John David Mercer Gulf Shores K-9 handlers Officer Jeremy Perry with "Vice", Officer Chris Bagby with "Axel" , Officer Joe Taylor with "Dakota" and Cpl. Greg Bobo with "Matjo" Wednesday Feb 15, 2012 at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. (Press-Register, John Da

Early Police Department officials hope by next year to move into a new law enforcement center that will accommodate their full staff of eight officers. Chief David Mercer said his department recently has had to deal with cramped spaces while they run the

DAVID MERCER, Associated Press | Illinois coach Bruce Weber calls out to his team from the sidelines in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Purdue at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill. , on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Heather C

Tannehill, Wilson and Cousins have been invited to the NFL scouting combine, which starts next week in Indi

Detroit Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson (13) runs with the ball as New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy Porter (22) tries to make the tackle (Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE) Cornerback Tracy Porter is set to become a free agent soon. A

Riding a roller coaster. Maybe some skiing. Those options, previously off-limits because of her health, excite Kathryn Slattery, whose new liver and new heart make such activities possible. But first things first. "I'm excited to sleep in my own bed," sh

Former Saints RB Deuce McAllister on the sidelines. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE Deuce McAllister, the greatest running back in the history of the New Orleans Saints franchise, will be entering the coaching ranks as a member of Ole Mi

1 February 2012 Last updated at 05:41 ET National Grid wants to install pylons between Avonmouth and Hinkley Point Anti-pylon campaigners have welcomed an independent study into the costs of running power cables underground. National Grid wants to build

If Nadal is Djokovic’s biggest rival, then where does that place Roger ?????? Michael: Federer’s slowly but surely past. Nadal’s the present for Djoker. As simple as that. I think we are yet again making the mistake of writing off Roger too early. We did

DAVID MERCER, Associated Press | Illinois center Meyers Leonard (12) dunks over Michigan State center Adreian Payne (5) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill. , on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/John Di

The Dolphins could be Enjoying Upshaw's Sack Dance in the 2012 Season. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE We’ve been trying to complete one 7 round mock draft for each team before the combine was over and so far we’ve done many of them, whi

Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. , is the home of the Senior Bowl, a vital predraft evaluation tool for NFL teams. Players practiced in pads Monday through Wednesday to prepare for the North-South game Saturday. John David Mercer, Mobile Press-Registe

Alabama's Courtney Upshaw, right, runs through drills during Senior Bowl practice Tuesday in Mobile, Ala. (John David Mercer, The Associated Press) Today's question about the Broncos comes from James Koch. Q: What do you think of Alabama defensive star C

FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2010, file photo people pass the Alma Mater statue on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana, Ill. Illinois' interim President Stanley Ikenberry said Thursday, March 11, 2010, that as many as one in five students at the state'

DAVID MERCER, Associated Press | Illinois' Brandon Paul, right, blocks a shot by Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill. , on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Wisconsin won 67-63. (AP Photo

MILWAUKEE - An unusually mild winter finally gave way to the Midwest's first big snowstorm of the season Thursday, blanketing a region unfazed by a white Thanksgiving in a layer of powder and pack that forced all-too-happy snow plow drivers off their cou

A man clears snow from a sidewalk in downtown Champaign, Ill. , Thursday morning, Jan. 12, 2012. Many parts of Illinois were receiving their first significant snowfalls of the winter Thursday with anywhere from an inch to several inches expected. (AP Phot

Midwest gets first major snowstorm of warm winter The Associated Press Updated: 2012-01-12T20:25:47Z David Mercer A man clears snow from a sidewalk in downtown Champaign, Ill. , Thursday morning, Jan. 12, 2012. Many parts of Illinois were receiving their

Vehicles face the wrong way on the U.S. Highway 53 bridge over the Eau Claire River after a multiple-car accident Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012 in Altoona, Wis. The accident was one of numerous weather-related crashes caused by a winter storm in the upper Midw