As this 2020 Presidential election year comes to a close, allow me to share some final thoughts on the results with you. As you might expect, with this being the year of one of the worst pandemic viruses in human history, it would have an effect on politics. Surprisingly, given the fact that people were […]

Children at Adullam House in Wetumpka may have had a white Christmas this year, thanks to a recent donation from Alabama Power’s Southern Division Energizers. Angie Spackman, director of Adullam House, said the unexpected funds will help make it possible for the children to travel to Gatlinburg for the holidays. Adullam House is a ministry […]

Earlier this month, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the State of Alabama and the Alabama Department of Corrections alleging violations of the Eighth and 14th Amendments, adding that “constitutional compliance cannot be secured by voluntary means,” and therefore legal action would be required. It is still more than two months until the […]

The University of Alabama in Huntsville Department of Athletics is pleased to unveil the Inaugural Class of the UAH Athletics Hall of Fame, announcing 10 members that will be enshrined for their extraordinary accomplishments and contributions as a Charger. “We are excited to announce our first-ever UAH Athletics Hall of Fame Class,” stated Director of […]

Now that the COVID-19 vaccine has arrived, myths and confusion about its safety and efficacy have arisen. Health care experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham debunk the common myths and set the record straight that the vaccine is safe to receive. Myth: The COVID-19 vaccine was rushed and will not be safe. The COVID-19 vaccine […]

While the white-tailed deer rut has come and gone in a few areas in Alabama, hunters in the majority of the state are dealing with the December doldrums, waiting for the breeding season to begin in earnest. Alabama native Chuck Sykes, Director of the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division, said the whitetails in […]

Nestled behind the stone walls surrounding 2300 Springhill Ave., in old Mobile are a collection of buildings and, more importantly, a group of women who love you and me. The Convent and Academy of the Visitation, commonly known as Visitation Monastery, is a historic complex of Roman Catholic buildings and a small cemetery. Established in 1832 […]

There’s no “Grinch” in Mobile – 10 nonprofits and more than 411 happy children are proof of that. Thanks to members of the Barry Chapter of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO), several nonprofits and Mobile-area families will have a merrier Christmas. Employees and contractors at Barry Electric Generating Plant “dug deep” to ensure nonprofits and other […]

Mission of Hope in Walker County for nearly three decades has been reaching out to low-income families and others who need help. But in this pandemic-stricken world, the organization has introduced a new program. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we have seen a lot of people furloughed or their jobs have went away,” said Lori Abercrombie, executive […]

The late great U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia often told the story of his oral exam at Georgetown University. To graduate as a history major, he was required to answer questions from the faculty to demonstrate the sufficiency of his education and entitlement to a diploma. Asked to cite the most significant event in […]

At the Birmingham Museum of Art, in the back and around a corner, is a painting that few care to look at for too long. It’s small, roughly the size of a piece of printer paper. The background is a golden sunset, rolling hills and tall lanky trees that, every time I look at it, […]

Writing this holiday column reminds me our nation is nearing the end of one of the most trying and unpredictable years in American history. Divisions in the political realm and disagreements as to the most effective manner by which to deal with the coronavirus pandemic have served to breed animosity one toward another in ways […]

Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday morning released a video sharing a Christmas Eve message, including her favorite Christmas tradition. She explained that reading the biblical Christmas story found in Matthew with family and friends is her most cherished seasonal tradition. “We are so grateful that God loves us so much that He sent His only […]

It was seasonally appropriate that Darryl Fuhrman and his son Miller motored from Homewood to Huntsville in a red 2016 Dodge Charger. Like Santa and an elf riding in his sleigh, the two were delivering holiday cheer in the latest project of Lettermen of the USA. Of course, the Fuhrmans weren’t the only ones. And their […]

One of the major hurdles facing the Alabama Legislature in the COVID-era has been having a place to conduct the business of the state of Alabama safely without the possibility of spreading the virus among a potentially vulnerable population of legislators. A possible solution sometimes mentioned has been finding a new place for the legislature […]

The ideal Christmas of times past with extended family and friends gathered together will not be the reality of Christmas 2020. Because of the pandemic, things are just different, and so, too, is Christmas.

It won’t be a white Christmas in Alabama this year, but it will feel like winter over the holiday weekend. Temperatures are forecast to dip into the 20s overnight on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as far south as Mobile, and are expected to drop into the teens in north Alabama. Below-freezing temperatures are also […]

It’s Christmas week, so let’s talk about some Christmas miracles. No, I’m not talking about that monster hit John Metchie put on Florida’s Trey Dean in the SEC Championship game Saturday. We’ve come to expect plays like that from the Alabama football team this year. I’m talking about some truly surprising big deal things. First, […]

Unfortunately, it looks like some media outlets are trying to give Alabamians the gift of fake news for Christmas. It started Wednesday morning when a reporter for ABC 33/40 tweeted, “The University of Alabama is under investigation by the federal government for improper ties to China.” Of course, the tweet did not call the ties […]

The employees at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Bessemer have made giving back to their community a priority this Christmas season. “Our community, like everywhere, is facing hard times, and Amazon is committed to doing what we can to help,” said Rob Street, Loss Prevention manager of Amazon’s Birmingham fulfillment center, in a statement. One of […]

While 2020 has been a uniquely challenging time for our nation, the significant investments made in rural Alabama this year by the Trump administration will have positive effects for generations to come. Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) alone, the administration of President Donald J. Trump directly backed the Yellowhammer State to the tune […]

ESPN has named its 26-member All-America team for the unprecedented 2020 college football season, and six of the selections are from the University of Alabama. The network wrote that the All-America squad’s “offense, not surprisingly, has a distinct Alabama flavor.”

7. When to expect a stimulus check in Alabama With the coronavirus relief package passed, another round of stimulus checks is set to be distributed. This time, the checks are for $600 per person for those making less than $75,000 per year. Those who have direct deposit with the IRS already set up could receive […]

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