HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Since the inception of the University of Alabama in Huntsville women’s basketball team in 1977-78, no team has started its season 13-2 – until now. The Lady Chargers (13-2, 4-0 GSC) defeated West Florida (5-11, 1-3 GSC) by a score of 81-64 Saturday night at Spragins Hall to set a new standard for UAH women’s basketball.

“I’m so proud of this team,” head coach Roy Heintz said. “We’re going to celebrate this tonight. I told them earlier today if they needed motivation, this is something that can never be taken away from them - it would be the greatest start in school history. Again, I’m very, very proud of this team.”

With the win, UAH bettered the previous best start of 12-2 set by the 1982-83 squad that finished 27-8 on the year. The squad extended its winning streak to a season-long six games which is the longest such streak since the 2002-03 season.

With its fifth victory over UWF in the previous seven meetings, UAH moved to a perfect 7-0 at home this season, which has been matched just twice in school history by the 1982-83 and 2001-02 squads.

“You’re really happy for a group of young ladies when they work as hard as they do and it started in the summer,” Heintz recalled. “Champions are made in the offseason - we hear that and it’s not a cliché. This is one of the hardest working crews I’ve ever worked with. The preseason was very difficult. We really challenged them because I thought we had a great team and they responded.”

The Lady Chargers trailed for the first 2:20 of the contest before tying the game at 4-4 and taking over the lead with a free throw 12 seconds later. From there, UAH would not relinquish the advantage, leading by as much as nine in the first half and heading to the break with a 44-39 lead.

UAH continued to put the pressure on with a 10-0 run over the opening 3:24 in the second half, jumping out to a 54-39 advantage. However, UWF answered right back with a 10-0 run of its own to cut the deficit to five points. That was the closest the Argonauts would come as the Lady Chargers extended its lead again en route to the 17-point victory.

Junior Natalie Kelley posted her first 20-point night of her career at UAH with a game-high 22 points to lead four players in double digits. Junior Bailee Robinson added 16 points and was just one rebound shy of a double-double with a career-high nine rebounds.

“Natalie [Kelley] is a really special player and tonight we needed her,” Heintz said. “Tonight we needed to go inside and she did a great job with 22 points and just missed a double-double [with six rebounds] so I’m really proud of her effort tonight.”

Also scoring in double digits was junior Shannon Steinert and sophomore Jordan Smith with 15 and 11 points, respectively. Steinert grabbed eight rebounds as well, shattering her former career-high of three boards.

As a team, UAH shot 34.4 percent (22-of-64) on the night while UWF connected on 34.8 percent (24-of-69) of its shots. The Lady Chargers held a significant advantage on the glass, pulling down 53 rebounds – their third-most this season - in comparison to the Argonauts’ 40 rebounds.

UAH takes to the road for its next contest, traveling to Cleveland, Miss., on Jan. 19 to face Delta State. Tipoff at Sillers Coliseum is set for 6 p.m. CST.

UAH Media Relations Contributed To This Report

Huntsville, AL-

Sylvia Hayes rode a bus from Atlanta (along with hundreds from her church family) all the way to Huntsville this morning.

“We have three completely full (charter) busses, and two small church busses are filled,” said Hayes.

They came by the buss loads to see their beloved former pastor, Dr. Carlton Byrd, preach his first sermon to his new congregation.

“We love him. We will miss him. We know that he will be great here because he was very great in Atlanta. And we all love Pastor Byrd,” Hayse said.

Over 4,000 people turned out for the installment. Byrd and his family received a warm welcome from their new church family, that was complete with beautiful choir music, gifts and lots of love.

What is it about Byrd that brings so many out to welcome him with enthusiasm?

“Carlton Byrd is a people person. No matter what age you are, no matter who you are, he is going to love you. He knows everybody’s name in his congregation.” Darleen Simmonds said.

The festivities ran from 9am Saturday morning and ended late in the evening.

If you are thinking about attending one of Pastor Byrd’s sermons, he wants you to know that you are welcome.

“He wants every race, color, creed of people! He wants us to be inclusive of everyone,” Simmonds said.

Huntsville, AL-

Head injuries are the most common cause of death during tornados.

Luckily, head injuries can be prevented.

UAB researchers are urging the Federal Centers for Disease Control to incorporate wearing helmets in its tornado preparedness messages.

