What's going on in Alabama
Today we'll visit the U.S. Senate, a future prison, a sports-themed resort and the high school football state poll. |
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Military nominees before the U.S. Senate |
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As Sen. Tommy Tuberville's hold on military promotions has worn on, pressure has built with military officials and Republican colleagues criticizing the campaign more and more loudly. Tuberville's been demanding the Defense Department revisit a policy of reimbursing service members and families for traveling outside their state to have abortions. On Wednesday there was a partial break in the standoff, reports AL.com's William Thornton. While being criticized as putting national security at risk, Tuberville has argued that if filling positions is important enough, nominees could be brought before the Senate for individual confirmations. To show this was possible, on Wednesday Tuberville moved to force a vote on Marine Commandant nominee Gen. Eric M. Smith. Then Wednesday afternoon Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer set in motion votes on several other high-profile military promotions, telling CSPAN that "While we Democrats did not choose this fight, we are ready to end this sooner rather than later.” The Senate confirmed Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Current chairman Mark Milley is retiring at the end of the month. |
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The price of building a prison keeps going up. The 4,000-bed specialized care men's prison in Elmore County, when first announced, was going to cost $623 million. By this past March estimates had risen considerably, to $975 million. And AL.com's Mike Cason reports that state prison commissioner John Hamm said Wednesdsay it could end up costing $1 billion. We'll find out next week when the guaranteed maximum price is released. |
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Having worked in sports journalism for a number of years, I've worked with reporters whose dream was to work for Sports Illustrated. These days, there could be more opportunity there if they know how to serve up an umbrella drink. I'll explain. Sports Illustrated these days is in the hospitality business, and it has plans for a network of sports-themed resorts near popular universities. AL.com's William Thornton reports that the very first location is expected to open in 2025 right across the Black Warrior River from the University of Alabama. According to Sports Illustrated, these campus resorts will have a hotel, a vacation club, residential condos, live-action sports and entertainment, dining, wellness and relaxation. |
Hoover High School is not ranked in this week's state high school football poll, reports AL.com's Ben Thomas The last time we could say that, a stamp cost 33 cents. And that fact actually would've meant something because people used stamps. Also at the time, Facebook didn't exist and the governor of Alabama was a Democrat. It's been 23 years since Hoover found itself unranked in the Alabama Sports Writers Association poll. The streak stood at 266 consecutive weekly polls during football seasons. Last week Hoover lost to Vestavia Hills 26-7 and is 1-3 on the season. Coincidentally, the team with the second-longest streak coming into this week also fell out of the poll. Piedmont had been ranked 167 weeks in a row. Now the longest streak belongs to Fyffe with 158. |
“I wish my album had gone as viral." |
In 1927, jazz musician Ward Swingle of Mobile.
In 1943, bassist and trombonist David Hood of Sheffield and Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section fame.
In 1944, author/actress/comedienne/Match Game celebrity Fannie Flagg of Birmingham. |
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