Sue Bell Cobb campaign aide turns himself in after violating sex offender law
Sue Bell Cobb‘s campaign aide, Paul Littlejohn III turned himself Thursday evening after the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department issued an arrest warrant Wednesday upon finding him in violation of the state’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Littlejohn, is a former inmate at the Draper Correctional Facility in Elmore County where he spent 30 years following his 1984 conviction for three crimes: rape by forcible compulsion, sodomy I and robbery I. Court records indicate Littlejohn was convicted of raping a 20 year old female and sodomizing a 30 year old female. On Wednesday the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department was notified he was in violation of SORNA as he was working as a pastor at Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, which also runs a daycare and is near a school. As a registered sex offender, Littlejohn is prohibited from both living and working near an elementary school or daycare. Littlejohn failed to disclose this information to the sex offender registry. Violation of SORNA is considered a felony. Littlejohn turned himself in at 6:41 p.m. CT. The Cobb campaign has failed to respond to requests for comment.
Arrest warrant issued for Sue Bell Cobb campaign aide for violating sex offender law
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed an arrest warrant has been issued Paul Littlejohn III, Deputy Field Director for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sue Bell Cobb, for violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The sheriff’s office has released a statement explaining how they came know he was in violation of SORNA: The Sheriff’s office Sex Offender Unit was made aware Littlejohn was working as a pastor at a Jefferson County church. He had not reported this employment. Investigators from the Sheriff’s Sex Offender Unit went to the church and verified his employment. They also learned that the church operates a daycare and is next door to an elementary school. Littlejohn is prohibited from living or working near an elementary school or daycare. Investigators are attempting to locate him and “make him aware of the issue.” Upon arrest he will be put in jail on an $11,000 bond. Littlejohn III is a former inmate at the Draper Correctional Facility in Elmore County where he spent 30 years following his 1984 conviction for three crimes: rape by forcible compulsion, sodomy I and robbery I. Court records indicate Littlejohn was convicted of raping a 20 year old female and sodomizing a 30 year old female. He served 30 years in prison. Earlier on Thursday, Cobb stood by her decision to hire Littlejohn III saying, “Paul was convicted of a horrendous crime, since then he is literally the picture of redemption.”
New Orange Beach School groundbreaking set for May 11
Orange Beach mayor Tony Kennon and Baldwin County Public Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler have announced the groundbreaking ceremony for Orange Beach’s new middle school and high school campus taking place Friday May 11. “We are ecstatic to reveal the artist renderings and to break ground,” Tyler said. “This is a historic, exciting moment for Baldwin County Public Schools.” “There is no doubt our quality of life will improve along with the sense of community by the creation of Orange Beach High School and Orange Beach Middle School at the same time,” said Kennon. “The city’s overall goal in working with the Baldwin County Board of Education is to have the best performing and safest schools in the State of Alabama, mirroring the success at Orange Beach Elementary School.” The public has been encouraged to attend the event which takes place at 11:30. The new school site is located off Williams Silvers Parkway near the entrance of the Orange Beach Sportsplex. City officials ask that attendees park at 23908 Canal Road . Architectural renderings will be revealed at the ceremony, the proposed building will consist of 101,000 square feet of education space, and will cost approximately $16.1 million. The City of Orange Beach itself contributed greatly to the new site, donating the 40 acres of land that the school will sit on, and will also be funding the performing arts center and future athletic fields at the campus. The new schools mascot will be the Mako Sharks, or Makos for short. “We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at the Friday, May 11 groundbreaking and hope they’ll share our enthusiasm,” added Tyler. “We greatly appreciate Mayor Kennon and the Orange Beach City Council ‘s vision and partnership.”
