SUMMARY: Alabama’s Senate Bill 177, signed into law by Governor Ivey, expands the Alabama Entertainment Industry Incentive Act to include music production alongside film. Renaming the Alabama Film Office to the Alabama Entertainment Office, the law aims to boost jobs and help the state compete by attracting more movies and music albums produced locally. The state sets a $30 million cap on incentives. Industry leaders, like Joshua Williams of Birmingham’s Workplay, see this as a huge opportunity to keep productions in Alabama instead of Georgia or Louisiana, benefiting local artists, crews, and venues by increasing entertainment projects statewide.

Alabama Entertainment Industry Incentive Act expanded for music production

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by Anna Barrett, Alabama Reflector
May 13, 2025

Heath Allbright, a businessman and former Cullman County Board of Education member, won the Republican nomination Tuesday for the House District 11 special election.

Voters in Cullman and Blount counties chose Allbright, 39, over 60-year-old military veteran Don Fallin. As of 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, Allbright received 1,909 votes (54.3%), while Fallin got 1,609 votes (45.7%) in unofficial election results.

The vote was very close in Cullman County, Allbright got 50.4% with Falling getting 49.6%. Allbright sealed his victory by taking 71.1% of Blount County’s votes.

Allbright announced his victory via social media.

“I am deeply honored by the trust voters in District 11 have placed in me,” Allbright said in a press release. “I’m ready to fight for our families, schools, and businesses, ensuring our community thrives while preserving the values that make Blount and Cullman Counties home.”

A message seeking comment from Allbright was left Tuesday evening.

Allbright campaigned on conservative Christian values and supporting local education. He said in an interview on May 1 that he supports the CHOOSE and RAISE acts because they bring local control to parents. 

According to campaign finance records, Allbright raised $118,000 and spent $62,185. The Alabama House Majority Political Action Committee (PAC) donated $5,000 to Allbright’s campaign, as well as many other PACs.

A message seeking comment from Fallin was left Tuesday night.

Allbright will still face Democratic candidate Alex Braswell on Aug. 26. Braswell, a 30-year-old American Sign Language interpreter, said Tuesday night she looks forward to a clean, concise general election in August. 

“I wish Heath the best going forward,” she said. “I won’t say no to any debates until the election.”

The seat became open after former Rep. Randall Shedd, R-Fairview, resigned in February to take a job with Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman. The district is solidly Republican. Shedd, who won the seat in a special election in 2013, never faced opposition in any subsequent general election.

Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.

The post Heath Allbright wins GOP nomination in HD 11 special election appeared first on alabamareflector.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The content presents a straightforward report on a Republican candidate’s primary victory and upcoming general election in a solidly Republican district. It highlights the candidate’s conservative Christian values and support for local education initiatives, which are typical of center-right political stances. The article remains largely neutral and factual, offering balanced information about both candidates without editorializing, but the focus on conservative themes and the prominence given to the GOP nominee’s platform indicate a center-right leaning overall.

SUMMARY: Fishermen in Mobile Bay are raising concerns over dredging methods used by the US Army Corps of Engineers to deepen and widen the Mobile Harbor channel. They claim the practice, which involves spraying dredged material back into the bay, is damaging marine life, especially oyster reefs, and harming their livelihoods by polluting the water with black sludge. Local leaders, including Babbashi Mayor Henry Barnes and State Senator Chris Elliott, criticize the environmental impact, urging for alternative methods. The Corps defends the process as necessary for sediment balance and preventing erosion. The project is expected to finish by June, but fishermen remain worried about ongoing damage.

Fishermen are sounding the alarm on the dredging methods used in Mobile Bay.
FULL STORY: https://www.wkrg.com/mobile-county/fishermen-raise-concerns-over-dredging-in-mobile-bay-claim-it-is-destroying-sea-life/

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