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Perhaps they thought no one would notice. Last week, the Alabama Senate fulfilled its constitutional obligations for the 2026 legislative session by passing a series of bills related to the state's general fund budget. The grand total when it was all said and done came to .72 billion. As of late, this is an unremarkable feat given Republicans' consolidation of power, which includes a hold on the governor's office and supermajorities in both chambers of the Alabama State House. Throughout Kay Ivey's tenure, the governor has presented her proposed budgets with no expectation of significant changes. At some point in the...Article Link
Where I grew up, the term “hijacking” usually referred to the disappearance of a fresh load of moonshine on its way to market. Hijacking occurs when something, or even some process, is taken over without the consent and, at times, even the knowledge of the rightful owner. Hijacking, like classic high-seas piracy, is one of the most direct and forceful means of stealing something from someone. Well, folks, I've recently come to realize you can hijack a whole lot more than moonshine in the South. A bunch of hijackers from California, and even China, have come to recognize our home,...Article Link
Spring has always been one of my favorite times of the year. I love seeing the flowers bloom, the leaves turn green and even the grass begin to come back to life after a long winter. There is just something about this time of year that makes everything feel fresh again. The days get a little warmer. The sunlight stays a little longer. The world that looked gray and tired a few weeks ago suddenly begins to show signs of life. As I was driving to Grove Hill Wednesday, I began to notice the dogwoods and azaleas blooming along the roads...Article Link
A full sit-down dining experience awaits those who visit the new Jay G's restaurant in Grove Hill. The eatery, co-owned by Probate Judge Valerie Davis and her husband Tommy, officially opened on March 10. Mayor Ross Wood called the restaurant “one of the most anticipated additions to town.” “People are looking for a place that they can go on a weekend day, sit down with their family, look at a menu, order and have the server take care of them,” Wood said. “We're excited to have Jay G's coming in as a sit-down eatery.” The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch...Article Link
The 2026 state races have officially begun. Qualifying ended Jan. 23, and it will now be less than a three-month sprint to the finish line. The May 19 Republican primary will essentially be election day, because winning the GOP primary is often tantamount to election in the Heart of Dixie. The governor's race will likely not be one of the more competitive contests. Coach Tommy Tuberville appears headed for a relatively easy path to the governor's office. He has been running for more than a year and has about million in the bank. Tuberville is recognized as one of the...Article Link
This is my first post of the season from the table on my upstairs front porch. I hear the birds singing. I walked around the yard this morning and saw some of my favorite plants starting to bud out. I was afraid some of them might have become victims of the deep freezing cold we had this winter, but they survived. Spring is really arriving. I wore shorts and a T-shirt a couple of days last week. I decided to begin changing out my summer and winter clothes. I store whichever ones are out of season in my upstairs bathroom closet....Article Link
Back when I was a kid, most children spent their time outside playing. That was just how childhood worked in those days. There were no computers, and sitting inside watching television was rarely allowed — especially on days when my mom had just mopped and waxed the floors. One afternoon when I was about 10 or 11 years old, that reality led to an adventure I have never forgotten. A neighbor near our house had about 40 to 50 acres of land. Back in the woods was a trail we proudly called the bicycle trail. It stretched about a quarter...Article Link
For the last 40 years, Alabama's power structure has grappled with accusations that party crashers are interfering with the state's primary elections. For most of its history, Alabama has been a one-party state, first under the Democratic Party banner and for the last decade and a half under the GOP banner. The 1980s marked a transition. Republicans were gaining ground. In 1986, then-Attorney General Charles Graddick won a heated Democratic runoff against then-Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley by nearly 10,000 votes. The Alabama Democratic Party invalidated the outcome, claiming Graddick had violated party rules by encouraging Republicans to vote in the...Article Link
I am just starting a new book. It's called The Gentle Swedish Art of Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson. A friend recommended it to me. Well, actually, she recommended another book by the same author — one on aging gracefully. It was a humorous book, which I enjoyed very much. She was too tactful to mention how much stuff I have and that I probably would disregard the death cleaning book anyway. When I said how much I enjoyed the book on aging, she mentioned that the death cleaning book was much funnier. That made me sign up for it...Article Link
Have you ever stopped to think about just how important your tax dollars are to your local community? Have you considered how far those dollars stretch and what they actually provide? Without your tax dollars, there would be no fire department to respond if your home caught fire. Without your tax dollars, there would be no police department to answer a call for help. Roads would not be paved. Potholes would not be repaired. Public services we often take for granted would simply not exist. It is easy to sit behind a desk and order clothes, groceries and just about...Article Link
