Global Methodist pastor

One of the leading pastors behind the Alabama churches that disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church has taken a job out of state, reports AL.com’s Greg Garrison.

Around half the UMC’s congregations in the state split from the denomination in the past couple years.

The Rev. Vaughn Stafford is leaving his senior-pastor position at Clearbranch Methodist in Trussville to become senior pastor at Columbus First Methodist Church in Mississippi.

Stafford has been serving as president pro tem of the North Alabama Provisional Conference of the Global Methodist Church. That’s the organization of churches that disaffiliated from the North Alabama United Methodist Church.

Chief in trouble

A police chief is heading to jail for 30 days for twice kneeing a handcuffed suspect in the stomach, reports AL.com’s Warren Kulo.

Former Citronelle Police Chief Tyler Norris had two trials end in hung juries after he was arrested on charges of deprivation of rights under color of law and witness tampering.

Facing a third trial and possible 10-year prison sentence, Norris opted for a plea deal.

A mask mandate

If you’re keeping up with the latest mask mandates during the latest increase in the latest variants of COVID-19, well, they probably don’t affect you.

An exception might be if you’re doing government business in Dallas County. The Dallas County Courthouse, courthouse annex and county administrative buildings had a mask mandate put into effect on Friday, reports AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz.

Selma is the county seat of Dallas County.

Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn said COVID cases in the county have been traced to government buildings there.

Alabama has some of the highest COVID hospitalization rates in the nation right now — we’re tripled cases from two months ago — but it’s nowhere near the surges we saw during the height of the pandemic.

Picture that

Hundreds of people, maybe thousands, showed up in downtown Mobile on Sunday for a second-line-style parade honoring hometown hero Jimmy Buffett just over a week after the singer-songwriter passed away. (Photo by AL.com’s Lawrence Specker)

By the numbers

10th: That’s where Birmingham ranked among the nation’s most affordable retirement destinations, according to a study by personal finance website WalletHub. Of course, “most affordable” can be a bit of a backhanded compliment: In the “quality of life” section of the study, the Magic City ranked 175th out of 182. Crime rates, poverty rate and public transit are the kinds of things that can take a city down in those rankings.

All this dynasty chatter

The University of Alabama football team lost a ballgame on Saturday, and for about a decade that has meant this will be a week set aside for debating whether or not the Nick Saban-era Crimson Tide are headed straight down the toilet of intercollegiate athletics.

Since we don’t do opinion here at Down in Alabama, we’ll leave it up to you. Follow this link to give us your take on where Alabama is headed after Saturday’s 34-24 lost to Texas.

More Alabama news

Born on this date

• In 1913, Paul Bryant of Moro Bottom, Arkansas. He wasn’t from Alabama, but we can’t leave out the Bear.
• In 1932 Congressman Sonny Callahan of Mobile. He just passed away in ‘21.
• In 1953, Tommy Shaw of Montgomery. Rock guitarist and musician best known for his work with Styx.

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