Author: Virginia Martin
Special Elections Set to Replace Former Rep. John Rogers; Rogers Officially Resigns
John Rogers officially has resigned from the Alabama Legislature after more than 40 years representing his district, and the governor Monday set a special primary election for June 18 and general election for Oct. 1 to choose his replacement. Read more.
A ‘gassy’ Alabama coal mine was expanding under a family’s home. After an explosion, two were left critically injured
He’d said he thought his home would explode. He was right.
W.M. Griffice, 78, had told his granddaughter, Kenzie, in the days leading up to March 8 that he felt like his house was going to explode, she recalled.
Company representatives with Oak Grove, a nearby coal mine, had visited Griffice’s home in Adger, a small town 25 miles southwest of Birmingham, multiple times. Once, according to the family, they’d found methane gas in Griffice’s water well, which the mining company capped.
Then there were the loud booms that Griffice heard over and over. Sometimes they were enough to shake the ground underneath his feet, his granddaughter said. It all left Griffice uneasy.
Earlier this month, it happened. As Griffice relaxed in his recliner and his grandson lay in bed, his home exploded, leaving only its small, scorched footprint in the Alabama clay. Read more.
Alabamians Want Public Officials to Mitigate Landslide Risk as Climate Change Makes Extreme Precipitation More Frequent
In Birmingham, residents want two properties shielded from development and turned into parkland. Councilors decided to protect one parcel years ago. The vote never stuck. Read more.
As Alabama Tries to Legalize Sports Betting, Advocates Point to Neighboring States’ Success
Increased tax revenues in states like Louisiana are one reason many pro-sports betting Alabamians say it’s time to catch up to neighbors in the Gulf South. Read more.
Prosecutors Recommend Home Detention, Fine for Rogers on Fraud and Obstruction Plea
State Rep. John Rogers, the longest-serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives, agreed Monday to resign his office and plead guilty to fraud and obstruction charges.
Rogers, an 83-year-old Birmingham Democrat, is accused in a kickback scheme that involved giving $400,000 from the taxpayer-funded Jefferson County Community Service Fund to the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League and then, along with his assistant, receiving $200,00 of that money back. Read more.
Rep. Rogers Set to Plead Guilty, Resign in Connection With Fraud Scheme
DEVELOPING — State Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, has agreed to resign his office and plead guilty to charges in connection with a scheme to defraud a Jefferson County fund intended to provide for school construction, school boards and public projects. Read more.
Learning Loss: Alabama ACT Scores Climb but Still Down From Pre-Pandemic Levels
ACT scores for Alabama’s Class of 2023 have improved in the past two years but still have not reached the levels scored before the learning loss of the pandemic, a new report from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama shows. Progress depends on several factors, one of which is economic instability. Read more.
Alabama on Display at State of the Union
Alabama will be on display during tonight’s State of the Union address by President Joe Biden.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama will be giving the rebuttal on behalf of the Republican Party after the speech ends.
She is the first woman elected senator from Alabama and, at 42, the youngest Republican woman elected to the Senate.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, a Democrat, is taking three of the foot soldiers from the Selma to Montgomery marches as her guests to the State of the Union. She said in a press release that her choice was especially fitting because the address is falling on the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
Commissioner Tyson Calls Path to Bill on Filling Vacancies “Sneaky”
Sheila Tyson said Thursday that lobbyists for Jefferson County did not alert her and fellow commissioners about legislation she opposes.
Tyson said commissioners were told about House Bill 191 on Tuesday, a day before the matter was considered by a legislative committee. That bill — introduced by Rep. Jim Carns, Vestavia Hills — would allow the governor to appoint a replacement when there is an off-cycle opening on the commission. Read more.
Palmer, Sewell Win Nominations to Congress; Complete Results in Both Primaries
U.S. Reps. Gary Palmer and Terri Sewell waltzed onto their parties’ general election ballots without a stumble in Tuesday’s primaries, defeating challengers who had emerged against the incumbents.
Sewell won the Democratic nomination to return to the seat representing District 7 in the U.S. House of Representatives with 92.54% of the vote; Palmer snared the Republican nomination to the District 6 seat with 83.24% of the vote. Both will be on the general election ballot in November.
Also in Tuesday’s voting, Alabama Supreme Court Justice Sarah Stewart won handily her party’s nomination to return to the court, and It appears Amendment 1 has died. The measure, which proposed to streamline voting on local legislation, failed by 18,631 votes. Read more.
See results in both primaries:
Election Results in the Jefferson County Democratic Primary
