Alabama brought in the third-most revenue among the 15 public SEC football programs during Fiscal Year 2024, according to NCAA financial reports obtained by AL.com. The Crimson Tide’s $140.3 million ranked behind just Texas ($204.7 million) and Tennessee ($149 million).
Auburn ranked sixth in the league revenue-wise, with $121.2 million in football revenue during the fiscal year. FY 2024 ran from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.
Georgia ($133.5 million) and Oklahoma ($131.7 million) also generated more than Auburn last fiscal year. Texas A&M ranked one spot behind the Tigers, at $118.5 million in revenue.
Six of the 15 public SEC football programs (excluding Vanderbilt, which is a private school and not subject to open records requests) brought in less than $100 million during FY 2024. Those included South Carolina ($78.5 million), Ole Miss ($75.3 million), Arkansas ($72.4 million), Missouri ($56.3 million).
Mississippi State brought up the rear in revenue. The Bulldogs were the lone school in the SEC to generate less than $50 million for football, with $43.8 million.
When it came to spending, Alabama was far and away the leader in FY 2024. The Crimson Tide reported $113.8 million in football expenses, well ahead of its $83.3 million the previous fiscal year, which also led the league.
The huge increase was largely due to the coaching transition in Tuscaloosa, and is not expected to recur. At $90.8 million, Texas A&M spent the second-most on football among public SEC schools in FY 2024.
Auburn ran sixth in the league in football spending, at $60.9 million. Tennessee ($75.9 million), Georgia ($68.9 million) and Texas ($65.6 million) rounded out the top five ahead of the Tigers.
On the other end, four schools, including Mississippi State, which spent less than any other public SEC program on football with $35.6 million in FY 2024, came in below $50 million spent. The others included South Carolina ($47.6 million), Florida ($46 million) and Kentucky ($45.3 million).
Unlike the numbers across SEC athletic programs, every school in the league had a surplus for football only in FY 2024. However, none came anywhere near Texas, which led the way with nearly $139 million in profit for the fiscal year.
The Longhorns were the only football program to cross even the $75 million mark. Tennessee was second among public schools in the league, with a $73 million surplus.
Auburn was fourth in the SEC, at $60.3 million. With a $26.4 million surplus, Alabama ran ninth in the conference.
Mississippi State brought in $8.2 million over its expenses, which did not run dead last. Missouri took that spot, with just a $3.5 million surplus, the only public school in the league with less than a $4 million surplus.
With the state budgets signed and three days left in the 2025 Alabama Legislative Session, Gov. Kay Ivey shared an update on her priorities for the rest of the home stretch, reports AL.com’s Scott Turner.
Ivey spoke at the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber luncheon at the Von Braun Center.
She spoke out in favor of the FOCUS Act, the bill that would prohibit students from using cellphones during the school day. That bill would also require schools to have an internet safety policy and to teach students about safe social-media use.
Ivey noted that some schools have already moved to limit or ban cellphone use by students. Issues cited include the wellbeing of students who spend so much time on social media and, as the bill’s name implies, the distractions from study that cellphones pose.
Said Ivey: “Don’t get me wrong, our phones and social media are fantastic tools. So, we have to know the time, the place and how to use them.”
The governor also revisited her top priority heading into this session: Police and public-safety issues. She pointed out that she’s already signed a state ban on so-called “Glock switches,” which convert a semi-automatic weapon to fire as a fully automatic one, and “The Officer Impersonation Act.”
It was already a Class C felony to impersonate an officer. Lawmakers have now expanded that definition to include those who accept a job as an officer knowing they are ineligible for one reason or another.
The governor also said she signed a bill on Monday that expands who’s not allowed to possess a firearm after being charged with a crime. And she said there are a few more bills percolating on Goat Hill that she believes she’ll get to sign.
The fluoridate debate
There will be a public hearing this month after some Madison residents have pushed back on the decision to end the practice of adding fluoride to city water, reports AL.com’s John R. Roby.
Adding fluoride to water has been recommended by U.S. health officials for decades to help prevent tooth decay. U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has expressed concerns over fluoride and has said he plans to stop the CDC from recommending the practice. Since the concerns have moved closer to the forefront, some local utilities and even the entire state of Utah have ended fluoridation.
The utilities for all Alabama’s Big 10 cities fluoridate their water. Madison Utilities’ board of directors voted to stop doing so beginning June 16. They have added fluoride since 1991. Madison Utilities water manager David Moore has said the change is related to corrosion damage at a treatment plant and employee health concerns.
