Who`s packing?

LIVING What’s the
hottest Halloween
costume for your
kids this year?
It’s a return to
classic superheroes.
FOOTBALL U No. 1 Tide wins
sixth straight over Vols, 44-13
BUSINESS Yet
again, Alabama
ranks near the top
of a magazine’s list
of states in which
to do business.
FOOTBALL U Unable to convert Vandy errors
into points, Auburn remains winless in SEC
MONDAY
JANUARY
9
SUNDAY
OCTOBER 2 1, 2012
Opening
wide a
winged
world
2012
CARRYING CONCEALED WEAPONS
From their backyard,
one couple helps us
understand the birds
Ben Raines
braines@al.com
A north wind at his back,
the migrating catbird flew over
the white capped waves rolling
across Mobile Bay and into the
dense woods of the Fort Morgan peninsula.
There, in a thicket at the
edge of the seaside forest,
his journey south across the
Gulf of Mexico was temporarily interrupted as he tumbled
into a nearly invisible wall of
mesh netting.
Wings flapping impotently, the bird thrashed and
called out as a pair of people
approached.
“There you go. Ooh, you’re
mad. I can see that,” said Bob
Sargent, big hands delicately
removing the pewter gray bird
from the entangling netting
and then placing it in a small
mesh bag. “Let’s see what we
can do about getting you on
your way.”
Within minutes, the bird
had been weighed, fitted
with a tiny metal identification band, given a physical,
See BIRDS, Page 11A
Nearly 160,000 people who live in Alabama are licensed to carry a concealed weapon. (Joe Songer/jsonger@al.com)
Who’s packing?
Concealed-gun permits make some feel safe,
others worried and law enforcement content
dddddddddddddddddd
INSIDE
◗◗ In Mobile County, there
are almost 10,000
women carrying guns.
PAGE 11A
Be mindful of that customer at the supermarket. He — or she —
may have a gun hidden in that jacket. And it’s perfectly legal. Almost
160,000 Alabamians in the state’s largest counties have concealedweapon permits. What do authorities think? Since the permit money
keeps cruisers maintained and their ammunition stockpiled, they’re
17 GUNS?
This man is carrying 17
handguns. Turn inside to see
what they are and where he’s
got ’em. PAGE 10A
pretty much OK with residents packing legal heat. PAGE 10A
Megginson sees good days ahead for schools
His final board meeting Monday will wrap up nearly four decades of service in the Mobile system
Rena Havner Philips
rhavner@al.com
After working with the
Mobile County school system
for 38 years, Ken Megginson
will attend his last meeting as
a member of the school board
Bob Sargent holds a
redstart captured in the
banding nets at Ft. Morgan.
(Ben Raines/Press-Register)
TODAY
INDEX
Volume 199
Books8C
Business 1E
Comics1Z
In Depth 17A
Number 156
© 2012 Alabama Media Group
Monday.
Megginson started as a
teacher at Toulminville High
School, stayed there through
integration as it turned into
LeFlore, a magnet school, and
then moved on to Murphy.
He and fellow board mem-
ber Judy Stout did not run
for re-election this term. In
November, Megginson will
be replaced by Doug Harwell
and Stout by Don Stringfellow.
“It’s been exciting. It’s been
rewarding and I am a little
sad,” Megginson said of his
six years on the board.
His favorite part of being on
the board was meeting teachers and students, he said.
Megginson, known for
his cheerful outlook, would
often praise staff members
or students publicly during
meetings. Touring schools,
he would hand students a
gift certificate to Chick-fil-A
if he saw them doing something helpful.
He made national news
See SCHOOLS, Page 6A
WEATHER
Living 1C
Local 4A
Obituaries12A
Opinion 1D
People 2A
Sports 1B
State12A
Travel9C
SUNDAY
Mostly sunny.
High 80, low 58.
MONDAY
Sunny.
High 82, low 59.
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TUESDAY
Sunny.
High 81, low 61.
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