Mr. Charles "Chuck" Albert Poland, Jr. of Newton went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 performing a heroic deed while driving a school bus. He was 66. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 3, in the Ozark Civic Center with Rev. Ray Layton and Rev. Charles Littlefield officiating and with Dale County Superintendent of Education, Donny Bynum, delivering the eulogy. Burial will follow in Newton City Cemetery with Sorrells Funeral Home of Slocomb directing. Flowers will be accepted or contributions may be made to Autism Speaks, 1060 State Road 2nd Fl, Princeton, NJ 08540. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Mr. Poland was born on July 16, 1946 in Payette, ID to Mildred Poland and the late Charles "Bert" Poland, Sr. He was a beloved husband, father and "Paw-Paw"! A selfless man whose life exemplified the Lord he served, made the ultimate sacrifice by saving the lives of the children he loved. They, like so many others, will always remember him as a brave hero who did not flinch in the face of adversity. Survivors include his loving wife of 43 years, one daughter and son-in-law, one son and daughter-in-law, grandsons, mother, two sisters, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, several nieces and nephews; and other extended family and friends.
Sorrells Funeral Home
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Charles Albert Poland, Jr. 66, died on January 29, 2013 when he was shot and killed by an assailant. Poland was employed as a bus driver, and was driving a busload of children home from school when the assailant forced his way into the bus. The two men argued and Poland blocked the other man's way into the bus. He was then shot and killed. The perpetrator took off with a six year-old boy. As of Feb.5, 2013, the assailant is dead and the child has been rescued.
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MIDLAND CITY, Ala. —
As the police standoff with a suspect accused of holding a 5-year-old boy hostage continued Saturday, a nearby community prepared to bury the beloved bus driver who was shot to death trying to protect children on his bus when the episode began days earlier. Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, who was known around town as Chuck, was described by folks in his hometown of Newton as a humble hero. Hundreds of people attended a viewing service for Poland on Saturday evening. His funeral was set for Sunday afternoon. "I believe that if he had to do it all over again tomorrow, he would," said Poland's sister-in-law, Lavern Skipper, earlier Saturday. "He would do it for those children." Authorities said the suspect boarded a stopped school bus filled with 21 children Tuesday afternoon and demanded two boys between 6 and 8 years old. When Poland tried to block his way, the gunman shot him several times and abducted a 5-year-old boy — who police say remains in an underground bunker with the suspect. Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson said in a briefing with reporters Saturday that the suspect has told them he has blankets and an electric heater in the bunker, which is located on his rural property. Authorities have been conferring in a nearby church and communicating with the suspect through a ventilation pipe to the underground bunker. Olson also said the suspect has allowed police to deliver coloring books, medication and toys for the boy. "I want to thank him for taking care of our boy," Olson said. "That's very important." The shooting and abduction took place in Midland City, a small town near Dothan, Ala., in the state's southeastern corner. Newton is about three miles away, a small hamlet with fewer than 2,000 residents. It sits amid cotton farms and rolling hills sprinkled with red earth; most of the residents commute to Dothan or to a nearby Army post. And many knew Poland. William Lisenby, a school bus driver who also taught Sunday School with Poland, was flanked by other area bus drivers as he arrived at Saturday night's viewing at a local funeral home. Lisenby spoke in Biblical terms when referring to Poland. "If you'll notice the similarities there, of what Chuck did was the same thing that Jesus Christ did. These children, even though they were not Chuck's, he laid down his life to defend those children. My hat's off to him for that," he said, "He was a bus driver just like we are," Lisenby said. "But for the grace of God that could have been us." Others spoke of the loss of a good man, and their hope that the little boy being held captive is alive and well and will be released soon. "The community is real concerned," said Fred McNab, mayor of Pinckard, Ala. "You can tell by the food that's been carried over there to the church. It's just devastating. We want it to come to a resolution. We want to save that little child." Earlier Saturday, local residents remembered Poland as a friendly man who was quick to lend a helping hand to others. "He's probably the nicest guy you'll ever meet," said Lonnie Daniels, the 69-year-old owner of the NAPA Auto Parts store, one of three establishments in town that was open Saturday. Daniels last saw his friend Tuesday morning, when Poland agreed to buy a car from him. The two men shook hands and closed the deal "like gentlemen," Daniels said. Poland was to return after working his bus route to pay for the car. "He never came back," Daniels said quietly. Daniels said Poland had been married to his wife for 43 years. Poland was from Idaho, but his wife was from Newton. The couple lived there for decades in a small mobile home, and Poland enjoyed gardening and clearing brush from his property. "I knew that he was always there if I needed," said Daniels, adding that Poland was an excellent mechanic with an array of tools that he lent to people in town. Neighbors and friends said Poland did various acts of kindness for people in town, from fixing someone's tractor to tilling the garden of a neighbor who had a heart attack. "You don't owe me anything," Poland