Gaming, 2nd-best city, giant spider: Down in Alabama
Don’t bet on it
If the current Alabama legislative session has felt different to you somehow, maybe it’s because lawmakers haven’t spent a lot of energy on gambling or lottery measures.
They haven’t spent time planning, task-forcing and drafting only to disagree over which cities would get the casinos, or to disagree over how many casinos, or to disagree over where to put the revenue.
AL.com’s John Sharp reports that not a single gaming-related bill has been introduced during this session that would require a constitutional amendment to legalize any form of gambling.
Check back in winter
A year ago, Huntsville, Alabama, claimed the top spot on the U.S. News & World Report list of the nation’s best places to live. AL.com’s Paul Gattis reports that, on this year’s list, the Rocket City has slipped to No. 2.
Also making the list were Birmingham at 80th, Montgomery at 94th and Mobile at 115th.
Taking over the No. 1 spot this year is Green Bay, Wisconsin, which was praised in the publication for its small-town feel, colleges and craft beer.
An arachnid update
The Joro spider is invasive, it likes living in areas around people, its populations have taken root in Alabama and some other southern states, and it’s really huge.
And there has been a concern that it might out-compete other spiders.
However, a study by the University of Georgia found reason to believe that the spiders are simply not very aggressive, reports AL.com’s Dennis Pillion.
The podcast
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