Find Sports at www.TheSportsLedger.com Around Alabama Spikes Used in Car Chase On February 23, 2022, around 2:00 a.m. the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office attempted a traffic stop on a rented Kia sedan near the Beach Express and U.S. 98. The stop was for suspicious activity deputies witnessed near a convenience store. The vehicle failed to yield and a pursuit ensued that went through Foley, Fairhope, Daphne and into Spanish Fort. Deputies used tire deflating spikes to slow the vehicle during the pursuit but the driver kept going. The vehicle ultimately hit a tree and caught fire behind the Ace Hardware in Spanish Fort. Two suspects were arrested. The driver, Travis Duff (39) of Decatur GA was transported to the hospital for back injuries. He has since been released and is in the Baldwin County Corrections Center. Duff is charged with drug trafficking, reckless endangerment, attempt to elude and certain persons forbidden to possess a pistol. Duff has no bond. The passenger, Amanda Whitaker (37) of Gulf Shores, AL. Was charged with drug trafficking and active warrants. Whitaker has no bond. During the pursuit, deputies witnessed a bag being thrown from the vehicle. The bag contained several ounces ounces of suspected methamphetamine, a pistol and drug paraphernalia. The driver of the vehicle was operating the vehicle extremely recklessly by driving on the wrong side of the road and through traffic control devices with no regard for public safety. Trade Excellence Awards Alabama Governor Kay Ivey recently recognized seven Alabama companies for success in selling their goods and services in markets across the globe, helping to sustain robust export activities that create jobs and spark economic growth across the state. Alabama exports totaled nearly $20.9 billion in 2021, an increase of more than 21.8% from the 2020 figure. Alabama’s goods and services were purchased in 189 countries last year, with Germany, Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea the leading destinations. In addition, Governor Ivey recognized William Cummins, executive state director of the Alabama Small Business Development Center Network, for excellence in trade advocacy. Cummins has directed the activities of the Alabama SBDC Network, which seeks to enhance economic growth across the state by providing management and technical assistance to small businesses, since 2011. During a 30-year career in banking, he served in international trade finance with banks in the Southeast and in other roles that advanced trade. The business recipients of the 2022 Governor’s Trade Excellence Awards are: • Cherokee Fabrication Co. (Salem): Founded by Roy Owens, Paul Owens and Jerry Scarborough as a light metal fabrication shop, the Lee County company has served the cotton industry for 25 years. Its international footprint now encompasses ginning operations in North America, South America, Africa and Australia. • CleBer LLC (Paint Rock): The Jackson County company’s open design system for its Oggún tractor makes all parts available off the shelf, empowering small farmers. Customers can purchase tractors made in Alabama or license the design. • Continental Aerospace Technologies (Mobile): A global leader in general aviation, Continental is the only U.S. company to offer a full range of new piston aircraft engines, as well as a full-service factory Maintenance Repair and Overhaul center. In business since 1906, the company has more than 600 employees. • Eastern Technologies Inc. (Ashford): The Houston County company provides Personal Protective Clothing to the nuclear and other industries. It is a leader in the field of radiological laundry services, protective clothing supply, and radiological laundry system design. • iCubate Inc. (Huntsville): iCubate provides fast, accurate and affordable testing assays to laboratories, helping improve patient care outcomes. Its international activities include a licensing agreement with a Chinese oncology diagnostics firm and a joint venture with an infectious disease diagnostics company in China. • Nelson Brothers (Birmingham): Nelson produces chemicals that are used by manufacturers of emulsions around the world for applications in mining and construction. To expand its global business footprint, it began producing specialty chemicals as additives in lubricants, metal working and oil recovery processes. • SynVivo (Huntsville): SynVivo’s tissue/organ-on-chip platform provides a biologically realistic microenvironment to enable better prediction of human responses for drug development and personalized medicine applications. $11.9 investment to bring over 550 jobs to Alabama BELLA+CANVAS, an apparel manufacturer with a “Made in the U.S.A” focus, has announced plans to open an advanced fabric-cutting facility in Wetumpka, AL The company expects that it will create over 550 jobs. Los Angeles-based BELLA+CANVAS will invest $11.9 million to establish the operation in a portion of an 890,000-square-foot building vacant since 2013, when Russell Brands departed from the Elmore County city. BELLA+CANVAS produces clothing for the retail and wholesale markets, while also offering clothing design and manufacturing services. The company is known for its domestic manufacturing mission, the development of innovative new fabrics and its sustainability practices. BELLA+CANVAS employs over 1,000 people at a Los Angeles cutting facility it calls North America’s most advanced, thanks to proprietary software and cutting tables that enable the cutting of about 3 million garments per week. The Wetumpka facility is expected to be modeled after this operation. The 557 jobs being created at the newAlabama facility will include spreaders, general cutting laborers, forklift operators, shipping and receiving clerks and administrative staff. The average annual wages expected is $46,000.
