give it to me local
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Experience Montgomery through the Montgomery Advertiser, anytime, anywhere, any how.TRANSCRIPT
All ThingsMOnTgOMeryWhen, where and how you want it!
look inside for everything you need to know
about making the most of your Montgomery
Advertiser subscription.
ADVERTISERMEDIA GROUP
★ ★ ★ GIVE IT TO ME LOCAL2
From the desk of Sam MartinPresident and Publisher,Advertiser Media Group
Many of our readers have already read this column which was published this past Sunday explain-ing our changing business model. However, I felt it was worthwhile to publish it again as part of this comprehensive guide intended to help answer many of your questions about the change.
We are changing our business modelAs I have moved around this community over the past two and a half years, one of the recurring questions I am asked is “how much longer do you think newspapers will be around?” I typically answer that we don’t see ourselves as a newspaper company, that we see ourselves as a 24/7 provider of content across multiple platforms, and that from my view our future is bright.
However, in order for us to fully realize that bright future, some things will have to change.
One of my counterparts at another media company made it a point to let his readers know that for the past 65,455 days, they have produced a print newspaper on large presses and mass distributed on a daily basis. Here in the River Region, we have printed a newspaper daily for the last 66,425 days, give or take a few.
Until the last decade our focus was generally on a product we delivered once every 24 hours. As you’ve gotten to know montgomeryadvertiser.com over that decade, you know that changed long ago.
Consumers and technology continue to change dramatically, and so have we. We are no longer just a newspaper but a media company that disseminates content over 20 branded editions on a range of platforms. And this shift in what we are has required us to transform quickly, developing different skill sets, applying new technologies and more creative approaches in everything we do.
In our line of business, our model is changing too. As more of our readers make use of our content over digital platforms, we see that it’s our content itself that’s most valuable to our cus-tomers. It’s the stories, the pictures, and the video our journalist product that our readers crave.
So on Wednesday , we’ll introduce in new subscription model -- focused on our content -- that will include full access to all of our content in print, on the desktop Web, mobile and tablet formats.
As we introduce our new model, we are making significant improvements to our content and digital development. Our customers will be able to utilize new mobile sites and apps and tablet experience to receive deeper content in select areas of coverage, including more watchdog journalism and deeper coverage of what we are now calling “The New Montgomery,” which is an expanded view of how Montgomery and the River Region are evolving. You’ll see us delve deeper into education, job creation and development, infrastructure, state and local government and of course sports. Through all of these topics, we’ll illuminate the quality of life priorities for the region. Our e-Newspaper – an exact replica of the daily print edition -- will be another avenue for digital access, and content will increasingly be geared to specific mobile devices, something we call “platform perfect.”
Subscription options will range from full access with seven-day home delivery of the print edi-tion to digital-only. Non-subscribers will have access to a limited number of articles before they are required to subscribe, though some pages will remain available.
Meanwhile, our advertising customers will realize expanded, targeted and integrated solutions for all platforms, including mobile and tablet. Beyond that, our digital capabilities are explod-ing.
Our push to expand our digital universe and improve the user’s experience will not come at the expense of the print edition. It too will continue to evolve and reader experience will continue to improve.
We are communicating directly with customers and others in the community in the days and weeks ahead as we roll out these changes.
I am proud to work with a group of resourceful and dedicated media professionals who enjoy sharing their talent for sharing stories and information and making Montgomery and the River Region an even greater place to live.
No one covers Montgomery like the Montgomery Advertiser.
Our push to expand our digital universe and
improve the user’s experience will not come at the expense of the print edition. It too will continue to evolve and reader experience will continue to improve.
“
”
★ ★ ★GIVE IT TO ME LOCAL 3
More bang for your buck.check out these helpful tips for making the most of your Montgomery advertiser subscription.
Customer serviCeBilling Question Hours:Monday-Friday 8:00am-7:00pmSaturday ClosedSunday 7:00am-12:00am
Contact us:Online: montgomeryadvertiser.com/customerservicePhone: 1-877-424-0007
Montgomery AdvertiserP.O. Box 1000Montgomery, AL 36177-9708
manage your aCCountYou can manage your account online by going to montgomeryadvertiser.com/myaccount. Log in by clicking on the link at the top right hand cor-ner of the Web site. Here you can temporarily stop delivery of the print edition while on vacation, pay for your subscription, or report a service issue. This is easy to do. Just follow the instructions given as you enter the site.
reader serviCesLetters to the editorTake advantage of your freedom of speech. Write a letter to the editor. For more information, call (334) 261-1524 or visit montgomeryadvertiser.com/submitlettersClassifiedIt’s so simple to sell your stuff, you can do it yourself. Write it, design it and pick the days at montgomeryadver-tiser.com/classifiedads or call one of our helpful Classified representatives at (334) 264-3733.AnnouncementsMake your special occasion a part of history and a cherished memento. For more information, call (334) 240-9256 or visit montgomeryadvertiser.com/calendar.ReprintsGet reprints of local photos that have been published by the Montgomery Advertiser. For more information, call (212) 221-9595 ext. 452.
How do you get aCCess to tHe digital Content?
How to set up your digital access:You’ll need to activate your subscription in order to have full access to our content through our new digital product portfolio: URL, mobile site, iPhone/Android apps, tablet site and the e-News-paper. Digital setup is easy, and you only have to activate your subscription once from a desktop PC or Mac. If you need help, call (877) 424-0007.
How do you activate your subscription?
From a desktop PC or Mac:1. Go to montgomeryadvertiser.com/activate2. Fill in your ZIP code and phone number and click “Set Up”3. Create your profile, including your email and password, which you will use to log in going for-ward.Note: This one-time activation process provides you with full access through any device.
★ ★ ★ GIVE IT TO ME LOCAL6
Get to know
your news team.see who covers what in your community.
The content changes we are announcing this week have come about after more than a year of conversations with readers and customers in Montgomery and the River Region. We used those conver-sations to build a content plan that helps us focus our resources and provide local news and information to customers in a 21st century news environment.
Most importantly, we have added new positions and invested in new tools to help us revamp our content strategy. These strategies have to do with breaking news, launching new digital platforms and content for what we now call “The New Montgomery” and watchdog journalism.
Above all, local news is our franchise. We have more journalists covering local news and issues than any other media group in the River Region.
This is our mission statement for breaking news:
Breaking news is one of the funda-mental principles of our journalism.
We will be first.We will be fast.We will be accurate.If you haven’t been keeping up
with our website, montgomeryad-vertiser.com, you are missing a lot. Our breaking news strategy is to bring new information to people who live in the River Region all day, every day. A couple of years ago we were updating the site with local news stories two or three times a day and saving most of the “new” information for the next day’s newspaper.
Redefining breaking newsThat’s no longer our strategy. In
a world where readers are wired to technology and eager for informa-tion 24/7, and in a competitive environment where news organiza-tions are rethinking how we allocate resources for the 21st century, we are redefining what news is and how it is delivered.
Traditionally, newspapers thought of breaking news as some huge or horrific event such as a pile-up on a major roadway, the transition of public officials, or a big crime that cost lives or would be a threat to public safety. Those are still big news, but breaking news is so much more.
Now our editors and reporters are producing a website that up-dates online users constantly about sports, municipal actions, societal changes, local announcements, watchdog projects (with follow-up information) and entertainment options. We’ve given our journal-ists iPhones and other technology to take photos and record videos and audio reports. We are filing remotely from locations outside our newsroom. We have added to our team a social media producer to complement our journalists who are updating on Facebook, Twitter and other sites.
We’ve added an additional journalist to help us deliver high school sports information in real time via the Web and Twitter, plus a couple of clerks to gather stats in real time during and immediately after games.
We have expanded the duties of one of our digital editors to make sure the site’s home page is up to date, and to help us measure what people who view the site care about throughout the day.
Look around and you’ll see people throughout this community using technology to stay in touch. Our new apps launched this week for phones and tablets are designed for those who are in search of local news all the time. We want you to take us with you everywhere you go and when you need.
The New MontgomeryOur new strategy for “The New
Montgomery” is an exciting part of our daily journalism. As we began internal discussions about how to determine the value of our content, we knew that there needed to be a framework around which to build what we have come to call a content
evolution.This plan is built around the pas-
sions and culture of the people who live in Montgomery and the River Region.
The New Montgomery is not confined to the physical boundaries of the city. It is not just a location – it is a state of mind. It is recognition of the rich historic past, enjoyment of the present and anticipation of the future. The New Montgomery is the spirit of the people who live here and who visit.
In print over the past few months readers may have noticed more sto-ries about new businesses, the flour-ish of redevelopment in downtown Montgomery, prospects for expan-sions in Prattville’s retail community, revitalization of Wetumpka’s historic district and new jobs announced throughout the River Region. This is part of our New Montgomery strat-egy. You will be able to recognize some of these efforts with labeling of stories about “The New Mont-gomery,” including a series of stories this week to help kick off the public view of this strategy.