once told a recipient of his good deed. "You're my neighbor." Skipper said Poland and his wife would often sit on their porch, drinking coffee, praying and reading the Bible. "They loved to be together," Skipper said. On Saturday morning, Poland's wife wasn't home. A rack of worn trucker's caps sat on hooks on the porch, and two freshly baked pies were laid atop a cooler. The victim's son, Aaron Poland, told NBC News that he wasn't surprised by his father's final act, trying to protect a bus full of kids. "He considered them his children," Poland said, choking back tears. "And I know that's the reason why my dad took those shots, for his children, just like he would do for me and my sister." As Newton grieves, residents are praying for the safe return of the boy being held hostage — and wondering about the man behind the abduction. "We'd all like to get to him and say, 'What's wrong with you?' " said Gerald Harden, owner of a gun shop in Newton. Harden said he checked his records to see whether the suspect had bought a firearm there, but records showed he hadn't. In Midland City, police were mostly staying mum about their talks with the suspect, — a Vietnam-era veteran known as xxxxx to his neighbors. Some have described him as a menacing figure with anti-government views. One of the suspect's next-door neighbors said the suspect spent two or three months constructing the bunker, digging several feet into the ground and then building a structure of lumber and plywood, which he covered with sand and dirt. Neighbor Michael Creel said the suspect put the plastic pipe underground from the bunker to the end of his driveway so he could hear if anyone drove up to his gate. When the suspect finished the shelter a year or so ago, he invited Creel to see it — and he did. "He was bragging about it. He said, 'Come check it out," Creel said. He said he believes the suspect's goal is to publicize his political beliefs. "I believe he wants to rant and rave about politics and government," Creel said. "He's very concerned about his property." Police have used the pipe for communication and to deliver the boy medication for his emotional disorders. State Rep. Steve Clouse, who visited the boy's mother, said the boy has Asperger's syndrome — a mild form of autism — and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. But police have not revealed how often they are in touch or what the conversations have been about. Local officials who have spoken to police or the boy's family have described a small room with food, electricity and a TV. Sheriff Olson would not say Saturday whether the suspect has made any demands. Olson added that he is limited in the details he can release. FBI spokesman Jason Pack said Saturday that officials were working to establish a command center near the bunker. The suspect had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to answer charges he shot at his neighbors in a dispute last month over a speed bump. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington; Tamara Lush and Phillip Rawls in Midland City; Bob Johnson in Montgomery, Ala., and AP researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report. NOTE: I HAVE EDITED THIS ARTICLE TO REMOVE THE NAME OF THE SUSPECT BECAUSE HIS NAME HAS NO BUSINESS BE MENTIONED WITH MR.POLAND, A TRUE AREA HERO. ON FEB.2, JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED, THE SUSPECT IS DECEASED AND THE CHILD RESCUED.
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Charles Albert Poland, Slain Bus Driver, Shielded Children From Gunman's Bullets
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS 02/01/13 06:12 PM ET EST
SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Alabama school bus driver who was shot to death Tuesday while trying to shield youngsters was raised amid the forests and lakes of northern Idaho, served in the U.S. Army and worked as an auto mechanic, his sister said Friday. Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, was hailed as a hero who gave his life to protect the children on his bus. Authorities said a gunman boarded a stopped the bus Tuesday afternoon and demanded two boys between 6 and 8 years old. When Poland tried to block his way, the gunman shot him several times and took a 5-year-old boy. Poland's sister, Patti Hook, of Deer Park, Wash., was not surprised to hear that her brother tried to block the gunman. "He's been my hero all my life," Hook, 56, said in a telephone interview. Poland was born in Colorado but raised in the Idaho Panhandle towns of St. Maries and Athol, Hook said.
Their mother, Mildred, for many years was postmaster of Athol, a town of a few hundred people located about 50 miles northeast of Spokane, Wash., she said. Poland graduated from Lakeland High School in Rathdrum, Idaho, and served with the U.S. Army in Germany and Korea, where he was a mechanic and later flew helicopters, Hook said. He was stationed in Alabama when he met his wife, Mary Janice. They married and lived briefly in Idaho, then returned to Alabama where they raised two children, Hook said.
Poland worked as an auto mechanic until he retired. He started driving a school bus several years ago for the school district where his wife was a substitute teacher in order to supplement their income, Hook said. "He was the kindest, sweetest, most giving man," his sister said. "He always worried about what other people were going through." In his spare time, Poland gardened, raised chickens and tinkered in his shop, she said. The standoff between police and the gunman accused of holding the 5-year-old hostage in an underground bunker dragged into a fourth day Friday, as authorities continued delicate conversations with the man. The bunker is on the gunman's property in rural Alabama near the town of Pinckard, police said. There were signs the standoff could go on for some time: the shelter has electricity, food and TV. Police have delivered the boy's medication through a 4-inch-wide ventilation pipe leading to the bunker.
