Alabama top stories in brief

• Alabama Public Library Service Director Nancy Pack announced in an internal memo that the APLS intended to discontinue its membership with the American Library Association. This memo came after several months of pressure from Alabama Republican politicians, which included a statement from Sen. Arthur Orr that he expected the APLS’s funding would be cut if they did not end their relationship with ALA. APLS spokesperson Ryan Godfrey told Alabama Daily News that it wasn’t a decision that they wanted to make, but they felt it was the best way to maintain their state funding. Libraries in Alabama have been a point of contention for much of this year as some local groups have attempted to have books with LGBTQ+ content and themes removed. 

• A hearing will be held today to decide whether Rep. John Rogers will be released from custody after he broke the conditions of his bond by contacting an individual associated with his indictment for obstruction of justice. Rogers has claimed the calls were an accident. Rogers counsel has proposed that he be given a custodian to stay with to keep him from violating the conditions of bond. 

• The Alabama Supreme Court voted last week to allow the state to execute Kenneth Eugene Smith with nitrogen gas. The method was requested by Smith, and was viewed as a delaying tactic by the prosecution, since the method has never been used in Alabama. Smith’s attorneys have protested him being the first to be executed via the method, claiming the state is using him as a guinea pig. Previously, the state attempted to execute Smith through lethal injections, but failed to successfully find a vein for the injection and canceled. 

• For nearly two weeks, almost the entire state of Alabama has been in some level of a drought, ranging from abnormally dry to extreme drought. Several counties have been placed under a red flag warning, and burn bans and fire alerts have been in place as of Nov. 5. As of Nov. 5, there are 10 active wildfires, 134 contained wildfires and 2 controlled wildfires, according to the Alabama Forestry Commission. Worsening conditions have also led to state and federal officials to designate 16 counties as natural disaster areas, allowing farmers to begin applying to the USDA for financial relief. Farmers are also eligible to apply to the Farm Service Agency for emergency loan assistance.  

• With new congressional district maps, Democrats began announcing new congressional campaigns. While several are expected to announce but have yet to do so, Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Mobile, Rep. Jeremy Gray, D-Opelika and Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, have announced their bids for District 2. After congressional maps were redrawn, District 2 now has a Black voter population of 48.7% and encompasses all of Montgomery County. 

• Tyson Foods has issued a recall for over 29,000 pounds of their “Fully Cooked Fun Nuggets.” The product was distributed to retailers in Alabama and can be identified by its best by date of Sep. 4, 2024 and lot codes 2483BRV0207, 2483BRV0208, 2483BRV0209 and 2483BRV0210. The affected packages should have P-7211 on their backs. Tyson recalled the product after receiving complaints that there were small pieces of metal in the patties. 

Our articles you might have missed

• Gina Yoder is a local artist who specializes in creating items out of upcycled cotton t-shirts. In “Gina Yoder: The art of using what you have,” by our editor in chief, Harrison Neville, Yoder talks about the inspiration for her work, her process and how she uses each part of the t-shirt. 

• In “Singing Alabama’s Praises,” our third episode of From Dusk to Dawn, we sit down with Wesley Miller, the writer for our travel column, The Alabama Ramble. Wesley shares stories about his recent trip to Wetumpka, Alabama and talks about why he cares so much about telling the local stories of Alabama. You can check out the transcript on our website or listen to the episode on Spotify. 

Events this week

• Wetumpka Wildlife and Art Festival: A day celebrating wildlife and field sports through the arts! Demonstrations by Dock Dogs, Wildrose Kennel, Chris Hastings, Alex Hoefer among others. There will be educational presentations, art exhibits, vendors, food, music, and children’s activities. View more details on our event calendar.

• 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 on our event calendar. 

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