Alabama

Rivals.comHarbin McGill-Toolen defensive end Glenn Harbin has committed to Alabama, giving the Crimson Tide 27 expected additions on Wednesday’s National Signing Day. Harbin is No. 11 on the Press-Register’s Elite 18 list of prospects. Rivals.com rates him as a four-star recruit on its five-star scale and as the No. 16 player in Alabama. One of the best recruiting classes in school history keeps getting better, and if you’re keeping track, a whopping SEVEN Alabama commitments are from the Mobile area.   (Read the full post about ‘Tide lands McGill-Toolen star’…)

Knight It’s not the big news around Alabama’s football team today, but I addressed the medical condition of starting linebacker Ezekial Knight with a note in today’s story. Knight, who has a history of heart problems, was hospitalized after becoming dizzy during a Monday morning workout. He was transferred to UAB Medical Center and was still undergoing tests on Tuesday. UPDATE: Knight’s name was not in the system at UAB on Wednesday afternoon, a sign he is no longer being treated there. Additional information on this will be hard to come by, as Knight’s family does not want his status released to the media. For those who don’t want to click, here is the text of today’s story … (Read the full post about ‘Update: Knight no longer at hospital’…)

Meet Alabama’s new offensive coordinator Alabama’s search to replace Major Applewhite over. Per UA media relations this morning … ALABAMA HEAD COACH NICK SABAN HIRES JIM MCELWAIN AS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR TUSCALOOSA - Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced the hiring of Jim McElwain as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Wednesday. McElwain served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Fresno State last year after spending the 2006 season in the NFL as quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders. McElwain made an immediate impact in his first season at Fresno State as he helped lead the Bulldogs to a 9-4 record, a significant turnaround from the previous year in which Fresno State posted a 4-8 mark. (Read the full post about ‘Tide officially hires McElwain’…)

Birmingham police are crediting a new gunfire detection system with helping them catch a gunman.

Police announced this afternoon the arrest of 20-year-old James Rogers for firing a weapon within city limits. Rogers is the first arrest police are crediting to the system.

Police said Rogers was captured Tuesday morning after the new ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection System detected multiple gunshots in the 200 block of 80th Street South.

The system uses sensors to detect gunshots and alert police. The system is supposed to speed response times to shootings and can apparently differentiate between gunfire and firecrackers.

Rogers was in the Birmingham City Jail Wednesday on $2,500 bond.

(Read the full post about ‘Police credit gunfire detection system in nabbing suspect’…)

Spain Park defensive end William Green has committed to play his college football at the University of Florida. Green’s mother confirmed her son’s commitment today to The Birmingham News. Green was unavailable for comment. NEWS STAFFSpain Park defender William Green, the No. 4 recruit on The Birmingham News’ Super Seniors top 12 list, has commited to the Florida Gators. Green, the No. 4 prospect on The Birmingham News’ Super Seniors top 12 list, tentatively told the Gators’ coaching staff he would be committing during his visit on Jan. 18 but wanted to wait until all his visits were complete. Green, the 83rd best prospect in the country according to Rivals.com, was expected to get an in-house visit from Alabama’s coaching staff this week before making his decision. (Read the full post about ‘Spain Park’s William Green is bound for Florida’…)

Officials in Mountain Brook are trying to determine whether a house fire late last night was related to the wintry weather that caused power outages around the city.

The fire at 3301 North Woodridge Road started in the attic and damaged the roof but no one was injured, according to Mountain Brook Fire Marshall David Cohen. Firefighters got the call at 11:25 p.m.

Cohen said he didn’t know if the fire was related to the high winds in the area, which Alabama Power officials said left more than 50,000 customers without power.

(Read the full post about ‘Fire burns house in Mountain Brook’…)

Trey Devey, Alabama Symphony Orchestra’s executive director since last July, has resigned because of family matters. He will return to his home city of Chicago after March 14, his final day with the ASO.

Devey took the ASO’s top administrative post following a nine-month national search. He succeeded Paul Ferrone, who stepped down in October 2006 after three years.

(Read the full post about ‘Trey Devey, executive director of Alabama Symphony Orchestra, resigns’…)

Bernard Troncale/Birmingham NewsAlabama Power crews worked this morning to restore power on Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook near Mountain Brook Elementary School. The school was closed this morning by the power outage. About 8,700 Alabama Power Co. customers, mostly in the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa areas, remain without electricity this afternoon in the aftermath of storms that blew across the area Tuesday night. Alabama Power crews from around the state, as well as some workers borrowed from Georgia, are working on restoration of service and expect to have power restored to 99 percent of the company’s customers the the end of today, said spokeswoman Carrie Kurlander. (Read the full post about ‘8,700 customers still without power’…)

The Winograd report on Israel’s 2006 war on Lebanon is largely a whitewash for Olmert and the Israeli military. His government may survive after all.

But what did the writers think of when they wrote in the report’s summary:

we regard the 2nd Lebanon war as a serious missed opportunity

A missed opportunity to do what? The report doesn’t explain.

But it is quite truthful on who started the war:

Israel initiated a long war …
…
… it was a limited war initiated by Israel itself

The report also states that the use of cluster bombs does not conform to international law.

(Read the full post about ‘Winograd Report’…)

John Edwards to quit presidential race

The choice is now between Skyllarry Clinton and Baracharybdis Obama.