Somerville, AL-Nestled in the small town of Somerville is a piece of Alabama History. In the center of town stands the oldest courthouse in Alabama and to Somervillians that's something worth celebrating. A festival was held today in honor of the courthouses' 175th birthday.
 
"This is the highlight of the year each and every year. Each year it grows and progresses a little more," said Mayor Darren Tucker.
 
Vendors, live entertainment, and even civil war re-enactors were all out and about to celebrate this building with a long history.
 
World War 2 veteran Robert Maples says he spent some of his best days inside the building. The courthouse was turned into a school after the county seat was moved to Decatur and that’s where Maples began his education.
 
"I learned how to get a paddling and recess and play period," Maples joked.
 
The Somerville Courthouse has been a county courthouse, a school, and a church; but now city court is once again held within its walls. Mayor Tucker says the Judge and Prosecutor like the nostalgia of the building.
 
"They like it so much being able to say that they, you know, presided in the oldest courthouse in the state that we bought a desk and put over there and now we just continued having court over there."
 
All of the money raised goes towards making sure this piece of History remains intact.
 
"It’s just great to be able to call this our own little piece of history and we are very excited to be able to try to preserve it."

DECATUR, Ala. (WAAY and Decatur Daily) - Organizers expect a crowd of a couple hundred in Decatur today at a rally against Alabama’s illegal immigration law.

Protesters will gather starting at 5 p.m. at La Guerrerense Mexican Store in Decatur Shopping Center on Sixth Avenue and march about a mile to the office of state Rep. Micky Hammon, R-Decatur, at 2128 Sixth Ave. S.E.

The chief organizer of the rally is Rosa Calderon of the Athens-based immigrants-rights advocacy group All Races United. She said the rally will single out Hammon because he sponsored the illegal-immigration law with Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale.

“He (Hammon) said there’s a big illegal immigration problem in Decatur,” Calderon said. “Well, we’re going to show him that problem.”

Hammon did not return calls for comment Friday.

Calderon said All Races United is a volunteer organization with six members and was established in October. She said the organization’s goal is to educate the general population about immigration law.

Calderon said Hammon doesn’t see a difference between undocumented immigrants and legal immigrants. “He puts everyone in one category,” she said. “There are good and bad people in any population.”

Hammon has said previously that his intention “was to make it difficult for illegal immigrants to live and work in Alabama.”

Holding the rally on May 5 — Cinco de Mayo — has significance, Calderon said.

“We’re here to take back our holiday,” Calderon said. “In America, Cinco de Mayo has become, ‘Let’s go drink a margarita and eat Mexican food.’

“But most people don’t know its true meaning.”

La Guerrerense owner Martin Perez said through a translator that he supports the march and allowed the protesters to use his parking lot as a gathering place because the laws are personally affecting his business by driving Hispanic families away from the area. He said he believes the laws target people who are hard workers and are trying to provide for their families.

Calderon said the rally will be peaceful. She has a permit for the demonstration from City Hall.

“There will be officers there for traffic safety,” Lt. John Crouch of Decatur police said.

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - A proposal from Alabama lawmakers could shorten the school calendar to less than 180 days while lengthening the school day.

If Gov. Robert Bentley signs the bill, school systems could shorten their year so long as students receive 1,080 hours of instructional time. The Mobile Press-Register reports that the school year would have to end by Memorial Day.

Mobile County is debating whether to shorten its school year to 173 or 170 days. It would add 18 to 25 minutes of instruction time daily under those plans.

Supporters of the bill say it would boost the tourism economy and reduce school spending on transportation and air conditioning. Opponents say it's a step backward for a state that increased its school year requirement in 2006 from 175 to 180 days.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - A new kind of public database is in the works, dealing with Alabama's dangerous and growing meth problem.

 

For potential home-buyers, there's usually a checklist of potential deal-breakers, often including mold, termites, and neighborhood crime rates.

 

Now, lawmakers are saying meth labs should be added to that list.  Calling meth lab locations "uninhabitable,” a bill going through the state legislature would require the Department of Public Health to "place locations where methamphetamine labs have been discovered on the department's website for public disclosure."

 

That way, potential buyers can test a home to make sure it's completely meth-free.  Madison County Sgt. Mike Salomonsky, who often oversees meth lab busts, says they're extremely toxic and dangerous for everyone, even for those highly trained to clean them up.

