Todd Strange has been re-elected to serve his third term as the mayor of Montgomery.
In the capital city’s mayoral election yesterday, Strange carried 56 percent of the vote. Former U.S. Congressman Artur Davis finished at a distant 27 percent after reportedly spending over $600,000 of his own money on his campaign.
Davis said in his concession speech that he still intends to be the next mayor of Montgomery, it just may be four years later than he had hoped.
Strange gave a brief speech in which he promised to keep working on economic development and Montgomery’s city schools.
In Talladega, incumbent mayor Larry Barton lost his bid for a fifth term to challenger Jerry Cooper, Sr. Barton was notably assaulted earlier this month amid rumors of an affair with the suspect’s wife. He also served three years in prison for defrauding the city during his third term as mayor.
The Republican presidential candidates keep on coming to Alabama.
Last night, the Tuscaloosa County GOP hosted Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Alabama Public Radio’s Stan Ingold reports, it was a sold out event.
Senator Cruz was the keynote speaker at the Tuscaloosa County GOP's annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner. The event was to honor Congressman Mo Brooks who represents Alabama's 5th congressional district.
Cruz says while he is running a national campaign, the South will help weed out the candidates.
“The states across the south are going to play a critical role in ensuring that the next Republican nominee is a true and genuine conservative, not another one of these campaign conservatives. Every time we nominate a candidate who runs as “Democrat-Lite” we lose.”
Cruz is one of a number of Republican candidates to visit Alabama. Dr. Ben Carson was in Montgomery yesterday and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush visits Birmingham today.
This week, the country is marking the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
The massive storm devastated communities along the Gulf Coast and caused billions of dollars in damage. Alabama’s fishing community of Bayou le Batre was hit hard.
Wendy Spencer is the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. She says disasters like Katrina and the BP oil spill have made Alabama’s aid organizations stronger.
“They’re better positioned to handle disasters in the future. They have a continuity of operation plan. They know how to mitigate, they know how to engage volunteers better, to prepare for disasters better. The whole social sector is much better prepared as a result of that.”
Spencer says volunteers have served over ten million hours in response and long-term recovery after Hurricane Katrina.
The Birmingham Police Department is planning to add nearly 50 new vehicles to their fleet.
Yesterday, the Birmingham City Council approved $1.9 million to buy the police department some new wheels. Police officials say the money will fund 30 marked vehicles, 15 unmarked vehicles and several motorcycles.
Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper and other department officials have been telling the city they desperately need new patrol cars and other vehicles. Officials say a new patrol car can wear out in just two or three years because of nearly nonstop use as officers ending one shift typically pass their keys to colleagues beginning the next one.
Roper says police officials are ready to make their order this week, but delivery of the new vehicles will likely take months.