The following is an activity report of the Thorsby Police Department from Jan. 18-24:

Jan. 18

•Criminal Mischief: 50 block, Montgomery Ave.

Jan. 19

•Accident: Georgia Pacific

Jan. 20

•Burglary: 7000 block, Franklin St.

Jan. 23

•Insufficient funds: Service Mart

Jan. 24

•Burglary: 9000 block, Franklin St.

By Drew Granthum | Staff Writer

Local law enforcement officers earned their pay on May 20 after a tanker turned over, causing both lanes of I-65 to be closed for hours.

The tanker, carrying 8,000 pounds of diesel fuel, turned over in the median while traveling northbound. The wreck, which happened near the 217-mile marker, closed both lanes and caused traffic to be rerouted, mainly along U.S. 31.

From there, it was up to the local police forces to direct traffic and handle the ensuing flood of cars.

“For us, it meant five additional wrecks,” said Thorsby police Chief Rodney Barnett. “We average about three to five wrecks a month, and we had five in one day.”

“It’s been a long time since we had anything like it,” said Jemison police Chief Shane Fulmer. “The worst part was that it was Friday afternoon during rush hour.”

Once the flow of traffic made it to Highway 31, the main focus was to keep traffic flowing as smoothly as possible.

“We worked from around 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.,” said Clanton police Deputy Chief Keith Maddox. “[It lasted] about eight hours, and we went through two shifts. It was sort of like trying to pour a gallon of water in a quart container.”

“We had seven officers, including utilized reserve officers that worked from 3 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.,” said Fulmer. “Those guys did a great job.”

And while traffic was backed up for an extremely long amount of time, reports of road rage and flaring tempers were limited. According to reports, one driver got mad at another driver for a perceived bump and threw a bottle in retaliation in Thorsby.

There were also reports of abandoned vehicles across the county and along I-65. Thorsby also had the most reports of abandoned vehicles.

“There were two or three cars that appeared to have run out of gas,” said Barnett. “They were off the road in the grass, but they appeared to have had some kind of problem.”

After things finally got rolling smoothly again, all of the chiefs agreed that the situation turned out well, all things considered. They also were quick to praise their officers for their efforts.

“I feel our guys did an outstanding job, especially considering the situation,” said Maddox. “I’m really proud of them.”

“[Our officers] were immediately in position,” said Fulmer. “They did a great job of getting things done.”

By Justin Averette

The Thorsby Town Council cleared up a gray area concerning employee vacation time during its Monday meeting.

The town’s current policy awards employees with five days vacation after a year of work and 10 days vacation after three years on the job.

The issue becomes tricky when considering the town’s police officers, which work 12-hour shifts. Several new officers have recently earned vacation time or will soon, according to Town Clerk Denise Gunn.

After discussing the matter, the council voted to change the wording to hours instead of days. For example, employees will earn 40 hours of vacation after one year of work instead of five days.

The council had talked about giving officers five full 12-hour days of vacation, but ultimately voted against giving one town department more vacation time than another.

In other business, the council took the following actions:
•Mayor Dearl Hilyer announced the town has been awarded a $1,930 Gateway Project grant from Alabama Power. The money will be used to put up welcome signs.

•City Superintendent Terry Jackson addressed the council about a problem the town is having with septic haulers illegally dumping waste into Thorsby’s sewer system. Jackson said it is a crime and charges will be pressed against anybody caught.

•The town’s Christmas party will be Thursday, Dec. 16 for town employees and citizens who serve on different boards and committees.

By Scott Mims

The Thorsby Town Council voted Monday night to purchase an in-car video camera for the police department.
The camera’s estimated cost is $5,000, but there is room in the police department’s budget for the equipment with minor adjustments, said Mayor Dearl Hilyer.
“All we’re trying to do is keep our officers safe and be competitive with everybody else,” said Thorsby Police Chief Rodney Barnett.
Council member Tara Jewell said the cameras serve to assist with investigations and protect both citizens and police departments, especially from a legal standpoint. The cameras have the capability of storing up to two minutes of footage prior to activation.
On the downside, they are rather expensive, but Hilyer said Barnett did “a good job of saving money in other areas,” which freed up more funding for the purchase of equipment.
In other business, the council officially canvassed last Tuesday’s wet/dry vote. A majority of citizens voted to go wet, 310 “yes” versus 208 “no.”
The council also approved the purchase of a $2,500 dump truck, which was previously used by the military. The town recently declared an old truck surplus and was able to come up with the money.
Water Superintendent Terry Jackson said the portion of Iowa Avenue between Lincoln Street and Pitts Street would be closed next week for the replacement of a pipe in the area. He said the project was scheduled to start Monday, but that is subject to change.