The Huffington Post Thanks to Gerrys_1grl #46470709
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Resolution Passed Alabama Senate - Now Goes To House In Reference Chuck Poland
Rickey Stokes
Posted by: RStokes
Date: Feb 05 2013 5:44 PM
MONTGOMERY: Alabama Senator Harri Anne Smith passed a resolution 35 to 0 in honor of Charles Albert Poland, also known as "Chuck". The resolution is co-sponsored by all Alabama Senators. From the Senate the resolution will go to the Alabama House where it will be introduced in the Alabama House. Senator Smith also asked for a moment of silence in honor of Mr. Poland.
Sorrells Funeral Home
****************************************************
Charles Albert Poland, Jr. 66, died on January 29, 2013 when he was shot and killed by an assailant. Poland was employed as a bus driver, and was driving a busload of children home from school when the assailant forced his way into the bus. The two men argued and Poland blocked the other man's way into the bus. He was then shot and killed. The perpetrator took off with a six year-old boy. As of Feb.5, 2013, the assailant is dead and the child has been rescued.
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MIDLAND CITY, Ala. —
As the police standoff with a suspect accused of holding a 5-year-old boy hostage continued Saturday, a nearby community prepared to bury the beloved bus driver who was shot to death trying to protect children on his bus when the episode began days earlier. Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, who was known around town as Chuck, was described by folks in his hometown of Newton as a humble hero. Hundreds of people attended a viewing service for Poland on Saturday evening. His funeral was set for Sunday afternoon. "I believe that if he had to do it all over again tomorrow, he would," said Poland's sister-in-law, Lavern Skipper, earlier Saturday. "He would do it for those children." Authorities said the suspect boarded a stopped school bus filled with 21 children Tuesday afternoon and demanded two boys between 6 and 8 years old. When Poland tried to block his way, the gunman shot him several times and abducted a 5-year-old boy — who police say remains in an underground bunker with the suspect. Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson said in a briefing with reporters Saturday that the suspect has told them he has blankets and an electric heater in the bunker, which is located on his rural property. Authorities have been conferring in a nearby church and communicating with the suspect through a ventilation pipe to the underground bunker. Olson also said the suspect has allowed police to deliver coloring books, medication and toys for the boy. "I want to thank him for taking care of our boy," Olson said. "That's very important." The shooting and abduction took place in Midland City, a small town near Dothan, Ala., in the state's southeastern corner. Newton is about three miles away, a small hamlet with fewer than 2,000 residents. It sits amid cotton farms and rolling hills sprinkled with red earth; most of the residents commute to Dothan or to a nearby Army post. And many knew Poland. William Lisenby, a school bus driver who also taught Sunday School with Poland, was flanked by other area bus drivers as he arrived at Saturday night's viewing at a local funeral home. Lisenby spoke in Biblical terms when referring to Poland. "If you'll notice the similarities there, of what Chuck did was the same thing that Jesus Christ did. These children, even though they were not Chuck's, he laid down his life to defend those children. My hat's off to him for that," he said, "He was a bus driver just like we are," Lisenby said. "But for the grace of God that could have been us." Others spoke of the loss of a good man, and their hope that the little boy being held captive is alive and well and will be released soon. "The community is real concerned," said Fred McNab, mayor of Pinckard, Ala. "You can tell by the food that's been carried over there to the church. It's just devastating. We want it to come to a resolution. We want to save that little child." Earlier Saturday, local residents remembered Poland as a friendly man who was quick to lend a helping hand to others. "He's probably the nicest guy you'll ever meet," said Lonnie Daniels, the 69-year-old owner of the NAPA Auto Parts store, one of three establishments in town that was open Saturday. Daniels last saw his friend Tuesday morning, when Poland agreed to buy a car from him. The two men shook hands and closed the deal "like gentlemen," Daniels said. Poland was to return after working his bus route to pay for the car. "He never came back," Daniels said quietly. Daniels said Poland had been married to his wife for 43 years. Poland was from Idaho, but his wife was from Newton. The couple lived there for decades in a small mobile home, and Poland enjoyed gardening and clearing brush from his property. "I knew that he was always there if I needed," said Daniels, adding that Poland was an excellent mechanic with an array of tools that he lent to people in town. Neighbors and friends said Poland did various acts of kindness for people in town, from fixing someone's tractor to tilling the garden of a neighbor who had a heart attack. "You don't owe me anything," Poland once told a recipient of his good deed. "You're my neighbor." Skipper said Poland and his wife would often sit on their porch, drinking coffee, praying and reading the Bible. "They loved to be together," Skipper said. On Saturday morning, Poland's wife wasn't home. A rack of worn trucker's caps sat on hooks on the porch, and two freshly baked pies were laid atop a cooler. The victim's son, Aaron Poland, told NBC News that he wasn't surprised by his father's final act, trying to protect a bus full of kids. "He considered them his children," Poland said, choking back tears. "And I know that's the reason why my dad took those shots, for his children, just