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Suspects ID'ed in Gibbs Village homicides

The Montgomery Police Department is identifying two people arrested in connection with the Aug. 30 fatal shootings in Gibbs Village.

Detectives charged Chandler Boone with Attempted Murder and held him on $1 million bond.

Boone's cousin, Josephus Boone, is charged with hindering prosecution and is being held on a $250,000 bond.

MPD is awaiting forensics results in connection with the investigation and says additional charges are expected. 

The investigation stems from the August 30 double-homicide that occurred in the Gibbs Village Housing complex. Two other victims suffered minor injuries.

MPD officers and Fire medics responded to the location shortly after 10 p.m. after receiving reports of shots fired.

Gibbs Village residents band together to prevent crime

One week ago, residents in the Gibbs Village housing complex were reeling from a neighborhood shooting that left two people dead.

Montgomery Police arrested two suspects in connection with the crime--charging them with attempted murder and hindering prosecution.

Now, residents are doing everything they can to keep violence out.

With a little bit of prayer and a lot of unity, they hope a neighborhood meeting is the beginning of a safer housing community.

"You see something happen, you gotta tell," says one resident.

The Montgomery Housing Authority, Montgomery Police Department and other crime prevention officials stressed the importance of speaking up whenever residents see crime--especially shootings.

"It's worth it if we just save one life," says Montgomery Police Chief, Kevin Murphy.

"Now there's more guns," says resident, Gloria McWilliams.

Campus Construction Boom

Changes are coming to two Montgomery universities. Major construction projects are underway at Alabama State University and Auburn University Montgomery. This despite many students and alumni are struggling to find jobs in a stagnant economy.

You can hear the sound of a busy day of construction at Auburn Montgomery. AUM Chancellor John Veres says all the hard hats and tools are signs that these tough economic times have lowered construction costs and boosted the industry.

"It's a window of opportunity to be able to afford to do more for your students," Veres said.

It's no surprise to see all the buildings going up on campuses around the River Region. Officials say now is the time because interest rates are lower and materials are cheaper. A new wellness center is almost complete, renovations are underway at the student center and plans are unfolding for a new residence hall; giving hope to college students who're also looking for work.

STERIS to provide breakfast for law enforcement and fire fighters on 9/11 anniversary

STERIS to provide breakfast for law enforcement and fire fighters on 9/11 anniversary

In keeping with tradition, STERIS Corporation will honor local first responders on 9/11 by cooking up breakfast.

STERIS will serve breakfast to local law enforcement and fire fighters at Station #5 at their location at 2720 Gunter Park Drive in Montgomery.

They will also post a "Never Forget - 9/11" banner at the front gate and pass out small American flags.

Woman sentenced to more than 2 years in prison for embezzling from veterans

Woman sentenced to more than 2 years in prison for embezzling from veterans

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - A Columbus, Ga. woman was sentenced to serve 33 months in a federal prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to bank fraud from embezzling money from veterans.

41-year-old Joy Farmer of Columbus, Ga., was employed as an administrative assistant for an attorney in Tuskegee, Ala. Farmer used her job as a way to locate veterans receiving benefits who could not manage the money on their own. She would then use their information

The indictment against Farmer stated the Tuskegee attorney had been appointed as a trust holder for several individuals receiving benefits from the Fiduciary Program of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). That program oversees benefits paid to veterans who are incapable of handling their own funds either because they are minors or because of injury, disease or old age.

LAMP High School students to pitch in and help clean city

LAMP High School students to pitch in and help clean city

The City Engineering Department with the help of some of Montgomery’s youth and Maxwell AFB – Base Environmental will be cleaning the West End Ditch along Highway 31 (Birmingham Highway) adjacent to the Maxwell installation.

Trash and anything else that has been dumped in the ditch, next to the ditch, around storm drains or even on neighborhood yards flows downstream with stormwater runoff and ultimately ends up either in the Alabama River or in trees, roots, or caught and clogging up the ditches. Once an area is clogged enough, flooding will occur.  The area to be cleaned is just past the concrete lined section of the ditch because the City Maintenance crews cannot clean this area.

Alabama woman sentenced in tax fraud case

Alabama woman sentenced in tax fraud case

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - The Justice Department and IRS announced that LaQuanta Grant of Montgomery County Alabama has been sentenced for her role in a large-scale tax fraud and identity theft conspiracy.  Grant has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,326,738.08.

On December 14, 2010 Grant and four other defendants were indicted by a Montgomery federal grand jury on a variety of charges that arose from a tax fraud and identity theft conspiracy based in Montgomery.  According to the indictment and other court documents, the conspirators used stolen identities to file millions of dollars in false tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds over a two-year period in 2009 and 2010.  Grant was responsible for funneling more than $100,000 in fraudulent refunds to her co-conspirators.

According to the indictment and other court documents, in February 2009, Grant caused