After a few weeks off, the GadsdenMetro.com Gadsden Update on CBS42.com returns!

BASEBALL STARS
The Attalla 11U Team competed in the Cal Ripken South East Regional Tournament in McKenzie, TN this past week. The team advanced all the way to the championship round, only to face the team that had placed them in the lower bracket in the first round. The Alabama All Stars from Attalla lost to Southern Pitt of Eastern North Carolina by a score of 3-1 before winning five straight games to get into the final round.

On their way to the championship game, the Attalla All Stars defeated teams from McKenzie, TN, Giles County, TN, Williamsburg, VA, and Indian Trail, NC before returning to play Southern Pitt again. Margins of victory ranged from 13-2 (against McKenzie, TN) to 6-5 (against Indian Trail, NC).

The team made their unlikely run to the championship after their first-round defeat (3-1) in the double-elimination tournament only to face the team that had beat them in the second of two games last Monday. The Attalla team won their second game against Southern Pitt (2-1), forcing a rubber match the following day to determine the tournament winner. Southern Pitt finally came out on top, having beat Attalla 6-3 for the championship team.

Team members and coaches alike vow a run for the Cal Ripken World Series next year when they enter the 12U ranks.

(include photo attached)11 Year Old Attalla All-Star team #1 Devin Hammontree, #2 Jacob BoBo, #3 Logan Steele, #4 Jaylon Jenkins, #5 Nathan Colegrove, #7 Kaleb Nelms, # 10 Noah Parrish, #14 Cory Willingham, #15 Devin Davis, #20 Cade Runyan, #21 Lee Green, #24 Eli Dunn, Head Coach # 32 Scottie Parrish, asst Coach # 41 Mike Willingham, & asst coach #6 Paunsell Nelms


RON SPARKS HOLDS RALLY
About 500 people attended a Ron Sparks Political Rally Thursday night at the Gadsden Convention Hall. The evening featured musical entertainment by Billy Joe Royal and gave an opportunity to several area Democratic candidates to speak before Sparks spoke to the audience.

The Fort Payne native told the crowd that he is "not a one-trick pony," speaking of his stand on gambling. During his speech he encouraged supporters to challenge others to support his stand to help the children of Alabama receive the same benefits students in Georgia, Florida and Tennessee have (all three have lotteries in support of education).


TWO MEN CONVICTED OF SEX CRIMES
Etowah County District Attorney Jimmie Harp announces the conviction of two men on sex crimes charges involving minors recently.

John Michael Mayer, 63, was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday by Presiding Circuit Judge Allen Millican on each of two Counts of Sodomy First Degree. He received an additional 20 year sentence on the charge of Sexual Abuse of a Child Under 12 Years of Age. Mayer was convicted by an Etowah County jury on May 5, 2010. Mayer’s arrest and conviction followed an investigation by the Gadsden Police Department into allegations arising from the sexual molestation of a 9 year old child. The abuse took place over a 4 year period, beginning when the child was in kindergarten and ending when the child saw a “Good Touch, Bad Touch” video at her elementary school and reported the abuse to her parents..
Waylon Anthony Duke, 28, was sentenced on July 13th by Circuit Judge Clark Hall to 25 years in prison following his conviction on a charge of Sodomy First Degree. Duke was convicted by an Etowah County jury on April 21, 2010. Duke’s arrest and conviction followed an investigation by the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office into allegations arising from the sexual abuse of a 4 year old child in April of 2007 in the Altoona community. After the trial, the child victim was invited to the Sheriff’s Office where Sheriff Entrekin presented him with an official deputy’s badge in recognition of his bravery.

ETOWAH YOUTH ORCHESTRA GETS GRANT FROM TARGET STORES
Target Stores is presenting a $2,000 grant to the Etowah Youth Orchestras to fund performances by the Honor Strings program in Etowah and Calhoun County Schools this school year.
The grant, from Target's Arts and Culture in Schools program will allow EYO to present a seven-concert series in Etowah County, Gadsden City, Attalla City and Calhoun County school systems this year. The funding will allow the EYO to present the concerts without any cost to the schools or students. Performances are planned on elementary campuses of two Etowah and Calhoun County Schools, two Gadsden City Schools and one Attalla City School.