like he would do for me and my sister." As Newton grieves, residents are praying for the safe return of the boy being held hostage — and wondering about the man behind the abduction. "We'd all like to get to him and say, 'What's wrong with you?' " said Gerald Harden, owner of a gun shop in Newton. Harden said he checked his records to see whether the suspect had bought a firearm there, but records showed he hadn't. In Midland City, police were mostly staying mum about their talks with the suspect, — a Vietnam-era veteran known as xxxxx to his neighbors. Some have described him as a menacing figure with anti-government views. One of the suspect's next-door neighbors said the suspect spent two or three months constructing the bunker, digging several feet into the ground and then building a structure of lumber and plywood, which he covered with sand and dirt. Neighbor Michael Creel said the suspect put the plastic pipe underground from the bunker to the end of his driveway so he could hear if anyone drove up to his gate. When the suspect finished the shelter a year or so ago, he invited Creel to see it — and he did. "He was bragging about it. He said, 'Come check it out," Creel said. He said he believes the suspect's goal is to publicize his political beliefs. "I believe he wants to rant and rave about politics and government," Creel said. "He's very concerned about his property." Police have used the pipe for communication and to deliver the boy medication for his emotional disorders. State Rep. Steve Clouse, who visited the boy's mother, said the boy has Asperger's syndrome — a mild form of autism — and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. But police have not revealed how often they are in touch or what the conversations have been about. Local officials who have spoken to police or the boy's family have described a small room with food, electricity and a TV. Sheriff Olson would not say Saturday whether the suspect has made any demands. Olson added that he is limited in the details he can release. FBI spokesman Jason Pack said Saturday that officials were working to establish a command center near the bunker. The suspect had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to answer charges he shot at his neighbors in a dispute last month over a speed bump. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington; Tamara Lush and Phillip Rawls in Midland City; Bob Johnson in Montgomery, Ala., and AP researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report. NOTE: I HAVE EDITED THIS ARTICLE TO REMOVE THE NAME OF THE SUSPECT BECAUSE HIS NAME HAS NO BUSINESS BE MENTIONED WITH MR.POLAND, A TRUE AREA HERO. ON FEB.2, JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED, THE SUSPECT IS DECEASED AND THE CHILD RESCUED.
***************************************************
Charles Albert Poland, Slain Bus Driver, Shielded Children From Gunman's Bullets
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS 02/01/13 06:12 PM ET EST
SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Alabama school bus driver who was shot to death Tuesday while trying to shield youngsters was raised amid the forests and lakes of northern Idaho, served in the U.S. Army and worked as an auto mechanic, his sister said Friday. Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, was hailed as a hero who gave his life to protect the children on his bus. Authorities said a gunman boarded a stopped the bus Tuesday afternoon and demanded two boys between 6 and 8 years old. When Poland tried to block his way, the gunman shot him several times and took a 5-year-old boy. Poland's sister, Patti Hook, of Deer Park, Wash., was not surprised to hear that her brother tried to block the gunman. "He's been my hero all my life," Hook, 56, said in a telephone interview. Poland was born in Colorado but raised in the Idaho Panhandle towns of St. Maries and Athol, Hook said.
Their mother, Mildred, for many years was postmaster of Athol, a town of a few hundred people located about 50 miles northeast of Spokane, Wash., she said. Poland graduated from Lakeland High School in Rathdrum, Idaho, and served with the U.S. Army in Germany and Korea, where he was a mechanic and later flew helicopters, Hook said. He was stationed in Alabama when he met his wife, Mary Janice. They married and lived briefly in Idaho, then returned to Alabama where they raised two children, Hook said.
Poland worked as an auto mechanic until he retired. He started driving a school bus several years ago for the school district where his wife was a substitute teacher in order to supplement their income, Hook said. "He was the kindest, sweetest, most giving man," his sister said. "He always worried about what other people were going through." In his spare time, Poland gardened, raised chickens and tinkered in his shop, she said. The standoff between police and the gunman accused of holding the 5-year-old hostage in an underground bunker dragged into a fourth day Friday, as authorities continued delicate conversations with the man. The bunker is on the gunman's property in rural Alabama near the town of Pinckard, police said. There were signs the standoff could go on for some time: the shelter has electricity, food and TV. Police have delivered the boy's medication through a 4-inch-wide ventilation pipe leading to the bunker.
The Huffington Post Thanks to Gerrys_1grl #46470709
*****************************************************
Resolution Passed Alabama Senate - Now Goes To House In Reference Chuck Poland
Rickey Stokes
Posted by: RStokes
Date: Feb 05 2013 5:44 PM
MONTGOMERY: Alabama Senator Harri Anne Smith passed a resolution 35 to 0 in honor of Charles Albert Poland, also known as "Chuck". The resolution is co-sponsored by all Alabama Senators. From the Senate the resolution will go to the Alabama House where it will be introduced in the Alabama House. Senator Smith also asked for a moment of silence in honor of Mr. Poland.