Understanding passionsIt is important to note that we
included not just newsroom staff to build our plan, but Advertiser col-leagues in departments through-out the building to help us think through this plan. After all, all of us live and work in this community. We understand the passions of our fam-ily members and our neighbors. We understand the people with whom we worship, the teachers in our chil-dren’s schools, the people we know in our clubs and organizations, the people whose company we enjoy at football games and at concerts or in the area’s many restaurants.
We also conducted local research in several different ways. One research tool asked people here to prioritize topics in 10 subject areas. It was no surprise to us that the highest value went to coverage of state and local government, educa-tion and regional history and culture
Newsroom staff members fanned out across the community and talked to small groups of people and individuals about the passions in their lives. We also brought into our building groups of business leaders as well as some of the young profes-sionals in Emerge Montgomery, and we asked all of our reporters to have one-on-one conversations with people in their own homes and offices.
We did not build this content plan in a vacuum and we didn’t build it in a day.
Community watchdogAnother aspect of our content is
a continued commitment to being the watchdogs for the community. Our reporters are being given more time and more tools to work on projects looking at some of the seri-ous issues and needs in our commu-nity. We have dedicated a position for local investigative journalism, to be sure we are on top of issues that need to be probed and revealed.
As we move about this commu-nity, we hope you will engage with us. For those who prefer to remain only print newspaper readers, we’re still here for you seven days a week, 365 days a year. If you are one of the growing number of people who are consumers of content on mobile devices, our new apps will include local news that is unique and frequently updated. We hope more of you will also join the thousands of “likes” on facebook.com/montgom-eryadvertiser and also follow our news departments (including our sports reports) and individual staff members on Twitter @mgmadver-tiser. In fact, I invite you to follow me on Twitter @MGMeditor.
Our business is now based partly on selling our content and asking subscribers to activate their digital access. We want more people who are not now subscribers to become subscribers. We believe in the value of our content.
We are here for you in print and on digital platforms 24/7.
[email protected]@MGMeditor
Allison GriffinFeatures reporter
Amanda GrangerDigital Editor
Amanda MoorePhotographer
Anthony McCallSports Clerk
Beth GribbleMetro Editor
Brad HarperBusiness reporter
Brad ZimanekSports Editor
Brian LymanState government
Brian WoodhamCopy editor
Byron RobinsonCopy editor
Cortez StricklandPrattville Progress
sports [email protected]
Don FletcherPrattville Progress
Erica PippinsFeatures Editor
Erik PedersenSports clerk
Ethan BernalPrep sports [email protected]
Faye DavisLead copy editor
Gary GoodsonCopy editor
James CrepeaSports reporter
Jim EarnhardtEditorial writer
Josh MoonWatchdog reporter/
Kala KachmarMontgomery
government [email protected]
Kym KlassFeatures reporter
Lloyd GallmanPhotographer
Marty RoneyPrattville reporter
Matt OkarmusWetumpka reporter
Mickey WelshPhotographer
Monica GibbsDigital producer
Rick HarmonGovernment/
Business [email protected]
Scott JohnsonBreaking news [email protected]
Sebastian KitchenState government
Shannon HeupelCopy editor
Stacy LongSports reporter
Teri GreeneFeatures reporter
Terry ManningContent editor
Tiffany NaborsEducation reporter
Tim GayleSports reporter
Eleanor Ransburg Copy desk team [email protected]
Jeremy Henderson Social media [email protected]
★ ★ ★GIVE IT TO ME LOCAL 7
read all about it We keep you in touch with the news that’s most important to
our community.
Breaking news is one of the fundamental principles of our journalism.
We will be first. We will be fast. We will be accurate.
One of our key roles is to keep readers in-formed about what is going on in the commu-nity, up to the minute and with accuracy. Our reporters have been given the tools and the training to do just this by updating our digital platforms in real time.
We have redefined the definition of breaking news to include a broader range of topics than traditional breaking news.
We have a new commitment to social media so that we can engage with customers. We want your feedback and ideas.
OUR COMMITMENT TO BREAKING NEWS
The “New Montgomery” is not confined to the physical boundaries of the city. It is not just a location – it is a state of mind.
It is recognition of the rich historic past, enjoyment of the present and anticipation of the future.
The “New Montgomery” is the spirit of the people who live here and who visit.
The New Montgomery includes our neighbors in Prattville with the RTJ Golf Trail as well as developing retail space that is pro-jected to take off under new management.
It includes Wetumpka, a city that is work-ing on revitalization of the historic down-town area and where the Poarch Creek Band of Indians are planning a huge hotel and casino expansion on their land.
Topics of local passion★ Watchdog journalism – Dedication to
watchdog reporting.★ Education – A discussion going on at
every level of our community. Education has implications in issues of economy, develop-ment, family heritage, faith and sports.
★ State and Local government – A franchise as the Capital City’ premier news-gathering organization.
★ Business – We will tell readers about new and growing businesses in their com-munities
★ Football/sports – The most up-to-date reports on our readers’ favorite teams.
★ History – A history beat to help bridge the past with the future.
★ Communities – Our Progress newspa-pers in Prattville, Wetumpka and Millbrook will continue to address important issues for those communities.
THE NEW MONTGOMERY
Councilmancalls for draft
beer sales inPrattville
METRO & STATE 2A
Vol. 185, No. 290Copyright 2012;
Advertiser Media Group
Bridge...................................... 6C
Classified................................. 6C
Death Notices ....................... 6A
Opinion................................... 7A
Horoscopes............................. 6C
Lotteries ................................. 2A
Nation/World........................ 4A
Puzzles..................................... 6C
Sudoku .................................... 5B
Mostly sunny and mild today;
fall chill in the air tonight.
High 77; Low 51
» Get the up-to-the-minute weather data and
forecasts.
montgomeryadvertiser.com
WEATHER 8A
SECONDPRESIDENTIALDEBATE8 P.M. TODAY
SUBJECTS: Foreign, domestic issues
FORMAT: Town hall meeting, with voters questioning
candidates directly
WHERE: Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y.
MODERATOR: Candy Crowley of CNN
OBAMA-ROMNEY
ROUND 2
Since 1829
INSIDE DEBATE ‘BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE’ 8A
About4,500stateemployeeswillqual-
ify for the program, according to the
governor’s office. The terms of eligibil-
ity were not immediately available.
Teachers will not be included under the
plan, but thegovernor’s office said a sep-
arate program for teachers could be an-
nounced at a later date.
An employee who takes early retire-
Qualified state employees will be of-
fered cash payments or up to five years
of insurance coverage if they agree to
voluntary retirement, according to a
plan set forth Monday by Gov. Robert
Bentley’s office.
ment would have the option of continu-
ing familyhealth insurance for twoanda
half years, ormember insurance for five
years until the retiree reaches age 65 or
qualifies for Medicare. Tobacco users
would be required to pay the difference
between the tobaccouser andnon-tobac-
co user premiums.Employees could also agree to a
THOUSANDS OF STATEWORKERS TO BE OFFERED INCENTIVES PACKAGE
Bentley unveilsretirement plan4,500 state employees will qualify for voluntary program
By Brian Lyman
See BENTLEY » 6A
The Alabama State Department of
Education on Monday named the
members of the three-person investi-
gative team that will look into allega-
tions of mass grade changes at three
Montgomery public high schools.
Dr. Terry Jenkins, former Auburn
City Schools superintendent, Larry
Raines, a former high school princi-
pal and ACCESS Administrator at
ALSDE, and A.J. Price, the former
technology coordinator and INOW
contract specialist forALSDE,will in-
vestigate the charges reported in the
Montgomery Advertiser two weeks
ago. In the story, numerous teachers
at Robert E. Lee, JeffersonDavis and
Sidney Lanier high schools made
allegations of grade changing at the
schools. INOW is the state-mandated
student records system that tracks
changes in grades.The investigative team held its
firstmeetingMonday to review infor-
mation and formulate a plan, accord-
ing to ALSDE spokeswoman Malissa
Valdes-Hubert.Thenext stepwill bea
review of all student information
within Montgomery’s high schools.
MontgomeryPublicSchoolssuper-
intendent Barbara Thompson re-
quested the investigation. Itwill oper-
ate in conjunction with a separate in-
vestigation that the Montgomery
Board of Education approved last
week when it voted unanimously to
hire a former FBI investigator to also
look into the allegations.
MPS board chairman Charlotte
Meadows also has sent a letter to At-
torney General Luther Strange ask-
ing him to conduct an investigation.