But reaction from the community has been mixed, and some are critical of what they see as a lack of transparency in a move that would affect so many.
Rod Sisco hosted a show during afternoon drive time on 105.1 WQSB. That station announced that he died unexpectedly this past Thursday.
Sisco started in the radio business while he was still in high school, the station said: “Rod spent his entire career with Sand Mountain Broadcasting, becoming not just a colleague, but a cherished friend and member of our family.”
Dear Eric: Last year my father’s funeral was ruined at the local cemetery because of a rude and disrespectful security guard employed by them, who yelled at and became belligerent with my family for no reason. Subsequent complaints to management resulted in frustration with the cemetery boss sticking up for the guard. At no point did anyone from the cemetery apologize to me or my family.
Soon after, the cemetery also completed the grave picture wrong, and another manager refused to listen, raised her voice and was nasty when I inquired about it via phone. More recently, my father’s vase flowers were desecrated with construction material, but the cemetery again denies any wrongdoing, saying it’s just regular wear and tear. It’s an outdoor mausoleum. Cemetery management has been disrespectful and hurtful since day one. I would like some advice, please.
– Grieving Son
Dear Son: I’m sorry you’re going through this while trying to navigate grief. It’s surely frustrating and painful. Document what you can through photos and saved correspondence and file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org). I should warn you that this isn’t an instant cure-all. The BBB can’t force a business to make things right with you, but many businesses do respond to complaints filed with the organization.
Also, if it’s feasible, consider saving up to move your father to another cemetery so that you don’t have to deal with this one in perpetuity.
Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.
The renovations to 22,500 square feet within Neville Arena will enhance the existing practice gym. The goal is to enlarge team meeting and office spaces within the basketball program suites.
In February of 2022, the BOT approved the initiation of building an additional basketball practice gym at Neville Arena. According to the meeting’s materials, the architect selection process was approved in April of that year.
The renovation that was approved in February won’t be the same as what was approved in 2022. Contruction for the enhancements of Neville’s team facilities and scholarship lobby began last month and is expected to be completed by November.
“The combined efforts of these renovation investments yield enhanced spaces for each one of our sports teams, so volleyball, women’s and men’s basketball,” Auburn Vice President of Facilities Management Jim Carroll said. “The athletics director and coaches of all three teams are very supportive of and excited for these changes to the team spaces, as this change solves the original scope challenges while offering a significant savings to the university.”
Dear Eric: My 35-year-old daughter “Mary” and I were very close in her early 20s, after she emerged from troubled teen years of substance abuse and self-destructive behaviors. She continues to stay clean and sober, with a successful career.
But several years ago, things went sideways between us. Everything I said made her angry. I’m always walking on eggshells, never questioning anything or bringing up any deeper topics. Because if I do, she will make a cutting remark or misconstrue my words to be a criticism.
And she can be mean.
Mary gets angry if I don’t call her enough but often sounds annoyed when I do. The push-me-pull-you is exhausting.
We adopted Mary at birth, and there is a history of mental illness and substance abuse in her biological parents. She now says she has abandonment issues due to being adopted. I’ve suggested therapy, which of course she blew up at, seeing it as a criticism.
Four years ago, my husband and I made good on our lifelong dream to go sailing around the world. Mary was a grown woman by then and she seemed happy for us. But she has since expressed intense anger at our “abandoning” her, even though we have flown back to see her at least once a year.
I love my daughter, but her anger and cruelty can leave me feeling broken. I can handle things when it’s just phone calls, but it’s always worse in person. How can I keep her upcoming visit from being the emotional “poop” show I fear it will be?
– Beleaguered Mom
Dear Mom: Oof, I’m sorry – Mary is really going through it, and you are, too. It’s so hard when no one is getting what they need. It makes me sad that Mary isn’t willing to avail herself of therapy. Therapy isn’t a punishment or an indicator that there’s something broken about anyone; it’s a tool that can help you understand yourself and others, as well as process the things that have happened to you. It sounds like Mary’s biological parents left her with some things she needs to work through. This is understandable and it’s not something that yelling at you is going to solve.
While she may not yet be ready for therapy, you should go on your own, preferably to a therapist who has experience working with adoptive families. The volatile way that Mary treats you obviously has a negative impact. Protecting yourself might look like coming up with a set of scripts for when Mary visits or rearranging the schedule so that you aren’t spending more time together than is comfortable.
Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.
A tropical weather seminar takes place on Friday, May 2, 2025, at the Baldwin County Coliseum in Robertsdale, Ala.John Sharp
Hurricanes Sally and Zeta tore through Alabama nearly five years ago, toppling trees, flooding homes, and leaving behind a staggering recovery effort that leaned heavily on federal aid.
But now local leaders fear the cavalry may not come if disaster strikes this year, despite Alabama’s longtime support of President Donald Trump.
“I remain steadfastly committed to supporting hurricane recovery efforts and ensuring that federal resources and tax dollars are allocated to American citizens in need,” Trump said in a statement Monday, kicking off National Hurricane Preparedness Week, and emphasizing a push for more state and local resources during hurricane responses.
Emergency managers in Alabama’s two coastal counties—Baldwin and Mobile—say they haven’t been told of any specific changes in disaster aid policy. Still, reports from Arkansas of red tape struggles with Trump’s administration, and his calls to dismantle FEMA altogether, raise red flags as another active hurricane season looms, starting June 1.
“We’re going to continue to do what we do and coordinate with our partners and do the right thing,” said Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency Director Tom Tyler, following a day-long tropical weather seminar Friday in Robertsdale.
“We’ll never do or not do something because we think there will be a FEMA reimbursement involved,” Tyler added. “If it’s the right thing to do, this county commission is committed to serving the people of Baldwin County. If we get reimbursed afterward, that is great. If not, we still have things we need to accomplish.”
Disaster aid
Crews work to remove debris that is piled up along roadways in Baldwin County more than four weeks after Hurricane Sally made landfall near Gulf Shores, Ala. (John Sharp/[email protected]).
Tyler acknowledges that without the federal government’s support, budgets could be stretched in coastal Alabama.
“To not have that reimbursement would be substantial,” he said.
Baldwin County Commissioner Charles “Skip” Gruber took it one step further, saying the high costs of recovery from a story is something that local budgets cannot absorb.
“Sally was $84 million,” he said. “We cannot fund it by ourselves.”
Mobile County EMA Director Mike Evans said it’s too early to speculate over the fate of federal disaster aid.
“Until we’re notified of changes, we will follow all necessary protocols to secure the assistance our residents may need when it may be needed,” he said. “We intend to perform our role to the best of our ability and focus on capturing the information Alabama EMA and FEMA require and doing our part to secure reimbursements and aid.”
FEMA played a huge role after Hurricane Sally in Baldwin County, reimbursing the county for over $54 million in expenses. That included paying nearly $22 million to finance the removal of a massive amount of vegetative debris – approximately 2 million cubic yards, which would fill the entire Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, and then some.
Federal agencies also assisted in the county in other ways. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, allocated over $40 million in Community Development Block Grants for disaster recovery.
Jeff Schlegelmilch, associate professor of professional practice at Columbia Climate School at Columbia University, said the biggest impact to any federal rollback of post-hurricane relief will come from longer-term recovery efforts.
He said that state governments have long grown dependent on federal programs for rebuilding, and that pulling back the role of FEMA without a plan on what to do next will “create its own kind of disaster.”
“Without a clear transition, reducing FEMA‘s role very rapidly will likely severely hinder recovery and create even wider disparities between who is able to get back on their feet and who is not,” Schlegelmilch said. “There is a need for reform, and to better incentivize states to invest in preparedness and to handle more disasters on their own. But there will still be a need for a federal role, and transition period towards whatever model things shift toward.”
Arkansas concerns
Former President Donald J. Trump speaks in front of more than 6,500 people at a town hall on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 at the Dort Financial Center in Flint. The town hall was moderated by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s former press secretary. (Jake May | MLive.com)
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a former White House press secretary under Trump and a close ally to him during the campaign, has struggled to get federal disaster aid to her state following a tornado outbreak in March.
FEMA denied a request for emergency aid already, which Sanders appealed last month. She has written on social media that Trump has personally promised his support to her. She has said that she remains in close contact with the administration in hopes of securing relief.
Arkansas, much like Alabama, has overwhelmingly backed Trump in previous elections.
Alabama State Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, and who represents the Gulf Coast in Baldwin County, said he believes the Trump administration will come through if a tropical event causes damage.
“The president is very favorable to the state of Alabama,” Elliott said. “I would expect he would continue to after a storm.”
