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A prison killing and a lawsuit

The family of an inmate killed in an Alabama prison has filed a lawsuit against a corrections officer alleging the officer ignored warnings and failed to prevent the inmate’s death, reports AL.com’s Sarah Whites-Koditschek.

Note that a lawsuit presents only one side of the story, and the officer has denied the allegations. I mention it here to represent some of the things being reported out of Alabama’s state prisons and legal action faced by the prison system with the back drop of the ongoing U.S. Department of Justice’s fight with the state over whether the prisons here violate the constitution.

In this recent case, 44-year-old inmate Christopher Mount was denied parole after serving 17 of 30 years on armed robbery, assault, burglary, theft and drug charges. Plaintiffs contend that Mount was put on suicide watch and was sharing a small segregation cell, meaning the inmates were supposed to be continually monitored.

The suit claims that the cellmate, locked up for strangling a woman to death, told the officer that he and Mount should be separated or that he would kill Mount. It claims the officer then walked away and the cellmate attacked and strangled Mount, who died that day. It also claims the officer knew it was happening and didn’t intervene.

The cellmate himself was found dead in a cell less than a month later. Alabama Department of Corrections ruled that a suicide.

Power surge

If you were taken aback by your most recent power bill, you’re not alone. But Alabama Power says it all has to do with increased usage, reports AL.com’s William Thornton.

Even though most people haven’t seen the recent freezing weather show up on their bills yet, many customers have complained about being surprised by figures double or more what they’re used to.

If you’re an Alabama Power customer, note there hasn’t been a rate hike in about a year. But for those who already are getting bills that reflect some of January’s cold, those bills likely overlap with some of the holiday season, when people may spend more time at home, burn Christmas lights, entertain more visitors and run that oven.

We’re not all billed on the same days, so most of y’all still have the January freeze bill to look forward to.

What’s hopping?

A kangaroo that was on the loose in Bessemer this past weekend has been captured, reports AL.com’s Greg Garrison.

Bessemer police say it belonged to an owner of exotic pets in the area. Local truck driver Dee Miller managed to capture video of the marsupial as it hopped through a neighborhood.

“It was real fast,” he said. But he managed to get decent video anyway.

It’s not lost on us that there is now more evidence of kangaroos hopping around Alabama than there is of the “black panthers” that apparently live just outside the reach of game cameras and highway traffic.

(I realize I’ll get emails about that crack.)

A precious gesture

Proverbs says that if you bless others you’ll be blessed yourself. No matter what you believe, I think we all want that to play out in this story.

The sad part of the story is that the giver of the blessing is a 16-year-old girl with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. And she’s far enough along that we’re not certain of her situation as you read this.

AL.com’s Rebecca Griesbach reports that Reeltown High School sophomore Melody Jackson recently received a gift from Make-A-Wish Alabama. Of course, that’s the outfit that often brings memorable experiences to young people in situations like Melody’s. They might go to Disney World or a ballgame or meet some celebrity.

Melody, by the way, is a member of the Reeltown High band. She plays alto sax.

So this fall, she approached her band director with her Make-a-Wish idea: to buy new uniforms for the marching band so her bandmates could move on from the 9-year-old unis they have now.

Quoting

“To help ensure the safety of animals, riders and paradegoers, we will have at least one Animal Control Officer on hand for all remaining parades this season.”

City of Mobile release after a horse ended up on the ground at a Mardi Gras parade.

More Alabama news

Born on this date

In 1941 astrophysicist and science-fiction author Gregory Benford of Robertsdale and Fairhope.

In 1949, songwriter, musician and founding member of the Commodores William King of Birmingham.

In 1958, Brett Butler (not the ballplayer but the comedian from Grace Under Fire) of Montgomery.

Quiz results

Here’s how readers did on yesterday’s Week in Review Quiz:

Recently, Huntsville native and University of Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap won on the PGA Tour as an amateur. Who was the last amateur to accomplish that same feat?

• Bobby Jones 9.0%
• Phil Mickelson (CORRECT) 56.3%
• Tiger Woods 22.2%
• Roy McAvoy 12.5%

UAB researchers hope to soon begin human trials in transplanting a genetically modified kidney from what animal?

• Pig (CORRECT) 95.1%
• Chimpanzee 3.5%
• Black bear 0.0%
• Goat 1.4%

What retailer is marketing a line of home goods inspired by the designs of Gee’s Bend quilters?

• Hobby Lobby 14.6%
• Walmart 3.5%
• Target (CORRECT) 81.9%
• Victoria’s Secret 0.0%

Late marine scientist Robert Shipp’s book has what title?

• “Dr. Bob Shipp’s Guide to Alabama Waterways” 34.0%
• “Dr. Bob Shipp’s Guide to Eating Seafood Safely” 3.5%
• “Dr. Bob Shipp’s Guide to Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico” (CORRECT) 54.9%
• “Dr. Bob Shipp’s Guide to Talking Like a Pirate” 7.6%

A Birmingham-area teen attained garnered big attention on TikTok because of her collection of 67 what?

• Stanley tumblers (CORRECT) 90.3%
• Footballs signed by Nick Saban 4.2%
• Parking tickets 3.5%
• David Robertson baseball cards 2.1%

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