Panel willinvestigateLee, JD,LanierThree-person team to
look into allegations
of grade changing
A businessman who
contends his good name
was damaged during a
Hyundai land sale dispute
was told in Montgomery
County Circuit Court on
Monday that he can pro-
ceed with his civil suit
against Montgomery Pro-
bate Judge Reese McKin-
ney and other defendants.
Although Judge John-
ny Hardwick granted a
motion to dismiss a count
of negligence from the
suit, he denied the defen-
dants’ motion to dismiss
RobertThorntonJr.’s alle-
gations of malicious pros-
ecution and civil conspir-
acy.Hardwick will set an-
other hearing date to de-
cide whether to grant
Thornton’s motion for
summary judgment on
those two counts.The lawsuit is part of a
complicated dispute that
began in 2002 after the In-
dustrial Development
Board made purchases
from several landowners
for what would become
Hyundai Motor Manufac-
turing of Alabama.McKinney, onbehalf of
a company called South-
dale LLC, and about a doz-
en other landowners sued
Thornton, the Industrial
Development Board’s
chairman, and several
other public officials and
entities in 2004.The landowners con-
tended they were de-
frauded because their
agreement stipulated ev-
eryone would receive the
same amount of money
per acre. But after an
agreement to pay them
$4,500 an acre, Hyundai
said it needed additional
landfor itsplant, andown-
ers of the additional land
later received $12,000 an
Plantland salesuit goesforwardBy Kala Kachmar
See SUIT » 6A
WASHINGTON — Ameri-
cans stepped up their spend-
ingat retail businesses inSep-
tember. The increase was
driven by another strong
monthofautosalesandthere-
lease of the iPhone5.
Retail sales rose 1.1 per-
cent last month to a seasonal-
ly adjusted $412.9 billion, the
Commerce Department said
Monday. That followed a 1.2
percent increase in August,
which was revised slightly
higher. Both were the largest
gains since October 2010.
Sales rose last month in
most major categories. Elec-
tronicsandappliances surged
4.5 percent, in part because of
iPhone sales. Sales at auto
dealers increased1.3 percent.
Building materials and gar-
den supplies, furniture and
clothing sales all gained, too.
The retail sales report is
closely watched because it is
thegovernment’s firstmonth-
ly look at consumer spending,
which drives nearly 70 per-
cent of economic activity.
Economists said the Sep-
tember gains should help
drive stronger growth in the
July-September quarter.
“We expect growth to ac-
celerate in the finalquarterof
the year and are supported in
this view by the strong show-
ing in retail sales,” saidJames
Marple, senior economist at
TD Economics.The economy remains the
top issue in this year's presi-
dential election just three
weeks before Election Day.
PresidentBarackObamamay
also benefit from the batch of
encouraging economic fig-
ures that show the economy
on the rise.The unemployment rate
dropped to 7.8 percent last
month. It was the first time
the rate has been below 8 per-
cent since January 2009.
The economy has added an
average of 146,000 jobs a
month in the July-September
quarter.More jobsand lowerunem-
ployment have consumers
feeling more optimistic.
Jessica McEntee looks through dresses while shopping last month at a clothing boutique in
Cambridge, Mass. Retail sales saw a surge in September of 1.1 percent. STEVEN SENNE/AP
U.S. retail salesjump 1.1 percentAuto sales, iPhone 5
release help to fuel
September’s gains
ByMartin Crutsinger
Associated Press
Double-digit auto sales: And
U.S. auto companies reported
that sales rose 13 percent in Sep-
tember from a year earlier to
nearly 1.2 million.
Councilmancalls for draftbeer sales inPrattville
METRO & STATE 2A
Vol. 185, No. 290Copyright 2012;
Advertiser Media Group
Bridge...................................... 6CClassified................................. 6CDeath Notices ....................... 6AOpinion................................... 7AHoroscopes............................. 6CLotteries ................................. 2ANation/World........................ 4APuzzles..................................... 6CSudoku .................................... 5B
Mostly sunny and mild today;fall chill in the air tonight.High 77; Low 51
» Get the up-to-the-minute weather data andforecasts.montgomeryadvertiser.com
WEATHER 8A
SECONDPRESIDENTIALDEBATE8 P.M. TODAY
SUBJECTS: Foreign, domestic issuesFORMAT: Town hall meeting, with voters questioningcandidates directlyWHERE: Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y.MODERATOR: Candy Crowley of CNN
OBAMA-ROMNEYROUND 2
Since 1829
INSIDE DEBATE ‘BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE’ 8A
About4,500stateemployeeswillqual-ify for the program, according to thegovernor’s office. The terms of eligibil-ity were not immediately available.Teachers will not be included under theplan, but thegovernor’s office said a sep-arate program for teachers could be an-nounced at a later date.An employee who takes early retire-
Qualified state employees will be of-fered cash payments or up to five yearsof insurance coverage if they agree tovoluntary retirement, according to aplan set forth Monday by Gov. RobertBentley’s office.
ment would have the option of continu-ing familyhealth insurance for twoandahalf years, ormember insurance for fiveyears until the retiree reaches age 65 orqualifies for Medicare. Tobacco userswould be required to pay the differencebetween the tobaccouser andnon-tobac-co user premiums.Employees could also agree to a
THOUSANDS OF STATEWORKERS TO BE OFFERED INCENTIVES PACKAGE
Bentley unveilsretirement plan4,500 state employees will qualify for voluntary programBy Brian [email protected]
See BENTLEY » 6A
The Alabama State Department ofEducation on Monday named themembers of the three-person investi-gative team that will look into allega-tions of mass grade changes at threeMontgomery public high schools.Dr. Terry Jenkins, former AuburnCity Schools superintendent, LarryRaines, a former high school princi-pal and ACCESS Administrator atALSDE, and A.J. Price, the formertechnology coordinator and INOWcontract specialist forALSDE,will in-vestigate the charges reported in theMontgomery Advertiser two weeksago. In the story, numerous teachersat Robert E. Lee, JeffersonDavis andSidney Lanier high schools madeallegations of grade changing at theschools. INOW is the state-mandatedstudent records system that trackschanges in grades.The investigative team held itsfirstmeetingMonday to review infor-mation and formulate a plan, accord-ing to ALSDE spokeswoman MalissaValdes-Hubert.Thenext stepwill beareview of all student informationwithin Montgomery’s high schools.MontgomeryPublicSchoolssuper-intendent Barbara Thompson re-quested the investigation. Itwill oper-ate in conjunction with a separate in-vestigation that the MontgomeryBoard of Education approved lastweek when it voted unanimously tohire a former FBI investigator to alsolook into the allegations.
MPS board chairman CharlotteMeadows also has sent a letter to At-torney General Luther Strange ask-ing him to conduct an investigation.
Panel willinvestigateLee, JD,LanierThree-person team tolook into allegationsof grade changingBy [email protected]
A businessman whocontends his good namewas damaged during aHyundai land sale disputewas told in MontgomeryCounty Circuit Court onMonday that he can pro-ceed with his civil suitagainst Montgomery Pro-bate Judge Reese McKin-ney and other defendants.
Although Judge John-ny Hardwick granted amotion to dismiss a countof negligence from thesuit, he denied the defen-dants’ motion to dismissRobertThorntonJr.’s alle-gations of malicious pros-ecution and civil conspir-acy.
Hardwick will set an-other hearing date to de-cide whether to grantThornton’s motion forsummary judgment onthose two counts.
The lawsuit is part of acomplicated dispute thatbegan in 2002 after the In-dustrial DevelopmentBoard made purchasesfrom several landownersfor what would becomeHyundai Motor Manufac-turing of Alabama.
McKinney, onbehalf ofa company called South-dale LLC, and about a doz-en other landowners suedThornton, the IndustrialDevelopment Board’schairman, and severalother public officials andentities in 2004.
The landowners con-tended they were de-frauded because theiragreement stipulated ev-eryone would receive thesame amount of moneyper acre. But after anagreement to pay them$4,500 an acre, Hyundaisaid it needed additionallandfor itsplant, andown-ers of the additional landlater received $12,000 an
Plantland salesuit goesforwardBy Kala [email protected]
See SUIT » 6A
WASHINGTON — Ameri-cans stepped up their spend-ingat retail businesses inSep-tember. The increase wasdriven by another strongmonthofautosalesandthere-lease of the iPhone5.
Retail sales rose 1.1 per-cent last month to a seasonal-ly adjusted $412.9 billion, theCommerce Department saidMonday. That followed a 1.2percent increase in August,which was revised slightlyhigher. Both were the largestgains since October 2010.
Sales rose last month in
most major categories. Elec-tronicsandappliances surged4.5 percent, in part because ofiPhone sales. Sales at autodealers increased1.3 percent.Building materials and gar-den supplies, furniture andclothing sales all gained, too.
The retail sales report isclosely watched because it isthegovernment’s firstmonth-ly look at consumer spending,which drives nearly 70 per-cent of economic activity.
