Virginia Martin

House GOP Caucus Meets on Prison Plan

Alabama House Republicans met for more than two hours Wednesday to discuss their potential support and concerns about draft legislation to build new prisons and renovate old ones using a combination of state, federal and borrowed funds. According to legislative leaders, the first phase of the plan includes building two new men's prisons at a total cost of $1.2 billion, with a third of that potentially coming from federal stimulus funds and a significant amount borrowed in a bond issue. Read more.

by Caroline Beck and Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

COVID Infusion Therapy Effective at Reducing Severity of Disease — If You Get It Soon Enough

Monoclonal antibody therapy to lessen the severity of COVID’s delta strain may be the only drug at this time on which vaxxers and anti-vaxxers can agree. Some anti-vaccination advocates are counting on being able to get the therapy if they contract COVID, while people who are vaccinated but still get the virus turn to it to lessen the effects of the disease. Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system to clear infections. For viruses such as COVID-19, these proteins are critical to stop the infection. But the bottom line is that the therapy does not work unless it is given in the first 10 days of COVID symptoms. “The problem is that our immune system takes two to three weeks to make good antibodies,” said UAB professor and Dr. Turner Overton. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

In a Disaster, Media Heroism (aka Craziness) Has Its Limits

When a natural disaster strikes a community, residents go to shelter. Public safety workers and journalists go to work. News organizations usually prioritize the safety of reporters in the field during such events. Often, it’s the reporters who will push the limits on safety in order to deliver vital news to the public. Ethical managers talk them out of it. But there’s no shortage of instances of reporters subjecting themselves to the brutality of nature to report a weather story. Their aim is to show the public the truth about the conditions. Their critics call it reckless showboating. Read more.

by Tom Arenberg

Scales Pushes for Diversity in Jefferson County Auditing Contracts

Commissioner Lashunda Scales renewed her campaign for diversity and inclusion as the Jefferson County Commission discussed who will perform auditing duties for the county. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Birmingham Council OKs Rezoning to Allow Event Venue in Kingston

The Birmingham City Council approved a rezoning request Tuesday to bring a new, private event center to the city’s Kingston neighborhood despite concerns about its lack of compatibility with the city’s long-range land use plan and neighborhood demands that the venue not sell alcohol. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

‘Can-Do Cal’ Takes a Customer-Focused Approach to New Job as JeffCo County Manager

Cal Markert chuckled a little when he said his first name was Cal. That’s not quite accurate, as he was born Ralph Calloway Markert. “My mother's dad was Ralph,” he explained. “But I go by Cal.” Already, some have begun calling him by his new title — county manager. The Jefferson County Commission recently selected the deputy county manager to succeed retiring Tony Petelos in that role. Markert, 49, officially becomes the county’s second manager on Oct. 1. His tenure with the county goes back to his 2005 hiring to lead the county’s Roads and Transportation Department. County Commission President Jimmie Stephens often referred to Markert as “Can-Do Cal” because he tended to accomplish the missions assigned to him. “He was very, very receptive to what the needs of the people were,” Stephens said. “That's unusual in today's environment. The world is filled with bureaucracy right now and people that work through the system and with the system. “Cal has been unique in that he has worked around the system to make sure that our infrastructure and our citizens are well-served,” he said. “That didn't go unnoticed, nor unappreciated.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

COVID Vaccines Coming to a Football Game Near You

WBHM The Alabama Department of Health is trying to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread by offering the vaccine at college football games across Alabama. Read more.

by WBHM

Constitution Recompilation Committee Discusses Racial Language Edits

MONTGOMERY — No final decisions were made about what racist language should be taken out of the Alabama constitution on Thursday, but discussion is ongoing about why certain sections should be removed that may not appear obviously racist. Sections of the constitution that mention segregation of schools or a state poll tax have more explicit language that led to the discrimination of Black Alabamians, but other sections regarding incarcerated labor or public-school systems may be harder to navigate, leaders said. The committee designated to make the edits decided to hold off on taking any votes until the public comment period ends Sept. 7. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Former Sen. Jones Forms Right Side of History PAC to Support His Causes

Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones is forming a new political action committee, Right Side of History PAC, according to papers filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission. Douglas Turner Jr., treasurer of the Jones campaign, said Jones intends to use the PAC to advocate for causes and candidates he supports. “He intends to better the causes that he’s been involved with – voting rights, civil rights, racial justice,” Turner said. “It’s not a big ‘D’ democratic effort.” Read more.

by Glenn Stephens

Alabama Community Colleges Offer Students Vaccine Incentives

MONTGOMERY —While state officials have held off offering any kind of statewide COVID-19 vaccine incentives, more than a dozen Alabama community colleges are offering perks for students and staff who get the shot. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News