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Several weeks ago when multiple tornadoes roared across Alabama with at least one touching down in Troy the question came up about giving people warning and wondering if people in the tornadoes' paths were given a heads up. With hurricanes we have days to watch their tracts, tornadoes can pop up at any time. We were under watches and warnings in this area during that day. It wasn't until the next morning I found out one had not only hit Troy but had hit Hunter's Mountain trailer park where I...
We agree with State Rep. Alan Baker that it's too early to start making judgement over whether we will support an Alabama lottery bill sponsored by State Sen. Greg Albritton that passed the Alabama Senate and is now heading to the House of Representatives. “I'm not going to waste my time until it comes to the House floor,” Baker told us this week. “If it comes out of committee I will study the bill.” Albritton also said he expects the House to add amendments to his bill that will allow the voters in Alabama to vote on a lottery that is similar...
As the weather continues to warm and summer temperatures approach, I am reminded of the incredible natural beauty that lies here in Alabama. For many schools throughout Southwest Alabama, April marked Spring Break for students and teachers, and so many families take advantage of that time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors throughout our state. As a hunter and outdoorsman, I know the importance of managing our wildlife areas and natural resources—private, family-owned and public lands—to ensure they are around for our children and gra...
Gazing into a fire can be hypnotic. And so the world was captivated watching the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burning live on TV. It was a surreal spectacle. Built in 1160, Notre Dame has been an architectural marvel and an icon of Christian majesty for almost 900 years. It has always been with us. No one living knows life without it or without the vibrant Christian faith that built western civilization. To see this historic landmark gravely threatened was disturbing and sobering. There is an old adage that no one wants to drink...
It is a foregone conclusion that a Republican will take out our anomaly liberal democratic senator, Doug Jones, next year. The question is which Republican will be the nominee and capture the seat. The early favorite is U.S. Congressman Bradley Byrne. There is an old adage that often holds true, the early bird gets the worm. Byrne made the commitment to run over a year ago and he has been dedicated to the race and is running full speed ahead. He is raising good money and crisscrossing the state in a very organized manner. Byrne ran a good race...
It is a foregone conclusion that a Republican will take out our anomaly liberal democratic senator, Doug Jones, next year. The question is which Republican will be the nominee and capture the seat. The early favorite is U.S. Congressman Bradley Byrne. There is an old adage that often holds true, the early bird gets the worm. Byrne made the commitment to run over a year ago and he has been dedicated to the race and is running full speed ahead. He is raising good money and crisscrossing the state in a very organized manner. Byrne ran a good race...
The issue of overcrowded jails and prisons is nothing new. Finding a solution to those problems is something law enforcement officers, the courts and lawmakers have wrestled with for years. The U.S. Department of Justice recently slammed the Alabama prison system for a multitude of problems, including overcrowding. We pack people into prisons and county jails like sardines and then we wonder why we have so much violence inside those same jails and prisons. Some say building newer and bigger...
Tuesday afternoon we talked with Lisa McMillan as she sat in her chair with her apron on at Coastal Alabama Community College as people filled their bowls with soup in the Empty Bowls Soup Fundraiser that helps her do what she loves best – give back to the community. McMillan runs Drexell & Honeybee's, a non-profit organization that has a simple goal – feeding people. Located at 109 Lee St., in Brewton, Drexell & Honeybee's is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from from 8 a...
It’s been ten years since TEA Parties swept the nation. With the credit bubble burst and the sub-prime mortgage industry collapsing, the federal government was already panicking in 2008. Big government Republicans and Democrats came together to craft a monstrous bailout package. As if on cue, President Obama was elected promising to “fundamentally transform America!” And Obama’s vision for America was socialism, so implementing an almost $1 Trillion stimulus package in his first days was a perfect storm and dream come true for America...
For those of us who are Christians, this week is the most important and holiest of the year. We begin the week remembering Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, walk with Him through his last teachings in the Temple, watch the last supper with His disciples, sadly witness His arrest and trial before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, view with tears his torture and crucifixion, and sorrow over his death and burial - only to wake up on Easter Sunday to the miracle of His Resurrection. There is so much meaning in this week that it is hard to pull o...
As I observe the legislature, it occurs to me that I am getting older. A lot of the legislators and lobbyists I have known over the years have moved on. Montgomery is no longer an “Old Boys Club.” A cursory look at a typical day at the Alabama Statehouse would surprise you. An increasing number of professional women are a major part of the lawmaking process. There are a host of brilliant women under 40 who are at the forefront and yield a great deal of influence over the process of policy making in Alabama. First on most lists is of course Kat...
Friday afternoon, W.S. Neal Elementary School student Cameron Coleman sold his pig he received on Dec. 4 for $553.50 at the sale in Brewton to culminate the Escambia County Extension Agency's annual 4-H Swine Show and Sale. Cameron was one of 23 students across the county who competed the project of raising a pig to be sold and to be turned into what we all love best – sausage, pork chops, bacon, ribs, hams and possibly a Slim Jim. I've followed the 4-H projects over the years from pigs, cows a...