Many people think it’s a great idea.

“I’ve never had that thought before, but it makes a lot of sense. And if you are already sitting in the bathtub, I mean, it can’t be any worse having a helmet on,” James Harris, a local biker, said.

Even if you don’t play a sport that requires a helmet, officials are urging people to have a helmet that fits properly somewhere in your house.

The UAB injury control research center is partnering with the Alabama Head Injury Foundation to develop a statewide public awareness campaign.

“Anything to keep debris from hitting your body is a great idea,” Pediatric ER Doctor, Dr. Juan Carlos Abanses, said.

Officials say any Helment is good, but a motorcycle helmet with a face shield and neck support is ideal.

 Madison County Commissioners hope to save a local post office. The group met today and passed a resolution that they hope will keep the Wall Triana mail center in business. The USPS facility may be closed due to large scale budget cuts. Union reps from the office were at the meeting to voice their concern.

The Commission decided to submit the official resolution to the Alabama Congressional Delgation and the Post Master General in the hopes that they will reconsider. 

FORT PAYNE, Ala.- At about 8:30 the morning of Friday, January 13, 2012, the staff at Little River Canyon National Preserve was notified that a vehicle had washed downstream from one of the river crossings in the backcountry with three people stranded inside. A search by park staff located the vehicle in rapids in Little River, downstream from Hartline Campsite. A rescue began with several agencies responding. Park partners assisting in the rescue were Fisher Rescue Squad, Adamsburg Fire Department, DeKalb Ambulance Service, DeKalb Sheriff’s Department, and two Alabama State Trooper Helicopters.

On Thursday night about 7:30 pm the group was attempting to drive their vehicle across the rain swollen river when they were swept downstream. At daylight, one of the adults swam to the riverbank and walked out, reporting the accident about 8:30 am.

Two children, aged 2 and 4, and an adult were extracted from the vehicle through the use of a long line rescue by a State Trooper Helicopter crew. The victims were suffering from hypothermia. They had spent a cold, wet night in below freezing weather in the middle of the river in their Jeep. They were taken to the hospital and were under observation at last report.

The park backcountry roads are closed from dusk until dawn. Rescues at the park often involve park staff and many agency partners, some who spend many unpaid hours helping others.

The Marine Corps on Friday laid the groundwork for deciding what, if any, disciplinary action will be taken in the case of an Internet video purporting to show Marine snipers urinating on dead bodies in Afghanistan.

The top Marine officer, Gen. James Amos, appointed three-star Gen. Thomas Waldhauser to oversee the case. Waldhauser named another officer to do an internal Marine Corps investigation, which is in addition to a criminal probe under way by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Waldhauser will decide what to do as a result of the investigations.

In Afghanistan, a senior US commander issued a letter to all personnel in the international coalition that is fighting the war, explicitly reminding them of the need to respect the dead. The letter from Army Lt. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, reflected the depth of concern about fallout from the video.

"Defiling, desecrating, mocking, photographing or filming for personal use insurgent dead constitutes a grave breach of the LOAC (laws of armed conflict), violate basic standards of human decency and can cause serious damage to relations with the Afghan government," Scaparrotti wrote. He ordered all commanders to remind their subordinates of their duty to comply.

No one has been charged in the case, which triggered widespread outrage with the appearance Wednesday on YouTube of a brief video that appears to show four Marines in full combat gear urinating on the bodies of three dead men lying on the ground.

Marine Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, condemned the behavior and said in a statement Friday while he was traveling in the U.S. that the facts in the case should be determined swiftly.

"These actions are in direct opposition to everything the military stands for," Allen said after viewing the video. "Such acts in no way reflect the high moral standards and values we expect of our armed forces on a daily basis."

Pentagon officials worry that the actions depicted in the video will tarnish the reputation of the entire military. Some officials have expressed fear that it could undermine prospects for exploratory Afghan peace talks.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and military leaders have promised an exhaustive investigation and sought to contain the damage at home and abroad.

Marine Corps headquarters at the Pentagon issued a statement Friday announcing Amos's appointment of Waldhauser, commander of Marine Forces Central Command, which is responsible for Afghanistan.

It said Waldhauser will "exercise his independent judgment" and decide how to handle "any allegations of wrongdoing."