By Justin Averette

A 31-year-old man wanted for car theft was arrested Thursday following a brief manhunt in Thorsby.

Clanton Police arrested Mario Alberto Avalos following a one-and-a-half hour search around 2 p.m. Thursday.

Avalos fled into a wooded area as Clanton detectives and Thorsby police drove up to a home in the 1100th block of Indiana Avenue, according to Clanton Police Chief Brian Stilwell.

Officers were going to the address to arrest Avalos on theft of property charges for allegedly stealing a car from Inverness Drive in Clanton.

“His home was at the end of the road, and he saw the police officers coming,” said Stilwell. “I am sure he knew why they were there.”

Chilton County sheriff’s deputies and police officers from Thorsby and Jemison responded to the area, while the sheriff office’s tracking dog began following the suspect.

While the dog was tracking the suspect, a Jemison city employee saw a Hispanic man run out of the woods off Ellison Road, Stilwell said.

The employee contacted Jemison police. Jemison officers, Clanton detectives and sheriff deputies responded to the area.

Avalos was arrested following a brief foot pursuit into the woods, Stilwell said. He is currently in the Chilton County Jail on $20,000 bond.

Avalos was traced back to the Thorsby address from information collected from a car junkyard in another county.

Stilwell thanked Thorsby PD, Jemison PD, and the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office for their help in catching Avalos.

“We are glad he is off the street and in jail, and no one got hurt, Stilwell said.

By Scott Mims

Each group represented at Thorsby’s Safety Day served a different function, but all had a common goal Thursday — to promote the safety of kids.
More than 400 students and children from the community went to Richard Wood Park for the event, which coincided with Thorsby School’s annual S.K.I.P. Program started several years ago to teach students about the danger of predators and the lures they commonly use.
S.K.I.P. coordinator Angie Barnett and members of the Thorsby Police Department provided students with important contact information and asked them questions about what they learned over the past week.
“When you educate children on keeping their bodies safe and you do a preventive approach, it sends a message to sexual predators that they’re not welcome in that community,” Barnett said.
Familiarizing students with the tricks used by predators seems to make them more aware of how the bad guys think. Thorsby student Brady Watson, for example, said a predator could see a student’s name on a decal of a vehicle and then approach the student, pretending to be familiar with him or her.
At another station, representatives of Operation Lifesaver urged kids to steer clear of railroad tracks and to be alert whenever approaching tracks.
Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit public education program started in 1972 to increase the public’s knowledge about trains and the responsibility of drivers around railroad crossings.
“We’re still doing the same thing,” said Nancy Hudson, Alabama Executive Director for Operation Lifesaver. “We talk to people and remind them to be careful at crossings.”
Later in the day Thursday, the group presented a program to driving-age students to coincide with prom weekend.
Members of the Chilton County Sheriff’s Department demonstrated a drug dog, SWAT gear and other equipment used in special operations.
Investigator Erric Price said they teach kids to never touch a gun and, if they should find one, to tell an adult.
“We want to make sure kids have a basic knowledge of firearm safety,” Price said.
The Thorsby Fire Department showed off their fire trucks and even let the kids have a shot at aiming a fire hose. Recent fire recruit school graduates Hunter Northcutt and Cody Beasley helped the students maintain control of the high-pressure hose as they attempted to knock tennis balls off of a target.
“We’re just kind of letting this be a fun day for the kids so they can look at the fire trucks, touch them and squirt a little water,” said Fire Chief Lee Gunn.
Also, in conjunction with the S.K.I.P. Program, Thorsby School and the Maplesville High School Beta Club partnered together to raise $2,340 for the Child Protect Advocacy Center through the Helping Hands Project.

By Scott Mims

Local public safety officials will introduce themselves to Thorsby students on Thursday in observance of Safety Day in Richard Wood Park.

Thorsby Fire Department, Thorsby Police Department, the Chilton County Sheriff’s Department, The Chilton County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, and Operation Lifesaver — a group that teaches railroad safety — all will share important information and helpful tips with students from 9 a.m. until noon.

The event coincides with Thorsby School’s annual SKIP Program, which teaches elementary students the nationally renowned “Think First and Stay Safe” curriculum for a full week each May.

While Safety Day is mainly for students, community members are also welcome to attend.

“It allows kids to be able to meet public servants here in the town and become familiar with them,” said Thorsby Police Chief Rodney Barnett.

