The Calhoun County Board of Education called a meeting after the weekend electrical fire at Saks High School caused smoke and water damage to the building but left it structurally sound. The Board declared Saks High an emergency to avoid state bid laws to hire contractors to repair the damage because the start of school is a couple of months away as of today. Total damage assessment is still not complete.
 
Work continues to clean up a derailed train in Talladega county. Police say it appears the track gave way yesterday afternoon in the Bemiston community, causing four train cars to spill their contents. The covered hopper cars that overturned were holding powdered marble. The train was not carrying any hazardous material. No one was injured.
 
The failing schools list under the Alabama Accountability Act has finally been released. Statewide, a total of 78 schools are on it. The Birmingham City School System had the most schools on the list with 11 failing schools. In northeast Alabama, Gadsden’s Litchfield Middle along with Anniston Middle, and Zora Ellis Junior High School in Talladega were included as failing schools.
 
According to Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin, Allen Lee Deal, 38, of Attalla, was arrested and charged with one count of using false identity to obstruct justice, a felony. Deal allegedly gave false identification when his vehicle was stopped for an expired license plate. Deal is being held in the Etowah County Jail on $2,500 bond. He is also being held on warrants from Southside and Attalla police departments and for Etowah County Community Corrections.
 
Alabama's Department of Revenue says the state's new private school tax credits don't apply to students who are already in private schools, even though they are zoned for a failing public school. State Revenue Commissioner Julie Magee said Tuesday the law is clear that the tax credits are to offset the cost of transferring students out of failing public schools, and it starts with the semester beginning in August.
 
The Etowah County Commission had a change of heart on Tuesday deciding to not auction the property where the Hokes Bluff ferry used to operate. Instead, the commission voted to donate the 2-acre piece of property to the city of Hokes Bluff to use as a park. The Commission stipulated that Hokes Bluff must keep the property open to the public, cannot sell the land for 20 years, and must agree to maintain the road and property and keep it clean.