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Huntsville Police Chief retiring, Mobile Bay Commemorative Day

Huntsville Police Chief Lewis Morris says he's retiring on September first.

Morris made the announcement during a news conference this morning. Huntsville city officials say west precinct commander Capt. Mark McMurray will serve as interim police chief.

Morris has served as police chief since April 2012. The announcement comes a day after 48-year-old officer Brett Russell was convicted of federal excessive force and obstruction of justice charges for assaulting a suspect and filing a false report.

Auburn University has entered into a new agreement with NASA and the Marshall Space Flight Center. APR’s Alex AuBuchon reports on the new opportunities it will provide to Auburn’s students.

Auburn University has entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA to explore and advance the applications of 3D printing.

The act was signed yesterday by Dr. John Mason, Auburn's vice president for research and economic development, along with Patrick Scheuermann, director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

The agreement will allow Auburn students to engage in NASA's missions and opportunities, to investigate and develop new technologies and to share NASA’s facilities and technical expertise.

Mason says the agreement will also allow Auburn students internship opportunities with organizations like NASA and GE Aviation.

The Marshall Center has used 3D printing to build and test rocket engine components and to manufacture parts for the International Space Station.  

The cannon at Fort Gaines will sound off once again at the one hundred and fifty first Battle of Mobile Bay Commemorative Day.

The event will highlight the integral role of the fort and the sacrifice of the American soldiers from the battle. It will be held on August first from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ralph Oalmann is the blacksmith at historic Fort Gaines. He says their goal is to educate people on what took place here on the Gulf Coast in the Civil War…

“To commemorate the sacrifice of the American soldiers from the Battle of Mobile Bay. We’ll be shooting the cannons every 45 minutes, we’ll have blacksmithing, they’ll be some different reenactors doing soldier life and talking to the public.”

Oalmann hopes visitors take a better sense of the tragedy of the war, and a better idea of why the war took place. Guests can expect to see reenactments of soldier life and demonstrations on blacksmithing and musketry.

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