More backdrop on the Space Command decision

Late last month the Biden Administration decided to reverse course on its U.S. Space Command headquarters location, nixing the move to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. Instead, plans switched to permanently keep HQ in its temporary location in Colorado.

That wasn’t a huge surprise given a backdrop of politics that included former president Donald Trump’s bragging about rewarding conservative Alabama with HQ in the first place and the more left-leaning Colorado’s spending months pushing the Biden White House for a reversal.

However, also recall The Associated Press reporting that the president was actually persuaded to make the change by Space Command’s commanding general, Gen. James Dickinson. He reportedly said that moving HQ away from Colorado would jeopardize military readiness.

That did come as a bit of a surprise, considering that the Air Force had seemingly spent a lot of time and effort studying the move and had determined Huntsville was the right place for HQ.

OK, here’s some more backdrop.

AL.com’s Lee Roop reports that U.S. Senator from Alabama Katie Britt released records showing that Gen. Dickinson registered a deed for a $1.5 million property near the Colorado headquarters on April 4 — that’s a few months before he reportedly persuaded the White House to keep HQ in Colorado.

Army records show Dickinson is an Estes, Colorado, native, and has degrees from Colorado State and the Colorado School of Mines (home of the Orediggers and where Katie Elder’s youngest son, Bud, attended).

Sen. Britt did not leave her own speculation a mystery. “People across our state and nation deserve answers as to why General Dickinson and this administration ignored the Air Force’s objective recommendations, which were reaffirmed by multiple independent reviews, in favor of his retirement destination.”

Uncle Sam calls

The way people talk, everything is about to step aside in Alabama to make way for football season.

Well, let’s just put it on the record that sometimes football season has to step aside for duty.

Jackson-Olin High School in Birmingham will open its season in a little over a week, and second-year head coach and Army Reservist Jamaal Bess just got orders to be deployed overseas for 400 days, reports AL.com prep sports reporter Dennis Victory.

Bess got the call Monday. He said he works with a horizontal construction unit. Being from a military family, he considered enlisting after high school but instead played football on scholarship at Rhode Island, then joined the reserves after college.

Bess said he hates to be away from his team and school but will be leaving on Friday.

“I stay prayed up and I know God makes no mistakes. It’s providing an opportunity for me to do something I’ve always wanted to do.”

It’s me, it’s me, it’s …

Acquiring yourself some temporary space at the Morgan County Jail isn’t something we’d ever recommend, but we’re not above sharing how one man allegedly did it.

AL.com’s William Thornton reports that The sheriff’s office there said a man threw a rock, smashed a window at the jail entrance, and then walked inside to be taken into custody.

If you don’t hear “It’s me, it’s me, it’s Ernest T.” in your head right now then you might need a little more culture in your life.

The alleged assailant is a 45-year-old man from Somerville. He was charged with first-degree criminal mischief and booked into the jail, which was conveniently located at the scene of the crime, and held on a $10,000 bond.

Tuberville backs Trump in Georgia

Alabama U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville blasted the latest Donald Trump indictment, calling it “pure politics.”

From a release:

“Another day, another activist indictment of Biden’s top political opponent. The fact that the radical Fulton County DA ‘accidentally’ published the indictment before the grand jury finished voting proves what we already know — this is pure politics.”

Quoting

“If I’m going to be completely honest, like it took me 10 years to not be bothered by how that game ultimately went.”

Greg McElroy, former Alabama quarterback, on the 2010 loss to Cam Newton-led Auburn.

More Alabama news

Born on this date

In 1986, country singer-songwriter Ashton Shepherd of Coffeeville.

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