Feb 21, 2025

Welcome to another cold morning. So cold, in fact, that some school systems started classes later again today.

Have a great weekend. But first, here's today's report (and note that it's quiz day). Thanks for reading,

Ike

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The Alabama Senate unanimously passed a bill that would offer gun owners a way to voluntarily give up their firearms while they're having suicidal thoughts, reports AL.com's Mike Cason.

State Sen. Keith Kelley, an Anniston Republican, introduced the Houston/Hunter Act, which would create "firearm hold agreements" between the gun owner and a federally licensed gun dealer or law-enforcement officer. The dealer or officer would then return the firearm at the end of the hold agreement without taking on civil liability.

The Houston/Hunter Act is named after Houston Lee Tumlin and Hunter Chase Whitley, two veterans who took their own lives shortly after returning home from active duty.

According to Kelley, both men had their guns taken away before by their mothers but that the relationship with a gun dealer is a different one, and might be a more comfortable deal for suicidal gun owners to enter into. And in some cases people might be more likely to surrender their guns if they've made an agreement about getting them back.

A bill that's been proposed in the State House of Representatives would repeal Alabama's law that prevents local governments from setting their own minimum wages, reports AL.com's Patrick Darrington.

The ban on local minimum wages was passed in 2016 to head off a Birmingham City Council attempt at setting a higher minimum wage in the Magic City. The law keeps labor regulation power at the state level.

Don't bet your current salary on the repeal passing. It has been filed by state Rep. Neil Rafferty, a Birmingham Democrat, and it perhaps unsurprisingly indicates that the state and the city of Birmingham are still at odds on the issue nine years later.

The Baldwin County jail in Bay Minette is no longer holding detainees for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, reports AL.com's Patrick Darrington.

We've previously reported that they were, but according to Baldwin County Sheriff's Office Captain Daniel Steelman, the jail doesn't meet criteria for holding those whose only charge is for an immigration violation.

He said that ICE told them detainees could no longer be held there. The facility has failed past inspections because it didn't have the right-sized recreational yard.

Hartselle Police have warned customers of Redstone Federal Credit Union to beware scammers that are targeting them, reports AL.com's Leada Gore.

Police say people are calling customers, pretending to be representatives of the credit union -- and even calling from numbers that look like they're from an RFCU branch.

The scammers say there is a problem with your account and then need personal information for verification. They might ask for your account number, PIN or your Social Security number.

The Hartselle Police Department sent out some tips on what to look for and what you should do. I think it's applicable well beyond RFCU customers. Here are a few of those tips

Don't give out any personal or account information over the phone. Hang up and contact the credit union so you know you're talking to a real representative.

If you get a suspicious phone call, don't engage with the caller.

If the call sounds like an emergency -- they have to get this done right now or your account is at risk or they're going to report you to the authorities -- then it's probably a truckload of bull.

If you get any contact that you didn't expect -- via phone call, text, email or homing pigeon -- verify it independently before responding.

Also, set up security alerts for your account to keep up with transactions and login attempts.

Junior Lowe, one of the Muscle Shoals musicians you may not know by name but has impacted sounds you've heard most or all of your life, passed away last Saturday, reports AL.com's Matt Wake.

Everybody's heard of The Swampers, the most famous studio-band lineup that worked in Muscle Shoals. But over the years there have been plenty of musicians and plenty of now-iconic recording sessions to go around.

Lowe came over from Florence and played a big role. He was a guitarist and bassist, and you can hear his work on Clarence Carter's "Patches" and Bobbie Gentry's original version of "Fancy" and Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman." He told Matt a few years ago that he loved playing on Wilson Pickett records.

Junior Lowe was 84 years old.

$4.4 billion

That was the 2024 earnings reported by Southern Company, the parent company of Alabama Power. Recall that the past two years Alabama Power has credited users' accounts after going over its 6.15% profit cap that was set by the state.

Keeping up with the news? Take this week's quiz.

In 1940, civil-rights leader and Georgia Congressman John Lewis of Troy.

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