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Protecting the Alabama pearlshell, the state’s rarest, almost extinct, mussel

The Alabama pearlshell mussel, a small, endangered mollusk found in a just a few creeks in south Alabama, which can outlive many humans, is getting some protection.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and local county governments recently completed a few road drainage and erosion projects aimed at protecting the rare mussel, which has an iridescent shine on its inside shell that resembles a pearl.

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Shelby County district judge candidates discuss mental health, caseloads

Shelby County voters will have the chance to reelect a district judge for Place 2 or choose a new face for the bench.

Incumbent Casey Duncan was appointed to his seat in 2022 by Gov. Kay Ivey, when the seat was left vacant after the death of Judge Daniel A. Crowson Jr. He faces Ashley N. Bell in the election.on Nov. 5.

See voter guides, Alabama election information here.

“We’re an ever growing county,” Duncan said in an interview with AL.com. “I feel like I’ve improved matters since being appointed. Backlog of cases have been reduced. People are getting done with court in sooner time. It used to be that the timeframe for a civil case in Shelby County was about two years, we got it down to 13 months. I like what I do, I’m good at it and I’m running to keep my job.”

His opponent, Bell, is a lawyer, has a master’s in social work, and claims to be the first Black women to run for district court judge in the county, although she’s making it clear that she’s not running on her race.

“I’m running on my qualifications. However, I do believe our government needs to look like the citizens. I do believe diversity is important. And when I speak of diversity, I don’t mean just the race, I’m not just talking about ethnicity, I mean people that bring different things to the table,” Bell said to AL.com.

Both candidates said substance abuse and mental health care are ongoing issues that they want to address through the services toffered in the county’s court system.

“Too often you have individuals walk into court feeling like they’re not going to get a fair trial or a fair hearing. But with my background in social work, I know too often, how to look at thing wholistically, and ask ‘how did we get here?’,” Bell said.

“We’re trying very hard and the county is invested in terms of resources, and committed to come up with solutions. The county just hired a mental health liason between the courthouse and law enforcement. But it may be a three years before we really see results,” Duncan said.

The general election takes place on Tuesday, November 5th. For general information on the Shelby County election, click here.

For a Shelby County sample ballot, click here.

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Cowboys vs. Falcons predictions, picks and best bets: London Calling

Get set for an exciting NFC Conference showdown when the Atlanta Falcons welcome the Dallas Cowboys to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Dallas, which enters this matchup with many injuries, hopes to end a two-game losing streak. The Falcons have won four of their last five and hope to continue distancing themselves in the standings from their NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Today’s clash has the highest total on the board. Read on as I explain my Cowboys vs. Falcons predictions and best bets for what I expect to be a thrilling game.

Cowboys vs. Falcons predictions and best bets for NFL Week 9

Sunday’s Week 9 clash between the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons has the highest total on the board.

The only thing Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has consistently done is throw the football. He’ll likely be playing from a deficit and forced by the game script to clear his passing yardage prop for the fourth time this season.

The Atlanta Falcons defense is in the bottom third in passing attempts allowed (269) and has the worst completion percentage (72.5%) in the NFL. The completions should lead to big yardage, which is likely why the 51.5-point total tops the Week 9 betting boards.

Falcons’ QB Kirk Cousins has had mixed results. He’s cleared his passing yards prop in four of his seven games, and I like his chances of turning this contest into a shootout. The Dallas secondary allows 216 passing yards per game, but Cousins is starting to look like the pre-Achilles quarterback that lit up the scoreboard.

Playing indoors doesn’t only benefit the quarterbacks, but also wideouts like Falcons WR Drake London. He’s become a favorite of Cousins and has cleared his receiving yards prop four times this season. London is the most targeted Falcons receiver, boasting six adjusted catches per game per Fantasy Pros. If London grabs six passes, he’ll easily clear his receiving yards prop.

Cowboys vs. Falcons moneyline odds analysis

Why Falcons could win as the favorite

Best odds: -148 at DraftKings

The Falcons have won four of their previous five games, and their offense is beginning to gel with Cousins under center.

Atlanta should feel good after overtaking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8 for a slim NFC South lead over the Bucs. They should also feel good about how the offense has lit up the scoreboard with +26 points in four of their last five.

