Coach in the ‘hood; Pike seeks reelection in Decatur; and more in this week’s Off The Record

Off The Record: The latest rumors and rumblings in North Alabama

Won’t you be my neighbor?

He’s called senator, coach and now neighbor? At his recent Washington update at the Von Braun Center, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, commonly referred to as “Coach”, shared that he had recently bought a home in Madison County. Tuberville twice jokingly requested the county commissioners pave the road to his house. The former college football coach lives in Auburn with his wife when not in Washington.

Dobson in North Alabama

A congressional candidate made the rounds in North Alabama this week. Republican Caroleene Dobson was in town fundraising for her campaign for Alabama’s Second Congressional District. Dobson, sometimes referred to as “Katie Britt 2.0”, is facing Democrat Shomari Figures in the newly drawn district.

Pike for reelection

Decatur City Councilman Kyle Pike is expected to announce his intent to run for reelection in the coming weeks. Elected to represent District 2 in 2020, Pike is seen by many as a steady and capable leader. Meanwhile, more than five candidates are expected to announce a run for mayor in Decatur after beleaguered Mayor Tab Bowling announced he would not be running again. Kent Lawrence is the first announced candidate for the job. As for Council President Jacob Ladner, his future plans are a mystery. We hear everything from another run for a city office, state representative even higher. The River City’s municipal elections are set for 2025.

More for Front Row developers?

The developers behind  Front Row, an 11-plus acre mixed-use development at the former Coca-Cola bottling plant site across from the Von Braun Center, might be eyeing another project in the Rocket City. Huntsville’s favorite New Yorkers, Mitch Rutter and Dan Shields, let slip at a recent presentation that they are currently looking at “a smaller project” in Huntsville but “it’s too early to talk about.” Considering Front Row spans three blocks and fronts three streets in downtown Huntsville, their definition of smaller is still likely to garner attention.