Elliott said the biggest concern for South Alabama is government reimbursement from expenses incurred during debris cleanup. After that, he said, the coastal region tends “to rely on private insurance” to handle claims.
Schlegelmilch said the situation in Arkansas should send “a strong signal to other states” that initial request for disaster aid was denied.
“That being said, we should wait and see if they are able to get the declaration on appeal, and what the pattern of declarations and denials are as there are more disasters across the country and more data on these declarations,” he said.
Federal cuts
A NOAA weather map showing updated tracks of Hurricane Zeta, which caused widespread damage through Alabama in late October 2020.
Trump has already issued an executive order requesting a review of how FEMA has managed past disasters, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has made statements suggesting that her agency will dismantle FEMA altogether.
FEMA was created in 1979 and became a part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003.
The agency has already lost 200 probationary employees, who were laid off in February, and fears are elevated over even longer wait times for financial assistance following powerful storms.
It’s not just FEMA that is on the chopping block. The National Weather Service, which operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has lost approximately 550 employees since the beginning of the year. The job losses represent a 10% drop in its staffing levels.
The proposed budget released by the White House also calls for cuts to NOAA by nearly 30%, and would eliminate the agency’s research functions for weather.
“Our worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life,” reads the letter written by the five directors over the past 37 years. “We know that’s a nightmare shared by those on the forecasting front lines – and by the people who depend on their efforts.”
Jason Baeman, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Mobile, said the focus of his office is to stick to a core mission of saving lives and property.
“Everything else is out of my control,” Baeman said, adding he doesn’t know all of the details of what is being proposed for cuts. “We know we have a dedicated team serving our local communities.”
Volunteer efforts
The focus on local responses and volunteerism was a highlight during the seminar in Robertsdale.
Gruber praised the work being done by the Baldwin County Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), which provides on-the-ground services such as food and supply deliveries for areas in need after a disaster.
“It makes it a lot easier,” he said.
Deann Servos, executive director of Prodisee Pantry in Spanish Fort and a past chair of the Baldwin County VOAD, said the group of volunteers come from churches, civic groups, and other organizations. They assist in opening and operating mini-shelters, including a warming shelter during the January snowstorm.
“We made sure we got some food and blankets to people in need,” Servos said. “It’s done with volunteers who are willing to help.”
Servos said cuts to FEMA, NOAA or any other agency that assists during a disaster is not a major concern to her. She said the focus is to get a ground group assembled and ready to respond if a major storm strikes.
“We are the caring and compassionate folks who live here, and we want to our community to recover in the best way possible,” Servos said.
A south Alabama family is hoping for answers after picking up their 4-year-old daughter from school with a blood alcohol content level near .300.
Albert Singleton told AL.com that when he and his wife, Mary Singleton, arrived to pick their daughter up from school on April 28 she was carried out to them.
Albert said the school had no answers as to what was wrong with their daughter but he recalled how his daughter was slipping into unconsciousness and she was “limp like a noodle.”
“So, my wife was handling everything, and they was telling her that [the child] had been in the nurse’s office, and they didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she couldn’t walk, she couldn’t stand,” Albert said.
“She was getting deeper and deeper into whatever was going on and shortly after that they told us to proceed to the closest emergency room with her.”
After taking the child to an emergency room Albert said she was transferred to the ICU at Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Mobile.
After several tests it was determined she had a blood alcohol content level of .286 due to ingesting ethanol in her system.
The child was close to a .300 diagnosis which can potentially lead to life-threatening issues.
Albert said he and Mary still have no answers as to how their daughter obtained ethanol and ingested so much.
Albert said his daughter was unresponsive from about 3 p.m., after picking her up from school, until about 3 a.m. that morning.
Singleton said this occurred at Collins Rhodes Elementary School in Prichard.
AL.com messaged the Mobile County Public School System but have not received a response regarding the incident.
The child was released from the hospital on April 30 and has been progressing slowly, according to Albert.
Albert said he and his wife will not be sending their daughter back to the school the remainder of the school year.
The incident is being investigated by the Prichard Police Department, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and Mobile County District Attorney’s office, Albert said.
AL.com left a with the Prichard Police Department seeking comment.
Although their daughter is recovering Albert said the entire ordeal has been completely “exhausting” for the family.
“The whole ordeal has been exhausting,“ Albert said.
