What's going on in Alabama
One correction on yesterday's newsletter: In the review quiz, a question referenced the explosion of a rail car in the Mobile area. That rail car contained hydrogen peroxide, not nitrogen peroxide. Somebody should've spent more time with his periodic table. Apologies on the mistake. And thanks for reading, Ike Morgan |
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The Democratic National Convention got underway Monday night. Thursday night is the big night, when Vice President Kamala Harris makes her speech and accepts the nomination for president. Also scheduled for Thursday night is a speech from Shomari Figures, reports AL.com's Mike Cason. Figures is the Democrat in that race to represent Alabama's redrawn 2nd Congressional District. This shouldn't come as a huge surprise: The court had ordered that district be drawn to give the Democrats an upper hand, and it's that party's first chance in a long time to hold two Congressional seats in Alabama, so they'd love to see Figures get a boost. Figures worked in the Obama administration and in the Justice Department under President Biden. He's from Mobile. He's facing Montgomery attorney Caroleene Dobson in the general election. One thing we've talked about here before is how the presidential race might affect District 2. Figures said it helps his campaign that Harris is a Black woman. “I think her being at the top of the ticket in this district, which is the birthplace of the civil rights movement, it means a lot when you look at the role that Black women played in the civil rights movement.” |
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Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said that gambling establishments in Selma have to shut it down, reports AL.com's Carol Robinson. A Dallas County Circuit Judge granted the AG's request for temporary restraining orders against five facilities -- Joker 777 on East Highland Avenue, Mini Bingo on Dallas Avenue, Selma Charity Bingo on Highway 14 East, Selma Bingo on Hickory Road and Lucky Duck on Highway 80 West. Search warrants have been executed at those places, and the state claims they have slot machines and that illegal gambling is taking place. Authorities reported 24 slot machines at Mini Bingo alone. |
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The Gulf State Park Pier finally re-opened 7 a.m. Monday morning, reports AL.com's Lawrence Specker. Dozens were lined up to wet a line as the pier fully opened up for the first time in years. Back on Sept. 16, 2020, a ribbon-cutting was planned to celebrate a couple million dollars' worth of upgrades. And that's when Hurricane Sally struck the coast. Part of the pier was opened for a while, but the big fixes have been underway since last November. Waiting on FEMA funding and the rise in construction costs slowed down the project. The pier is now almost 1,600 feet long with a big octagonal platform at the end. Plans still include adding an elevator for ADA-approved access to the second-floor observation deck. When that's done they'll finally get to have that ribbon cutting. |
“For me, the ultimate goal is just to communicate my inner life and test the connection that I have with everybody else, with strangers. And in order to do that, you gotta tell the truth, and you gotta be honest about how you feel. And if it runs some people off — I’m going to tell you, this might not sound like the truth here, but it is — if it runs people off, I would like them to go.” |
In 1935, blues and soul singer JJ Malone of Pete's Corner, Alabama. |
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Good weather news and some thoughts on Alabama sandwiches. You can find “Down in Alabama” wherever you get your podcasts, including these places: |
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