Pat Duggins

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox spoke at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government today about the city's response to the April 27, 2011 tornado. I sat down with the Mayor just before he headed to the Boston area. Maddox says no disaster plan could have covered every challenge Tuscaloosa faced that day...

"Jail was like hell. It was four days of really hell..."

James Stewart of Birmingham was just a teenager on April 2, 1963. He took part in the Children’s March, and he was one of the first to arrested and jailed…

ATHENS, Ala. (AP) — City leaders in Athens are looking for ways to attack blight downtown and are leaning on owners of the buildings to show they're making progress. The Decatur Daily reports that the city has been trying to eliminate dilapidated structures by forcing owners to fix them or removing the problem and billing the owners. Laurie McGuire bought five empty stores downtown about five years ago, during the economic downturn. She used a grant to fund storefront improvements but hasn't had the funds to continue the work until she recently got a loan.

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Alabama and Auburn are preparing for one of the biggest Iron Bowls in history. The top-ranked Crimson Tide and No. 4 Auburn meet Saturday in only the in-state rivalry's second Top-5 matchup. It's a winner-takes-the-SEC-West game between two-time defending national champion Alabama and another surprising contender. The only other Top-5 Iron Bowl matchup came in 1971. Bear Bryant's No. 3 Alabama beat No. 5 Auburn and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Pat Sullivan 31-7.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The state Department of Agriculture and Industries is donating nearly 800 pounds of fresh collards to help feed the needy. A department spokeswoman says the collards were grown in the department's community garden, and the department wants to share them for Thanksgiving. The collards will be presented to the Society of St. Andrew on Monday in Montgomery. The society collects fresh food to help the needy through food banks, kitchens and other agencies. Officials say society will distribute the collards to agencies that will prepare and serve them.

SEATTLE (AP) — Boeing Co. is soliciting bids from more than a dozen locations that want to build the new 777X airplane. Company spokesman Doug Alder said Saturday that requests for bids began going out Friday. Boeing wants the proposals returned in a few weeks, and the company hopes to make a final decision early next year. Alder declined to specify the locations but said each had asked for the chance to compete for the 777X work and met the company's qualifications.

eadline. < MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The former Marshall County Revenue Commissioner is facing charges of violating the state ethics law. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange announced the arrest of Joey Masters on Wednesday. A warrant charges Masters with using his official position to obtain personal gain, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in the county jail and a fine of up to $6,000. His attorney, Dan Warnes, says Masters has resigned and didn't intend to violate state ethics laws.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Republican establishment put its money and its clout behind Bradley Byrne and came out a winner in Alabama's 1st Congressional District. With 100 percent of the precincts reporting Tuesday night, Byrne won the Republican runoff with 52.5 percent of the vote while tea party supporter Dean Young drew 47.5 percent. Young said he had a strong grassroots campaign, but he couldn't overcome the money the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and more than two dozen Republican members of Congress put behind Byrne.

Mobile's Mayor-elect, Sandy Stimpson, took the oath of office on Monday. I sat down for a one-on-one conversation with the new Mayor to talk about his plans for the City and what Monday will be like... Sandy Stimpson: Well, it all starts off with a meeting at 10:30, and where I’ll actually be sworn in at the auditorium at Government Plaza. Then, we’ll go right to work right after that, there are a lot of things that the Mayor will to execute at that time.

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — A dentist in Hoover has collected more than 100 pounds of leftover Halloween candy to send to American troops overseas. Al.com reports Dr. James Sanderson Jr. held a two-hour candy buyback Friday afternoon. Sanderson offered to pay people a dollar for every pound of candy donated. His daughter Sara Franklin tells the website more than 180 people showed up. Sanderson says he wants to brighten the day of U.S. troops overseas with care packages. This was the 10th year in a row that Sanderson has held his leftover candy buyback.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - The state of Alabama has agreed to settle the remaining challenges over its toughest-in-the-nation crackdown against illegal immigration. The state and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a proposed settlement Tuesday that would end a federal lawsuit over the law, which has mostly been gutted by court rulings. ACLU lawyer Cecillia Wang says the state also is settling a suit filed by the Justice Department.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Republican state Sen. Bryan Taylor of Prattville says he won't seek re-election next year. The 37-year-old freshman senator announced Monday that he wants to focus on his law practice and his family with a third child on the way. Taylor said he will serve out his full term and has no plans to lobby when he leaves the Legislature. Taylor was policy director for Gov. Bob Riley when he decided to run for the Legislature in 2010.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Statewide elections are still more than a year away, but candidates are busy raising money. The Anniston Star reported Sunday that state finance records show more than $11 million has been raised since June - when candidates first became eligible to receive contributions for their 2014 campaigns. The newspaper says Republican candidates have picked up $6.8 million of that cash, while Democrats garnered only $861,000. Political action committees pulled in $6.3 million over the same time period.