The Falcons allow 24 points per contest and 13 TD receptions thus far. Cousins has a difficult arm to keep out of the end zone, which bodes well for the Falcons against a banged-up Cowboys defense missing several players, including All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons and CB DaRon Bland.

If the offense can keep up its high-scoring ways, Atlanta should beat Dallas. The Falcons have momentum in their favor and meet a talented, but mediocre Cowboys offense they can outscore. Dallas has scored only 33 points across its last two games, and could be ripe for the picking.

Why Cowboys could win as the underdog

Best odds: +135 at Caesars

This is a must-win game for the Cowboys. Dallas has dropped two straight, but on paper, they are the better team. The problem is that the paper is stained by injury. The group hardly resembles the 2023 team that won the NFC East with a 12-5 record.

That could all change on Sunday. Dallas has lost four games. Three of the teams the Cowboys lost to (San Francisco, Detroit, and Baltimore) are the class of the league this season. Atlanta may be red-hot, but its defense is exploitable. Prescott can carve up the Falcons’ defense like a Thanksgiving turkey (Atlanta allows 6.6 yards per play).

Dallas’ defense will need to make stops. Thus far, the Cowboys haven’t. The ‘Boys have allowed the sixth-worst second-half defense at 13.4 ppg. That number that climbs to 14.5 ppg when Dallas is in visitor’s jerseys. If the Cowboys can get the second-half stops, they can outscore Atlanta and win this game.

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Pro wrestling legend, dressed as Alabama icon, weighs in on election

No one would mistake Kurt Angle for Forrest Gump, but the wrestling legend gave it a shot while urging people to vote this week.

The World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist took to social media this week to encourage his followers to exercise their civic duty during Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

“Hey, everybody. This is my costume for Halloween. I’m Forrest Gump if you haven’t noticed,” Angle posted on X/Twitter. “I just want to encourage everyone to vote this year. You have until November 5th. And it’s the most important election in the history of our country. Make sure you vote.”

READ: 35 fascinating facts about ‘Forrest Gump’

He ended the video with his signature catchphrase: “Oh it’s true. It’s damn true.”

Angle, 55, did not express support for any candidate or issue in the video. In January 2016, Angle publicly supported Sen. Marco Rubio’s bid for the GOP nomination during the primary in the presidential election.

Sporting a red Bubba/Gump Shrimp hat and a light blue button-down shirt, Angle had the outfit down, but he did not attempt an Alabama accent, at least not in the 18-second video he posted.

In April 2016, Angle posted on X about the 45th president, who was then a nominee, “So Trump is leading the delegate votes,” followed by a meme of Angle in this wrestling gear that read, “That’s cute…but can he do it with a broken freakin’ neck?”

Pittsburgh native Olympic Gold Medal wrestler Kurt Angle attends the pre-game festivities before an NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)AP

Prior to his debut as a WWE superstar, Angle won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olmpyics in Atlanta, while competing with a broken neck.

Angle signed with WWE in 1998. He has held the European Championship, Intercontinental Championship, WWF Championship, WCW Championship and World Heavyweight Championship. He became the 10th person to achieve the WWE Triple Crown and fifth to achieve the WWE Grand Slam. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017 along with Beth Phoenix, Diamond Dallas Page, Rick Rude, Theodore Long, and The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express.

“Forrest Gump” opened in theaters June 1994. It won six Oscars including best picture and actor (Tom Hanks) and grossed nearly $700 million worldwide. Gump grows up in the fictional town of Greenbow, Ala., and eventually plays football for the University of Alabama under Paul “Bear” Bryant.

RELATED: ‘Forrest Gump’ actress breaks silence: Was Jenny the movie’s true villain?

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Court hears Huntsville YMCA’s case to sell lakeside camp in bankruptcy proceeding tomorrow

The Huntsville YMCA wants to sell Camp Cha-La-Kee, its lakeside overnight camp, to offset some debt as it goes through bankruptcy proceedings, and a federal court will hear the case on Monday.

There is a “buyer who’s ready to purchase. But we have to go through the process that the court requires,” Interim CEO Jeff Collen told AL.com.

