News from the South - Alabama News Feed
News 5 NOW at 8:00am | August 6th, 2025
SUMMARY: A foggy Wednesday morning in Mobile begins with updates on local news. The historic Ace Theater is undergoing a $3.5 million renovation to become a jazz center by early 2027. A 9-person fight at a mobile home park was caught on video, involving a gun but no arrests yet. Brew y’all Coffee replaced its stolen and destroyed mobile trailer, recovering from a $40,000 loss. Mobile City Council candidate Samantha Ingram faces a lawsuit over residency claims, which she denies. Tonight in Daphne, a popular free weather radio programming event will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Finally, the VMAs are generating buzz, with Lady Gaga leading nominations.
Streaming on “News 5 Now”: A violent brawl caught on camera, a new look coming to an old Mobile theater, and our latest Weather Radio Programming event is today.
News from the South - Alabama News Feed
Alabama Ethics Commission: DAs can do jobs outside official working hours
by Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector
August 6, 2025
The Alabama Ethics Commission unanimously voted Wednesday to adopt an advisory opinion allowing district attorneys to be compensated for another job done outside working hours for their public work.
Staff applied an advisory opinion issued by the Alabama Attorney General’s Office that stated that while district attorneys and assistant district attorneys are on call at all hours, they are not considered working unless they are summoned to work in their official capacity.
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“We concur with that opinion and do not consider time outside of regular business hours as time for the purposes of 5-C,” said Brian Paterson, assistant general counsel for the Alabama Ethics Commission.
5-C is a rule prohibits public service employees and officials from using public office for private gain.
The Alabama Ethics Commission in 1998 ruled that a police chief is always working and could not work anywhere while the individual is serving as police chief.
“This opinion would overrule that ‘98 opinion,” Paterson said.
Independent Journalism for All
As a nonprofit newsroom, our articles are free for everyone to access. Readers like you make that possible. Can you help sustain our watchdog reporting today?
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 Alabama Ethics Commission: DAs can do jobs outside official working hours 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: Centrist
The article reports on the Alabama Ethics Commission’s unanimous decision to allow district attorneys to work outside their official hours without violating ethics rules. The language is neutral and factual, focusing on the technicalities of the advisory opinion and its implications without editorializing or framing the decision as politically charged. It simply explains the legal and procedural aspects of the ruling, citing relevant officials and previous decisions. There is no evident ideological slant or partisan framing, indicating balanced, straightforward reporting.
News from the South - Alabama News Feed
Man jumps off Bayway after crashing into bridge
SUMMARY: A man jumped into the water from the Bayway bridge after crashing his car into the side early Wednesday morning. The driver, appearing uninjured and standing waist-deep about 500 yards from shore, was rescued quickly by first responders using a rope rescue due to rising tides. Firefighters, training twice yearly for such rescues, successfully brought him to safety and transported him to the hospital despite his initial reluctance to be rescued. The incident caused westbound traffic on I-10 to halt during rush hour. The driver’s reasons for jumping remain unclear.
A water rescue this morning on the Bayway at the height of rush hour. A man jumped into the water after crashing his car into the side of the bridge.
News from the South - Alabama News Feed
Alabama PSC allows Alabama Power to purchase Autauga County power plant
by Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector
August 5, 2025
The Alabama Public Service Commission Tuesday approved Alabama Power’s purchase of a natural gas power plant in Autauga County.
Commissioners also approved the company’s request to increase the monthly electricity rates it charges to its residential customers by $3.32 to offset the cost of acquiring the plant.
“After a review of all of the pre-filed testimony, the transcript of the hearing and the post hearing briefs in the form of proposed orders, the Staff has determined that Alabama Power Company has demonstrated a need for additional capacity and presented evidence demonstrating that the Lindsay Hill Facility proposed by the Company represents a reasonable means by which the Company can meet this need in a reliable and economic manner,” said John Garner, executive director of the Public Service Commission during the meeting.
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The company said in a filing with the PSC in October that it needs roughly 1,200 megawatts in new power capacity by the end of the decade, due in part to the growth of data centers. The utility estimates that it will have surplus capacity until 2028.
This would be the third Alabama Power rate increase that the company imposed on its customers since 2020. The company acquired other power plants in 2020 and 2022 and increased the rate by $5 per month to pay for the cost of those purchases.
Alabama Power seeks to purchase natural gas plant in Autauga County
Alabama Power said in a statement on Tuesday that the decision reinforces the company’s commitment to deliver dependable energy to Alabama.
“Adding Lindsay Hill’s strong track record of reliable power to our generation mix will strengthen our ability to meet the growing needs of our state so we can economically produce the electricity our customers count on,” Alabama Power said. “Customers will not see any impact on their bills from this facility until mid-2027.”
Renewable energy advocates who intervened in the case and sought to block the purchase.
“Alabama Power’s five-year gas grab burdens families with higher bills and highlights the utility’s failure to consider cheaper and cleaner alternatives,” said Daniel Tait, executive director of Energy Alabama, in a statement.
“Alabama families deserve better than approving polluting power plants without proof they’re absolutely necessary,” said Jilisa Milton, director of Greater-Brimingham Alliance to Stop Pollution (GASP), in a statement.
Energy Alabama and GASP, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center argue that Alabama Power overestimated the demand of these data centers when it estimated future capacity needs and excluded other energy sources that are more friendly to the environment from consideration
Alabama Power said it based its estimates on the power demand of a currently operational data center. It also said that it excluded renewable energy sources, such as solar power and energy storage, from its options because the company does not have the experience with those energy sources.
Independent Journalism for All
As a nonprofit newsroom, our articles are free for everyone to access. Readers like you make that possible. Can you help sustain our watchdog reporting today?
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 Alabama PSC allows Alabama Power to purchase Autauga County power plant 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 article primarily presents factual reporting on the Alabama Public Service Commission’s approval of Alabama Power’s purchase of a natural gas power plant and rate increase. The framing largely reflects a pro-business and utility-friendly perspective, emphasizing the company’s need to meet growing power demands and maintain reliable service. While it includes critical voices from environmental groups who oppose the purchase and rate hike, their perspectives are presented as opposition statements rather than integrated analysis. Overall, the article maintains a tone that leans toward supporting traditional energy infrastructure and regulatory decisions favoring the utility, aligning it with a Center-Right bias.
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