Welcome back. It’s escape day.
There are also some notable national days related to food:
- It’s National Cuban Sandwich Day. That’s notable because just this week we mentioned Vestavia Hills’ Kool Korner Sandwiches and how popular the Cuban sandwich is on Yelp.
- It’s also National Sponge Cake Day, so you’ll have something to nibble on while you watch the sun fry all the oil-covered tourists.
News report follows. Thanks for reading.
The Juco Route
While Alabama’s two-year colleges are struggling nationally, they are seeing an increase in enrollment, reports Williesha Morris of AL.com.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, enrollment in public two-year colleges has declined since 2010.
But in Alabama, more than 170,000 students took academic, adult education or vocational courses last year, the highest enrollment since 2013. The Alabama Reflector reported that more than 100,000 applications for the two-year degree system were received for the current semester.
1992 shooting becomes murder in 2024
Birmingham has recently seen over 100 murders per year, with perhaps the most unusual murder recorded this month.
AL.com’s Carol Robinson reports that police responded to a 911 call on August 6 and found 49-year-old Erving Gray unconscious. The Birmingham Fire Department pronounced him dead at the scene.
The coroner later determined that he died of an epileptic seizure, which was caused by a gunshot wound he sustained 32 years ago – when he was 17 years old.
This means that the old attempted murder from 1992 will become a manslaughter from 2024. However, one should not expect the case to be prosecuted, because a suspect who was previously arrested for attempted murder died in 1997.
Spend more money
Two Alabama cities are among the top seven cheapest places to live according to U.S. News & World Report, reports William Thornton of AL.com.
And by “cheapest” they don’t just mean how little you need to live. It’s about how much you get for your money. They’ve taken into account housing affordability and healthcare, of course, but also crime, quality of education, commuting and more.
Huntsville came in second on the list, just behind Fort Wayne, Indiana, at No. 1. Huntsville’s downtown renaissance seemed to impress the listmakers. (A craft beer scene blows journalists away, by the way. Want to get on a major publication’s list? Then build a craft beer brewery in a former middle school.)
Montgomery came in seventh. Here too, the growth of the city’s downtown was cited as a plus point for the city, along with the art scene and civil rights tourism.
In numbers
5.25%
This is the rate increase that Tennessee Valley Authority customers will experience starting in October.
Quote
“Roll Tide. Let’s win this thing.”
Shomari figuresCandidate in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, speaks at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.
More Alabama News
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