Airbus to build additional aircraft on Alabama coast
Airbus says it will fulfill two new aircraft orders at an expanding manufacturing operation on the U.S. Gulf Coast. The European aircraft maker said Thursday that 120 passenger aircraft ordered by JetBlue Airways and the start-up airline Moxy will be built in a new factory near the company’s existing plant in Mobile, Alabama. The company says construction on the plant will begin later this month. JetBlue and Moxy each ordered 60 of the A220-300 aircraft manufactured by Airbus. The plant will be located beside a factory where Airbus already produces the A320 aircraft in Mobile. Airbus produced its first airplane on the Alabama coast in 2016. The new A220 line in Alabama is in addition to one the company is opening in Mirabel, Canada. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson fires 10 workers over ‘sick out’
An Alabama mayor has fired 10 employees who staged a “sick out” over working conditions. WALA-TV reports that Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson fired the workers Wednesday. Sixteen other employees were reinstated. More than two dozen public works employees were placed on administrative leave after they called in sick, took vacation, or went home early Oct. 7. The president of the Mobile United Public Service Workers, Wesley Young, said at the time the workers took the day off to attend a City Council meeting to talk about working conditions. The workers were placed on leave, and Stimpson says 10 were ultimately fired. Trash pickup in Mobile has fallen behind schedule several times in recent months. Public works employees have blamed the delays on understaffing and have also claimed mistreatment and harassment. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
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.
Mobile announces city’s 2019 budget, projects $4 million revenue increase
Mayor Sandy Stimpson announced the final proposed budget for 2019 in the City of Mobile, Ala. on Thursday, which included a projected a $4 million increase in revenues along with a $2 million debt decrease in the city’s financials. “We have delivered a balanced budget to the Mobile City Council that directs resources to the core functions of city government,” Stimpson said in an e-mail to constituents. “Our efforts to reduce the City’s debt have been rewarded with decreases in overall debt level and annual debt service. Over the past three years, the annual debt service has decreased $2 million. Over the last two years, most of our bond issues have been refinanced to take advantage of lower interest rates and tourism has increased from 3 million visitors to 3.4 million. These are just a couple of the factors that have led to revenue increasing by $4 million.” In an effort to promote increasing revenues to the city, Stimpson makes his case for taxing e-commerce businesses at the same rate as brick-and-mortar businesses in the final proposed budget. “If all e-commerce were taxed at the same rate as brick-and-mortar sales, roughly $23 million more in sales taxes would be generated,” he said. “Today, less than one-half of that amount is taxed. Another way of looking at this is that, over a ten year period of time, some $120 million in revenue will disappear even if the level of e-commerce remains flat.” The city is preparing to hold a public hearing on the budget on September 4, at 10:30 a.m. You are invited to attend a public hearing on Mayor Stimpson’s proposed budget this Tuesday, September 4th at 10:30 am during the regular Council Meeting in the Auditorium at Government Plaza. https://t.co/TxmWO5m6au — City of Mobile (@City_of_Mobile) August 30, 2018 Where will the money go? According to the final budget: Nearly $52 million in total will be spent on the Mobile Police Department, this includes Field Operations, Investigative Services and Administrative Services. Over $15.4 million in total will be spent on public works including street sweeping, trash collection, and storm drain maintenance. Build Mobile will get a total of $4.4 million to be used for historic development, planning & zoning, and other Build Mobile services You can view Stimpson’s full proposed budget here.
Can’t we all agree: Regardless of your position on LGBTQ issues drag queens reading to toddlers is ridiculous?