Barnett said one goal of Safety Day is to ease any fears that kids might have of police officers or other officials. One way of doing this is by providing contact information and letting kids know that officers are there to help them.

Students will break up into groups and spend approximately five minutes at each station in the park. During that time, they will get to see vehicles and equipment up close and receive a few “goodies” to take home.

Following that morning’s activities, members of Operation Lifesaver will go into Thorsby School and speak to older students.

“Hopefully, what they’ve learned this week and next week will enable them to have a safe summer,” Barnett said.

Dear Editor,

What is the responsibility of an animal control person? I’ve had strays littering my yards for months. My daughter called the Thorsby Police Department about a month ago when a female dog had five puppies.
Someone from the police department came to my house and said, “I don’t see no dog. I’ll be back this afternoon to set a trap.”
He never came back. The female dog moved the puppies up under a trailer that is in my yard.
My other daughter went to the police department in Jemison and was advised that she would have to go to the Thorsby Police Department. She did go to the Thorsby Police Department several days ago, but no one has come to my house yet.
The female dog is now trying to leave the puppies. I am 90 years old and I cannot get out and chase the puppies out of the road to keep them from getting killed.
So what does an animal control person do?

—Floreine Beasley, Thorsby

The following is an activity report of the Jemison Police Department from Wednesday, Feb. 3 through Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010:

Wednesday:
•Served arrest warrant for illegal distribution of drugs
•Served warrant for failure to appear in court

Thursday:
•No documented activity

Friday:
•Runaway juvenile – Pineview Drive (person located)
•Theft of property – Pineview Drive
•Breaking into a vehicle, theft of property – County Road 1003
•Animal complaint – 300th block of County Road 858
•Served warrant for failure to appear I court
•Served arrest warrant for illegal distribution of drugs
•One-vehicle accident – County Road 42 East (two injuries)

Saturday:
•Harassing communications – County Road 939
•Drug arrest during traffic stop – County Road 44 and County Road 51

Sunday:
•Served warrant for failure to appear in court
•DUI arrest – County Road 42 and County Road 44
•One-vehicle accident – County Road 42 East (one injury)

Monday:
•One-vehicle accident – County Road 42 (no injuries)
•Harassing communications – 700th block of County Road 71
•Vehicle damage caused by deer – 1,000th block of County Road 48
•Burglary – Debra Street

Tuesday:
•No documented activity

The following is an activity report for the Thorsby Police Department for the month of January 2010:

Misdemeanor offenses: family violence assaults (2), motor vehicle thefts (1), burglary (2), theft (3), criminal mischief (3), alcohol-related (3), possession of illegal drugs (2), possession of drug paraphernalia (2).

Felony offenses: theft (4). Total reported offenses: 22.

Service calls: alarms (6), animal control (35), citizen-assisted (6), disturbances (4), juvenile-related (4), public service (3), suspicious activity (4), threats/harassment (6), traffic-related (1), other (27). Total calls for service: 27.

Arrests: misdemeanor (6). Total arrests: 6.

Traffic enforcement: speeding (26), no tag (3), no insurance (7), no driver’s license (2), warnings (23). Total citations: 61.

Motor vehicle accidents: accidents with no injuries (1). Total accidents: 1.

Investigations/cases: new cases (5), cases cleared (2), inactive cases (3).

By Scott Mims

Three students of Thorsby School were arrested Wednesday after a school-wide drug search turned up small amounts of marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside the school as well as in vehicles parked on school property.

The drug search was conducted by school administrators, the Thorsby Police Department and the Chilton County Sheriff’s Department.

Two of the students, both juveniles, were arrested by Thorsby Police. Law enforcement agencies do not release the names of juveniles.

A third student, Justin Lee Robinson, 18, was taken into custody by the Chilton County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Kevin Davis confirmed. He was charged with possession of marijuana second degree and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Robinson posted bond of $1,500 Thursday night, Davis said.

“Thorsby School administrators as well as law enforcement have a zero tolerance drug policy in our schools,” Thorsby Chief of Police Rodney Barnett said. “Drugs are common, unfortunately, in this day and time, but we’re not going to have it in our school system.”

Davis said local law enforcement agencies help conduct educational programs in schools each year. He said searches are conducted on a regular basis and normally do not turn up a large amount of drugs.

Thorsby School Principal Russ Bryan said he could not comment directly about the students based on pending action by the board of education.

“I thank the Thorsby Police Department and the Chilton County Sheriff’s Department for helping school officials with our investigation,” Bryan said.