🌱 Local Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter + Local Sentenced to 23 Years

Good morning, everybody! It's me, Rose Mendez, your host of the Montgomery Patch newsletter. Let's get this Saturday started off right, with a quick guide to everything you need to know about what's happening in town these days.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Some clouds, then sunshine. High: 71 Low: 55.
• Sunday: Cloudy, a shower and t-storm. High: 76 Low: 48.

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Here are the top three stories today in Montgomery:

1. On Mar. 9, 20-year-old Andie Dollerson of Montgomery pled guilty to manslaughter in connection to the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Ceyeria Lee. Witnesses say Dollerson, then 17 years old, was arguing with Ceyeria in a vehicle at Oak Park on Forest Avenue in Montgomery on Aug. 17, 2020. Dollerson then began playing with a loaded handgun and ran away when the weapon discharged, eventually killing Ceyeria, who later died at a local hospital a few weeks shy of her 14th birthday. Dollerson's sentencing is scheduled for Mar. 20. (WSFA 12)
2. William Kennedy Allen II of Montgomery was sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges against him, including carjacking, using a firearm during a crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The 27-year-old suspect carjacked two vehicles in a row while fleeing from police officers, but was caught after crashing the second stolen vehicle. (CBS 42)
3. Hundreds recently gathered in Montgomery to urge lawmakers to reform the prison system after multiple incidences of inmates dying while in custody over the last year. As the crowd remembered the inmates who lost their lives, the group focused on its message: "A prison sentence should not be a death sentence." During the last fiscal year, there were 266 in-custody deaths in state facilities, and there have been 25 deaths so far in 2023. Reform activists suggest the state invest in mental health, drug treatment, and other rehabilitation programs instead of more mega-prisons. (ABC News)

Today and tomorrow in Montgomery:

Saturday, March 11

• Goth & Rock Night At GTSouth Geek & Gaming Tavern (6:00 PM)
• Casting Crowns The Healer Tour At The Montgomery Performing Arts Centre (7:00 PM)
• DJ Ken At The Kove Bar & Grill (10:00 PM)

Sunday, March 12

• National Theatre Live: The Crucible At Capri Theatre (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Mark your calendar for Mar. 25 through Mar. 26 for Zoo Weekend! The event at the Montgomery Zoo will feature live entertainment on two stages, animal encounters, games, prizes, rides, concessions, and more. (Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum via Facebook)
• Meet Shania, a beautiful gal waiting for her new forever home at the Montgomery Humane Society. She is a three-month-old terrier mix with all her shots. (Montgomery Humane Society Adoptable Pets via Facebook)
• On Mar. 9, the House of Bishops made a pilgrimage to racial justice sites in Montgomery where the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s was fought. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said, "We went on pilgrimage to holy places to remember those enslaved and abused in the institution of chattel slavery – and the martyrs and witnesses who labored for a society in which there is ‘liberty and justice for all.’" (Episcopal News Service)

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you around.

— Rose Mendez

About me: Rose Mendez is a freelance writer. She is studying English Literature at Hunter College. She loves reading, walking around the city, and coffee!