EDITORS, MANAGING EDITORS, WEEKEND EDITORS:
The Associated Press recommends the following stories of Southern interest for use over the weekend of Jan. 19-21.
For repeats of AP copy, please call the Service Desk at 800-838-4616. AP stories, along with the photos that accompany them, also can be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com.
ALABAMA
For Saturday use:
AERIAL REFUELING
Len Naugher's office is 24,000 feet in the sky. The career Alabama Air National Guard chief master sergeant is a boom operator on a KC-135R "Stratotanker" aerial refueling aircraft. His job is to operate the controls of the equipment that passes fuel to other aircraft. Naugher is a member of the 117th Air Refueling Wing (117 ARW) of the Alabama Air National Guard based at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. By Mark Almond. al.com
For Sunday use:
FAMILY'S JOURNEY
DAPHNE, Ala. — Davey and Amy Grote experienced one of the joys of life earlier this month— the birth of a child. At the same time, the Grotes, both, 29, are going through one of the worst tragedies of life — the loss of a child. "We are just torn right now," Amy said. "There are a lot of different emotions. We are trying to get excited for Jane and missing Ann Reese at the same time." Jane Virginia Grote was born at noon on a Friday. She weighed 7 pounds and 1 ounce. Ann Reese Grote, 2, died Dec. 24, her mother's birthday, after a swing set fell on her. The swing fell during a party for Amy and Davey, whose birthday was Dec. 22, at the Baldwin County home of Amy's father. Other children were on the swing when it came crashing down. Ann Reese was going by pushing a stroller that had her three favorite baby dolls in it. "She really literally was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Amy said. By Thyrie Bland. al.com.
For Monday use:
NEW STORE-PREPPERS
DOTHAN, Ala — Ed and Veronica Capiak never thought they'd be getting into this business. Sure, Veronica's mother had expressed a growing interest in 'prepping,' the process of preparing for major disasters, but the Capiaks never gave it much serious thought. Then came 2012. Last year may not have brought the much-ballyhooed apocalypse, but it did bring another event that inspired many, including the Capiaks, to take a new interest in prepping: Hurricane Sandy. By Greg Phillips. The Dothan Eagle.
MUSEUM-GEEK OUT
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Middle and high school students in west Alabama will soon have an opportunity for "hanging out, messing around and geeking out" at the Alabama Museum of Natural History. The museum on the University of Alabama campus and UA's geography department have partnered to plan and design a Discovery Learning Lab. By Kim Eaton. The Tuscaloosa News.
For Tuesday use:
MERCHANT CAPITAL-SUCCESS
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — It's a busy time at Montgomery-based Merchant Capital. The company, which celebrated its 25th anniversary Jan. 1, has rocketed up the rankings to become not just the state's No. 1 municipal bond institution, but No. 26 among municipal banking firms nationwide. It managed 115 bond issues worth a total of $1.57 billion last year alone. By Brad Harper. Montgomery Advertiser.
FLORIDA
For Saturday use:
MOST WANTED FUGITIVE
OCALA, Fla. — Thirty-six years ago, on Jan. 8, 1977, a man was fatally shot in the head while driving along U.S. 27 about 18 miles west of Ocala. A companion was injured. Three years later, the accused gunman was arrested, released from jail on bond — and dropped out of sight. By Vishal Persaud, The Ocala Star-Banner.
For Sunday use:
SYRIAN DOCTOR
PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Dr. Yahia A. Rahim was one of the first working physicians to get into the refugee camps outside Syria after conflict erupted in 2011. His first trip lasted one month; the second, six weeks; the third, another several weeks — and he plans to go back. By Jessica McCarthy, The Panama City News Herald.
For Monday use:
FIRST GAY MAYOR
KEY WEST, Fla. — Almost 30 years ago, Ohio transplant and art gallery owner Richard Heyman won a bitter race against a native son to become mayor of Key West, then a crumbling Navy town trying to reinvent itself as an island paradise for tourists. By Cammy Clark, The Miami Herald.
GEORGIA
For Saturday use:
DEER DONATIONS DECLINE
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Daryl Bullock and Crawford McConnell have the volunteers, the time and the tools to turn a deer into a food donation for a needy family. What's missing now are the deer donations. By Tracey McManus, The Augusta Chronicle.
For Sunday use:
GONE WITH THE WIND TRAIL
HAZLEHURST, Ga. — Atlanta. June 1936. A few patches of the horse-and-buggy Old South remained as the once slow-moving city first named Terminus and then Marthasville began emerging into the glass-towered mega-metropolis that it is today. By Mary Ann Anderson, Florida Times-Union.
For Monday use:
TRAIL BLAZERS
CAVE SPRINGS, Ga. — Far off the beaten path between Cave Spring and Cedartown, volunteers were pouring out sweat on a humid January afternoon, laying the groundwork for what they hope will soon be a well-worn trail. By Doug Walker.
KENTUCKY
For Sunday use:
NUN'S WINDOWS
CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. — Conceptualizing and creating drawings for the elaborate and ornate wall of stained-glass windows in Thomas More College's new chapel was the easy part for Sister Emmanuel Pieper. By William Croyle, The Kentucky Enquirer.
For Monday use:
FELINE PROTECTORS
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lynssey Dauer had a rodent problem. Dauer raises a breed of goats called fainters in the small Southern Indiana town of Laconia. The goats eat grain, which attracted mice to the barns. By Matt Frassica, The Courier-Journal.
For Tuesday use:
SWIMMER-IN-TRAINING
DANVILLE, Ky. — The challenges most college students face on a day-to-day basis include writing papers, running late to class and choosing what to eat at the caffeteria, but Centre College sophomore Danielle Wahl has set a challenge for herself that reaches beyond the college norm. By Elise Murrell, The Advocate Messenger.
LOUISIANA
For Saturday and Sunday use:
RED LERILLE'S HEALTH STUDIO
LAFAYETTE, La. — The old boot shop that Red Lerille leased with a $250 loan from his father and filled with homemade equipment in 1963 was a dream come true for the 27-year-old body builder, fulfilling the second of his two life ambitions — win Mr. America and open a health club. Lerille, now 77, thought the modest gym could grow a little. He had won the title in 1960, and had a loyal body-building clientele. He never imagined that it would evolve over 50 years to 20 acres and 19,000 members. By Tina Marie Macias, The Advertiser.
SUPER BOWL SIGN MAKER
NEW ORLEANS — When her husband returned home from the 1990 Super Bowl in New Orleans, Michelle Gobert was surprised to discover he was more excited about the Superdome's transformation with signs, banners and other ornamentation than he was about San Francisco's 55-10 victory over Denver. Norm Gobert was so inspired that the couple soon opened a sign printing shop. It eventually became a rare example of a local business turning work for a single New Orleans Super Bowl into a long-term opportunity. By Mark Waller, The Times-Picayune.
For Monday use:
KING CAKE BABY PAINTINGS
HOUMA, La. — A Houma native looked to local customs when seeking inspiration for his latest art exhibit. Brook Frederick, 35, has created a collection of paintings that make up the exhibit called "King Cake Babies." It is on display through Feb. 2 at Barrister's Gallery, 2331 Saint Claude Ave., in New Orleans. By Sable Lefrere, The Courier.
FROM HOPE TO REALITY
BATON ROUGE, La. — Chuck Roth grew up in Lafayette in a family of seven children; he was No. 6 in the pecking order. Today, the bachelor, 47, helps parent 21 middle-school-age children as executive director of Boys Hope Girls Hope New Orleans and, as of this past August, Boys Hope Girls Hope Baton Rouge. By Pam Bordelon, The Advocate.
MID-ATLANTIC
For Sunday use:
UNMARKED GRAVES
CROWNSVILLE, Md. — Tiny St. Paul's Chapel in Crownsville has a big mystery. Since St. Paul's was consecrated in 1865, an unknown number of parishioners chose the small church grounds, at the intersection of Crownsville Road and General's Highway, as their final resting place. There are a couple of dozen stones in the graveyard bearing names like Anderson, Brown, Grimes, Proctor and Worthington. Some have tumbled, and others are no longer legible. By E.b. Furgurson III, The Capital of Annapolis.
WESTERN MARYLAND LAND
OAKLAND, Md. — The land men came one evening in 2006, offering property owners modest riches for a simple act: leasing their land rights to the natural gas industry's middlemen. By Alexander Pyles, The Daily Record.
