The former chief of staff for the Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard has testified in the ethics trial of his former boss.
Josh Blades testified today that he was upset and concerned about "legal implications" after learning that language added to a 2013 budget bill could have benefited one of Hubbard's clients.
Blades said he learned later that a group that would get the work was paying Hubbard through a consulting contract. The language was stripped in conference committee.
Blades also said he was uncomfortable because he thought the speaker meant money when Hubbard told him he had "one hundred thousand reasons" to help a company with a patent application. That company was a client of Hubbard's.
Voting in Alabama is becoming as quick as the flick of the wrist thanks to a new tool.
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill is announcing the launch of the “Vote for Alabama” app. The point is to make voting easier and to get younger voters more involved in the elections process. Voters can register at their local polls as well as finding which precinct they should visit to vote in both local and national elections.
Merrill says the app is supposed to make voting and updating your information easier…
“It allows you to enter all the information it requires you to be a registered voter or modify your voter record. That means if you’ve moved out of county or moved inside your county, you can change your voter registration record without ever leaving the comfort of your home.”
The app is now for all Apple and Android devices.
Four chefs from around the State are lacing up their aprons for the second annual Alabama seafood cook-off.
Chef Gillian Clark from Mobile, Leonardo Maurelli from Auburn, Brody Olive of Orange Beach, and Josh Quick from Florence will all be competing for the top prize. The winner also gets to go to the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans.
Chris Blankenship gets to do some of the tasting. He’s a judge and the director of Alabama Marine Resources. He says the contest also reminds consumers to buy local…
“Whether it’s produce or seafood or other proteins, and so, things like this get people to think about when they go to the restaurant or the grocery store to ask for good local product, to make sure they’re getting the best quality product that they can cook for themselves or their family.”
Today’s winner also will be a qualifier in the World Food Championship later this year in Orange Beach.