Off the Market: Power Couple Jessica Taylor and Leland Whaley announce their elopement
Alabama’s most eligible bachelorette, Jessica Taylor, is officially married! Oh, and so is Alabama’s most successful conservative talk radio host. Leland Whaley announced the big news on Sunday, September 15th, via his Facebook page. In a FaceBook post, Whaley announced he and former U.S. congressional and senate candidate Jessica Taylor were married on September 4 at The Abbey of San Galgano in Tuscany, Italy. The wedding follows a quiet announcement to family and friends they were engaged in June. The newlyweds also celebrated Taylor’s 40th birthday on the trip. Fox News described Taylor as a “viral sensation” when one of her campaign ads committing to take on The Squad garnered national attention. She finished third in the 2020 GOP primary for the 2nd Congressional District, narrowly missing the runoff in a race that Congressman Barry Moore would go on to win. She went on to run for U.S. Senate in 2022, dropping out to endorse Mike Durant. She owns a successful grant-writing business, Simple Grants, based out of Hoover. According to his bio on the Talk 99.5 website, “Alabama native Leland Whaley reported and managed news rooms for two television stations in Georgia before moving home to Alabama to work for WBRC Fox 6. Leland specialized in breaking news live coverage. While in television he not only covered hurricanes but also organized relief efforts, raised millions of dollars of aid and delivered it to disaster victims. Leland took home an Emmy and several Associated Press awards for documentary and series reporting during his television career. The Associated Press named Leland “Best Reporter” in Alabama. Leland also filed reports for CNN and ABC News. Leland has worked in public service as a District Director for then US Congressman Bob Riley. Leland was a key campaign manager for Bob Riley’s successful 2002 race for Governor. Leland served in the Riley Administration as Assistant Director in the Alabama Development office overseeing the effort to preserve and recruit military jobs in the Base Realignment and Closure Process. Leland also directed the Alabama Film Office for ADO. Leland has advised dozens of conservative organizations, causes and candidates and has lectured on communication strategy throughout the state of Alabama.” Editorial note: Alabama Today congratulates the couple and wishes them a lifetime of happiness.
Radio station offers “Props to Cops” for Alabama officers amid national unrest
Station Manager at Birmingham’s 101 WYDE radio station Leland Whaley is running a new initiative called “Props to Cops” designed to show appreciation for Alabama’s men and women in law enforcement. “Our cops have become targets,” Whaley wrote via a social media message announcing the kickoff of the endeavor. “Their very lives are threatened in the streets and by a political movement masked [as] social justice.” “Between the officer who stopped ISIS terrorists to the young New York officer who paid the ultimate sacrifice, they are the thin blue line between us and chaos. It’s time to defend our defenders and show appreciation to our police.” Toward that end, 101 WYDE is giving free on-air “shout-outs” to local businesses that offer free or discounted goods and services to police officers. “We want the cops to know they are appreciated and we want you to know about the businesses that step up,” Whaley continued in his online missive. Local businesses who wish to participate can email propstocops@101wyde.com and let the station manager know what kind of discount they intend to offer Alabama’s finest. The offers and shout-outs will cover the Birmingham station as well as dozens of affiliates through the Crawford Broadcasting syndicate. Whaley told Yellowhammer News on Thursday that now is an especially poignant time to offer a peaceful gesture to law enforcement, amid riots in Baltimore and protests against suspected police misconduct in the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown. “I got fired up about this because I was watching the news and realized this war on police is not about justice, it’s about politics,” Whaley said. “It’s wrong for our justice system to be abused like this. Police have to get up every day, put on a badge and risk their lives. There’s such a hostile environment right now and they’re being targeted by political opportunists. It’s time to defend our defenders and show appreciation to our police.” Alabama Today reached out via email seeking a comment shortly after the initiative was launched, but as of publication has not received a response.