Mr. Charles "Chuck" Albert Poland, Jr. of Newton went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 performing a heroic deed while driving a school bus. He was 66. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 3, in the Ozark Civic Center with Rev. Ray Layton and Rev. Charles Littlefield officiating and with Dale County Superintendent of Education, Donny Bynum, delivering the eulogy. Burial will follow in Newton City Cemetery with Sorrells Funeral Home of Slocomb directing. Flowers will be accepted or contributions may be made to Autism Speaks, 1060 State Road 2nd Fl, Princeton, NJ 08540. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Mr. Poland was born on July 16, 1946 in Payette, ID to Mildred Poland and the late Charles "Bert" Poland, Sr. He was a beloved husband, father and "Paw-Paw"! A selfless man whose life exemplified the Lord he served, made the ultimate sacrifice by saving the lives of the children he loved. They, like so many others, will always remember him as a brave hero who did not flinch in the face of adversity. Survivors include his loving wife of 43 years, one daughter and son-in-law, one son and daughter-in-law, grandsons, mother, two sisters, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, several nieces and nephews; and other extended family and friends.
Sorrells Funeral Home
****************************************************
Charles Albert Poland, Jr. 66, died on January 29, 2013 when he was shot and killed by an assailant. Poland was employed as a bus driver, and was driving a busload of children home from school when the assailant forced his way into the bus. The two men argued and Poland blocked the other man's way into the bus. He was then shot and killed. The perpetrator took off with a six year-old boy. As of Feb.5, 2013, the assailant is dead and the child has been rescued.
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MIDLAND CITY, Ala. —
As the police standoff with a suspect accused of holding a 5-year-old boy hostage continued Saturday, a nearby community prepared to bury the beloved bus driver who was shot to death trying to protect children on his bus when the episode began days earlier. Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, who was known around town as Chuck, was described by folks in his hometown of Newton as a humble hero. Hundreds of people attended a viewing service for Poland on Saturday evening. His funeral was set for Sunday afternoon. "I believe that if he had to do it all over again tomorrow, he would," said Poland's sister-in-law, Lavern Skipper, earlier Saturday. "He would do it for those children." Authorities said the suspect boarded a stopped school bus filled with 21 children Tuesday afternoon and demanded two boys between 6 and 8 years old. When Poland tried to block his way, the gunman shot him several times and abducted a 5-year-old boy — who police say remains in an underground bunker with the suspect. Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson said in a briefing with reporters Saturday that the suspect has told them he has blankets and an electric heater in the bunker, which is located on his rural property. Authorities have been conferring in a nearby church and communicating with the suspect through a ventilation pipe to the underground bunker. Olson also said the suspect has allowed police to deliver coloring books, medication and toys for the boy. "I want to thank him for taking care of our boy," Olson said. "That's very important." The shooting and abduction took place in Midland City, a small town near Dothan, Ala., in the state's southeastern corner. Newton is about three miles away, a small hamlet with fewer than 2,000 residents. It sits amid cotton farms and rolling hills sprinkled with red earth; most of the residents commute to Dothan or to a nearby Army post. And many knew Poland. William Lisenby, a school bus driver who also taught Sunday School with Poland, was flanked by other area bus drivers as he arrived at Saturday night's viewing at a local funeral home. Lisenby spoke in Biblical terms when referring to Poland. "If you'll notice the similarities there, of what Chuck did was the same thing that Jesus Christ did. These children, even though they were not Chuck's, he laid down his life to defend those children. My hat's off to him for that," he said, "He was a bus driver just like we are," Lisenby said. "But for the grace of God that could have been us." Others spoke of the loss of a good man, and their hope that the little boy being held captive is alive and well and will be released soon. "The community is real concerned," said Fred McNab, mayor of Pinckard, Ala. "You can tell by the food that's been carried over there to the church. It's just devastating. We want it to come to a resolution. We want to save that little child." Earlier Saturday, local residents remembered Poland as a friendly man who was quick to lend a helping hand to others. "He's probably the nicest guy you'll ever meet," said Lonnie Daniels, the 69-year-old owner of the NAPA Auto Parts store, one of three establishments in town that was open Saturday. Daniels last saw his friend Tuesday morning, when Poland agreed to buy a car from him. The two men shook hands and closed the deal "like gentlemen," Daniels said. Poland was to return after working his bus route to pay for the car. "He never came back," Daniels said quietly. Daniels said Poland had been married to his wife for 43 years. Poland was from Idaho, but his wife was from Newton. The couple lived there for decades in a small mobile home, and Poland enjoyed gardening and clearing brush from his property. "I knew that he was always there if I needed," said Daniels, adding that Poland was an excellent mechanic with an array of tools that he lent to people in town. Neighbors and friends said Poland did various acts of kindness for people in town, from fixing someone's tractor to tilling the garden of a neighbor who had a heart attack. "You don't owe me anything," Poland