Waldhauser appointed a three-star general, Steven Hummer, to lead the internal Marine Corps investigation. The probe will look into the question of what prompted the four Marines' behavior, said one officer, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss an internal matter. That will include examining whether the Corps' current training and education on the laws of warfare are adequate, the officer said.

A second officer, also speaking privately to discuss an internal matter, said investigators will consider whether more senior Marines, such as the commander of the four Marines' battalion, failed to ensure a climate of proper discipline. The four who appeared in the video are enlisted Marines. Their exact ranks have not been made public.

The NCIS, the law enforcement arm of the Navy, is heading the main inquiry, which is expected to consider evidence of violations of the U.S. military legal code as well as the international laws of warfare.

By Friday, the NCIS had identified and interviewed all four of the Marines appearing in the video. At the time, they were filmed urinating on the bodies, the four were members of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, which fought in the southern Afghan province of Helmand for seven months before returning to their home base at Camp Lejeune, N.C., last September.

Two of the four, plus the commander of the battalion, had moved on to other assignments before the video appeared on the Internet, according to Marine Corps officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss an active investigation. The Marines' names have not been made public.

In its first public statement about the probe, the NCIS said Friday the probe is in its "very early stages." NCIS communications director Maryann B. Cummings said all four Marines are in the U.S., but she provided no other details about them. She said investigators are looking for information about those who created the video and posted it on the Internet.

The video itself is being studied for clues with the use of NCIS "computer forensic techniques," she said without elaborating.

The emergence of the Internet video didn't seem to immediately set back movement toward exploratory negotiations with the Taliban. Asked about possible implications for peace talks, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that the U.S. remained strongly committed to supporting Afghan efforts.

Panetta, however, said the incident could endanger the talks.

"The danger is that this kind of video can be misused in many ways to undermine what we are trying to do in Afghanistan and the possibility of reconciliation," Panetta said at Fort Bliss, Texas.

He said it was important for the U.S. to move quickly to "send a clear signal to the world that the U.S. will not tolerate this kind of behavior and that is not what the U.S. is all about."
---

Associated Press writers Pauline Jelinek in Washington, Deb Riechmann in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Juan Carlos Llorca in El Paso, Texas, contributed to this report.

A room with a view... complete with beautiful artwork... and *free* coffee. Sounds like a place you might want to visit, right? Well, if you live in Madison County, you might be visiting this room... even if you don't want to.

There's an internet café feel to this room. Have some coffee, surf the web, maybe watch TV.

"We wanted it to be like a coffee shop atmosphere, not what like you would find in the Madison County Courthouse," said Jane Smith, Circuit Clerk for Madison County.

Yes, this room is in the Madison County Courthouse. It's called the Jury Room.

"Leadership Class 21 stepped up to the plate and said how can we help? We gave them some ideas, they had some ideas. They purchased the Artwork for the room, and if you'll notice it pictures of historic Huntsville."

"There's an area for reading, there's an area to gather and chat, there's a coffee machine, there's library, there's games. It's a very nice place now to do your civic duty," said Cathy Vasile, member of Leadership Huntsville Class 21. A comfortable room like this can only help when it comes to the important job a jury member performs while doing their civic duty.

"Jury service is a very stressful experience. It's very serious business, jurors are sometimes deciding if someone is going to lose their life. We have hundreds of cases set this week where jurors are determining if someone might lose their liberty. So it is very serious business. Jurors needed a place where they could go and relax."

Huntsville, AL-

Dr. Army Daniel Jr. is a leader in his church and a modern day civil rights activist.

He is excited about the proposal to change the name of Church Street to honor the Joseph Lowery.

“I think it is very appropriate, given the past and present work that he is doing. He was a very close ally of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Daniel said.

Church Street starts in downtown Huntsville and travels north to Oakwood Avenue.

Joseph Lowery was born on October 6’Th 1921 on Church Street.

Councilman Richard Showers believes that is why it’s perfect to change the name of the street in Lowery’s honor.

”I thought this would be an opportunity to show gratitude, grace and honor to a man who meant so much to the civil rights movement. But more then that, he is one of out own,” Showers said.

“It would give young people of every ethnic background and opportunity to know that somebody lived here in Huntsville who really made a contribution to this country,” said Daniel.

Some business owners are worried about the name change from a business standpoint.

“I think it would be an honor to have the street named for him. But as far as we are concerned, the name change would be a tremendous amount of work.
Everything that we have is based on 717 Church Street,” business owner Wilson McClellan said.

