NEWS BRIEFS

Published: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, July 16, 2007 at 11:00 p.m.

City to seek renovation funds for the Canteen

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RUSSELLVILLE -- The city council voted Monday to seek funds to help renovate an old downtown building known as the Canteen.

The building was used for meetings, reunions, Cub Scouts meetings and other community events.

The Canteen, which is adjacent to the A.W. Todd Center on Washington Avenue, has been vacant for several years.

Russellville Parks and Recreation Director Chad Sears said the building is in such bad condition that you can sit inside and look up at the stars.

Mayor Johnny Brown asked the council to authorize a resolution that will seek funding to renovate the building. The city council did not authorize the use of city funds on the building.

"It has been there for years and years, and I would like to see if we can get the funding to renovate it," Brown said.

In other business, the council:

accepted a bid of $9,529 from Comfort Zone Heating & Air for a new HVAC system for fire station No. 2.

approved a contract among the city, Russellville Board of Education and police officer Danny Price to continue as school resource officer.

approved a rental agreement with OCE Imagistics for copiers in the police and administrative-departments.

presented a proclamation declaring August as "Firefighter Appreciation Month."

purchased 10 radios for the police reserves at a cost of $4,500.

Muscle Shoals announces Music CityFest for '07

MUSCLE SHOALS -- The fifth annual Music CityFest will be Oct. 6 and has been selected by the Southeast Tourism Society as a Top 20 event for October 2007, the council announced at its Monday meeting.

Performing at the event will be country songwriter and recording artist, Phil Vassar, Gary Nichols, and Angela and Zac Hacker. The event will include food, activities and fireworks.

Also at the meeting, council members awarded a bid to buy fuel products from Baggett Oil Co. for 5.799 cents per gallon. It also awarded a bid to buy a demo unit street sweeper from Ingram Equipment Co. for $88,825.

The council also approved a transfer of the name on a retail liquor license for Shoals Package Store on Second Street.

Siegelman in Louisiana

MONTGOMERY -- Federal prison authorities Monday moved former Gov. Don Siegelman to the minimum-security Federal Detention Center in Oakdale, La., said Federal Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman Felicia Ponce. Siegelman was sentenced June 28 to seven years and four months in prison after he was convicted in 2006 on bribery and conspiracy charges. He initially was taken to an Atlanta federal prison.

Oakdale is an administrative facility for male pretrial and holdover inmates, according to its Web page. An adjacent satellite prison camp houses minimum-security male inmates.

Last week, one of Siegelman's attorneys said he was taken from Atlanta to an Oklahoma City airport prison transfer station. His attorneys initially thought he would be assigned to a minimum-security federal prison in Texarkana, Texas.

-- Staff reports