Off The Record: The latest rumors and rumblings in Alabama
Alabama Dems, still fighting Alabama Dems
Tabitha Isner’s one-woman war on her own party keeps escalating. First she posted an eight-year-old check accusing ADC chair Joe Reed of a PAC shakedown gone missing. Then she accused him of illegal “electioneering.” Then she told Democrats to cross over and vote in the August 11 GOP primary specifically to “knock off” Jerry Carl, Rhett Marques and Ammie Akin.
Party chair Randy Kelley’s response, roughly translated: absolutely not, and also, respectfully, who is she. “Somebody would have to be smoking something serious to think we are going to be voting for some Republicans,” Kelley told 1819 News, before noting Isner “hasn’t won anything” and isn’t “credible.” Reed was even more direct: “I don’t have no respect for nothing Tabitha says.” Nothing says party unity like your own vice chair being publicly dismissed by leadership three separate times in one week.
Alabama’s airshow turf war
Many of Alabama’s aerospace heavy hitters are making their way home from the Farnborough International Airshow outside London, where the state spent the week strutting among the world’s aviation and defense giants. But somewhere between the tea, trade meetings and chalet receptions, a friendly rivalry has taken off faster than the Airbus A350-1000’s jaw-dropping launch. Representatives from Mobile have been telling all of Europe they’re on track to become the fourth-largest producer of commercial aircraft in the world thanks to the aforementioned Airbus. Meanwhile the Huntsville crowd is quietly making the point that while Mobile may build the planes, Huntsville builds the things that make other people nervous. All in good fun, of course. Alabama has plenty of airspace bragging rights to go around.
Cullman’s finest just got finer
Cullman Fire Rescue welcomed its newest paramedic this week, Kaine Yates — and the internet noticed. The department’s congratulatory post has turned into a full comment-section thirst trap, with residents predicting “an uptick in 911 calls,” joking about faking emergencies, and forecasting Cullman’s first-ever fire department calendar. One commenter compared him to a colorized Civil War soldier photo, which, sure, we’ll allow it. Godspeed, Cullman dispatch.
Bertha who?
Apparently, double red flags translate to “hold my beach towel” for some Alabama vacationers. Even with rough surf from Tropical Storm Bertha and sheriff’s deputies cruising the shoreline urging everyone over loudspeakers to stay out of the Gulf, plenty of folks decided to test their swimming skills anyway. Fortunately, Bertha spared the coast from major damage, leaving behind bigger waves, a little flooding and plenty of stories that will probably start with, “Well, the sheriff did tell us not to but…”
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