5 craziest take-aways from the Roy Johnson piece on Paul Littlejohn III
Earlier this week it was reported that Paul Littlejohn III, a convicted rapist and registered sex offender has become a Democratic operative currently working for Sue Bell Cobb‘s gubernatorial campaign. Prior to that he worked for Sen. Doug Jones and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. Most of us found this out through what Al.com’s Roy Johnson seemingly intended to be a feature profile on redemption in politics. Yet here I am, two days later still scratching my head about what I read. It seems the piece has created far more questions than it gave answers. Assuming you’ve caught up and read it yourself… let me begin my saying, I’m all for rehabilitation and allowing ex-offenders to reintegrate into society. But that looks different for different people, depending on their crimes. Something about reading Johnson’s piece just feels off. There are too many oddities within the story and Cobb’s team’s crafted response to just let it go. Here are my top 5 craziest take-aways from the piece: 1. Throughout the piece Littlejohn essentially says he’s reformed and has learned lesson, but in same article he claims was essentially railroaded by bad attorney and that’s why he ended up in jail to begin with. So which is it? Did he atone for the atrocious crimes he committed, or was he innocent altogether? It can’t be both. It was a plea deal Littlejohn took, he says, because his attorney insisted that if it went to trial, he could get life without the possibility of parole. “I didn’t know any better,” he says. “When he said ‘life’, I thought it meant life. Thirty years sounded better. [My attorney] thought he made a good deal.” 2. In the piece, Johnson points out Unity Group Solution, of which Littlejohn is a partner, was paid in both March and April by Cobb’s campaign. Alabama Today looked over the campaign finance reports ourselves (and noticed Johnson left out a figure when he did the math), and figure the company was paid $19,066 in March and another $21,739 in April ($18,739 on April 4 and $3,000 on April 11). Liltlejohn also said he employs 12 people. Littlejohn says he employs 12 people full-time for canvassing neighborhoods up to six days each week and three others for phone-banking. He pays $10 per hour, higher than the $7.25 minimum wage. “I have 12-to-14 people,” Littlejohn says, “who depend on me to eat.” Yet in his most recent update with the ALEA’s sex offender registry, he’s listed as home. How can he be making so much money to pay others, yet still doesn’t have a place to live himself? Something’s not adding up. 3. Now let’s look at the campaign’s response from campaign chair Landon Nichols. There’s just way too much there to ignore. But perhaps most disturbing is that Nichols queries “Have you ever made a mistake? Once you have atoned for that mistake, do you believe in forgiveness? I do.” That’s such an absurd statement to make, especially from someone who’s handling communications for Cobb as well. Comparing an ordinary person’s transgressions to violent, forcible rape and sexual assault of two women is mind-boggling. If a campaign chair can’t see the difference — they need to be in a new line of work. 4. The campaign attempting to give themselves an attaboy by recognizing the #MeToo movement in hiring a “reformed” sex offender is a mind-scratcher. Attempting to applaud the victim in the same statement they’re applauding the perpetrator seems tone-deaf. It’s a very odd thing to connect. #MeToo is a movement about empowering women. Whereas this is a statement about defending a man who violently attacked them. Shame on the campaign for attempting to bend a national movements narrative to fit their agenda. 5. The reality of a campaign sending a violent ex-felon door-to-door is baffling. I have firsthand experience as a field director. In that position you’re entrusted with sensitive voter file information on individuals from their addresses to phone numbers to age, etc. Handing it over a registered sex offender is questionable judgement at best. Heck, when I campaigned I was routinely invited into the homes of people I visited, it is the South after all. Certainly you wouldn’t want to invite in a registered sex offender. After all, we don’t let those who hurt children work in schools and bank robbers probably shouldn’t be able to get bank jobs, so maybe the person with access to household data shouldn’t have a violent past either. I get it, American correctional facilities are known for high recidivism rates. Nationally, than 76% of all inmates