Rising prices make now the best time to be in the cattle business, an Alabama Extension Service agent told local cattlemen on Feb. 28. Ken Kelly, who spoke at the Clarke County Cattlemen's Association's annual meeting at Clarke Prep School in Grove Hill, said demand for beef is high and cattle inventories are low, making for higher prices at the grocery store where demand is high. That also translates into higher prices for producers. Choice beef is a pound now and that's not counting steaks and other better cuts. “It is incredible and folks are still buying,” Kelly said....Article Link
Clarke County High School alumnus DeVante Snell is serving as the Region 5 hub director for the statewide STEM Invention Convention. The convention helps fifth- through 12th-grade students research problems, design solutions, build prototypes and present their innovations to judges from industry, academia, government, and small business entrepreneurs. The program promotes critical thinking, creativity, public speaking and workforce-ready problem solving skills. “It's important to me to help students see that innovation and opportunity are possible,” Snell said. “Programs like Invention Convention Alabama give students the confidence to solve real problems and share their ideas with the world.”Article Link
The Clarke County Board of Education recognized its Teachers of the Year in a Feb. 19 ceremony. Megan Gates was recognized as Clarke County Elementary Teacher of the Year and Grove Hill Elementary School Teacher of the Year. Shirley Bradley was named Wilson Hall Middle School Teacher of the Year and Joy Thomas was honored as Clarke County High School Teacher of the Year. Wendy Kneel was named the Gillmore Elementary School Teacher of the Year while Jenny Creel was named Jackson Intermediate School Teacher of the Year and Brooklyn Sheffield was honored as Jackson Middle School Teacher of the...Article Link
Folks, we are in for a doozy of a political year in the Heart of Dixie. We have a rare open U.S. Senate race. A Senate seat does not come open every year. It was expected, this time last year, that our first term Senator Tommy Tuberville would run for a second six-year term in 2026. However, Tuberville's decision to leave the U.S. Senate to run for Governor, left the barn door open for our second U.S. Senate seat. The seat will be filled by a Republican. We are a solidly Republican State. Therefore, the GOP Primary on May 19...Article Link
We are having schizophrenic weather. Last week I sat on the porch in the afternoon and read a book. Today, I stuck my toe out the front door and nearly got frostbite. I thought I would go for a walk yesterday afternoon and the wind was so strong, I just walked around the block and called it quits. I used to not be such an exercise buff, but since I had a health scare a couple of years back, I have been faithful to my regime. I have a particular route that I follow because it involves several up and...Article Link
I know this won't be popular in some newsrooms, but it needs to be said. We are printing too much information. There is constant pressure in today's media world to be first. First to break the story. First to post the update. First to push the alert. Speed has become currency. But in the race to win the headline, we sometimes lose something far more important — responsibility. One case in particular has me deeply concerned: the Nancy Guthrie case. On Feb. 1, 2026, Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her home in Catalina Foothills, Arizona. Authorities said evidence...Article Link
A Sunny South youth with a deep love for the outdoors is being recognized statewide. Finley Rittenberry, 10, was named the Youth Award winner at the 10th annual Alabama State Parks Eagle Awards on Jan. 31 at Lake Guntersville State Park. The Eagle Awards honor individuals and organizations who have made noteworthy contributions in support of Alabama state parks. Finley's mother, Lauren Ault, said she nominated her son “because I don't know a kid who loves the outdoors and Alabama state parks and resources as much as him.” Finley, affectionately known around Roland Cooper State Park in Camden as “Fishin'...Article Link
When President Donald Trump endorsed Alabama Republican Party chairman John Wahl for lieutenant governor on January 22, it shook up Alabama politics in a profound way, perhaps more than we realized. Aside from shaking up the lieutenant gubernatorial field by endorsing a previously unannounced candidate, he almost immediately created a vacancy at the top of the Alabama Republican Party. The next day, Wahl qualified with his own party as a candidate for lieutenant governor and resigned the post he had held for nearly five years. By rule, Vice Chairwoman Joan Reynolds assumed the role of interim chairwoman. She, along with...Article Link
When President Donald Trump endorsed Alabama Republican Party chairman John Wahl for lieutenant governor on January 22, it shook up Alabama politics in a profound way, perhaps more than we realized. Aside from shaking up the lieutenant gubernatorial field by endorsing a previously unannounced candidate, he almost immediately created a vacancy at the top of the Alabama Republican Party. The next day, Wahl qualified with his own party as a candidate for lieutenant governor and resigned the post he had held for nearly five years. By rule, Vice Chairwoman Joan Reynolds assumed the role of interim chairwoman. She, along with...Article Link