Closings:
Fayetteville, TN Schools
Giles County, TN Schools
Lawrence County, TN Schools
Lincoln County, TN Schools
Riverside Christian Academy in Fayetteville, TN

Delays:
Athens Bible School - 2 hour delay
Colbert County Schools - buses run at 9:15AM; school opens at 10AM
Cornerstone Christian Academy in Rainsville - 2 hour delay
DeKalb County Schools - 2 hour delay
Ft Payne City Schools - 2 hour delay
Florence City Schools - 2 hour delay
Lauderdale County Schools - open at 10AM
Legacy Christian Academy in Killen - open at 10AM
Limestone County Schools - 2 hour delay
Mars Hill Bible School - open at 10AM
Muscle Shoals City Schools - open at 10AM
Northeast Community College in Rainsville - open at 10AM
Scottsboro City Schools - 2 hour delay
Sheffield City Schools - open at 10AM
Shoals Christian School - open at 10AM
Tuscumbia City Schools - open at 10AM
UNA - open at 10AM

Daycares:
First United Methodist Day School in Florence - open at 10AM
Greenhill Daycare and Learning Center - open at 8AM
Mother's Day Out Preschool in Fort Payne - open at 8:45AM

Government:
Colbert County Courthouse - open at 10AM
Lauderdale County Courthouse - open at 10AM
Lauderdale County DHR - open at 10AM

The Huntsville Police Department reports that the following roads are slick: Memorial Parkway overpasses, elevated portions of I-565 and Cecil Ashburn Drive.
 
Public works trucks are heading to these areas to spread sand on the road.

Police urge drivers to be cautious.

Las Vegas, NV - Thousands of new electronics products are being unveiled this week in Las Vegas at the annual Consumer Electronics Show.

The Tech Guy, Jamey Tucker has been roaming the more than 3,100 booths that everybody will be talking about by the end of the year. He found one gadget that could change the way you watch tv, and talk on the phone.

What he found is a high definition tv with a phone built in. It's from Biscotti and it allows you to talk to your family, your friends.. anybody while you're watching television.


The Biscotti has a high definition camera and microphone built into it, and video connectors on the back that connect to your tv. You use the remote to communicate with the Biscotti. Using your wi-fi internet connection, place high definition calls to anywhere in the world.

Hooking the device up is relatively simple. You connect the video connector, the HDMI video connector, one of them to the television, you take the other one, your set top box, your cable or satellite and you connect it to the input of the Biscotti. Then when you want to place a video call press any button on the remote control. A menu system comes up on your tv and you can call whomever you like.

What happens is, if my brother Joel who lives in Nashville wants to call me, when he calls me, it will say "Uncle Joel is calling" right on my TV in Dallas, and we can accept the call from uncle Joel and have a high definition video call in our living room. You can call any device or application that supports Google voice and video chat so you can have a video call on the biggest screen in your house.

The Biscotti cookie has been around for ever, the Biscotti TV video has been around since late last year. You can get one for about $200.

The tv video phone can accept calls from Android smartphones too. since the video calls are made over the internet, calls going out and coming in, are free.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.. unless Jamie tweets about it.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of a two-month old baby.

The infant was found unresponsive shortly before 3:00 Sunday afternoon at a home on County Road 286 in Stevenson and was later pronounced dead at Highlands Medical Center.

An autopsy is planned.

However, investigators do not believe foul play was involved.

Gabriel Marsh is one amazing seven year old. Despite being born with no legs and only one arm, Gabe, as his family calls him, never lets his disability slow him down. Whether he's spinning around, showing off his break dancing skills or taking laps around the gym at Guntersville Elementary School, this little guy never ceases to amaze.

"He was meant for our family, no doubt. He was a godsend," says Ann Marsh, who adopted Gabe when he was a baby.

She says as soon as she saw this little bundle of energy, it was love at first sight. "He's very independent," she says. "He wants to do everything himself. The teachers here will try to help him do stuff and he won't have it and will tell them 'I can do it myself.'"

The second grade student carries his own books to class and drives around school in his scooter. And when he's not too busy with homework, Gabe also loves taking laps around the pool as a member of the Guntersville swim team.