return to prison within five years, and I fully believe it’s our duty to give people who own their crimes and serve their time a second chance to prove they’ve changed. But it’s also the responsibility of those around them, of those giving them said second chance to not set them up for failure. Not not put them in questionable positions that could cause them to make a faulty judgement. But like I said, something about this story if off. There are fare more questions than answers coming from Cobb’s campaign. In fact, we reached out to Nichols on Tuesday asking Cobb to clarify a few things, to which they’ve yet to respond. Here’s some of what we’d like to know: When did Mrs. Cobb find out about Littlejohn’s past? Does she have confidence in the work he is doing for her now? What message is she sending to women by hiring a sex offender who was found guilty of rape by forcible compulsion and sodomy? In the AL.com piece, is looks as though Littlejohn is not taking responsibility for his actions, in saying It was a plea deal Littlejohn took, he says, because his attorney insisted that if it went to trial, he could get life without the possibility of parole. “I didn’t know any better,” he says. “When he said ‘life’, I thought it meant life. Thirty years sounded better. [My attorney] thought he made a good deal.” What does Mrs. Cobb feel
Pro-life SBA List endorses Twinkle Cavanaugh for Lieutenant Governor
The national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) on Thursday announced its endorsement of Twinkle Cavanaugh for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama. Dedicated to pursuing policies and electing candidates who will reduce and ultimately end abortion, the SBA List and its network of more than 630,000 pro-life Americans nationwide emphasize the education, promotion, mobilization, and election of pro-life women. “Susan B. Anthony List has a special calling to promote strong pro-life, pro-woman leaders like Twinkle Cavanaugh. We are proud to endorse her for lieutenant governor,” said former congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, SBA List’s Vice President of Government Affairs. “Twinkle’s pro-life convictions are unshakeable. She will be a powerful advocate for unborn children and their mothers, as well as the taxpayers of Alabama in the role of lieutenant governor, which doubles as president of the state senate. We encourage pro-life voters to support her.” Cavanaugh said she was humbled by the endorsement. “I am humbled by Susan B. Anthony List’s endorsement,” said Cavanaugh. “Alabama is a profoundly pro-life state where the voters believe every life is precious and deserving of protection. I am deeply committed to the future of all our children, including those yet unborn. It will be a privilege to serve as lieutenant governor and stand up for these values at every opportunity.” Twinkle Cavanaugh is president of Alabama’s Public Service Commission where she works to ensure taxpayers’ confidence in local government. Previously, she was the first woman to serve as chair of the Alabama Republican Party. The primary election will take place on June 5.
Will Ainsworth: From morning to midnight, Alabamians are taxed enough already
Consider the fact that from the moment you open your eyes in the morning until you close them again at night, you are being taxed. The electricity that powers the light that you turn on as soon as you awaken and the water you use to shower and brush your teeth are taxed. The over-the-counter medications that you take in the morning for headaches, allergies, or other conditions are taxed. The car you drive to work and the gas and fluids that make it run are taxed. The coffee you drink and the doughnut you eat for breakfast are taxed. The salary you earn at work, the lunch you eat, and the landline that you use to talk to clients or customers are taxed, taxed, and taxed. The Internet service that you use to send and receive emails is taxed. The groceries you purchase on your way home are taxed. The smartphone that sends your texts to friends and family is taxed, and the apps and games you download to it are taxed, as well. The cable or satellite television that you watch before going to bed is taxed. In addition to the levies that I named above, there are dozens of additional taxes that you pay each day. My point is a simple one. Alabamians are taxed enough already. That is why I have dedicated my term in the Alabama House toward fighting the tax raisers, combating new levies, and killing tax bills that were introduced. Working alongside a group of deeply conservative