Dismissed charges in Tarrant
A judge has lifted the arrest warrants against the mayor of Tarrant, reports Joseph D. Bryant of AL.com.
Tarrant City Clerk Laverne Knight had filed charges against Mayor Wayman Newton, accusing him of denying her access to documents she needed to do her job.
There has been a lot of turmoil in the city’s leadership in recent years: the mayor’s dispute with a city councilor led to personal insults and even a punch, and the mayor had issued several suspensions of the police chief, which were later lifted.
Official’s admission of guilt
A former downtown police officer has agreed to plead guilty to charges of planting drugs on innocent motorists, AL.com’s Carol Robinson reports.
According to charging documents, Michael Kilgore stopped someone in January 2023 and found drugs in the car. He is accused of then letting the driver go but using him to obtain methamphetamine, oxycodone and marijuana and placing them in a vehicle, which Kilgore then stopped and arrested the occupants.
The two then planned to do the same thing with another vehicle, but then his accomplice probably realized that this would not end well for him or her, disposed of the drugs, and reported the plan to the authorities.
Methodist Leader
The leader of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church has been elected president of the World Methodist Council, reports Greg Garrison of AL.com.
At its meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden, the council elected UMC Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett.
Of course, her recent work in Birmingham also witnessed turbulent times for the church: More than half of the UMC churches in Alabama left the church because of disagreements about the ordination of gay clergy and the performance of same-sex marriages.
The World Methodist Council includes 80 faith groups from around the world. Wallace-Padgett will lead the council for five years. On September 1, she will officially end her 12-year term as United Methodist bishop of North Alabama.
60th birthday of Flora-Bama
As we slowly approach Labor Day, which of course marks the unofficial end of the summer tourist season, there are a few noteworthy events happening along the Alabama coast.
First, the Flora-Bama Lounge, Package & Oyster Bar is celebrating its 60th anniversary on Sunday. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. there will be live music, cake and a free drink menu for everyone over the age of 21.
It was 1964 when Ted Tampary and his sons built Flora-Bama.
Second, the folks at Visit Mobile are planning a Son of a Sailor Fest at Cathedral Square in Downtown Mobile on Sept. 21. They’re calling it a “family-friendly street festival” that will include a second-line parade and will honor the late Jimmy Buffett. The Buffett tribute band A1A will perform at the event, as well as Will Kimbrough.
The parade, which took place just days after Buffett’s death last year, has become so popular in such a short time that it could potentially be made an annual event.
Quote
“I feel like one of my roles now is to be the anti-Tommy Tuberville and show that football coaches aren’t the dumbest people.”
Democratic vice presidential candidate and former assistant high school football coach Tim Walz
“Speaking of embarrassment for the coaching profession… (Tim Walz) deserted his military unit when he learned they were being sent to Iraq. Walz had police leave the precincts while his cities burned in 2020. And Walz had tampon dispensers installed in the BOYS’ bathrooms. He has nothing to worry about when he speaks on behalf of the coaches.”
US Senator and former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville
More Alabama News
Born on this date
In 1952, musician Topper Price came from the Mobile area.
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