These are some stories from the 10/8/12 version of Tennessee Valley news update (633, 733, 833am, 304, 404, 504, 604pm) …
Libya's parliament has passed a no-confidence vote in the newly-elected prime minister, removing him from his post. Mustafa Abushagur has Huntsville ties. He taught electrical and computer engineering at UAHuntsville from 1985 until 2002. Abushagur had until Sunday to form a Cabinet or risk losing his job. His initial list of ministers was criticized for not being diverse enough. Abushagur was Libya's first elected prime minister after last year's overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on time last night beginning a new era for commercial spaceflight. Carrying a Dragon supply capsule bound for the International Space Station, the SpaceX CRS-1 mission will dock in three days. The mission marks the first of at least 12 SpaceX missions to the space station under the company's cargo resupply contract with NASA. Dragon will spend more than two weeks there before an expected return to Earth on Oct. 28.
Authorities in Mobile, Alabama, are investigating why a University of South Alabama police officer shot and killed an 18-year-old freshman who they say was naked and acting erratically outside the campus police station early Saturday. The man, later identified as Gilbert Thomas Collar, of Wetumpka, Alabama, repeatedly rushed and verbally challenged the officer in a fighting stance, the school said. The officer, whose name hasn't been released, drew his weapon and ordered Collar to stop. The officer retreated several times to try to calm the situation. He has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of internal and external investigations,
Just after getting voters to approve a $437 million constitutional amendment, Gov. Robert Bentley is crossing the state to seek support for a much smaller amendment that could determine whether he keeps his campaign promise to reduce unemployment. Bentley is telling audiences that they need to approve Amendment 2 on Nov. 6 because paychecks are at stake. The proposed amendment cleared the Legislature in May with only three negative votes. Since then, there has been no organized campaign against it.
Alabama voters will decide next month whether to continue a 20-year-old program that has allowed the state to buy 220,000 acres of public land to be used for hunting, fishing, birding and other activities. The Nov. 6 ballot represents the second time Alabama residents have been asked to vote on Forever Wild. The first was in 1992 when the state was authorized to buy wilderness lands. Supporters of the referendum include environmental groups and hunters. There has been very little organized opposition to the Forever Wild extension, but some critics question whether Alabama should be buying more public land during a funding crisis that has caused some state workers to be laid off.
Decatur voters will head to the polls on Tuesday to make their final pick for a new mayor. Don Kyle and Carl Cole are vying for the position. Kyle is the former mayor of Decatur. Cole is an attorney who has worked in the city for twelve years. Many cities across North Alabama will hold their municipal runoff elections on Tuesday.