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Sewage and health in the Black Belt

It can’t be the most shocking study results you’ve seen this year that in rural Black Belt areas without working sewage systems, residents are more likely to have pathogens such as E. Coli in their bodies, reports AL.com’s Sarah Whites-Koditschek.

A study published by the CDC showed the connection. They also found that those who lived on city water weren’t as likely to carry the pathogens.

These pathogens can cause health problems from diarrhea in kids to stunted growth and long-term cognitive issues.

We’ve reported on these issues numerous times over the past few years and some of the efforts local and state officials are trying to put into place. It’s been a problem particularly in some of Alabama’s Black Belt area, such as Lowndes County, in poor and rural communities.

Homes there are too spread out to build a big public sewer system, and the ground is made of really dense clay that makes it hard for a septic system to work like it should. A lot of people end up with a soggy mess of a backyard you don’t want your kids playing in. Some have been found just straight-piping their waste into the yard. Researchers from the study think sewage is flowing downstream from those sources and into well-water sources.

Prep endorsements?

There’s a bill filed in the state legislature that would open name, image and likeness deals to high school athletes, The Alabama Reflector is reporting.

State Rep. Jeremy Gray, an Opelika Democrat, is sponsoring a bill that says high school athletes aren’t prohibited from signing NIL deals. There are some restrictions, such as prohibitions against using the school’s name or logos.

Other states are looking at the same issue. Gray said the motivation for him is to keep up with other states and to give players the opportunity to cash in now since they never know for sure how long an athletic career they’ll have.

Holiday greetings and bear spray

There was a very atypical jewelry-store robbery attempt this week. Atypical in a way that featured some typical southern pleasantries as the robber offered holiday greeting and hinted at regret before the attempt and the store owner expressed concern over the health of the robber after he shot her.

AL.com’s Carol Robinson reports that the event took place before 5 p.m. Wednesday at Jeff Dennis Jewelers in Gardendale.

According to Jeff Dennis, a woman entered the store with a COVID-like mask.

That’s still not rare these days, but he said she also bent down and blocked the door open on her way in, so he got his firearm ready.

He said the woman announced, “Happy Holidays. I don’t want to hurt y’all, but I am.” And then she went to spraying everybody with bear spray.

Bear spray is rough stuff. The store owner said he didn’t know was coming next so he fired and struck the suspect. Gardendale Police said the woman was captured in Birmingham after she fled the store with a shoulder wound.

The owner said it upset him and he had trouble sleeping but he’d fire again if faced with the same situation.

“I’m glad she didn’t die. I hope she can turn her life around.”

More from the Super 7

Chalk up three for Lower Alabama. All three high school football state finals on Thursday were won by teams from the southwest corner of Alabama.

Mobile Christian won in Class 3A, followed by Leroy in Class 1A and Gulf Shores in Class 5A.

Leroy, by the way, played most of its championship season without head coach Jason Massey, who was deployed with the National Guard after four games.

The Super 7 continues today at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

More Alabama news

Born on this date

In 1981, former NFL quarterback, St. Michael Catholic High coach and prolific family man Philip Rivers of Decatur.

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