Jeffco Voters Elect County’s First African-American Sheriff and District Attorney
Longtime Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale lost his bid for re-election, defeated by Democrat Mark Pettway, who is the county’s first African American sheriff. Pettway is a detective in the sheriff’s office. He received 51 percent of the vote and Hale received 49 percent in the sheriff’s race, according to preliminary results.
Voters also elected Democrat Danny Carr as Jefferson County’s next district attorney, the first African American to hold the post in Jefferson County. Carr defeated Republican Mike Anderton, who was appointed interim district attorney last year by Gov. Kay Ivey. Unofficial results show Carr received 57 percent of the vote and Anderton with 43 percent.
Incumbent GOP Jefferson County Commissioner Joe Knight defeated Democrat J.T. Smallwood to hold onto his seat.
Only one incumbent Jefferson County Democrat lost to a Republican. Eddie Brown, a Republican, defeated Jefferson County school board member Martha Bouyer. Brown is a retired Jefferson County school administrator.
Democrats controlled judicial races in Jefferson County; however one race may not be over. Democrat Linda Hall defeated Republican Teresa Pulliam in the race for Circuit Court Place 14. A judge last week said Hall would be disqualified from taking office because she does not meet the residency requirement. A Jefferson County voter challenged Hall’s residency, saying she lived most of the year in Shelby County. It is unclear how the vacancy will be filled.
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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.
‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat
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Space Command is coming to Huntsville. What might that mean for first-time homebuyers
While Huntsville has been a more affordable market than other growing cities, what’s it been like for those looking for their first home?
