The morning of December 3rd, 2015 started like any other. Ashley Fields woke up and began to get her oldest daughter, Lexi, ready for school at about five o’clock in the morning. Around seven o’clock, she found herself calling 9-1-1. Her youngest, Adalyn Marie Fields, was not breathing. Adalyn, or better known as Addie, was only five months old.

After a rush to Walker Baptist Hospital, Addie was transported to Children’s Hospital. One day later on December 4th, Adalyn Marie Fields passed away. When abuse trauma specialist Dr. Michael Taylor saw Addie, he already knew the cause of death. There was bruising around the girl’s abdomen and chin, she had broken ribs, and her eyes had suffered hemorrhaging (this is one of the key indicators that a child has been abused). Dr. Taylor also saw that her brain had swollen in a way that often happens in what is called “acceleration deceleration.” In laymen’s terms, the baby was a victim of “shaken baby syndrome.” In fact, in his witness testimony, Dr. Taylor actually says, “Someone shook the crap out of that baby.” Addie’s cause of death is listed as homicide.

Two people were charged in the case; Allen Ogles and Ashley Fields were charged with capital murder of Addie since they were the only ones around her during the time she was critically injured. Allen Ogles was the boyfriend of Ashley Fields. A year after their arrests, Allen came forward and offered to testify to everything he knew. However, he did not claim to know if Ashley committed the murder or not, but that he would testify to times he had been concerned about Ashley with the baby. Allen Ogles currently resides in the Winston County Jail. Ashley Fields is an inmate in Cullman County Detention Center.

Judge Lee Carter presided over the trial. The head prosecutor from the District Attorney’s Office was Neal Cook, accompanied by prosecutor Rachel Smith. Both have worked on the case for over 2 years. After a 2 week long trial, the jury returned a verdict on August 10, 2018. Ashley Brooke Goven Fields was found guilty of felony murder. Felony murder is charged when a person commits a felony and in the course of it, someone dies. The jury found that Ashley had committed the felony of child abuse that ultimately ended the life of her child.

Sentencing is set for 12 September at 1 p.m.

Terry Pruitt and his wife Jane (owner of Pruitt Towing Double Springs) had flown to Las Vegas to pick up a truck for a customer. After picking up the truck, they drove to New Mexico to visit Jane’s son and daughter-in-law.  Heading home to Alabama about noon on Tuesday, August 7, driving through Archer County, Texas, northwest of Fort Worth,  a tire blew causing Terry to lose control of the truck which left the road and flipped.

Both were taken by ambulance to a hospital in Wichita Falls.  Jane suffered 3 broken vertebrae in her back, multiple broken ribs,  multiple cuts, and contusions. Terry was released on Thursday, August 9 and returned home Friday, August 10 accompanied by his daughter Krista Adkins and her husband.  Jane will remain in the hospital until Monday when she will hopefully be released to an inpatient facility or her son Evan and his wife, Nicoles’ care.

Donations are being accepted to help them while Terry is unable to work. at Traders and Farmers Bank and Rosey Posey’s in Double Springs.

A two-vehicle crash at 6:45 p.m., August 7, 2018, has claimed the life of an Arley woman.  Pamela Lawler, age 64, was killed when her Ford Explorer collided with a tractor-trailer truck. Lawler was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred on I-22 near the 67 mile make, 1 mile east of Jasper.  Nothing further is available as Alabama State Troopers continue to investigate.

Please keep this in mind, not only today but every day in while dropping off or picking up your kids at school. In Haleyville, it is against the law to use your cell phone in the school zone. You can be ticketed for doing so. A few years ago, a crossing guard actually wound up on the hood of a lady’s car because the driver was distracted by a phone. As a result, the city passed an ordinance prohibiting the use of phones while driving a vehicle in the area of the schools.

There are new laws and regulations about what you should do when near a school bus. Those new laws are posted here on hbtv.us.

All of our kids are precious, and no one should be injured or hurt while traveling to or from school.

The Haleyville Board of Education met Tuesday afternoon with only one item on the agenda. The Board approved the hiring of Candy Hicks Garner as STEAM instructional coach.

The Haleyville City Council met Monday with Blue Russell absent. After approving the minutes of the last regular and work sessions, the Council approved the resignation of Connie Handley, secretary in the Police Department. The Council approved changing the date of the September 3rd Council meeting to September 4th due to the Labor Day holiday. Poll workers and a contract with the county commission for voting machines for the upcoming school Board Election on August 28.

Bids for street paving for the city were approved for a total of $199,500 to Mallory Burkhalter Paving, Inc., with the asphalt from the S.T. Bunn Asphalt Plant in Guin, through the Winston County Road Department.

A pay adjustment was approved for all city employees with an across the board pay raise of $.50/hour increase. Adjustments were also approved for the Police Department. Starting pay will be $12/hour for new hires/$13/hour for certified and topping out after 3 years at $15.50/hour. Sergeant pay will be $16.50 and Lieutenant/Investigator $18.50/hour.

A contract for opioid litigation was approved. This will cost the city nothing, but if funds become available because of legal action, the City could be reimbursed for expenses, incurred for handling cases involving opioids

The Council approved an application for a Homeland Security Grant for $39,000 with no match.

Susan Morgan was hired as the Human Resource Manager for the City.

The next Haleyville City Council meeting will be Monday, August 20th.

A house on 20th Street, near 14th Avenue, was struck by lightning at 1:08 PM today during the passage of an isolated thunderstorm. With both parents at work, Chris Brewer was home at the time and called 9-1-1 to report smoke in his house.  The Haleyville Fire Department responded quickly. however the fire, smoke, and water left the house with heavy damage.

Dear Friends,

WE NEED YOUR HELP!  Doug Kennedy, from Haleyville, is a record-setting, gold medal, Paralympian wheelchair racer.  No one is more deserving of recognition as an Alabama sports hero than Doug.  Doug was nominated by his friend, Belinda Masdon Kimble, also from Haleyville, for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham, in 2015.  He has been passed by for the past three years, and the ASHOF nominating committee meets again in July.  The committee votes to put candidates on the ballot, and then a larger selection committee votes for the inductees from those on the ballot.  WHAT CAN YOU DO?  Please contact Scott Myers, ASHOF’s executive director, and let him know that Northwest Alabama wants to see Doug in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.  Please read Doug’s nomination letter below to refresh your recollection of Doug’s extraordinary athletic career.  Thank you.  Harold and Belinda

Scott Myers, Executive Director, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame

2150 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N.

Birmingham, AL  35203

205-323-6665

info@ashof.org

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