Oct 26, 2023

Welcome back.

A correction on yesterday's newsletter: The project site that will include a Margaritaville restaurant in Gulf Shores is west of Alabama 59, not I-59. Of course, I-59 doesn't come anywhere near Gulf Shores.

Here's some more -- hopefully geographically correct -- news ...

Ike Morgan

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Birmingham-Southern College's future looks a little grimmer after a circuit court judge dismissed the school's lawsuit against the state treasurer for denying it a $30 million loan, reports AL.com's Mike Cason.

Weighing heavily in the decision was the word "may" as it appeared in legislation that allowed for the loan. Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson said that even if the college were to be found that it met qualifications for the loan, the legislation said the treasurer "may" award loans to eligible colleges, not "shall" award loans.

That distinction, according to the ruling, leaves it up to the state treasurer whether to award the loan. And Alabama Treasurer Young Boozer turned down Birmingham-Southern's loan application a couple weeks ago, saying it did not meet the qualifications.

Birmingham-Southern officials have said the college is likely to close if it doesn't get public help to bridge its finances while it pursues funds from private sources. The school has 731 full-time students and 284 employees and has been open for 167 years.

A Clark County school bus driver has been fired after being charged with DUI, according to WALA.

Jackson police said that after the bus driver's route was completed last Tuesday, a complaint came in, and the driver was approached outside Jackson Middle School.

Police said he failed multiple sobriety tests and then blew a 0.33 on a breathalyzer test. That's more than 16 times the legal limit of 0.02 for a commercial vehicle or bus driver.

If you filed an Alabama income tax return in 2021 and were not a dependent of another taxpayer, you could be seeing a rebate show up in your bank account a little over a month from now, reports AL.com's Leada Gore.

The rebates were passed by state lawmakers in May and are courtesy of the $2.8 billion surplus in the Education Trust Fund.

The rebates should show up in your bank account if you have your tax refunds direct-deposited. Otherwise you should get a check. The amounts are $150 for single people and $300 for married couples.

Don't spend it all in one place.

“While we cannot, have not, and will not interfere with the investigation, it is also our understanding based on information provided to us by the City of Mobile administration that all investigative materials and reports have been completed and fully submitted to your office."

The Mobile City Council, in a written request calling on District Attorney Keith Blackwood to expedite the release of evidence into the investigation of the death of Jawan Dallas, who reportedly died after he was repeatedly tased by police.

In 1956, former United States Surgeon General Regina Benjamin of Mobile.

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