 

He explains, "As they go through the bags trying to secure evidence for the prosecution of the case, there's a substantial risk to their health that they could become poked or stabbed by the needles and I don't have to tell you that numerous diseases can be generated from that."

 

So what happens to a home when it becomes ground zero for a meth lab bust?  Huntsville Area Association of Realtors CEO Oscar Gonzales explains, “The chemicals actually get into the fabric of the structure, like the insulation, the wood, and the sheet rock."

 

Gonzales says a bust could hurt the value of that home, but probably wouldn't impact a whole neighborhood: “If you had six meth labs on one street, yeah it probably could, but for the most part you're not going to see that happen."

 

Despite the potential impact on real estate values, Gonzales feels full disclosure of meth lab locations, just like awareness of asbestos or black mold, is more important.  He says, “It’s good information to have, especially when you're moving a young family into maybe their first home, and you don't want to subject them to any kind of danger with chemicals."

 

This bill is still pending committee action in the state house of representatives, and there are just three more days left in this year's legislative session.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Two bills aimed at further restricting abortions failed to come up for debate in the Alabama Legislature Thursday, hurting their chances of passing.

Only four legislative days remain in the 2012 legislative session.

The bills would establish new rules for abortion clinics and would allow doctors to not perform a medical procedure if it violates his conscience.

The two bills were on the House work agenda Thursday, but were delayed because of debate on other issues.

The sponsor of both bills, Republican Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin of Pelham said it's a "long shot" that the bills can pass in the session's waning days. Tuesday is the final day a bill has to pass the House if it has not yet passed the Senate.

Huntsville, AL- Ann Brown, owner of Ann’s Studio of Dance, pled not guilty Friday morning to charges of disorderly conduct. The charges stem from an altercation with Melissa Anderson, owner of Alabama Urgent Care. Anderson called a tow truck driver to take away several dance students' vehicles that were parked on her property despite signs warning that they would be towed.

Brown reportedly verbally assaulted Anderson and the tow trucks drivers, claims that are backed up by the driver's affidavits which say she cursed, charged at Anderson, and even ordered the dance students into the cars that were being towed.
Ann admits to raising her voice.

"Being a typical woman, as we discussed the matter my voice was raised because we think that if you don't respond in a proper way you don't hear us so we get louder and louder," explained Brown.

But says she did nothing that would justify the arrest. Police were at the altercation and did not arrest Brown at the time.

"The police were there on the scene and I feel like if I was totally out of order that they would have arrested me that night they didn't," she said.

Anderson filed a warrant Tuesday May 1st and Brown was arrested Thursday morning. She says the arrest was not the worst part of the whole experience, being accused of using foul language is.

"That has really hurt my feelings because I was raised by a mother that you didn't talk like that. I have never used the F-word in my whole life."
The issue began several years ago when Brown expanded her business and built a much larger building for her dance studio. The business has only 17 parking spaces to accommodate the students and their parents.

According to neighbors, the lack of parking has caused serious traffic woes for the surrounding neighborhood especially for the residents who live on Alabama Street.

“People couldn’t come down this way or get that way because there were cars parked on both sides of the street,” explained Kathy Biggs who lives on Alabama Street. “It’s still a problem to get out of your driveway when there are cars on both sides of the street,” she continued.

The residents of the Mayfair neighborhood have complained that the traffic caused by the lack of parking prevents them from getting to their homes on a regular basis. The group took their case before the Huntsville Board of Zoning Adjustment but Brown was granted an exemption due to the act that the city did approve the building plans. According to city code a business the size of the studio should have at least 23 parking spaces.

Biggs has lived in the neighborhood for more than 30 years and says there was no problem until the studio expanded.

“When they added their second story now they have more students and there more traffic there are more people parking on the road.”

The neighborhood group, represented by Attorney Thomas Jefferson is appealing the decision to circuit court.

Brown's court date regarding the arrest is set for June 19^th.

Hundreds of new jobs are headed to Limestone County. The job growth is expected to make a major impact on the county.

Carpenter Technology has already broken ground in Athens. The Pennsylvania based company that produces steele products will bring 250 jobs to Limestone County. 700 additional people will be employed to build the plant.

Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks says a total of 618 total jobs are coming to Limestone County as a result of several companies expanding or moving to the area.
"Well its always important as we continue to build our quality of life it helps support our education system and a way for people to feed their families" Marks says.

