Opinion & Policy
Why do we have jails and prisons?
This week it’s been hard to decide on the topic to write about. There are just so many things going on in our town, county, state, country, and world. As much as I sometimes want to just turn off the news and concentrate on what is going on in my own life, I just…
Read MoreAlabama’s economic success will continue with Port of Mobile upgrade
Alabama continues to rank as one of the top 10 states in the nation for its success in drawing companies to the state to do business. There are a lot of reasons the state has been so successful in economic development, such as top notch workforce training and a competitive business incentives program. When it…
Read MoreSen. Tuberville advocates for forest owners during ag meeting
Special to the News On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced an amendment to the Fix Our Forests Act during a U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee (Ag) business meeting. His amendment consists of the bill text of the Disaster Reforestation Act, which would help landowners recover from the loss of timber after natural disasters. Currently, forest…
Read MoreCould we be witnessing changes to history?
This week has been one of enormous historical occurrences! We have seen what appears to be a major step into a “potential” peace in the Middle East. I use the word “potential” only because of the past attempts working with many of the countries in that area of the world, but then seeing agreements…
Read MoreSolutions for Montgomery shootings require accountability in Alabama criminal justice system
The shooting in Montgomery this past week has rightly made the headlines with two shot and killed and 12 wounded in the state’s capital city. So far, there has been the arrest of one teenager related to the shootings, but more arrests are expected. There has been a lot of finger pointing on how this happened in…
Read MoreLocal newspapers keep communities strong
By Dean Ridings America’s Newspapers Strong communities don’t just happen. They rely on connection – residents knowing what’s going on, businesses reaching the customers who keep them open and citizens having the facts to make good decisions. Local newspapers provide that connection in ways no other source can. In today’s fractured media environment, trust…
Read MoreThe many reasons to support local journalism
Special to the News National Newspaper Week Many adults can likely recall mornings during their childhood when newspapers were tossed into the driveways of many homes throughout their neighborhoods. Some adults might even have delivered papers from their bicycles each morning. Such scenes may now be a relic of the past, thanks in large…
Read MoreIs our country burning down?
We seem to be at a crossroads determining how we want to live here in the United States of America. We will always have different opinions, different goals and/or different beliefs, but are they required to be SO very different? Why does it seem so many people want to be identified by their family…
Read MoreHistoric municipal election run-offs behind us, Alabama statewide party primaries next
Some of the recent municipal elections will be one for the historic books in Alabama. In our state, presidential elections draw the most voters to the polls, far above other races, including those for governor or other statewide races. So when record amounts of folks showed up at the ballot box for run-off elections…
Read MoreNew Alabama laws
Several new Alabama laws became effective on October 1, including a law providing immunity for first responders to provide aid to police and fire dogs, the Community Pharmacy Relief Act potentially impacting prescription costs for patients, “Parker’s Law” offering an exemption from jury duty for nursing mothers, and law raising the age of medical consent for minors from 14…
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