The nonprofit filed for bankruptcy in August after more than $15 million in loan repayments came due. The negotiation failed with the lender, Redstone Federal Credit Union, who froze the organization’s account. The nonprofit later regained access to that account after the court’s intervention, Collen said.

According to court documents, a buyer is willing to pay $1.75 million for the 62-acre Camp Cha-La-Kee beside Lake Guntersville in Marshall County, which has not been profitable for many years.

“I can say that over the last 10 years, the Y has lost over $900,000 at the camp,” Collen said.

This is not the first time Collen is leading a YMCA branch to sell properties to offset debt after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following his retirement as Racine, Wisconsin YMCA CEO in 2020, Collen has been interim CEO at two different YMCA branches before his stint at the Heart of the Valley YMCA beginning in September 2023.

In St. Joseph, Missouri, Collen led the sale of two properties to offset debts, and in Jackson, Mississippi, he said he renegotiated a debt burden of $11 million to $1 million.

“I was in St. Joseph, Missouri, for about nine months,” Collen told AL.com, “In St. Joseph’s, we sold a building downtown that they weren’t using anymore and a camp that hadn’t been successful in a long, long time.”

Huntsville YMCA Interim CEO Jeff CollenKayode Crown

The Heart of the Valley YMCA, in 2022, valued the lakeside property at $350,000, but after filing for bankruptcy in August, received two separate $1.75 million offers.

One offer was from one Shannon Provence; the nonprofit did not name who made the second offer, except that it came with some unnamed conditions.

The organization has decided to go with Provence’s offer. Provence told AL.com he could not comment for the story at this time.

Collen said he could not make further comments on the planned sale of the lakeside property, which is restricted for recreational use and must not be divided up for sale or lease, court documents say.

The YMCA wants the court to allow it to consider Provence’s offer and market it further to see if better offers would come in. It has tapped SVN AVAT Realty, LLC, and Andrew Agee will market the property sale.

Agee did not respond to a request for comments for this story.

The motion to sell Camp Cha-La-Kee “is still on the docket for Monday (10 a.m.),” Huntsville YMCA attorney Kevin Heard said in an email.

Collen said selling the camp is “important and really necessary” and hopes to “come up with a solution” with Redstone.

“I’m very hopeful that we’re close on that,” he said.

“The bank balloon payment on the banknote was not something that the Y could handle,” he said. “Fifteen and a half million dollars, and we were working with Redstone to negotiate the next loan schedule, so to speak. And, you know, at some point it just wasn’t working and all of a sudden, you know, we found our accounts frozen.”

“And, so we had no choice but to seek the court’s protection in order to be able to pay all our bills because this bankruptcy is not typical,” he said. “It is not an operational issue. The Y had plenty of money to keep paying its bills, but we just hadn’t come to an agreement for the next loan option moving forward.”

He said that YMCA branches have experienced membership slumps nationally.

“Across the state of Alabama, membership is still about right where we are, about 25-27 percent lower than what it was at the end of 2019, again, across this state and very similar across the country.”

But IRS records show that Huntsville YMCA has been recording losses long before the pandemic.

The nonprofit recorded more years with losses than other YMCA branches in Alabama between 2012 and 2022. It only reported two years in the green, 2012 and 2020. Birmingham YMCA had the best profit record recording one year in the negative.

Collen said he recognizes the need to be profitable.

“We need to have surpluses because we need to be able to take care of our facilities to provide the services; you know, a lot of times it doesn’t happen that way,” he said.

“It makes us have to reduce expenses, sometimes we don’t always take care of our facilities as best as we can because there’s not the funds to do that so we have a lot of deferred maintenance.”

Birmingham YMCA revenue between 2012 and 2022 includes an average of 13% from donations, while Huntsville had 9%, IRS records show. The rest of the revenue is mostly from program services.

“We’ve got to help raise money because we’re giving a lot of services away to people who can’t afford it,” Collen said.