Gabe is a man of few words, but he lets his incredible abilities speak for themselves. And as for the America Inspired contest, he wants to win. He's competing in the national contest against other outstanding young people. His mom says it's not about the prize money, but letting her amazing son be himself.

"Just let your kids do what they want to do. Don't hold them back, let them try it and if they can't do it, that's fine. But if they want to try it, let them do it. We let Gabe try whatever he wants to do," says Marsh. 

To vote for Gabe in the America Inspired contest, go to www.examiner.com.

Everyone at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was talking about the 3D OLED TV from LG. It has a 55-inch paper thin screen and weighs about 16 and a half pounds. 

OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diodes. Not only is it an improvement over LED televisions, it's more energy efficient. You have 20% whiter color reproduction than any traditional LED product that's been on the market to date.

True black and the whitest whites create the best picture. And, you can see a clear picture, and the 3D image, on the LG from any angle.

"It's like looking out a window and seeing colors that you've never seen before out of the same things you've been looking at all your life," said Jason Dorazio with LG Electronics.

The first thing you notice about this TV is just how thin it is. At just four millimeters thick, it's thinner than most magazines. And since it weighs only 16 and a half pounds, moving it will be a breeze.

This LG model will begin production by this summer and be in stores by the end of the year. It's expected to cost anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000.

Samsung will introduce its own OLED TV later this year.

Keeping you plugged in, I'm Jamey Tucker.

MADISON COUNTY, Ala. - A sheriff's deputy was injured Saturday night at a high school basketball game. 

 

Hundreds of students and parents came to Buckhorn High School to enjoy the game and cheer on their team.  They certainly didn't expect what was about to happen.

 

We’re told a Madison County deputy was raced to Huntsville Hospital after his head hit a wall in the gym lobby.  Buckhorn High School Principal Todd Markham tells us the deputy was trying to break up a scuffle and ended up briefly unconscious.

 

The night of the incident, the Buckhorn men's basketball team hosted Bob Jones High School.  Markham says two men with no connection to either school came to the basketball game and started trouble.  That’s when the fight began.

 

Bob Jones student Diamond Chislom was on her way to the lobby concession stand when the fight began.  She witnessed the whole thing.  Chislom says, "I mean it's a basketball game, you expect nobody to fight outside of basketball, so it kinda scared me a little bit.  And the cop was on the ground."

 

As for the two men involved in the scuffle, neither made it passed the lobby.  Both were hauled away in sheriff's squad cars.

 

We’re currently working to find out the condition of the hurt deputy.

BROWNSBORO, Ala. (AP) - Alabama authorities say a man is dead after his car veered off a road and flipped over into a creek in Brownsboro.

Alabama state troopers say the fatal crash happened early Saturday. The driver's name was not immediately released.

State troopers believe the man's 1990 Ford Crown Victoria veered into the opposite lane and the driver overcorrected his steering, sending the car off the road.

Authorities say there were no passengers in the car.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

by Greg Privett

UPDATE: RINGS RECOVERED

Score one for the good guys and a Huntsville hockey legend.

WAAY31 FirstNews told you, Thursday night, how thieves broke into the home of Phil Daigle. He's the former Center for the Huntsville Channel Cats. The criminals stole Daigle's two championship rings.

Friday morning, investigators closed in on a pair of suspects. By Friday night, two teens were in the legal penalty box.

The Limestone Sheriff's office recovered both rings, Friday, after a cash-for-gold store reported the pair to cops.

18-year-old Joseph Lee Davis, Jr. of Athens is charged with burglary. So, is his alleged partner-in-crime, a 16-year-old juvenile.

LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. - "This is from our championship game in '98/'99," Phil Daigle said as he showed off a prized hockey stick. "All the guys autographed it." It's a treasured keepsake from the 1999 Central Hockey League championship.

Daigle was Center for the Huntsville Channel Cats.

"Probably that 2nd championship out in Oklahoma City May 11th was very, very rewarding for us."

The Cats also reigned champions in 1996.

Daigle won two gold rings. The one from '99 was the score of his lifetime.

"I had the birth of my first daughter that year as well," Daigle told WAAY31. "So, that kind of played second fiddle -- the ring did to her -- and the births of my other two children in my life. But, you know, it is definitely right up there."

Daigle, a winner by any measure, has suffered a loss.

"This is where they broke in," he said, pointing to the plexiglass covering his broken patio door. "They threw a brick through the door."

