It’s been a newsy week. There’s some more heavy stuff today, but we tried to mix in some lighter stuff below as well since it’s Friday. Remember that today they’re trying to wrap up that special legislative session in Montgomery. (Updates will publish here.)

Have a great weekend and we’ll be here for you bright and early Monday.

Overnight execution

Overnight the state of Alabama used some of that extra window it now has to complete an execution, reports AL.com’s Paul Gattis.

James Barber was executed at 1:56 this morning after the U.S. Supreme Court denied his request to stop the process because of difficulties the state had last year as it failed to carry out two lethal-injection executions. Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said that this morning it took three sticks to run two IVs within six minutes.

In 2001, Barber beat 75-year-old Dorothy Epps to death with his hands and a claw hammer in Harvest, Alabama.

Iraq veteran’s passing

An Alabamian who served in the Army unit that helped capture Saddam Hussein has passed away, reports AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz.

Desmond Bailey was a retired Army colonel who also served with the Prattville and Eclectic police departments.

He had served in the Marine Corp. but joined the Army to take part in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Spartan Shield. Bailey’s unit was involved in capturing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in December 2003, and he wrote of the operation in his book “Recon 701: A story of Resiliency, Brotherhood and Triumph.”

A cause of death has not been released.

Substation serpents

Next time you’re strolling through an electrical substation, make sure you watch where you step. Snakes are known to feed on mice and rats that can be found around such places.

And now twice this month, reports AL.com’s Leada Gore, snakes have slithered their way to substations and managed to get electrocuted, knocking out power to Alabamians both times. Back on July 5 an incident at the Albertville Primary Substation knocked out electricity for 19,000 customers in and around Boaz.

Then on Thursday, a snake at the Athens Primary Substation knocked out power in West Limestone, Clements and parts of Tanner and Athens.

Smothered, covered and Lana Del Rey’d

Pop star Lana Del Rey has been hanging around Florence and spotted in a couple other Alabama places over the past few days. And, on Thursday, she worked a shift in a Waffle House in Florence, reports AL.com’s Ben Flanagan.

Del Rey is a bit of a mysterious one, so I’m not sure what inspired her to put on the uniform and serve customers, pouring coffee and everything. Perhaps just for fun or to give fans a thrill. Or maybe it was for free hash browns.

Who wouldn’t put on an apron for some smothered, covered, chunked, diced, peppered and country?

Quoting

“Here is my takeaway from the news conference: My friend Chief Derzis’s suit game is beyond question.”

— Helena Police Chief Brad Flynn on Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis’s style during this week’s presser on the investigation into Carlee Russell’s two-day disappearance.

By the Numbers

$41,000: That was the reward total at the end of the day Thursday in the shooting last week that killed Birmingham firefighter Jordan Melton and injured Jamal Jones. Contributions were continuing to pour in.

$250,000: That’s the fine the Alabama Department of Environmental Management has proposed for Environmental Landfill, Inc., for a landfill fire that burned in Moody for months.

More Alabama news

Born on this date

In 1915, Floyd McDaniel of Athens, Alabama. He was a blues singer and guitarist who played with The Four Blazes.

On the Calendar

Today’s the deadline for the Alabama Legislature to deliver on a court-ordered redrawing of the state’s Congressional districts. Currently there are two plans — one that’s made it through committee in each chamber. Republicans will spend today either trying to pick one or trying to compromise on something in the middle, then pass it. Democrats will probably spend today being unhappy about what Republicans decide to do.

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