In today’s, “What in the world are they thinking?” we have the Drag Queens Reading Hour in Mobile coming up. Organizers with Rainbow Mobile, a LGBTQ rights group, is hosting the event. Though their original invitation encourages parents with children as young as three years old to come and hear a drag queen read at story time, there are parents asking if they can bring children even younger than three. I don’t care what your stance on alternative lifestyles is, this is absurd. The Centers for Disease Control hosts a website on developmental milestones. At the age of 4 children often still can’t tell real from make-believe. How does introducing them to a drag queen do anything but confuse them about what to expect in society? In a society where drag queens’ main purpose historically has been to promote a type of personality within the homosexual community (see below study for more on that.) By the age of 5 children are just starting to understand gender, for the purposes of staying on topic I won’t go into my position on the national transgender movement among young kids, except to say I don’t believe science backs up the emotional and developmental ability of young children or early teens to choose their gender identity. Life is already confusing enough to children who are learning basic life skills and basic facts about the world around them why add to it? How is that healthy for the child? I get it if your personal agenda as an adult is to support the LGBTQ community and you want to teach tolerance and acceptance to your children, but to force it upon them before they understand the basics is just plain wrong. To confuse them with the idea that drag queens, or men dressing as women with full hair and makeup, is normal in conventional society is asinine. Cross-dressing is not normal for adult males. Period. We should not raise kids to think something that only happens rarely is the norm. For the purposes of this discussion and for my own general knowledge I spend some time doing research on drag queens. One of the most detailed studies I could find on their lifestyle was published last year in the journal of Evolutionary Psychology (April-June 2017: 1–14). Studying, A Natural History of the Drag Queen Phenomenon Michael Moncrieff and Pierre Lienard noted a few point I think are relevant for this discussion: Drag queens, or female impersonators, differ from transsexuals and individuals with transvestic fetishisms1 in that they are gay individuals who don female clothing with the explicit goal of performing in front of audiences (Schacht, 2000). Drag queens don their costumes primarily to perform at gay bars, nightclubs, and organized competitions (Berkowitz et al., 2007; Schacht, 2002). Their apparel is not intended to depict ordinary female attires like that of transgender women but portray purposefully outlandish, often vulgar, and exaggerated stereotypes of womanhood (Harris, 1995; Tewksbury, 1994). Again, if you’re a progressive parent, I can understand wanting to teach your worldview to your child but that should be done in a way that’s developmentally appropriate. Reading the history and facts about drag queens how can anyone say that a child should be exposed to such a sexually charged subject? We can and we should do better by our children.
Walmart opens $135 million distribution center in Alabama
Walmart on Tuesday officially marked the opening of a $135 million distribution center in Mobile that will create 750 jobs and strengthen the retailer’s supply chain network. During a grand opening ceremony, Gov. Kay Ivey highlighted how the new facility will contribute to economic growth in the region while providing career opportunities for residents. “Walmart proves to be a great corporate partner to the state of Alabama, year after year, by investing in its stores, its employees and the surrounding community,” Ivey said. “Their commitment cannot be better proven than by the opening of this new distribution center, which, when fully operational, will provide approximately 750 quality jobs in the Mobile area. “We are grateful to Walmart for supporting the economic health of the Port City, and for the large role they play in propelling our great state forward.” The new Walmart Import Distribution Center will bring a lot of business to the Alabama State Port Authority. [Photo Credit: Walmart] ‘Warm welcome’ The Arkansas-based retailer announced plans for the 2.6 million-square-foot facility in March 2017. It will supply several regional distribution centers that support approximately 700 Walmart stores in Alabama, Mississippi and beyond. “We are excited about how this facility will help us better serve our customers across the South and beyond, while creating a positive economic impact locally through job creation and future development,” said Jeff Breazeale, Walmart vice president, direct import logistics. “We are grateful to the State of Alabama, Mobile County, the City of Mobile, the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and the Alabama State Port Authority for the warm welcome we have received here, and we look forward to a strong partnership with the community for years to come.” The Mobile facility employs 575 full-time workers, with plans calling for a total of 750 once it’s fully operational. Pay for associates starts at $16.50 an hour, while managers earn $50,000 a year or more and are eligible for additional annual incentives. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
