Von Braun Collapse Answers - Gun at Williams Middle School

Good morning, Huntsville! If you’re looking to get caught up on the latest and greatest news and events in town, but only have a few minutes, you’re in the right place! In today’s Daily, we'll find out about a weapon at a Huntsville City School, how the Morgan County Commission is reacting to the alleged attack on a corrections officer last week, and the latest candidacy announcement for the District 5 congressional seat.

First, today’s weather:

Today will have isolated storms as the day goes on and the sun sets at 7:54 p.m. High: 84 Low: 57

Here are the top five stories in Huntsville today:

1. Officials with the Von Braun Center are trying to figure out what caused the collapse of an awning Tuesday night. The initial assessment on Wednesday showed that the ceiling framework failed, but now the VBC has the Matheny Goldman architecture firm and PEC Structural Engineers assessing damage and looking at what could have caused the framework to fail. Until that can be determined, the VBC will not start reconstruction. (WHNT)
2. A gun was confiscated from a student at Williams Middle School yesterday. Administrators received a tip led them to check on the situation and find the weapon. According to Ashley Thusius, that student will face disciplinary action that follows the district’s Behavioral Learning Guide. (WAAYTV)
3. The Morgan County Commission has approved $120,000 to buy 105 body cameras for correctional officers. This comes after an inmate allegedly attacked a correctional officer. They will also be replacing regular cameras in older parts of the jail, according to reporter William Thornton. (AL.com)
4. Madison County Sheriff Kevin Turner spoke about the Huntsville Police Citizen Advisory Council’s report that was released last week after taking time to read the report. He said that he stands by his department’s actions, and he thanked the community despite the sheriff’s office choosing not to participate in the review. (WAAYTV)
5. Former Huntsville City Schools superintendent Casey Wardynski has announced his candidacy for the District 5 congressional seat. He recently served as an Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs under the Trump Administration after a 30 year Army career. Wardynski served 5 years as the HCS superintendent before resigning in 2016 after he confirmed a relationship with Karen Lee, the Pinnacle Schools founder. (WAFF)

Today in Huntsville

• The ribbon cutting ceremony for Phase I at the 565 interchange at Toyota Field will be this morning! (10 a.m.)
• The Korn Ferry Golf Tour’s Huntsville Championship officially kicks off today (All day)
• Give Back Night @ Nothing But Noodles- Fantasy Playhouse will receive 15% of purchases made. (4 p.m.- 9 p.m.)
• More Trees, Please!- This class at the Botanical Garden will help you choose the right trees for your landscape! (10 a.m.)

Huntsville Patch Notebook

• The next three Havoc games will determine if they go into the playoffs as the third or fourth seed.
• Mountain Gap Middle School is going virtual until May 3 after six positive COVID-19 cases cause 72 people to quarantine. (Details)
• After the ribbon cutting ceremony at the 565 interchange at Toyota Field today, the road will be open to traffic, which could make a difference in commute times! (Details)
• The Department of Transportation expects that the AL117 area affected by a landslide earlier this month will be repaired and ready to be used by early June.
• Downtown Rescue Mission’s Madison Thrift Store broke ground yesterday!

You're all caught up for today! Check in your inbox tomorrow for your Friday update!

-Amy