For Monday use:
DELAWARE HISTORY
DOVER, Del. — A paper found in a box-lot of old books sold at auction is being hailed as a unique treasure of Delaware history. History buff and author Robert Barnes - who found the quill-scribed letter in crumbling pieces held together by adhesive tape - knew it was special when he spotted the unmistakable signature of John Hancock. By Robin Brown, The News Journal of Wilmington.
SNOWFALL WINDFALL
FREDERICK, Md. — When vehicles slid off roads in a surprise Christmas Eve snowfall, traffic snarled, making for upset motorists and many calls for tow trucks. By Ike Wilson, The News-Post of Frederick.
For Tuesday use:
CIVIL WAR CANNONS
WILLIAMSPORT, Md. — If Scott Bragunier has his way, cannon tubes that sat for more than a century on Doubleday Hill, a spot in Riverview Cemetery named for Union Gen. Abner Doubleday, will be returned to the same spot by spring. By Dave McMillion, The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown.
BOOKSTORE REBORN
CHRISTIANA, Del. — At the site of a closed Borders bookstore near Christiana, the shelves are again stocked, wall to wall, with hardcovers and paperbacks. By Aaron Nathans, The News-Journal of Wilmington.
MISSISSIPPI
For Sunday use:
JOY OF COMPOSTING
TUPELO, Miss. — Steam rose from a pile of old leaves, sticks and grass clippings on a winter's morning, and Sherrie Cochran considered it a beautiful sight. By M. Scott Morris, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
CALEDONIA-FRACKING DEBATE
CALEDONIA, Miss. — With the decision of the Caledonia Board of Alderman to allow fracking within the town's city limits, what has been a national issue is now a local one. By Sarah Fowler, The Commercial Dispatch.
For Monday use:
HOMEWARD BOUND
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Most of the animals in Mississippi animal shelters never find a home. Terri Snead, a veterinary technician at Mississippi State University, said most Mississippi animal shelters are overcrowded, and it is not unusual for a Mississippi shelter to euthanize as much as 70 percent to 75 percent of the animals it admits. By Steven Nalley, Starkville Daily News.
VICKSBURG HOMELESS
VICKSBURG, Miss. — The dilapidated former Hillcrest Inn on U.S. Highway 80 had become a hole of despair for homeless people in the two years since it closed for business. By Danny Barrett Jr., Vicksburg Post.
NORTH CAROLINA
For Saturday use:
AUTISM-SERVICE PROVIDERS
DURHAM — During a recent behavior therapy session in Durham, Kimberly Tyler held out two different Play-Doh molds, and asked 11-year-old Chloe Young to choose between them. Tyler, an assistant behavior analyst with the Carolina Center for Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Treatment, was working with Chloe, who has a severe form of autism, a developmental disorder. By Laura Oleniacz, The Herald-Sun of Durham.
For Sunday use:
FITNESS CHAMPIONS
LENOIR — Over her 26 years as health and physical education teacher for Lower Creek Elementary School, Kathy Terrell has taught about 9,100 students. Those students have performed well enough in the North Carolina President's Challenge Fitness and Sports Awards Program to win the state's top award 15 out of the last 18 years. By Skip Marsden, Hickory Daily Record.
For Monday use:
ART OF WRITING
WILSON — Sarif King stared intently as the various parts of Steve Gerberich's kinetic sculpture moved. His eyes moving from piece to piece, Sarif pressed his foot down gently on the pedal. For those few moments, Sarif wasn't paying attention to what his Hearne Elementary School classmates were doing around him. He was fascinated and lost in thought. It was the first time Sarif, 11, had ever visited an art gallery. By Stephanie Creech, The Wilson Times.
For Tuesday use:
PRIVATE FIRST LADY
DURHAM — Where North Carolina's first ladies are concerned, Ann McCrory may be a first. As a general rule, she doesn't do interviews - and didn't respond to requests to answer questions for this story. She doesn't do many public appearances either - and already has caused a stir around the state capital when she declined last week to host the Junior League's traditional "First Lady's Luncheon" in Raleigh. By Michael Gordon and Marion Paynter, The Charlotte Observer.