“Because we’ve never had any problems like that at that school and I personally dropped my daughter off and see her walk in with good spirits and good health. Then, when we return to get her and she’s in a state of close to death, that’s an uneasy feeling.”
“I see myself rushing the passer,” McLeod said. “That’s what I did my whole life. I’m going to continue doing that. But if they ask me to do something else, I’m going to do it. Best believe it. I’m going to be the best person that do it.”
Jacksonville yielded the most passing yards in the NFL last season while giving up 29 touchdown passes against only six interceptions.
The Jaguars finished 28th among the NFL’s 32 teams with 32 sacks in 2024. Jacksonville’s defensive ends – Travon Walker and former Abbeville High School standout Josh Hines-Allen – combined for 18.5 sacks. No other player had more than three, and the projected starters at outside linebacker – Ventrell Miller and Foyesade Oluokun – combined for one sack in 2024.
After a 4-13 showing last season, Jacksonville cleaned house. The new coaching staff of Liam Coen includes Anthony Campanile, a first-time defensive coordinator with a background in a variety of schemes, and general manager James Gladstone targeted versatile defensive players in his first draft.
That drew Gladstone to McLeod at Pick No. 194.
“You guys can probably see this across a lot of the players that we selected, in particular on the defensive side of the ball,” Gladstone said at his post-draft press conference. “But the versatility, that’s something that really stands out for us, and, obviously, we speak about being intangibly rich. His competitiveness, his play demeanor, his urgency is phenomenal. And you take him, another who was deployed across the defensive front at Auburn, when he went to the Senior Bowl, all he did was stand up off the ball when one of the best elements of who he is is being moved from one spot to the next and providing a spark, being able to gain an edge, a change of pace rushing off the edge. That was one thing he signed up to do at the Senior Bowl and wasn’t batting an eye at ‘Hey, I don’t get to showcase what so many would call my super-power. But I’m going to do this anyway because I love this sport and I love getting out on the grass.’”
McLeod played outside linebacker at Appalachian State before transferring to Auburn, where he spent two seasons as the starter at buck, a hybrid defensive end/linebacker.
“The NFL is all about adapting,” McLeod said, “and that’s something I do well. It is going to take me a little time, but it’s going to be fast, though. I pick up what they put down. I pick up what anybody put down fast, so I’m going to learn. I’m going to adjust to the game speed. I’m going to adjust to everything that’s around me, and I’m going to try to make immediate impact if I could.”
McLeod recorded 25 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks for the Tigers after having 13 tackles for loss and nine sacks in three seasons at Appalachian State.
“Another thing here is when you think about it, one of the things I really value – I know Liam does the same – but when a guy goes from a small school to a big school and you see production continue to pop, that is a meaningful element,” Gladstone said. “And that’s something you can think back to guys I’ve been a part of drafting in the past – Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner. Think about the guys today who have gone from a small school to a big school that we just walked away with.”
McLeod will start work with the Jaguars at rookie minicamp on Friday through Sunday before joining Jacksonville’s offseason program.
“He can stand up, he can get on the line of scrimmage and his urgency and competitiveness, his play demeanor is something that is captivating,” Gladstone said, “and we’re certainly looking forward to getting him out on the grass and with his new teammates here soon.”
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.