Economists said the Sep-tember gains should helpdrive stronger growth in theJuly-September quarter.
“We expect growth to ac-celerate in the finalquarterofthe year and are supported inthis view by the strong show-ing in retail sales,” saidJamesMarple, senior economist atTD Economics.
The economy remains the
top issue in this year's presi-dential election just threeweeks before Election Day.PresidentBarackObamamayalso benefit from the batch ofencouraging economic fig-ures that show the economyon the rise.
The unemployment ratedropped to 7.8 percent lastmonth. It was the first timethe rate has been below 8 per-cent since January 2009.
The economy has added anaverage of 146,000 jobs amonth in the July-Septemberquarter.
More jobsand lowerunem-ployment have consumersfeeling more optimistic.
Jessica McEntee looks through dresses while shopping last month at a clothing boutique inCambridge, Mass. Retail sales saw a surge in September of 1.1 percent. STEVEN SENNE/AP
U.S. retail salesjump 1.1 percentAuto sales, iPhone 5release help to fuelSeptember’s gainsByMartin CrutsingerAssociated Press
Double-digit auto sales: AndU.S. auto companies reportedthat sales rose 13 percent in Sep-tember from a year earlier tonearly 1.2 million.
EdUCATION ★
PAGE 2B
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2012BUSINESSRick Harmon, State/Business Edito
r | 261-1583 | [email protected] | montgomeryadvertiser.com/business
DOW13,575.36+80.75+0.60%
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DILBERT » SCOTT ADAMS
STOCKS OF LOCAL INTERESTDAILY DAILY YTD
NAME SYMBOL DIV PE CLOSE CHG %CHG
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BncTrstFnBTFG ... 3.03 +.03 +144.4
BigLotsBIG ... 11 30.29 +.49 -19.8
BlountBLT ... 16 13.27 +.10 -8.6
BoeingBA 1.76 12 69.94 +.08 -4.6
BrinkerEAT .80 19 34.63 +.60 +29.4
CampSpCPB 1.16 15 35.12 +.05 +5.7
ChevronCVX 3.60 9 117.15 +1.01 +10.1
CocaCola sKO 1.02 20 38.33 +.09 +9.6
ColonPTCLP .72 20.89 -.11 +.1
DardenDRI 2.00 15 56.04 +.36 +22.9
DillardsDDS .20 8 74.78 +1.12 +66.6
EnergenEGN .56 14 52.00 +.68 +4.0
EnstarGrpESGR ... 8 100.58 +1.83 +2.4
Fifth&PacFNP ... 8 10.51 -.23 +21.8
FlowrsFdsFLO .64 22 19.41 -.03 +2.3
FordMF .20 8 10.11 +.17 -6.0
GannettGCI .80 11 18.33 +.23 +37.1
GenElecGE .68 19 22.95 +.04 +28.1
GenMotorsGM ... 9 24.65 +.26 +21.6
HancHldHBHC .96 22 31.24 +.10 -2.3
HondaHMC ... 31.20 +.83 +2.1
IntPapIP 1.05 14 36.49 +.30 +23.3
LowesLOW .64 20 30.95 +.25 +21.9
McDnldsMCD 3.08 17 91.03 +.68 -9.3
PapaJohnsPZZA ... 21 52.55 -.22 +39.5
RegionsFnRF .04 18 7.51 +.19 +74.5
SaksSKS ... 25 10.61 +.31 +8.8
SouthnCoSO 1.96 19 45.97 +.12 -.7
SynovusSNV .04 2.45 +.07 +73.8
TorchmarkTMK .60 11 51.69 +.66 +19.1
USAirwyLCC ... 6 11.67 -.11 +130.2
VFCpVFC 2.88 20 162.95 +2.36 +28.3
VulcanMVMC .04 47.96 +.81 +21.9
WalMartWMT 1.59 16 74.72 +.52 +25.0
WellsFargoWFC .88 12 35.97 +.53 +30.5
YumBrndsYUM 1.34 21 66.47 +.05 +12.6
COMMODITIES, FUTURES
Corn CBOT Dec 12 757 +.25
Wheat CBOT Dec 12 869.25 -3.75
Soybeans CBOT Nov 12 1551.50 +19.75
Cattle CME Oct 12 122.32 -.75
Sugar (world) ICEMar 13 21.60 +.02
Oats CBOT Dec 12 370.75 +7.50
Soybean OilCBOTDec 12 51.44 +.71
Cotton ICE Dec 12 72.09 -.07
Britain 1.6185 1.6072
Canada .9807 .9882
Euro.7682 .7752
Japan 78.50 78.52
Mexico 12.7556 12.8432
3.25 3.25
0.75 0.75
.00-.25 .00-.25
0.10 0.09
0.14 0.14
0.19 0.18
0.63 0.60
1.68 1.62
2.89 2.80
Prime RateDiscount Rate
Federal Funds Rate
Treasuries: 3-month6-month
1-year5-year
10-year30-year
Gold (troy oz) $1794.10$1777.30
Silver (troy oz)$34.041
$34.631
Gold Coins $1872.38$1855.14
FUTURES
METALS
CURRENCIES
MONEY RATES
Yesterday Pvs Day
Yesterday Pvs Day
Yesterday Pvs Day
British pound expressed in U.S. All others
show dollar in foreign currency.
CBOT-- Chicago Board of Trade
CMER -- Chicago Mercantile Exchange
NCSE -- New York Cotton, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange
NCTN -- New York Cotton Exchange
Exchange Contract Settle Chg
Like a lot of recent college
graduates, Larisha Daniels had
trouble finding a job after get-
ting her bachelor’s degree.
“I don’t have experience be-
cause people won’t give me a
chance,” Daniels said. “And
theywon’t giveme a chance be-
cause I don’t have experience.”
So she went back to school
and said she’s on track to get a
master’s degree next spring at
South University. Now ready to
re-enter the workforce, she
spent Thursday morning mak-
ing connections at a career fair
at Alabama State University —
withher 2-year-old son,Christo-
pher, in tow.“I’m just trying toputmyself
out there, maybe for an intern-
ship,” she said.She was part of a crowd that
streamed into ASU’s Acadome
in Montgomery to meet with
representatives from more
than 50 employers, including
Regions Bank, Hyundai Motor
Manufacturing Alabama, State
Farm andWal-Mart.
The annual fall event was
open to all college students and
graduates, regardless of their
school.“With the job market being
as it is,a lotofstudentshavetak-
en advantage of this opportuni-
ty to get face-to-face contact
with recruiting organizations,”
said career fair program coor-
dinator Ella Tucker. “We do
have a lot of alumni coming out,
too, who are thinking maybe of
changing career fields.”
One of the recruiters, Sher-
win-WilliamsstoremanagerZa-
chary Brooks, said it was the
first of three such fairs he
would attend Thursday. He said
his company, which has four
stores in the River Region, uses
the fairs to land newmanagers.
“It’s kind of our building
block for the future of the com-
pany, these career fairs and
management trainees,” Brooks
said.
Other recruiters were there
to represent state agencies, po-
lice departments or even school
systems.Recruiter Jason Kennedy
made the trip fromNorth Caro-
lina, where he handles recruit-
ment and retention for Wade
County schools.“You’ve got to go different
places to find the best and the
brightest teachers to come to
your area,” Kennedy said. “For
us coming down to Alabama
State, it’s a good thing to form a
relationshipandhopefully form
that pool of applicants to come
to North Carolina.”Jerry Collins didn’t have to
go quite as far to represent Tus-
caloosaCity Schools.He said he
attends the school’s spring ca-
reer fair every year, but this
was his first appearance at the
fall fair.“There’s usually a big turn-
out in the springwith education
majors,”Collinssaid.“Youdon’t
have a lot of education majors
coming out in December.
“But I’m always excited to
come down to Alabama State.”
Larisha Daniels, left, with her 2-year-old son Christopher, talks Thursday to Kelly Waites, center, and Suzanna
Stinson of Montgomery Medical Supply during a career fair at Alabama State University.
BRAD HARPER/ADVERTISER
Career fair drawscrowd of hopefulsMore than 50 companies on hand at ASU
By Brad Harper
NEWYORK—Facebook has
topped 1 billion users, but the
past few months have not
been easy.CEO Mark Zuckerberg
says that the company is go-
ing through a bit of a rough
patch following its rocky ini-
tial public offering.Zuckerberg updated his
Facebook status on Thursday
to announce that the social
networking site has more
than 1 billion active userseach month.
The MenloPark, Calif.-based companyhas had a diffi-cult time of late.There weretrading glitchesthe day it wentpublic in Mayand concerns
since then about its revenue
potential. It’s also facing law-
suits from disgruntled share-
holders.Zuckerberg said in a “To-
day” show interview Thurs-
day, “We’re in a tough cycle
now and that doesn’t helpmo-
rale, but people are focused
on what they’re building.”