once told a recipient of his good deed. "You're my neighbor." Skipper said Poland and his wife would often sit on their porch, drinking coffee, praying and reading the Bible. "They loved to be together," Skipper said. On Saturday morning, Poland's wife wasn't home. A rack of worn trucker's caps sat on hooks on the porch, and two freshly baked pies were laid atop a cooler. The victim's son, Aaron Poland, told NBC News that he wasn't surprised by his father's final act, trying to protect a bus full of kids. "He considered them his children," Poland said, choking back tears. "And I know that's the reason why my dad took those shots, for his children, just like he would do for me and my sister." As Newton grieves, residents are praying for the safe return of the boy being held hostage — and wondering about the man behind the abduction. "We'd all like to get to him and say, 'What's wrong with you?' " said Gerald Harden, owner of a gun shop in Newton. Harden said he checked his records to see whether the suspect had bought a firearm there, but records showed he hadn't. In Midland City, police were mostly staying mum about their talks with the suspect, — a Vietnam-era veteran known as xxxxx to his neighbors. Some have described him as a menacing figure with anti-government views. One of the suspect's next-door neighbors said the suspect spent two or three months constructing the bunker, digging several feet into the ground and then building a structure of lumber and plywood, which he covered with sand and dirt. Neighbor Michael Creel said the suspect put the plastic pipe underground from the bunker to the end of his driveway so he could hear if anyone drove up to his gate. When the suspect finished the shelter a year or so ago, he invited Creel to see it — and he did. "He was bragging about it. He said, 'Come check it out," Creel said. He said he believes the suspect's goal is to publicize his political beliefs. "I believe he wants to rant and rave about politics and government," Creel said. "He's very concerned about his property." Police have used the pipe for communication and to deliver the boy medication for his emotional disorders. State Rep. Steve Clouse, who visited the boy's mother, said the boy has Asperger's syndrome — a mild form of autism — and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. But police have not revealed how often they are in touch or what the conversations have been about. Local officials who have spoken to police or the boy's family have described a small room with food, electricity and a TV. Sheriff Olson would not say Saturday whether the suspect has made any demands. Olson added that he is limited in the details he can release. FBI spokesman Jason Pack said Saturday that officials were working to establish a command center near the bunker. The suspect had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to answer charges he shot at his neighbors in a dispute last month over a speed bump. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington; Tamara Lush and Phillip Rawls in Midland City; Bob Johnson in Montgomery, Ala., and AP researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report. NOTE: I HAVE EDITED THIS ARTICLE TO REMOVE THE NAME OF THE SUSPECT BECAUSE HIS NAME HAS NO BUSINESS BE MENTIONED WITH MR.POLAND, A TRUE AREA HERO. ON FEB.2, JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED, THE SUSPECT IS DECEASED AND THE CHILD RESCUED.
***************************************************
Charles Albert Poland, Slain Bus Driver, Shielded Children From Gunman's Bullets
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS 02/01/13 06:12 PM ET EST
SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Alabama school bus driver who was shot to death Tuesday while trying to shield youngsters was raised amid the forests and lakes of northern Idaho, served in the U.S. Army and worked as an auto mechanic, his sister said Friday. Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, was hailed as a hero who gave his life to protect the children on his bus. Authorities said a gunman boarded a stopped the bus Tuesday afternoon and demanded two boys between 6 and 8 years old. When Poland tried to block his way, the gunman shot him several times and took a 5-year-old boy. Poland's sister, Patti Hook, of Deer Park, Wash., was not surprised to hear that her brother tried to block the gunman. "He's been my hero all my life," Hook, 56, said in a telephone interview. Poland was born in Colorado but raised in the Idaho Panhandle towns of St. Maries and Athol, Hook said.
Their mother, Mildred, for many years was postmaster of Athol, a town of a few hundred people located about 50 miles northeast of Spokane, Wash., she said. Poland graduated from Lakeland High School in Rathdrum, Idaho, and served with the U.S. Army in Germany and Korea, where he was a mechanic and later flew helicopters, Hook said. He was stationed in Alabama when he met his wife, Mary Janice. They married and lived briefly in Idaho, then returned to Alabama where they raised two children, Hook said.
Poland worked as an auto mechanic until he retired. He started driving a school bus several years ago for the school district where his wife was a substitute teacher in order to supplement their income, Hook said. "He was the kindest, sweetest, most giving man," his sister said. "He always worried about what other people were going through." In his spare time, Poland gardened, raised chickens and tinkered in his shop, she said. The standoff between police and the gunman accused of holding the 5-year-old hostage in an underground bunker dragged into a fourth day Friday, as authorities continued delicate conversations with the man. The bunker is on the gunman's property in rural Alabama near the town of Pinckard, police said. There were signs the standoff could go on for some time: the shelter has electricity, food and TV. Police have delivered the boy's medication through a 4-inch-wide ventilation pipe leading to the bunker.
