With the dire problems our nation’s economy still faces with at least a 7.5% unemployment rate, it is interesting why President Obama chose to visit Birmingham today to discuss payday loans.…
Day: March 26, 2015
Prison Reform Deserves Attention from State
That old saying, "A day of reckoning is fast approaching," is so apropos when discussing Alabama's seriously overcrowded prisons. Addressing solely the finances of prison reform, it would cost $840 million…
Debbie Lanier Withdraws From Consideration for Rainsville City Clerk Job
Southern Torch just received this statement from Rainsville Mayor Nick Jones regarding the Council's battle over the City Clerk position: Good morning: The workshop for tonight is cancelled. The purpose was…
State Lotteries and the Government's Betrayal of the Poor
A lot has changed since 1890 when President Benjamin Harrison reminded citizens that lotteries "debauched and defrauded" the public. Today, however, state governments have become the biggest proponents of lotteries. In…
Rainsville State of the City Address and Town Hall Meeting scheduled for March 31
The Rainsville Chamber of Commerce is hosting Rainsville Mayor Nick Jones’ third State of the City Address on Tuesday, March 31 at 6 p.m. at the Tom Bevill Enrichment Center. A…
SCOTUS Announces Ruling on Alabama Redistricting
The Supreme Court of the United States issued a 5-4 decision this morning concerning Alabama’s 2012 legislative redistricting. The ruling sent the case back down to the District Court to be…
Aderholt Statement on the President's Visit to Alabama
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) today released the following statement in regard to President Obama’s visit to Alabama. "President Obama is looking to regulate the symptoms of the years…
The "Winds of Change" in Alabama Public Education
I was reminded at church last week that Lent is a time for the heart and the mind to change. Spring has also sprung in North Alabama, and the budding trees…