Kay Ivey announces $1.3 million for state innovation and research
Governor Kay Ivey announced Wednesday awards of $1.3 million in order to stimulate new research and development at three Alabama universities and university systems hoping to help improve lives. The University of Alabama at Birmingham was awarded two grants totaling $666,910, the University of Alabama was awarded two grants totaling $486,026, and Auburn University received a grant of $184,773. “Often, the research and development that comes out of our universities has far-reaching and life-altering impacts across a wide array of issue areas,” said Gov. Ivey. “Alabama’s future outlook is largely dependent on our ability to find solutions to the problems of tomorrow, and I commend the students and professors for their dedication and time-consuming efforts to ensure Alabama remains the leader in innovation that it is.” The grants are from the Alabama Research and Development Enhancement Fund. The state-funded program was created in 2019 under the Alabama Innovation Act, which was approved by the Alabama State Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ivey. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is administering the grants. “ADECA is pleased to join with Governor Ivey in supporting and encouraging research and innovation at our state universities,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. “It is amazing to see solutions arise out of challenges relating to science and technology and other fields of study.” The grants awards: University of Alabama at Birmingham • $316,910 to conduct research relating to the development of a new neurovascular stent for stroke treatment. • $350,000 to conduct research involving the development of a new material in dental root-canal treatment. University of Alabama • $399,831 to conduct research relating to development of a membrane for the removal of some man-made chemicals which may cause harm in humans. • $86,314 to conduct research involving the development of ultra-high performance concrete using materials available in Alabama Auburn University • $184,773 to conduct research relating to the development of an iron-based contrast agent in an angiography procedure that examines blood flow in the body. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation. Gov. Ivey grew up on a cattle farm in Wilcox County. She graduated from Auburn University and taught school in California before returning to Alabama to hold several positions in state government. In 2002 she was elected State Treasurer. She has served two terms as Treasurer and two as Lieutenant Governor. In 2017 she was elevated to Governor and then elected in her own right in 2018. Ivey seeks a second term in Tuesday’s general election. Ivey faces Libertarian nominee Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake and Democratic nominee Yolanda Flowers. There are also two write-in candidates seeking the office. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kay Ivey awards $19.3 million in grants for community improvements
On Thursday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced grant awards of nearly $19.3 million in grants to provide improvements in 49 Alabama towns, cities, and counties. The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) are federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HUD grants will be used by local governments to pave or resurface roads, eliminate blight and drainage problems, improve water or sewer service and build or improve local community centers and playgrounds. “Community Development Block Grants help communities address major needs whether it be supplying clean drinking water or eliminating dilapidated and unsafe structures,” said Gov. Ivey. “I congratulate the cities and counties who received grants in this keenly competitive process, and I wish them the best in improving their communities.” The CDBG money in Alabama is awarded annually in a competitive bid process that is based on several categories: small city (population 2,999 or less), large city (population 3,000 or more), county, and community enhancement. Planning grants are also awarded to help local governments examine needs and provide a vision for the future. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) administers the grants. “ADECA is pleased to be a part of a program that is so beneficial to cities and counties across our state,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell.” I commend community leaders and planners for their efforts to improve the lives of their residents and make their communities better places to live.” The grants awarded and projects (grouped by geographical region) are: North Alabama · Belk – $400,000 to replace a major water line. · Berry – $400,000 for sewer line replacement and related improvements. · Cherokee – $362,422 for drainage and ditch improvements. · Colony – $399,827 for street improvements. · Courtland – $400,000 for water line upgrades and improvements. · Garden City – $389,800 to upgrade the town’s sewer system. · Guinn – $304,000 for street resurfacing and drainage improvements. · Hodges – $329,000 for downtown revitalization, including razing dilapidated buildings. · Jacksonville – $500,000 to replace sewer lines. · Lexington – $397,907 for water and fire suppression improvements. · Oxford – $500,000 for drainage improvements and demolition of dilapidated structures. · Pell City – $500,000 for water system improvements. · Rainsville – $500,000 to repair and replace sewer lines. · Ranburne – $400,000 to renovate the town’s senior citizen center. · Scottsboro – $400,000 to demolish and clear 26 dilapidated structures. · Steele – $400,000 to replace a main water line. · Valley Head – $400,000 for street and drainage improvements. · Winfield – $342,000 to demolish 18 dilapidated and abandoned/vacant structures. Central Alabama · Brent – $500,00 for sewer line rehabilitation. · Coosa County – $135,801 to resurface American Legion Road near Goodwater and Coosa County Road 38 in the Mt. Olive Community. · Coosada – $350,000 to demolish 30 dilapidated vacant or abandoned structures throughout the town. · Crenshaw County – $500,000 to resurface and relocate water lines on Starhope Church Road. · Forkland – $400,000 to upgrade the town’s park including constructing a pavilion and concession stand/bathroom facility. · Hale County – $500,000 for water system rehabilitation along Hale County Road 64 · Luverne – $400,000 for sewer line improvements and street paving. · Mosses – $400,000 for the resurfacing of Main Street. · Notasulga- $32,000 to develop a comprehensive city plan. · Randolph County – $500,000 to resurface and improve drainage along Randolph County roads 30 and 17 in the Rock Mills Community. · Roanoke – $500,000 to rehabilitate and resurface five streets. South Alabama · Ashford – $234,000 to make improvements on four streets. · Barbour County – $400,000 to construct a new senior citizen center in Clio. · Butler – $222,750 for a sewer line replacement. · Castleberry – $400,000 to rehabilitate the town’s water system and several streets, including adding fire hydrants. · Clayhatchee – $202,366 to provide lighting for a baseball field and to build a pole barn at the recreation park. · Coffeeville- $400,000 for roof replacement at the town’s community center. · Elba – $500,000 for street resurfacing and drainage improvements. · Florala- $375,655 to renovate the former Florala Middle School gymnasium. · Florala – $32,000 to develop a comprehensive city plan. · Geneva- $500,000 for housing rehabilitation as part of its neighborhood revitalization program. · Geneva County – $474,667 to resurface several streets in the Bellwood community. · Gordon – $400,000 for sewer line rehabilitation. · Jackson – $500,000 for drainage improvements. · Louisville – $400,000 for housing rehabilitation and demolition and clearance. · Madrid – $229,200 to resurface and make improvements on two city streets. · Monroe County – $500,000 to rehabilitate a portion of the Excel Water System serving the unincorporated Hillside Community. · New Brockton – $392,900 for housing rehabilitation. · Opp – $400,000 to resurface several streets. · Pinkard – $342,177 to resurface and make improvements on several city streets. · Vredenburgh – $337,125 to make improvements at the town’s community park including construction of a pavilion. · Washington County – $500,000 to resurface Mitchell Road east of Millry. ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management, and recreation development. Kay Ivey is running for re-election on November 8. She faces Democrat Yolanda Rochelle Flowers and Libertarian Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake. Ivey was elevated to the office in 2017 when Gov. Robert Bentley resigned. She was elected to her own term in 2018. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Democratic candidate for Governor Yolanda Flowers wants to debate Kay Ivey
Alabama Democratic Party nominee for Governor Yolanda Rochelle Flowers told Alabama Today that she would like to debate incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey (R). “Yes, I would love to debate the Governor,” Flowers said in a phone interview on Tuesday. “I would like to sit down with her for a cup of tea. There are questions I would like to ask.” Ivey did not debate any of her Republican rivals in the primary, and there are currently no announced debates in which the governor is participating. “I am planning on debating Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake, the Libertarian candidate,” Flowers said. Flowers recently made some changes to her staff preparing for the Fall. “The campaign, it is going ok,” Flowers said. “We are moving forward.” Flowers said that the campaign going to be making more announcements and events in the coming days. “On September 17, there is a fundraising meet and greet banquet in Birmingham,” Flowers said. “We have the debate with the libertarians and a tea party event in October.” Flowers said that that event would be at 720 17th Ave. SW, Birmingham starting at 5:00 pm and would include dinner and gospel music. Call 205-903-4145 for more information or to RSVP. Earlier in the summer, there were some Democrats who expressed fears about Flowers’ Christian beliefs, and Flowers was attacked as being not a supporter of the separation between Church and state. “People will attack you because they want to attack you,” Flowers said. “There are many faiths. I understand that, and there are some people who just won’t believe, but I think most of us have a belief in a higher being.” Flowers said that her campaign welcomed people “of all faiths and even those with no faith at all. The important thing is that you have a good heart and will stop to help me when I am bloodied on the side of the road,” referring to Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan. “Much of it came after Roe versus Wade was overturned. The important thing is if you have love for your fellow man.” Flowers stressed her support for Medicaid expansion. “All of us need Medicaid expansion, not just for the elderly but for the working class,” Flowers said. “We need to be helping rural counties and bringing back hospitals into counties that have lost them.” Flowers supports the legalization of medical marijuana “I am for marijuana,” Flowers said. “If is an herb, it is a natural plant. I just hope that we keep it as natural and pure as possible without mixing a lot of chemicals into it. God gave the herbs for our use.” “That money is not being