The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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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 w...
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,...
On Wednesday, a federal court unsealed two indictments against and arrested, Benjamin Douglas Calvert – age 26 of Irondale – in connection with a bomb detonated outside of the Alabama Attorney General's building in Montgomery on February 24. A second explosive device was later recovered undetonated in Montgomery. The case was unsealed Wednesday by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. Calvert will appear in federal court in Montgomery Wednesday. "Thanks to the work of the F...
On Thursday, April 7, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a motion of nonconcurrence on the Senate's gaming substitute sending the legislation to a conference committee. "From the very beginning, we had three key goals with the House's comprehensive legislation," said Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) in a statement. "Those included eliminating illegal gaming operations in the state of Alabama, developing a framework for the taxation and regulation of facilities...
Montgomery hosted the Capitol's first Navy Week from April 1 to 7. The celebration emphasized the importance of the U.S. Navy to Montgomery, the state of Alabama, and the nation. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed issued a proclamation to salute the Navy and kick off Navy Week. "This week as we enjoy the festivities, let us also renew our commitment to supporting our servicemembers, veterans and their families, fostering a community that recognizes and appreciates their unyielding commitment to our...
On Wednesday, April 5 the Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee considered legislation to significantly increase the number of medical cannabis licenses that the state will award to businesses. The 2021 legislation that legalized medical marijuana in the state of Alabama, strictly restricted the number of licenses that could be awarded. The most sought-after license is the integrator license, it allows a business to grow, process, transport, and dispense medical cannabis. The legislation...
On Tuesday the Alabama Legislature held a joint session in House chambers to honor America's military and salute active-duty military members, the reserves, veterans, and their families. "It was a privilege to honor Alabama's men and women in uniform during a joint session of the Alabama Legislature," said Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) on the social media platform X. "Those who answered the call to serve our country represent the very best of us. Without them, there is...
More counties in the United States experienced population growth in the last year, according to the latest Census data, even as pandemic-related moving trends begin to normalize. Counties in the South continued to experience growth, particularly in Florida, where 96% of its 67 counties gained new residents. Polk County, Florida, a suburb of Orlando, added the most, with 26,000 people moving there in 2023. Meanwhile, counties in the Midwest and Northeast continued to lose population, but at...
Purchasing a home is one of the most important investments there is. More than a place to live, homeownership is an asset with the potential to tremendously rise in value. But with home prices reaching record heights, affordability plays a huge role for buyers. The typical home value in the United States was $349,216 in February, 4.2% higher than the year before. High mortgage rates are also making monthly payments more expensive; as of March 28, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at 6.79%....
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...
On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) questioned embattled U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on the Biden Administration's Fiscal Year 2025 budget request for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Despite the ongoing border crisis, the Administration's FY25 DHS budget request represents a cut of 2% to DHS' base budget as compared to FY24 levels. Britt said that the small request fails to make the strategic investments to secure the border and keep...
On Tuesday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) celebrated her seventh year in office as Governor of Alabama. Ivey celebrated the occasion by announcing that more than $7.9 million in state funding is being awarded to cities and counties for various, statewide road and bridge projects. Road and bridgework has been a priority of Ivey's administration. To this end, Gov. Ivey, championed the Rebuild Alabama Act, which created the Annual Grant Program responsible for this allocation by raising fuel taxes...
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...
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...
The Alabama Republican party runoff and the Alabama Democratic party runoff are both coming up on April 16. There are a number of races on the ballot across Alabama; but none bigger than in Alabama's Second Congressional District. This year, the state of Alabama has a rare open congressional election with no incumbent. The new Congressional District 2 was created by the federal court to make the district much more likely that the choice of minority voters is ultimately elected to Congress....
On Thursday, the Alabama Gazette spoke with Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Randy Kelley on Thursday about the possibility that President Joseph R. Biden (D) will not be on Alabama's November 5 general election ballot. Kelley says that he and the Alabama Democratic Party will do everything possible to make sure that the President is given ballot access in Alabama. "I wanted to make sure that the White House knew about this," Kelley told the Gazette. "They released a statement saying that they...
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...
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 Rainer of Chu...
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 into the...
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...
On Thursday, April 3 the Alabama House of Representatives passed a motion of nonconcurrence on the Senate's gaming substitute and will send the gambling bill to a six-member conference committee. "From the very beginning, we had three key goals with the House's comprehensive legislation," said Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville). "Those included eliminating illegal gaming operations in the state of Alabama, developing a framework for the taxation and regulation of facilities...
The Democratic Party's national convention begins on August 19; but the Alabama Legislature set August 15 as the deadline for parties to announce their candidate slate ahead of the election. Since Biden won't be actually chosen yet, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen (R) says that there is a possibility that the Democrats won't have a candidate for President or Vice President on the November 5 general election. To address this potential electoral crisis, Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony...
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 A...
On Wednesday the Senate Finance and Taxation education committee voted to give a favorable report to a bill to require K-12 public schools to include research-based prevention education about the dangers of fentanyl and drug poisoning. The Price Hornsby Act was named after Lee County native 17-year-old Price Hornsby – one of the 110,000 Americans killed by a drug overdose. U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) said recently in a Senate hearing that fentanyl is now the number one cause of death f...
