Week in Review: May 10

Submitted by MyFoxAL Web Staff on Friday, May 10th, 12:14 pm

(RNN) - Authorities were shocked to discover that three missing Cleveland women were being held captive in the same house for almost a decade. Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were found alive after Berry escaped from the house with her 6-year-old daughter, who police believe was born in captivity. The suspect, Ariel Castro, is being held on $8 million bond.

Jurors convicted Jodi Arias of first-degree murder in Phoenix. Arias is accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in a jealous rage. Her sentencing, which could include the death penalty, is set for next week.

James Holmes, the suspect in the July 2012 Colorado theater shooting that killed 12 people, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

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Oxford PD arrest man in 2-year-old's death

Submitted by Brianne Britzius, Fox 6 Digital Producer

Thursday, May 9th, 2013, 9:58pm

Bryan Butts. Source: Oxford Police Department

OXFORD, AL (WBRC)- Oxford Police confirm that they have arrested a man in the death of a 2-year-old boy last week.

Bryan Butts, 24, of Oxford was arrested Thursday on a capital murder warrant in the death of Cody Allen Rollins. Chief Bill Partridge confirms to FOX6 News that Rollins died from blunt force trauma.

Butts and the child's mother were dating, according to Butts' family.

Butts will appear in Talladega County court for his arraignment May 10. Police have not commented on any other details in the case.

Oxford EMTs were called to Rollins' home Friday, May 3 where they found the child unresponsive. Rollins was taken to Anniston Regional Medical Center where he later passed away.

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6 household items to throw away today

Submitted by Ronda Robinson, Fox 6 News Reporter

Thursday, May 9th, 2013, 6:27pm

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- You may not think you need to throw away spices from your pantry, but if you've had them more than four years, toss them!

According to AARP.com, these are six items that should be thrown away today.

1. Take a good look at those plastic containers that are piled up on your shelves. If they have recycle codes 3 or 7 on them they may contain BPA, a hormone-disrupting chemical that leaches into food.

2. Purge your medicine cabinet of expired or unused medications. Do not flush them down the toilet or put them in the trash. Take them to official collection sites. Check the smarxtdisposal website for disposal ideas.

3. How long have you had that makeup? Bacteria that may cause infection can start to grow. You should only keep mascara for two to three months, lip gloss six months. Replace foundation after six months to a year.

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Study suggests good hygiene is one cause of allergies

Submitted by MyFoxAL Web Staff on Wednesday, May 8th, 10:53 pm

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- A new study suggests a link between good hygiene might actually cause some children to develop allergies.

The JAMA Pediatrics study suggests that children's immune systems aren't being trained to recognize and fight off certain irritants in the air. The study says American-born children are 14 percent more likely to develop allergies than those born outside the U.S. It says several factors may be to blame, including being too clean.

"Having clean drinking water, not having to deal with some of the things that third world countries have to deal with is a good thing. Whether or not we're becoming too extreme may be some to increase in allergic incidents in the children of our country and even adults," Dr. Maxcie Sikora of the Alabama Allergy and Asthma Center said.

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Comparison of procedure costs at various Ala. hospitals

Submitted by Jonathan Hardison, Fox 6 News Reporter

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013, 9:01pm

Comparison of procedure costs at various Ala. hospitals

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- Today we got our first-ever comprehensive look at what hospitals around the country charge for different procedures, and the newly-released data shows some big gaps in what different hospitals in our area charge for the same procedure.

Hospitals protect this cost information like KFC protects its recipe, but as part of the healthcare overhaul, the government today released thousands of pages of documents showing what hospitals charge Medicare and Medicaid for different procedures.

Before we show you the data, there are a couple of important things to remember.

These costs are what the hospitals charge the government, not what they charge healthcare insurance companies who often negotiate deep discounts as part of their contracts.

And as you'll see, there is a big difference between what a hospital charges and what the government ends up actually paying.

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Family of missing Ga. man asks for public's help

Submitted by Brianne Britzius, Fox 6 Digital Producer

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013, 6:05pm

Nicholas Bower. Source: Talladega County Sheriff's Office

TALLADEGA COUNTY, AL (WBRC)- The family of a missing Georgia man last seen at the Talladega Superspeedway is asking for the public's help.

Nicholas Bower, 27 of Villa Rica, Ga., was last seen around 11 p.m. May 4. His family, friends and law enforcement appeared together Wednesday at a press conference to ask the public for help in finding Bower.

Bower's girlfriend Jennifer Boesch says they were camping in the South Park area of the Superspeedway. Boesch says she last saw Bower around 11 p.m. and that she woke up around 12:30 a.m. and couldn't find him.

His family says it's just not like Bower to disappear without a trace.

"He just disappeared without a trace and it is not characteristic of him at all. He is very close to his family and he would've contacted somebody," Bridgette Chambers, Bower's sister, said.

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State panel reverses turkey season decision

Submitted by MyFoxAL Web Staff on Wednesday, May 8th, 3:30 pm

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) - A state panel has reversed its decision to close fall turkey season in Alabama after hearing complaints from hunters.

The Daily Home of Talladega (http://bit.ly/ZNNJQv) reports that the Alabama Department of Conservation Advisory Board changed course during a public meeting at Joe Wheeler State Park.

The board's decision in March to eliminate the fall season in the six counties where it's allowed ruffled the feathers of turkey hunters across the state.

While the board agreed to allow turkey hunting in the fall, it didn't vote to open the fall turkey season back to the original dates. Instead, members are giving turkey hunters one week to hunt turkeys in November and another week in December.

The fall turkey season previously was open from Nov. 21-Jan. 1 each year.

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