Storms Couldn’t Keep Alabamians Away From Polls

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/03/voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675.jpeg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1910;s:6:"height";i:1075;s:4:"file";s:49:"2016/03/voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675.jpeg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-336x189.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-771x434.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:434;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-140x140.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-768x432.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:50:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-1536x865.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:865;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:47:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-80x80.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-600x338.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-600x600.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-553x311.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-470x265.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-600x400.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-600x600.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"voting-sign-on-bricks-e1542076417675-125x125.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}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:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Source: Rachel Osier Lindley
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:9:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1920;s:6:"height";i:1440;s:4:"file";s:26:"voting-sign-on-bricks.jpeg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"voting-sign-on-bricks-140x140.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"voting-sign-on-bricks-336x252.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"voting-sign-on-bricks-771x578.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:578;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"voting-sign-on-bricks-451x338.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:451;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"voting-sign-on-bricks-300x300.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"voting-sign-on-bricks-415x311.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:415;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"voting-sign-on-bricks-353x265.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:353;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"voting-sign-on-bricks-125x125.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:470280;s:14:"optimized_size";i:342851;s:7:"percent";d:27.100000000000001;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:92139;s:14:"optimized_size";i:65304;s:7:"percent";d:29.120000000000001;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:19850;s:14:"optimized_size";i:14280;s:7:"percent";d:28.059999999999999;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:582269;s:14:"optimized_size";i:422435;s:7:"percent";d:27.449999999999999;}}
        )

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

)
1667958504 
1456920819

Alabamians hit the polls yesterday for what’s been dubbed the “SEC Primary” and voter turnout was high despite severe weather.

Powerful thunderstorms and even a tornado could not keep Alabamians away from the polls yesterday. The severe weather moved through the area during evening rush hour, right about the time some people were on their way to vote. But others hit the polls earlier in the day.

“I voted for Bernie Sanders,” said Patricia Loyd of Birmingham. Her husband, Tom, voted for Ohio Governor John Kasich.

The Loyds may not share the same political beliefs, but they still manage to get along. Tom Loyd supported John Kasich over all other Republican candidates because, “I thought that he gave a good explanation of his platform and what he planned to do,” he said.

“I like Bernie Sanders because he listens,” said Patricia Loyd, who added that she also supports Hillary Clinton. “[Sanders] is just so real.

Another Kasich supporter, Harry Kahmar of Saginaw, said he was going to vote for Trump. But had a change of heart after what he calls Divine intervention.

“I believe I was led by the spirit, the spirit of God,” he said. “I mean I’m a Christian. I have to obey the spirit of God.”

In the end neither Sanders nor Kasich won Alabama. The Republican nomination went to front-runner Donald Trump, while the Democratic contest went to Hillary Clinton. And that’s good news for Clinton supporters.

“She’s had a lot of experience being the first lady, assisting her husband,” said Ella Thomas, who cast her vote in Pelham. “She’s been the Secretary of State and I think she’s more than qualified on day one to step in.”

The next time Alabamians goes to the polls will be in November to cast a final ballot for their successor to current President Barak Obama.

 

How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country

In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.

No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS

The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.

Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue

Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.

Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book

Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.

Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games

The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.

In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out

Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.

More 2016 Election Coverage