April 2024 Edition
April 2024 Edition
Saturday was the home opener for the Birmingham Stallions, and they would not be denied the opportunity to show out for their fans at Protective Life Stadium. The nationally televised game turned into a showcase for the talent of the Stallions team. Birmingham scored 33 points, while holding Memphis to just 14 points the entire night. Two-time USFL Champion Skip Holtz has returned for his third season coaching Birmingham. "I think there were an awful lot of positive things out there today on...
The Montgomery Biscuits Baseball team won their home opener over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Tuesday night 9 to 0. Nine players for the Biscuits recorded hits and seven scored runs in the contest. Designated batter Kenny Piper kicked off the offensive spectacle with a home run in the second inning. Piper finished with two runs on three at bats. Short stop Carson Williams scored in the fourth inning when Wahoos pitcher Jonathon Bermudez threw a wild pitch. The Biscuits scored for the third time...
Over the past year, thousands of student archers competed in regional tournaments throughout the state for a chance to draw their bows at the 2024 National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Alabama State Championship in Montgomery on April 4-5. During the event, nearly 2,000 archers from 105 schools competed for top honors and the opportunity to advance to the NASP Eastern National Championship on May 9-11, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. This year, the Alabama Department of Conservation and...
The Birmingham Stallions professional football team will play in front of their home crowd at Protective Life Stadium in Birmingham for the first time this season Saturday after having to open with two games on the road. The Stallions return home undefeated at 2 and 0 and in sole possession of first place in the USFL Conference. They play the Memphis Showboats (1 and 1) in what is an important conference matchup. The Stallions are in the Ultimate Football League (UFL) this year after the USFL...
The University of Arkansas baseball team defeated the University of Alabama on Friday in Tuscaloosa 5 to 3. Arkansas is the number one ranked team in the country so presents a considerable challenge for the Tide. Rob Vaughn is the Coach of the Tide baseball team. "We didn't get it done, but when I see a team that is coming in and battling each day the way that we did tonight, then we are going to be just fine when the dust settles," Vaughn said. Third baseman Rob Gage had 2 hits and a run in...
The University of Alabama football team takes the field for A-Day on Saturday. The current Tide players were small children the last time that Alabama played a game without Nick Saban. This will be the first time that will take the field with Kalen DeBoer as the Tide's head coach. A lot of Tide players transferred out after Saban's departure and most of the coaching staff is new to Tuscaloosa. More players have transferred into the program along with 2024 recruits that were able to enter...
In December 2020, a patient of Mobile (AL) Infirmary managed to gain access through an unsecure entry to the cyrogenic nursery at the Center for Reproductive Health (Center). The patient picked up some embryos belonging to at least three couples which had been fertilized between 2013 and 2016. Because the embryos were frozen and stored in the nursery when they were a few days old, the subzero temperature caused a burning of the patient’s hands and they dropped the embryos to the floor. Though...
In the final scene in the classic movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai, British officer, Major Clipton, looks over the carnage of the destroyed train and the dead bodies lying about and utters the immortal line, “Madness. Madness.” Well, it looks like we too are approaching the closing scene in our own movie. I look at many of the things going on around this country and all I can utter is, “Madness.” Let’s look at some of the things that should cause each of us to pause and think about...
In the high-stakes Republican primary runoff for Alabama's 2nd Congressional District, there is one clear cut choice Dick Brewbaker. Make no bones about it, the winner in November may well determine which party controls the US House of Representatives. As someone who's navigated the choppy waters of Alabama politics alongside Dick, I'm here to throw my full support behind him. This isn't just about backing a friend but a leader who has always practiced what he preached; it's about recognizing...
We’ve endured another state of our [soviet] union address; fewer DC politburo ‘stand and clap’ durations which conjure youthful recollection of Brezhnev’s heinous addresses. As I recall, Moscow ‘clapping episodes’ also attenuated for Gorbachev as the looming collapse of their [Russian] hegemonic union unfolded during the Soviet bloc’s closing years. Biden bit off more than our Republic of States can afford or we can possibly sustain for our posterity. Witnessing all the proposed...
Those of you who live in the new 2nd congressional district have runoffs this coming Tuesday, April 16. This is the most interesting and entertaining political contest in Alabama this year. This new seat is comprised of all of Montgomery County, as well as most of the more rural counties surrounding Montgomery, including Macon, Lowndes, Bullock, Pike, Butler, Crenshaw, Barbour, and Russell. It continues through rural Black Belt counties like an arrow towards Mobile and gathers most of the...
This country has witnessed numerous political schisms since the beginning of the republic. We are presently bombarded with diverse and often intense political views--some real and some superficial. A distinct difference in political philosophy existed in the mid-1800s, mainly in the form of Jeffersonian vs. Hamiltonian principles. Reflecting his identification with the old protectionist Whigs, Lincoln, who idolized Henry Clay, supported Alexander Hamilton’s program of central banking,...
