were contributing factors.

The announcement Thursday ends weeks of speculation about what killed the Grammy-winning singer on Feb. 11.

Houston was found submerged in the bathtub of her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on the eve of the Grammy Awards.

Several bottles of prescription medications were found in her hotel room, but coroner's officials said they weren't in excessive quantities.

Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey says cocaine metabolites were found in Houston's system, and it was listed as a contributing factor in her death. He says the results indicated Houston was a chronic cocaine user.

Imagine this scenario : You're just out of college, or maybe you've been out of work for a while. You finally have a bite on the line and have a job interview. You have your resume in hand. you’ve practiced all the answers to questions you may be asked. But one thing you may not expect, is having to hand over your user name and password to Facebook.

The job market hasn’t been this tough in a long time. Employers get dozens of applications for every job, and before they hire, they check Facebook. We all know that by now. But, some employers aren't sneaking around. They come right out, and ask you to log in, on the spot.

As you can imagine, most job seekers are dead set against the idea. "It’s about like giving someone the password to your bank account." says career counselor Bill Fletcher. " I think it’s a place employers don’t want to go.”

Of course, employers aren't just looking for your posts. They want to see how you're connected to others, and what they have to say about you. If someone has tagged you in a photo, it shows up on your timeline. And people post the strangest things... some of which could cost them a job.


"I wouldn't want them telling me, just the fact that, it's my personal life, it's not their business. " says Nashville college student Anthony Barton.

Jon Cease, on the other hand, would consider it, in some circumstances. "It depends on how important the job was." he says. "If it's just like a Kroger or McDonalds, I'm going to tell them no. But if it's a career i might."

Vincent Anderson has been looking for a job for two years. He has a different perspective. "It may even help me, in fact. They may see something they like"

Fletcher, who makes a living helping other people find a job, says Google can be your ally here. "I would recommend that they do a search on themselves and see what they find. "

Just remember, whatever that search turns up, no matter how you try to delete, untag or defriend.. what you post online once, can be there forever.

At this point, you may be wondering if this is even legal. Simple answer? Yes, it is. Some states are considering bills to ban the practice, citing privacy issues. And, if you're considering logging in with someone else's user name, just know that violates Facebook's terms of service.

UPDATE : 5:20 p.m. - A Connecticut Senator says he's working on a bill that would make this practice illegal across the U.S. Click here for the story.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A lawyer for Jerry Sandusky is asking a judge to dismiss charges against the former Penn State assistant football coach.

The catch-all pretrial filing Thursday comes less than two months before Sandusky is due to go on trial for more than 50 criminal counts that allege sexual abuse of 10 boys over 15 years.

Sandusky says that some charges aren't specific enough, and that in other cases the statute of limitations has run out.

The pretrial motion is standard in Pennsylvania criminal cases and is normally followed by a response from the prosecutors. The judge may then schedule oral arguments to hash out any remaining disputes.

The 68-year-old Sandusky is confined to his home while he awaits trial and has denied the allegations. He's also asking the judge to delay the trial.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The federal government is considering closing up to 60 court sites across the country as part of an effort to cut costs.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show federal courthouses facilities in 29 states could be on the chopping block. Many of the court sites are in rural areas and critics say closing them could make it more difficult for people to get to court proceedings.

Six of the 60 court sites that could be closed are in Arkansas. Texas and Georgia each have five sites on the list of possible closures. Officials are even considering shuttering the court site in Alaska's capital city, Juneau.

The government ranked the court sites that could close based on categories such as usage and location.

Locally, the courthouses in Gadsden, Florence and Winchester are on the list, according to the AP.

HENAGAR, Ala. (WAAY) - DeKalb County Drug Agents arrested two people Tuesday night after a raid at their home in Henagar.

According to Sheriff Jimmy Harris, agents from methamphetamine, several needles and other drug paraphernalia items while searching the home. Two children under ten years old were also found in the house.

42 year old Sammy Garmany and 35 year old Holly Garmany were arrested and charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 2nd Degree. They remain in jail at this time awaiting bond.

HAZEL GREEN, Ala (WAAY) - Madison County School officials have identified the teen killed in a wreck on Patterson Lane Wednesday night as a Hazel Green High School student.

Sophomore Jeremy Pinder was driving a white truck involved in a single vehicle accident around 7:00 p.m.. Pinder was 16 years old.

WAAY 31 will have more on this story tonight at 5.

SCOTTSBORO, Ala (WAAY) - More than 100 Scottsboro residents are fighting to prevent the city from shutting down a railroad crossing on Broad Street.

