The Sunrise News Sampler

Dickens Downtown will be held in Northport tonight from 5pm until 8pm. This Victorian era holiday festival includes the Northport tree lighting, old time craftsmaking, and music.

Voters in three parts of Alabama will participate in special elections today to help fill vacancies in the Alabama House of Representatives.

Congress is moving to renew a 25-year-old ban on firearms that can evade metal detectors and X-ray machines. Many Democrats want tighter restrictions, which would make plastic firearms more detectable, but they're still expected to back the extension.

The National Transportation Safety Board says it doesn't know whether faulty brakes or human error caused Sunday's derailment of a New York City train that killed four people, but the train was definitely traveling at excessive speeds.

Last night,  actor Vin Diesel has visited the site of the car crash that killed his "Fast & Furious" co-star Paul Walker.

The Tuscaloosa City Board of Education and Superintendent will hold a regular board meeting at 6pm today at the Tuscaloosa Career and Technology Academy. The agenda includes an update on all construction projects in the system, discussion for approval of three contracts for 21st Century Grants, and the use of school facilities for various events and community meetings.

A group of Birmingham-area residents are appealing a judge's recent decision to aprove a plan that would allow Jefferson County to exit its historic bankruptcy.

Today, a judge is expected to annouce whether Detroit can come up with a plan to get rid of $18 billion in debt in the largest public bankruptcy in U.S. history. If not, the city will have to sit down again with creditors and try to reach an agreement outside of court.

Seattle Seahawks beat the New Orleans Saints 34-7 to become the first NFL team to wrap up a playoff berth.