Home for the Holidays: Obama Orders 1,000 Alabama Troops Home

(HOMEWOOD, Ala.) -- It’s home for the holidays for the 1,000 Alabama National Guard troops stationed overseas who are due to return home before the year’s end, ABC News Birmingham affiliate WBMA-TV reports.

The troops, who are currently stationed in Iraq, received word from President Barack Obama on Friday afternoon that they would soon be allowed to return home.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, there have been 17,000 men and women from Alabama who have served in Iraq.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Mourners Say Goodbye to Rev. Shuttlesworth

(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) -- Civil Rights leader Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth was remembered in a memorial ceremony on Sunday.

Members of the public viewed Shuttlesworth's body at the Birmingham's Civil Rights Institute on Sunday and more are expected on Monday before the funeral service in the afternoon. Shuttlesworth, who died at age 89 on Oct. 5, will be buried at 4 p.m.

Several leaders including U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Congressman Spencer Bachus attended the memorial for the late leader.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich ordered flags to fly half-staff at the Ohio Statehouse on Monday in honor of Shuttlesworth.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Alabama Unemployment Rate Drops to 9.8 Percent

(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) -- On Friday, the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations announced that the state's unemployment rate decreased from 9.9 percent in August to 9.8 percent in September representing 211,079 unemployed people.

Director Tom Surtees says the career centers have seen an increase in job orders and encourages job seekers to visit joblink.alabama.gov to look for positions. The figures do not represent the impact of the new immigration law as the information was collected before the law was implemented at the end of September.
 
"In September we saw some positive indicators," said Surtees. "For the first time in seven months, we are able to report a decline in the number of initial unemployment compensation claims. In addition, the number of benefits being paid out is at the lowest we’ve seen since October 2008."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Attorney General Holder to Speak at Shuttlesworth Ceremony

(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) -- U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will address the congregants at Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth's memorial ceremony.

The service will take place at the 16th Street Baptist Church, at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The funeral will take place at 10 a.m. on Monday at the Faith Chapel Christian Center.

Rev. Shuttlesworth was a major civil rights leader in Birmingham, and is responsible for founding the South Christian Leadership Conference. He died on Oct. 5 in Birmingham.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Two Dead in Bessemer as Car Collides with Train

(BESSEMER, Ala.) -- Two people are dead following a collision involving a train and a car in Bessemer early Friday morning.

The collision reportedly occurred around 1 a.m. in the vicinity of 20th Street and Carolina Avenue. Officials and witnesses say the crossing gate arms were down, and the car somehow managed to get on the track, and was struck by a Norfolk Southern train.

The two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Their identities weren't immediately revealed.

It is unknown if anyone on the train was injured.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio