Alabama Power prepared for Tropical Storm Gordon
Alabama Power is preparing for Tropical Storm Gordon as it strengthens this afternoon and heads toward the Gulf Coast. Alabama Power crews and personnel are ready to respond, if needed. Current forecasts predict Gordon will make landfall on the central Gulf Coast overnight Tuesday. The forecasts suggest Gordon could intensify to hurricane-strength before arriving on shore in Alabama, Mississippi or Louisiana. The storm is expected to drop between 4 and 12 inches of rain in the western Florida panhandle, southwest Alabama, central Mississippi, eastern Louisiana and into southern Arkansas. Alabama Power crews are preparing for any damage or outages that may come when Tropical Storm Gordon makes landfall in the state later today. [Photo Credit: file/Alabama Newscenter] Forecasters say southwest Alabama, including the metro Mobile area, will be affected by high winds and heavy rainfall, with the possibility of flash flooding. Downtown Mobile also faces potential flooding. Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency at 7 a.m. Tuesday for Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe and Washington counties. “All coastal Alabama residents need to prepare now ahead of tonight’s potential landfall near Alabama,” Ivey said. “I have directed essential state agencies to be on the ready should they be needed over the next couple of days.” Localized flooding is possible across the southern portion of the state. Dangerous wind gusts of up to 45 mph will be an issue as the storm makes landfall. Tornadoes also are possible. Based on current forecasts, the Mobile area will see the greatest impact from this storm in Alabama before it moves north and west on its forecasted track through Mississippi, Louisiana and toward Arkansas. Heavy rain and gusting winds could cause trees to fall. As always, safety is a top priority for all Alabama Power. Individuals, families and businesses in the projected path of the storm should take precautionary measures and make sure they have a hurricane plan, including a fully stocked emergency supply kit. Click here for specific tips related to hurricane preparedness. Alabama Power customers who experience storm-related outages can report them online via mobile devices at www.alabamapower.com. Customers also can call the company’s automated outage reporting line at 1-800-888-APCO (2726). Republished with the permission of the Alabama Newscenter.
Two years later, 7 Alabama counties still not issuing marriage licenses to same-sex, other couples
Two years after same-sex marriage became legal throughout the United Sates, such couples still cannot get married in parts of Alabama. On the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriages nationwide, seven Alabama counties have still not issued marriage licenses to any couples since June 26, 2015. Political statistic website Ballotpedia notes the counties not issuing marriage licenses are Autauga, Clarke, Cleburne, Covington, Geneva, Pike and Washington. The remaining 60 counties comply with the Obergefell ruling Before the decision, 15 states had same-sex marriage bans in place or stayed by courts, and many local government officials in charge of issuing marriage licenses did not comply with the ruling. In the immediate aftermath of Obergefell, delays and refusals in license issuing led to protests, one clerk’s resignation and another — Kim Davis of Rowan County, Kentucky — going to jail. Even now, the tension continues in several communities. As of June 2017, Ballotpedia reports that a single county in Texas is refusing to clarify whether they would issue licenses to same-sex couples if such a couple would apply. Other counties in a handful of states, licenses have been issued, but marriage ceremonies were no longer held in the county offices. In 2016, after instructing Alabama probate judges to defy the federal orders on same-sex marriage, Alabama Supreme Court chief justice Roy Moore was suspended for the rest of his term for violating judicial ethics. Moore later resigned his position April 26, 2017, to run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by former Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange. Alabama counties not issuing licenses in subsequent two years justify the decision by saying Alabamians can file marriage licenses in any county, regardless of residence. However, officials in Bibb County, one of the eight counties that stopped issuing licenses, but later reversed course, told Ballotpedia at least one individual from the couple who are applying for the license must be a resident of the county.