allocated properly,” Flowers said of the projected $2 billion surplus that the state is projected to have by the end of this month. Despite having record revenues, Flowers still favors passing a lottery. “People should not be forced to go to the other states to play games like the Mega-millions,” Flowers said. Over 100 people have been slain this year in the city of Birmingham thus far this year, and the city appears to be close to setting a record for murders if this pace continues. “We need to clean up the City of Birmingham,” Flowers said. Alabama Today asked if she supported the state cracking down on the violence and imposing more aggressive policing and more prison sentences with longer sentences. “Aggressive policing could mean more police harassment,” Flowers said. “I think we need gun control. I think we did a better job educating our youth so that they solve problems without violence.” “The Second Amendment was passed so that we would have weapons to defend against other countries. Now we are using the guns to wage war against each other,” Flowers said. “I think we need to repeal it (the Second Amendment) to a time of war. We are not the wild west.” “We need to fund the police,” Flowers continued. “We gave a police shortage in Birmingham. They need more training even if that means bringing in the CIA or FBI to do the training.” Flowers said that she is working on getting an engine to pull down donations from ACT Blue and other national Democratic fundraising organizations. Flowers is a former teacher and rehabilitation services professional who is retired from the State of Tennessee. Flowers is a Birmingham native and holds multiple degrees from the University of Tennessee. Flowers will face Ivey and Blake on the November 8 general election ballot. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kay Ivey: Tourism is a major contributor to Alabama’s economic success
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey spoke Tuesday to members of Alabama’s tourism and hospitality industry at the Alabama Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Auburn. During her speech, Ivey reflected on the remarkable year Alabama’s tourism industry experienced and shared her expectations for even more success in the near future and beyond. “Just a few short months ago in May, Director (Lee) Sentell and I visited Conecuh Sausage,” Ivey said. “Now, while I did purchase some sausage to load up in my cooler, I was really there to announce Alabama’s record-breaking tourism numbers. I talked a bit about the momentum we were – and still are – experiencing as a state, despite the curveballs of the current economic climate and the last couple of years. Our economic development numbers for last year made 2021 the second-best year in our state’s history. Without a doubt, our tourism industry has been and continues to be a major contributor to that fact.” Unlike many states, Alabama was open for business throughout most of the 2021 tourist season. The state also benefitted from COVID-19 restrictions on international travel that led many American tourists to search for domestic travel destinations. “While the national industry lost 42 percent of its revenue, Alabama ranked in the top five states for the least amount of revenue lost,” Ivey continued. “To recap some of those numbers I shared back in May…Our tourists spent a record almost $20 billion dollars. Alabama was the fourth most searched state, according to the U.S. Travel Association. As I said in May: We’re just getting started! Folks, today, while I am among some of the best in the tourism industry, I want to share something I think all of you will be excited about, but you certainly won’t be surprised. Barring any unexpected downturns, Director Sentell informs me that Alabama is on a trajectory to EXCEED expectations. Based on the adjusted numbers, it looks like your industry is going to exceed 24 billion dollars this calendar year. Twenty FOUR!” Ivey said that the tourism industry in the state has grown by $10 billion since she was elevated to Governor in 2017. “I am proud to say that in the past ten years, our industry has more than doubled. We have grown from $11 billion dollars in 2013 to more than $24 billion dollars this year,” Ivey said. “And since I have been governor, I am extremely proud that our tourism industry has grown by $10 billion dollars. These are the kind of results that are taking Alabama flying at full speed ahead. I’ll leave you with this: As we head into the next four years, I assure you that you have a governor who is committed a thousand percent to supporting the tourism industry and to the work that each and every one of you do.” This conference provided tourism professionals a chance to gather and learn about the economic impact of the industry on the Alabama economy, as well as learning new strategies for marketing local Alabama attractions and amenities to visitors. The group also raised money for scholarships through silent auctions and celebrated their achievements. In 2021 the state collected $72,602,073 in revenue for the state general fund (SGF) from the 4% state lodging tax. Travelers spent an estimated $19.6 billion in Alabama in 2021. Alabama attracted 28.2 million visitors that year. The travel and tourism industries produced $1.1 billion in revenue for state and local coffers while providing 227,334 jobs for Alabamians. The beaches of Baldwin County remain the state’s most popular tourist destination. Baldwin County had 8,037,049 visitors in 2021, up from 5,956,566 in 2020. Ivey is seeking a second term as Governor. She faces Libertarian Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake and Democrat Yolanda Rochelle Flowers in the Nov. 8 general election. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
