Off The Record: The latest rumors and rumblings in North Alabama
All he does is ‘win, win, win’
Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth continues making victory laps across the state touting successes like the child tax credit bill as part of the “Working for Alabama” economic incentive package that was championed by Ainsworth and subsequently passed this legislative session. What’s been described by some as an “8-year campaign for Governor” seems to be going well for the Marshall County native and, coincidentally, avid runner. As astute observers point out, Ainsworth wisely stayed out of the gaming fracas that consumed the legislative session and left a bad taste in the mouths of legislators and potentially voters alike.
North Alabama is Army strong
The official numbers have not been released yet but it appears Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District has more West Point appointments than any other district in the Southeast. Furthermore, early reports show the North Alabama district as high as No. 2 nationwide. Rep. Dale Strong, a longtime supporter of the Armed Forces, hosts Military Service and Academy Day for area students annually.
Annex Clift Farm?
In what can only be described as a hilarious turn of events, some residents of Clift Farm have started a petition to be annexed into the city of Madison. You might have heard about the furious backroom debates when the Southern-style, mixed-use community that sits along U.S. 72 at the western edge of Madison County was announced more than five years ago. The city of Madison stood firm in its stance that the 550-acre development and its accompanying 2,000-plus planned residences would not be annexed into the city. Of course, they would have gladly taken the retail and accompanying hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue. Currently, only Publix has managed to be annexed into the city, the rest remains in the county.
Chicago Tribune praises Alabama beaches
A recent article in the Chicago Tribune extolled the uncrowded beauty of Alabama beaches over the offerings of our more popular neighbor, Florida. While we appreciate and wholly agree with the sentiments, including the shoutouts to Bon Secour, Fort Morgan and DeSoto’s, we must correct one statement presented in the article, “Alabama’s Gulf Coast offers uncrowded beaches with sand that doesn’t get hot — a chill alternative to Florida.” The sand does get hot, especially in July and August. We hope that doesn’t detour our Northern friends from visiting the best beaches on the Gulf Coast, but perhaps still pack those flip-flops to avoid hot-footing it.
Spare us
The table tennis U.S. National Championships at the Von Braun Center are right around the corner (July 3-7), a tuneup for participants headed to the Paris Summer Olympics. This week, the Gulf South Conference announced it had picked Huntsville as host for its Women’s Lacrosse Championships in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Now, again moving outside the box of usual sports suspects, a local mover and shaker told 256 Today the Rocket City is nearing a deal for a collegiate bowling tournament with defending collegiate national champion Jacksonville State women rolling into Redstone Lanes as host team next February.
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