The Huffington Post Thanks to Gerrys_1grl #46470709
*****************************************************
Resolution Passed Alabama Senate - Now Goes To House In Reference Chuck Poland
Rickey Stokes
Posted by: RStokes
Date: Feb 05 2013 5:44 PM
MONTGOMERY: Alabama Senator Harri Anne Smith passed a resolution 35 to 0 in honor of Charles Albert Poland, also known as "Chuck". The resolution is co-sponsored by all Alabama Senators. From the Senate the resolution will go to the Alabama House where it will be introduced in the Alabama House. Senator Smith also asked for a moment of silence in honor of Mr. Poland.
Sorrells Funeral Home
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Charles Albert Poland, Jr. 66, died on January 29, 2013 when he was shot and killed by an assailant. Poland was employed as a bus driver, and was driving a busload of children home from school when the assailant forced his way into the bus. The two men argued and Poland blocked the other man's way into the bus. He was then shot and killed. The perpetrator took off with a six year-old boy. As of Feb.5, 2013, the assailant is dead and the child has been rescued.
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MIDLAND CITY, Ala. —
As the police standoff with a suspect accused of holding a 5-year-old boy hostage continued Saturday, a nearby community prepared to bury the beloved bus driver who was shot to death trying to protect children on his bus when the episode began days earlier. Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, who was known around town as Chuck, was described by folks in his hometown of Newton as a humble hero. Hundreds of people attended a viewing service for Poland on Saturday evening. His funeral was set for Sunday afternoon. "I believe that if he had to do it all over again tomorrow, he would," said Poland's sister-in-law, Lavern Skipper, earlier Saturday. "He would do it for those children." Authorities said the suspect boarded a stopped school bus filled with 21 children Tuesday afternoon and demanded two boys between 6 and 8 years old. When Poland tried to block his way, the gunman shot him several times and abducted a 5-year-old boy — who police say remains in an underground bunker with the suspect. Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson said in a briefing with reporters Saturday that the suspect has told them he has blankets and an electric heater in the bunker, which is located on his rural property. Authorities have been conferring in a nearby church and communicating with the suspect through a ventilation pipe to the underground bunker. Olson also said the suspect has allowed police to deliver coloring books, medication and toys for the boy. "I want to thank him for taking care of our boy," Olson said. "That's very important." The shooting and abduction took place in Midland City, a small town near Dothan, Ala., in the state's southeastern corner. Newton is about three miles away, a small hamlet with fewer than 2,000 residents. It sits amid cotton farms and rolling hills sprinkled with red earth; most of the residents commute to Dothan or to a nearby Army post. And many knew Poland. William Lisenby, a school bus driver who also taught Sunday School with Poland, was flanked by other area bus drivers as he arrived at Saturday night's viewing at a local funeral home. Lisenby spoke in Biblical terms when referring to Poland. "If you'll notice the similarities there, of what Chuck did was the same thing that Jesus Christ did. These children, even though they were not Chuck's, he laid down his life to defend those children. My hat's off to him for that," he said, "He was a bus driver just like we are," Lisenby said. "But for the grace of God that could have been us." Others spoke of the loss of a good man, and their hope that the little boy being held captive is alive and well and will be released soon. "The community is real concerned," said Fred McNab, mayor of Pinckard, Ala. "You can tell by the food that's been carried over there to the church. It's just devastating. We want it to come to a resolution. We want to save that little child." Earlier Saturday, local residents remembered Poland as a friendly man who was quick to lend a helping hand to others. "He's probably the nicest guy you'll ever meet," said Lonnie Daniels, the 69-year-old owner of the NAPA Auto Parts store, one of three establishments in town that was open Saturday. Daniels last saw his friend Tuesday morning, when Poland agreed to buy a car from him. The two men shook hands and closed the deal "like gentlemen," Daniels said. Poland was to return after working his bus route to pay for the car. "He never came back," Daniels said quietly. Daniels said Poland had been married to his wife for 43 years. Poland was from Idaho, but his wife was from Newton. The couple lived there for decades in a small mobile home, and Poland enjoyed gardening and clearing brush from his property. "I knew that he was always there if I needed," said Daniels, adding that Poland was an excellent mechanic with an array of tools that he lent to people in town. Neighbors and friends said Poland did various acts of kindness for people in town, from fixing someone's tractor to tilling the garden of a neighbor who had a heart attack. "You don't owe me anything," Poland once told a recipient of his good deed. "You're my neighbor." Skipper said Poland and his wife would often sit on their porch, drinking coffee, praying and reading the Bible. "They loved to be together," Skipper said. On Saturday morning, Poland's wife wasn't home. A rack of worn trucker's caps sat on hooks on the porch, and two freshly baked pies were laid atop a cooler. The victim's son, Aaron Poland, told NBC News that he wasn't surprised by his father's final act, trying to protect a bus full of kids. "He considered them his children," Poland said, choking back tears. "And I know that's the reason why my dad took those shots, for his children, just