Zuckerberg told Matt
Lauer during the “Today” in-
terview that Facebook’s fu-
ture is about mobile, an area
it’sbeencriticizedfornotcap-
italizing on quickly enough.
The 28-year-old executive
also continued to reassure
that he is the right person to
lead Facebook, as some on
Wall Street have questioned
whether he has the ability to
lead a large public company.
“I take this responsibility
very seriously,” he said.
Facebook tops1 billion usersAssociated Press
Zuckerberg
HITS ANDMISSES
February 2004:Mark Zuckerberg
starts Facebook as a sophomore
at Harvard University.
May 2006: Facebook introduces
work networks, allowing people
with a corporate email to join.
September 2006: Facebook
begins letting anyone over 13
join.
May 2007: Facebook launches
Platform, a system for letting
outside programmers develop
tools for sharing photos, taking
quizzes and playing games.
October 2007: Facebook agrees
to sell a 1.6 percent stake to Mi-
crosoft for $240 million and
forges advertising partnership.
February 2009: Facebook intro-
duces “Like.”
June 2009: Facebook surpasses
News Corp.’s Myspace as the
leading online social network in
the U.S.
October 2010: “The Social Net-
work,” a movie about Zuckerberg
and the legal battles over Face-
book’s founding, is released.
November 2011: Facebook
agrees to settle federal charges
that it violated users’ privacy by
getting people to share more
information than they agreed to
when they signed up to the site.
February 2012: Facebook files
for an initial public offering of
stock.
April 2012: Facebook announces
plans to buy Instagram for $1
billion in cash and stock.
May 2012: OnMay 17, Facebook
prices its IPO at $38 per share, and
the stock begins trading the next
day. The following week, the
stock price starts dropping amid
concerns about Facebook’s ability
to keep growing revenue and sell
ads on mobile devices.
NEWYORK—Americansmay
have slowed their spending in
September after splurging in
the month before during the
busy back-to-school shopping
season. But most importantly,
they are still spending.
Septembersalesrose3.9per-
cent — a slowdown from the 6-
percent rise in August — as 22
retailers likeMacy’s andCostco
reportedmixed results, accord-
ing to the International Council
of Shopping Centers.
Still, given the economic and
political uncertainty that
weighs on many Americans
right now, analysts say the re-
sults are an encouraging sign
for stores as they head into
what’s traditionally the busiest
shopping period of the year in
November and December.
“This should set up to be a
good holiday season,” said Ken
Perkins, president of Retail
Metrics LLC, a research firm.
Retailers’ monthly sales fig-
ures are based on revenue at
stores open at least a year. That
measure,which isconsidered to
be an indicator of a retailer’s
health because it excludes re-
sults from stores recently
opened or closed, offers in-
sights into how Americans are
spending during the slow eco-
nomic recovery.But only a handful of mer-
chants representing about 13
percent of the $2.4 trillion U.S.
retail industry report monthly
revenue. And that list is dwin-
dling:TargetCorp. onThursday
said that it will no longer report
monthly figures starting next
year.September’s results offer
hope for retailers as they head
into the winter holiday shop-
pingseason,a two-monthperiod
inwhich they canmake up to 40
percent of their annual reve-
nue. That’s also important be-
cause consumer spending ac-
counts for 70 percent of eco-
nomic activity.Right now, confidence is at a
seven-month high.
Retailers report slower sales
By Anne D’Innocenzio
Associated Press
Americans may have slowed their spending in September after
splurging in August. But , they are still spending. ELISE AMENDOLA/AP
LOWERING SALESSTANDARDS FORHOLIDAY SEASON
The National Retail Federation,
the nation’s largest retail trade
group, said this week that it expects
sales for the November and Decem-
ber period to rise 4.1 percent.
That’s more than a percentage
point lower than the growth in each
of the past years and the smallest
increase since 2009 when sales were
up just 0.3 percent. But the forecast
still is higher than the 3.5 percent
average over the past 10 years.
PAGE 2B
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2012
BUSINESSRick Harmon, State/Business Editor | 261-1583 | [email protected] | montgomeryadvertiser.com/business
DOW13,575.36+80.75+0.60%
NASDAQ3,149.46+14.23+0.45%
S&P 5001,461.40+10.41+0.72%
DILBERT » SCOTT ADAMS
STOCKS OF LOCAL INTERESTDAILY DAILY YTDNAME SYMBOL DIV PE CLOSE CHG %CHG
AT&T Inc T 1.76 51 38.34 +.17 +26.8BB&TCp BBT .80 14 33.58 +.41 +33.4BcBilVArg BBVA .55 7.83 +.02 -8.6BncTrstFn BTFG ... 3.03 +.03 +144.4BigLots BIG ... 11 30.29 +.49 -19.8Blount BLT ... 16 13.27 +.10 -8.6Boeing BA 1.76 12 69.94 +.08 -4.6Brinker EAT .80 19 34.63 +.60 +29.4CampSp CPB 1.16 15 35.12 +.05 +5.7Chevron CVX 3.60 9 117.15 +1.01 +10.1CocaCola s KO 1.02 20 38.33 +.09 +9.6ColonPT CLP .72 20.89 -.11 +.1Darden DRI 2.00 15 56.04 +.36 +22.9Dillards DDS .20 8 74.78 +1.12 +66.6Energen EGN .56 14 52.00 +.68 +4.0EnstarGrp ESGR ... 8 100.58 +1.83 +2.4Fifth&Pac FNP ... 8 10.51 -.23 +21.8FlowrsFds FLO .64 22 19.41 -.03 +2.3FordM F .20 8 10.11 +.17 -6.0Gannett GCI .80 11 18.33 +.23 +37.1GenElec GE .68 19 22.95 +.04 +28.1GenMotors GM ... 9 24.65 +.26 +21.6HancHld HBHC .96 22 31.24 +.10 -2.3Honda HMC ... 31.20 +.83 +2.1IntPap IP 1.05 14 36.49 +.30 +23.3Lowes LOW .64 20 30.95 +.25 +21.9McDnlds MCD 3.08 17 91.03 +.68 -9.3PapaJohns PZZA ... 21 52.55 -.22 +39.5RegionsFn RF .04 18 7.51 +.19 +74.5Saks SKS ... 25 10.61 +.31 +8.8SouthnCo SO 1.96 19 45.97 +.12 -.7Synovus SNV .04 2.45 +.07 +73.8Torchmark TMK .60 11 51.69 +.66 +19.1USAirwy LCC ... 6 11.67 -.11 +130.2VFCp VFC 2.88 20 162.95 +2.36 +28.3VulcanM VMC .04 47.96 +.81 +21.9WalMart WMT 1.59 16 74.72 +.52 +25.0WellsFargo WFC .88 12 35.97 +.53 +30.5YumBrnds YUM 1.34 21 66.47 +.05 +12.6
COMMODITIES, FUTURES
Corn CBOT Dec 12 757 +.25Wheat CBOT Dec 12 869.25 -3.75Soybeans CBOT Nov 12 1551.50 +19.75Cattle CME Oct 12 122.32 -.75Sugar (world) ICE Mar 13 21.60 +.02Oats CBOT Dec 12 370.75 +7.50Soybean OilCBOT Dec 12 51.44 +.71Cotton ICE Dec 12 72.09 -.07
Britain 1.6185 1.6072Canada .9807 .9882Euro .7682 .7752Japan 78.50 78.52Mexico 12.7556 12.8432
3.25 3.250.75 0.75.00-.25 .00-.250.10 0.090.14 0.140.19 0.180.63 0.601.68 1.622.89 2.80
Prime RateDiscount Rate
Federal Funds RateTreasuries: 3-month
6-month1-year5-year
10-year30-year
Gold (troy oz) $1794.10 $1777.30Silver (troy oz) $34.041 $34.631Gold Coins $1872.38 $1855.14
FUTURES
METALS
CURRENCIES
MONEY RATES
Yesterday Pvs Day
Yesterday Pvs Day
Yesterday Pvs Day
British pound expressed in U.S. All othersshow dollar in foreign currency.
CBOT-- Chicago Board of TradeCMER -- Chicago Mercantile ExchangeNCSE -- New York Cotton, Sugar & Cocoa ExchangeNCTN -- New York Cotton Exchange
Exchange Contract Settle Chg
Like a lot of recent collegegraduates, Larisha Daniels hadtrouble finding a job after get-ting her bachelor’s degree.
“I don’t have experience be-cause people won’t give me achance,” Daniels said. “Andtheywon’t giveme a chance be-cause I don’t have experience.”