When the stakes are high and the dangers are real, America expects its President to stand firm, to assert power, not to whisper timidly. Yet, in what could only be described as the most limp-wristed attempt at deterrence in history by an American President, Joe Biden issued a one-word warning to a hostile Iran: “Don’t.” This single utterance was supposed to prevent retaliation against Israel following the airstrike that eliminated an Iranian general. Predictably, it failed spectacularly....
Here’s a tax reduction proposal everyone should love: · No tax at all on your first $95,000 income ($125,000 if filing jointly) · 1% tax on income above $95,000 (or $125,000 if filing jointly) · An extra 1% super-tax for those making more than $600,000 per year · The super-tax increases to 6% for those making $16 million per year. Too good to be true? Maybe it is -- today. But that’s the tax we had in 1913, the year the 16th Amendment was adopted. The first IRS Form 1040 exempted all...
In a world filled with transient values and fleeting allegiances, the integrity and steadfastness of certain rare individuals stand as beacons of light, guiding others toward paths of righteousness and communal unity. At the top of the list is Coach Bruce Pearl, whose life and career embody principles that resonate deeply with the values we all should cherish. It is not merely his remarkable success as a coach that merits acclaim but, more profoundly, his unwavering dedication to his faith, his...
We Americans are going to the polls in five months, to elect the next President of the United States. Election day is November 5. We are getting set for a rematch between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. Americans are not too enthused to see this replay. I have never seen two candidates with as high negative polling numbers in my lifetime. The old political truism that more people vote against someone than for someone will definitely come into play in this presidential race. If...
The lessons of baseball and life begin in spring – play by the rules, try your best, and the sun will still come up again if you lose. Farmers keep pace with the changing seasons. The American food grower knows to bend with these changes, but they are sustained by the promises of spring. If there is another spring, there will be another chance. Not bound by the set dates on the calendar, the remnants of winter are sometimes slow to go, but soon the sun’s warmth will grow stronger every...
Nearly everybody knows that Elon Musk does not like unions—just like he does not like oppressive big government and other violators of free markets and individual liberty. Although purported to be enforcers of fair wages and safe working environments, unions tend to be invasive, coercive, and sometimes criminal. The United Auto Workers is one of them. There is no question that the UAW is lusting to get its meat hooks onto America’s newest, greatest, most prosperous, and most valuable...
Anyone who follows the Legislative Session each year in Montgomery, knows that it is never short of controversy. The House has its priorities, the Senate has its own, and governors have theirs. And it is fair to say that those priorities are not always the same. You can take gaming this session as an example. However, in this session there is one major push that has brought all our state’s top elected leaders together – an ambitious workforce, economic and community development package...
International automakers play a pivotal role in Alabama's economy, contributing significantly to job creation, economic growth, and community development. These employers provide $72 billion annually in federal, state, and local tax revenue hat helps pay for essential public services. These companies, like Hyundai provide good-paying jobs with benefits that on average cover 90% of health care premiums for workers without unions. The downstream effects of these quality jobs have contributed...
There's a battle at the statehouse for the 3rd year in a row and it's a battle for small vape store owners to save their livelihood. It's not a battle with China, it's a battle with "little vape and big vape, also known as big tobacco partners. In 2021, big tobacco companies came to lawmakers with an idea to duplicate the FDA premarket tobacco application process at the state level, with one goal in mind- and that was to eliminate any competition and to gain control over the adult clientele of...
Fifty years ago, Americans were so distracted by Watergate that they failed to notice the unmasking of one of the most consequential spies during the Cold War. Even today, few will remember the name Günter Guillaume; but most will remember a spy precipitating the fall of the West German Chancellor, Willy Brandt. While it is hard to quantify exactly what state secrets Guillaume disclosed to his East German handlers, it is even more difficult to connect his espionage with any specific action...
Furthering its commitment to the preservation and protection of Alabama's natural resources, the Law Enforcement Section of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division announces it will pursue accreditation through the North American Wildlife Law Enforcement Accreditation (NAWLEA) program. Alabama joins Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Virginia as one of the first five Conservation Department's in the country to...
Despite some challenging weather conditions, the Alabama Governor's One-Shot Turkey Hunt last week was another resounding success with numerous hunters from across the nation bagging an Alabama bird. "We had hot and humid weather to start and then a line of thunderstorms came through," said Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) at Wednesday's awards luncheon. "But more than a third of people hunting ended up with a turkey. "It...
Fishing is a great sport that millions of men and women participate in each year. Most of the country boasts of its places to fish and each area has its specialty. For instance, my area is known for its lakes. Other areas are known for their rivers or streams, and some for their access to the ocean. There really is something for everyone. What I forget many times about fishing is how my success today is based on what has happened yesterday or even the past several days. It may be beautiful and...
