New Jefferson County Commission Takes Office With Three New Members

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2018/11/Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1920;s:6:"height";i:1200;s:4:"file";s:71:"2018/11/Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:71:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-336x210.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:210;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:71:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-771x482.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:482;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:71:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-140x140.jpg";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:71:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-768x480.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:480;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:72:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-1536x960.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:960;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-80x80.jpg";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:71:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-600x338.jpg";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:71:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-600x600.jpg";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:71:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-498x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:498;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:71:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-424x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:424;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:71:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-600x400.jpg";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:71:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-600x600.jpg";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:71:"Commissioners_confer_before_convening_their_first_meeting_1-125x125.jpg";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:{}}}
        )

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

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
        )

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

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

    [_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:9319831;s:14:"optimized_size";i:366225;s:7:"percent";d:96.069999999999993;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:8426;s:14:"optimized_size";i:7800;s:7:"percent";d:7.4299999999999997;}s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:24322;s:14:"optimized_size";i:22665;s:7:"percent";d:6.8099999999999996;}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:87944;s:14:"optimized_size";i:83030;s:7:"percent";d:5.5899999999999999;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:3614;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3305;s:7:"percent";d:8.5500000000000007;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:55519;s:14:"optimized_size";i:52089;s:7:"percent";d:6.1799999999999997;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:26021;s:14:"optimized_size";i:24485;s:7:"percent";d:5.9000000000000004;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:44275;s:14:"optimized_size";i:41537;s:7:"percent";d:6.1799999999999997;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:34515;s:14:"optimized_size";i:32278;s:7:"percent";d:6.4800000000000004;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:7001;s:14:"optimized_size";i:6466;s:7:"percent";d:7.6399999999999997;}}s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:9611468;s:14:"optimized_size";i:639880;s:7:"percent";d:93.340000000000003;}}
        )

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

)
1664185515 
1542215861

Sheila Tyson and Lashunda Scales were sworn into office as Jefferson County commissioners Wednesday, along with Steve Ammons, a former Vestavia Hills City Council member. Tyson and Scales are Democrats; Ammons is a Republican. The Republican majority continues on the commission with incumbents Jimmie Stephens and Joe Knight.

Stephens holds on to his job as commission president and Scales is second in command as president pro tempore.

In their new roles, Tyson and Scales will head committees that address some of their major campaign platforms. Scales will lead the environmental services or sewer committee after campaigning on the need to lower county sewer rates.

Tyson is chairperson for the health care committee, which includes Cooper Green Mercy Health Services. Steve Ammons will lead economic development.

Tyson’s district stretches from Fountain Heights to Bessemer. She says there’s a lot of poverty in the district and many residents rely on Cooper Green Mercy Health Services, a hospital the county runs to care for the indigent.

The hospital should be run by a health care authority, Tyson says. Health care for the poor should not be pieced together “to where the citizens won’t have an opportunity to get good treatment,“ she says.

Jefferson County has started talks with UAB Health Systems to establish a university health authority.

Tyson says she also wants help for residents who struggle to pay their high sewer and water bills.

Scales has had her share of battles in the Birmingham council chambers. The county and the city historically have not had a good relationship, but Scales says she wants to change that.

 

Human remains identified as Travis Decker, wanted for killing his daughters

Decker, an ex-soldier, was wanted for the murder of his three young daughters after they were found dead near a campground in June.

Trump to place import taxes on drugs, home furnishings and heavy trucks

President Trump said he will put import taxes of 100% on pharmaceutical drugs, 50% on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, 30% on upholstered furniture and 25% on heavy trucks starting on Oct. 1.

Alabama executes Geoffrey Todd West for the murder of Margaret Parrish Berry

The execution took place despite Berry's son's opposition to it and was marked by less movement than other nitrogen gas executions.

Ex-FBI Director James Comey indicted on criminal charges stemming from 2020 testimony

Comey faces one count of making false statements and one count of obstruction of justice in connection.

Hollywood now has dueling open letters over the Israel film boycott

Over 1,200 Hollywood figures, among them Liev Schreiber, Mayim Bialik and Sharon Osbourne, signed a letter on Thursday rejecting a previous call to boycott Israeli film groups.

Trump advances TikTok deal with new executive order

The new order says that the deal to turn over a majority stake in TikTok to a group of U.S. investors meets the terms ordered by Congress, and will allow it to stay online in the U.S.

More Elections 2018 Coverage