Good morning, Decatur.

Maybelle Garner, a 4-year-old from Leighton, cleans parks across North Alabama as she competes to become a national junior ranger and win a $20,000 prize; her mother said the contest teaches her to appreciate and protect the outdoors.

Maybelle is in third place and votes will help push her further in the competition.

The Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for its Excellence in Leadership Program presented by Nucor Steel Decatur—designed to build skills and foster community engagement.

The program will begin in August with monthly sessions over 10 periods and end with a graduation luncheon in mid-May; applications are open until July 18.

The Chamber is hiring a motivated professional as the Director of Investor and Leadership Development to lead recruitment and retention efforts and coordinate investor engagement — the role also supports its Excellence in Leadership and Edge Student Leadership programs.

Decatur’s United Launch Alliance rocket (built locally) was delayed due to an engineering observation of an elevated purge temperature in its booster engine.

The team will evaluate the hardware and announce a new launch date when available.

A Decatur man and a Venezuelan national were arrested on Friday for allegedly smuggling industrial equipment to Venezuelan state-owned companies under U.S. sanctions and laundering money—federal authorities said the scheme dates back to 2022 and involves millions of dollars.

A Decatur man, Thomas Michael Fortinberry, 51, was arrested on June 13 and now faces charges for money laundering and smuggling goods to Venezuelan companies subject to U.S. sanctions—he allegedly used U.S. and overseas front companies along with foreign bank accounts to hide the transactions.

A Decatur man was indicted on a charge of first-degree domestic violence for allegedly stalking and threatening a former girlfriend who was under a court-issued protection order + a grand jury reached the indictment after reviewing evidence.

Decatur Police arrested two people—Joshua Cunningham and Janae Matthews—in connection with a shooting early Wednesday morning on Courtney Drive; witnesses reported the pair broke into a vehicle where a man fired several shots before they fled by bicycle and officers recovered a discarded firearm.

Deputy Chief Eric Stisher was sworn in at Decatur City Hall on Wednesday following the city council's vote on June 9—he is a former Birmingham police officer with over 22 years of law enforcement who will help manage the department and serve as acting chief when needed.

Community Free Clinic Spirit of America 5 Miler and Fun Run

7-8:10 a.m. — Point Mallard Dr SE, Decatur, AL — Registration fee varies — Run for a cause and enjoy the spirit of community at this annual race.