Chicken Little said the sky was falling. People have predicted the end of time based on Biblical and so-called scientific data; global warning will destroy the planet and oil and gas exploration, especially fracking, is causing all the earthquakes in the Flomaton, Century and Jay areas. Sounds like something you would read in the National Inquirer. As we talked to Sandy Ebersole with the Geological Survey of Alabama this week we, nor she, knows what the cause is of 13 earthquakes in the area since March 7. She did tell us that the most frequent...
This week will mark one hundred days Democrats have held power in the House of Representatives in Washington. I considered listing tangible Democrat achievements so far this Congress, but that would result in a blank page. Instead, all Democrats have managed to do in fourteen weeks is obstruct what is best for the American people, pander to their far-left base, and, generally, nothing constructive. Luckily, some in their own party are starting to realize that it is time to get to work and get things done for hardworking Americans. Rep. Kurt...
There is no question that Governor Kay Ivey’s Infrastructure/Gas Tax Program was the cornerstone issue of this legislative session. This monumental legislation will be a tremendous enhancement for Alabama’s economic development for decades to come. Gov. Ivey and the legislative leadership deserve accolades for addressing this important project. They were indeed thinking of the next generation rather than the next election. Gov. Ivey deserves most of the credit. She reached across the aisle and garnered almost unanimous support from the dem...
Despite the liberal media’s best efforts, the pro-life movie, “Unplanned,” had a surprisingly successful opening weekend coming in #4 behind big budget block buster films. From the team that produced “God’s not dead,” Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman wrote and directed this intensely compelling movie about the true story of a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic director who has a gruesome heart wrenching epiphany to become an ardent pro-life activist. This is a powerful movie liberals do NOT want anyone to see. Because if anyone ever actual...
There are a couple of phrases that come to my mind when I think about the dumpster the town of Flomaton put behind town hall to offer residents free access to get rid of debris. One is 'No good deed goes unpunished'. The second comes from the Field of Dreams when they said, 'Build it and they will come'. The Flomaton Town Council tried to help its citizens by putting that dumpster back there. But it has been abused on multiple occasions. The dumpster was designed for residents living inside the...
This Friday, as many as 29 students from across Escambia County (Ala.) will gather at the Double AA Auction, Inc., building on Ag Drive in Brewton (which is located behind Southern Pine Electric Co-op) to show and sell pigs they have been raising since Dec. 4. Students learn from the start that this is not a pet project, it's a food project. They are raising those pigs to be slaughtered and turned into hams, bacon, pork chops, ribs and more that will end up on somebody's dinner table. We talked to four students involved in the program last...
There is an old expression that goes, “the worst day of fishing beats the best day of working.” As an avid fisherman myself, I can certainly understand the feeling behind that saying. But, sometimes, fishing is the worst thing to be doing, especially when there is important work to be done. This past week, in the wake of the Mueller report finally being completed, Democrats hung the “Gone Fishin’” sign outside the Capitol. Not satisfied that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had reported that there was no collusion between President Trump’s c...
After their successful special five-day Special Session, the Legislature has been in their Regular Session for a few weeks now. The Session will end in June so it is about one-fourth over. Almost one-third of the members are new, freshmen if you will. Even though they are, for the most part a bright and talented group, they are still wet behind the ears when it comes to legislative ways. Most are still striving to find their way to the bathrooms. Most major issues, especially revenue enhancement measures, are addressed in the first year of a fo...
Finally! After two long years of high drama, Robert Mueller completed and delivered the Special Counsel’s report on Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election. Starting with his appointment, Democrats and media lectured the nation on his impeccable integrity and sterling reputation – Robert Mueller is the fairest man in the land. But Republicans were wary because Mueller was fired FBI Director James Comey’s pal and he loaded the Special Counsel with Trump hating rabid Democrats. How could Trump possibly get a fair shake?! Surpr...
I seriously doubt the fact that Century Mayor Henry Hawkins repaid the town of Century $1,751 for airline tickets will simply solve the issue. But I think it's a start. But I have a problem with Hawkins using his own money to pay for those tickets if those tickets were on the up-and-up for economic development. I'm all for transparency in government. The people who pay the taxes to operate government need to be able to see their entire process and access public records. We don't want...
Too often we don't appreciate the job our police officers, sheriff deputies, highway patrolmen and others do to keep us safe. We simply see them as people driving a patrol car and carrying a weapon and a badge. Law enforcement officers go through extensive training at the police academy to get certified. They then continue extensive continuing education and classes and training throughout their career. Being a cop 30 or 40 years ago compared to being a cop today are like night and day. Last week we sat down with East Brewton Police Chief Kenny...
It has been years in the making, but finally the veterans of our area will be able to get the care they have long deserved. On Monday, March 18th, I had the honor of participating in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new VA Outpatient Clinic located in Tillmans Corner. Many veterans from Southwest Alabama were on hand to witness the ceremony and tour the new facility. As someone who has deep respect and appreciation for our veterans, it was very exciting to watch the veterans tour their new facility. My brother, Dale, was a veteran, who...
One of the obvious political changes in Alabama government over the last decades with the Republican takeover of the Legislature has been the reluctance to raise new revenue to fund state government. Many of the current Republican legislators came to Montgomery in 2010 with a no new tax pledge. Voting for any kind of tax or fee increase was considered blasphemous. In bygone days, powerful governors like Big Jim Folsom and George Wallace would raise taxes at the drop of a hat. Especially when it came to a gasoline tax to build roads. It was...