So she went back to schooland said she’s on track to get amaster’s degree next spring atSouth University. Now ready tore-enter the workforce, shespent Thursday morning mak-ing connections at a career fairat Alabama State University —withher 2-year-old son,Christo-pher, in tow.
“I’m just trying toputmyselfout there, maybe for an intern-ship,” she said.
She was part of a crowd thatstreamed into ASU’s Acadomein Montgomery to meet withrepresentatives from morethan 50 employers, including
Regions Bank, Hyundai MotorManufacturing Alabama, StateFarm andWal-Mart.
The annual fall event wasopen to all college students andgraduates, regardless of theirschool.
“With the job market beingas it is,a lotofstudentshavetak-en advantage of this opportuni-ty to get face-to-face contactwith recruiting organizations,”said career fair program coor-dinator Ella Tucker. “We dohave a lot of alumni coming out,too, who are thinking maybe ofchanging career fields.”
One of the recruiters, Sher-win-WilliamsstoremanagerZa-chary Brooks, said it was thefirst of three such fairs hewould attend Thursday. He saidhis company, which has fourstores in the River Region, usesthe fairs to land newmanagers.
“It’s kind of our buildingblock for the future of the com-pany, these career fairs andmanagement trainees,” Brookssaid.
Other recruiters were thereto represent state agencies, po-lice departments or even schoolsystems.
Recruiter Jason Kennedymade the trip fromNorth Caro-lina, where he handles recruit-ment and retention for WadeCounty schools.
“You’ve got to go differentplaces to find the best and thebrightest teachers to come toyour area,” Kennedy said. “Forus coming down to AlabamaState, it’s a good thing to form arelationshipandhopefully formthat pool of applicants to cometo North Carolina.”
Jerry Collins didn’t have togo quite as far to represent Tus-caloosaCity Schools.He said heattends the school’s spring ca-reer fair every year, but thiswas his first appearance at thefall fair.
“There’s usually a big turn-out in the springwith educationmajors,”Collinssaid.“Youdon’thave a lot of education majorscoming out in December.
“But I’m always excited tocome down to Alabama State.”
Larisha Daniels, left, with her 2-year-old son Christopher, talks Thursday to Kelly Waites, center, and SuzannaStinson of Montgomery Medical Supply during a career fair at Alabama State University.BRAD HARPER/ADVERTISER
Career fair drawscrowd of hopefulsMore than 50 companies on hand at ASUBy Brad [email protected]
NEWYORK—Facebook hastopped 1 billion users, but thepast few months have notbeen easy.
CEO Mark Zuckerbergsays that the company is go-ing through a bit of a roughpatch following its rocky ini-tial public offering.
Zuckerberg updated hisFacebook status on Thursdayto announce that the socialnetworking site has morethan 1 billion active users
each month.The Menlo
Park, Calif.-based companyhas had a diffi-cult time of late.There weretrading glitchesthe day it wentpublic in Mayand concerns
since then about its revenuepotential. It’s also facing law-suits from disgruntled share-holders.
Zuckerberg said in a “To-day” show interview Thurs-day, “We’re in a tough cyclenow and that doesn’t helpmo-rale, but people are focusedon what they’re building.”
Zuckerberg told MattLauer during the “Today” in-terview that Facebook’s fu-ture is about mobile, an areait’sbeencriticizedfornotcap-italizing on quickly enough.
The 28-year-old executivealso continued to reassurethat he is the right person tolead Facebook, as some onWall Street have questionedwhether he has the ability tolead a large public company.
“I take this responsibilityvery seriously,” he said.
Facebook tops1 billion usersAssociated Press
Zuckerberg
HITS ANDMISSESFebruary 2004:Mark Zuckerbergstarts Facebook as a sophomoreat Harvard University.May 2006: Facebook introduceswork networks, allowing peoplewith a corporate email to join.September 2006: Facebookbegins letting anyone over 13join.May 2007: Facebook launchesPlatform, a system for lettingoutside programmers developtools for sharing photos, takingquizzes and playing games.October 2007: Facebook agreesto sell a 1.6 percent stake to Mi-crosoft for $240 million andforges advertising partnership.February 2009: Facebook intro-duces “Like.”June 2009: Facebook surpassesNews Corp.’s Myspace as theleading online social network inthe U.S.October 2010: “The Social Net-work,” a movie about Zuckerbergand the legal battles over Face-book’s founding, is released.November 2011: Facebookagrees to settle federal chargesthat it violated users’ privacy bygetting people to share moreinformation than they agreed towhen they signed up to the site.February 2012: Facebook filesfor an initial public offering ofstock.April 2012: Facebook announcesplans to buy Instagram for $1billion in cash and stock.May 2012: OnMay 17, Facebookprices its IPO at $38 per share, andthe stock begins trading the nextday. The following week, thestock price starts dropping amidconcerns about Facebook’s abilityto keep growing revenue and sellads on mobile devices.
NEWYORK—Americansmayhave slowed their spending inSeptember after splurging inthe month before during thebusy back-to-school shoppingseason. But most importantly,they are still spending.
Septembersalesrose3.9per-cent — a slowdown from the 6-percent rise in August — as 22retailers likeMacy’s andCostcoreportedmixed results, accord-ing to the International Councilof Shopping Centers.
Still, given the economic andpolitical uncertainty thatweighs on many Americansright now, analysts say the re-sults are an encouraging signfor stores as they head intowhat’s traditionally the busiestshopping period of the year inNovember and December.
“This should set up to be agood holiday season,” said KenPerkins, president of Retail
Metrics LLC, a research firm.Retailers’ monthly sales fig-
ures are based on revenue atstores open at least a year. Thatmeasure,which isconsidered tobe an indicator of a retailer’shealth because it excludes re-sults from stores recentlyopened or closed, offers in-sights into how Americans arespending during the slow eco-nomic recovery.
But only a handful of mer-chants representing about 13percent of the $2.4 trillion U.S.retail industry report monthlyrevenue. And that list is dwin-dling:TargetCorp. onThursdaysaid that it will no longer reportmonthly figures starting nextyear.
September’s results offerhope for retailers as they headinto the winter holiday shop-pingseason,a two-monthperiod
inwhich they canmake up to 40percent of their annual reve-nue. That’s also important be-cause consumer spending ac-counts for 70 percent of eco-nomic activity.
Right now, confidence is at aseven-month high.
Retailers report slower salesBy Anne D’InnocenzioAssociated Press
Americans may have slowed their spending in September aftersplurging in August. But , they are still spending. ELISE AMENDOLA/AP
LOWERING SALESSTANDARDS FORHOLIDAY SEASONThe National Retail Federation,
the nation’s largest retail tradegroup, said this week that it expectssales for the November and Decem-ber period to rise 4.1 percent.That’s more than a percentage
point lower than the growth in eachof the past years and the smallestincrease since 2009 when sales wereup just 0.3 percent. But the forecaststill is higher than the 3.5 percentaverage over the past 10 years.
BUSINESS ★
TUSCALOOSA — Alabama’sfootball teamwill spendSatur-day night at Tiger Stadium inBatonRouge, La., and theTideis fine with that.The stadium’s nicknamethrows some of them a littlebit, however, especially run-ning back Eddie Lacy, who isfrom Geismar, La., about 22miles down Interstate 10 fromBaton Rouge.“When you have to go playsomewhere called Death Val-ley,you’re like, ‘Uh,er...’”Lacysaid, smiling. “But seriously?You know they’re going tohave the crowd, and they’regoing to have their energy go-ing.Just thestadium,especial-ly when you play at nighttime,that’s a different effect.”Statistically, 92,542-seat Ti-ger Stadium is the toughestplace in the nation for visitors,especially on Saturday night.In fact, Alabama’s last roadloss came in 2010 at LSU, andthat was a day game.The Tigers have won 22straight at home, the nation’slongest streak. Since LesMiles arrived at LSU as headcoach, the team is 36-1 on Sat-urday night at home.Tim Tebow and Floridamanaged the lone win in 2009.That Gators team entered Ti-ger Stadium ranked No. 1 inthe major polls, as Alabama isnow.
