Each year, Christian leaders and citizens convene a prayer rally on the steps of the Alabama State House early in the new annual legislative session. The 2026 prayer rally will be held outside the State House building on Wednesday, January 21 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on this second week of the 2026 regular […]

On January 19, 1818 – 208 years ago today – the first legislature of the Alabama Territory convened at the Douglass Hotel in the territorial capital of St. Stephens. Only twelve members of the House, representing seven counties, and only one member of the Senate conducted the business of the new territory. Appointed Gov. William […]

In 1776 – 250 years ago – General George Washington made a decision that was both pragmatic and radical for its time when he integrated the Continental Army, allowing free Black men and later some formerly enslaved men to serve alongside white soldiers. But rather than being driven by enlightened ideas or progressive principles, Washington’s […]

If you’re looking for Las Floriditas in downtown Mobile, you might not find it right away. The first thing you’ll notice is the giant Moon Pie on top of the RSA Trustmark building, where you’ll find Las Floriditas in the basement. The second thing you’re bound to notice? Roosevelt “Rosie” Patterson. At 6-foot-5, he sits in front of the entrance, […]

Alabama has lost a Christian leader and a political activist. John Giles died Saturday at age 70 in his home in Luverne. He had surgery last week for an aortic aneurysm. Giles made a difference. He was a banker. A political kingmaker. A governor’s cabinet member twice. A pro-life activist. A candidate for Lt. Governor. […]

Our parents thought they were anarchists and subversives sent across the pond to corrupt our morals—something of a payback for the Boston Tea Party. The Beatles had long hair. They were trend-setters. We teens began to follow suit. The pictures look funny now. I remember one night watching the news with our family. Anti-Vietnam protestors […]

America’s top young farm family hails from the heart of central Alabama. Drew and Lauren Wendland of Autauga County received the Achievement Award during American Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Convention Jan. 12 in Anaheim, California. The accolade honors the Wendlands’ impact at Autauga Farming Co. (AFC) in Autaugaville, plus Farm Bureau involvement, civic service and […]

On January 16, 1967 – 59 years ago today – Lurleen B. Wallace was inaugurated as Alabama’s first female governor and only the third female in U.S. history to be elected chief executive of any state. Lurleen’s inaugural ceremony is believed to have been the largest in Alabama history with an estimated crowd of 150,000 […]

Sentences have been handed down stemming from an incident in March 2025 at a well-known Montgomery dry cleaning business, where the owner was brutally assaulted, bound, held at gunpoint, and robbed. Jim Massey III, owner of Jim Massey’s Cleaners, was the victim. Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson and FBI Mobile Field Office Special Agent in […]

Longtime Alabama high school football coach and Hall of Famer Jimmy Perry died at age 68 on January 10 following a lengthy battle with cancer. Coach Perry’s career spanned 44 years, during which he became a respected figure in Alabama football. Perry served as head coach from 2012 until his retirement in 2023 at Montgomery’s Saint James School. […]

Governor Kay Ivey announced Monday that Rodney Smith Jr., the Huntsville native behind the nationwide “Raising Men Lawn Care Service” movement, will be one of the special guests recognized during her final State of the State Address tomorrow evening. As per tradition, she will also host school groups of high-achieving students from across the state.  […]

One of Birmingham’s very own — Christy Swaid — broke a Guinness World Record. Jet ski champion, stuntwoman and entrepreneur, Christy Swaid was already extremely impressive, but now she can add a new record to her resume. Swaid was recently entered into the Guinness World Records as the oldest person to backward somersault on a […]

Named after a famous 1940s Bullock County moonshiner who eventually served an 18-month federal prison sentence at Maxwell Air Force Base for producing illegal liquor, the Clyde May’s whiskey company was founded in Union Springs in 2001 by the bootlegger’s son, Kenny May. Though the whiskey it produced was actually distilled in Kentucky, it was […]

A leading Alabama-based behavioral health provider offering treatment for substance use disorders and mental health conditions has cleared one of Alabama health care’s biggest regulatory hurdles, winning Certificate of Need (CON) approval to develop and operate Longleaf Lodge, a new 60-bed residential substance use treatment center in Shelby County. Longleaf Recovery & Wellness’ approval from […]

Two men from Hoover with very different pasts on the same dangerous road, one who lived inside a major illegal bookmaking operation and another who beat gambling addiction decades ago, are putting their names and their stories behind a new non-profit aimed at a singular message: Odds cannot be beaten, but lives can be rebuilt. […]

On the eve of New Year 2026, a meeting took place in Palm Beach, Florida. Leadership of America’s evangelical Christian community and Jewish leaders journeyed to Palm Beach to plan about defending America, Israel, and the world against radical Islamists. They were joined by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They were also joined by Travis […]

As is my custom for the past 21 years, my year end column illuminates Alabama political luminaries that passed away last year. We lost some good ones. Former State Senator and Lt. Governor George McMillan passed away in Birmingham at 81. George was a vivacious, delightful gentleman, who never met a stranger. I never knew […]

A colleague accosted me in the Monday morning pastors meeting after Bob and Kay joined our church the day before. He told me he’d invested many hours in marital counseling leading to their recommitment, and he was disturbed to hear they’d presented themselves for membership in our church. He believed I’d “courted” and persuaded them […]

In the SEC, it just means more. However, that phrase has clearly begun to make its way north of the Mason-Dixon line, as students from the Northeast continue to flock to the South in record numbers. According to The Sunday Times, as relayed by Fox News, SEC colleges and universities saw a 91 percent increase […]

As the new year begins, many Alabamians are reflecting on how they might make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. For some families, that reflection leads to foster care and adoption — an opportunity to provide stability, love and hope to children who need it most through Kids to Love, a nonprofit serving […]

A huge number of Alabamians do not make New Year’s resolutions. They need to take a look at this one. It’s different from any resolutions they may have seen, and it can be difference-making. Many who make New Year’s resolutions do not sustain them. By January’s end, they have returned to their old ways. Health […]

Some of the faces are always new. They’ve wanted to come here at least once. Other familiar faces come every New Year’s Day and have been coming for decades. Some are local, but many are from out of state. A shrinking number of the oldsters, aged 80s and 90s, knew him. They are all here […]

One Alabama foodie is making it his mission to show the world that the best hamburgers are still made in the United States of America. A guy from Birmingham who calls himself the “Well-fed Redneck” or the “Fedneck” took to social media recently to complain about a recent list put out by Food and Wine […]

It’s a long way from Homewood to Hollywood. That’s essentially the trip that the Homewood, Alabama High School Patriots Band made this week. The 375-member band is marching in the 2026 Rose Parade. The eyes of the nation will be on the Pasadena parade and the Patriot band on New Year’s Day. The Patriot Band […]