The nationally-recognized youth orchestra program provides musical education and performance opportunities to middle and high-school students in Etowah and surrounding counties. The group has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City and traveled to various locations inside and beyond the borders of the United States.

Program Director and Conductor, Michael Gagliardo says of the grant “We are so excited that Target has recognized the hard work of our students and has chosen to fund this program. It is our hope that this funding will be renewed annually, to allow us to reach every K-6 student in these systems.”



ETOWAH DETENTION CENTER HEALTH CARE RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY

Current Etowah County Detention Center medical care provider, Dr. Roger Buck is being recognized by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC). Buck, and his staff have been awarded accreditation by the NCCHC according to a press release issued today by Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin.

The accreditation was awarded on March 16th making Etowah County the second of only two detention centers in the state to receive the award. Mobile County Detention center is the first. The two Alabama centers join almost 500 other correctional facilities across the nation to be recognized for their quality health services provided to inmate population.

Etowah County Commissioners are currently searching for options to possibly replace Buck as the detention center's health care provider. They recently released a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking input from various health care providers to see if they can continue providing top quality health care, but with reduced costs.



CBS SUPPLY CLAIMS TO BE "GOLD STANDARD" FOR ALABAMA

With recent news concerning the lack of transparency and accountability of electronic bingo operations such as Greentrack and Milton McGregor's Victoryland, CBS Supply President Michael DeLeon says his proposed Electronic Bingo operation in Etowah County will strive to be different from other operations in the state. "During the very first presentation made to county officials," he says, "I stressed that our core belief for this project was grounded in three basic principles - efficiency, accountability and transparency." That is a promise his company remains committed to, DeLeon promises.

DeLeon says his operation will provide "full and complete disclosure of what charities are paid," that commitment "has always been part of the proposals for Etowah County," In fact, DeLeon promised that the Sheriff's department would be able to check payouts and other data from the casino's operation without hindrance two years ago when they first met publicly with the county commission.

WORLD'S LONGEST YARD SALE, SALES TAX HOLIDAY, FIRST FRIDAY, SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

Next week begins a busy weekend in Etowah County. The World's Longest Yard Sale begins this week on Lookout Mountain Parkway/Highway 127 in Gadsden and stretches all the way to Hudson, Michigan. The best of Americana will offer their crafts, goods and wares from August 5 through August 8. This yard sale is one of several that run through the Gadsden metro area each year.

Yard sales such as this one attract tourists to the area. In addition to the annual August event, shopping trail events include one along Highway 132 in April, on Highway 11 in May, and the Highway 411 Yard Sale the last weekend of September. All four shopping trails pass near or through Gadsden, Alabama.Shoppers are known to book hotel rooms months in advance. Some shoppers come to start shopping in Gadsden and then travel as far north as they possibly can during the four-day sale.

In addition to the World's Longest Yard Sale, shoppers will also be attracted to Gadsden for the sales tax holiday on selected back-to-school purchases. Unlike Jefferson County, all of the municipalities, including Etowah County have waived their sales taxes on those purchases, hoping to attract shoppers from Birmingham and other communities into Etowah County.

Shopping in Historic Downtown Gadsden will be enhanced by one of the largest block parties in the state - the monthly First Friday event on beautiful Broad Street. In addition to food vendors, live musical entertainment and some of the best mom-and-pop style shopping in the state, several restaurants and pubs line the street and are open for business. The recent opening of The Malt Shop in the old White Palace restaurant features classic 1950's style dining complete with an antique soda fountain and some of the best hand made milk shakes around.

Following First Friday (from 6-9 pm), local radio station Z-93 will host the second of three concerts in the First Friday Summer Concert Series. The free concert starts at 9 p.m. in the Mort Glosser Amphitheater on 1st Street. The amphitheater is an architectural beauty, fashioned from stone cut from nearby mountainside during the days of WPA projects. This month's entertainment is "Groove Addiction!" Bring your cushions and coolers for a great time! The 2010 Summer Concert Series at the Amphitheater is brought to you by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Last month, the first concert of the series saw over 500 music lovers attend the free concert at the city-owned amphitheater.