Some people are fascinated by snakes; others are terrified. One might conclude that snakes inspire both pleasure and panic — but in truth, snakes cause nothing. It’s the mind that assigns meaning. Apply this principle widely, and fear begins to dissolve. The current astrological omens bring reasoning that is both philosophical and grounding.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). A quiet day brings the loudest kind of healing, not through drama or grand gestures but through stillness. With no chasing or fixing, your mind settles, your heart catches up, and peace arrives in a way you didn’t know you needed.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’ve been steady in the work, even when it felt invisible. Quiet progress, small wins, resilience on repeat. Now the results begin to show — tangible, undeniable. This isn’t luck or timing. This is you showing up. This is magic with muscle.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You can mentor someone through your example, through your care and through your failures and falls, too. Sharing the vulnerability is profound. In doing this, you give something most people don’t get from their teachers: the truth.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). To change the picture, first pop it out of the frame. You can’t transform what’s still trapped inside old definitions, outdated assumptions or someone else’s idea of what it should be. Step back. Reframe it. Only then can something new emerge.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll take a risk in the area where you most need a breakthrough. It doesn’t fall into a neat category — love, creativity and career are all woven together right now. But the act of taking a risk signals belief in possibility.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). When you see others struggling, your instinct is to step in and help without hesitation. Allow yourself the same grace when you’re the one having a hard time. Helping is a privilege — don’t deny someone theirs.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It can be so fun being you! You resist the urge to “do more” and feel grounded instead of guilty. A walk, a nap, a good meal or journaling brings emotional release. You spend time alone and realize you don’t feel lonely — you feel whole.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Something that used to trigger you doesn’t anymore. You notice the stillness where reaction used to live — and that calm, that quiet pause, is proof that healing isn’t always loud, but it is always life-altering.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). When you give of yourself — as is your nature — the exchange becomes more than just words. It becomes a moment of impact, intimacy and even transformation. The conversation shifts something, not just for them but for you, too, owing to your quiet magic.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’ll stop chasing and start magnetizing, drawing in exactly what aligns. A lucrative offer will come your way — not because you pursued it but because you became the kind of person it naturally finds. What’s yours arrives through gravity, not grasping.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Just as a whisper can speak louder than a shout, dialing things down can amplify their impact. Today, less truly is more. Try fewer appointments, tighter budgets and the simplicity that sharpens intention.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). There’s chronological age, and then there’s spirit age. People often start to feel “old” not when their body slows down but when they fear change, failure or loss. Stay curious, stay brave and your spirit stays forever young.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (May 6). The connections you experience this year feel both ancient and brand-new. This includes your relationship with yourself, which deepens your presence and strengthens your compass. Even so, there’s no need to chase dreams because what’s yours is already circling closer. More highlights: You’ll level up professionally, apply secret talents to lucrative effect and enjoy glamorous events. Scorpio and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 11, 17, 6, 34 and 40.
CELEBRITY PROFILES: The cast of the upcoming comedy “Jay Kelly” features three Academy Award winners, one of whom is George Clooney, a Taurus who embodies the typical associated qualities — he’s grounded, steady and effortlessly sensual. Taurus is ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty and pleasure, and Clooney has that unmistakable charm and physical appeal that feels timeless rather than trendy. Clooney also has a strong sense of social justice and civic duty, which is why the United Nations has named him a Messenger of Peace.
Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.
Madison Utilities will hold a public meeting this month ahead of a possible revote on a March decision to stop adding fluoride to the water supply.
The decision came Monday after the utility’s board of directors heard from over 30 people, about half of whom called for the decision to be reversed. Another third lauded the board’s actions, while a handful criticized directors for what they called a lack of transparency in taking a step that would affect so many people.
Effective June 16, the utility will stop adding fluoride to the water it sells to nearly 19,000 customers in the city and parts of Madison County. Fluoride is a chemical that U.S. public health officials have recommended including in public drinking water since the 1940s to combat tooth decay, particular in children. Madison has fluoridated since 1991.
The utility’s attorney, Woody Sanderson, dismissed the idea of a referendum on the board’s decision, which some of the speakers had suggested. The board members are appointed by the city council, and the council itself seats a delegate who keeps the city informed of the board’s actions, but the utility is not under city control.
“There is no legal mechanism in the state for a referendum on issues related to how you deliver water,” Sanderson said.
Nevertheless, Connie Spears, the city councilwoman who also sits on the water board, suggested a public hearing “before we take a vote one way or the other to either … reverse the decision to remove the fluoride or to continue down the path to removing the fluoride.”
The board has tentatively scheduled the hearing for May 13 at 5:30. The venue has yet to be determined.
The comments Monday were similar in tone to those aired last week at a meeting of the Madison City Council, where utility officials were summoned to explain the decision to stop fluoridating the water.
After hearing from the public, directors discussed how to improve the utility’s communication with the public. Director Kerry Straub proposed delegating a staff member to “put information out so that we’re not [accused of doing] something under the cloak of darkness.
“These meetings are public … you can come to a meeting and we’re posting stuff,” he said.
That echoes a statement posted to the utility’s website late last week, stating MU is working on “a more effective and accessible way” for customers to receive information.
Yet as of late Monday afternoon, the utility had not posted the agenda for Monday’s board meeting. The March 17 vote to stop adding fluoride was listed on the meeting’s agenda as “Chemical Feed Discussion.”
And as AL.com has reported, Madison Utilities lags its peers in the state’s Big 10 cities when it comes to posting financial reports on its website.
Utilities serving the Big 10 cities all fluoridate their water, and the Alabama health department recommends the practice.
