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Etowah Co. escaped inmate captured

Justin Wade Hopkins (Photo: Etowah County Sheriff's Office)

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- The Etowah County Sheriff's Office says they have captured an inmate kitchen worker who escaped early Friday morning.

According to the Sheriff's Office, 30-year-old Justin Wade Hopkins of Collinsville escaped from the Etowah County Detention Center shortly after 4 a.m. May 17. He was seen running toward Tuscaloosa Avenue.

Hopkins was found thanks in part to a citizen's tip.

Hopkins was being detained on theft and burglary charges.

Copyright 2013 WBRC. All rights reserved.

Wells Fargo announces heavy support in Civil Rights anniversary

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- Wells Fargo announces plans to support a wide variety of programs and events as part of Birmingham's 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement. They plan to help seven specific groups this year as part of the city's "50 Years Forward" effort.

Representatives from the different organizations were at the press conference this morning. Some of their plans this year include providing college scholarships through the 16th Street Baptist Church Foundation, sponsoring the re-print of the A.G. Gaston book "Green Power," supporting educational programs at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and sponsoring Juneteenth Culture Fest at the BCRI on June 1st.

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Man arrested after threatening people with gun in Gadsden

Source: MGN Online

GADSDEN, AL (WBRC)- Gadsden police have arrested a 35-year-old man after he reportedly threatened to kill the people inside his house.

Police responded to a domestic incident around 5 a.m. Friday at a home in the 1300 block of Merryhill Avenue in east Gadsden. A younger female told police that the 35-year-old man, also a resident of the house, was "waving a gun around and threatening to kill the people inside," Captain Bobby Jackson said.

Gadsden police arrived to the scene and tried to make contact. A few minutes later, the man's mother called dispatch to tell them the man was also threatening to commit suicide.

The Joint Special Operations Group responded to the home and entered the home within an hour. They took the suspect, whose identity has not been released, into custody.

Police say no one was injured in the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

Gadsden, Ala. among top 10 poorest cities in the U.S.

Gadsden, Ala. ranks 5th in a list of the top 10 poorest U.S. cities, according to TheRichest.org. (Source: Wikimedia Commons/Ronhjones)

GADSDEN, AL (WBRC)- Gadsden, Alabama ranks among the 10 poorest cities in the U.S., according to the website www.therichest.org.

Gadsden is number five on the list with a median income of $33,313. The website says more than a fifth of Gadsden's population lives below the poverty line and 9.1 percent of people of working age are currently unemployed. TheRichest.org also says the average household income dropped $4,500 in a five-year period beginning in 2007.

As an upside for Gadsden, the site says the value of homes has increased by nearly 13 percent, the fifth largest growth rate for metropolitan areas.

Almost all ten of the poorest cities are located in the South or Southwest, with the only exception being Cumberland, Maryland.

Bart Clapp honored as GRMC employee of the month

Bart Clapp honored as GRMC employee of the month

From Gadsden Regional Medical Center

Bart Clapp, a registered nurse who works in the surgical intensive care unit, was named Gadsden Regional Medical Center Employee of the Month for May.

Clapp, who has been with GRMC since 2008, said he was “overwhelmed” by the honor. He was presented with the award on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, by Chief Executive Officer Stephen Pennington.

Clapp started his tenure at GRMC as a tech and, in 2009, received his nursing degree from Jacksonville State University. He began his nursing career on the 8th floor and moved to surgical ICU in August 2013.

Clapp, a graduate of Emma Sansom High School, lives in Gadsden and has one daughter, Daniella, who graduates this month from Etowah High School.