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3 takeaways from South Alabama’s 34-30 loss to Georgia Southern

South Alabama had a chance to make some real noise down the stretch in the 2024, but instead is in danger of being on the outside looking in come the postseason after a 34-30 loss to Georgia Southern on Saturday night at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

The Jaguars (4-5 overall, 3-2 Sun Belt Conference) led 30-14 heading into the fourth quarter before letting the game get away by allowing 20 points in less than six minutes. South Alabama had the ball in the red zone late with a chance to take the lead, but couldn’t finish off the comeback.

South Alabama now enters its second bye week before a three-game stretch that will determine its postseason fate. Before that, here are three takeaways from the Jaguars’ stunning defeat to the Eagles:

1. This was South Alabama’s worst collapse in a long time

It had been close to a decade since the Jaguars let a game slip away in the fashion that they did on Saturday. South Alabama entered the fourth quarter up by 16, but a series of calamities contributed to that lead disappearing in less than six minutes. Perhaps only the 2015 game vs. Arkansas State at Ladd-Peebles Stadium — when the Jaguars lost 49-31 after leading 31-20 early in the fourth quarter — was more shocking and sudden than this one. There have been some other stunning meltdowns in this program’s history — Central Michigan last season and Tulane in 2020 come to mind — but rarely with so much at stake. Instead of entering its next game with a shot at first place in the Sun Belt West, Major Applewhite’s team now is left fighting for postseasons scraps. The loss also continues the bizarre trend that has characterized South Alabama football the last two seasons — the Jaguars have not had a three-game winning streak or a three-game losing streak in that time.

2. Penalties, special teams miscues spell doom for Jaguars

Penalties have been a season-long problem, and have now been major contributors to both of South Alabama’s Sun Belt losses — at Arkansas State on Oct. 5 and vs. Georgia Southern on Saturday. The Jaguars were flagged 13 times for 99 yards, with the infractions running the gamut — from false start to holding on offense to targeting and disconcerting signals on defense. South Alabama played with a lack of discipline, and it’s kept the Jaguars out of first place in the Sun Belt West Division. USA also committed two turnovers in one game for the first time all season, including a fumbled kickoff return that led directly to a Georgia Southern touchdown. Also in the kicking game, the bizarre decision (by someone, Applewhite wouldn’t say who in the post-game) to call for a sky kickoff late in the third quarter allowed for a long return and great field position for the Eagles. They scored two plays later, beginning their amazing comeback.

3. South Alabama faces an uphill climb for bowl eligibility

Not only are the Jaguars’ Sun Belt championship hopes just about gone, they need two wins in their final three games just to make a bowl for the third straight season. First up is a trip to Louisiana, which is 7-1 overall and is the only Sun Belt team without a conference loss this year. The Ragin’ Cajuns are essentially a more talented version of Georgia Southern on offense and will be playing at home. After this is a game at Southern Miss, which should be a South Alabama win, but would only get the Jaguars to five victories. Any postseason appearance for the Jaguars is more than likely going to come down to the Nov. 29 regular-season finale at home against Texas State, the preseason Sun Belt West favorite that hasn’t played up to its ability this year. Still, the Bobcats run a tempo offense and can throw the ball effectively, meaning they have an excellent shot to beat a South Alabama team that has wilted against such opponents this season.

NEXT UP: South Alabama has an open date before traveling to Louisiana on Nov. 16. Kickoff time and broadcast information for that game will be announced on Monday.

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Falcons-Cowboys free livestream: How to watch NFL game today, TV, schedule

The Atlanta Falcons play against the Dallas Cowboys in an NFL game today. The matchup will begin at 12 p.m. CT on FOX. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV.

The Falcons enter this matchup with a 5-3 record, and they are coming off a 31-26 win against Tampa Bay. During the victory, Atlanta accrued 394 total yards. The team’s star quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 276 yards and four touchdowns. Notably, he has thrown for 14 touchdowns and more than 2,100 yards this season.

The Atlanta defense also played well against Tampa Bay, as they forced three turnovers. The team acquired two interceptions and recovered a fumble, so they will try to perform similarly this afternoon.

The Cowboys enter this matchup with a 3-4 record, and they have lost back-to-back games. In their most recent game, the Cowboys lost 30-24 against San Francisco. During the loss, Dallas conceded 24 unanswered points. The team was unable to rush the ball effectively against San Francisco, as they only obtained 56 yards on the ground. The Cowboys also averaged less than three yards per carry, so they will need to improve their rushing attack today.

Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV.

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Archibald: ‘Back to the Future’ meets ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Tuesday

This is an opinion column.

I don’t know what else to say about this election.

That hasn’t already been said, that is. In 1980s movies.

Biff Tannen was the big dumb bully in “Back to the Future.” He made himself feel important by calling other people names, like “Butthead.” And bullying them for pleasure and personal gain.

Biff: “I can’t believe you’d loan me your car without telling me it had a blind spot. I could’ve been killed!”

George McFly: “Blind spot? Now, now, Biff, now I never noticed that the car had any blind spot before when I would drive it.”.

Biff: “What, are you blind, McFly? It’s there. How else do you explain that wreck out there?”

Biff was awful. His greed sank Hill Valley into a hellhole. He turned the old courthouse into a casino, and let the public schools burn. Shoot, his ancestors tortured generations of McFlys after that family immigrated from Ireland. Biff even tried to rape the woman who would become George’s wife in the high school parking lot during the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance.

Boy, did Americans cheer when Biff got what was coming to him. Back when America was great, I guess.

Maybe America was naive back in that day, but people – the zeitgeist anyway – hated bullies and blowhards, particularly rich blonde ones who hurt others to pump themselves up.

Like that guy Johnny Lawrence in the original “Karate Kid” movies. He was rich and Aryan and brutal. He bullied his friends and tormented his foes, to make up for his own insecurities. He treated his girlfriend Ali Mills – played by a 20-year-old Elisabeth Shue – like a pair of loafers. Lawrence punched and kicked everyone who didn’t kowtow. Especially the Karate Kid, who waxed cars until it taught him kung fu. America loved it when The Kid caught Lawrence with that wicked crane kick.

Man, that era was full of bullies.

There was Dick Vernon, the vice principal at Shermer High School who kept “The Breakfast Club” in detention. (“I got you for the rest of your natural-born life if you don’t watch your step.”)

There was Stan Gable in “Revenge of the Nerds.” He was a star quarterback at Adams College who, along with his pack of bros (and some of their girlfriends) tormented students who were different. (“Times are changing, Betty. These nerds are a threat to our way of life.”)

I’d like to think that even in the ‘80s, before nerds became so cool and rich they turned into Stan Gables, America believed pompous, unscrupulous, silver-spooned bullies eventually should get a comeuppance. Despite Gordon Gekko and the glow up of greed.

What has happened to us?

Even into the next decade, when Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” foreshadowed this election as well as anything.

Gaston, from that 1991 classic, was a rich, handsome, beefy, preening guy, seen by a lot of townspeople as a strong man and a hero. He was hardly a villain to be feared at first. Just a clownish conceited brute with an unhealthy infatuation with himself. And with the beautiful Belle.

But infatuation turned to obsession, and before long it was clear Gaston saw Belle only as a prize to take. He tossed her dad into an asylum, and continued his conquest. Hey, he was famous in that town, after all, and figured he could just grab her by the celluloid.

Or maybe he just wanted to protect her. Whether she liked it or not.

We used to hate guys like that. America could agree. Those who use power and intimidation and force to get their way. Those who belittle and call names and treat people as stuff to be collected. One thing America could count on was that the Gastons of the world get what’s coming to them in the end.

Nobody proved it more than George McFly, as he opened the car door outside that high school dance, inadvertently stopping Biff’s assault on his future wife, Lorraine

George: “Hey you! Get your damn hands off of…”

Biff: “Why don’t you walk away, McFly and leave the two of us alone.”

Lorraine: “George! George, help me! Please!”

Biff: “Are you dumb, McFly? I said close the door and walk away!”

George: “No, Biff. YOU leave her alone.”

Biff: “Alright, McFly. Now, you’re gonna get it.

Biff gets out of the car and twists George’s arm until he starts to moan. Lorraine screams for Biff to let George go. Biff grabs her, shoves her to the ground and laughs, as is his way.

He is unaware that George has begun to shake with rage. His fist shakes, and somehow, some way this timid fellow finds the strength to throw one punch at his bully. He connects, and knocks Biff out. He turns to Lorraine, the love of his life.