I am a bit perplexed because I can't get into my Yahoo account. I recently switched internet providers after the one I had kept going up in price while giving me very poor coverage. My television provider offered a new deal at a greatly reduced price, which I gladly took. Everybody had been raving about Starlink and how good it was. Word of mouth is the best recommendation for me, so I was eager to get started. It turned out to be more complicated than I expected. My Dish Network provider came to install the Starlink equipment free of charge....Article Link
I am a bit perplexed because I can't get into my Yahoo account. I recently switched internet providers after the one I had kept going up in price while giving me very poor coverage. My television provider offered a new deal at a greatly reduced price, which I gladly took. Everybody had been raving about Starlink and how good it was. Word of mouth is the best recommendation for me, so I was eager to get started. It turned out to be more complicated than I expected. My Dish Network provider came to install the Starlink equipment free of charge....Article Link
(This column reflects the personal views of the author.) I want to start by saying I've known Sen. Jack Williams for a long time — long enough to have known his father before I ever knew him. Growing up, my parents always had cows, horses and hogs. Like so many families in our area, we bought our feed from Williams Feed Store. I spent many days there as a child, playing around on the feed sacks while my dad loaded up supplies. Long before politics ever entered the picture, the Williams name was tied to agriculture, hard work and serving...Article Link
(This column reflects the personal views of the author.) I want to start by saying I've known Sen. Jack Williams for a long time — long enough to have known his father before I ever knew him. Growing up, my parents always had cows, horses and hogs. Like so many families in our area, we bought our feed from Williams Feed Store. I spent many days there as a child, playing around on the feed sacks while my dad loaded up supplies. Long before politics ever entered the picture, the Williams name was tied to agriculture, hard work and serving...Article Link
GROVE HILL — Community leaders, educators, students and residents gathered on Feb. 13 at Grove Hill Town Hall to celebrate the completion and unveiling of a tiny home built by Jobs for Alabama's Graduates students at Clarke County High School. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted by Rebuilding Together of South Alabama, recognized the months of hands-on work by JAG students, the partnerships that made the project possible and, most importantly, presented the home to its new owner, Jennifer Brooks Argo of Winn. Receiving the Jackson house is Kenneth Pritchett of Jackson. The event marked the culmination of a project that blended...Article Link
GROVE HILL — Community leaders, educators, students and residents gathered on Feb. 13 at Grove Hill Town Hall to celebrate the completion and unveiling of a tiny home built by Jobs for Alabama's Graduates students at Clarke County High School. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted by Rebuilding Together of South Alabama, recognized the months of hands-on work by JAG students, the partnerships that made the project possible and, most importantly, presented the home to its new owner, Jennifer Brooks Argo of Winn. Receiving the Jackson house is Kenneth Pritchett of Jackson. The event marked the culmination of a project that blended...Article Link
By the time you read this there will hopefully be good news about Nancy Guthrie. Our nation has prayed for her, her famous daughter, Savannah, and her family. The abduction of this beautiful, charming 84-year-old woman is alarming and very concerning to us all. Nancy Guthrie is known as a sweet, beautiful church going lady. Millions of us have been introduced to her via national television. We feel like we know her and Savannah as they have been welcomed into our homes via television for many years. We have asked the question, “Why would someone do this to such a...Article Link
This is the week for Valentine's Day. I have a message for any of you out there who don't have a prospect of a Valentine this year — be your own Valentine! Haven't we all heard it said that you have to love yourself first? A lot of people would say that's just being selfish but I don't believe it. I think you can only give from an overflowing cup. You can't just sit around feeling sorry for yourself on the love holiday. Just spend a minute thinking about what would make you happy if somebody gave you a token...Article Link
We've all heard the phrases — through the eyes of a child, the words of a child, the faith of a child. There is a lot of meaning behind those sayings, but I didn't fully understand it until one day when my daughter said something that felt like a gut punch. She was about 10 years old. We were riding in the car on our way to my mom's house, talking like we always did — just general conversation. Out of the blue, she said, “Mom, you know how we can lose five pounds?” I said, “No, how?” In my...Article Link
You remember hearing and seeing the popular phrase, WWJD? “What Would Jesus Do.” If you do, very likely you also remember often seeing the mocking curl of the lip of someone in the vicinity. That sentence showed up everywhere and soon became trite and overused, and almost guaranteed to irritate anyone nearby. I can even remember hearing certain people as they would laugh and say, “WWJD … oh yeah, sure, me too. And I can give you a few ideas for your WWJD. But you probably ain't gonna appreciate 'em.” Remember the wrist bands? The T-shirts, license plates, coffee cups,...Article Link
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