SOUTH CAROLINA
For Saturday use:
ART OF SEWING
GAFFNEY, S.C. — The faded white sign outside reads "Dora's Sewing & Alterations." The lettering is so weather-beaten it can be difficult to read driving by, but most of Dora Smith's customers would know where she was without a sign. She's been in her shop for 12 years and has played an integral part in the special moments and everyday lives of many in the Gaffney community. By Felicia Kitzmiller, (Spartanburg) Herald Journal),
For Sunday use:
HERO DOG
ROCK HILL, S.C. — Tank was only seven months old, but he knew something was wrong on a recent Sunday morning. Tank did not use his youth or cold nose as an excuse to sit idly by. Tank, who himself was rescued months ago, padded and nosed into the bedroom of the couple who had adopted him. By Andrew Dys, The Herald of Rock Hill.
For Monday use:
CONCEALED WEAPONS
SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — An older couple in one of Bill Hayes' concealed-weapons classes will have to learn how to shoot after they finish the classroom work. Neither one has previously owned a gun. By Bo Petersen, The Post and Courier of Charleston.
For Tuesday use:
LOVE FOR GERMAN
AIKEN, S.C. — For nearly 30 years, Lisa and Art Lader have taught German to hundreds of high school students — including more than two decades inspiring those at Aiken High. By Rob Novit, Aiken Standard.
TENNESSEE
For Sunday use:
APPALACHIAN TRAIL PASTOR
MARYVILLE, Tenn. — For the past 10 springs, three tiny churches offered free home-cooked breakfasts and other friendly services to Appalachian Trail thru-hikers passing their portion of southwest Virginia. By Annette Spence.
For Monday use:
ALTERNATE MEMPHIS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A beautifully ornate, eight-story hotel/apartment building, proposed in 1929, would have towered over Overton Park from its spot across East Parkway near Sam Cooper. By Thomas Bailey Jr., The Commercial Appeal.
For Tuesday use:
LEGO ROBOTS
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — It looks like any wheeled contraption made of Legos. But it's not. There's no Harry Potter in the corner, but this moon-rover-looking toy, seemingly with a mind of its own, moves a doll-sized chair into place under a doll-sized table. By Pam Sohn, Chattanooga Times Free Press.
VIRGINIA
For Sunday use:
WATCH FIXER
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Mike Conroy has just spent eight hours working at the Virginia Boat and Yacht Service. But he doesn't head for home, the 26-foot Windsong that bobs with the other sails at the Portsmouth marina. Instead he takes a short walk in another direction, to a shed-turned-workshop. By Janie Bryant, The Virginian-Pilot.
BUSINESS LICENSES
ROANOKE, Va. — Roanoke-based guitarist Bob Casey plays a lot of music, but he had never considered it to be more than anything but a glorified hobby. By Tad Dickens And David Ress, The Roanoke Times.
For Monday use:
COUNTY FAIR-YOUTH
HARRISONBURG, Va. — Although Katie Payne, 6, has been around animals her whole life on her family's Fulks Run farm, one trick she's still mastering is the art of showing her four-legged friends in the fair arena. By Emily Sharrer, Daily News-Record.
GLOBAL CLASSROOMS
RICHMOND, Va. — University of Virginia history professor Philip Zelikow has turned his office into a video studio as he prepared for his debut before a global classroom. By Karin Kapsidelis, Richmond Times-Dispatch.
WEST VIRGINIA
For Sunday use:
PIANO MAN
CEREDO, W.Va. — Dan Ferguson's work in life has been filled with a grand and glorious musical feeling. By Dave Lavender, The Herald-Dispatch.
SHOE DESIGNER
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Rachel Mallory Richards has some bad news — at least for some of us ladies. Pointy-toe shoes are coming back into style. By Rosalie Earle, The Charleston Gazette.
For Monday use:
SUPERSTORM-WILDLIFE CENTER
FRENCH CREEK, W.Va. — At the West Virginia Wildlife Center, signs of last October's hurricane-spawned snowstorm are still painfully apparent. By John McCoy, The Charleston Gazette.
CAMPUS BIKE PATROLS
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Some of Marshall University's police officers still drive patrol cars, but the school's bike patrol offers something more conducive to the college environment, officers say. By Bill Rosenberger, The Herald-Dispatch.
The AP
