Four Republican hopefuls are running for former House Speaker Mike Hubbard's legislative seat.
The Alabama Republican Party announced late last week that Jay Conner, Joe Lovvorn, Brett Smith and Sandy Toomer have all qualified to run for the Lee County House seat. No Democrats are running for the legislative district.
Hubbard was removed from office last month after a jury convicted him of 12 felony ethics charges. He was sentenced to serve four years in prison. Hubbard is appealing his conviction.
The primary election for the vacant seat will be held Sep. 13.
The Alabama Department of Mental Health is hosting a town hall in Andalusia’s City Hall auditorium today. They will be discussing local needs for mental health and ways to improve service.
Jim Perdue is the Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health. He says town hall meetings like this are meant to allow people to have a better understanding of a real disease that many cannot see.
“There’s rarely a community or a family that’s not touched by some level of our service, whether it’s autism, or developmental disability, or whatever. This is a proactive measure that we’re taking, and we’re asking people to get involved in what we’re trying to do."
Perdue says their main goal is to be in service to anyone who requires medical attention for these diseases at all times.
Alabama hunters are running out of time to claim their 2016 alligator possession tags. 260 hunters have been selected to receive a tag for Alabama’s 11th annual alligator season opening August 11th.
Chris Nix is a Wildlife Biologist at Alabama Division of Wildlife. He says the deadline for hunters to accept or decline their tag is just around the corner.
“It’s actually by 8 o’clock on Tuesday morning. The applicants are required to go online to our website to check their status of the permit selection. If they are chosen as a tag holder or as an alternate for the zone they have to either accept or decline that offer by 8 o’clock on July the 19th.”
Alternates will be notified to pick up any unclaimed tags after the confirmation deadline. Those selected to receive a tag must attend a mandatory zone-specific alligator training course. Training is provided by the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.
A Taco Bell employee in east Alabama has been fired after authorities say two Lee County sheriff’s deputies were denied service.
Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones released a statement saying the uniformed deputies were told by the cashier Saturday night in Phenix City that they wouldn't be served and they needed to leave.
Taco Bell spokeswoman Laura Nedbal says the restaurant's franchise owner has since fired the employee. Nedbal says Taco Bell does not endorse the employee's sentiment. She says the franchise owner has apologized to the sheriff's office.
Jones says the sheriff's office appreciates the restaurant's response to the incident, which comes amid rising tension nationwide over fatal police shootings involving African-Americans.