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March 2022
The Sports Ledger
Secretary of State John H. Merrill has announce that during his tenure the State of Alabama has added more than two million newly registered voters. As of a press release from his office on March 7, 2022, Alabama has 3,625,249 total registered voters, and 2,000,957 of those voters have registered since January 19, 2015. Over that same period, 1,367,770 voters have been removed through the regular voter list maintenance process. Following his election, Secretary Merrill was determined to transform the Secretary of State’s Elections Division into an efficient and voter-focused operation. Under his direction, the Elections Division embraced technological advancements that modernized election administration in our state. According to Merrill, Alabama has introduced electronic poll books throughout the state, as well as made changes to the voter registration system to ensure that Alabama is in full compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Additionally, Secretary Merrill brought together community leaders, elected officials, and private citizens to review the felony disenfranchisement laws, which ultimately led to reforming the state’s list of offenses that are designated as crimes of moral turpitude. "After reviewing the state’s compliance with the federal law, our office determined that the state needed to coordinate with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to become compliant with the NVRA. Federal law requires that Alabamians are given the opportunity to register to vote when they obtain a new license or update their existing license," state Merrill. Ultimately, the partnership between the Secretary of State’s Office and ALEA led to the creation of the state’s online voter registration system, which verifies an individual’s identity by cross-checking their information with ALEA’s Driver License Database. At minimal cost to the taxpayers, Merrill's office developed the web site alabamavotes.gov and the accompanying Vote for Alabama mobile application that allows eligible residents to register to vote, update their voter info, and find their polling location on Election Day. Also, Secretary Merrill implemented a free photo voter ID and voter registration mobile unit initiative. Each year, members of his staff visit festivals, churches, community events, and businesses in all 67 counties, where they provide free photo voter IDs and provide voter registration forms. Additionally, the Secretary of State’s Office conducts a statewide multimedia campaign to ensure all registered voters have a photo ID, promote voter registration, and encourage voter participation. For the last eight years, several well-known individuals have participated in the Secretary of State’s photo voter ID promotional efforts, which include: • 2015: Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban and former Auburn Head Football Coach Gus Malzahn • 2016: NBAHall of Famer Charles Barkley and former Heavyweight Boxing Champion Deontay Wilder • 2017: Former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison and Miss Alabama 2017 Jessica Procter • 2018: American Idol “Season 5” Winner Taylor Hicks and radio personalities Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey • 2019: Country Music Artist Jamey Johnson and Alabama’s first Governor William Wyatt Bibb (actor portrayal) • 2020: The Women of the Alabama Legislature and Alabama Veterans Naval Commander Lee Allen Hallman, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, and Medal of Honor recipient Gary Michael Rose • 2021: Legendary singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett and country music sensation Riley Green • 2022: The 45th President of the United States Donald J. Trump and multi-platinum singer and songwriter Mr. Lionel Richie • The campaign consists of statewide television and radio ads, as well as digital advertisements. Additionally, we promote this message on jumbotrons at stadiums across the state during the college football season. Posters will also be distributed to courthouses, schools, universities, civic clubs, political rallies, and events throughout all 67 counties. These efforts have led to the largest increase in voter registration in state history. “In Alabama, we have made it easier to vote and harder to cheat than ever before in our state's history, and we are extremely proud of the work that has been accomplished," said Merrill. Alabama has added two million voters