freshman and sophomore House members, I helped block roughly $1 billion in taxes over the past four years. When Robert Bentley proposed $700 million in new taxes in 2015, I was among the first legislators to oppose his plan and highlight his broken re-election campaign promise of “no new taxes.” Alabama currently collects enough revenue to meet our needs and provide essential services, but our state government lacks the flexibility to shift money to meet emergencies and unexpected challenges. In years past, whenever a new tax was approved, its proceeds were earmarked for one specific purpose or another. Some of these earmarks are constitutional, which means the voters, in their wisdom, dedicated the taxes to an agency, initiative, or spotlighted need during referendum elections. Many of Alabama’s statutory earmarks, however, were put in place many years ago through back room bargains between lobbyists and long-retired politicians who no longer roam the State House halls. Removing these earmarks will allow us to avoid new taxes and set priorities based on need, not on decades-old, money-hoarding schemes that lobbyists locked into our budgets. At 91 percent, we have the highest percentage of earmarked tax dollars in the nation. The national average is just 24 percent, and the next highest state behind Alabama is Michigan with 63 percent. Rhode Island is the lowest in the United States with only 4 percent of its tax revenues being earmarked. Attempting to raise taxes without first addressing earmarking is like pouring water into a bucket that has a large hole in the bottom of it. No matter how much water you pour, the bucket is never going to fill up. That is why I sponsored legislation that attempted to plug the hole in the bottom of the bucket first and prevent any more trips to the taxpayers’ well. My bill would have removed the statutory earmarks that exist in our code, which would allow us the freedom to budget like families gathered at the kitchen table – placing our bills on one side, our income on the other, and setting priorities that meet critical needs while living within our means. Unfortunately, the same special interests that carved out those earmarks and the career politicians that do their bidding united against my legislation. If elected, I plan to use the bully pulpit of the lieutenant governor’s office to make another push for commonsense, conservative un-earmarking legislation By right-sizing state government, attacking waste where it exists, and removing the handcuffs that earmarks present, Alabama can resolve its fiscal problems without forcing its citizens to pay more taxes. ••• Guntersville-Republican, State Rep. Will Ainsworth is a candidate for lieutenant governor. Elected to the Legislature in 2014, Ainsworth currently represents Alabama’s House District 27, which includes portions of Marshall, DeKalb, and Blount counties.
Donald Trump nominates Alabama’s Corey Maze for federal judgeship
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the nomination of Alabama Special Deputy Attorney General Corey Maze to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. “Corey Maze is a very talented and experienced lawyer who would be an outstanding addition to the Northern District Court bench,” said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall. “He possesses a broad base of legal experience from the prosecution of criminal trials and appeals as an Alabama Assistant Attorney General, to arguing cases before the U.S. Supreme Court as former Alabama Solicitor General, to successfully representing Alabama in the landmark BP oil spill case.” “Maze is a man of the highest integrity and would be a great credit to the U.S. District Court. I wholeheartedly support his nomination,” said Marshall. Maze earned his B.A., summa cum laude, from Auburn University and his J.D., cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center. He currently serves as Special Deputy Attorney General for the State of Alabama. Since 2011, he has also served as chief of the Attorney General’s Special Litigation unit acting as the Yellowhammer state’s primary counsel in complex civil matters such as the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the ongoing opioid crisis. From 2008 to 2011, he served as the Solicitor General of Alabama, arguing three cases in the Supreme Court of the United States and winning three “Best Brief Awards” from the National Association of Attorneys General. Before his appointment as Solicitor General, Maze prosecuted criminal trials and appeals for five years as an Assistant Attorney General.