Alabama port looks to add to its $22.4 billion economic impact with expansions
The Alabama State Port Authority is one of the largest economic engines for the state and wants to build on its $22.4 billion economic impact. The 4,000 acres that make up the state docks have multiple complexes that handle everything from auto parts to coal and from poultry to pine. But the port could be doing more, according to Jimmy Lyons, director and CEO of the Port Authority. Alabama port moving forward with growth plans from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo. “We’ve got a couple of exciting projects going on right now,” Lyons said. “We’re in the midst of doing a second expansion to our container terminal, actually our third phase. We finished phase two last year and realized that’s not enough, so we’re going to phase three right away. We’re on schedule to have that work all completed by the end of ’19.” The start of 2019 should see construction begin on a new $60 million automobile roll-on, roll-off terminal, a major move to support automotive logistics in a state where automotive manufacturing is a major industry. Another major event will take place Aug. 14 when Walmart officially opens its $135 million import distribution center in Mobile. In addition to creating 550 full-time jobs, that 2.5 million-square-foot facility will generate something the port desperately needs: empty shipping containers. Lyons told the Economic Development Association of Alabama at its 2018 Summer Conference this week that the state struggles to find enough shipping containers to meet the demand. With Walmart bringing in 50,000 containers per year when fully operational, that will help provide more empty cargo containers for exporters. That will reduce costs for exporters who pay to bring in empty containers; it will also help Alabama’s port retain business that now goes to other ports when containers aren’t available, Lyons said. The Army Corps of Engineers is seeking comments now on a $388 million plan to enlarge the port’s Mobile Ship Channel. A deeper and wider channel will clear the way for the port to accommodate larger ships that are already starting to come through the expanded Panama Canal, Lyons said. A deeper channel also allows ships to carry more weight, making the port more efficient for importers and exporters, he said. According to an economic impact study from the University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research, the port is responsible for 134,608 direct and indirect jobs in the state with a direct and indirect tax impact of $486.9 million. In 2017, the port handled 28.7 million tons of goods and 318,889 shipping containers. Republished with the permission of the Alabama Newscenter.
Bike-sharing service to launch August 15 in Mobile
Mobile will launch its downtown bicycle-sharing service on Aug. 15. The launch date means that rental bikes should be readily available during the Aug. 25 Dauphin Street Beer Festival, which serves as an informal kickoff for the downtown entertainment district’s busy fall season, and the Ten Sixty Five music festival on Oct. 5-6, Al.com reported. Back in March, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson announced a partnership with the company LimeBike, now known as Lime. Stimpson and company representatives said the service would launch in the summer, after local staff and other resources such as warehouse space were worked out. The plan calls for the first 500 bikes to be distributed downtown and on the University of South Alabama campus. In a statement, Stimpson called for Mobilians to help make the bike share program a success. He asked motorists to give cyclists plenty of room, and asked cyclists not to park their bikes in places that block vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Lime is one of several in the rapidly expanding field of shared transportation providers. It takes a dockless approach, meaning its bikes can be left anywhere. Riders use a smartphone app to find and unlock a bike and pay an hourly rental charge. The bikes themselves have built-in locks and GPS locators. One job of local staff is to move bikes around so they don’t just pile up at destination spots. Company officials said the name change reflects what it describes as its “exciting growth into multimodal transportation.” Lime rents electric scooters as well as bikes. In early July, Lime announced $335 million in funding in a deal heavily supported by Uber and Google Ventures. According to a CNet report, plans call for Uber to include Lime scooter rentals in its app. “Our investment and partnership in Lime is another step towards our vision of becoming a one stop shop for all your transportation needs,” Rachel Holt, Uber’s head of new modalities, said in a statement quoted by CNet. “Lime already has an expansive footprint, and we’re excited to incorporate their scooters into the Uber app so consumers have another fast, affordable option to get around their city, especially to and from public transit.” Lime announced in July that its machines had been used for more than six million rides since the company was founded in Greensboro, North Carolina, in June 2017. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Enlargement of Mobile Bay channel under consideration