The Electricfill Corporation located in Elkmont is in the process of expanding and adding as many as 100 jobs. Human Resource officer Lynn Lane says providing
good jobs to the community is a good feeling. "Being Here in a small town such as Elkmont the fact that we are bake to employ so many people from the area is a benefit not only to us but for the local town" Lane said.

Electricfill produces car sensors for engines. some of their customers include: Ford and Volkswagen.

DECATUR, Ala. (WAAY & Decatur Daily) - It took a Morgan County jury less than a day to find Marqueze Smith guilty of capital murder in connection with the 2003 shooting death of Jeremy Black.

He now faces the possibility of the death penalty. Judge Sherrie Paler set the sentencing phase of the trial for next Monday.

On Thursday, Christopher Smiley testified that he was with Smith and his uncle, Patrick Napoleon Smith the night of the killing. Smiley is serving a 20 year prison sentence after pleading guilty to robbery in connection with the case two and a half years ago.

Smiley told jurors that Marqueze Smith and his uncle mocked Black after the shooting, saying he was "squealing like a pig" and "squirming like a worm" after being shot.

He said he picked up the elder Smith from a gas station in the early morning hours after August 12th, 2003. Smiley testified that Patrick Smith the led him to a secluded area, where his nephew was unloading items from Black's car. Smiley says he helped unload items from the car, and was then told to drive down the road, where he first saw Black's body. Smiley says Marqueze Smith admitted shooting Black that night.

Patrick Smith was found guilty of murder in 2008.

Today is the big day. Downtown Huntsville will be transformed into a BBQ lover's paradise. WhistleStop 2012 is about to kick off. Gates open today at 4 p.m. but many of the grill masters are already flexing their culinary muscles.

The entire show will be live from the Depot as we get a glimpse of everything this year's festival has to offer. Of course, we will talk about the professional and amateur cooking competitions, but there are so many new features to tell you about.

This year the Alabama Cornhole Competition will start this afternoon and the finals will be tomorrow. Space Camp will also be on hand for kiddos. The this evening at 6 p.m. is the first ever WAAY 31 Wing Thing.

You can still get tickets to the festival. Log on to www.rocketcitybbq.com for more on the festival. S

See you there!!!

MADISON COUNTY, AL - Frustrated drivers who regularly commute along heavily congested roads in western Madison County may see relief in their future. A joint effort between the cities of Madison and Huntsville, along with Madison County hopes to get some of the busiest roads in North Alabama a much needed facelift. 

Madison Mayor Paul Finley says he has been pushing for a revamp of the corridor for a long time. "One of the strongest assets we have right now is an 18 minute commute to and from work. We want to keep it low so people aren't in their cars and they can be home with their families," says Finley. 

Increased growth out West means more and more cars are traveling along Highway 72 and I-565 to and from their jobs at the Arsenal and along Research Park Drive. 

"We are all for trying to figure out the corridor and the best way to get people to their jobs and back home," says Finley. 

Friday, the Madison County Commission voted in favor of issuing a contract for several traffic studies. The studies will measure capacity and traffic access along U.S. 72 between Research Park and I-565 as well as 72 between Providence Main Street and County Line Road. 

Finley says local leaders have had discussions with ALDOT. "We're told guys, do a corridor study so we don't have another 280 like down in Birmingham," he says. 

Once the studies are complete, plans can begin to widen the heavily-traveled highways. "Once you engineer it then you can secure the money for it. We're talking a few years down the line but we can shorten the time frame if we do these corridor studies first," says Finley. 

A Marshall County gun range is shut down by order of the city of Albertville. It's the latest round in an ongoing dispute over noise. Albertville city leaders say they closed the Alabama Tactical Shooters gun range because of a 1947 city ordinance that bans the discharge of firearms within city limits.

Dennis Jones was happy to learn the gun range was shut down for now. He lives down the street. For weeks now Jones and many other residents have been complaining that the noise from the gun range is too loud. "If it's small caliber pistols it's a pop pop. And larger rifles like 50 calibers you get a bone shattering ear piercing loud boom" Jones said. "And they also shoot exploding targets".

Since the gun range sits in the county between Albertville and Guntersville, both municipalities have decided to ask the Alabama Attorney General to step in to see who has the authority to decide the gun ranges fate. Albertville City Councilor Chuck Ellis says that's the right move. "I think the big issue right now at the range is the nuisance problem. I'm a true believer of a mans tranquillity in his home. I believe in the city's sound ordinance" Ellis said.