George: “Are you okay?”

Lorraine nods. And the future is saved.

I don’t know what else to say about this election.

John Archibald is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.

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Ravens-Broncos free livestream: How to watch NFL game today, TV, schedule

The Baltimore Ravens play against the Denver Broncos in an NFL game today. The matchup will begin at 12 p.m. CT on CBS. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV.

The Ravens enter this matchup with a 5-3 record, and they are coming off a 29-24 loss against Cleveland. During the loss, Baltimore accrued 387 total yards. The team’s star quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Notably, he has thrown for 17 touchdowns and more than 2,000 yards this season.

The Baltimore defense will look to bounce back with a better performance this afternoon, as they allowed 401 total yards last game. The team conceded more than 330 yards through the air, so their secondary will need to improve their play.

The Broncos also enter this matchup with a 5-3 record, and they have won back-to-back games. In their most recent game, the Broncos defeated Carolina 28-14. During the victory, Denver accrued 400 total yards. The team’s rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns, so he will be a key player to watch this afternoon.

Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV.

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What local races will Mobile and Baldwin County voters see on their ballots Nov. 5?

While Election Day next week will be dominated by the race at the top of the ticket—Kamala Harris or Donald Trump—voters will also have the opportunity to vote in many down-ballot races for judges, school board members, and other local officials.

But in coastal Alabama, there are very few local races with more than one candidate. In both Baldwin and Mobile counties, every judicial candidate is running unopposed, and many are incumbents.

There are two seats up for election on both the Baldwin County and Mobile County boards of education. All four candidates in those races are running unopposed, and all are Republicans.

All three members of the Mobile County Commission—Connie Hudson, Merceria Ludgood, and Randall Dueitt—are running for reelection unopposed. Hudson, a Republican, defeated primary challenger Doug Harwell in March. Dueitt, a Republican, and Ludgood, a Democrat, were unopposed in their respective primaries.

Here is a roundup of local races in coastal Alabama that will be on the ballot Nov. 5. Readers can also find sample ballots for Mobile and Baldwin counties below.

U.S. House

Voters in Mobile and Baldwin counties will not find any local incumbents on the ballot in next week’s races for U.S. House of Representatives.

In District 1, which covers all of Baldwin County and parts of Mobile County, voters will choose between Republican Barry Moore of Enterprise and Democrat Tom Holmes of Mobile.

Moore, who currently represents District 2, defeated incumbent Jerry Carl in the District 1 Republican Primary after he was drawn out of his district in court-ordered redistricting. Holmes, 78, is a former state employee and an advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Mobile.

House District 2 has become a nationally watched race, after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that the district needed to be redrawn to give Black voters in the state the opportunity to elect a candidate of their choosing. The seat, which is predicted to narrowly favor Democrats, could decide the balance of the U.S. House.

Democrat Shomari Figures of Mobile will face Republican Caroleene Dobson of Montgomery in the race. Both are lawyers and are seeking elected office for the first time.

State Board of Education, District 5

Only one of the four statewide school board races on the ballot in Alabama this year is contested: District 5, which covers Mobile and extends through Montgomery and much of the Black Belt. Incumbent Tonya Chestnut, a Democrat who currently serves as vice president of the board, will face David W. Perry, a Republican.

Chestnut is a native of Selma and a retired teacher and administrator. She told the Alabama Reflector that her priorities are literacy, teacher retention, and school safety.

Perry is a pastor and community activist, according to the Reflector. He argues that there should be clinical psychologists in schools in order to address school safety. He also argues that the core curriculum in place is hampering teacher’s ability to teach, and students should be tested to see what field of study—academic or vocational—would best suit them.

Only voters in Mobile and north Mobile County will see the District 5 election on their ballots. Voters in the south part of the county and Baldwin County are in District 1, represented by Republican Jackie Zeigler, whose term on the board began in 2017. Zeigler ran unopposed in the Republican primary and is unopposed in the general election.

New judges

Johana Bucci, a Republican, is the presumed winner of Mobile County District Court Judge Place No. 6. Bucci, a prosecutor in the Mobile County District Attorney’s office, defeated Richard Foreman and Eucellis Sullivan without the need for a runoff in the primary. No Democrats entered the race.