Here’s everyone who Manufacture Alabama has endorsed in the 2018 election cycle
Manufacture Alabama — the state’s only trade association dedicated exclusively to the competitive, legislative, regulatory and operational interests and needs of manufacturers and their partner industries and businesses — has endorsed several candidates in the 2018 election cycle. Here are the candidates who Manufacture Alabama has endorsed, who they believe will help create a business and political climate that enhances the opportunity for growth of Alabama Manufacturers: Statewide Races Governor: Kay Ivey Lieutenant Governor: Twinkle Cavanaugh Attorney General: Steve Marshall Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries: Gerald Dial Alabama Public Service Commission, Place 1: Jeremy Oden Alabama Public Service Commission, Place 2: Chip Beeker State Senate Races Senate District 2: Tom Butler Senate District 3: Mike Sparks Senate District 7: Sam Givhan Senate District 8: Steve Livingston Senate District 12: Del Marsh Senate District 21: Gerald Allen Senate District 34: Jack W. Williams State House Races House District 10: Mike Ball House District 12: Corey Harbison House District 14: Tim Wadsworth House District 16: Kyle South House District 22: Ritchie Whorton House District 30: Rusty Jessup House District 48: Jim Carns House District 49: April Weaver House District 55: Rod Scott House District 64: Harry Shiver House District 73: Matt Fridy House District 77: Malcolm Calhoun House District 102: Thomas Gray House District 105: Chip Brown Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice: Lyn Stuart Place 1: Brad Mendheim Place 4: Jay Mitchell Alabama Court of Civil Appeals: Place 1: Christie Edwards Place 2: Terri Thomas Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Place 1: Richard Minor Place 2: Chris McCool Place 3: Bill Cole State Board of Education Place 8: Rich Adams
Montgomery’s Zestlan Simmons named 2018 Alabama Teacher of the Year
The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) has named a Montgomery County school teacher who makes it her personal mission to engage and efficiently develop daily the academic skills of all students as its 2018 Teacher of the Year. Zestlan Simmons, who teaches English at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School will serve as the state’s ambassador for public education and the teaching profession. Simmons, who was recognized by the National Math and Science Initiative as the AP English Teacher of the Year, automatically becomes Alabama’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year. “This is truly a great honor and I am thankful for this wonderful opportunity to represent our Great State as the 2018-2019 Alabama Teacher of the Year,” said Simmons. “Students must have supportive learning environments and they must be encouraged to achieve at all levels – utilizing their local communities and digital learning opportunities to connect to the world.” Simmons was announced as Teacher of the Year during a celebration honoring the 12 semi-finalists and 4 finalists who were nominated for the coveted title at the RSA Plaza Terrace in Montgomery, Ala. Interim State Superintendent of Education Ed Richardson said it is an honor to join in the recognition of exemplary educators who transform classrooms and our society. “Teachers of the Year are world changers – they ensure the future prosperity of our great nation,” Richardson said. “These educators have shown our students a brilliant example of excellence.”
Rusty Glover: Be an informed voter, learn about the candidates before casting your vote
In politics, as in life, it’s crucial to always be honest with yourself and everyone else. That’s why I strive to never make promises I cannot keep, during my campaign to become Alabama’s next lieutenant governor, and in my life as a husband, father, new grandfather and life-long resident of this great state. I’m writing this letter, in part, to help inform voters about the duties assigned to the lieutenant governor, such as approving or denying tax-payer funded travel for senators and assigning bills to committees. While the lieutenant governor presides over the senate, he or she can typically only cast a vote to break a tie. It’s important to know what your public servants can and cannot do when determining who will receive your vote. If elected, I won’t take a driver because it’s the right thing to do. With a shortage of State Troopers, we need every officer available to keep our roadways and residents safe. Since 2017 when I announced my intention to seek the office of lieutenant governor, I have traveled the state, listening to our people, learning what’s important to small business owners and parents, farmers, leaders of industry and everyone in between. I’m not a millionaire. And while my war chest is modest, it’s a point of pride that a substantial amount of my donations have come from individual donors. I’m truly honored and grateful for the passionate support from so many people all across the state who believe in me and the conservative values I stand for. I have been so encouraged these last few months by the positive responses I receive on the campaign trail. A retired teacher, I spent 25 years helping high school students determine what their futures might look like. It was an awesome responsibility. Pursuing an education, whether in a traditional college setting or through a career tech program, can be transformational to an individual and his or her family. Education has the power to change the course of your life. As voters, you owe it to yourselves to learn as much as possible about the candidates and make informed choices about who will do the best job leading Alabama forward. The Republican primary is June 5 in Alabama. Please go to the polls and vote. It’s a challenge I hope everyone will take. Sincerely, Senator Rusty Glover ••• Rusty Glover is a native of Mobile, Ala. He has served in the Alabama Legislature for 16 years as a member of Alabama House of Representatives (2002-2006) and Senate (2006-present). Glover is a graduate of B.C. Rain High School, Faulkner State Community College and the University of South Alabama. He retired after 25 years of teaching from Mary G. Montgomery High School in Semmes, where he lives with his wife, Connie. Together they have two daughters, Kellie and Katie; a son-in-law, John McGraw; and a new grandson, Beau Monroe McGraw. He is a member of Wilmer Baptist Church in Wilmer, AL. Visit rustyglover.com to learn more.