The government is considering a plan to enlarge the ship channel through Mobile Bay. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has opened a public comment period on the $388 million proposal. The Alabama State Port Authority initiated the project. Director Jimmy Lyons says it’s needed for Mobile to stay competitive as larger cargo ships become the norm. But Al.com reports at least two groups are concerned about the plan. Some in the seafood industry worry that a deeper and wider channel will hurt seafood harvesting in the bay. And advocates for Dauphin Island residents say the channel causes erosion. A Corps spokesman said at least one public meeting on the project is planned. That likely will happen in September. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Mobile, Montgomery among top 40 US cities Americans are abandoning fastest
24/7 Wall Street, a financial news and commentary Web site, released a new report on Thursday identifying the 50 cities Americans are abandoning the fastest. In the “Population migration patterns” report, two Alabama cities made the top 40; Montgomery ranked #27 and Mobile ranked #39. According to the report, “Each year, roughly 40 million Americans, or about 14% of the U.S. population, move at least once. Much of that movement includes younger people relocating within cities, but it is trends of Americans moving to warmer climates, more affordable areas, and better job opportunities that have largely determined migration patterns in recent decades.” The study used migration data from the U.S. Census Bureau from 2010 to 2017 to come up with the list. During those years Montgomery’s population decreased 10,317 to migrating residents, meanwhile Mobile lost 8,517. However, despite its migration loss, Mobile set a net 0.2 percent population gain during those years. Montgomery however, lost 0.2. percent of its overall population. A look at the stats Montgomery, Ala. Population decrease due to migration, 2010-2017: -10,317 Population change, 2010-2017: -0.2% (374,541 to 373,903) Natural growth, 2010-2017: 35,032 births, 25,380 deaths Median home value: $135,700 Mobile, Ala. Population decrease due to migration, 2010-2017: -8,517 Population change, 2010-2017: +0.2% (413,143 to 413,955) Natural growth, 2010-2017: 40,422 births, 30,886 deaths Median home value: $126,800
Mobile plans for train station, despite Kay Ivey’s Amtrak snub
Despite Gov. Kay Ivey’s recent decline to commit funding to restart the Amtrak passenger train service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., the Port City is moving ahead with its own plans to build a new train station. Two weeks ago, Ivey balked at funding for restored coastal Amtrak service, saying by her analysis, restoring a passenger rail service between Mobile and New Orleans would lead to a detrimental impact to the commercial and freight rail services coming in and out of Mobile. “As we continue to address congestion on our surface transportation systems, both on our highways and rail system, I currently do not plan to provide limited state resources to passenger rail service,” Ivey said in a statement. “We have higher priority opportunities to address congestion on I-10 through the Mobile River Bridge project, expansion of the Port of Mobile and numerous highway projects around the state.” But on Tuesday, Mobile city officials made clear their differing opinion, announcing their own plans to move ahead with a train station. According to AL.com, the Mobile City Council voiced it’s plans to approve a $233,000 contract with global engineering, management and development consultancy Mott MacDonald to design a train station to replace the one destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. The vote for approval is expected to be made next week. A grant via the Southern Rail Commission would fund the contract.
Constables: who they are, and what they do
Only 24 counties, out of the 67 in Alabama, have constables. But who are they, and what do they do? The Code of Alabama defines constables as an elected or appointed “conservator of the peace within his county,” and according to the Alabama Constables Association, they are one of the only two remaining elected peace officers in the world. Their duties include: attending the circuit court of the county when summoned by the sheriff for that purpose; executing and returning all summons, executions and other process directed to him by any lawful authority; paying over moneys collected by virtue of his office to the person entitled thereto performing such other duties as are or may be required of him by law Constables are also permitted to carry a gun, are authorized to make arrests, stop and question, search for dangerous weapons, escort weddings and funerals, and enforce traffic at churches and schools. Although not permitted to write a traffic ticket, they can also pull over vehicles who disobey traffic laws. According to a 2015 AL.com article, the qualifications to become a constable are very few. “You must be a citizen of the county you’re running in, have no criminal record, and be old enough to carry a firearm.” The report continues to name the counties have constables including: Barbour, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Dallas, Dekalb, Elmore, Etowah, Franklin, Green, Jackson, Jefferson, Marengo, Marion, Mobile, Monroe, Russell, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Walker, Wilcox and Winston. Tallapoosa County will only have constables until 2020, after which they will be abolished according a court ruling in April of this year.
