January 31, 2024
WEDNESDAY
SPORTS: Bob Jones and James Clemens basketball teams meet again in rivalry matchup
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Several projects on tap for Madison in the coming months
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By MARIA RAKOCZY maria@themadisonrecord.com MADISON – There are a lot of ongoing projects in the city of Madison right now and the city council and Mayor Paul Finley provided updates on and plans for these projects in 2024 at a Wednesday, Jan. 24 work session. After a discussion last year
about abandoning plans to transform a former Hexagon property in Town Madison into a new fire station, the plans are now solidified to turn the building into a Public Safety Annex. The 38,000-square-foot Annex will hold the new Fire Station 4, a training classroom, evidence storage and
more. Madison Mayor Paul Finley commented on some of the new capabilities the Annex will have, “This training facility seats about a hundred people [and] can be Finley used for both police and fire. A lot of the classes that they have, it gives them far more room to get done what
needs to be done, and they can bring folks in from other places, which is exciting.” A request for bids will be issued by the city later this year for the $4.7 million project. Once construction begins, the city expects eight to ten months for the offices to be completed and at least fourteen months for the fire station to be completed. See PROJECTS Page 2A
Jen DiCarlo Jen DiCarlo, a graduate of Bob Jones High School in Madison, has been named the new managing director of the Princess Theatre in Decatur. Page 3A
Madison man sentenced to life for involvement in child porn website By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
Volunteers needed Madison residents showed up to get involved in their community at Madison Visionary Partner’s volunteer fair on Saturday. Page 4A
The Safe Haven Baby Box was used for the first time in Madison when a mother left her infant child in the box last Monday afternoon. It is located at Fire Station 1. Photo by Andrew Noles
Newborn girl left at new Safe Haven Baby Box in Madison King cake King Cake has been a long-standing tradition around Mardi Gras and the Carnival season. Learn how to make it. Page 5A
The Safe Haven Baby Box was just made ready earlier this month By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
Blood donors needed Blood donations have been decreasing over the last few years, according to LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, and this month’s winter storm compounded that issue for north Alabama. Page 6A
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MADISON – The Kids to Love Foundation said last week a Safe Haven Baby Box in Madison has been used for the very first time in Alabama. According to Kids to Love Founder and CEO Lee Marshall, last Monday afternoon, a mother placed her newborn daughter in the Safe Haven Baby Box at the Madison Fire Department. Firefighters quickly responded once the door closed and the alarm sounded. The baby was in good health and was taken to Madison Hospital. The baby box’s use just 12 days after it was opened under-
Kids to Love Founder and CEO Lee Marshall stated in a press conference on Thursday there has now been calls for more Safe Haven Baby Boxes to be installed throughout the state. She praised the response by Madison Fire and Rescue, and Madison Hospital, who quickly took action to insure the infant’s safety. scores the need for baby boxes across Alabama. Kids to Love advocated strongly last year to change Alabama’s Safe Haven law and as a result, the Legislature expanded the law. Previously, the law limited the age of a child who could be
Gas prices starting to increase due to weather, unrest overseas By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com MADISON – Average gasoline prices in the Madison and Huntsville area are on the rise again. According to Gas Buddy, winter weather and unrest in the Red Sea will see gas prices take a jump.
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Recently, prices have risen 1.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.82 per gallon on Monday, according to GasBuddy. Thatt is only 1.9 cents per gallon higher than a month ago, but will continue to rise over the next few weeks. The national average price of diesel has fallen 0.5 cents
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in the last week and stands at $3.87 per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 4.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.07 per gallon. The national average is down 4.1 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 41.2 cents per See GAS Page 7A
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given up to 72 hours after birth. The child also had to be given to a hospital that had a licensed emergency department. Now the child can be up to 45 days old, and mothers can give them to fire stations with around-theSee SAFE HAVEN Page 2A
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MADISON - A Madison man was sentenced last week to life in prison for his involvement with a website dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. According to court documents, William Michael Spearman, 58, was the lead administrator of the website, which had been operating for many years. The website included a section devoted to the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, a section Spearman devoted to images and videos depicting children being subjected to pain and torture, and a section devoted to avoiding detection by law enforcement, among others. A Department of Justice spokesperson stated, as the lead administrator, Spearman managed numerous other “staff” members, directed them on how to help run the site, recommended other users for promotion, kept records of child sexual abuse material advertised and distributed over the site, presided over staff meetings, praised and scolded users, and counseled users and other managers about the functions and expectations of the website. Spearman also advertised and distributed over the website images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. On June 12, 2023, Spearman pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise. Six other people were also arrested in other parts of the country for involvement with the same website. Substantial assistance for these cases was provided by FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies in Huntsville, Alabama; Reno, Nevada; Clarksville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Madison, Wisconsin; CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Alabama, District of Nevada, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of North Carolina, and Western District of Wisconsin. See SENTENCED Page 2A