Thursday Update: Alabaster teacher charged with abuse

Published 9:42 pm Thursday, January 5, 2012

Here’s some news from around the area, state and nation…

Alabaster teacher charged: A retired fourth-grade teacher at Thompson Intermediate School in Alabaster has been charged with sexually abusing three girls, and has admitted to many more similar crimes. Daniel Montague Acker Jr. was arrested by local police Thursday. Ackerman, who retired in 2009 after 25 years, had been previously investigated on similar charges, but a grand jury failed to return an indictment. The suspect is the son of a long-serving Shelby County Commissioner.

Small quake in Walker County: An earthquake registering 2.9 on the Richter Scale was recorded near Jasper early Thursday. The epicenter is an abandoned strip mine just west of the city. There were reports of windows rattling, but no damage.

Obama to shrink armed forces: President Obama announced a major shift in military strategy, which would reduce the armed forces by tens of thousands. The new strategy puts a new focus on the Asia Pacific region, specifically China, and more reliance on technology such as drones. The move will reportedly save half a trillion dollars over a decade.

New Hampshire heats up: The GOP presidential nomination process moves to the first-in-the-nation primary in the Granite State this week, where Mitt Romney is far ahead in the polls. Rick Santorum, fresh off a virtual tie with Romney in Tuesday’s Iowa Caucus, is moving up but still trails the former Massachusettes governor, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The RealClearPolitics average of major polls has Romney with 40% of the vote, Paul at 21%, Gingrich at 9.3%, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (who has staked his campaign on a major push in New Hampshire) at 9.0% and Santorum at 7.7%.

Sports: In high school wrestling Thursday night, Mortomer Jordan defeated Gardendale 43-27. The Blue Devils, in their new “Fear the Fork” singlets, scored all their points in the lower weights. Friday night’s basketball schedule: Gardendale at Tarrant, Curry at Mortimer Jordan, Victory Christian at Fultondale, Fayette County at Corner, Hayden at Walker and Tuscaloosa Christian at Tabernacle Christian. In wrestling, Gardendale takes part in the Scott Rohrer Invitational at Hoover this weekend, while the Hayden Duals features the host team plus Jordan and Fultondale.

Weather: Friday will be sunny and pleasant after morning fog burns off, with a high around 66. Showers move in Friday night, with a low in the low 50s. That pattern holds through Tuesday.