“The main thing is just theatmosphere of the crowd,”Alabama linebacker C.J. Mos-ley said. “Some teams mightgo down there and just nothave the right mindset or beready to play, and they mightlet the crowdget to themor letthe adversity get to them.”Crimson Tide strength andconditioning coach ScottCochran on Monday read theTide players a quote about Ti-ger Stadium from Les Miles,who has a school-record fivewins over Alabama: “This istrulyaplacewhereopponents’dreams go to die.”“It’ll be my first time play-ing there at night,” Alabama
ALABAMA FOOTBALL
Betweenenemy lines
Top-ranked Tidetravels to collegefootball’s mosthostile environmentByMark EdwardsSpecial to the Advertiser
Alabama wide receiver Kevin Norwood will play Saturday in his first night game at TigerStadium, where LSU has a 36-1 record after dark under head coach Les Miles. ADVERTISER FILE
“Last time I played there, itwas daytime, so I don’t reallyknow the crowd that well,except that they hate us, ofcourse, and that they’re goingto be loud. LSU is going tohave their crowd behindthem.”KEVIN NORWOOD, Alabama wide receiver
See ENEMY » 3B
(1) ALABAMAAT (5) LSUWhen: 7 p.m.SaturdayWhere: TigerStadium, Baton Rouge, La.Records: UA (8-0, 5-0 SEC), LSU (7-1,3-1)On the air: TV—WAKA/CBS; Radio— Fuzion-FM 100.1, WTLS-FM 106.5,WTLS-AM1300Line: Alabama by 10
TROY — The checkerboardend zones, Bluetick Coonhoundand Rocky Top were supposedto be home for Chip Reeves.Reeves had orange visionswhen he initially committed toTennessee in high school, butthe Troy receiver is only nowabout to play his first game atNeyland Stadium.“I was hoping nobody wouldremember that,” Reeves said.“But I’m ready for that game.”Troy (4-4) faces the Volun-teers (3-5) for the first timeat11a.m. Saturday, ending Reeves’long wait.Reeves said he instead chose
the Trojans because they want-ed him as a receiver and wereclose to his Atlanta-area home.All of Reeves’ other offers, ex-cept for West Virginia, were atcornerback, he said.“I really wanted to play of-fense,” Reeves said. “I knew Ididn’t want to tackle all thosebig people on defense.”His dad, Charles, was hishigh school football coach andwas the only person who knewof Reeves’ position preference,
Reeves said. He first suggestedhis son take a visit to Troy.Plus, Tennessee had firedhead coach Phillip Fulmer,whose assistants had recruitedReeves. Trooper Taylor, now atAuburn, was at Oklahoma Stateby the timeReeves reached col-lege.“Troy threw the ball 90 timesagame, so itwas better forme,”Reeves said. “I wasn’t reallyaware of how much Troy threwthe ball, but my dad was.“Hetalkedme intogoingonavisit. He was like, ‘Go. Youmight like it.’”
Without an unlucky breaklast year, Reeves wouldn’t befacing the Vols.
Chip Reevesleads all Troyreceivers with42 catches for660 yards andfour TDs.MICKEYWELSH/ADVERTISERFILE
TROY FOOTBALL
Receiver Reeves almostcaught on with the VolsTROY ATTENNESSEEWhen: 11 a.m.SaturdayWhere: NeylandStadium, Knox-ville, Tenn.Records: Troy(4-4), UT (3-5)On the air: TV— Fox SportsSouth; Radio—WXFX-FM 95.1,WTBF-FM 94.7,WHBB-AM1490
By A. Stacy [email protected]@AStacyLong on Twitter
“Troy threw the ball90 times a game, so itwas better for me.”CHIP REEVES,Troy receiver
See REEVES » 3B
SECTION B
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2012
SPORTSBrad Zimanek, Sports Editor | 261-1586 | [email protected] | montgomeryadvertiser.com/sports
49ers far finer thanCardinals onMonday night 4B
Positives were few and far between inAuburn’s 63-21 loss to Texas A&M. Almostthe lone bright spot, in fact, was the play offreshman quarterback JonathanWallace.Wallace complete six of nine passes for122yardsand two touchdowns in the secondhalf against the Aggies. Even though thegame was out of reach by the time Wallaceentered and the second-team Aggies de-fense had turned down the pressure, headcoachGene Chizik still was impressedwiththe youngster’s play.So impressed that Chizik said the fresh-man is being considered for the startingquarterback spot.“I think everybody knows that Jonathancameinanddidaverynice job,”Chiziksaid.“The offense, he’s kind of picked it up pieceby piece. It was really good to see him getinto a game and really execute at a prettyhigh level. Obviously he’ll be in strong con-sideration for quarterback playing time ona full-time basis. When we put together thehealth of all the quarterbacks, we’ll seewhere we’re at.”
Starter Clint Moseley left the gamewith
NEWMEXICO STATEAT AUBURNWhen: 11:30 a.m. SaturdayWhere: Jordan-Hare Stadium,AuburnRecords: NMSU (1-7), AU (1-7)On the air: TV— Charter Sports Southeast; Radio—WMSP-AM 740, WLWI-FM 92.3Line: Auburn by 221⁄2
AUBURN FOOTBALL
Auburn freshman quarterback JonathanWallace’s play Saturday against Texas A&Mgreatly impressed his head coach, Gene Chizik.MICKEYWELSH/ADVERTISER
Chizik willconsiderWallacefor starterFreshman QB played well inmop-up duty vs. Texas A&MBy Ethan [email protected]@EGB_123
SeeWALLACE » 3B
FOOT
BALL
★
Since 1829
Vol. 185, No. 305Copyright 2012;
Advertiser Media Group
$1.00
Bridge ................... 6CClassified .............. 5CObituaries ............ 2COpinion................ 6AHoroscopes .......... 6CLotteries ............... 3CNation/World ..... 3APuzzles .................. 6CSudoku.................. 3B
Mostly sunny and breezyduring the day.High 70; Low 42
» Get the up-to-the-minute weatherdata and forecasts.montgomeryadvertiser.com
WEATHER 8A
Wallacenamedstarting QBfor Auburn
SPORTS 1D
FALLFLAVORApples add tohomemadesausage recipeMY LIFE 1B
One current Republican jus-tice on the Alabama SupremeCourt and nine former justices— two of them Republican —urged voters onTuesday to votefor Democraticnominee RobertVance Jr. for chiefjustice of thecourt over Repub-lican Roy Moorein this Tuesday’selection.Current Jus-tice Tom Woodall,who is retiring,and former Act-ing Chief JusticeGorman Houston,also a Republican,were among thosewho released anopen letter to vot-ers onTuesdayen-couraging them to supportVance, a circuit judge in Jeffer-son County.
The other Republican to an-nounce his support for Vance isformer Associate Justice Ber-nard Harwood.While Alabama Republicanshave strict rules about Republi-cans supporting Democraticcandidates, Woodall is retiring.The Democrats include for-merChiefJusticeSueBellCobb
VancereceivessupportOne current, nineformer justicesendorse DemocratBy Sebastian [email protected]@SouthUnionSt on Twitter
Vance
Moore
ONLINEWatch video of justicesendorsing Vance atmontgomeryadvertiser.com
ELECTION
PITTSBURGH — The most devastatingstorm in decades to hit the country’s mostdensely populated region upended manand nature as it rolled back the clock on21st-century lives, cutting off moderncommunication and leaving millions with-
out power Tuesday as thousands who fledtheir water-menaced homes wonderedwhen— if — life would return to normal.A weakening Sandy, the hurricaneturned fearsome superstorm, killed atleast 50 people, many hit by falling trees,and still wasn’t finished. It inched inlandacrossPennsylvania, readytobanktowardwesternNewYork to dumpmore of itswa-ter and likely cause more havoc Tuesdaynight. Behind it: a dazed, inundated NewYork City, a waterlogged Atlantic Coastand amoonscape of disarray and debris—from unmoored shore-town boardwalks to
submerged mass-transit systems to deli-cate presidential politics.“Nature,” said New York City MayorMichaelBloomberg, assessing thedamageto his city, “is an awful lot more powerfulthan we are.”More than 8.2 million households werewithout power in 17 states as far west asMichigan.Nearly2millionof thosewere inNew York, where large swaths of lowerManhattan lost electricity and entirestreets endedupunderwater—asdid sev-en subway tunnels between Manhattanand Brooklyn at one point, the Metropoli-tan Transportation Authority said. TheNewYorkStockExchangewasclosedforasecond day from weather, the first timethat has happened since a blizzard in 1888.The city’s subway system, the lifeblood ofmore than 5 million residents, was dam-aged like never before and closed indefi-nitely, and Consolidated Edison said elec-tricity in and around New York could take
The lights on the Brooklyn Bridge stand in contrast to the lower Manhattan skyline which has lost its electrical supply, Tuesday, after
megastorm Sandy swept through New York. A record storm surge was higher than predicted. APDisarray,millionswithoutpower
SANDY’S AFTERMATH
Superstorm kills at least 50;electricity out in 17 statesBy Ted AnthonyAssociated Press
Taxis are submerged in floodwaters onTuesday.
ONLINEWatch video and view photos of stormdamage atmontgomeryadvertiser.com
TheCEOof a Clanton hospi-tal that has had its license sus-pended says he hopes to find anewowner to operatewhat hasbeen the only hospital in a 60-mile stretch between Pratt-ville and Alabaster.The Alabama DepartmentofHealth issuedanemergencyorder Monday suspending thelicense of Clanton Hospital af-ter the facility was unable tomeet its payroll. The hospitaloperates as Chilton MedicalCenter. Itwasgivennotice ear-lier thismonth its licensecouldbe revoked.