like he would do for me and my sister." As Newton grieves, residents are praying for the safe return of the boy being held hostage — and wondering about the man behind the abduction. "We'd all like to get to him and say, 'What's wrong with you?' " said Gerald Harden, owner of a gun shop in Newton. Harden said he checked his records to see whether the suspect had bought a firearm there, but records showed he hadn't. In Midland City, police were mostly staying mum about their talks with the suspect, — a Vietnam-era veteran known as xxxxx to his neighbors. Some have described him as a menacing figure with anti-government views. One of the suspect's next-door neighbors said the suspect spent two or three months constructing the bunker, digging several feet into the ground and then building a structure of lumber and plywood, which he covered with sand and dirt. Neighbor Michael Creel said the suspect put the plastic pipe underground from the bunker to the end of his driveway so he could hear if anyone drove up to his gate. When the suspect finished the shelter a year or so ago, he invited Creel to see it — and he did. "He was bragging about it. He said, 'Come check it out," Creel said. He said he believes the suspect's goal is to publicize his political beliefs. "I believe he wants to rant and rave about politics and government," Creel said. "He's very concerned about his property." Police have used the pipe for communication and to deliver the boy medication for his emotional disorders. State Rep. Steve Clouse, who visited the boy's mother, said the boy has Asperger's syndrome — a mild form of autism — and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. But police have not revealed how often they are in touch or what the conversations have been about. Local officials who have spoken to police or the boy's family have described a small room with food, electricity and a TV. Sheriff Olson would not say Saturday whether the suspect has made any demands. Olson added that he is limited in the details he can release. FBI spokesman Jason Pack said Saturday that officials were working to establish a command center near the bunker. The suspect had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to answer charges he shot at his neighbors in a dispute last month over a speed bump. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington; Tamara Lush and Phillip Rawls in Midland City; Bob Johnson in Montgomery, Ala., and AP researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report. NOTE: I HAVE EDITED THIS ARTICLE TO REMOVE THE NAME OF THE SUSPECT BECAUSE HIS NAME HAS NO BUSINESS BE MENTIONED WITH MR.POLAND, A TRUE AREA HERO. ON FEB.2, JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED, THE SUSPECT IS DECEASED AND THE CHILD RESCUED.
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Charles Albert Poland, Slain Bus Driver, Shielded Children From Gunman's Bullets
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS 02/01/13 06:12 PM ET EST
SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Alabama school bus driver who was shot to death Tuesday while trying to shield youngsters was raised amid the forests and lakes of northern Idaho, served in the U.S. Army and worked as an auto mechanic, his sister said Friday. Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, was hailed as a hero who gave his life to protect the children on his bus. Authorities said a gunman boarded a stopped the bus Tuesday afternoon and demanded two boys between 6 and 8 years old. When Poland tried to block his way, the gunman shot him several times and took a 5-year-old boy. Poland's sister, Patti Hook, of Deer Park, Wash., was not surprised to hear that her brother tried to block the gunman. "He's been my hero all my life," Hook, 56, said in a telephone interview. Poland was born in Colorado but raised in the Idaho Panhandle towns of St. Maries and Athol, Hook said.
Their mother, Mildred, for many years was postmaster of Athol, a town of a few hundred people located about 50 miles northeast of Spokane, Wash., she said. Poland graduated from Lakeland High School in Rathdrum, Idaho, and served with the U.S. Army in Germany and Korea, where he was a mechanic and later flew helicopters, Hook said. He was stationed in Alabama when he met his wife, Mary Janice. They married and lived briefly in Idaho, then returned to Alabama where they raised two children, Hook said.
Poland worked as an auto mechanic until he retired. He started driving a school bus several years ago for the school district where his wife was a substitute teacher in order to supplement their income, Hook said. "He was the kindest, sweetest, most giving man," his sister said. "He always worried about what other people were going through." In his spare time, Poland gardened, raised chickens and tinkered in his shop, she said. The standoff between police and the gunman accused of holding the 5-year-old hostage in an underground bunker dragged into a fourth day Friday, as authorities continued delicate conversations with the man. The bunker is on the gunman's property in rural Alabama near the town of Pinckard, police said. There were signs the standoff could go on for some time: the shelter has electricity, food and TV. Police have delivered the boy's medication through a 4-inch-wide ventilation pipe leading to the bunker.
The Huffington Post Thanks to Gerrys_1grl #46470709
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Resolution Passed Alabama Senate - Now Goes To House In Reference Chuck Poland
Rickey Stokes
Posted by: RStokes
Date: Feb 05 2013 5:44 PM
MONTGOMERY: Alabama Senator Harri Anne Smith passed a resolution 35 to 0 in honor of Charles Albert Poland, also known as "Chuck". The resolution is co-sponsored by all Alabama Senators. From the Senate the resolution will go to the Alabama House where it will be introduced in the Alabama House. Senator Smith also asked for a moment of silence in honor of Mr. Poland.