Bucci’s seat was created in 2023 by the state legislature, after Gov. Kay Ivey signed SB39 into effect. The bill added judgeships in courts across the state that were struggling with large numbers of cases.

The bill also added another circuit court judge and district court judge in Baldwin County. Karol J. Kemp, a Republican, is running unopposed for the new circuit judgeship; Michael J. Hoyt is running for the new district court seat in that county. Hoyt is a Republican.

An additional circuit judge seat will be added in Baldwin County following the 2026 election, under the terms of the bill.

Mobile County Circuit Clerk

In Mobile County, the circuit clerk race is a rare competitive matchup. Republican Ashleigh Long faces Democrat Marsha Striveson Guy. Both have experience in Mobile County’s criminal justice system: according to Guy’s website, she has worked in the circuit clerk’s office for more than 25 years. She currently works in the circuit civil division.

Long has worked in the Mobile County District Attorney’s office for the large part of her career, including as supervisor of financial departments, according to her website.

In March, Long defeated incumbent Sharla Knox in the Republican primary, 61.29% to 38.71%. Guy ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Long’s primary campaign goal is to implement an app called “JurySnap” that she says would streamline the jury selection process. Drawing off her experience implementing an online payment system in the DA’s office, Long says the app—where potential jurors fill out paperwork online—will save residents’ and employers’ time.

But other Mobile County officials said the app is not feasible. Knox, Long’s former opponent, and Mobile County Presiding Circuit Court Judge Wesley Pipes both said that the program could not be implemented. Because Mobile County is part of the state’s unified justice system, the app could not be implemented unless it is implemented statewide, Pipes told news outlet Lagniappe in February.

Special County Elections

Pay-As-You-Go in Mobile

For the 20th time, Mobile County’s Pay-As-You-Go program will be up for renewal on the ballot. The program allocates funds to road and bridge projects in the county without any new taxes or new debt because the funds are collected prior to the two-year transportation improvement program beginning, according to a news release from Mobile County.

In this year’s Pay-As-You-Go referendum, voters will decide whether to allocate $82 million in local funds to 36 projects. Around $22 million of state and federal matching funds is also incorporated into this year’s PAYGO plans.

Voters have approved PAYGO plans each time it has been on the ballot. This year’s Pay-As-You-Go includes building a new road and bridge to the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, where commercial passenger air service will begin once a new airport terminal is built; and constructing a new roundabout at Fowl River Road and State Route 193.

Landmark Districts in Baldwin County

There are not one but three landmark district designations that Baldwin County voters will consider next week. Voters will consider whether to create a landmark district in Bon Secour south of Magnolia Springs, White House Fork near Bay Minette, and Stapleton north of Spanish Fort.

If voters assent to the creation of any or all of those landmark districts, then the state’s constitution will be amended to reflect that. Property in a landmark district cannot be annexed into a municipality via legislation, though it could still be annexed through a referendum or a petition.

In 2020, voters in Baldwin County created two “landmark districts:” one near Loxley called “Rosinton,” and one south of Fairhope called “Barnwell.”

Proponents of the landmark districts argue that it gives residents in those communities the ability to preserve their way of life. Baldwin County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state and is rapidly transforming from rural to suburban.

“A landmark district gives the communities a legal identity, a collective voice and a foundation for heritage preservation,” an administrator posted on the “Community of Stockton, AL,” Facebook page asking voters to vote “yes” on all three landmark districts.

Stockton was the first area in the state designated as a landmark district more than a decade ago in a statewide vote.

But Baldwin County city officials have criticized the landmark districts, arguing that the districts hinder growth management, particularly at the edges of cities. In 2020, 11 Baldwin County mayors signed a resolution opposing the landmark districts, according to a story from WBRC in Birmingham.

Constables

Mobile County is one of 21 counties in the state that still elects constables. (Baldwin County did away with constables in the 1990s.) There are 80 precincts in Mobile County that will hold a constable race, but in only 25 of those precincts is there a candidate, and in only two precincts is there a contested race. The position has become more obscure, and some law enforcement officials argue it’s unneeded, particularly in urban areas.

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