The turkeys are gobbling the woods down. Their call is one of the most recognizable in all of nature. Whether one is a turkey hunter or not, everyone knows this familiar sound. And even though a tom turkey will gobble the entire year, he is especially vocal during the spring mating season. The turkey is an amazing bird. Just a few years ago there were so few, most hunters turned into fishermen during the spring. Now, the turkey is in every state except Alaska. And not only are they surviving,...
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (APR. 10, 2024) – The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), ranks first in the State of Alabama in six categories of federal research expenditures, according to the most recent Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey. Federal research initiatives totaled $132.1 million, including first-place rankings in Department of Defense, NASA, Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering, Computer and Information Sciences, Atmospheric Science & Meteorology and...
Did you know that the term of one having a "green thumb" has been declared a type of intelligence. A Harvard professor who studied educational psychology in college, Howard Gardner, declared this fact in his "Theory of Multiple Intelligences." He found areas of the brain which 'light up" when certain abilities are activated. We have known people with abilities in the areas of music, mathematics, and languages. He calls this green thumb knowledge "naturalist " intelligence. These are the people...
You've probably already noticed the fresh strawberries at local farmer's markets. While modern farming and supply chains make strawberries available year-round, there's nothing quite like the taste of a fresh strawberry grown right here in Alabama. Strawberries aren't just a treat for your taste buds. They're loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber, so you can enjoy them with little or no guilt. Blessed as we are here in Alabama, we can enjoy their deliciousness fresh from the farm for...
It’s been my experience that funeral home directors generally have a great sense of humor. I asked a gentleman about this once and he explained that a sense of humor is the only thing that saved him from awful depression. I can imagine these men and women deal with the greatest of tragedies. But on the other hand, I’ve heard some interesting stories from them. One funeral home employee told me about trying to salvage a graveside service after several pallbearers were drunk, and one fell...
A property committee member complained some “knucklehead” installed the wrong bulbs in a room at church. I had to confess the knucklehead was me. I mistakenly took LED tubes from the supply closet and tried to insert them in fluorescent fixtures. No damage, but no light, either. This reminded me of the old joke about how many Baptists it takes to change a light bulb. In this case, the correct answer is “two.” But the traditional answer to the pun is, “Change? What’s that?” Thom...
We planned a dream vacation several years ago to Las Vegas where we heard Barry Manilow and The Temptations (these are acts loved by old people). Part of the trip was my taking the short flight to the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif. and the short drive to spend a day at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The library acquired the retired Air Force One in 2004, and the Air Force One Pavilion is a grand site. It’s been featured several times in Republican presidential debates. I...
Did you join us for Slam the Scam Day in March? If so, you know how important it is to raise awareness about government imposter scams. That’s why we want you to have all the information you need to protect yourself. Check out our top 5 scam awareness articles below: 1. We work with our Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to protect you from scams that use Social Security as bait. In How We Protect You from Misleading Advertising and Communications, we detail what to do if you receive a...
We celebrate Financial Literacy Month (FLM) every April to promote financial education and well-being in the United States. FLM also serves as a reminder that Social Security is a vital part of any financial plan. Our online tools are here to help you understand your potential Social Security benefits and how they fit into your financial future. You should periodically review your Social Security Statement (Statement) using your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. Your...
There will be a special screening of the film: "A Walk with Joey" at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Thursday, May 2 at 7:00 p.m. hosted by the Knights of Columbus and the United For Life Foundation. Joey Hale suffered a skull fracture in 1976 when he and his entire family were involved in a hit and run car accident caused by a drunk driver. Joey's five-year-old sister was left with permanent brain damage from the crash. Joey was later diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 12....
The St. Clair County Republican Party announced recently that Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) will be the keynote speaker at the party's annual Reagan/Adkins banquet dinner to honor the military and first responders at the Moody Civic Center. Freddie Turrentine is the Chairman of the St. Clair County Republican Party. "This Raffle and Dinner supports the St. Clair County Scholarship Fund," explained Chairman Freddie Turrentine. "With all the hard at last year's event we were able...
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is sponsoring the inaugural EcoWild Outdoor Expo in Mobile! The show will be May 10-12, 2024, at the Mobile Convention Center. Enjoy the Outdoor Alabama Conservation Room, which showcases the work of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). Here, you can experience a live saltwater touch tank and see wildlife and critters from across the state. Interact with staff from the Department's four divisions and...
On Sunday April 28th the 9th Annual Tuscaloosa Bible Reading Marathon will take place. This an international, annual event where people, young and old, read the entire Bible (Genesis through Revelation) aloud for 80 continuous hours, without commentary. The reading will start with Genesis chapter 1, verse 1. Each volunteer will read aloud for 15 minutes and then pass the reading, like a baton, to the next person. Approximately 300 volunteers are needed to complete the reading of the entire...