The thieves dumped out his hockey duffle bag to haul away the loot.

"They stole my Gibson guitar," Daigle told us. "But, the most of all, they took my championship rings."

He kept his championship rings on display a few feet from where the burglars broke in. The thieves left Daigle with an empty jewelry box and an empty heart. "Taking those things that are of no value to anybody else but myself and my teammates -- it was a gut wrenching feeling."

Daigle worries what the criminals might do to with the stolen treasure. "They're probably going to melt them down."

Still, he considers himself blessed. He showed a closet full of jerseys. Each has special meaning. "They didn't take any of these which was good."

Phil Daigle will always have his memories and his lifelong friends from the Channel Cats. "Some things you just can't put a price on."

Daigle is offering a $1000 reward to get back his rings. No questions asked. He encourages whoever has them to drop them off at his business, D & J Motors in Athens.

MADISON COUNTY, Ala. – At a special work session held Friday evening, the Madison County Board of Education is one step closer to hiring a new superintendent.

 

Dr. Terry Davis retired from the position on December 1^st.  At this meeting, held at the school system’s Central Office, a hired consultant presented the school board with a list of top candidates.  One of them will become their new superintendent.

 

School Board President Kenny Johnson says lacking a leader for the past two months has brought a few challenges: “It’s just loose ends, like setting up breakfasts with community groups. It’s those things that always happen that you weren't quite sure how they happened, now we know how they happen; the superintendent takes care of so many things."

 

Board members say they were impressed with the list presented by their hired state consultant.  Johnson says, "I was pleasantly surprised.  I wasn't anticipating as many applicants, and wasn't anticipating as many superintendents applying."

 

The eleven applicants included three sitting superintendents, one assistant superintendent, one higher education instructor, five central office directors, and one principal.

 

After receiving these applications, the consultant narrowed the pool down to five candidates. 

 

Among those applicants are three from out of state:

-Dr. David Copeland: current Superintendent in Crane, MO

-Dr. Les Bivens: current Superintendent in Frankfurt, IN; former Superintendent in Limestone County, AL

-Dale Robbins: Associate Superintendent in Gwinnett County, GA

 

The remaining two are internal candidates:

            -Dr. Sandra Spivey: Director of Secondary Education for Madison County Schools

-Daniel Evans: Director for Auxiliary Services at Madison County Schools

 

With the list of finalists in hand, board members will individually review these applications, then reconvene at their meeting this Tuesday to discuss them.  They'll also map out a timetable for interviewing candidates, and making a final choice.

 

Johnson is hoping the decision will be made by February 15^th, but says the board will do whatever it takes to find the ideal leader for Madison County Schools: “We're looking to get the best person in this job, so if that means interviewing all five or cutting that number down to four, that's what we'll do."

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama will celebrate the Crimson Tide football team's 2011 National Football Championship on Saturday, January 21, at 2 p.m. in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The event will feature the Crimson Tide football team and head football coach Nick Saban. The celebration will last approximately one hour and admission is free.

The entire celebration will occur inside of Bryant-Denny Stadium. There will not be a Walk of Champions event preceding it. Tickets are not required to enter the stadium, and all seating is general admission and will be first-come, first-served. This event will be held regardless of weather conditions. Items normally prohibited in the stadium will not be permitted in the stadium during the celebration event. Block seating will not be available for students.

Seating will be limited to the West side of the stadium. Fans can access the stadium via the lower bowl entrances by entering through gates 10-13 and 16-19. They also can access gates 5 and 21 for the upper levels and on the West side of the stadium. UA students with a valid UA Action Card can access the field for the event though gate 31 located at the southeast side of the stadium. The first 1,000 general public fans that wish to watch the event from the field will be allowed to enter via gate 30. All gates will open at 12 p.m., two hours prior to the event.

Stadium concessions will be available in multiple locations in the lower level of the stadium, but food vendors will not be located on the Quad. No outside food or drinks will be allowed into the stadium. Officially licensed National Championship products, apparel and more will be available for purchase outside the stadium and in the SUPe Store.

The first 30,000 fans entering the stadium will receive a poster of the championship team. Fans also will be allowed an opportunity to have a photo taken with the BCS National Championship Trophy in the South End Zone Plaza starting at Noon.