Albertville leaders expect gun range director Barry Harbin to request permission to re open the range at Monday nights city council meeting.

FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. (WAAY) - Fayetteville Police have arrested and charged a man with murder after his wife was shot to death Monday morning.

Police were called to the Taylor Way Apartments around 10:20 a.m. after neighbors heard shots fired. They arrived to find 22 year old Courtney Price McKinney shot to death. Her husband, 23 year old Charles "Chaz" McKinney was arrested at the scene and charged with Criminal Homicide. He's being held on $950,000 bond.

The loss of actor George Lindsey is being felt deeply at the University of North Alabama.  The man loved for his role as "Goober" passed away over the weekend.

Although 83 year old George Lindsey died in Nashville on Sunday, he will forever live on as Goober Pyle from the Andy Griffith Show.  He spent many years making people laugh and sharing his talents with the world through various film and television appearances.  However, before his fame took off, he was an unassuming student at the University of North Alabama.

"Mr. Lindsey was a 1952 graduate of UNA and for many years has been a very active alumni of the university," said UNA spokesman Josh Woods.  "He's been very supportive and a great friend to this entire university community, and it's a great loss for the entire university family."

UNA's Collier Library is the home of dozens of Lindsey's film and television scripts as well as other memorabilia.  He co-founded the George Lindsey Film Festival 14 years ago, and now has a new theater named after him on campus.

"It was very fitting to honor Mr. Lindsey in this way through the theater, especially in the final months of his life," said Woods.

Lindsey attended the 2012 Lindsey Film Festival in March where the theater was dedicated in his honor.

Magan Fromhold, a junior at UNA, said that Lindsey will always be an inspiration to students.

She said, "I think it's really inspiring to see that someone took what they learned from UNA and actually went out and followed their dreams and was successful and had money to give back to the school where obviously he believes in the education here at UNA."

Lindsey's visitation will be on Friday, May 11 from 2 until 4 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville.  The funeral will follow immediately.

The WAAY 31 Concert Series continues with Aaron Kelly. Aaron was one of the breakout stars from season 9 of American Idol. Aaron is working on an album, writing his own songs.

He's one of several performers who'll be hitting the stage May 12th at the Lincoln County Music Festival.


If you'd like to be featured on WAAY 31's Concert Series, email Meredith Wood.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Associated Press has learned the CIA thwarted a plot by al-Qaida's affiliate in Yemen to destroy a U.S.-bound airliner using a bomb with a new design around the one-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden.

U.S. officials say the plot involved an upgrade of the underwear bomb that failed to detonate aboard a jetliner over Detroit on Christmas 2009. This new bomb was also built to be used in a passenger's underwear but contained a more refined detonation system.

The would-be suicide bomber was told to buy a ticket on the airliner of his choosing and decide the timing of the attack. It's not immediately clear what happened to the would-be bomber.

The U.S. officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive case.

The WAAY 31 crew had a great time at WhistleStop this weekend. There was tons of BBQ and lots of people out enjoying the heat! It was definitely hot!

This week will be highlighting the Lincoln County Music Festival that will be this Saturday. Today's performer will be Aaron Kelly. You may remember Aaron from American Idol Season 9. He finished in the top 5 and has gone on tour the country with his band. Aaron is working on an album, writing his own songs. Aaron will be just one of several performers at the festival including Charlie Daniels Band and Cowboy Troy. For more on the event log on to www.lincolncountymusicfest.com.

Mother's Day is this Sunday and if you can't decide what to get mom, what about a home cooked meal that she doesn't have to step foot in the kitchen to prepare. Jennifer Sherman from Dinner by Design has a way for Dad and the kids to whip up a lunch for 6 to present to mom. You will help prepare it and take home an entrée, 2 sides and a dessert. Space is limited. Check out www.facebook.com/DinnerByDesignHSV.


See you at 4!

 

DECATUR, Ala. (WAAY) - A Morgan County jury took less than an hour to recommend the death penalty for 32 year old Marqueze Smith.

Smith was found guilty of Capital Murder last week in the 2003 shooting death of Jeremy Black. In dramatic testimony Thursday, one of Smith's former co-defendants told a chilling story about Smith laughing about shooting Black after stealing items out of the victim's car.

