What's going on in Alabama
It's quiz day so take a peek at the link below. Thanks for joining us, Ike Morgan |
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Inappropriate relationships |
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When a teacher is found guilty of having a sexual relationship to a student and put behind bars, somebody often asks the question: Isn't the age of consent 16? Why do they arrest the teachers instead of just firing them when the students are 18? The answer is: There is an Alabama law called "school employee having sexual contact with a student under 19" and it does not need to consider the age-of-consent law. The idea behind it, of course, is that school employees can have higher levels of trust, power and proximity to students. With similar logic in mind, the Alabama Legislature passed a bill last week that would make it a felony for clergy to have sexual interactions with anyone younger than 19, reports AL.com's Rebecca Griesbach. So if you're minister or a youth pastor and you take the next step with an 18-year-old, under this law, you won't just lose your job in a scandal. You might end up spending a lot of time in a prison cell. The House bill was sponsored by Helena Republican Leigh Hulsey, and the Senate version was from Birmingham Democrat Roger Smitherman. Alabama Baptist State Convention President Greg Davis said he expects Gov. Kay Ivey to sign the bill into law and that it'll send a serious warning to those who might be grooming a teen who's under their church authority. “It’s a shame that it has come to this point of evil but sadly it has.” |
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Why is so much National Guard in Mobile? |
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If you live in the Mobile area, and you see large numbers of Army National Guard or healthcare agency vehicles or personnel gathering or mobilizing, don't panic, hoard toilet paper or retreat to your personal bunker. The Alabama National Guard and the Mobile County Emergency Management Agency say there will be practice emergencies this week, reports AL.com's Warren Kulo, and there is no threat to the public. Through this week, emergency agencies will be conducting hurricane-response drills. You might see military uniforms, helicopters buzzing overhead, HAZMAT training and more. The drills will take place at the Gulf States Fairground, the EMA complex and in medical facilities. Hurricane season officially begins a month from Wednesday. Which makes it a great time for you to make sure your insurance is up to date and consider your plans for when that five-day cone covers us up. |
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Cue 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' |
The Children's of Alabama IndyCar Grand Prix took place Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park. On Lap 52, the caution flag came out, reports AL.com's William Thornton, because a lady mannequin landed right next to the track. I know some NASCAR fans who are saying, "I told y'all indycar was a weird sport." But falling mannequins aren't common in any motorsport that we know of. It happened at Barber because the mannequin had been attached to a bridge above the track, and she came loose. Her name, incidentally, is Georgina. She's been there awhile. And I cannot ignore this quote that park creator George Barber said to INDYCAR back in 2017: “She likes the view from bridge and she’s decided that she’s going to stay there until one of these drivers slows down enough for her to drop right down into the cockpit with him. She’s a real attractive southern lady.” Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske won the race. |
From politics to Spring Break arrests, how well have you been keeping up with the news? |
“They never even sent me a free box.” |
In 1923 American Roman Catholic bishop Joseph Howze of Daphne. He was the first Black U.S. bishop to be appointed in the 20th century and passed away in 2019. |
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Today we have executive producer John Hammontree take our Week in Review Quiz (above) as an oral exam. Will it make you feel better about your own score? You can find “Down in Alabama” wherever you get your podcasts, including these places: |
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