Longtime Secretary of the Alabama Senate Dies

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2014/04/mcdowellee-wide.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:499;s:6:"height";i:205;s:4:"file";s:27:"2014/04/mcdowellee-wide.png";s:5:"sizes";a:5:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mcdowellee-wide-336x138.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:138;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mcdowellee-wide-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"mcdowellee-wide-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mcdowellee-wide-470x193.png";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:193;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"mcdowellee-wide-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:276329;s:14:"optimized_size";i:101881;s:7:"percent";d:63.130000000000003;}s:5:"sizes";a:7:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:55:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/mcdowellee-wide.png";s:13:"original_size";i:64906;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21349;s:7:"percent";d:67.109999999999999;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/mcdowellee-wide-140x140.png";s:13:"original_size";i:27211;s:14:"optimized_size";i:11245;s:7:"percent";d:58.670000000000002;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/mcdowellee-wide-336x138.png";s:13:"original_size";i:37633;s:14:"optimized_size";i:12599;s:7:"percent";d:66.519999999999996;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/mcdowellee-wide-80x80.png";s:13:"original_size";i:9354;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4520;s:7:"percent";d:51.68;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/mcdowellee-wide-300x205.png";s:13:"original_size";i:49170;s:14:"optimized_size";i:20906;s:7:"percent";d:57.479999999999997;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/mcdowellee-wide-470x193.png";s:13:"original_size";i:65601;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21164;s:7:"percent";d:67.739999999999995;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/04/mcdowellee-wide-125x125.png";s:13:"original_size";i:22454;s:14:"optimized_size";i:10098;s:7:"percent";d:55.030000000000001;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1654121695 
1397779200

Former longtime secretary of the Alabama state Senate, McDowell Lee, has died at the age of 89. His daughter says Lee died Thursday afternoon after a brief illness at his home in Auburn.

Lee was born in Clayton, Alabama, in 1925 and attended Auburn University before joining the military in 1943. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II in both Europe and the Pacific. After the war, Lee graduated from Troy State University. Lee served one term as mayor of Clio before being elected to the Alabama House in 1954. After eight years in the House, he became secretary of the senate in 1963.

Lee served in that position for 47 years before retiring in 2010. Lee was the nation’s longest serving legislative secretary at the time of his retirement and was renowned for his knowledge of Alabama’s legislative procedures.

In 2008, WBHM’s Andrew Yeager spoke with Lee about his position and the change he had seen through five decades in the legislature.

 

~ Andrew Yeager and the Associated Press, April 18, 2014

 

Ukraine destroys more than 40 military aircraft in a drone attack deep inside Russia

The attack was disclosed on the same day as Zelenskyy said Ukraine will send a delegation to Istanbul for a new round of direct peace talks with Russia on Monday.

The women of No Sex for Fish are survivors — but their survival is precarious

A group of women in Kenya rebelled against trading sex for a fisherman's catch to sell. They got their own boats, had success — but in past years have faced floods and now fears about HIV medications.

Two dead and hundreds arrested in France after PSG win soccer Champions League

Hundreds of people were arrested in the celebrations, which were largely peaceful but degenerated into violence in some areas.

At least seven dead after two Russian bridges collapse

Russia's Investigative Committee, the country's top criminal investigation agency, said in a statement that explosions had caused the two bridges to collapse, but did not give further details.

North Carolina had a housing crisis before Hurricane Helene; now it’s even worse

Hurricanes have gotten larger and wetter because of climate change and inland communities are at greater risk from heavy flooding. That's what Hurricane Helene did to western North Carolina last year.

The White House is deporting people to countries they’re not from. Why?

The administration argues the men's home countries won't take them — but lawyers say getting sent to a country like South Sudan could lead to more persecution.

More Government Coverage