Celebration Timing Schedule 12 p.m. - Bryant-Denny Stadium Gates Open 2 p.m. - Program Begins

Alabama Media Relations Contributed To This Report

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - A federal judge says she has two letters from a cardiologist saying ex-presidential candidate John Edwards has a life-threatening condition that will require surgery in February.

The letters were revealed during a hearing Friday to consider whether the 58-year-old ex-North Carolina Senator would go on trial later this month for alleged campaign finance violations.

Attorneys for Edwards were seeking a 60-day delay to allow time for Edwards to recover. The judge delayed the trial to March 26.

Edwards was in court at the judge's request, although doctors advised him to avoid travel and all court proceedings.

Prosecutors say they're ready to try Edwards on six felony and misdemeanor counts related to nearly $1 million from wealthy donors used to help hide his pregnant mistress during his 2008 While House
run.

LIMA, Peru (AP) - A Peruvian court has sentenced Joran van der Sloot to 28 years in prison for murder of a young woman he met at a Lima casino.

Friday's decision comes two days after the young Dutchman pleaded guilty to killing Stephany Flores. It is also a moment when the family of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway is renewing efforts to bring him to the United States to face charges related to her 2005 disappearance.

Van der Sloot's lawyer argued that client killed the 21-year-old Flores in May 2010 during a fit of rage he blamed on psychological trauma from being hounded as the prime suspect in Holloway case.

Albertville, AL - A Marshall County couple accused of child abuse will soon be facing more serious charges after their 11 month old daughter passed away.

According to Sheriff Scott Walls, 24 year old Bridgett Duncan and 17 year old Immanuel Allen will see their current charges of child abuse upgraded as soon as Friday afternoon. The two were taken into custody Wednesday after emergency crews were called to their home. Their 11 month old daughter, Gemma LaShae Moore was rushed to the hospital with injuries that investigators believe are consistent with Shaken Baby Syndrome. 

The couple are currently being held in the Marshall County Jail on $2 million each.

It's Friday with Huntsville Chef and restaurateur James Boyce, who has four restaurants in Huntsville: Cotton Row, James Steakhouse, Commerce Kitchen and Pane e Vino.

Here's the recipe from this morning's show:

WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO with ROSEMARY
by Chef James Boyce
Cotton Row Restaurant

Service for 4

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ quarts chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup onions, finely diced
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
¼ cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ pound assorted mushrooms (cleaned and cut into same size pieces)
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
salt and fresh white pepper

METHOD

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a pot and lower heat to a low simmer.

Melt ½ tablespoon of the butter in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add onion, rosemary and sweat for 2 minutes (no color). Add risotto and stir with a wooden spoon for 4 minutes until well coated (no color).

Pour wine over rice, stir, and let liquid evaporate. Slowly stir in chicken stock to the level of the rice (about 1 cup) and simmer. Stir continuously and add more chicken stock, ½ cup at a time, as it is absorbed by the rice.

Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan and add the olive oil. Sear the mushrooms on high heat, season with salt and pepper.
The mushrooms can be stirred into the risotto when it is almost al dente. Add remaining butter, and Parmesan cheese once the risotto has cooked for about 15 minutes.

The risotto should cook in 16-18 minutes and you may have chicken stock left over. Salt and pepper to taste.

PRESENTATION
Transfer risotto to a warm bowl or individual soup bowl and decorate with a sprig of rosemary.

Huntsville, AL- Several roadways around the Huntsville area are getting a facelift thanks to Mayor Tommy Battle and the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The group met Wednesday evening and approved a list of re-surfacing and widening projects that will begin this year.

Memorial Parkway from the Tennessee River Bridge to Medowbrooke Drive will be re-surfaced and widened as well as the stretch of road between Martin and Governors. The same work will be done to Research Park from Gate 9 to just South of University. Highway 431 is being paved from Governors to South of Oakwood and University will be evened out from East of Enterprise to the Rideout Road Southbound ramp.

But progress comes at a cost and with construction comes headaches. Aubrey Caballero drives on the Parkway everyday and says she is not looking forward to the delays.

" I think the construction causes a little disorganization," she says " but once it is all done it seems to flow good. The roads in Huntsville are pretty bad, there are a lot of potholes--and certain areas really need a lot of help," she continued.

That help is not too far off. Work is tentatively scheduled to begin in April and, according to the Mayors office, will be done mostly at night to prevent traffic congestion.