Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
(800) 654-4262

© 2024 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Bentley's to divorce, Birmingham Sidewalk Film Festival

The first couple of Alabama is calling it quits.  First Lady Dianne Bentley has filed papers for divorce.  APR’s Pat Duggins has the details…

Governor Robert Bentley and his wife appeared together at the capitol today shortly before the news broke that Dianne Bentley filed papers to dissolve their marriage.

Mrs. Bentley says, in court documents, that there is a complete incompatibility of temperament that makes it impossible for the two to continue living together.

The Bentleys had been separated since January.

The first lady wants the property they own together, alimony payments, and all of her legal costs to be paid by the Governor. The Bentleys have been married for fifty years and have four children. 

Mrs. Bentley made regular charity appearances as first lady. She also asked lawmakers this year to update domestic violence laws.

A nonprofit group is asking an Alabama sheriff to remove decals that include a portion of a Bible verse from patrol vehicles.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza.  It says decals that quote a line from the Bible being posted on county property are an endorsement of Christianity and are unconstitutional.

Valenza says his beliefs led him to purchase decals, which read "Blessed are the peacemakers." The rest of the verse goes on to say they will be called children of God.

Freedom from Religion Foundation attorney Rebecca Markert says the group will file a civil lawsuit if the decals aren't removed.

Birmingham’s Sidewalk Film Festival is getting underway with a movie you can sink your teeth into.

The Alabama Department of Tourism teamed up with film maker Norton Dill to produce the documentary Q—Alabama Barbeque Legends. The hour-long film focuses on family run barbeque restaurants handed down from father to son. Brian Jones is the State Tourism Department. He says the inspiration for the film were the rules for Alabama’s BBQ Hall of Fame…

“They had to be open for fifty years. And, you know, we’d thought we’d have a handful—it turns out that we have twenty nine barbeque restaurants in Alabama that have been open for at least fifty years.”

Alabama boasts having the most barbeque restaurants per capita than any state in the nation. The documentary Q—Alabama Barbeque Legends will be shown tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 at the Carver Theater in Birmingham. 

News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.