The jury's opinion is not binding. The ultimate decision is now on Judge Sherrie Paler, who will sentence Smith in August.

DECATUR, Ala. (WAAY) - Decatur Police have arrested and charged a man with Attempted Murder in connection with a shooting on 6th Avenue last week.

On April 29th, police and paramedics found a 33 year old man lying in the front yard of a home on the 300 block of 6th Avenue. He had multiple gunshot wounds to his back and legs.

U.S. Marshals and Decatur Police officers cornered Quincy Wilkerson at his home just a block from the scene of the crime on Monday morning. Wilkerson was arrested without incident. He's being held in the Decatur City Jail, with his bond revoked due to a probation violation.

Strong to even some some severe thunderstorms are again at risk for impacting the Tennessee Valley.

While most North Alabama and Southern Tennessee locations have already received some much needed rain, more showers, including a few storms that could contain heavy rain, small hail, and gusty winds, will remain a possibility through this evening and Tuesday.

A trough of low pressure to the north, presently providing us with the rain and storm chances, will ultimately usher in cooler air to the Valley by Wednesday evening when a ridge of high pressure assumes the reigns of our weather making for a more pleasant and dry mid-week.

The expected dip in temperatures will take center stage by Thursday when afternoon highs climb only to the mid-70's and offer the chance for a few locations to experience overnight lows upper 40's.

Stable and sunny weather will remain constant at least through Friday when our next rainmaker begins tracking northward into the region ushering in a Saturday rain chance.

The StormForce 31 Weather Team will closely monitor any storms that develop over the next 24 hours.

Remain on top of any severe weather threat to your location by signing up for WAAY 31 WeatherCall.

FLORENCE, Ala. (WAAY) - A Lauderdale County Judge has refused defense motions to move the murder trial of 17 year old Autumn Wood to Juvenile Court.

Wood is accused of stabbing 14 year old Brooklyn Hollis to death at a party in Florence in March. 

She was scheduled to appear in court this morning, but the hearing was postponed until June 8th.

Wood remains free on bond.

GADSDEN, Ala. (AP) — Relatives and friends of the grandmother and stepmother charged with running a 9-year-old girl to death as a punishment have been defending and attacking the women on Facebook and in at least one case nearly divulging what could be considered evidence.

A judge has warned prosecutors and defense lawyers not to discuss the murder case, and so far they have obeyed. But experts say the hundreds of messages posted online since Savannah Hardin died in February show the legal system has yet to catch up with the social media explosion. They say it highlights the difficulty of making sure witnesses and jurors aren't swayed by outside influences.

Most posts are fairly innocuous, either supporting the women or honoring Savannah's memory. Others get to the heart of the case, including a few discussing how the child died. Many high-profile cases are discussed by thousands or even millions of people online, though in most cases those people aren't directly connected to the case. For instance, the Casey Anthony and Trayvon Martin cases generated immense worldwide attention on Facebook and Twitter.

Because of that, judges routinely admonish jurors not to read about a particular case online. And in Idaho, the Prosecuting Attorneys Association has advises prosecutors to avoid social media relationships that could create ethical problems — including being Facebook friends with judges — and never to talk about their cases online.

The grandmother of Savannah Hardin, Joyce Hardin Garrard, is charged with capital murder for allegedly making the child run and carry yard debris for hours as punishment for a lie about candy. The girl's stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin, is charged with failing to intervene in the punishment until it was too late.

Garrard could be sentenced to death if convicted; Hardin could get life imprisonment.

Both women remain in Etowah County's jail without access to computers. But as in other high-profile court dramas, Facebook pages dedicated to the case appeared soon after Savannah's death.
The "Justice for Savannah Hardin" page includes calls for harsh sentences for the women. A "Justice for Joyce Hardin Garrard" page includes supportive posts by relatives and friends and photos of Savannah, Joyce Garrard and her husband, Johnny Garrard. Backers of the women can even order T-shirts for about $15.

Many of the posts simply express sympathy for one side or the other, but some go further. In a post last month, a person posting as Johnny Garrard disagreed with a commenter's claim about what killed the child, concluding: "I have the Death Certificate and that is not what it says."

A few other writers suggest they have knowledge about the case that hasn't been made public in court. In one post, a person who claims to have known Jessica Hardin for two decades explains the circumstances of the girl's death and concludes that, in effect, Savannah ran herself to exhaustion by trying to finish chores too quickly.

