Savannah Hardin, 9, died after being forced to run as punishment. Etowah County, Ala., sheriff's officials say 46-year-old Joyce Hardin Garrard of Carlisle and 27-year-old Jessica Mae Hardin are accused of murder in the death of Savannah Hardin. Investigators say Garrard allegedly made the girl run without stopping for there hours as punishment for lying to her.

Hearing delayed in running death

GADSDEN, Ala. - A court has delayed a bond hearing for an Alabama grandmother charged with capital murder in the running death of her 9-year-old granddaughter.

An Etowah County judge was scheduled to consider a bond request by 48-year-old Joyce Hardin Garrard on Friday, but he delayed the hearing until May 7.

Garrard has been in jail more than a year awaiting trial in the death of her 9-year-old granddaughter, Savannah Hardin.

Authorities said the woman forced the child to run as punishment for a lie, and the girl died.

The girl's stepmother also is charged with murder in her death, but the judge previously released her on bond.

Budget may give raise to teachers

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - An Alabama House committee is expected to vote today on a proposed $5.735 billion education budget that would give teachers and other school workers their first pay raise since 2008.

The House Ways and Means Education Committee was briefed Tuesday on the proposed budget.

The proposed budget considered by the committee is less than the $5.825 billion education budget proposed by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley.

The budget cuts about $10 million from the Alabama Reading Initiative, a program to help make sure students are reading at grade level.

Convention moved in protest

MEMPHIS - A group that preserves the history and legacy of the Confederacy is skipping Memphis in scheduling its 2016 convention after city parks were renamed.

According to The Commercial Appeal, the Sons of Confederate Veterans chose the Dallas suburb of Richardson, Texas, for its convention, partly because of the park renaming issue.

The Memphis City Council changed the names of three parks that formerly were Forrest Park, Confederate Park and Jefferson Davis Park.

Lee Millar, a Memphis spokesman for the group, said he met with officials of the international group's planning committee and that the decision was because of what he termed "the misguided attempt to erase Civil War history."

Scam artist targets corporations

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee secretary of state's office says a scam artist is targeting corporations with an official-looking mail piece.

The letter from Corporate Records Service asks for a $125 fee to file annual reports with the secretary of state's office.

Secretary Tré Hargett said most corporations recently received genuine notices to file their reports.

Hargett said Corporate Records Service isn't licensed to do business in Tennessee, and the legitimate fee for corporations to file annual reports is $20.