Floyd Earnest Youngblood

Man convicted in 2011 rape

DALTON, Ga. - A jury convicted a Dalton man Friday of rape, aggravated sodomy and making false statements to police.

Floyd Earnest Youngblood, 46, of 1570 Mount Vernon Road, is convicted for crimes related to a Dec. 16, 2011, rape, according to a news release. He faces a minimum of 25 years in prison without parole and will return to court Tuesday for a sentencing hearing.

The jury convicted Youngblood after hearing evidence for three days. They heard testimony from the victim and other witnesses.

Prosecutors told them about DNA evidence, a failed polygraph test and that Youngblood initially told police he wasn't at the scene of the crime before eventually confessing.

House OKs bill on school safety

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - In a late-night session, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a school safety bill that will allow city and county school systems to hire armed school security officers.

The bill by Republican Sen. Dick Brewbaker, of Montgomery, was crafted in response to the Sandy Hook school shootings. The House approved it 97-3.

Some schools now have armed officers, but they are supplied by a local sheriff's or police department. The bill allows school systems to use their own money to hire officers who must be trained for the school setting. There was no budget appropriation for hiring officers.

The bill must go back to the Senate for review of House changes. If it passes, it will take effect three months after the governor signs it.

FBI rescuers in line for honor

FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen Richardson and his team have been named as finalists for the 2013 Heyman Homeland Security and Law Enforcement Medal.

They are being honored for their roles in the rescue of a 5-year-old southern Alabama boy who was abducted at gunpoint earlier this year. The boy, who was held in an underground bunker for six days, was rescued safely. His captor, Jimmy Lee Dykes, was killed.

Richardson oversaw the FBI team that included crisis negotiators, tactical units, bomb experts, behavioral scientists and surveillance units. He is the head of the FBI's field office in Mobile, Ala.

State adding Hot Lotto game

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Lottery is adding a sixth drawing-style game to its lineup, and this one pays the withholding taxes.

Hot Lotto is a multistate drawing-style game similar to Powerball and Mega Millions. The all-cash jackpots begin at $1 million and average $5 million to $6 million.

Hot Lotto sales begin in Tennessee on Sunday with tickets costing $1 each. A "Sizzler" option that triples all nonjackpot prizes costs an extra $1.

Drawings will be each Wednesday and Saturday with the first drawing May 15.