Pollution, new homes, murder and disaster highlight 2019
Here are the top dozen stories from the past year as selected by
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1. Pollution issues plague city
Even as
The presence of toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in industrial waste from
In April, a lawsuit by
While
3M in July announced it would evaluate three landfills in
Also in 2019, 3M reached settlements with at least two
Even as the city coped with its legacy of chemical waste in 2019, it also struggled to control the release of untreated sewage. Heavy rains in February and this month, combined with miles of outdated sewer pipes, led
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2. Signs of residential growth
In June, the Morris family announced plans to build a 55-home subdivision named
City officials moved quickly with an incentive agreement in which the city will spend just under
Right behind the Morris announcement, developer
As 2019 comes to a close, both subdivisions are through the city approval process and waiting on the weather to warm enough for construction. -- 3.
The long-anticipated
Led by the Cook family, the 62,000-square-foot museum includes a meteorite that visitors can handle, 250 aquatic animals, 60,000 Italian bees and 19 live reptiles in the 11 exhibit galleries.
Many of the local businesses and restaurants had long anticipated the financial benefits from the tourist attraction, which the museum projected would attract as many as 200,000 visitors to the city per year.
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4. Tornadoes, heavy rain take toll
Rain and tornadoes impacted the Valley in 2019.
President
Morgan County EMA Director
On
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5. Ambulance ordinance passed
City officials said a new ambulance ordinance was needed because the city was unable to enforce the response time requirements of the old ordinance.
First Response, the city's only ambulance service, and Councilman
The new ordinance created the Ambulance Regulatory Board, which began meeting
Since
The case is ongoing and will roll over into 2020.
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7. Officials indicted
Legal turmoil surrounded two sheriffs and a judge during 2019.
Patterson is accused of taking more than
While the Blakely and Patterson cases remain unresolved, former
On
The sentence came more than four years after Franklin said she withdrew
Franklin achieved partial success in November in getting her probation terms modified to allow her to possess a gun. Her attorney argued that numerous intruders on her property have placed her at risk.
A judge in September dismissed a lawsuit filed by Franklin against her former jail warden. Two related lawsuits filed against Franklin, by the former warden and a
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8. Verdicts reached in murder cases
The cases of three murder defendants dominated
The jury deliberated for about three hours before finding him guilty of three counts of capital murder, five counts of first-degree robbery and one count of shooting into an occupied building in a
Cowan's sentencing is scheduled for February.
Co-defendant,
Goodwin entered a guilty plea last year to two counts of felony murder and three counts of first-degree robbery. Circuit Judge
Days before his trial was scheduled to start in September,
Another defendant,
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9. 14-year-old allegedly kills family
On
"This is devastating,"
The victims, according to
His case remains pending in juvenile court.
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10. Downtown Dawgs owner pleads guilty
Dutton shot and killed
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11.
Calvary
The property had been on the market for more than a decade after the church moved to
As the year ends, the old church building remains. City code enforcement cited the building that continues to deteriorate. An
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12. Fire damages
An
Hundreds of residents came to the square as a nighttime fire destroyed
-- [email protected] or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.
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(c)2019 The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.)
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