Court files don't indicate whether Judge William Ogletree is aware of the way the case is playing out in social media. He publicly admonished lawyers during a hearing in March to keep a lid on their own comments, though.

"This case has been attempted to be tried somewhat in the court of public opinion," Ogletree said at the time.

Ogletree's warning didn't slow down the social media chatter, and law professors said it's unlikely a judge could do that anyway because Facebook posts are a bit like people talking on the courthouse steps. They said the case highlights the problem the legal system faces with social sites like Facebook, where jurors, witnesses, lawyers and even judges could be "friends" or see the latest, unfiltered gossip on cases.

"It's a phenomenon in society that's just starting to enter the legal field," said Don Cochran, a former prosecutor and professor at Samford University's Cumberland law school in suburban Birmingham. "I think it's a huge issue in practice, and it ought to be something we're talking about in law schools."

Steven Hobbs, a law professor at the University of Alabama, said attorneys don't generally have a duty to police comments by relatives and friends of people involved in criminal cases.
"However, a lawyer might find it useful to so advise a potential witness as the witness is being prepared for the trial," he wrote in an email. "Expressions on social media could hurt the case just like anything we say or post on Facebook, etc., could be used against us in the court of law or the court of public opinion."

Prosecutors and Joyce Garrard's attorney declined comment on the Facebook posts. A lawyer for Jessica Hardin did not return a message seeking comment.

What do you think about this story? Join the conversation on WAAY 31's Facebook page.

Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

NEW MARKET, Ala. (WAAY) - The annual Older Americans Festival at Sharon Johnston Park in New Market has been postponed until Thursday due to the threat of rain.

The event was originally set for Tuesday. The start times of the events will not change. Gates will open at 9:00 a.m., with festivities happening between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

The annual event draws hundreds of seniors from all around north east Alabama and southern middle Tennessee. 

DECATUR, Ala. (WAAY) - A Morgan County woman has pled guilty to two felony theft charges, and will spend six months in jail.

Laura Phillips entered the plea in Morgan County Circuit Court Monday morning. She was accused of stealing approximately $98,000 while working as the Director of the Carnegie Visual Arts Center and another $41,000 while serving as the Treasurer at the Alabama Museum Association.

Phillips was sentenced to two 15 year prison terms, which will be served concurrently. She'll be required to spend six months in the Morgan County Jail, followed by 14 and a half years of probation. She'll also be forced to repay $140,0636,94 to the two organizations.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand -  Former Alabama gubernatorial candidate Bill Johnson has moved to New Zealand to be closer to the children he's fathered through sperm donation.
The New Zealand Herald is reporting that Johnson's wife says he has left her.
Kathy Hale Johnson, a former Miss America, told The Herald that Johnson, a Republican, recently returned to live in New Zealand.
She said that's where he donated sperm to at least 10 women without her knowledge.
She said Johnson plans to apply for residency there.
And intends to donate sperm to additional women.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - You've heard of "Man Caves" or maybe a "Doll Room", but you have never seen a room in someone's house like this. 

From the outside, it's just another beautiful home on a hillside in south Huntsville. But, there are some clues to give an indication that once you get inside there's something a little bit different in the basement. Hang a left before you get to the living room and go down the stairs. As you descend step by step the Irish music gets a little louder.

"I usually tell people I have a pub in the house and they don't really say much at first. Then I say NO, we really have a pub in the house and you will feel like you're in the middle of Ireland," said Lisa Bollinger of The Maggie McGuinness Pub.

 "We've got several native Irish that come here and they tell us it's very authentic to what they experienced back in Dublin, Cork and the like," said Michael Bollinger of The Maggie McGuinness Pub.

The Bollingers get asked all the time about the Pubs hours, when it's open, when it's closed things like that. People easily forget when in the pub, that this is somebody's residence, it's not a bar and it's not open to the public."

" This is purely a private Irish Pub. We don't sell anything, it's all about family and community."

" Yes we have a name and it's fun and we call it the Maggie McGuinness Pub and a lot of people talk about it like it's one of the pubs in town, but really it's in our home and it's a hobby or ours."

Adult beverages are available at the pub, but they are not sold.

" People can bring their own drinks. People can also drink from the pub, they can put some money in the collection, but it's up to them. All we tell them is if we want to keep doing this, we have to be able to replace items."