Democratic lawmakers release thousands of Russian Facebook ads
Democrats on the House intelligence committee have released more than 3,500 Facebook ads that were created or promoted by a Russian internet agency, providing the fullest picture yet of Russia’s attempt to sow racial and political division in the United States before and after the 2016 election. Most of the ads are issue-based, pushing arguments for and against immigration, LGBT issues and gun rights, among other issues. A large number of them attempt to stoke racial divisions by mentioning police brutality or disparaging the Black Lives Matter movement. Some promote President Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders, who ran against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary. Few, if any, support Clinton. The intelligence committee Democrats released a sampling of the ads purchased by Russia’s Internet Research Agency last year, but they are now releasing the full cache of ads that Facebook officials turned over to the panel after acknowledging in September they had discovered the Russian efforts. The release of ads from early 2015 through mid-2017 does not include 80,000 posts that the agency also shared. Some of the ads are partially redacted, part of an effort by Facebook and the committee to protect unsuspecting people whose names or faces were used. An Associated Press review of the thousands of ads and their data shows how precisely — and sometimes randomly — the agency targeted them. Some ads designed to appeal to critics of immigration were targeted to users who liked specific Fox News hosts, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, “Old Glory” and the United States Constitution, among other words. Others were more narrowly targeted. Facebook users within 12 miles of Buffalo, New York, were directed to an event supporting justice for a black woman who died in a county jail. Another ad criticizing a Texas school teacher who lost her job after making racist remarks was aimed at adults living in Cleveland, Baltimore, St. Louis and Ferguson, Missouri. One ad that targeted African-Americans concerned about discrimination was only to be shown to users accessing Facebook on Wi-Fi, rather than cellular. There was no explanation as to why that was. Sometimes the targeting appeared to work — after a try or two. A January 2016 ad that promised news on “bad” refugees got five clicks when targeted at those interested in immigration or conservatism. But the same ad got 163 clicks when targeted at those interested in Syria, the Republican Party or politics. Others got many more clicks. A pro-patriotism ad created on June 23, 2015 featuring a stylized drawing of a bald eagle was viewed nearly 530,000 times and was clicked on 72,000 times. As the Russians attempted to pose as Americans, their language sometimes hinted at their origin. One ad railed against immigrants who “should prove that they are deserved to stay in the United States.” Another read: “Your life matter. My life matter. Black matters.” Facebook revealed in September that it had discovered the divisive ads, which were paid for in rubles. Ads were still running in July and August of 2017, weeks before Facebook made the effort public. In February, special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russians of an elaborate plot to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, charging several people associated with the Internet Research Agency with running a huge but hidden social media trolling campaign aimed in part at helping Trump defeat Clinton. The indictment was part of Mueller’s larger investigation into Russian intervention in the election and whether Trump’s campaign was involved. There has been no evidence that Trump’s campaign was in any way associated with the social media effort. The trove of ads released Thursday appears to back the assertion that the Russians wanted to hurt Clinton. Some spread rumors about her husband, former president Bill Clinton, or promote lies about her. Several depict Clinton behind bars. Hundreds of the ads ran after the election, continuing the effort to sow discord. A series of ads posted two days after Trump was elected urge his supporters to show up at Trump Tower in Manhattan to respond to the “massive crowds of libtards” who protested him. It targets people within 50 miles of New York City and provides the street address. That was one of many ads that attempted to set up events — sometimes on opposing sides of an issue. In May 2017, the fake group “United Muslims of America” ran seven ads promoting two June 3 protests against the war in Syria — one at Trump Tower, the other at the White House. One of those ads targeted people with interests in peace, human rights, feminism and pacifism and those who were “likely to engage with political content (liberal).” Facebook has said that more than 10 million people in the United States saw the ads, more than half of which ran after the election. Under fire from Congress, the social media giant has pledged improvements to its ad policies and enforcement. Facebook has made it easier to see the origins of ads, is forcing buyers to be more transparent about who they are and has worked to find more fake accounts, among other changes. California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the intelligence committee, said he was releasing the ads so it doesn’t happen again. “The only way we can begin to inoculate ourselves against a future attack is to see first-hand the types of messages, themes and imagery the Russians used to divide us,” he said. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
2 Alabama projects claim national magazine’s top 2017 investment awards
Trade & Industry Development, a national trade publication, selected two 2017 Alabama economic development projects for its elite investment awards, reflecting the powerful impact these collaborative recruitment efforts will have on their communities and the state. The magazine’s editors evaluated several hundred announcements from across the U.S. before selecting the 30 winners of its 2017 Corporate Investment & Community Impact Awards. “These major investments provide a clear snapshot of where and in which industries growth is occurring today,” Publisher Scott D. Swoger said. “Each of the investments to be made by Trade & Industry Development’s 13th Annual CiCi Awards recipients will be transformational for the communities in which the projects will be located.” The Alabama projects honored are: Wayne Farms’ $105 million expansion in Coffee County, which received the Community Impact Award. Mercedes-Benz’s $1 billion expansion of its Alabama operations, which received the Corporate Investment Award. “These honors underscore the teamwork that exemplifies the Alabama economic development team and demonstrate how cooperation benefits communities across the state,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “These projects lay a solid foundation for growth in key economic sectors and will create good jobs with staying power.” Officials break ground on the Wayne Farms expansion in Coffee County, which was named one of the top 30 economic development projects of 2017 by the national publication Trade & Industry Development. (contributed) Strong partnerships Jonathan Tullos, executive director of the Wiregrass Economic Development Corp. in Enterprise, said the Wayne Farms investment is the largest economic development project in the history of Coffee County. “The impact of this project will go beyond the 400 direct jobs that Wayne Farms is creating,” he said. “It will impact local farmers, retail and housing for years to come. We look for this project to be a catalyst to create more opportunities for investment in our region, particularly in the agricultural sector.” Tullos added that the project was made possible through the partnerships the Wiregrass EDC has formed with local elected officials and utilities, including PowerSouth Energy and Southeast Gas, and state allies such as Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Commerce. Mercedes-Benz, which has been producing autos in Alabama for 20 years, is opening a global logistics center in nearby Bibb County as part of an expansion announced in 2017. (Mercedes-Benz) Powering growth Mercedes’ two-pronged expansion in Alabama will create 600 jobs through the addition of a battery plant to support electric vehicle production and a global logistics center and parts distribution hub. “Mercedes has been a powerful engine for growth in Alabama for over two decades, and the company’s decision to produce electric vehicles and to expand its global logistics operation in the state reinforces the company’s vital role in Alabama’s future,” Canfield said. “This initiative, which will bring cutting-edge technology and new jobs to the state, is another great chapter in our relationship with the automaker.” Brian Hilson, president and CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance, said the logistics center will provide a major economic boost to Bibb County, where it will be built. “Mercedes-Benz’s expansion into the Birmingham region is a significant economic development project for the people of Bibb County and the Birmingham region,” he said. “Mercedes and its suppliers have a significant impact on all the communities they are located in. This expansion not only puts Mercedes closer to an accessible workforce, but it invigorates one of Alabama’s most rural counties.” Read about all the CiCi Corporate Investment winners. Trade & Industry Development magazine is published by Due North Media. This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