Norfolk Southern is offering city officials $15,000 to shut down the crossing. But that idea doesn't sit well with neighbors. They worry that emergency response times will be affected and their safety compromised. "We feel that they are violating our rights as citizens" Tijuana Cotton told WAAY 31 FirstNews. "We have a right to proper health care. And if they do close this crossing then our rights will be infringed upon because anything can happen. There are emergency situations that happen all the time."

The crossing closing idea is coming from Northfolk Southern, but they're being pressured to close crossings by the feds.

The Federal Railroad Administration has set a goal of eliminating or consolidating 25% of the crossings around the country, citing safety issues. Scottsboro Mayor Melvin Potter says that the railroad has promised to upgrade the Market Street crossing, less than 500 feet away, if the Broad Street crossing is eliminated."It is, it's all about safety." Potter told WAAY 31 FirstNews "That's why we want to close it. The less crossings you have throughout the city the less dangerous it is."

Cotton isn't backing down. "If we do not stand up for what we believe in then we are going to be ignored and nobody will stand up for us. We have to stand up
for ourselves. "

DECATUR, Ala (WAAY) - Decatur Police have arrested and charged a convenience store clerk after an undercover operation allegedly found him selling alcohol to minors.

Police have sent undercover agents into 15 stores in the past few months, based upon tips that those stores were providing alcohol to customers under the legal drinking age. 14 of those stores asked the agents for identification, then denied them alcohol when the agents couldn't produce it. However, one clerk - 48 year old Gangadhara Krishna Bandaru at the Busy Bee on Sandlin Road- reportedly rang up the sale, and was then arrested.

A further search of his business turned up 47 packets of illegal spice synthetic marijuana, according to police.

Bandaru was charged and held on $500 bond. Additional charges based on the spice discovery are pending.

NEW YORK (CNN) - Facebook posted a draft of its policy changes last week -- and since then, it's drawn harsh criticism from many users.

Here are the 3 changes that are getting the most comments and attention.

First -- Facebook's privacy policy is now called its "data use policy." No mention of privacy. That may sound scary but Facebook reassures users that it's just trying to clarify some of its policies.

Secondly, the site says when you or your friends download an application -- your content information is shared with that app. This is drawing major heat on the site. The old language didn't include the fact that friends actions can have an impact on sharing your content. But Facebook says it's been this way for a while - and you're already sharing this information right now.

The last big change centers around legal issues.

It basically says that Facebook can deny services in some parts of the world for legal reasons. And it can shut down services at any time because of that. Facebook hasn't said when these changes will take effect -- because it's waiting to hear more from users.

In the meantime -- check your privacy settings! You can control who has access to your content. And also, what apps can use your data.

Log into your profile and click "privacy settings" in the upper right dropdown menu for help. You can check CNNMoney.com for more info and updates on Facebook's new policies.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala (WAAY) - Huntsville Police confirm one person is dead following a shooting at the Main Street Apartments on Paramount Drive.

Reports from the scene indicate the shooting may have been accidental. Huntsville Police investigators are on the scene working to determine if that was the case.

The incident happened just before 12:00 p.m. Friday afternoon. 

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A federal appeals court has granted a stay of execution for an Alabama man who was set to die next week in a 1982 murder-for-hire case.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday postponed the execution of Thomas Douglas Arthur until further action of the court.

Earlier in the week the court had reversed a judge's decision to dismiss Arthur's appeal, which contended that Alabama's decision to use a new sedative called pentobarbital as part of a three-drug execution combination could be cruel and unusual punishment.

Arthur's attorneys on Thursday had sought a stay while the state asks the entire 11th Circuit to reconsider the court's decision.

Arthur was set to be executed on March 29 for the 1982 murder-for-hire killing of Muscle Shoals businessman Troy Wicker.

ROGERSVILLE, Ala (WAAY) - A Lauderdale County teen is listed in serious condition at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital following a Friday morning wreck.

It happened on County Road 55 in Rogersville, just before 8:00 a.m. Police have identified the driver as 17 year old Hannah Black.

We're told Black lost control of her 2002 GMC Envoy in a curve, causing it to flip over and land in a field. The girl was airlifted to ECM.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala (WAAY) - Huntsville Police are searching for clues after a late morning bank robbery on Sutton Road in the Hampton Cove area. 

It happened just before 11:00 a.m. at the First Jackson Bank. Police tell WAAY 31 that a suspect entered the bank and handed the teller a note demanding money. He then ran out of the bank, towards the shopping center behind the bank and away from view. Officers armed with automatic rifles and K-9 units patrolled the area, looking for signs of where the suspect went next.