Clanton Hospital CEO TedChapin said Tuesday there is asign on the hospital’s frontdoor that says those seekinghealth care should go to hospi-tals in Prattville,Montgomery,Alabaster orBirmingham.Theyellow sign greets visitors tothe one-story hospital.He said hospital officialshopetoprovideafinancialplanfor reopening the facility at aNov. 8 meeting with a healthdepartment hearing officer.
State Health Officer DonWilliamson said at the hearinghospital officials will have toshowtheyhavefixed thefinan-cial problems “and that theywill stay fixed.”Chapin said it’s important toget the hospital’s doors openbecause patients suffering aheart attack or a serious injurycurrently have to travel toPrattville or Alabaster to re-ceive care.Chapin said he was con-cernedabout “someonesuffer-ingchestpainsorakidneedingstitches,” Chapin said.Williamson said it won’t
Clanton hospital’slicense suspended
Chilton Medical Center inClanton has 60 beds. JAY REEVES/AP
By Bob JohnsonAssociated Press
See HOSPITAL » 2A
LOS ANGELES — A decadesince George Lucas said “StarWars” was finished on the bigscreen, a new trilogy undernew ownership is destined fortheaters after The Walt Dis-ney Co. announced Tuesdaythat it was buying LucasfilmLtd. fromhim for $4.05 billion.The seventh movie, with aworking title of “Episode 7,” isset for release in 2015. Epi-
sodes 8 and 9 will follow. Thetrilogy will continue the storyof Luke Skywalker, Han SoloandPrincessLeia beyond “Re-turnof theJedi,” the third filmreleased and the sixth in thesaga. After that, Disney plansa new “Star Wars” movie ev-ery two or three years. Lucaswill serve as creative consult-ant in the newmovies.“I’m doing this so that thefilms will have a longer life,”
Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger, left, and “Star Wars” creator GeorgeLucas attend ceremonies for a “Star Wars” attraction last year. AP
Disney adds to empireby buying LucasfilmBy Ryan NakashimaAssociated Press
See DISNEY » 2A
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
Tide footballAlabama, LSU getready for showdownSPORTS 1D, 4D
See VANCE » 2A
See STORM » 2A
Since 1829
Vol. 185, No. 305Copyright 2012;
Advertiser Media Group
$1.00
Bridge ................... 6C
Classified .............. 5C
Obituaries ............ 2C
Opinion................ 6A
Horoscopes .......... 6C
Lotteries ............... 3C
Nation/World ..... 3A
Puzzles .................. 6C
Sudoku.................. 3B
Mostly sunny and breezy
during the day.
High 70; Low 42
» Get the up-to-the-minute weather
data and forecasts.
montgomeryadvertiser.com
WEATHER 8A
Wallacenamedstarting QBfor Auburn
SPORTS 1D
FALLFLAVORApples add tohomemadesausage recipe
MY LIFE 1B
One current Republican jus-
tice on the Alabama Supreme
Court and nine former justices
— two of them Republican —urged voters on
Tuesday to vote
for Democratic
nominee Robert
Vance Jr. for chief
justice of the
court over Repub-
lican Roy Moore
in this Tuesday’s
election.Current Jus-
tice Tom Woodall,
who is retiring,
and former Act-
ing Chief Justice
Gorman Houston,
also a Republican,
were among those
who released an
open letter to vot-
ers onTuesdayen-
couraging them to support
Vance, a circuit judge in Jeffer-
son County.The other Republican to an-
nounce his support for Vanceis
former Associate Justice Ber-
nard Harwood.While Alabama Republicans
have strict rules about Republi-
cans supporting Democratic
candidates, Woodall is retiring.
The Democrats include for-
merChiefJusticeSueBellCobb
VancereceivessupportOne current, nineformer justicesendorse Democrat
By Sebastian Kitchen
@SouthUnionSt on Twitter
Vance
Moore
ONLINEWatch video of justices
endorsing Vance at
montgomery
advertiser.com
ELECTION
PITTSBURGH — The most devastating
storm in decades to hit the country’s most
densely populated region upended man
and nature as it rolled back the clock on
21st-century lives, cutting off modern
communication and leaving millions with-
out power Tuesday as thousands who fled
their water-menaced homes wondered
when— if — life would return to normal.
A weakening Sandy, the hurricane
turned fearsome superstorm, killed at
least 50 people, many hit by falling trees,
and still wasn’t finished. It inched inland
acrossPennsylvania, readytobanktoward
westernNewYork to dumpmore of itswa-
ter and likely cause more havoc Tuesday
night. Behind it: a dazed, inundated New
York City, a waterlogged Atlantic Coast
and amoonscape of disarray and debris—
from unmoored shore-town boardwalks to
submerged mass-transit systems to deli-
cate presidential politics.
“Nature,” said New York City Mayor
MichaelBloomberg, assessing thedamage
to his city, “is an awful lot more powerful
than we are.”More than 8.2 million households were
without power in 17 states as far west as
Michigan.Nearly2millionof thosewere in
New York, where large swaths of lower
Manhattan lost electricity and entire
streets endedupunderwater—asdid sev-
en subway tunnels between Manhattan
and Brooklyn at one point, the Metropoli-
tan Transportation Authority said. The
NewYorkStockExchangewasclosedfora
second day from weather, the first time
that has happened since a blizzard in 1888.
The city’s subway system, the lifeblood of
more than 5 million residents, was dam-
aged like never before and closed indefi-
nitely, and Consolidated Edison said elec-
tricity in and around New York could take
The lights on the Brooklyn Bridge stand in contrast to the lower Manhattan skyline which has lost its electrical supply, Tuesday, after
megastorm Sandy swept through New York. A record storm surge was higher than predicted. AP
Disarray,millionswithoutpower
SANDY’S AFTERMATH
Superstorm kills at least 50;
electricity out in 17 states
By Ted Anthony
Associated Press
Taxis are submerged in floodwaters on
Tuesday.
ONLINEWatch video and view photos of storm
damage atmontgomeryadvertiser.com
TheCEOof a Clanton hospi-
tal that has had its license sus-
pended says he hopes to find a
newowner to operatewhat has
been the only hospital in a 60-
mile stretch between Pratt-
ville and Alabaster.The Alabama Department
ofHealth issuedanemergency
order Monday suspending the
license of Clanton Hospital af-
ter the facility was unable to
meet its payroll. The hospital
operates as Chilton Medical
Center. Itwasgivennotice ear-
lier thismonth its licensecould
be revoked.Clanton Hospital CEO Ted
Chapin said Tuesday there is a
sign on the hospital’s front
door that says those seeking
health care should go to hospi-
tals in Prattville,Montgomery,
Alabaster orBirmingham.The
yellow sign greets visitors to
the one-story hospital.
He said hospital officials
hopetoprovideafinancialplan
for reopening the facility at a
Nov. 8 meeting with a health
department hearing officer.
State Health Officer Don
Williamson said at the hearing
hospital officials will have to
showtheyhavefixed thefinan-
cial problems “and that they
will stay fixed.”Chapin said it’s important to
get the hospital’s doors open
because patients suffering a
heart attack or a serious injury
currently have to travel to
Prattville or Alabaster to re-
ceive care.Chapin said he was con-
cernedabout “someonesuffer-
ingchestpainsorakidneeding
stitches,” Chapin said.
Williamson said it won’t
Clanton hospital’slicense suspended
Chilton Medical Center in
Clanton has 60 beds. JAY REEVES/AP
By Bob Johnson
Associated Press
See HOSPITAL » 2A
LOS ANGELES — A decade
since George Lucas said “Star
Wars” was finished on the big
screen, a new trilogy under
new ownership is destined for
theaters after The Walt Dis-
ney Co. announced Tuesday
that it was buying Lucasfilm
Ltd. fromhim for $4.05 billion.
The seventh movie, with a
working title of “Episode 7,” is
set for release in 2015. Epi-
sodes 8 and 9 will follow. The
trilogy will continue the story
of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo
andPrincessLeia beyond “Re-
turnof theJedi,” the third film
released and the sixth in the
saga. After that, Disney plans
a new “Star Wars” movie ev-
ery two or three years. Lucas
will serve as creative consult-
ant in the newmovies.
“I’m doing this so that the
films will have a longer life,”
Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger, left, and “Star Wars” creator George
Lucas attend ceremonies for a “Star Wars” attraction last year. AP
Disney adds to empire
by buying LucasfilmBy Ryan Nakashima
Associated Press
See DISNEY » 2A
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
Tide footballAlabama, LSU getready for showdown
SPORTS 1D, 4D
See VANCE » 2A
See STORM » 2ASTATEGOVERNMENT ★
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