Over on the podcast today we have reporter Joseph D. Bryant to give us the low-down on the low-down politics of Tarrant, Alabama.

The rest of today’s report follows. Thanks for reading,

Ike

Sen. Britt’s new role

Alabama’s Katie Britt just picked up a little more clout in the United States Senate, reports AL.com’s Heather Gann.

Britt will be one of five vice chairs on the National Republican Senatorial Committee. South Carolina’s Tim Scott will chair that committee.

The NRSC’s task is to get Republicans members elected or re-elected to Senate seats. Britt will be among those whose with the responsibility, through fundraising and strategy, of keeping or growing the incoming GOP majority.

Still the Iron Bowl

After this past weekend’s games we may have a three-loss Alabama football team and a six-loss Auburn team, but indications are they will go ahead and finish out the season nonetheless.

Just to make things official.

Sarcasm aside, there’s still plenty to play for. Alabama still has an outside shot at a playoff berth, if the stars align, and Auburn will be playing to become bowl-eligible. Plus, as much as college football may have changed over the past couple years, the regular season still ends with the granddaddy of all rivalry games: The Iron Bowl.

What doe the smart money say? AL.com’s Matt Stahl reports that Circa Sports released an opening line yesterday, giving Alabama the nod by 11 points. The over/under for the Iron Bowl — that’s where the bettors set their expectation for total points scored — was at 52.5.

The Tide and Tigers kick off at 2:30 p.m. Alabama time Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. You can watch it on ABC.

RIP Lloyd Nix

The quarterback for Auburn’s 1957 national championship team has passed away, reports AL.com’s Creg Stephenson.

Lloyd Nix played high school ball at Carbon Hill in Walker County. Only 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, Nix led the Tigers to 10-0 during that championship season. They beat Alabama 40-0 that year.

The next season, Nix led the SEC in total offense.

After college he served in the Air Force and then practiced dentistry in Decatur for more than three decades.

Lloyd Nix was 87 years old.

Small-town problems

The town of Lipscomb’s government has effectively shut down, reports AL.com’s Joseph D. Bryant.

The shutdown comes after the latest raid on Jay’s Charity Bingo in an electronic-bingo crackdown by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall. The AG sued to freeze the bingo business’s assets and has named Lipscomb as a defendant in the crackdown.

Lipscomb Mayor Tonja Baldwin said bingo operations brought in vital revenue for the city.

Complicating matters is tension between the mayor and city council that may make it more difficult to find a way out of the situation. Look for city leaders to meet this week to try to figure things out.

More Alabama News

Born on This Date

In 1940, soul singer Percy Sledge of Leighton.

Quiz answers

Here are the answers to Friday’s quiz and how everybody did.

U.S. News and World Report ranked the nation’s top 150 cities to determine its 2025 Best Places to Retire list. This city was tops in Alabama:

• Huntsville (CORRECT) 91.9%
• Birmingham 1.2%
• Montgomery 1.0%
• Mobile 5.9%

This brand recently announced it is acquiring the Birmingham Race Course:

• Wind Creek Hospitality (CORRECT) 90.1%
• FanDuel 4.4%
• Caesar’s Entertainment 4.2%
• Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys 1.2%

There is controversy in Auburn over the removal of this species by a housing developer:

• Bald eagles (CORRECT) 81.0%
• Watercress darters 10.3%
• Red-bellied turtles 6.7%
• Copperhead snakes 2.0%

Which city’s next mayor will be the highest-paid in Alabama?

• Bessemer (CORRECT) 56.4%
• Huntsville 27.5%
• Birmingham 12.7%
• Hazel Green 3.4%

Author and journalist Rick Bragg’s dog recently died. He had written a book inspired by his relationship with the dog, likely making him the most famous dog in Alabama. What was the dog’s name?

• Bear 50.9%
• Speck (CORRECT) 35.6%
• Conway 8.5%
• Spot 5.1%

On the podcast

Reporter Joseph D. Bryant is on the show to update us on the wild politics of Tarrant, Alabama.

You can find “Down in Alabama” wherever you get your podcasts, including these places: