Public vaping, U.S. Steel, Marketplace violence: Down in Alabama
On this date in 1925, a thermometer in Centerville revealed the highest temperature ever recorded in Alabama (that wasn’t near a barbecue pit). According to a volunteer weather observer, it hit 112 degrees that day.
That summer of ’25 — for those of you who weren’t there — included a long run of dry, triple-digit sweltering days.
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The Legislature and vaping in public places
It’s never too early to begin our prep for the next Alabama legislative session. You might be relieved to know I’m not going to talk the proposal for a lottery that won’t pass next year.
What I will talk about is another effort that may be back for another run on Goat Hill: a potential ban on vaping in public places.
A bipartisan group of legislators are pondering how they might regulate vaping and e-cigarettes. AL.com’s John Sharp reports that Alabama Sen. Gerald Allen, a Tuscaloosa Republican, wants to see a ban in public places, just like we see with cigarette smoking. In the spring Allen sponsored legislation doing just that, but it didn’t advance.
Allen has pre-filed Senate Bill 10, which would add electronic nicotine delivery systems to the list of things banned by the state’s Clean Air Act. The bill also would rename that 21-year-old law after state Sen. Vivian Figures, a Mobile Democrat, for her role in getting the original version approved and banning cigarette smoking in public places.
U.S. Steele sale
This week, Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris joined Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump when she let it be known that she believes U.S. Steel should continue to be American-owned.
Now, AL.com’s William Thornton reports that U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt said that if it doesn’t complete its sale to Japan steelmaker Nippon Steel, then it’s going to close mills. He told the Wall Street Journal that Nippon has promised to invest $3 billion into the company in order to keep the older mills running after the planned $14.1 billion sale.
The United Steelworkers union wasn’t pleased with Burritt’s comments, blaming U.S. Steel’s problems on mismanagement.
In Alabama, U.S. Steel still has its site in Fairfield, where it began using a $412 million electric arc furnace in 2020. The company was once the largest employer in Birmingham, peaking at around 15,000 workers.
Dangerous transaction
In Cullman, 64-year-old retired Army colonel Glenn Gildon was attempting to buy a dump trailer that had been listed on Facebook Marketplace, reports AL.com’s Carol Robinson.
According to the Cullman County Sheriff, the would-be seller met Gildon and said they needed to drive to another spot to exchange the trailer.
Gildon said that, while they were in his truck, the man put a knife to his throat, demanded money and threatened to kill him.
Sheriff Matt Gentry has identified the suspect as Abel Medardo Sacrab-Chen, a Guatemalan national who entered the country illegally two years ago.
According to the report, Gildon pulled his firearm and got off one round, wounding the suspect, before the gun jammed. He threw the pistol at the suspect, who grabbed it and got it to fire, striking Gildon in his stomach, shoulder and leg.
Here are two PSA messages for today: Don’t go for a ride with someone you just met on Facebook Marketplace, and don’t try to rob a retired Army colonel from Alabama in his own pickup truck.
Here are tips from Facebook regarding safe Marketplace transactions.
Quoting
“You do get an opportunity to ask coach Saban a question.”
“Hey, he’s everywhere.”
DeBoer, in response.
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Born on This Date
In 1939, civil-rights activist Claudette Colvin of Montgomery. At 15 years old, she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white woman several months before Rosa Parks did the same.
In 1963, former major league pitcher Jeff Brantley of Florence.
In 1970, former major league pitcher Mike Potts of Langdale.
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