Alabama top stories in brief

• Since 2012, Alabama has seen a 950% increase in congenital syphilis cases in newborns. In 2014, there were four cases, but that number rose to 42 in 2022. This is part of a national rise in syphilis cases among newborns. Syphilis can be passed on to newborns, creating numerous health complications and increasing the chances of a stillbirth. While the CDC recommends that pregnant patients are screened two to three times for syphilis as part of their prenatal care, this is difficult for many Alabamians due to the lack of maternity care in many counties. According to the March of Dimes, 25 Alabama counties lack any form of obstetric care. The Alabama Department of Public Health has made a supplemental request for $3.1 million from Alabama’s General Fund, which they will primarily use to reduce congenital syphilis.  

• Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission from issuing licenses for companies to dispense medical cannabis. The order was requested by Yellowhammer Medical Dispensaries, and was granted by Anderson because he believed they had a reasonable chance at succeeding in their claim against the AMCC. The AMCC has gone through their award process three times now, and in the previous two attempts, Yellowhammer had been awarded a dispensary license. In the latest award process, the commission did away with the scores for candidates provided by the original evaluation process, which had been a point of legal contention for them earlier in the year. The previous scores are still a focal point in this latest lawsuit, but the argument being made by Yellowhammer is that the commission acted inconsistently by using a different ruleset than in the previous two attempts. The restraining order only applies to licenses for dispensing medical cannabis, though there are other motions for restraining orders pending for integrated facility licenses, which are set to be awarded Jan. 9. 

• On Dec. 25, Gov. Kay Ivey awarded $1.7 million to 18 programs and organizations that aid low-income Alabamians. These organizations help families and individuals in achieving better economic stability through different services and direct aid. Services and aid include employment assistance, budget training, education assistance, housing assistance and food and health aid. The five organizations receiving the most funding are: Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama Inc.: $356,846, Mobile Community Action Inc.: $163,640, Community Service Programs of West Alabama Inc.: $153,244, Community Action Partnership Huntsville/Madison and Limestone Counties Inc.: $115,163, and Community Action Agency of South Alabama: $103,664.

• The U.S. Senate approved promotions and nominations on Dec. 18 for several four-star generals. The approval came after months of a blockade from Sen. Tommy Tuberville. On Dec. 5, Tuberville ended the hold that had prevented promotions and nominations for around 450 service members, but maintained a hold on a handful of the highest ranking officers until Dec. 18. Tuberville initiated his blockade to protest a Pentagon policy allowing abortions that was passed earlier in the year. The abortion policy continues to remain in place.

• The Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program-II (ATRIP-II) Committee received $80 million in requests for road improvements and projects across the state. However, ATRIP-II only has $40 million to distribute to the 45 applications around the state. The Alabama Department of Transportation will provide a ranked list of projects to the committee when they meet in January to consider approvals.

• A former officer with the Alabama Department of Corrections was sentenced to seven years in prison for assaulting two prisoners. Mohammad Jenkins, who formerly served as a lieutenant with the ADOC and had over 20 years of experience, pleaded guilty to the charges levied against him in September. His sentence was given Dec. 21. 

• DeMarcus McCloud, who was incarcerated at the Limestone Correctional Facility, died last week. According to the Alabama Department of Corrections, McCloud began “exhibiting erratic behavior and had to be subdued by officers.” ADOC’s statement says that McCloud was taken to receive medical treatment and became unresponsive after he was assessed, and was pronounced deceased. Further details have not yet been released by ADOC. 

• A law passed during this year’s legislative session will allow school officials to administer injectable medicine to students that have an adrenal insufficiency. Last Wednesday, the Alabama Board of Pharmacy approved a motion to work with the Alabama Board of Nursing to create training on how to administer the medicine for school employees. 

Our articles you might have missed

• In the latest edition of The Alabama Ramble, Wesley Miller visited Sylacauga, Alabama, a small Alabama city famous worldwide for its marble. While there, he got a tour from Sylacauga’s sculptor in residence, Craigger Browne, examined stunning sculptures, learned about local businesses and dug into some delicious ice cream. 

Announcements

• This is a bit of a belated announcement, but along with not having a Roundup last week for Christmas, we also didn’t have a new issue of The Breathing Room this month. In case you missed the Dec. 18 Roundup, we didn’t publish any of the usually scheduled content the week of Christmas, and instead took the time to be with family and friends. Don’t worry, we’ll be back to business as usual from here on out. 

Events this week

• Alabama Invitational: An exhibition featuring work created by current and former Alabama artists in the mediums of sculpture, glass, photography, painting and textiles produced by artists originally from or currently based in Alabama. View more details about this event on The Sunrise News event calendar. 

If you’re interested in having your event advertised on our calendar, you can submit events here.