A Fort Payne man has been transferred to federal custody after being indicted on charges stemming from distributing methamphetamine. According to DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden, the DeKalb County Narcotics Unit, along with FBI North East Criminal Enterprise, worked a lengthy narcotics investigation into the illicit drug trafficking of Francisco Javier Colunga, age 46 of Fort Payne. Colunga was federally indicted on January 18, 2022 by FBI Task Force Officers assigned to the DeKalb County Narcotics Unit on charges of Conspiracy to Distribute M e t h a m p h e t a m i n e and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine as well as 9 charges of Distribution of/ Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Colunga was picked up by the U.S. Marshall’s Service on February 9, 2022 and taken into federal custody pending trial. “This is an outstanding job by both our Narcotics Agents and Federal partners. These guys work hard every day to foster a good working relationship with federal agencies to ensure these criminals get prosecuted to the fullest extent,” said Welden. Meth Charges Francisco Javier Colunga
DeKalb County Sheriff NickWelden has announced the passing of a resolution by the DeKalb County Commission to commit two million dollars in funding for advancing communications in DeKalb County for all responders. “We have been working diligently towards the CAD / P25 project since day one,” said Welden. “Like so many other municipalities and counties throughout Alabama, we have suffered through years of antiquated technology and have fought communications shortcoming tooth and nail. With the implementation of county wide FirstNet cellular communications, we began the process of bridging the gap and working together with our response partners to find immediate solutions that were cost effective and increased safety for responders. These steps have drastically helped our situation but were not designed to solve the problem completely.” The DeKalb County Communication Governance Committee, formed under the guidelines of the National Communications Plan, includes representatives from all response agencies in Dekalb County. These individuals have been working for the past year researching and reaching out to other counties and states to develop a streamlined communications plan. According to Welden, the committee’s plan will comply with federal mandates, future proof the county’s system, and provide reliable communications for the next generation of first responders. “With the release of the final ruling pertaining to allowable projects under the American Rescue Plan Act, we now have the ability to use funds dispersed from the federal government in order to fix the problems with our communications infrastructure, commented Welden. “Never before have Dekalb County responders come together so dedicated and worked this passionately to make sure all of our needs are addressed as a whole response community. I am so proud to be a part of this community of selfless individuals and agencies that strive to make Dekalb County the best in the state. The Dekalb County Commission has been extremely supportive and I applaud them for taking the initial steps and leading the way in committing the initial funding for this project. It really shows that they truly care about the residents that we all serve by granting us the tools we need to serve them better," the Sheriff added. ‘I would also like to thank the Dekalb County 911 Board, Dekalb County EMA, The Dekalb County Hospital Board, DAS, Fire Association, Police Chiefs Association and the Mayors Association for all of their great teamwork and dedication. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to do the right thing for Dekalb County and put us ahead of the game instead of behind," he said. $2 Million For Communications
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey recently signed Senate Bill 77 into law, which prohibits state agencies or institutions from purchasing U.S. and Alabama flags manufactured outside of the United States. “It is imperative that we prioritize Made in America products, because by doing so, we are supporting our fellow Americans and ensuring those jobs remain in our country. The American flag is symbolic of the ideals we hold dear, and it is more than fitting that Alabama has committed itself to ensuring every flag that is flown on state property is made in the USA. That is the case, and this legislation further solidifies Alabama’s unyielding desire to support companies that call our country home, and I’m proud to have signed it into law," said Ivey. Made In USA Flags
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Alabama Senior State Trooper Larry Young, age 68, of Birmingham, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, March 4, 2022 after a sudden heart attack. He leaves behind a multitude of family and friends, along with the ALEA family. Sr. Trooper Young, who joined the Agency in 2009, was initially assigned to ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division. While in Highway Patrol, he recently transferred to the Motor Carrier Safety Unit’s Central Weight Detail which enforces commercial vehicle weight restrictions within the areas of the Tuscaloosa-Selma Highway Patrol Posts in Troop C. In March of 2021, Sr. Trooper Young was presented with the Officer of the Year Award by the Tuscaloosa Exchange Club for his hard work in reducing crashes and fatalities and for the leadership and advice he provided to his peers. State Trooper Passes Away
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