Convicted sheriff gives thumbs-up review of jail he ran

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A longtime Alabama sheriff removed from office after being convicted of theft and ethics violations is giving five-star reviews to the jail where he spent more than two weeks in custody. But perhaps he should: He ran it for decades. Ousted Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely addressed the news media on Tuesday in his most extensive public comments since being convicted in August. Blakely is free on bond while appealing and awaiting sentencing, and he maintains his innocence. But he has no complaints about doing time in the Limestone County jail in Athens. He calls it the “best jail in Alabama.”